The U.S. government has been trying to find a solution to there spending problem. For people who don't know, the Treasury Secretary stated that America will run out of money on October 18th if the government stayed on their current spending plan. The senate just recently passed a bill to extend the government funding temporarily, until the treasury can figure out how to lower government spending without taking large funds from a single program. this temporary solution will avoid a government shutdown for now. I believe the best permanent solution is to dip into military spending because the amount of money needed would be the least percentage of a cut from the military budget compared to other areas. I think they could also take a small percentage from every area of government spending to cover their financial issues.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Taiwan Relations With China
Taiwan has stated that they will not back down to China when making relations. China said a day earlier that they are hoping for a "Peaceful Reunification" with Taiwan. Taiwan followed this not only with their statement about not backing down, but also a military parade to flex their muscles and say that they have the capability of defending themselves if need be. I believe that Taiwan is dealing with this situation in a good way because generally in international relations, if a small nation gives China an inch, they will take a mile so to speak. With that, if I were the leader of Taiwan, I would do the exact same thing, even knowing that we would not even be comparable to China in military might, that doesn't mean that China would want to conduct war. At the same time, China's economy would take a lot smaller of a hit from war relatively compared to Taiwan, so peacefully working this out would be the best decision for both sides.
Ship in California Catches Pipeline
A 1,200 foot ship off the coast of Huntington Beach was dragging its anchor on the sea floor to help stability during rough waves. According to the Coast Guard, the anchor caught the pipeline and dragged it across that sea floor. This has most likely caused an oil spill in the Pacific. Authorities have estimated that over 25,000 gallons of crude oil have spilled into the ocean if the pipeline is broken. this will have large repercussions for the Southern Californian wetlands as well as the wildlife in the ocean. Cleanup crews have closed Huntington Beach to minimize the damage on land.
Monday, December 13, 2021
Extortionists target families of crash victims in Guatemala
After a smuggling accident in Mexico that left 55 migrants dead, families are now being targeted by extortionists. On Thursday a semi truck with migrants flipped, leaving many dead and unidentified. One family posted their own phone number on the internet in hopes that someone would have information regarding their relative. Someone responded to the number claiming they had kidnapped that relative and the family needed to pay $3,000 in order to see him again. The person also edited a photo with the face of the missing family member on the body of a different migrant. Most of these families are very poor and would be unable to pay the ransom anyway. Smuggling is an upwards of $10,000 and anywhere from 300 to 500 Guatemalans move north in an attempt to reach the U.S.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/extortionists-target-families-crash-victims-guatemala-81726530
Katelyn
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Angela Merkel Officially Leaves Office
After being in office for over 16 years, Angela Merkel has officially left office early this week. The Chancellor of Germany, or rather former Chancellor of Germany, passed the baton to her successor, Olaf Scholz, last Wednesday. Merkel started her historic time in office back near the end of 2005, marking her as Germany's first female chancellor. She has worked alongside countless of other world leaders including, "four U.S. presidents, four French presidents, five British prime ministers and eight Italian premiers". She has also guided Germany through multiple crises, such as Europe's debt crisis and (more recently) the coronavirus pandemic. She is adored by many, and is seen as one of the best world leaders of this century. What makes her dismissal from office even more evident of her popularity is that she chose to step down, unlike her predecessors. Angela Merkel has truly left a positive impact in both domestic and international politics for Germany and the world, and her name will forever be sealed in history.
Written by: Maxine O.
Assassination of Haiti’s Leader Alexandra Caballero
Months before the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse was on his way to fight against drug trafficking in his country. Right before his assassination, he had been confiding with powerful politicians and businesspeople to fight against drug crimes and trafficking. It is believed that the motive for his assassination was because of the threat drug traffickers felt when Moïse’s announced his plans. The night he was assassinated, his wife recalls that the men were digging through his files and paperwork, frantically looking for specific documents. What we can all take from this is the control and power most narco-traffickers have on the government itself and the people.
G-7 warns Moscow of ‘massive consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine Lars Viise
G-7 warns Moscow of ‘massive consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine - The Washington Post
The G-7 organization warned Russia about drastic consequences if they attack Ukraine. The organization, which represents seven of the most industrialized democracies (US, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan), stated their opposition to Russia's buildup along the Ukrainian border. This is after American intelligence allegedly found a plan for a 175,000 strong invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, which Moscow has denied. Western states are calling on Russia to deescalate the situation and to solve it diplomatically instead of with war. While most of these threats are economic, many could also lead to military conflict between the EU and Russia. The last real European war was in Yugoslavia almost 30 years ago, so we are due for a new one. Ukraine has been seen as NATO's gateway to Eastern Europe, and as such it makes Russia feel very vulnerable. This is why they support Russian separatists in the region and annexed Crimea in 2014. I would not be surprised if this leads to an invasion, since Russia needs a loyal Ukraine as a puppet state.
