Trump and Biden’s First Presidential Debate: The Moments That Mattered

 In this article, it looks at the 90 minute debate that went on between the two presidential candidates for this upcoming election. The article points out a few of the larger takeaways from the conversations (or attempted conversations). The first point being the clash between the two, as there was much interruption and side comments towards each other the entire debate, not even allowing very much to get said with actual substance. Next, was the talk of the pandemic. Because it has been such a defining issue, the two have differing ideas of how it would play out with each of them in charge. Biden said that masks could have handled it quickly (as CDC has said) and that Trump lies about the vaccine, whereas Trump points out Biden wants to close the economy and wears his mask everywhere. Then, they talk about the tax issue where it seems Trump is not paying a lot compared to so many low income citizens. They also touched on the topic of race, where trump persistently brings up law and order, and seems to somewhat (but not really at all) go against white supremacy. Finally, they touch on the new Supreme Court Justice and what will happen during elections/after. Biden wishes they waited to choose the new person until after the election, and Trump does not guarantee a peaceful exit if he does not win.

Tanya Czosek

Article Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-bidens-first-presidential-debate-the-moments-that-mattered-11601434105

Fighting Between Armenia And Azerbaijan Threatens To Spiral Into Full-Blown War

An ongoing conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is threatening to escalate into an all-out war, with the potential of drawing in NATO ally Turkey. Fighting started Sunday morning and continues, Armenians as well as Azerbaijanis claimed. 

The ethnic Armenian majority in the region fought a bloody war of secession from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union fell apart 30 years ago. A tense cease fire - but not lasting peace - has since kept tensions high in the Caucasus. 

Russia has a defense pact with Armenia and a military base in the landlocked country, but the Kremlin also maintains good relations with Azerbaijan. Turkey's relation with Armenia are clouded by the Ottoman Empire's 1915 genocide on Armenians and continues to stand with Azerbaijan. 

No country, not even Armenia, has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as independent of Azerbaijan; the danger now is if the regular Armenian army gets down into fighting with Azerbaijan. Experts fear that if this conflict is not stopped through serious outside pressure, then war will come. A full-blown war would send ripples through the entire North Caucasus region and affect all major players, including Russia and Turkey. 

Article: https://www.npr.org/2020/09/28/917829216/fighting-between-armenia-and-azerbaijan-threatens-to-spiral-into-full-blown-war

Jan Mueller

COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 1 Million

In this article by BBC News, the author outlines the milestones of the COVID-19 virus since it began last fall in Wuhan, China. Very recently, the death toll of the virus has reached the milestone of 1 Million people worldwide. The beginning of January, China released news of their first confirmed COVID-19 death. By the end of January, there were over 100 COVID-19 deaths reported. Skip ahead of March 20th and the death toll reaches 10,000 deaths, worldwide. Many world leaders tried to make restrictions and laws to keep their people safe. Despite these measure the virus continued to spread. By the end of June, there were half a million deaths due to the virus. Yesterday, September 28th, 2020, the COVID-19 death toll hit 1 Million.

By: Cooper Hoffmann

Article Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-54337098

Turkish prosecutors indict six Saudis involved in Jamal Khashoggi's murder

 In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. There is still speculation about who ordered the attack and if it goes as high as the Crown Prince himself. In any case, Turkish prosecutors on September 28, indicted six Saudis for their suspected role in the murder of Khashoggi. The prosecutors are seeking two life imprisonment sentences and for the other four, up to five years in prison. For some commentators, the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi demonstrated the true face of the Saudi government: the willingness to murder dissenters and any moderate voices in Saudi Arabia. Turkish president Erdogan asserts than Khashoggi's death was ordered by the highest echelon of the Saudi government but has never implicated the Crown Prince himself. 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/turkey-indicts-six-more-saudis-over-khashoggi-murder/articleshow/78363886.cms

By Luke Joiner 

South Korean President Apologizes for North Korea Killing

 Jake Mersch

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is critical of his own handling of North Korean troops killing a South Korean official last week. He offered his apology and condolences to the official's family after he was murdered in North Korean controlled waters. The official's family believes the man may have fallen into the water by accident and then as apprehended by North Korean troops where they proceeded to kill him and burn his body. President Moon has stressed that occurrences similar to this one are the reason negotiations often stall between North and South Korea. This is a minor story, however small developments like this could spark increased military tension between the two Koreas. This is very unlikely though. 

https://www.foxnews.com/world/south-korea-moon-apology-official-killed-north-korea 

Russia’s UN envoy warns of rift in international relations

Russia is foreseeing a new bipolarity between the United States and China, and they are not happy about it. They have said they will not be allying with China against the U.S, nor will they be allying with the U.S against China. They are seeing the worsening relations between the two powers have said the world is "not moving in a direction they want". 

What Happened to Breonna Taylor? What We Know About the Case and Her Death

 Breonna Taylor was a 26 year EMT from Louisville, Kentucky who was killed in her own home by Detective Brett Hankison, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove. They issue a no-knock warrant and forced themselves him into the wrong house. Her boyfriend shot at the officers thinking they were intruders and she was sadly shot six times. Her case did not receive national attention until two months later during the BLM movement and a couple days ago Detective Brett Hankison, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove had their hearing against the jury.  Detective Brett Hankison was indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment, however none related to Breonna Taylor's death. The other two officers were not charged. 

https://www.wsj.com

Kimberly Nunez 

McMaster: Trump suggestion he might not cede power is ‘gift to our adversaries’

With the 2020 Presidential election this year in the US, incumbent Trump is seeking to retain another four-year term. After being asked about a peaceful transition of power between himself and candidate Biden, Trump would not affirm this long-standing American value. This prompted former National Security Adviser HR McMaster to label this as "a gift to our adversaries". McMaster goes on to say "In fact, even talking about it, I think, is irresponsible." The conversation is happening because the President threw the matter into doubt. McMaster answered questions about Trump's St. John's Church photo op back in June but declined to comment about the president's response to the coronavirus.

Article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/27/trump-election-cede-power-hr-mcmaster

Matthew J. Nealon

C.D.C. Testing Guidance Was Published Against Scientists’ Objections

As COVID continues to stay relevant worldwide, the CDC resumes its battle to test and hopefully come to a vaccine of some kind. However, we see that there have been a bountiful amount of ethical obstacles that have prevented them from making progress. An issue in any field or government is publication of false or misleading information, which can cause a stir down to the societal level. Since this is the CDC we are talking about in the midst of a global pandemic, all knowledge is deemed sensitive. Personally, I think the the most absurd thing is that a draft went through 20 different drafts, reviewed by top scientists, and information was still skewed. The lack of ownership and prevalence of ambiguity is also a tad disappointing given how far deep the U.S. has been in this dire situation.

