Nation & World

Just one month into the new year, people are already experiencing intense flooding and destruction across California as homes and schools are left as debris (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Flood under the Old Route 49 bridge crossing over the South Yuba River in Nevada City, California” by Kelly M. Grow/ California Department of Water Resources. PD California. January 9, 2017).

Record floods in California destroy homes and cause irreparable damage

By Aneri Upadhyay | Feb. 3, 2024

Just one month into the new year, people are already experiencing intense flooding and destruction across California as homes and schools are left as debris. San Diego, California experienced the heaviest rainfall during January in its history with half an inch every hour coming down in the span of one day, as reported by Reuters. These floods destroyed homes, parked cars and closed highways. It was also reported that one elementary school had up to three inches of flood water in its classrooms.

Mediation efforts led by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt are zeroing in on a ceasefire with the possibility of an exchange of Israeli hostages — starting with civilians and ending with soldiers — for a cessation of hostilities, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the allowance of more aid into Gaza (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023 - 29” by Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages. CC-BY-SA-3.0 October 10, 2023).

Ceasefire underway during Israel-Hamas war negotiations

By Janjabill Tahsin | Feb. 1, 2024

Mediation efforts led by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt are zeroing in on a ceasefire with the possibility of an exchange of Israeli hostages — starting with civilians and ending with soldiers — for a cessation of hostilities, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the allowance of more aid into Gaza. However, due to the two sides’ opposing viewpoints on how to bring a permanent end to the Gaza war, the framework agreement is being delayed, according to CNBC and Reuters.

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Donald Trump Nashua 2015” by Marc Nozell. CC-BY-2.0. December 28, 2015).

Trump-Biden rematch increasingly likely after Iowa, New Hampshire primaries

By Gauri Patel | Jan. 31, 2024

A sweep of the first two nominating contests in the 2024 presidential primaries season left Former President Donald Trump in a strong position to seize the Republican party nomination, making a rematch with Joe Biden increasingly likely.

Turkey's parliament voted to approve Sweden's NATO membership, marking the culmination of about two years of policy-making and negotiations involving the countries and the United States (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Acting Deputy Secretary Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nuland Meets With Permanent Representatives From NATO Allies and Sweden (53217982150)” by U.S. Department of State. PD US DOS. September 27, 2023).

Turkey approves Sweden’s NATO membership after two years

By Shaim Akhtar | Jan. 31, 2024

Over the past few days, Turkey's parliament voted to approve Sweden's NATO membership, marking the culmination of about two years of policy-making and negotiations involving the countries and the United States.

New Jersey Transit has announced a fare adjustment proposal that would increase bus and train fares by 15%, the first increase the agency would be implementing in nearly a decade (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Fort Lee NJ Transit Bus” by RyeCityRoller. CC-BY-SA-4.0. August 27, 2021).

NJ Transit proposes 15 percent fare increase

By Leah Cruz | Jan. 31, 2024

New Jersey Transit has announced a fare adjustment proposal that would increase bus and train fares by 15%, the agency’s first increase in nearly a decade.

With a slew of changes being introduced by the Department of Education for the 2024-2025 form, the hope from the federal government is to make the FAFSA process faster and more efficient (Photo courtesy of Flickr / “Financial Aid Information” by Manchester City Library. CC BY-SA 2.0. June 19, 2015).

New Year, new FAFSA: Changes to the 2024-2025 federal student aid form

By Rajika Chauhan | Jan. 31, 2024

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a fixture in any prospective or returning college student’s financial planning, and is often subject to complaint and frustration. With a slew of changes being introduced by the Department of Education for the 2024-2025 form, the hope from the federal government is to make the application process faster and more efficient for all students, while increasing the likelihood of eligibility for aid.

Andy Kim, a Democratic representative for New Jersey, was endorsed by the College Democrats of New Jersey despite pressure by a New Jersey Democratic State Committee employee (Photo courtesy of Flickr/“190525-Z-AL508-1111” by New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. May 25, 2019).

Gen-Z Democrats endorse Kim in NJ Senate primary race despite party pressure

By Mike Sherr | Jan. 24, 2024

The College Democrats of New Jersey, a political activist group in the state, was preparing to endorse a candidate against the party line when a youth activist for the State Democratic Committee made a call to the group that made them feel politically threatened.