Max Verstappen wins title after last-lap overtake of Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi
As a last entry in the blog, it is time to consume a new area of world news. Formula 1. Formula 1 has a unique way of uniting the world every year. Drivers and teams from all reaches of the globe come together to compete at the pinnacle of automotive engineering and performance. The stages they compete on are equally spread around the globe occurring on multiple continents. This year's Grand Prix came to the final race in Abu Dhabi this morning. The two leaders in point for the season, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were tied for the first time since 1977. The race was truly incredible to watch with history being made in the very last lap of the race. Among all the bad news we see, and all the vast efforts to change the world, it is nice to take a moment to realize something like motorsports can bring the world together.
John Webb
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/59628024
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Beijing Winter Olympics boycott is insignificant, says Macron
President Emmanuel Macron said that France has no plans to join a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. At an extended news conference on Thursday, Mr Macron said the Olympics should not be politicized, and that he preferred actions that had a "useful effect." The US, UK, Canada and Australia have said they will not send government representatives to the February games because of concerns over China's human rights record including allegations of abuse against Uyghurs and other minorities. Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had accepted an invitation to attend the opening of the games. China says countries that boycott the games "will pay the price for their mistaken acts".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59599063
Chihiro Yoshihara
The struggle for access to clean water.
Honduras is one of the most dangerous counties for land and environmental defenders. About 140 defenders have been murdered since 2012, while others were imprisoned. Most of the threats are state-sponsored, such as mining exploration, which in return pollute a lot of water bodies that millions of people depend on. These human rights violations brought a lot of global attention, but there hasn’t been significant aid done by either the United Nations or other foreign countries.
Elie Imani
U.S. Inflation Hit a 39-Year High in November
Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-inflation-consumer-price-index-november-2021-11639088867?mod=world_trending_now_article_pos4
MLA: Guilford, Gwynn. "U.S. Inflation Hit A 39-Year High In November ". WSJ, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-inflation-consumer-price-index-november-2021-11639088867?mod=world_trending_now_article_pos4. Accessed 11 Dec 2021.
During the month of December, U.S. inflation reached a near four-decade high, as consumer demand has collided with pandemic-related supply constraints.
The consumer price index has risen 6.8% which measures what consumers pay for goods and services, according to the Labor Department. The increase in prices for new vehicles came in at 11.1% in November which was the largest on record. Apparel and home goods even broke records, leaving the fast-food industry prices not far behind as there was a sharp increase as well.
The steady rise in prices signals the increase in wages in all-around industries since there is a shortage of workers which is offset by companies pushing to raise prices and compensate for higher labor costs. However, with the new omicron variant, new threats could be posed considering it's just the second year of the pandemic, and supply and demand are still recovering from its imbalances. Eighty percent of companies surveyed detailed increased labor costs, with another seventy-two percent saying their suppliers have also raised prices. This makes it incredibly difficult for companies to get goods to sell to consumers.
Economists have hopes to see pressures of supply constraints easing throughout 2022 as many workers are returning and consumer demand is exasperating.
Friday, December 10, 2021
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange extradited to US
Julian Assange is currently being held in London in their high security prison. Assange has been indicted by United States prosecutors for 17 counts of espionage and one computer misuse charge. All of these charges are related to leaked military documents pertaining to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Earlier in the year, a lower court in London denied the American court request for the extradite of Assange to face these charges. This request was denied on the basis of health concerns for Assange. It was believed that if Assange were to be extradited to the US he would commit suicide under the harsh US judicial system. However, after US assurances, the high court in London granted the US request for Assange, claiming that these assurances were enough to guarantee that he would be treated lawfully.
Katelyn DeBlecourt
Dozens killed in Mexico road accident as truck carrying more than 100 migrants crashes by By Karol Suarez, Helen Regan and Kiarinna Parisi
By Alexia Patino
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/americas/mexico-road-accident-intl-hnk/index.html
At least 54 people were killed and more than 100 injured when a truck overturned in southern Mexico on Thursday, with most of the victims believed to be migrants from Central America. This accident happen in the state of Chiapas, which borders with the country of Guatemala. There were children, women, and men among the people that died. Nearly 98% of the people that died were originated from Guatemala, the rest was from Honduras, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Mexico.
On top of that the Mexican authorities found about 600 migrants hidden in two trailers in the state of Veracruz. All these migrants come from countries where violence, corruption, food insecurity, and a lack of economic opportunities leave them with little opportunities.