By Christopher Martinez

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html?searchResultPosition=2

Sri Lanka returns 'hazardous waste' to UK

 Officials in Sri Lanka discovered hospital waste in 263 containers sent by a private company in the UK when the containers should have included mattresses, rugs and carpets for potential recycling as well as plastic and polythene waste- 21 containers of waste were sent back to the UK. Sunil Jayaratne, a customs spokesman, said the original importations breached international and EU rules and regulations on hazardous waste and its disposal, but the specific regulations were not discussed. England's Environmental Agency stated they will work with Sri Lankan authorities to gather more information and launch a formal investigation. Many other countries in the region have also had to send waste containers back to foreign countries and this is not the first time Sri Lanka has mistakenly received hazardous containers.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54314778

Serena Merhebi

Swiss fathers will be paid paternity leave

 On Sunday, September 27, Swiss voters approved a referendum for ten days of paid paternal leave set to begin January 1, 2021. Prior to the referendum, a single day off was given to fathers. The significance of this vote is that Switzerland is the last Western European nation to provide paid paternity leave. Switzerland has normally been behind the region on advancing gender equality as women got the right to vote in 1971 and married women no longer needed permission from their husband to work outside of domestic responsibilities since 1988. The details of the referendum include that fathers will be required to earn at least 80% of their normal salaries but companies have discretion to extend the paternity leave or increase the percentage of normal salaries earned. 

https://thehill.com/regulation/labor/518505-switzerland-votes-to-create-nationwide-paternity-leave

By Luke Joiner 

Boris Johnson urges world leaders to unite against COVID-19

 Johnson argues that COVID has damaged bonds between countries and he proposes, to the U.N, several ways to help recover those bonds. Most of what he proposes is to prevent another event like this corona virus pandemic. He would like to see countries come together and share data about potential disease outbreaks. Johnson also wants countries to not limit exports on essential items like masks and gloves. One of his points in the speech was to not blame any one country for what happened since that wouldn't help international relations. Although he said this, it's clear that what he proposes kind of blames China for the pandemic. After all they delayed information about the outbreak early on and used export controls on protective equipment. He also proposed a boost in funding from the UK to The World Health Organization over the span of four years. Some say this move is to show how the UK isn't becoming isolationist amidst their withdrawal from the E.U. 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/boris-johnson-urges-world-leaders-unite-covid-19-73261596   

Jimmy Oropeza

“Azerbaijan and Armenia Clash Over Disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Region.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54314341?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world&link_location=live-reporting-story “Azerbaijan and Armenia Clash Over Disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Region.” There is a skirmish between Azerbaijan and Armenia over land. Turkey’s president has sided with the Azerbaijan. Which is interesting because Turkey does not acknowledge the Armenia Genocide. Russia however is calling for a ceasefire, because each side was a part of the Soviet Union before it ended. Currently, sixteen people have died in the fighting. The Armenians say that there had been attacks and civilians and has declared martial law. Azerbaijan points the finger at Armenia. The land in question generally disputed as Azerbaijan land but with a large Armenia population. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is trying to calm things down. It seems that this skirmish has been going on for a while because of the instability in the region. I wonder if the clash has anything to do with the instability created by the collapse of the Soviet Union or if it is part of a much larger history. In July of this year things seemed to had come to a head because that was when the sixteen people had been killed. Additionally, it was mentioned in the article we had to read for Monday. Jena Livesay

Russian dissident Navalny recovering faster than expected

 On August 20th, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny collapsed on a plane due to an attempted assassination made against him. According to his chief of staff Leonid Volkoy, he is doing much better and has been discharged from the Berlin hospital he had been receiving treatment in. According to the lab in Berlin where he was receiving treatment and labs in France and Norway, the soviet-era nerve agent Novichok was in Navalny's system and was the tool used to attempt the assassination. Navalny intends to return to Russia to continue his work. 

https://apnews.com/article/russia-moscow-berlin-archive-assassinations-2179f438dfe396b87bb0ab56ae9711aa

Nikolai Mitlyng

As Covid-19 Closes Schools, the World’s Children Go to Work

 As the pandemic continues its way across the globe, school closures have presented very challenging problems for many nations. While the United States grapples with the effectiveness of online learning, poorer nations without resources like computers are forced to halt schooling entirely. As a result, the United Nations estimates that at least 24 million children will drop out and millions others will be sucked into the work force. This threatens to roll back years of progress in enrollment, literacy, and social mobility. This has caused a great deal of frustration for families in these countries. They argue that if leaders really care about education, they should put the necessary resources in to promote safe learning. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/world/asia/covid-19-india-children-school-education-labor.html

Anthony Grammich

Swiss Voters Reject Referendum to end Free Movement with EU

On September 27, Swiss voters overwhelmingly struck down a referendum calling to end a treaty with the European Union that allowed free movement of citizens of the EU into and out of the country. The public voted against the referendum 62% to 38%. The Swiss government is structured under a direct democracy, allowing citizens to regularly vote on several referendums. Proponents of the most recent referendum say that its passing would allow Switzerland to strengthen its borders and take back control over immigration. Most of the proponents were members of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), but the opponents included the government, parliament and unions. Opponents feared that the referendum would hurt Swiss-EU relations since Switzerland is not a member of the EU and only has “treaties” with the Union. They also feared it would send the economy into a recession during uncertain times stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic, since over 60% of Swiss exports travel to other EU countries. They also argued that the referendum’s passage would severely limit the mobility of Swiss citizens and their ability to live elsewhere, pointing out the fact that 1.4 million EU citizens work in Switzerland and over half a million Swiss live and work in the EU elsewhere. The economic consequences undoubtedly swayed the voting population, and the accord between the EU and Switzerland allowing the free movement of people is still intact.

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54316316

Amy Coney Berrett announced as Supreme Court nominee

On Saturday President Trump announced his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barret. She praised Ruth Bader Ginsburg at her nomination for her work done as a justice. If she is appointed she will be the youngest justice to be on the Supreme Court at 48 years old, with her being so young if she is appointed she will have a lasting impact on the court for years to come. If appointed she would also make the court have a conservative majority though she argues that she will be strictly upholding the constitution and will leave her personal beliefs out of the court. This comes with the worry that a convective court would overturn Roe v. Wade, but this is unlikely because it would be such a dramatic political upheaval. As of right now we are also still waiting to see what the political implications of this nomination will be and how it will play into the already tense election. 

By. Faith Brouwer

Article:  https://nypost.com/2020/09/26/amy-coney-barrett-nominated-to-replace-ruth-bader-ginsburg/

Belarus: Mass arrests and tear gas on seventh weekend of protests

The election in Belarus has led to 50 straight days of protests, where citizens are fighting for a new election. The United States and other UN countries are not recognizing Lukashenko as the legitimate leader of Belarus. Police forces are now resorting to tear gas, directly spraying protesters, thus leading to an increase in arrests. The opponents from the first election chose to go into exile in neighboring countries. While they may believe that the protests are just and that people should be able to determine their leaders, there is nothing that the opposition leaders can do. This comes behind the struggle of the coronavirus re-emerging across Europe. Belarus is still seeing a rise in cases and the protests that are happening are not keeping people distant and safe.

