Transactions between Canadian banks and the Russian central bank are prohibited: Trudeau

 Financial institutions in Canada are now prohibited from transacting with Russia's central bank, which is a target of Western sanctions aimed at punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine. 

In a tweet sent out on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the ban. He described the action against the Russian central bank as aimed at eliminating its ability to deploy Russia's international currency reserves and further limiting Putin's ability to fund his war of choice.

Following numerous rounds of sanctions imposed in recent days over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Russian currency plunged against the US dollar as markets opened on Monday.  So far, the collapse has resulted in a 30% drop in the Russian currency's value against the US dollar. 

Following an agreement among European and North American partners, Russia was cut off from SWIFT over the weekend, dealing a major blow to Putin's administration. The system makes international financial transactions easier.

The decision to prohibit transactions with the Russian central bank coincides with similar restrictions taken by allies. The US issued a parallel restriction on Monday, which Reuters called a "cruel blow" to Russia's economy. The US sanctions also prohibit dealings with Russia's finance ministry and national wealth fund and are projected to raise Russian inflation, suffocate the country's purchasing power, and deter investment.

According to a US official, the steps "immobilized" any assets held by Russia's central bank in the US, limiting Russia's ability to access hundreds of billions of dollars in assets.

-Jake Moore

https://globalnews.ca/news/8650244/russia-invasion-ukraine-canadian-banks-barred-from-business/ 

Switzerland chooses a side

 Switzerland says it will freeze Russian assets, setting aside a tradition of neutrality.

This is a major change in the History of Europe. A country that stayed neutral even during WWII, has chosen to punish Russia. After a meeting with the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland’s president, Ignazio Cassis, said that the country would immediately freeze the assets of Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail V. Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, as well as all 367 individuals sanctioned last week by the European Union.

They also closed their air space to Russian planes, as did the rest of Europe. The frozen asset are close to 11 billion $.

switzerland-russian-assets-freeze.html

By Javier Isasi Serrano.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports on the Horrors of the Earth's Future

The United Nations Climate Change group held a panel of scientists and environmentalists to report on the growing danger of climate change. It is continually worsening and scientists are urging that there is no choice now but to change human behavior for even a slight chance of a less catastrophic future for global warming and mass extinction of life. 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/02/28/ipcc-united-nations-climate-change-adaptation/

Written by: Jennifer Schroeder

World's largest plane destroyed in Ukraine

The worlds largest aircraft was destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine creating sadness and distress in the aviation world. The aircraft is named "Myiya" which is "dream" in Ukrainian. It was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked. Ukrainian authorities say they are going to rebuild the plane at Russia's expense ($3 billion). The Ukrainian foreign minister said Russia may have destroyed their plane but they "will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state." 

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/antonov-an-225-largest-plane-destroyed-ukraine-scli-intl/index.html

 - Sarah Tanny

After slipping a note to the teacher, a 4-year-body old's was discovered in a freezer in Las Vegas

 

Police in Las Vegas has charged a man after discovering the death of a four-year-old child in a freezer after his sibling left a message for her teacher, prompting a homicide investigation. According to a police news release, the sister presented the note to a teacher at her elementary school on Feb. 22. According to authorities, the note was written by the children's mother, who stated that she was being kept against her will by her boyfriend in her Las Vegas home and didn't know where her son was. After authorities received a warrant, they arrested the husband and found evidence of abuse, and their child was murdered and frozen.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8643644/las-vegas-boy-body-found-freezer-notes-teacher/

Jake Moore

With Russian nuclear forces on alert, Ukraine crisis enters more dangerous phase

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/with-russian-nuclear-forces-on-alert-ukraine-crisis-enters-more-dangerous-phase/ar-AAUobrV 

With sanctions that have been carried out by the west, Putin has responded. Putin has warned he may escalate things to a nuclear level. Putin has become infuriated with the sanctions and feelings of the west about the war in Ukraine and has notified his nuclear forces to be on alert. Worldwide conversation is being had on what the western nations will do in response to that. But there is a huge question mark in terms of how far Putin will go. 

“‘The whole world right now needs to unite’: Rallies are being held across the US in support of Ukraine”

There have been rallies in Atlanta, Washington, DC, and New York among other places in support of Ukraine. As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled according to UN figures, people are calling for stronger action against Russia and more support for Ukraine. Although the United States, the UK and other countries have already imposed sanctions both on Russia and on Vladimir Putin, some people think that what we are already doing is not enough. Some of the things people are advocating for is more physical support in Ukraine, or expelling Russia completely from SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) instead of just select Russian banks. 

By: Madelyn Milowski

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/26/us/us-rallies-in-support-of-ukraine/index.html 

"U.S., Canada and European leaders vow to freeze Russian assets, target banks" - Joey Jens

 U.S., Canada and European leaders vow to freeze Russian assets, target banks 

A substantial step up in sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine was announced by the US, Canada, and European allies in a joint statement Saturday evening as air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv. The sanctions would target Russian financial institutions, including the central bank. The allies warned they would prevent Russia's central bank from accessing hundreds of billions of dollars in Western reserves, a move that may lead to financial panic as Russia seeks to pay for its new war. Russia's banks have also been threatened with exclusion from the SWIFT messaging system, which links banks worldwide and is seen as a vital part of international banking. During daytime hours on Saturday, fighting had subsided, but missiles were still raining down on Kiev and other Ukrainian towns. A curfew of 5 p.m. was enforced by the authorities. 

Article: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/26/russia-ukraine-war-news-updates/ 

By: Joey Jens 

Russia and Ukrainian Officials to Meet

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-news-02-27-22/h_4b92e21a5b1c283d59bbe6d9f287b976

 On Monday morning officials from Moscow and Kyiv are set to meet at the Ukraine-Belarus border for a discussion CNN reports. This comes after initial hesitation of Ukrainian president Zelensky on having talks in Belarus given it is a staging ground for the Russian invasion. Zelensky however, was not opposed to talks as a whole and after assurances were made by Belarusian president Lukashenko, that all Russian air assets on the border will remain grounded to ensure safe passage for delegates, talks are set to move forward.

-Jacob Seeley

Why the Chinese Internet is Cheering Russia's Invasion

 This article talks about how Chinese users are supporting Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The Chinese users are also criticizing Russian protesters saying that they have been brainwashed by the United States. The article says that for the most part the "Chinese Internet is pro-Russia, pro-war, and pro-Putin". I am not surprised that a lot of people living in China are cheering Putin on. People living in China are used to their government and will like to support other people that have a similar government to them The article also mentions how journalists in China have "helped to shape a generation of online warriors who view the world as a zero sum game between China and the West, especially the US". This means that a whole generation of Chinese people think that democratic countries are against them. I would say most of the Chinese think this way because of how they have been exposed to media through their country. I do not blame them for thinking how they do, but I hope that they are able to open their mind to new things. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/27/business/china-russia-ukraine-invasion.html 

Written by: Jose Morales 

Taiwan warns Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone

 In this article, it talks about the growing frustaation by Tawian from the Air Force missions they are conducting over Tawian, Ever since Russia has invaded Ukraine, Tawian has been watching closely if a invasion were to begin in Tapei. The contributers of this article called Reuters talk about, "The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew over an area to the northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea". So Tawian is prepared specfic air defenses in wake of the Russia invading and becuase of the China-Tawian conflict is so similar, it creates paranoia. Although China has not formely stated they want to bring Tawian under there control, it is only assumed. If an invasion were to occur in Tawian, they relased a protocal called the "Info-Pacfic strategy", which urges the United States to help them out. 