Lastly, during the Trump administration, most of the migrants were send to Mexico to camps along the border to wait. President Joe Biden pledged to end the program and began the process of admitting those migrants who had previously been subject to it.
New Zealand to ban cigarettes for future generations
New Zealand is proposing a law that will ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 2008. I find this to be a very interesting concept that would benefit the health of any countries citizens. The goal is to stop health problems due to smoking from occurring by not allowing any new smokers to start. Nicotine abuse is becoming an increasing problem among kids in recent years. Usage is higher and nicotine levels are higher in products as well. Something like this has little chance of being passed in the US because of the tobacco industry's economic power here. There is hope that more legislation around the world could move in this direction and provide a brighter future.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59589775
John Webb
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
US says it will send troops to eastern Europe if Russia invades Ukraine
US claims that they will send troops to aid Ukraine on NATO's Eastern front to stop Russia from advancing. The US has made it clear that it will protect the future NATO members rights to liberty and freedom and will respond again if Russia is to invade. Earlier in the past, US sent troops to the border when things were escalating in the region, and an official said that they are willing to do it again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/06/us-says-it-will-send-troops-to-eastern-europe-if-russia-invades-ukraine
Monday, December 6, 2021
Biden and Putin to talk amid Ukraine invasion fears
The US has stated that they have recovered evidence that Russia was building for a "large scale" attack on Ukraine. Russia denies all these allegations and is concerned with Ukraine building up its military as well on the border. Biden has called Putin to a video call to discuss this matter and decrease tension between the two countries. Ukraine says that Russia has deployed armored vehicles and 94,000 troops to their border as well
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi gets 4 years in trial seen as political Lars Viise
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi gets 4 years in trial seen as political | MyWabashValley.com
The former civilian leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, was sentenced to 4 years on Monday. A Nobel Prize laureate, she had previously been placed under house arrest for 15 years for speaking against the military government. As such, this is seen as yet another attempt by the state to further roll back democratic rights for civilians. Myanmar's army, which seized power after claiming election fraud in 2020 despite claims on the contrary, has had a history of human rights abuses. Their actions against the Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017 drew the ire of the UN and especially the US, who claimed Myanmar was engaging in genocide. The government denies both these claims, and states that their takeover was completely in line with the 2008 constitution which allows them to take power in case of an emergency. Since then, however over a thousand have been killed by soldiers in peaceful civilian protests over the matters.
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Reinforcing Japan's Military
Military drills were conducted in Japan last Monday. These drills consisted of multiple tanks and soldiers firing explosives and machine guns on Hokkaido, a northern island of Japan. This was done to showcase Japan's military might in front of the media. While these drills were simply firing exercises conducted by the country's Self Defense Force, the military power that Japan holds is arguably understated by the global community. Which is all the more reason Japan wanted to present their military firepower in response to the concerning escalation of China's and Russia's military around Japanese territory. However, concerns have risen within its own nation regarding the idea of building up Japan's military given the pacifist nature of the society and the painful past of a military build up from World War II in the country.
Written by: Maxine O.
United States to aid in COVID vaccines Alexandra Caballero
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/03/politics/biden-administration-vaccine-doses-global-shipments/index.html
Friday, December 3rd of this year, President Biden announced that the United States would help aid in COVID vaccines, shipping 9 million vaccine doses to Africa and 2 million worldwide. This could be essential in fight against COVID especially now because another variant has been discovered to infect the population. During his announcement, Biden mentioned that he will be pushing other countries to take on a stronger role in fighting against COVID, but I do think its a little ironic and controversial that he plans on encouraging other countries to do so when in the United States it has been difficult to encourage our own neighbors and citizens to get vaccinated. So I think it'll be interesting to see where this goes.
Indonesia volcano: Volcano rescuers face ash as high as rooftops
Yesterday, 12/4, Mt Semeru erupted in Java, Indonesia. Currently, there are 14 confirmed deaths with many people still missing. Most of the locals did not know there was a volcanic eruption happening because they mistook the beginning signs of hot mud for usual flooding. The hot mud alone contributed to a large number of injuries. Now that the immediate danger has passed, people are devasted by the damage left by the ash falling from the sky and the mud flowing through their villages. The cause of the eruption was not seismic activity as it normally is. It was caused by abnormally heavy rainfall damaging the volcanic crater and eroding part of it away without notice. There is concern that more events like this will occur as a result of climate change in the future.