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54316568

Belarus "leader" Lukashenko loses support of from France

French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted this week saying that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko "must go." This vote of no confidence comes after last month's controversial election in Belarus. Lukashenko claims he won the election overwhelmingly, however, many of the country's opposition says the election was rigged. The possible rigged election has led to protests throughout Belarus. The Belarus government, under Lukashenko, has cracked down violently on these protests leaving the nation in a state of civil unrest. Now the Europen Union is no longer recognizing Lukashenko as president and calling for his removal.  However, the Belarus foreign minister spoke to the United Nations this week warning the rest of the world to stay out of Belarus' internal business. Lukashenko has been in power for 26 years. 

https://apnews.com/article/alexander-lukashenko-belarus-emmanuel-macron-elections-france-7c0a5b11324bce0df73861621eabed1b

Lucas Burris

What We Know About Breonna Taylor’s Case and Death

    On Wednesday, September 23^rd, no charges were announced for two of the three officers involved in the March shooting of Breonna Taylor. A charge of wanton endangerment was given to the third officer involved, not for Breonna Taylor’s death, but for the stray bullets that entered her neighbor’s apartment. This decision has added fuel to the fire of ongoing protests that have been occurring since her death, as well as many others like George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.  Taylor was killed in her home after officers issued a no-knock warrant in connection to a drug investigation of her ex-boyfriend, who no longer resided there. After her current boyfriend shot once at police officers, citing self-defense, the officers shot multiple rounds into the home, killing Taylor in her bed. No drugs were found in the home. The court decision sparked outrage nation-wide, calling into question the validity of no-knock warrants. Adding to the controversy, no body cam footage has been found. Despite the officers not being found guilty, the city of Louisville payed Taylor’s family $12 million to settle the wrongful-death lawsuit spearheaded by her mother. 

 https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html

By Rola Goke-Pariola

Tensions Rise Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

 This article talks about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a disputed land area called Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has accuses Azerbaijan of aerial and artillery attacks. For some background information, the the region is recognized, internationally, as Azerbaijan territory, however the land is predominately controlled by ethnic Armenians. 

These tensions and violence have been unresolved for over 30 years, and over 16 people were died in an outbreak of violence in July. Both of these countries broke away from the Soviet Union in the final years of the USSR. Now, tensions are high between the two counties. The article discusses how Russia traditionally sides with Armenia, but is calling for a cease-fire from both sides of the conflict. It will be interesting to see, if fighting continues in the region how/if Russia intervenes from there. 

BY: Cooper Hoffmann

ARTICLE LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54314341

Trump Nominates Justice

 Donald Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, the court will have a 6-3 conservative majority and Barrett will be the third justice on the court nominated by Trump. Barrett has openly opposed the Affordable Care Act and abortion, while supporting extensive gun rights and Trump's views on immigration. She also belongs to the group People of Praise who believes "sexual relations should only happen between heterosexual married couples" which is concerning to the LGBTQ community who just recently were granted the ability to get married. Barrett did say that as a justice she will only rule on the law and not take into account her personal views. It is expected that the Senate will have a 51-50 majority to confirm Barrett whenever they hold a vote. 

Caitlin Hamilton

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54312699

North Korea killed and burned a South Korean defector

 A South Korean government official had left his inspection boat with a lifejacket and attempted swimming to North Korean waters. A North Korean civilian ship spotted the man, prompting a North Korean warship to arrive later on. When the civilians interrogated the man, he said that he had wanted to defect to North Korea. However, that did not stop the warship from shooting him, coating him in oil, and burning his body. The soldiers said that they were acting on "orders from superior authority," which implies they came from Kim Jung Un. The South Korean government theorizes that this brutal burning and killing was out of fear that the man was carrying COVID-19, as the North Korean sailors were in masks and gear, so it was potentially out of national security.

This event is significant because it destroys attempts by the South Korean government to work with the North Korean government. The South Korean president has been actively trying to reach a peace declaration with North Korea, as well as expand inter-Korean projects. However, this attack on one of their citizens is likely to halt the goodwill of the South Korean government for some time.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/south-korean-official-is-killed-after-drifting-into-northern-waters-11600943954

By Claire Mikulcik

Update: 

Kim Jung Un has apologized for the killing of the South Korean man. His letter to the South Korean president is rare, as he has never really apologized for killing South Koreans before. He also said that he wants to continue being close with Mr. Moon (South Korea's president), so where the relationship goes from here is up to the South Koreans.

The North Korean soldiers also claim that they did not burn the man's body, but rather some of his stuff. Since it was foggy in the early morning, it is hard to say what actually happened.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/kim-jong-un-north-korea-is-very-sorry-for-killing-civil-servant-from-the-south-11601028088 

India and China agree to stop sending troops to disputed Himalayan border

 On Monday, India and China agreed to stop sending more troops to their disputed border in the Himalayas, after a recent increase in tensions between the two nations.

Tensions have been rising between the two nations in the region after a skirmish in June, leaving at least 20 Indian soldiers dead.  China has yet to acknowledge the incident.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/23/asia/china-india-border-troop-agreement-intl-hnk/index.html

Stuart Elliot

 

TikTok Ban Averted: Trump Gives Oracle-Walmart Deal His 'Blessing

For the past few weeks, there has been much discussion over TikTok and whether it's getting banned or not. The Trump administration feels the app is not safe because of national security concerns. They fear the Chinese authoritarian regime can access data from Americans via the app. However, this past weekend Oracle and Walmart announced they will form a new entity called TikTok Global; thus, keeping the app open to Americans. This will benefit both companies due to predictions of their sales going on. ByteDance is still predicted to owe 80% of the app still but Trump signed an order in August to completely divest from TikTok operations by November 12th. 

https://www.npr.org

Kimberly Nunez 

Boris Johnson Reimposes Some Coronavirus Restrictions

 Jake Mersch

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom would see certain restrictions from the March shutdown reimposed in the coming weeks. He stressed that simple items to slow and stop the spread would be the foundation of these restrictions. The first restriction is a brand new mandate for masks to be worn in all taxis and public transit. Earlier this year, wearing a mask inside a taxi was at the discreation of the driver while public transportaion's mask mandate has never been lifted. Second, bars and restaurants will be required to close at speficied times which are to be announced in the coming days. Lastly, stores will see additional social distancing guidlines and restrictions imposed with the nationewide mask mandate leading the charge in that area as well. Johnson noted this restrictions are not leaning towards a comple shutdown similair to March, however, he warned that could become reality once again if these restrictio s and gulidlines are not followed. 

https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnson-announces-new-coronavirus-prevention-measures 

The UN Is Needed More Than Ever. But Needs To Reform.

The United Nations At 75: It Has Never Been More Needed Nor Under Greater Threat

 "As the United Nations celebrates its 75th anniversary this week, its limitations have never been more apparent. Neither has its necessity."

The UN was born from the wreckage of World War II; an institution built to foster dialogue and diplomacy, and to provide an arena other than the battlefield for countries to hash out disagreements. While this largely worked, the institution's architecture is still the same as in 1945, which is why UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres acknowledges that this architecture needs to be renewed, beginning with the Security Council. 

The UN was also build to provide the means for cooperation between states to solve collective action problems. 2020 has crystalized the need for immediate collective action; however, more and more states are beginning to take a zero-sum approach to the world and emphasize "my nation first" politics which complicates the coordination that is so necessary. 

As a whole, world leaders need to acknowledge that our ever-changing world brings problems that cannot be addressed if they go alone; those problems need to be addressed by the United Nations. For its part, the UN needs to show that it is addressing its own shortcoming, and that it is evolving along with the rapidly-changing world. Reforming the institution from within will help to solve collective action problems as well as geopolitical tensions; for, at least, another 75 years.

Article: https://time.com/5891074/the-united-nations-at-75-it-has-never-been-more-needed-nor-under-greater-threat/

Jan Mueller

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/18/100306972/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-champion-of-gender-equality-dies-at-87

 Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on Friday. She was one of the major leaders of women's rights during the 1970s and has done numerous things to help the rights of women during her 27-year career. While her death is tragic it also carries with it numerous political significance. She was a very heavy hitter for the liberal wing in the supreme court and if President Trump can appoint another justice and if that justice is conservative the conservatives will hold the majority of 6-3. This creates the question will President Trump get a supreme court nominee this close to the election? President Obama was not able to put his nominee in at the end of his term so people are arguing that Trump should not get to either. This will create a very interesting next few weeks in American politics. 