Written by: Erik Batkiewicz 

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/asia/taiwan-china-warplane-incursion-intl-hnk/index.html 

North Korea launches a ballistic missile 2/26

North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on the morning of the 27th, and it is estimated to have fallen outside of Japan's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi says "this is a threat to the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community, and it is unacceptable. I strongly condemn it as it violates the UN Security Council resolutions". In the article, it was also mentioned that North Korea will continue risking and threatening nearby countries like Korea and Japan while the world is dealing with Russian invasion of Ukraine.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220227_16/

2/27/2022 Lana Matsuda

We are all living in Vladimir Putin's world now

Due to Russia's military aggression on Ukraine, its important to go back and look at our own era and the effects that it has had. After the Cold War the saying "30 years of peace" was developed and now it has ended, passionate pleas to defend post-cold war European order has no meaning now because this era is over. Putin has fully lost touch with reality and now we are truly living in his world, said by Thucydides, "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" because Putin is a much bigger power then other countries, he feels the need to do whatever pleases him. This war all has to do with Putin and not so much Russia because he was never able to manage and reconcile himself with Moscow's Cold War defeat, so people ask the question, is this more revenge than it is strategy? In Putins mind the current assault on Ukraine is logical and necessary inflection because they don't care about the future, it's all about rewriting the past for them (especially because of the NATO bombing on Belgrade). The article also says how the invasion on Ukraine has united Europe but it will also hurt its self confidence, and more many countries that trade with dictators, it doesn't make their country more secure, and keeping the money of corrupt leaders in their bank accounts doesn't civilize them, it corrupts that country.

Kayla McSweeney

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/27/opinion/putin-russia-ukraine-europe.html

A Russian warship tells Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. They profanely refuse

 This article discusses how Russian warship approached Snake Island which lies in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania. There were 13 Ukrainian soldiers standing guard of this island. The Russian warship warned the men to surrender and avoid bloodshed, and they responded by saying "Russian warship, go f*** yourself." The fight broke out and all 13 Ukrainian soldiers were killed. 

Elise Kamp

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1083213601/russian-warship-tells-ukrainian-soldiers-to-surrender-they-profanely-refuse 

China's take on Ukraine invasion

 Just 12 hours ago Stephen McDonell reported the strain in china over supporting Russia's invasion and hostility towards Ukraine. Ned Price said since China and Russia have singed "no limits" pact with Russia that Xi Jinping the current leader of China has the power to get Russia to de-escalate the invasion of Ukraine. However, China has made not such effort. Putin's appearance at the 2022 Olympics is a sign both China and Russia have decided not to interfere with each other and their political decisions. Chinese government has not officially supported or condemned the conflict going on in Ukraine. Throughout China there are tensions about supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin refused to condemn or recognize that  Russia's "invaded" Ukraine. President Xi Jinping has vowed to have closer ties with Vladimir Putin and will continue to buy good form Russia if sanctions form the N.A.T.O. are put on Russia. Yet, not all citizens of China agree with the government agree with their government. On media threads some Chinese citizens are seen posting and saying China should oppose the war breaking out in Ukraine. There is also speculation China could plan on reinvading Taiwan if Russia's invasion of Ukraine goes well. For more information read this article form BBC retrieved 2/26/2022 : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60492134

Written by Jenny Smith

Russia Launches Invasion Upon Ukraine

 Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into Ukraine on Thursday, after weeks of anxious waiting from the rest of the world. these attacks included airstrikes on cities and military bases, as well as troops and tanks on the ground entering from mainland Russia, Belarus, and Crimea. Russia has even seized control of Chernobyl nuclear plant, just north of the capital city, Kyiv. President Biden and other western powers invoked strict sanctions aimed to cut off and weaken Russian elites and banks. Putin went on in response and as a warning to those nations that “no one should have any doubts that a direct attack on our country will lead to the destruction and horrible consequences for any potential aggressor.”

Russia invades Ukraine on many fronts in 'brutal act of war' | AP News

- Ethan Garard

Russia Attacks Ukraine, Drawing Broad Condemnation

  

Russia Attacks Ukraine, Drawing Broad Condemnation 

 

            With Russia now invading Ukraine, many Ukraine citizens are now in danger. As many reports coming out of Kharkiv of the city being bombed in the early morning. There is already an early estimation of a few hundred Ukrainian soldiers being killed in the fight, but no confirmation. Russia claims to only target military instillations and hasn’t attacked any cities. Earlier in the week Russia recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. With the recognition of these two independents, many satellite images show Russia completely surrounding Ukraine and could possibly lead a large invasion. There are many moving pieces within this conflict. There is Russia on the offensive trying to regain some or all of Ukraine, may foreign actors supporting Ukraine by putting sanctions on Russia. Since Ukraine is not involved in NATO, there is likely to be no military help from other counties. This will certainly change if Russia does take over Ukraine, then Putin will be met with several NATO allies, which will also drag in the U.S. Some very uncertain times ahead. One thing that is interesting is the media coverage around this. Many countries about of NATO, see this move from Russia as ‘the darkest hour’ in europe

 since WW2. While Russia sees this as a cleansing from ‘Nazi’ leaders in the west. Interesting to see how different countries view this, although Russia’s claims are obviously propaganda and are trying to justify the actions to the citizens of Russia. 

 

By: Luke Schmidt 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-attacks-ukraine-drawing-broad-condemnation-11645682406

Russia Invades Ukraine

 Russia launches invasion on Ukraine using major military assault. There have been reports of missile strikes and explosions near major cities. The Ukrainian military says it has killed about 50 Russian "occupiers" and shot down at least six Russian aircraft (this has not been 100% verified). Many Ukraine citizens are very worried and say there are no longer any safe spaces in the country. The morning of the attack, French president says his country will it Russia with the same level of sanctions that his country is guilty of. He says that they will back Ukraine without hesitation. We still don't know what will come a few hours from now, but we do know most of Putin's intensions. Europe has not seen fighting like this since WWII. 

Nikki Feilinger 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60454795 

Russia Has Launched A Full Scale Invasion Sam Fretto

 At 5:55 AM Moscow time, Russia launched the first missiles into Ukraine beginning the invasion. The Ukraine capital of Kyiv, there are air raid sirens going off. There is a growing sense of panic among the citizens while others are going about their day.  It is surreal to see. Ukraine is calling for devastating sanctions on Russia. Leaders of NATO allies countries have come together in condemning Putin's actions to invade. President Biden will be meeting with NATO leaders tomorrow morning to discuss a united and swift counter. Troops from Belarus are also invading Ukraine as well. Putin continues to call this a special military operation with no plans to occupy. Actions speak louder than words. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-60454795

Kenyans Protest on Social Media about High Cost of Living

As the Kenyan government has taken actions to raise sales taxes and the inflation has been on the rise for the Kenyan Shilling since covid-19 began, social media has been the main stage for protests under the hashtag #lowerfoodprices. The people of Kenya are suffering the effects of these increasing prices of everyday necessities which are on average 20% more expensive than last year. Although economically Kenya is projected for success in the coming years, Kenyan individuals are not feeling any economic growth and are instead worried about putting any food on their tables.