Finland declared that it will close the last of its remaining border crossings to Russia for at least two weeks, a pronounced step in the progressively deteriorating relationship between the two neighboring nations (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/ “Russia-Norway-Finland border” by Julia Velkova. CC BY 2.0. July 17, 2011).

Finland closes last Russian border stop, claims Kremlin encouraging unlawful migration

By Rajika Chauhan | Dec. 20, 2023

Finland has declared that it will close the last of its remaining border crossings to Russia for at least two weeks, a pronounced step in the progressively deteriorating relationship between the two neighboring nations.

On Nov. 30, Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis debated hot topics in U.S. politics (Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Ron DeSantis-crop” by Gage Skidmore. CC-BY-SA-2.0. July 18, 2021. “Gavin Newsom by Gage Skidmore” by Gage Skidmore. CC-BY-SA-3.0. June 1, 2019).

Newsom and DeSantis debate hot topics in U.S. politics

By Paige Gould | Dec. 14, 2023

On Nov. 30, Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis debated hot topics in U.S. politics. While they defended their political stances of what America should look like, these govenors proposed which policies, in their opinion, would best fit in American daily lives. Sean Hannity, a Fox News broadcast news analyst, introduced Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The ceasefire was originally extended by two days and 11 Israeli hostages were released, along with a bus full of Palestinian prisoners (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“War in Gaza 096 - Flickr - Al Jazeera English” by Al Jazeera English. CC-BY-SA-2.0. January 24, 2009).

The week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has ended

By Aneri Upadhyay | Dec. 13, 2023

The week-long ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has now ended. The ceasefire was originally extended by two days and 11 Israeli hostages were released, along with a bus full of Palestinian prisoners, according to the New York Times.

Over the past few weeks, the Netherlands shockingly observed its far-right party gaining the most seats through snap elections for the House of Representatives in order to elect a new prime minister (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Geert Wilders op Prinsjesdag 2014 (cropped2)” by Rijksoverheid/Phil Nijhuis. CC-Zero. September 16, 2014).

Far-right party shockingly succeeds in Dutch elections

By Shaim Akhtar | Dec. 11, 2023

Over the past few weeks, the Netherlands shockingly observed its far-right party gaining the most seats through snap elections for the House of Representatives in order to elect a new prime minister, triggered by the collapse of the current cabinet due to disagreements on immigration policies among parties, according Barrons. Additionally, the election will result in the appointment of a new prime minister, as former Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced his decision not to seek another term over the summer.

U.N. talks to decrease plastic waste at a standstill

By Aneri Upadhyay | Dec. 11, 2023

The United Nations recently met on Nov. 17 to negotiate global plastic pollution in attempts to control its use. This is important especially after the release of an Oxfam report detailing how carbon pollution has increased drastically. This report evaluated carbon emissions over the years.

On Nov. 30, the United Nations met in the United Arab Emirates to discuss climate change at the Conference of the Parties Summit, also known as COP28 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Net Zero Nuclear Event, at COP 28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference UNCCC held at the Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 2 December 2023” by IAEA Imagebank. CC-BY-2.0. December 2, 2023).

UN Climate Talks Attempt to Repair the Environment

By Abigail Gilder | Dec. 11, 2023

On Nov. 30, the United Nations met in the United Arab Emirates to discuss climate change at the Conference of the Parties Summit, also known as COP28. COP28 is the 28th United Nations climate conference and includes countries that have signed the original United Nations climate contract in 1992. It also includes other countries that have joined since. This conference will be in continuance from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, according to BBC.

A spate of skirmishes and outbursts have broken out between Congress members and visitors over the past month in both the U.S. House and Senate (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“US Capitol west side” by Martin Falbisoner. CC-BY-SA-3.0. September 5, 2013).

Tensions explode in Congress as holiday break nears

By Rajika Chauhan | Dec. 4, 2023

A spate of skirmishes and outbursts have broken out between Congress members and visitors over the past month in both the U.S. House and Senate. After what has been an unprecedented year of turnover and chaos for Capitol Hill, including the recent ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, such incidents add further fuel to an already inflamed working environment.

As former president Donald Trump faces an ongoing criminal trial to determine his liability for the insurrection of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the election, the proceedings have recently taken a new turn (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Trump speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire” by Marc Nozell. CC-BY-2.0. February 8, 2016).