-Faith Brouwer

Facebook will limit some advertising in the week before the US election -- but it will let politicians run ads with lies

 With the election coming up, and Facebook being filled with politics and political ads, Facebook has announced the limitation of some advertisements in the week before the election. This is to cause less interference right before the actual election. Most people hear this and think it is probably a successful tool, however there have been loopholes found, which this article discusses. One point mentioned is that a lot of people can vote early and mail in, in which the ads will still be up and being posted while they are voting, before the official Election Day. On top of this, there will still be availability for ads that are bought before to keep running, even if they contain false information. Zuckerberg claims this issue is on the journalists and fact checkers because they are given enough time before the official day. After the election, this limitation will be taken away and allow all ads back again in full force.

Tanya Czosek

Article Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/03/tech/facebook-political-ads-election/index.html

China, Seeking a Friend in Europe, Finds Rising Anger and Frustration

China, Europe, and the U.S. are some of the biggest national contenders when it comes to government power. We've discussed in class that the U.S. is a hegemon due to its overwhelming military and size advantages, but what would happen if China joined forces with another country? Unfortunately for China, they've had crumbling friendships all around. China's authoritarianist regime seems to rub many country's the wrong way, making it progressively more difficult to paint Xi Jinping as a good leader. Citizens in the U.S. have a growing concern that Trump is not handling relations with China all too well; citing that these conflicts may spark something greater. Luckily, it doesn't seem like we have to worry about the CCP tag-teaming with another national superpower to take us down.

By Christopher Martinez

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/world/asia/china-europe-xi-jinping.html

Trump blasts 1619 Project on role of Black Americans and proposes his own "1776 commission"

In direct opposition of the 1619 Project, President Trump has announced plans to push forth the “1776 Commission,” with the goal of reinstating “patriotism in American schools.” The 1619 Project, spearheaded by investigative journalist Hannah Nicole Jones, was an effort by Jones to reframe the lens in which American history is viewed by focusing on slavery and its long-lasting effects. President Trump sees the ideas suggested by Jones’ as divisive, opting instead to focus on viewing and teaching American history in a positive light. At the White House history conference where he made his announcement, he went on to explain that The 1619 promoted lies, namely that the U.S. was founded on oppression. President Trump’s strong stance and proposal on the matter brings up larger questions of the President’s role in setting American public-school curriculum, as well as a deeper discussion on what (at times conflicting) narratives should be taught in American classrooms. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-1619-project-1776-commission/

Rola Goke-Pariola

Is Covid-19s end closer than we think?

After recent studies done, it was discovered that up to half of the world's population may have a natural immunity to the Covid virus, without ever being exposed. The hypothesis based on the data states that 35%-50% of the world is immune. In some regions, 25% of the population tested have antibody prevalence. Based on this data, we are slowly looking at reaching herd immunity, which is 60%-80% of the population. Certain parts of the world have lower rates than others, and this may be because of the natural immunity. Other studies have found links to Covid-19 being higher in people who had lower vitamin D levels in their blood. Though this is unlikely to be a cure, Having higher levels of vitamin D makes individuals less susceptible to the disease. 

Julia Babinec

United Nations Celebrates 75th Anniversary

 The United Nations was founded after World War II to ensure that the world never went through another world war. This year marks the 75th anniversary of their creation, and the results have been mixed. The United Nations has always been criticized for never getting much done. However, they have, at this point, achieved their goal of never letting another world war occur. At this point, the United Nations is simply a platform for the 193 nations involved to come together and discuss the issues of the world. Therefore, in the speeches set to be given on Monday the United Nations "vows to build a post-pandemic world that is more equal, works together, and protects the planet."

https://apnews.com/413677c173065d408a86582e2647fea5

Lucas Burris

Xinjiang: China defends 'education' camps

 China recently defended their education camps that target mostly Muslim minorities after the US government announced there would be import restrictions on products coming from the Xinjiang region. The US has also placed sanctions on Chinese politicians who are reportedly involved as some of the products from the region are made with slave labor. In the official report, it said "Xinjiang has built a large knowledge-based, skilled and innovative workforce that meets the requirements of the new era". They have claimed that these camps are necessary to provide support to those in poverty and to prevent terrorism.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-54195325 

Serena Merhebi

Secret documents show how North Korea launders money through U.S. banks

North Korean-Linked companies have been using shell companies along with the help of China to launder money through prominent banks, according to NBC News. According to the documents, North Korea has been able to circumnavigate the US and other foreign sanctions through this scheme. Approximately $175 million has been sent through Chase and Bank of New York Mellon. The documents that NBC used came from FinCEN, the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. a project that examines suspicious activity reported by banks. These revelations emphasize the need for access to the global financial community and also the ineffectiveness of traditional sanctions.

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/secret-documents-show-how-north-korea-launders-money-through-u-n1240329

Matthew J. Nealon

Venezuela's government accused of committing crimes against humanity in UN report

 After investigating 223 accusations of extrajudicial executions, a U.N backed fact-finding mission accused the Venezuelan government of committing crimes against humanity. The mission found that since 2014, the Venezuelan government have been committing human rights violations such as arbitrary killings and systemic uses of torture and that these were state policies. The report claims that the Scientific, Criminal and Criminological Investigator Corps and the Special Action Forces of the National Bolivarian Police were responsible for two-thirds of extrajudicial killings. A training video shows that officers were encouraged to kill criminals and that it was common practice to cover up these killings. The report called for the FAES to be dismantled. The report also found that Venezuelan intelligence agencies targeted political dissidents and human rights activists. Civilian groups had been formed to maintain public order and the report found that authorities failed to intervene when these groups killed protestors.

Michael Sorensen

Article link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/16/americas/venezuela-crimes-against-humanity-un-report-intl/index.html 

Trump administration to attempt to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran despite international opposition

The Trump administration is looking to continue the sanctions imposed on Iran by way of the Iran nuclear deal. A weapons embargo is set to expire in the next month and the U.S is trying to convince the rest of the members to continue with the embargo. Some argue that the U.S is trying to undermine the Iran nuclear deal and set the guidelines themselves. They want to impose enough pressure on Iran they have no option but to negotiate a new deal with the U.S being the leader. This of course comes after the Trump administration leaving the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 by arguing that it wasn't strong enough. This move could leave the U.S further alienated from the rest of the members: Germany, France, and the U.K. It is also important to note how China and Russia will act, who are also part of the Iran nuclear deal, after the embargo expires. They will most likely wait and see what happens in Nonmember to decide when to sell weapons to Iran. 

    https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/politics/iran-snapback-sanctions/index.html

Jimmy Oropeza

Protests in Madrid over coronavirus lockdown measures

Recently many in Madrid have begun to protest their government's response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Amid Spain's second wave of the pandemic, the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, placed the worst effected areas under a partial lockdown. However, the measures seem to be politically motivated, effecting the poor and immigrants far more than others. Ayuso has even claimed "the way of life of immigrants in Madrid" is the reason for the recent rise in cases. Protestors contest that the Ayuso's response is rooted in bigotry and that the government has not provided enough resources to the health care system, leaving the region ill-prepared for the second wave.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/20/protests-madrid-coronavirus-lockdown-measures-spain