Written By: Jennifer Schroeder

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60485499

West hits back with sanctions for Russia’s Ukraine actions

 After the last steps of Vladimir Putin towards Ukraine, the European Union, and the US hit back. Russia has made a couple of moves regarding the Ukraine crisis in the last few days: the recognition of the independence of the separatist region of Ukraine, troops to Belarus, and troops to Donbas.

In response to these actions, the west has acted with important actions against Russia. These actions are mostly economical and against the Russian banks and oligarchs. The sanctions come from the UE, the UK, and the US (Biden said these actions would be worst than the ones of 2014). Germany has also made an important move by putting a halt to the construction of the 2nd gas pipeline from Russia, which was a very important project to Russia (economically and politically).

Link: russia-ukraine-business-asia-europe-united-nations-881717d75ad21662562dec7b5c8f43b0

Javier Isasi Serrano

Australia Claims Chinese Navy "Illuminated" an Australian Air Force Jet

     Australia criticizes the Chinese navy for point a laser in the direction of an Australian Air Force jet which was flying over the Arafura Sea at the time. Australia lays the foundation for its criticisms by highlighting the effects such lasers can have on the pilots when they're trying to fly, such as painful and blotchy vision and even temporary blindness. Reports like these aren't uncommon for the two countries and continue to add to military tensions between the two. With incidents like these and Australia's increasingly close relations with Western powers, the UK and US in particular, the two countries become more and more at odds with each other which suggests that in the potential future of a bipolar world, Australia will likely be one of the countries aligned with the US to balance against China. 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/asia/australia-plane-china-warship-laser-intl-hnk-ml/index.html

Written by Abbey Scuito

Trump says China 'absolutely' going after Taiwan after Russia-Ukraine 'disaster' Madison Vermeland

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-china-taiwan-russia-ukraine

Trump has said in an interview that China will be next after the Russia and Ukraine disaster. They will move on with not being so nice just like Russia did, is what Trump was saying. Former president Trump also blamed Biden for letting this happen and said this would have never happened under his administration. 

So basically Trump was just blaming Biden for this happening and name calling. Nothing really good came out of this interview because the name calling. 

Biden is also expected to announce new economic sanctions against Russia. He also signed an executive order imposing sanctions against  the Ukraine regions. 

The Queen Tests Positive for Covid

 Megan Campion

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/britains-queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-for-covid-19-symptoms-mild-101645358400846.html

The article I chose to write about this week for my blog post is about Queen Elizabeth. The title of the article from the Hindustan Times is “Britain’s Queen Elizabeth tests positive for Covid-19, symptoms mild”. A couple days ago, the Queen tested positive for Covid. Obviously this is concerning. She’s an elderly woman. The queen is 95 years old and we know the majority of people passing from Covid are people who are elderly because their bodies can’t fight off the virus as well. “The health of the queen, the world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch has been in the spotlight…” This is a direct quote which was taken from the article. A couple members of the royal family have tested positive for covid, but the queen’s health was the one everyone was worried about since she is older. This article is fairly short because of the little information known about what is happening to tend to her health, but it does talk about Charles contracting the virus for a second time. 

Australia's Fortress Has Reopened After Nearly 2 Years

For nearly two years, 'Fortress Australia' has announced its reopening to visitors from across the world. However, the country has projected a harsh message of rigidity and rules for travelers coming in. On February 21st, travelers and tourism operators are optimistic about reopening "Fortress Australia" after 2 years of complete lockdown. Despite its ongoing Covid restrictions such as vaccine and testing requirements, mask mandates, and quarantine period, many wonder if the return of international travel will be more of a trickle than a splash. 

Australia is among one of the world's most immunized countries for COVID, with nearly 94% of people over 16 fully vaccinated. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the country pursued a "zero Covid" strategy and closed national and state borders that restricted Australians from returning and leaving the state and nation. Each state can set its own Covid restrictions with who can and can not enter the state while the federal government has agreed to open the nation's borders.

Tourism is one of Australia's fastest-growing sectors, contributing nearly $32 billion to its economy in 2019. Many of Australia's larger tour companies, businesses, and shops have been hit hard with the prolonged closed borders, with smaller ones having to close completely. In 2017, China overtook New Zealand as Australia's largest foreign tourist market, with nearly the Chinese people spending nearly $9 billion in Australia, totaling about 27% of the year's international visitor spend. With China still severely limiting outbound travel, it creates a gaping hole in Australia's tourist economy.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/travel/australia-tourism-covid.html 

 By: Genevieve Weiss 

Bill to help veterans suffering from toxic burn pit exposure takes key step forward in Congress

The senate is looking to help former military service members suffering from toxic burn pit exposure by passing a bill to provide more access to healthcare for post 9/11 combat veterans. A 2020 survey found that 86% of Iraq and Afghanistan American veterans were exposed to burn pits or other toxins. It is not clear whether the bill will actually reach the presidents desk, however advocates are still set on the fact that more needs to be done for veterans to address the issue of burn pits.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/20/politics/senate-burn-pit-bill/index.html

 -Sarah Tanny

Queen Elizabeth II Tests Positive for COVID-19

Buckingham Palace said today that the queen has today tested positive for COVID. “Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.” The queen has received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine as well as the booster shot. Obviously, many are concerned for the queen as her age makes her very susceptible, and she has recently begun using a walking stick which demonstrates that she isn't as healthy as she used to be.

With the recent news of the queen's positive test, this could mean that her reign is coming to a quicker close than expected.Some speculate that the death of the queen could result in the dissolution of the commonwealth or perhaps the British governmentas it currently stands. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/20/queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-for-covid-but-symptoms-mild

By: Noah Hittie

Russia On the Move

Following months of military buildup and brinkmanship along Ukraine's border, Russia is increasing pressure on its former Soviet ally, threatening to destabilize Europe and bring in the US. 

Since last year, Russia has been tightening its military grip around Ukraine, accumulating tens of thousands of troops, equipment, and artillery on its borders. US intelligence experts have warned that a Russian invasion could be imminent as a result of the actions.Whirlwind diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions have failed to yield results in recent weeks. 

Moscow has denied that it is contemplating an attack, instead claiming that NATO's assistance for Ukraine is posing a rising threat to Russia's western flank. An increase in shelling in eastern Ukraine, as well as a vehicle explosion in separatist-controlled Donbas, has raised suspicions that Moscow is inflaming the situation to justify an invasion.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/europe/ukraine-russia-conflict-explainer-cmd-intl/index.html

Natalie M Nieves 

"Russia and Belarus extend large military drills near Ukraine" - Joey Jens

 According to TheHindu.com, Russia and Belarus have extended military training that were set to expire on Sunday, according to the Belarus Defence Minister, adding to the pressure on Ukraine as Western officials warn of an impending Russian invasion. The option to prolong the training was made in response to military activities near Russia's and Belarus's borders, as well as an aggravation of the situation in eastern Ukraine's Donbass area, according to a statement from Belarus' defense ministry. Russia has up to 30,000 troops in Belarus, according to NATO, and may deploy them as part of an invasion force to strike Ukraine, which is to Belarus' south. Moscow denies having such plans. 