John Webb
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59532251
Why France faces so much anger in West Africa
During Emmanuel Macron's presidency, France has strived to positively influence and support Africa's continent. Macron acknowledged the significance of France's history of colonialism on the continent of Africa while also returning Africa's stolen artifacts. He has also helped countries facing civil wars and extremists. It is allegedly claimed that France has been positively engaging in west Africa's politics, but why the criticism and the popularity decline?
The first issue facing francophone counties is the abolition of the CFA franc. CFA is a currency used by these counties, and it's pegged to the euro(only printed in France). Abolitionists say that France uses the currency to control the counties' economies. However, France claims that it guarantees economic stability. The other issue is that France has a sense of neo-colonialism arrogance in francophone counties--feeling that France is an inevitable country that rules over west Africa's politics. And lastly, failure to overcome Jihadists in the Sahel region.
Michigan school shooters' Parents arrested
Following the horrific school shooting in Michigan, a manhunt began for the killers parents. Immediately you might wonder why his parents would be hunted down following his crime and the answer is simple, they knew. They knew their son was planning this horrific act which makes them guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Their actions, or lack thereof, led to the killing of 4 students. As more history was uncovered it showed a disturbing amount of times the parents had allowed their sons behavior to continue after being told to seek counseling for him due to fear over how deep his mental health issues may go.
sam barton
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/05/us/michigan-shooting-parents.html
Putin Plants 94,000 Russian Troops on Ukrainian Border
As tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine, Putin has taken it upon himself to position over 90,000 soldiers on the border of Russia and Ukraine. As a result, President Joe Biden believes that the United States is taking "a set of comprehensive and meaningful initiatives" to halt putin in his tracks. At this time, there is question around what Putins intentions are as a result of this positioning. The article states that Ukraine is prepared to respond to an attack if it gets to that point, but the United States and Ukraine is doing what they can to prevent it.
-Anna Jensen
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukraine-russia-amassed-94000-troops-border-81536039
Indonesian volcano erupts, 14 dead
China's communists bash US democracy before Biden summit
China’s Communist Party sharply criticized a global democracy summit being hosted by President Joe Biden next week and extolling the virtues of its governing system. The pandemic exposed defects in the American system, said Tian Peiyan, the deputy director of the Communist Party’s Policy Research Office. He blamed the high COVID-19 death troll in the U.S. on political disputes and a divided government from the highest to the lowest levels. “Such democracy brings not happiness but disaster to voters,” he also said at a news conference to release a government report on what the Communist Party calls its form of democracy, which is firmly under party control. I have a feeling that something is wrong with mentioning that China’s form of government is democracy. U.S.-China relations remain strained despite a virtual summit between Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/chinas-communists-bash-us-democracy-biden-summit-81553342
Chihiro Yoshihara
Saturday, December 4, 2021
The Impact of Fast Fashion on Garment Workers
Fast fashion has the problems of selling low quality, human rights issues, and environmental issues. Today, there is a new value system that emphasizes sustainability. However, even though we understand the problematic nature of fast fashion, we tend to buy products from major fast fashion brands such as H&M and ZARA, attracted by the price and appearance. It is not only the environment that creates unfair conditions for people who work there. They may be forced to work for low wages and in unsanitary conditions, unknown to us, the consumers. Not only in fashion, but it is important to be aware of the other side of consuming, and to not be misled by society's promotion of consumption, but to always keep an awareness of what makes you happy and what you like. Fashion can express a person's cultural background and identity.
https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/
Matsuri Miyauchi
U.S. Border to Open to International Travelers With Proof of Vaccination
LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-lift-restrictions-for-international-travelers-to-u-s-11634304224?page=1
MLA: Thomas, Ken. "U.S. Border To Open To International Travelers With Proof Of Vaccination". WSJ, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-lift-restrictions-for-international-travelers-to-u-s-11634304224?page=1. Accessed 4 Dec 2021.
November 8, the Biden Administration plans to lift travel restrictions for international travelers to the U.S. This policy affects both air and land-border travelers who must be fully vaccinated and show proof of their vaccination records. This comes from the rising pressure that European allies have been asking for the U.S. to lift the restrictions.
Recently the administration stated they would "relax" on the covid-19 travel restrictions on land-border crossings from Canada and Mexico for those travelers who are looking to cross borders for non-essential reasons but must show proof of vaccination. Besides this, there will continue to be required pre-departure negative tests taken three days prior to travel before boarding.
With this being said, are travelers willing to take all these steps for commercial flying? Or is the private flying sector going to become more custom? Furthermore, will this create an emergence of other agencies looking to build their rapport?