Anthony Grammich

Moroccans protest Arab nations normalizing ties with Israel

 This past Tuesday, Israel signed a historic diplomatic pact with the UAE and Bahrain in a U.S.-brokered deal.  This prompted demonstrations in Morocco, protesting the normalization of ties between the nations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/moroccans-protest-arab-nations-normalizing-ties-with-israel/2020/09/19/7f344586-fa53-11ea-85f7-5941188a98cd_story.html

Stuart Elliot

“Thailand Protests: Activists Challenge Monarchy by laying ‘People’s Plaque’”

Young people are protesting the monarchy in Thailand and want it to be modernized. Students created a plaque to replace the missing one that basically says the people are the power. This is all in reaction to a decision in February that is diminishing a pro-democracy party. In June, a pro-democracy activist went missing and that sparked additional protests against the Thai government. Additionally, in Thailand the monarchy is supposed to be revered and people are not supposed to question it. However, a political activist made a list of all the things the protesters wanted from the government, which goes into direct conflict with what the Thai believe is okay to say about the monarchy. Also, in one of the pictures they are doing the salute from the Hunger Games. It kind of feels like we’re living in a dystopian novel and all I do is go to school. I do not think it's surprising that we see so much turmoil in the world. Because of the state of the world, people are beginning to see the flaws in the systems and want change. Jena Livesay https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54222524

Syria war: US deploys reinforcements to Syria after Russia clashes

 The U.S. has deployed 100 additional troops to north-east Syria after tensions between U.S. and Russian forces have been steadily increasing. 

Russia is backing the Syrian government, whereas the U.S. backs local Kurdish fighters. This has led to some tension between the two countries, and incidents between the two have escalated this year. 

The United States military has said Russian forces have been entering into secure zones which the U.S. has told them not to. Last August, this ended in a vehicle collision where seven U.S. troops were injured. The tension between Russia and the U.S. has not been directly addressed as of yet, however the decision to deploy more American forces into Syria is a "clear signal to Russia to adhere to mutual de-confliction processes and for Russia and other parties to avoid unprofessional, unsafe, and provocative actions in north-east Syria," according to a United States official.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54215915

Protests in Thailand rally for Democratic Reform

Thousands of demonstrators took a stand in Thailand’s capital on Saturday to support the protest calling for new elections, a new constitution and an end to the intimidation of those against the monarchy. However, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha asked protestors to cancel their event in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 which would help put an end to the country’s economic woes. An estimated 20,000 protestors gathered in the capital with the demonstration consisting of songs, skits and discussions of the supposed inept government and corruption in the military and women’s rights. Protestors believe that Prime Minister Prayuth was unfairly elected in last year’s election after laws had been changed to favor a pro-military party. They have since issued a 10-point manifesto calling for the reformation of the monarchy. Protests began with students in February after a court ruling eliminated the Future Forward Party, one that has been gaining popularity among younger voters. The party won the third-most seats in last year’s elections, touting a stance against the monarchy being critical towards the government and military. The monarchy has yet to counteract protests, but a move from them is expected to come and is expected to be watched all around the world.

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thai-protesters-hold-ambitious-rally-democratic-reforms-73111297

US Embassy in Kabul: Attacks Targeting Women are Increasing

Jake Mersch

The United States's Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan has issued a warning for women in and around the capital city to be on high alert as several extremist attacks against females were said to be imminent. "The embassy didn't provide specifics, including how imminent the threat is," however they did state the potential attacks would be against "teachers" and "government employees". Furthermore, this alert comes at the conclusion of a week where Taliban and Afghan leaders have begun historic negotiations for peace and leadership in the country and broader Middle East region. These threats would be in line with the Taliban's harsh treatment of women during their power grab in the 1990s and may prove Afghan leaders skeptical of the peace deal guided by the US. Rather than blaming the US, Afghanistan would be distrusting of the Taliban in negotiations.

https://apnews.com/4c7efdf3d99080f9e31ea6e6fb5e0873

West Coast Wildfire Smoke Reaches Europe

 Smoke from the West Coast wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington has now travelled to the East Coast and all the way to Europe. Smoke was reported being as far away as the Netherland and Hamburg, Germany, while it also caused a temperature decrease due to the sun being obscured in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Additionally, the wildfires are creating massive amounts of pollution, spewing carbon monoxide levels that are over 10 times the normal amount. Not only can carbon monoxide last for months in the air, but it can also descend from the jet stream and significantly affect air quality in regions where it reaches ground level. This level of carbon monoxide will also have an effect on climate change, as it is one of the main greenhouse gases. Unfortunately, there is little hope for now, as arid conditions are forecasted for the future, potentially followed by a heavy rain that will only make the smoke worse.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-15/smoke-california-wildfires-reaches-east-coast-europe

By Claire Mikulcik

President Trump Urged Not to Take Sudan off Terror List

 President Trump's administration has been urged, by families of 9/11 victims, to not follow through with removing Sudan from the Terror List. In this article, the author discusses how Sudan has made big strides in trying to improve relations with the United States, after successfully overthrowing former dictator, Omar al-Bashir (who brutally controlled the nation for 30 years). The article makes the argument that for Sudan to move on and continue its path to Democracy and Capitalism, they must lose the title of "state sponsor of terrorism". This title restricts the Nation from fully participating in the World Economy.

However, families of 9/11 are not happy about the U.S forgiving Sudan and removing them from the list. In the article, the author writes about a wife of a 9/11 victim who says it is sad that the U.S government cares more about Sudan's path to capitalism, than remembering the 2,000+ lives that were lost on September 11th, 2001.

By: Cooper Hoffmann

ARTICLE LINK: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/09/11/9-11-families-push-back-deal-take-sudan-off-terror-list/5679461002/

Trump Emerges as Inspiration for Germany's Far Right

Topic: Nationalism and conflicts 

Among German conspiracy theorists, ultranationalist and Neo-Nazis, the American president is surfacing as a rallying cry, or even as a potential "liberator". 

Two weeks ago, hundreds of far-right activists tried to storm the German Parliament. Interesting was that next to flags of imperial Germany or the German Reich, there were American flags and even one with Trump's picture on it. This is the latest example that Trump's message of disruption - his unvarnished nationalism and tolerance of white supremacists coupled with his skepticism of the pandemic's danger - is spilling well beyond American shores. Mr. Trump's appeal to the political fringe has now added a new and unpredictable element to German politics at a time when the domestic intelligence agency has identified far-right extremism and far-right terrorism as the biggest risk to German democracy. The authorities have only recently woken up to a problem of far-right infiltration in the police and military; on Monday (9/14), 29 police officers have been suspended after sending each other photos of Hitler and doctored images of refugees in gas chambers. 

Matthias Quent, an expert on Germany's far right, calls it the "Trumpification of the German right." According to Quent, Trump has managed to attract different milieus, and that's what we are experiencing in Germany as well. The common denominator is that it is people who are quitting the mainstream, who are raging against the establishment. Another development is that the QAnon conspiracy has taken off in Germany which is most likely due to its good fit with local conspiracy theories and fantasies popular on the far right. One of these theories is the belief that Germany is not a sovereign country but an occupied territory controlled by globalists. This belief is held among a faction known as "Reichsbürger" who orchestrated the brief storming on Parliament. they do not recognize Germany's post-World War II Federal Republic and are counting on Mr. Trump and Putin to sign a "peace treaty" to liberate Germans from their own government so that the German Reich is reactivated. 