Article: 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/russia-and-belarus-extend-large-military-drills-near-ukraine/article65068492.ece 

By: Joey Jens 

Biden and Putin agree to summit with France if Russia does not invade Ukraine

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-and-putin-agree-to-summit-with-france-if-russia-does-not-invade-ukraine/ar-AAU6mLn 

Biden and Putin have agreed to attend a summit in France to discuss the Ukraine situation. But there is one condition to the meeting, Russia cannot invade Ukraine. According to US press secretary Jen Saki Biden is ready to engage in diplomacy but is ready for alternate plans. It appears that based on US intelligence, the Russian military has already been given the go ahead to invade Ukraine. 

Jake Leggero

Freedom Convoy Leaves Town and Quiet Returns to Ottawa

  

Freedom Convoy Leaves Town and Quiet Returns to Ottawa 

 

            With President Trudeau invoking a vaccine mandate, his actions were met with a ‘freedom convoy’ in Ottawa. The convoy was a trucker-led movement that imposed the mandate. After 23 long days, of disrupted traffic and chaos, the president had enough. He ordered police to start clearing out those in the convoy. Although much of the work is done, former police chief Bill Blair says, “there is still work to be done.” As Ottawa returns to normalcy, many other provinces are on high alert as they suspect a freedom convoy could evolve within their respective provinces. While traffic was cleared, lawmakers on Sunday debated on the motion of the actions Trudeau took to clear the convoy. His actions were being the invocation of emergency powers. Although the actions with Trudeau are within his legal bounds, the debate and vote will be about how long these emergency powers can last. An interesting story to read. As we go into almost year three of the pandemic, we can see many attitudes changing around the world. As Canadians are usually not the front runner for protest, but a 23 day protest that required emergency powers is unheard of. Will be interesting to see if Trudeau changes his position on the mandate as he has now seen the outrage from some Canadians. 

By: Luke Schmidt 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/freedom-convoy-leaves-town-and-quiet-returns-to-ottawa-11645385184

White House says Biden has agreed to meet with Putin "in principle" as long as Russia does not invade Ukraine

 

President Joe Biden has agreed to meet and talk with Russian leader Putin on the stipulation that Russia doesn't launch an invasion of Ukraine. The talks would occur later this week on or after the 24th of February, which would be setup by French Macron. Given this opportunity, it's still a toss-up whether Russia will continue with its plan to increase the number of troops to the border and still launch an invasion of Ukraine. Press Secretary Psaki says the U.S is prepared to retaliate if Russia continues. Diplomacy is still on the table as Biden pushes he is willing to discuss if it would prevent a war.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/20/europe/biden-putin-macron-ukraine/index.html

Hunter Scherer

People evacuating to Russia from Eastern Ukraine are uncertain about what lies ahead

 Many people living on Eastern Ukraine are leaving their homes because of fears that their town will in the middle of fighting. The evacuation was ordered by separatist leaders and many Ukrainians do not know where they are being taken. The Ukrainians had been told that they would be taken to Rostov, but are actually being taken further into Russia. Some Ukrainians already want to go back home and do not want to be lied to about where they are going. It seems as if the Separatist leaders are trying to convince Ukrainians that the Ukrainian government wants to attack the areas that they control. I think that the Ukrainians living near Russian controlled group areas are more worried about being caught in the midst of firing between both sides. It is hard to tell how much longer this situation is going to go on for. Hopefully the people that evacuated will soon be able to return to their homes. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/world/europe/russia-eastern-ukraine-evacuation.html

Written by: Jose Morales 

“Day of Remembrance” 80 years after the Executive Order 9066

 On the 19th, it was 80 years since the Executive Order 9066 was signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to imprison Japanese Americans. Because of the order, around 120,000 people of Japanese descent, including those born in the United States, have been sent to concentration camps built in deserts and wastelands as "enemy aliens. President Biden expressed his determination not to repeat the mistake "nidoto nai yoni (never happen again)" in Japanese. He also stressed that he would use this "Day of Remembrance" as an opportunity to eliminate "structural discrimination" in the United States, including racism and discrimination against foreigners.

By Lana Matsuda

https://japantoday.com/category/politics/update1-biden-vows-never-again-in-marking-80-yrs-since-japanese-internment

Ukraine will not respond to provocations, Zelensky says Sam Fretto

 Amid the rising tensions along the Ukraine border, there have been increasing discussion about if Russia will indeed invade Ukraine. President Joe Biden is convinced that Russia intends to invade Ukraine and will do so in the coming days. There has been cyber attacks on Ukraine which many believe was Russia. However, Russia denies these claims. NATO countries believe Russia is trying to provoke Ukraine to respond and potentially start a war. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said they will not retaliate to any provocation by Russia to avoid conflict. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60448638

"Australia accuses China of shining laser at warplane"

 A Chinese navy ship has reportedly shined a "military grade" laser towards one of Australia's warplanes on Thursday. The Australian defense ministry has condemned China's "unprofessional and unsafe military conduct", but China has not commented on the incident. Similar laser incidents have been reported in the past by Australian media. The plane affected was an aircraft that had weapons systems and sensors for detecting submarines. Although Australia and China have had good relations in the past with China being Australia's biggest trading partner, their relationship has broken down in recent years. One example of this is how China has said that the security alliance between Australia, the United States, and the UK has risked "severely damaging regional peace . . . and intensifying the arms race".

By: Madelyn Milowski

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-60446928 

Hong Kong Continues COVID Zero-Tolerance Policy as Economy Suffers

 Hong Kong continues its path towards zero COVID-19 cases, even as businesses take major hits. Hong Kong is currently facing their biggest surge in cases yet, but there is concern that its economy will suffer permanently if no changes are made. Numerous storefronts and banks that once brought in many shoppers and dollars are now for sale, changing the monetary face of the city. The policies include a ban on restaurant dining after 6 p.m. and very strict airport travel. If these policies continue through March, up to 3,000 restaurants could close their doors for good, due to the lack of revenue. 

- Ethan Garard

Hong Kong overwhelmed by surging COVID-19 cases, threatening the economy : NPR

UK, Germany Agree Russia Needs Punishing if Ukraine Invaded

 In this article written by Rueters, this describes the mutal agreemnt about Russia between the United Kingdom and Germany. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on saturday and discussed on what to do with Russia. They came up with the conclusion of, "redouble efforts to reach a diplomatic resolution to prevent unnecessary bloodshed". Condluding that if Putin advances there army into Ukraine then comprehensive reponses will be need taken, so Germany and the UK are all in if Russia continues with attacking Ukraine. 

Written by: Erik Batkiewicz 

Link:  https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-02-19/uk-germany-agree-russia-needs-punishing-if-ukraine-invaded 

Saudi Arabia refuses to pump more oil or change to the OPEC+ with Russia to alleviate rising US gas prices.

 With barrels of oil now being traded at $95 per barrel by the Benchmark Crude, the US has tried to negotiate with Saudi Arabia to pump more crude oil. Saudi Arabia however has made it known about their intention to stick to the agreement in place through the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+), an alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia. What the alliance intends to do is gradually increase oil production as the world recovers from COVID. However, to some countries, especially the United States, this isn't quite fast enough due to geopolitical events and market volatility. Supply being withheld by the OPEC+ has caused gas prices to rise to about $3.50 a galloon, about a 40% increase from $2.50 last year. 