Donald Trump appeals gag order

By Shaim Akhtar | Dec. 4, 2023

As former president Donald Trump faces an ongoing criminal trial to determine his liability for the insurrection of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the election, the proceedings have recently taken a new turn. The presiding judge, Tanya Chutkan, filed a controversial gag order against Trump to prevent his opinions about court staff from being publicly disclosed, causing the motion to be appealed.

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced the return of their CEO Sam Altman under a different board of directors on Nov. 21, just five days after he had been fired (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Disrupt SF TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 - Day 2” by TechCrunch. CC-BY-2.0. October 3, 2019).

Sam Altman reinstated as CEO of OpenAI in company power struggle

By Leah Cruz | Nov. 30, 2023

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced the return of their CEO Sam Altman under a different board of directors on Nov. 21, just five days after he had been fired. With Altman rejoining OpenAI as the chief executive officer, the company intends to move forward in leading the global development of artificial intelligence.

Gunfire and fighting erupted in mid-April between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the capital, Khartoum (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“South sudan refugees in wau - e - 2016 12” by Jill Craig (VOA). CC-PD-Mark. December 8, 2016).

Sudanese conflict leaves over half of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian aid

By Janjabill Tahsin | Nov. 30, 2023

Gunfire and fighting erupted in mid-April between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the capital, Khartoum. Nearly seven months into the war, the fighting has left a wave of destruction, with over half the population in need of humanitarian aid, according to ABC News.

SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship, the most powerful launch system ever developed, took off on its second test flight from the coast of southern Texas on Saturday (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Starship full stack with Jeep” by Hotel Pika. CC-BY-SA-2.0. March 1, 2022).

SpaceX’s Starship launch reaches milestone before explosion

By Gauri Patel | Nov. 30, 2023

SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship, the most powerful launch system ever developed, took off on its second test flight from the coast of southern Texas on Saturday. Although the initial part of the mission was a success, the second-stage of the launch vehicle ultimately activated an onboard self-destruction mechanism that caused itself to explode in the air.

Residents of the southwest of Iceland have been evacuating their homes beginning Nov. 11 as officials declared a state of emergency, warning of a potential volcanic eruption (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano drone view” by Mokslo Sriuba. CC-BY-SA-4.0. August 21, 2021).

Thousands of earthquakes foretell volcanic eruption nearing in Iceland

By Leah Cruz | Nov. 27, 2023

Residents of the southwest of Iceland have been evacuating their homes beginning Nov. 11 as officials declared a state of emergency, warning of a potential volcanic eruption. As geologists and meteorologists in Iceland continue to monitor the ongoing volcanic activity, residents of the impacted areas are being encouraged to stay out of their homes and communities as they await an eruption.

This year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week took place in San Francisco from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/“President Biden participates in a family photo with APEC economies and guest economies - 2023” by The White House. Public Domain. November 16, 2023).

Biden works on relations with China, addresses fentanyl crisis and Israel-Hamas war during 2023 APEC

By Aneri Upadhyay | Nov. 27, 2023

This year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week took place in San Francisco from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17. According to the APEC website, the theme was “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.” President Joe Biden spoke to many leaders and many decisions were made.

Serving the College since 1885

Record floods in California destroy homes and cause irreparable damage

Ceasefire underway during Israel-Hamas war negotiations

Trump-Biden rematch increasingly likely after Iowa, New Hampshire primaries

Turkey approves Sweden’s NATO membership after two years

NJ Transit proposes 15 percent fare increase

New Year, new FAFSA: Changes to the 2024-2025 federal student aid form

Gen-Z Democrats endorse Kim in NJ Senate primary race despite party pressure

Finland closes last Russian border stop, claims Kremlin encouraging unlawful migration

Newsom and DeSantis debate hot topics in U.S. politics

The week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has ended

Far-right party shockingly succeeds in Dutch elections

U.N. talks to decrease plastic waste at a standstill

UN Climate Talks Attempt to Repair the Environment

Tensions explode in Congress as holiday break nears

Donald Trump appeals gag order

Sam Altman reinstated as CEO of OpenAI in company power struggle

Sudanese conflict leaves over half of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian aid

SpaceX’s Starship launch reaches milestone before explosion

Thousands of earthquakes foretell volcanic eruption nearing in Iceland

Biden works on relations with China, addresses fentanyl crisis and Israel-Hamas war during 2023 APEC

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