We have already seen that these conspiracies have the potential to radicalize people. Therefore, at a time when some people are determined to destroy democratic discourse with all means possible, I agree with Konstantin von Notz, "we have to take such a phenomenon very seriously." 

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/world/europe/germany-trump-far-right.html

Jan Mueller

Trump Scorns His Own Scientists Over Virus Data

 In this reading, it looks at the way that Trump has been pushing off facts of Coronavirus and ignoring what is being said by CDC and members of CDC. Dr. Redfield, who is the director of CDC, suggested that masks may be more important than a vaccine, and if every person were to wear their mask, we could have it under control in six to twelve weeks. Trump has said this was a mistake, and continues to push the idea of not wearing a mask, which leads to many of his own supporters doing/believing the same. Trump also claims that we are close to the end of the virus, even though the death rate continues to rise and there is said to be another spike. As for the vaccine, Trump says it will be ready soon and available to everybody once it is, but Dr. Redfield says that once it is ready it will go to healthcare workers and vulnerable people first, and others won’t get it until at least late next year. Overall, the article discusses the way Trump and CDC have conflicting views and how this is affecting the way people act or think about the virus. This causes conflict between many and can continue to negatively affect the health of many people.

Tanya czosek

Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/us/politics/trump-cdc-covid-vaccine.html

Twitter Suspends Account of Chinese Virologist Who Claimed Coronavirus Was Made in a Lab

Monday night's Tucker Carlson show featured a Chinese virologist that claimed that the Covid-19 virus was made in a lab and released intentionally. This claim would change the dynamic of the global structure. Dr. Li-Meng Yan fled China in fear of retaliation after she co-authored a piece calling out the Chinese government and their use of the virus. 

This difference between a virus being found in nature and it being created in a lab raises many questions about the stability of the global power structure. How can other countries respond if it is found and confirmed that the virus was man-made? What are the ramifications that China could face from institutions like the UN?

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-suspends-dr-li-meng-yan-wuhan-lab-coronavirus-covid19-1532193

Removal of the Queen in Barbados

 Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, gave a speech solidifying that Barbados is intending to remove Queen Elizabeth's role of Head of State. They have decided it is time to become a republic by November 2021, the 55 year mark of independence from Britain. Buckingham Palace was not shocked by this development and have no intention to interfere with this process. Barbados will join Mauritius, Dominica, Guyana, Trinidad, and Tobago as republics that have removed Queen Elizabeth as their heads of state. It is suspected that Jamaica may also follow suit and become a republic but many other states value the relationship that having Queen Elizabeth as their head of state provides them. The Queen is still the head of state in the Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and a handful of smaller islands. 

Caitlin Hamilton

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54174794

War Crimes Risk Grows for U.S. Over Saudi Strikes in Yemen

 The United States has been aiding Saudi Arabia in a genocide of Yemen civilians for the last five years by continuously supplying them with weapons. While this is something that started under the Obama administration, Trump's administration has both escalated the sale of these weapons and made several  attempts to hide what the weapons were really being used for. This is because both the Trump and Obama administration could be charged with war crimes for intentionally selling weapons to Saudi Arabia knowing they would be used to kill civilians. While the both the United States and Saudi Arabia continuously say they are trying to cut back on civilian deaths, these seem to be empty promises, as between July and August of this year, there were a total of three airstrikes that killed civilians included two dozen children. 

Jack Redmond

Europe Feels Squeeze as Tech Competition Heats Up Between U.S. and China

National security doesn't just stop with ground level military forces. Cybersecurity is an important matter to all nations, but primarily the United States, China, and Europe. The European Union is attempting to serve as regulatory overhead but fails to stand against foreign digital markets that may have more skin in the game than they so need to. When companies like Google, Huawei, and everything in between grow as big as they do, at what point do you begin to grow concerned in terms of global political technology. One exampled mentioned explicitly was the growing teenage social platform, TikTok, which has recently been chastised for various data security measures between the U.S. and China. Europe hopes that in due time, they will be able to catch up and solidify tougher rules and guidelines among the big tech companies of today. Unfortunately, Trump doesn't believe that they will make the deadline.

By Christopher Martinez

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/11/world/europe/eu-us-china-technology.html

Crowds rally in New Zealand's Auckland against coronavirus lockdown

 Auckland television displayed packed crowds, most of which not wearing masks, with estimates of those in attendance between one to a few thousand people.

Despite the apparent success in slowing COVID-19 transmission, an outbreak in Auckland in August encouraged the government to place the city back into a lockdown.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/12/crowds-rally-in-new-zealands-auckland-against-coronavirus-lockdown.html

(Source: CNBC)

Soldiers' Confessions provide evidence for Genocide case in Myanmar

 Two Myanmar army deserters crossed the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh and made statements to Bangladesh authorities concerning genocide in Myanmar.  They told the authorities that "they were ordered by superior officers to kill Rohingya civilians during security operations in 2017." The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group in Myanmar, which is mostly Buddhist. Back in 2017, 720,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh, sparking the investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Myanmar officers confirmed the stories of mass killings, gang rape (and other extreme sexual violence), and destruction of whole villages, and they said that their commanding officers gave them orders to kill all the Rohingya. This proves to the court that the military was acting with genocidal intent, where they previously claimed to be carrying out a counterterrorism operation. The investigation is now proceeding with their testimonies.

By Claire Mikulcik

https://www.wsj.com/articles/myanmar-soldiers-confessions-to-killing-rohingya-to-be-part-of-genocide-case-11599681799

Afghanistan begins first-ever peace talks

    For the first time ever, Afghanistan government officials and members of the Taliban are meeting in order to bring an end to a long lasting war. The sides will attempt to come to peaceful agreements on the rights of women and minorities, introducing a permanent cease-fire, discussing constitutional changes, and disarming the Taliban fighters. The opening ceremony was on Saturday in Qatar. Among the government officials sent to negotiate were four women who would make sure women's rights would be part of any compromise reached between the two sides. No women were sent from the Taliban side. This is important for the U.S as well because lasting peace would mean U.S and NATO troops could leave after 19 years. 

 Julia Babinec 

Shinzo Abe Vowed Japan Would Help Women ‘Shine.’ They’re Still Waiting.

As Shinzo Abe prepares to leave office, one of his more notable, unfulfilled promises includes promoting women in the workforce, a push he even gave a name: womenomics. Abe set out a goal of women holding 30 percent of corporate management jobs, but the number is currently only at 12. Also, while the overall percentage of women in the workforce has risen under Abe, many remain underemployed with few options for career advancement. The poverty rate for single mothers has also worsened under Abe's tenure. While Abe did shift the tone from previous leaders who declared a woman's place to be in the home, womenomics did little to improve the place of women in society. None of the three candidates vying to replace the Prime Minister are seen as likely to be better on the issue, but there is hope that the current front runner, Yoshihide Suga, will be more in tune with the fight for equity.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/world/asia/japan-women-abe.html

Anthony Grammich

Israel on Lockdown

 Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has implemented a three week lockdown due to its increased cases of coronavirus. The country is seeing a total of 4,000 new cases each day. During the lockdown there may only be 10 people at indoor gatherings and 20 people at outdoor gatherings. Schools will be closed and retail shopping will be closed to customers and workers. Businesses are allowed to remain open but customers are not allowed inside. Customers will be permitted in grocery stores and pharmacies. The Prime Minister is facing backlash for this decision because the lockdown will overlap with Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Yaakov Litzman, the Housing Minister, has resigned to show opposition against the lockdown due to the restrictions it will have one religious celebrations. Although there is opposition from the ultra-Orthodox parties, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, is in support of the restrictions in order to prevent a larger spread of the virus. 