Read more here: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/saudi-arabia-lid-oil-output-us-gas-prices-82958855

Written by: Abbey Scuito

Kim Potter: Former Minnesota Police Officer Sentenced to Two Years Madison Vermeland

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/18/us/kim-potter-sentencing-daunte-wright/index.html 

Kim Potter who was a Minnesota police officer was sentenced to two years after drew a gun instead of a taser and shot Daunte White during a traffic stop. Prosecutor's requested 7 years and 2 months but Potters attorneys argued for a lesser sentence due to her lack of criminal history prior to this day. Her attorneys won and she only got two years. 

The judge said this was an extremely difficult choice to make and she took a lot into account. The judge also said that this was a very unusual case and Potter made a horrible and tragic mistake. 

The family of Daunte did not agree with this ruling and said that the judge didn't take into fact the tragedy that happened and how the family was feeling during this time. Potter is extremely sorry and apologized to the family for what she had done. 

Madison Vermeland

'Candy Bomber' from Second World War Dies

 Megan Campion

https://news.sky.com/story/gail-halvorsen-candy-bomber-who-airdropped-sweets-for-children-after-second-world-war-dies-12544837

This article is sad and sweet at the same time. The article I chose to write about for this weeks blog post is about a man from the second world war who passed away. It’s not uncommon to hear world war 2 veterans passing, but this veteran in particular was a man who airdropped sweets for children. The article is titled “Gail Halvorsen: ‘Candy Bomber’ who airdropped sweets for children after Second World War Dies” from SkyNews. There are pictures of him from World War 2 and also a picture from him in 2015 in the article. The article describes his feelings about the war. Halvorsen, like many others, said he had mixed feeling about the war. The article also shares his story on why he started to drop candy into Berlin. It is a very sweet article about his life and also gives information about the Berlin airlift for anyone interested in reading more about it. 

Landslide in Brazil killed more than 100 people

 14 hours ago in Petroplis, Brazil more than 100 people died. Petroplis is located in the mountains North of Rio de Janeiro. Petroplis was hit with torrential rainfall yesterday causing a massive flooding and a slide which destroyed 80 houses. Brazil has lunched it's National Civil Defense to evacuate people and help rescues them. 30 people have been reported missing.  300 people have been temporarily housed in school, shelters, and other charities.  Many citizen have expressed there dismay, after a 2 years of a pandemic a the land slide and flood have erased all progress made by the recovering country. For more information check out BBC New. retrieved form : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-60401611

written by Jenny Smith

New Zealand passes law banning conversion therapy. Madison Vermeland

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/asia/new-zealand-conversion-therapy-ban-passed-intl-hnk/index.html 

Conversion therapy is no longer allowed legally in New Zealand. For anyone that doesn't know what conversion therapy is, it is  forcibly changing a persons sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This was passed near- unanimously. 

This was first brought up last year and voted with 112 in favor and only 8 opposing. The minister of justice in New Zealand was very excited that this was passed for the rainbow community. The government has said that this therapy does not help and only causing harm to people. I would have to agree with that statement because I really do not know what it is but it still shouldn't be forced on someone to change things they stand for or believe. 

Madison Vermeland

Canada Protests: Ottawa Police Chief Resigns After Trudeau Declares National Emergency to End Protests

 We are witnessing how there is being an escalation of tension regarding the truckers' protest in Canada. The latest news is that Justin Trudeau declared the Estated of Emergency, a tool never used before in Canadian history. This gives the government and the police extra power to act against protests.

This has led to the resignation of the Chief of police of the capital. After strong criticism of mismanaging the protests, where he was accused of underestimating the numbers, arriving late, and putting little force into it. Furthermore, the towers were reluctant to help law enforcement but they have directly targeted and warned of consequences if they do not cooperate.

Trudeau has threatened with strong consequences to those who keep up with the protests. All of this seems like an extreme measure for a president that has failed to prevent and manage the protests.

Link: canada-protests-news

Javier Isasi Serrano

Ukraine cyberattack

 On Tuesday 2/15 a cyberattack blocked access to Ukrainian defense agencies and banks. The US and Ukraine are investigating the attack and doing forensic work to find out who is responsible for the attack and the article states that Russia has been responsible for attacks similar in the past. There was a cyberattack last month on January 14th that was done by Russia and Belarus. The attack included messages such as "be afraid and wait for the worst." So with this information and the already blooming conflict between Russia and Ukraine Russia is obviously the main suspect in the investigation. Ukrainian officials were able to act quickly and get the websites back up by today therefore the attack wasn't very successful. Even though Russia said they were pulling back troops from Ukraine just yesterday this cyberattack leads me to believe that this conflict between the two is not over yet. In fact, according to another article by Alexander Smith and Rebbeca Shabad on NBC News, Antony Bilken, a Secretary of State said "We continue to see critical units moving towards the border, not away from the border," NATO then held a meeting in which they sent "concrete proposals" on transparency, risk reduction and arms control to Russia but they have not yet received a response. After reading these two articles I'm starting to get scared that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine could turn into a World War. 

Abby Cox 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russia-troop-pullback-met-skepticism-west-ukraine-defia-rcna16435 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/europe/ukraine-cyber-attack-denial-service-intl/index.html

Russian Aircraft in Eastern Syria

 On Tuesday February 15, US fighter jets and other coalition aircraft escorted three Russian aircrafts out of Syrian skies. Two Tu-22 Backfire bombers flew a Russian aircraft across Iraq into the Eastern Syria Security Area without giving any advance notice that they were doing so. After US warned Russia, Russia still continued on. That led to US F-16s and coalition aircraft flying close by the Russians until the were clear of the area. The Russians did this again 6 hours later, flying a cargo aircraft and a military jet across the same area. 

Even though this did happen during the tension between Russia and Ukraine, US officials do not believe that this event is not related to the tension at all.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/us-jets-escort-russian-aircraft-syria/index.html 

Nikki Feilinger 

Canadian Truckers get Physical

 This is a battle between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and truckers in Ottawa County. This conflict is happening in Ottawa, Canada, on major streets, like highways, and truckers and other group supporters blocked it off, and now it looks like its own village. Trudeau put a state of emergency file out for Ottawa, which means the government can shut down the protests. They have already arrested 11 people and taken control of many guns as of right now. While the main disagreement of this protest is that the truckers and citizens want freedom and not as strict rules for Covid, the prime minister is trying to please the majority of others and keep the covid regulations intact. 