Biden and Local Officials Avoid Lockdowns, New Mask Mandates in Omicron Fight
LINK: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-omnicron-covid-masks-vaccine-mandates-11638574233?mod=hp_lead_pos2
MLA: Parti, Sabrina. "Biden And Local Officials Avoid Lockdowns, New Mask Mandates In Omicron Fight ". WSJ, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-omnicron-covid-masks-vaccine-mandates-11638574233?mod=hp_lead_pos2. Accessed 4 Dec 2021.
The Biden administration along with state and local leaders are urgently requesting for Americans to wear their masks and take precautions in response to the recent discovery of the Omicron Variant that was discovered by South African scientists. Unlike the beginning of the pandemic, there will be no lockdowns or mandates put in place because we are in a different phase where we have vaccines and boosters available to the public and because after over one year, the last thing Americans want is to return to tough restrictions.
So far, there have been several confirmed cases in the U.S. regarding the variant, but leaders do not believe this is any cause for panic just yet. However, there is very little knowledge on the omicron variant and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy believes that there should be more research in order to better understand just how serious this is and make recommendations for the public as well as predictions on how this could affect not just the U.S. population but the entire globe. Scientists do believe that the Omicron variant is likely more contagious than earlier variants but it's too soon to tell whether it makes people sicker.
This brings to mind the idea of another hit to our economy. The early stages of the pandemic created great economic challenges for companies and individuals. Although 70% of people are vaccinated, there doesn't seem to be a return to normal anytime soon. Furthermore, how will this affect the schools, and necessary workers such as healthcare, law enforcement, and essential workers in stores and dealerships?
It's all up to the Biden administration to take charge and create a sense of confidence not only within the government but for the people to know that they will be taken care of and we will not have to revert back to March 2020 and another shutdown.
Food Crisis
Food prices are rising worldwide and the main reason is a global fertilizer shortage. And the reason there is a fertilizer shortage is that gas is a huge part of the production of fertilizer and since gas prices are on the rise it is becoming much harder to produce fertilizer. Although this affects everyone it mostly affects poorer states that have people that are simply struggling to buy food to add to this a lot of poorer countries depend on farming which is getting harder and harder to do with less fertilizer. The main gas used in fertilizers is ammonia which has risen in price by about 225% from last year. The price change is due to many factors but a lot has to do with our changing climate and the pandemic. Yet not all hope is lost as Yara International donated 40,000 tonnes of fertilizer.
-Anthony Kindness
source:https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59428406
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Germany puts major restrictions on unvaccinated
Covid has been making major headlines again lately. This time with a new variant, Omicron. Germany’s answer to this has been barring unvaccinated people from most of public life. The only people allowed out right now are the vaccinated and those who are recently recovered from Covid. The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, has also added that vaccines may become mandatory by February. Germany is going through its fourth wave of Covid, with there being 388 deaths in the past 24 hours. Germany has a rather low rate of vaccinations compared to other European countries at only 68.7%. There have been 79 confirmed Omicron cases in European countries and experts say these cases are typically coming from Africa.
Matthew Falzone
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59502180
The wicked problem of drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere
After reading this article, I could understand how difficult it the countries to crack down on illegal drugs trafficking. Although the United States organize some official institutions such as TCOs to control illegal drugs trafficking, they could not have managed the security perfectly. This article shows how illegal drugs are imported into the United States. They include: Secreting contraband abroad containers or hidden within the expanses of huge commercial vessels; Using secret compartments on smaller freighters; Employing small, difficult-to-detect “go fast” vessels intended to avoid and then evade interdiction; Fielding run-of-the-mill pleasure craft and fishing vessels like traditional Mexican lanchas, as well as purpose built pangas intended to blend in with legitimate traffic; and Deploying highly capable self-propelled semisubmersible vessels that have become more sophisticated by the year. In this way, illegal drugs are imported to the United States, and then they are sold into the black market. One thing I thought when I read this article is that if it is so difficult for the United States, which is a well-established country, to crack down on one-way drugs, it is even easier to smuggle illegal drugs into developing countries and conflict zones. I feel we should be more concerned about the smuggling of drugs and weapons and take measures against them.
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/01/15/the-wicked-problem-of-drug-trafficking-in-the-western-hemisphere/
Nanami Kanda
Biden promises to fight new variant "with science and speed, not chaos and confusion"
In this article, President Biden has announced a variety of measures that will protect Americans from the virus. These measures include more campaigns to increase vaccinations and booster shots, stricter testing requirements for international travelers, and plans have been introduced to make rapid at-home coronavirus testing free for more people. With the new variant, it will take days for scientists to understand if it evades current vaccines or if it can cause more severe symptoms in infected people. President Biden spoke to the American people on Thursday to reassure them and unite around a common enemy.
Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/02/biden-strategies-omicron-delta/