Caitlin Hamilton

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54134869

Iranian Regime Executes Young Wrestler

 Navid Afkari, a national champion wrestler in Iran, was executed after being accused of murdering a security guard at the anti-government protests in 2018. The protests in 2018 were because of economic hardship and political repression. The case against Afkari has been referred to as a "travesty of justice" by the Human Rights Organization Amnesty International. A union representing 85,000 athletes worldwide also called for the halting of the execution. The reason this case received such global backlash is because there is no direct video evidence of the security guard being killed and the video that was presented was recorded an hour before the security guard's death. Afkari demanded that he was innocent and his mom suggested the same. President Donald Trump commented on the case and said that Afkari's "sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets." Navid Afkari's brother's have both received prison sentences of 54 years and 27 years in the same case. The mother of the boys alleges that the confessions were forced as a result of torture. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54129949 

Luke Joiner 

Belarus Protests continue with increasing pressure on Lukashenko

The elections in Belarus on August 9 continue to spark massive protests in the country 5 weeks later. As of today, it is the fifth consecutive Sunday that over 100,000 protestors have gathered in the capital city of Minsk to protest the supposed rigging of the election by President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, denies any wrongdoing related to ballot-rigging and accuses Western nations of interfering in the country. Protests continue around the country as well as details emerge that police continue to use methods of violence to deter crowds and many opposition leaders are now under arrest or in exile. President Lukashenko vows to continue to defend Belarus, and has said multiple times that he plans to strengthen relations with Russia, a key ally, in order to establish peace. Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that he has established a police force that he could send to Belarus if Lukashenko deems it necessary. While Lukashenko has been seen out, he is heavily guarded and carries his own gun for protection. Despite these efforts, it seems that the increasing pressure for his resignation shows no sign of stopping and the people of Belarus will continue to protest for the end of his autocratic rule. 

Trevor Mohrmann

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54139312

“Mali Coup: Opposition rejects transition deal as ‘power grab’ “Mali Coup: Opposition rejects transition deal as ‘power grab’ The people in Mali are not happy about a coup that has recently happened. However, it is unknown exactly how everyone feels, this is just an anti-coup sect. The coup happened because the President went to the UAE for stroke treatment, while he was gone the military took over. Neighbors to Mali are anxiously watching. Coups are not new to Mali, the last one happened in 2012, where militant Islamic groups took over. The new leaders of the country said they will work on internal problems and respect any international laws for fighting jihadists. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54137087

Jena Livesay

TikTok calls Trump ban ‘political’ in lawsuit

 In this article, it discusses the way Trump has been trying to ban TikTok from the U.S. He claims it is because it is a national security concern to citizens having China be the owner of the app. However, the firm claims that this has nothing to do with security concern, but is more about the anti-China platform Trump has been acting upon. Trump agreed to allow TikTok to remain if it were sold to a company within The United States, and the government got some of the money, which may also make you question the true intention. There has also been another ban by Trump on an app called WeChat, which is owned by China, but is claimed to be able to obtain the location of people & collect their personal data to also spy on businesses. There are also claims that the app is used as a part of China’s global surveillance. There is a lot of speculation on whether the ban of these two Chinese owned apps are for the better of national security, or just a tactic to stay away from Chinese ties. It has caused more political debates and separation between people due to the disagreement, although both sides seem to have a valid argument, especially when the truth is not very clear.

Tanya Czosek

Article link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53894586

Afghan Talks May Become 'Contentious'

Jake Mersch

For the first time in decades, Afghanistan will hold peace talks with the Taliban which is part of a February 29 peace agreement reached between the United States and Afghanistan. The talks will begin on Saturday, however, Secretary of State of Mike Pompeo warned the talks could become "contentious" due to the fact that violence among the two parties has remained a routine with the most recent escalation in the form of an assassination attempt on the Afghan Vice President. Overall, the talks will begin as a ceremony and then shift into serious matters that could result in a more peaceful Middle East. This would follow a week of historic peace deals in the region.

 https://apnews.com/96f7ba55d5ceb1f412ac9b300813b12d 

Europe Migrant Crisis: Fire destroys Greek camp leaving 13,000 without shelter

Fires have destroyed Greece's largest migrant camp, an overcrowded facility on the island of Lesbos (Moria), leaving nearly 13,000 people without shelter. In addition to this, authorities placed the Moria camp under quarantine last week after a Somali migrant tested positive for the coronavirus. There are now 35 confirmed cases linked to the site. It is unclear exactly how the fires started, but Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said the "incidents in Moria began with the asylum seekers because of the quarantine imposed". Marco Sandrone, Lesbos project co-ordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said it was a bomb that finally exploded and that people had been kept in "inhumane conditions" at the site for years. German foreign minister Heiko Maas described the blaze as a "humanitarian disaster" and tweeted about "the distribution of refugees among those willing to accept admission in the EU". 

Comment: This disaster will lead to the next round of the ongoing migrant crisis the European Union is dealing with and arguing about since 2015. It is important that they come up with a uniform solution for the union of states that wants to be seen as a community of values; otherwise, inhuman conditions are accepted and the main purpose of the European Union unsatisfied.

Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54082201

Jan Mueller

Bahrain joins UAE in normalising relations with Israel

Bahrain will be joining the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel. This is following a series of bilateral deals the White House has been trying to facilitate in the Middle East. President Trump loves to tout any sort of progress made with Israel as being good for the region, which has some basis in reality. However, this ignores the long and strenuous conflict between Palestine and Israel in the fight for a two-state solution. Palestinian leadership called the deal a "shattering of the Arab consensus". This all comes following the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian General. With tensions at an all-time high following the dissolution of the Iranian nuclear deal, the current administration is looking for allyship in the middle east.

Article Link:

https://www.ft.com/content/c826d08b-6d17-4cd8-bc00-1b1f5a89b70f

Matthew J. Nealon

UK reaches agreement with Japan to clinch its first major post-Brexit trade deal

 This article discusses the trade agreement that is being voted on by the Japanese and British Parliaments. The deal would give businesses tariff-free trade on 99% of Japanese exports. This is important because England is struggling to make any trade deals with members of the European Union after Brexit. Brexit was the official move made by England to leave the EU and become independent in trade deals. From the British perspective, they are hoping that the deal will open up conversations with other countries, especially other counties in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Nancy Pelosi has said that if the deal is found to break international trade laws, it would effectively stop any negotiations that take place between the US and the UK in the future. This would be detrimental to the UK because a deal with the US would allow their economy to recover post-Brexit.