-Jake Moore

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/world/americas/canada-trucker-protests.html?name=styln-canada-trucker-protest&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&variant=0_Control&is_new=false

U.S becoming more involved with the Pacific Islands

 Antony J. Blinken was the first U.S secretary of state to visit Fiji in 36 years and he claims that this is just the start of an expanding American presence with Pacific Island leaders. Blinken said that he sees a long term future with them and he said they'll be more American involvement in help on climate change, covid vaccines, illegal fishing, and much more. The Pacific Island is stretched across from Hawaii, Asia, and Australia and they want the all the help they can get, but like many other smaller countries, they are becoming more involved in the global competition between the U.S and China. The U.S fears that China would use the prosperity and force to influence certain islands so they can set up military basis in the region "That would block the American military's ability to island-hop and deploy forces quickly to Asia in the event of war" This is obviously a big concern for the U.S so they are taking precaution. The Islanders have been asking for help from bigger powers on climate change because the waters are rapidly rising and more storms are emerging which puts these Islands at risk of becoming nonexistent. The main thing the U.S is trying to do is to get them more money to help before and after natural disasters. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/us/politics/blinken-fiji-pacific-islands.html

Kayla McSweeney

Jill Biden sends a valentine to the country

Jill Biden sent a Valentine to the country by installing a large wooden heart in front of the White House. The heart says "Three things will last forever -- faith, hope, and love -- and the greatest of these is love." Heart-shaped artwork is also displayed inside the White House from local elementary school students. But as Biden celebrates the holiday, a sign placed a few blocks away and by the father of a victim of the Parkland shooting reads, "45k people died from gun violence on your watch!" As a result, President Joe Biden commemorated the anniversary in a statement to promise efforts to stop gun violence. 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/politics/valentines-day-white-house-decorations/index.html

-Sarah Tanny

How the Red Cross is Helping in Ukraine

When talking about Russia and Ukraine, many people focus on the diplomatic and political side of the situation. However, this conflict has also taken a toll on the most vulnerable, that is the citizens. With border tensions arising, the cold temperatures dropping, and COVID-19 still spreading, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society along with Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is responding to the people's needs in a variety of ways. Key needs include water, gas, and electricity. The winters are harsh in Ukraine, especially for the elderly. So far the ICRC provided support by insulating people's homes, improving electricity efficiency, and providing fuel or cash assistance to heat the homes of 35,000 people on both sides of the contact line.

The American Red Cross has sent in specially-trained staff to support U.S. troops who have been recently deployed in the neighboring countries. These specially trained staff help assist U.S. service members with emergency communication needs. 

There is also a concern about the mental toll on people living through a time of heightened uncertainty, with many older residents having memories of the previous wars. 

https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2022/ukraine-red-cross-delivers-aid-to-families.html 

By Genevieve Weiss

“Ukrainians prepare for war at the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster” - Joey Jens

 

“Ukrainians prepare for war at the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster” 

• The article talks about how Ukraine’s Chernobyl exclusion zone has been abandoned since the world's worst nuclear disaster that took place there three decades ago. But now With tens of thousands of Russian troops massing just a few kilometers away on Ukraine's border with Belarus, the empty town is now home to security personnel preparing for war. Chernobyl is being used by Ukraine to prepare for another possible disaster. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that the Kremlin is considering a military intervention in Ukraine. The deployments of Russian troops in Belarus are allegedly tied to joint drills set to begin on Thursday. Satellite images, on the other hand, show Russian camps being built near the Ukrainian border, hundreds of miles away from where the exercises are taking place. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone might provide a route to Kyiv if Russia invades Ukraine. According to American and NATO sources, President Vladimir Putin is gradually growing his military presence in Belarus, from 5,000 troops in January to an expected 30,000 troops by the end of this month. 

• By Joey Jens

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/europe/ukraine-chernobyl-belarus-intl-cmd/index.html 

"He knows Putin Well, And He Fears For Ukraine" - Joey Jens

 

"He Knows Putin Well. And    He Fears for Ukraine." 

Sauli Niinisto, the Finnish president, has carved out a crucial role as an intermediary between East and West, and he is pessimistic about the possibilities for peace. As the threat of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine grew, the European head of state with the most extensive and in-depth experience dealing with Vladimir V. Putin took calls and offered advice to French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders desperate for insight into his troubled eastern neighbor. Mr. Niinisto claimed he detected a shift in the Russian before and after his last extensive talk with Mr. Putin last month. Mr. Niinisto stated, "His frame of mind, the determining, decisiveness – that is plainly different." Mr. Putin, he said, felt compelled to grab "the momentum he has currently." He stated that it was difficult to foresee things returning to their previous state. The opposing factions argued about whether or not the Minsk accord, which the Russians insisted be followed, should be fulfilled. For the time being, the only alternatives were for Russia to exert pressure on Europe and extract demands from the US, or, as Putin put it, "warfare." 

Article: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-russia-finland-sauli-niinisto-putin-nato.html  

By: Joey Jens

Biden's national security adviser says Russia could invade Ukraine 'any day now'

The Biden Administration's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, urges warning that Russian & Ukrainian conflicts can start at any point this week. While he says there's still hope for diplomacy and to come to a peaceful consensus, the U.S must be prepared to help Ukraine if an invasion were to occur. At this point, around 100,000 Russian troops are occupying the Russian-Ukraine border. These warnings come after a prior message for Americans to leave Ukraine if possible since missile attacks could be the first response to invasion.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/politics/jake-sullivan-cnntv/index.html

Hunter Scherer

Saudi-led coalition forces exploding then drone telecommunication system in Yemen

In Yemen, where the civil war continues, the Saudi-led coalition forces exploded the drone telecommunication system of the pro-Iranian Houthi militant group. In advance, the coalition forces requested the civilian staff of a ministry in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, to evacuate urgently. 12 people were injured because of the attack on the airport in Abuja.

The Houthis have been attacking Saudi Arabia using drones and missiles since the seven-year conflict. More recently, they have also fired missiles at the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

2/13 Lana Matsuda

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-696379

Ukrainian President and Biden's talk 2/13

This little excerpt on CNN talks about the recent discussions between Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President. On their call on Sunday 2/13 Zelensky asked Biden for more military and financial support and Zelensky requested Biden visits Ukraine.  The main reason for these requests is to show Russia that the West is on their side and that Russia invading wouldn’t be beneficial to them. According to the article it is very unlikely that Biden will go to Ukraine and his response to the other requests weren’t “positive” like Zelensky had hoped. I don’t usually keep up with current events, but I am glad this class requires us to do so. My roommate asked me the other day about what was going on in Ukraine and because we have been talking about it in class, I was able to give her a description and it felt cool to actually be educated on what’s going on in the world. 

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-news-02-13-22/index.html

Abby Cox 

U.S. Battles Putin by Disclosing His Next Possible Moves

 The United States is trying to figure out Putins "games" by examining his recent actions. Jake Sullivan (Biden's nationally security advisor) said, "that the United States was seeing signs of Russian Escalation and that there was a "credible prospect" of immediate military action." The United States is keeping a close watch on them to make sure they know exactly what is going on. Biden has made it clear that he is not even considering sending US troops to defend Ukraine, as a result, the administration is warning everyone of a threat and that they are clearly trying to avoid war. They hope to disturb Putins plans which will hopefully delay invasion and they want to make it harder for Putin to justify an invasion. Putin has used a lot of false information in hopes to have people be more doubtful of him, therefore allowing him to easily achieve his goals. It's harder to know what right or safe now a days because social media spreads conspiracy theories so fast now that people are believing these crazy rumors and the best thing people can do is to just simply trust the government. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/us/politics/russia-information-putin-biden.html

Kayla McSweeney

“Biden’s National Security Adviser says Russia could invade Ukraine any day now”

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that Russia is poised to invade Ukraine as soon as this week, but still hopes that diplomacy can prevent an invasion. He points out their way of maneuvering troops and the "acceleration of that build up". The U.S. estimates that there is more than 100,000 Russian troops near the border and thousands added this last week. In addition to this, he says that an invasion would likely start with missile or bomb attacks, although those always poise a danger to civilians. However, he points out that the United States and NATO allies are poised to respond if there is an invasion. And the United States has already started to move some American forces and diplomatic staff out of Ukraine. 

