Sarah Crawford ('20) launches her new weekly feature: a recap of what you may have missed in the news of the week.
Hopefully, the government shutdown will have ceased by our next weekly update. However, compromise looks bleak.
As of Saturday, January 19, the U.S. government has been shut down for 29 days. This is the longest U.S. government shutdown in history. Previously, the longest shutdown was 21 days. That shutdown occurred under President Clinton in 1995-1996.
The current government shutdown began due to disputes over border security. President Trump has demanded $5 billion for a border wall. However, Congressional democrats led by Nancy Pelosi refuse to allocate any funds for this wall.
On Saturday, Trump publicly offered a compromise to protect “Dreamers” for a 3-year period, as well as support temporarily protected peoples by extending their rights. In exchange for these terms, President Trump asked for the previously requested $5 billion for his wall. Pelosi, however, turned down this compromise.
For now, there is no end in sight, and it appears that this shutdown will be over a month long.
This past week, there were two terrorist attacks in which a total of five Americans died.
One American was killed at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya when a group of terrorists open fired.
A second terrorist attack in Syria killed four Americans after a suicide bomber detonated in a cafe where the Americans were eating. ISIS quickly took responsibility for the attack, making Americans question President Trump’s decision to remove American troops from Syria.
The third annual Women’s March took place in Washington D.C. and around the country this weekend. These peaceful protests began after Trump’s election and have become a tradition in the years since.
This year, the marches focused on controversies over immigration and President Trump’s demand for a wall at the Mexican border.
Turn outs were, however, smaller than in years past. That is likely in part due to controversy surrounding the Women’s March organization, which has been accused of anti-Semitism and homophobia in recent weeks.
In a rare move, Special Counsel Robert Mueller denied claims made by a Buzzfeed Article that stated President Trump told his attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.
Mueller’s team released a statement saying that Buzzfeed’s report included statements and documentation that were false.
According to the article posted by Buzzfeed on January 27, Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress about a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Buzzfeed cites law enforcement officials as their source for the claims, and the news outlet stands by their article despite Mueller’s dispute.
A second meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has been announced.
The meeting, which is set for February, will be the second such summit. This follows the first meeting between the leaders in June of 2018.
President Trump and Kim Jong-un are expected to discuss denuclearization of North Korea in exchange for more trade opportunities for Kim’s country.
A super wolf blood moon will be visible this Sunday, January 20. This will be the last time such a phenomenon occurs for another 18 years.
This special moon will appear larger than usual and have an orange-red or even turquoise color due to the sun’s light reacting with the Earth’s hemisphere.
Here in Buffalo, the moon will first be visible around 9:35pm and will reach total eclipse at about 12:10am. This moon can be seen with the naked eye, but will be even more clear with binoculars or a telescope.
If the sky is clear, this will be a can’t-miss sight.