By: Rachel Maida

Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/11/uk-and-japan-agree-on-principle-to-free-trade-deal.html

UK's Brexit plans would 'break international law,' minister admits

 This article discusses how Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the Internal Market bill will break international law by altering the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was part of the Brexit deal Boris Johnson agreed to.The U.K government stated that this was just to ensure that ministers can uphold the Good Friday peace agreement. This drew criticism from Theresa May, who negotiated most of the Brexit deal. She claimed that this would make it difficult for future partners to trust that the U.K will abide by their legal obligations. On Tuesday, the head of the U.K's legal department, Jonathan Jones, resigned over a reported dispute over plans to challenge parts of the Brexit deal. The reasons for him stepping down are not confirmed, Downing Street only confirmed that Jones has stepped down.

Michael Sorensen

Article link: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/08/uk/uk-brexit-legislation-international-law-intl/index.html

"The Fight to Free the Aboriginal Flag"

Harold Thomas who created the flag sold the rights to a company who happens to be very strict with its usage. Many aboriginals in Australia are protesting the copyright and insist the flag belongs to the people. The government is trying to buy the rights to the flag so people can use it freely. People believe that Mr. Thomas is a sellout to his people. This article brings into question how the commodification of natives from all over the world is used. Even though he was the creator of it, the people he sold it to do not seem to understand the symbolism behind the flag. For them, it is another business venture, not symbol of cultural pride and heritage of a traditionally marginalized group. Everything that I have read about how the Australians have traditionally treated their Natives explains how bad that treatment was. Taking this flag from them in a way also takes away some of their agency and freedom of expression. It is important to note, WAM the company that bought was not created by indigenous people and does not benefit them in anyway. One woman, Laura Thompson, who sells merchandise with the flag and gives the money to indigenous medical services has taken up the fight against them. She is native Australian. It is a complex issue with many layers because of the history of Aboriginal Australians and copyright laws. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49315063 Jena Livesay

China Imposes New Visa Restrictions Targeting US Media

China has recently imposed new visa restrictions on journalists who are U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens who work for American media outlets. In the past week, several journalist were not given a renewal of their press credentials but instead were given a letter stating their application was being processed. Typically, journalists are given a visa that is valid for one year but since they are tied to their press cards, those who have pending applications were given visa's valid for only two months. Chinese officials told David Culver, an American correspondent for CNN, the new restrictions were a "reciprocal measure" in response to the U.S. administration's treatment of Chinese journalists in the United States. In May, the U.S. administration limited the duration of stay for most Chinese journalists reporting from the U.S. to 90 days and some reporters have not heard back from US authorities on the status of their visa extension applications. The restrictions the US has put on the visa's of Chinese journalist will cause the visas to expire in early November which is the same time visa's will expire for US journalists in China. 

Article link: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/06/media/china-visa-restrictions-journalists/index.html 

Serena Merhebi

300 Arrested in Honk Kong Protests

 This article talks about protesters in Hong Kong being arrested. The majority of the protesters were arrested on charges of "unlawful assembly", and a handful of others were arrested for "misconduct in public places". A few for attacking police officers. This time, the Hong Kong protesters are protesting the Chinese government postponing the local elections. They wish for the elections to go on as scheduled. The protesters believe the government has delayed in the local elections because the government is worried that pro-government parties will not succeed in the election. 

The election had been delayed for at least a year. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming months, after the civil unrest in Honk Kong for the last year. 

ARTICLE LINK:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/06/asia/hong-kong-protests-elections-arrest-intl/index.html

Serbia, Kosovo Agree to Normalize Economic Relations

 In this article, the two leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have decided to combine into a single market that will allow them to have free flow without many areas of their economy and work to provide a better flow overall. They have agreed to move and get rid of some ties and vendors so that there is better flow and agreement between the two places. However, the agreement has not been decided when it will actually happen, and it’s start will be determined based off how the November election plays out for the U.S. Trump has been helping to try and give them loans so that they can economically work together as two places and then focus on their political disagreements later, so that they are at least excelling in one area. Both Serbia and Kosovo have come up with an outline of their deal, and Trump was seen as the witness to the agreement, although it has not been made official yet. They are continuing to meet and try and further their international relations together, but also working with the U.S. to provide a more peaceful environment, economically and potentially politically. Normalizing the economic ties between Serbia and Kosovo is one step into the direction of better flow and peace within these places.

Tanya czosek

Article link:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/serbia-kosovo-agree-to-normalize-economic-relations-11599237632

China-India Standoff runs the Risk of Unintentional War

For months, China and India have increasingly disputed over their shared border along the eastern edge of the Himalayan region, Kashmir. According to a U.S. News and World Reports story, allegations against each country include, "soldiers crossing into each other's territory" and other "provocative" actions such as "[establishing] lines of control and creating provocations along the border" (Associated Press). The standoff is over an area of land that has the world's highest landing strip as well as a glacier feeding one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. In June, the sides turned violent, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. While an actual full-scale war is unlikely, both sides have been making preparations, with India being "emboldened by tougher U.S. measures against Beijing" (AP). With the decimation of India's economy due to the Coronavirus pandemic, deploying and maintaining troops in an area where winter temperatures can reach -58 degrees Fahrenheit would not seem to be in the best interest of the country. Moreover, the Kashmir region of India has been highly disputed between India and Pakistan for generations with both sides claiming ownership. If a war were to ensue, Pakistan would be a key ally for China as they could "take advantage of any threat developing on northern borders" and push back Indian forces from a different front. All in all, the tension between the two countries has escalated quickly, and a border dispute like this threatens not only the stability of Asia, but established alliances and global powers looking to take advantage of the looming conflict. 

Trevor Mohrmann

Link to article: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-09-06/experts-warn-china-india-standoff-risks-unintentional-war

War Of Words Over Maritime Territory

 Jake Mersch

On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Greece with force if they continued to claim portions of the Eastern Mediterranean were under Greek control and not that of Turkey. This is the latest revelation in the decades-old Aegean Dispute which has stoked conflict between the two states in the past. The Aegean Sea sits between Greece and Turkey within the Mediterranean Sea and has caused a fierce debate over which country has rights to exact portions of the maritime region. NATO has begun to organize talks in order to settle the long-standing dispute, however, Turkey has since stationed armored tanks along their coast while stating this is a military exercise and is unrelated to the proposed talks and negotiations. Greek officials believe this is a scare tactic and is directly related to the proposed talks. This move by Turkey is not out of the ordinary as the country has always displayed its military might even when stating it's in a peaceful manner. This dispute has been active for years and there is nothing signaling it will cease anytime soon regardless of planned negotiations which have failed many times.

https://apnews.com/61226ebfea4cb7ddcf9c23b5fbd94b84 

U.S Declines Joining Global Effort to Develop and Distribute a COVID-19 Vaccine

 The United States will not be joining Covax (Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility)--a global organization whose goal is to speed up the development of vaccines, ensure all countries get access to them, and distribute them to high-risk populations. 170 countries are in talks to participate, including Japan, Germany, and the EU. Covax is an effort led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi--the vaccine alliance that the U.S. is a major supporter of. The United States' decision is in part because President Trump does not want to work with the WHO, and also in part because he believes that we will win the vaccine race. However, the article argues this could be problematic if we "lose" the race and are left without a vaccine or if we do "win" but hoard the vaccines because this could allow our economy to bounce back a bit, but without a global economic resurgence, we will still be unable to fully recover. This move is a major blow to our allies and the world, as it is a "go it alone" strategy at a time when global cooperation is in everyone's best interest.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-vaccine-trump/2020/09/01/b44b42be-e965-11ea-bf44-0d31c85838a5_story.html

By Claire Mikulcik