By: Madelyn Milowski

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/politics/jake-sullivan-cnntv/index.html 

Police Clear All Protesters from Canada - U.S. Bridge

 The Ambassador Bridge, a highly busy border bridge between the United States and Canada has finally been cleared of COVID-19 protesters, who've since been detained. The Bridge runs between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. It is responsible for transporting a quarter of all goods between the nations and has been blocked off for a week by protesters on foot, private cars, and semi-trucks. A court order on Friday demanded all protesters to vacate, and those left this weekend has been subject to arrests. The bridge closure led to numerous factories to be shut down this week, including Toyota and Ford.

Ambassador Bridge protest: Police clear final demonstrators : NPR

-Ethan Garard

Saudi Sees Cyprus as Bridge Between Europe, Middle East

This article by usnews.com talks about how Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister views Cyrpus as a "bridge" to the middle east and European Union so they can understand what is going on in the region. Cyrpus responded with they want to really focus all of their attention on all opportunities and challenges in the Middle East. Along with that connection the article also talked about how ,"The Saudi top diplomat said both his country and Cyprus have a “very, very strong alignment” regarding regional stability and terrorism “whether it is (Yemen’s) Houthis or others" and both countries both agree on the primacy of international law. Lastly Prime Minster Al Saud said that he thinks its important for everyone to stand in agreement of international law and to defend the primacy of international law or state sovereignty, a rejection of interventionism of all sorts. So this connection with Cyrpus and Saudia Arabia will be very intresting how it plays out. 

Written by: Erik Batkiewicz 

Link: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-02-13/saudi-sees-cyprus-as-bridge-between-europe-middle-east 

Biden warns Putin of 'swift and severe costs' amid fears of imminent Ukraine invasion

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-warns-putin-of-swift-and-severe-costs-amid-fears-of-imminent-ukraine-invasion/ar-AATM7ov

 U.S. President Joe Biden warns Russian President Putin that if Russia invades Ukraine that they will be met by swift force by the U.S. and its allies. With a Russian invasion that seems to be imminent, Biden set up a video call with Putin. During a video call Biden made it clear the U.S. is still willing to engage in diplomacy if Russia is willing. But after the call they are still no closer to finding out Russia's intentions with Ukraine. 

Jake Leggero

Russian Skating star faces urgent hearing to decide Olympic fate after positive drug test

 Russian Olympic skater Kamila Valieva has tested positive in a drug test before the games began. The court of Arbitration of Sport will make a decision whether Kamila will be allowed to compete in the next event. This put into jeopardy the team event medals because as the teams were going to the awards ceremony to get their medals, it got postponed. Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine on December 25, 2021 and there are questions about why the findings got reported until recently. I think it is weird that she tested positive for the drug over a month ago and the findings barely got reported. There are also questions about whether Valieva took the drug voluntarily or was forced to take it from a medical team or other adults. This will put Russia back on the watchlist about using drugs on their athletes. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/outcome-hearing-will-determine-rocs-kamila-valieva-can-keep-skating-be-rcna15838

Written by: Jose Morales 

" USA's Nathan Chen sets world record in short program at Beijing Olympics"

 Megan Campion

link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/usas-nathan-chen-sets-world-record-short-program-beijing-olympics-rcna15289

This week’s blog post I will be talking about an article written by NBC News titled “USA’s Nathan Chen sets world record in short program at Beijing Olympics” by Phil Helsel. Nathan Chen is an amazing figure skater. I remember watching him skate on the tv with my mom. My mom and I love to watch ice skating competitions because I used to ice skate when I was younger for 7 years. It was a big part of my life and it is very difficult. I never got as good as Nathan Chen obviously, but I still remember the feeling of spinning and gliding on the ice. With the 2022 winter olympics going on, I am surprised there isn’t more news going on about the athletes competing. I didn’t even know Nathan Chen was competing in the 2022 winter olympics. I am pretty sure he competed in the 2018 winter olympics when he was 18 years old and did amazing as well. Nathan Chen is my mom and I’s favorite ice skater because he lands the jumps perfectly and his technique is beautiful to watch. I found this article interesting because there are different parts when it comes to ice skating. There's a short program and a long program. They are two different routines, but both are important. It was very cool to read about his performance and there was even a video in the article of his performance. 

Switzerland Weighs Ban on Tabacco Ads

In Switzerland, cigarettes and cigarette ads are fairly common. Because of this, Swiss anti-smoking committees wish to protect young people and ensure that their tobacco prevention efforts are not undermined through advertising. They propose a ban on tobacco ads in places where those under the age of 18 would be present. Though the Federal Council acknowledges that almost half of the smokers started the habit as a minor and that tobacco use is responsible for ~15 percent of the nation’s deaths, the initiative has been opposed by the government as a whole, which has excellent relationships with tobacco companies that have regional and global headquarters in Switzerland. 

A group formed to encourage people to reject the initiative said the proposed advertising restrictions were against Switzerland’s liberal values. If Swiss voters reject the initiative on Sunday, the amended bill will come into effect without the broad restrictions on ads. If the public votes in favor of the initiative, tobacco companies will have to rethink investing in Switzerland.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/world/europe/switzerland-tobacco-ads-vote.html 

By: Noah Hittie

Russia’s Massive Military Drills on Ukraine Border Stir Invasion Fears

  

Russia’s Massive Military Drills on Ukraine Border Stir Invasion Fears

 

With tensions rising between Russian and Ukraine, more and more troops are being added to the border between the two countries. Russia has begun to add troops to the border for several weeks now. With the response from Ukraine and the west, Russia has not yet backed down. In the latest attempt to justify Russians actions, Vladimir Putin has written off the allegations of a planned invasion as military drills. Putin has also said that his troops will leave the border when the drills are over, Feb 20. Although Putin has justified his actions, the additions he made were pretty significant. These additions have come with fighter jets, a highly technological jamming system and a nuclear-capable missile system. On the outside looking in, Russia seems to be doing more than just drills. This was also the analyses from Rob Lee, an expert on Russian military who said, “This is clearly more than a readiness exercise”. This can be seen by the number of troops at the border, but also their placement. Reports say that troops are being dispersed across the border and not in places where Russian routinely does their military drills. What adds an interesting component to the tension is the alliance Russia and Belarus. Belarus seems to have Russia’s back if Ukraine decides to take action before Russia does. While Russia seems to have one major ally, Ukraine has NATO and the powerhouse of the US. If things do go south, it seems that World War 3 would be underway. Personally, I do not see Russian doing anything, while it would severely isolate themselves from the rest of the world in many aspects. 

 

By: Luke Schmidt

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/massive-russian-military-drills-on-ukraine-border-ratchet-up-threat-11644496231

Russia begins huge war games in Belarus amid Ukraine invasion fears

The article "Russia begins huge war games in Belarus amid Ukraine invasion fears" discusses how Russia is playing war games on Ukraine. Russia has brought in a huge number of troops and equipment into Belarus to line the borders of Ukraine. Although they have not invaded Ukraine yet, Russia is posing a threat by showing off its military and machinery. Russia and Belarus insist that they are simply just playing war games and that the troops are scheduled to leave on February 20th. This leaves the United States and NATO worried because they do not know what Russia really has planned. 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-begins-huge-war-games-belarus-amid-ukraine/story?id=82799211

Elise Kamp

Trudeau slams 'unacceptable' protests as police warn truckers Sam Fretto

 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is condemning the truckers protests that have been going on for the last two weeks. These protests are about the nations COVID-19 measures. One of the main measures being protested is truckers needing to be fully vaccinated to enter Canada. These protests from the truckers blocking US-Canadian borders. It will be interesting to follow how these protests continue or even die down. I personally doubt these protests will lead to a change in the rules as Canada seems to be pretty set on their COVID rules. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60327794

Vice President Harris to appear at Munich Security Conference

Vice President Kamala Harris is going to the Munich Security Conference next week to talk to European allies to the US. Her goal is to rally our allies in stopping the looming potential for a Ukrainian invasion by Russia. This conference will be important in unifying NATO ideals and making a stand amid Russia's threats and actions of military build up along the Ukrainian border. Still, there is no clear plans of US troops going to Ukraine. However, this trip will intensify America's involvement in the matter.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/9/vp-kamala-harris-to-rally-us-allies-at-munich-security-conference

Written by: Jennifer Schroeder

Beijing's Olympic Stadium Designer Disappointed With Its Use

Ai Weiwei, who was consulted on the design for the Beijing National Stadium, criticizes the Chinese Communists Party for using the Stadium for what he believes is solely for capital gain and puts the security of Chinese athletes at risk. He openly criticizes the International Olympic Committee, or the IOC for advocating for authoritarians and business rather than being neutral on global political issues, chasing money rather than what's right. He feels as if what he built to represent how "freedom was possible" has been muddied as China takes steps backwards from what he thought would bloom into a democratic and free state. 

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ai-weiwei-winter-olympics-2022-christiane-amanpour/index.html

Abbey Scuito

North Korea boasts of 'shaking the world' by testing missiles that can strike the US

North Korea bragged that it is one of only a handful of countries to stand up to the U.S. by initiating missile tests. In January they had a record amount of tests-one of them being the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile which is capable of striking U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean. Their Foreign Ministry said that the series of tests represented a strengthened "war deterrence". The United States told North Korea to defund its nuclear missile programs and focus on the needs of its people. 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/08/asia/north-korea-missile-tests-united-states-intl-hnk/index.html

-Sarah Tanny 

Starbuck fires labor union organizers

 2/8/22

BBC just reported today that several workers have been laid off at Starbucks in Tenseness after holding a union meeting after hours. The workers were fired for violating after hours policy by holding their meting. After being fired from Starbucks the workers filed cases against Starbucks at the National Labor Relation Board. The workers are still working toward unionizing Starbuck. In 1988 Buffalo was the first Starbucks to unionize, but unfortunately unionization is not a choice for all Starbucks workers. Throughout this year several worker at Starbucks have been laid off when they posed the idea of a union to Starbuck. For more information please click on the link below. retrieved 2/8/22 form BBC : https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60312013

written by Jenny Smith

Discussion on the blue eye/brown eye experiment: Madison Vermeland

 https://stamfordendowedschools.edublogs.org/2020/07/06/alice-paterson-discusses-blue-eyes-brown-eyes-experiment-in-anti-racism/ 

In class we discussed the blue eye and brown eye experiment and so I decided to find an article of it being talked about today. 

Alice Paterson discusses the experiment and talks about what Jane Elliot talked about when she went on Jimmy Fallon in 2020. This experiment was an anti racism experiment that would still be relevant today. This experiment tried to explain the idea of racism in a way that smaller students would understand and so they would get an idea of how it felt to experience racism. 

Jane preformed this the day after the assassination of  Martin Luther King Jr. to show that people are not willing to move forward and accept all people. Just before MLK was assassinated he was named one of the greatest men alive and he still gets killed. Showing that someone and I am sure a lot of other people wanted him dead. People just didn't accept for all that he had accomplished because of his skin tone.  

Of course, during the time of the experiment it received a lot of backlash because people didn't respect black people. Jane lost friends, her parents lost their jobs and her kids lost friends and got physically and verbally abused for their mother doing that experiment. This was very much ahead of the time as we are know talking about and people protesting the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Jane was just trying to get students aware of how it felt and teach her students something that was very important, it was just at the time of the experiment nobody wanted to talk about that subject and had no respect for people of another race. If the experiment were to happen today it probably wouldn't have as much of backlash. 

Madison Vermeland

Amnesty International accuses Israel of imposing 'apartheid' on Palestinians

 Amnesty, a major non-governmental organization that works on the international spectrum, has recently just announced that they have reason to believe that Israel is imposing apartheid on Palestinians. Apartheid being a way that south Africa could Input racially motivated segregation has now been put as a label on Israel, meaning that the state has been accused of racial bias which has led to the general mistreatment of the Palestinians. International courts have been on record to say that they will now partake in an investigation into these allegations of apartheid-like tactics and could create conflict on the international scale depending on the outcome of what states and courts will agree on for this issue. Israel has already outright denied all allegations relating to this issue, so a decision against its favor could result in the international political climate becoming volatile.

by Daniel Lomeli

https://news.sky.com/story/amnesty-international-accuses-israel-of-imposing-apartheid-on-palestinians-12530382

Mexican Border Arrests Hit New Record Last Year

 Blog Post 2/6/22

 

Mexican Border Arrests Hit New Record Last Year

 

            With the pandemic in full swing, inflation skyrocketing, an interesting statistic came out. Under the new Biden administration, the number of arrests on the southern border in the U.S hit a new record high. This number is hovering around 1.9 million and reflects an upsurge in attempted border crossings. The data came out in a recent court case. This court case regards the trump era policy “Remain in Mexico”. This order under the trump administration made it illegal for those seeking asylum in the U.S to live in the U.S while waiting for the ruling on their asylum status. The Biden administration repealed it and then two states went in with a lawsuit in attempts to keep the policy in place. The federal judge given the case was sided with the states, and had the policy reinstated. Now, the pandemic complicates things. Biden although the one to disagree with the policy, seemed ok with the judges’ decision. He and well as Trump, used the justification of Title 42. Title 42 allows for the remain in Mexico policy to stay in place because of the pandemic. With that, with the almost 2 million arrests in 2021 only about a 5^th of them were entered the U.S. This is very interesting to me, as I would expect Biden to take a 180 from trumps immigration policies. 

 

By: Luke Schmidt

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexican-border-arrests-hit-new-record-last-year-11643994389

 

 

Unfair and outrageous police in Sudan

There was a shift that the General Intelligence Service (GIS) has become authorized to arrest people without going through lawsuits in December to prevent all the protests occurring throughout Sudan. Because of this, Amira Osman, who is a woman’s rights activist, suddenly got arrested by GIS. Sudan has been having issues with military power taking its control over the country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60245133

Posted by: Lana Matsuda

China and Egypt Seek Closer Ties

 In a meeting, this Saturday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that China and Egypt “share similar visions and strategies in defending their own interests”. After all, the two nations have and likely will support each other on core issues and concerns. In 2017, the Egyptian government arrested dozens of Uyghur students studying at Al-Azhar University and deported them to China amid their crackdown on Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. During the pandemic, Egypt received several free shipments of Chinese-made Sinopharm coronavirus vaccines.

Xi is also holding meetings with the leaders of other authoritarian countries who are anxious to strengthen relations with China, many of which identify with its strict, one-party model. These include the leaders of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Ecuador, and Qatar. 

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/02/07/xi-says-china-and-egypt-hold-similar-visions-and-strategies/ 

By: Noah Hittie