The Signal

Serving the College since 1885

Wednesday April 30th

Nation & World


U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has delayed a vote on a temporary government funding bill amid opposition from members of his own party (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Speaker Mike Johnson, unofficial portrait” by Office of Speaker Mike Johnson. October 25, 2023). 

Speaker Johnson delays vote on government funding bill amid opposition

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has delayed a vote on a temporary government funding bill amid opposition from members of his own party, according to The Associated Press. The measure would have kept federal agencies and programs operating through March 28 and averted a partial government shutdown just weeks before the presidential election. 

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On Aug. 30, the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, Alexandre de Moraes, suspended X, formerly Twitter, amid an ongoing feud with Elon Musk (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Screen of X (Twitter)” by Twitter. January 2, 2024). 

Brazil bans X after judge feuds with Elon Musk

On Aug. 30, the Minister of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, Alexandre de Moraes, suspended X, formerly Twitter, amid an ongoing feud with Elon Musk. The ban comes after numerous concerns over misinformation and exploitation of democratic integrity on X. The ban became official after X failed to appoint a new legal representative before the court-mandated deadline. 

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The shooting is at least the 45th school shooting in 2024 and the deadliest this year, according to a CNN analysis (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Students Protest Gun Violence (53451913221)” by Phil Roeder. January 8, 2024). 

Four killed and nine wounded in Georgia school shooting

Four people – two 14-year-old students and two teachers – were killed and nine others were hospitalized in a mass shooting at Apalachee High in Winder, Georgia on Sept. 4. The suspect, 14-year-old student Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of murder. The shooting is at least the 45th school shooting in 2024 and the deadliest this year, according to a CNN analysis.  

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Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris offer contrasting policy approaches that reflect broader ideological divides within the nation (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “WhiteHouseSouthFacade” by Matt H. Wade. May 26, 2006). 

Where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris stand on key issues

As the 2024 election approaches, American voters are presented with a choice between two distinct visions for the country’s future. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, both the presidential nominees for their parties, offer contrasting policy approaches to the economy, immigration and healthcare that reflect broader ideological divides within the nation.

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Monkeypox is a viral disease that can readily transmit to infected animals and humans (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Mpox Virus - 53848137961” by NIAID. July 26, 2024). 

Monkeypox surge sweeps throughout Africa

The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a global public health emergency on Aug. 20. This decision follows recent evidence showing that a strain of mpox, clade I MPXV, is becoming increasingly fatal as it spreads. During the past month, the continent of Africa has made headlines for experiencing the largest mpox outbreak, according to Science.org.

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A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has reindicted former President Donald Trump on charges related to his alleged attempts to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election (Photo courtesy of Flickr / “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. Oct. 5, 2016). 

Trump reindicted in election interference case

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has reindicted former President Donald Trump on charges related to his alleged attempts to undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election. The new indictment was brought by Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith in an effort to comply with a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the matter, according to The Associated Press. 

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The United Nations aims to end plastic pollution and sign an international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution by the end of 2024 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Amuzujoe. February 18, 2023). 

Fourth session of UN Plastic Treaty sets stage for the final outcome

In 2022, the United Nations made a historic step to end plastic pollution by proposing a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution internationally by the end of 2024. This covers the elimination of almost all production, packaging and disposal of plastic. In addition, the U.N. aims to increase reusable materials and models to approach today’s packaging requirements.

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The aid package, which garnered bipartisan support in the Senate, aims to provide assistance in separate bills to the United States’ allies (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / The White House. March 7, 2024). 

Biden signs foreign aid and TikTok ban package after Senate passage

The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package on April 23, delivering billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. After months of delay, the bill secured passage with a vote of 79-18, following the House's approval of the package three days prior, according to Reuters. President Joe Biden promptly signed it into law soon after. 

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By late in the afternoon on April 3, there had been more than 201 aftershocks, many of them over magnitude 5 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Executive Yuan. April 4, 2024). 

TCNJ student studying in Taiwan speaks about the country’s recent earthquake

Taiwan experienced its strongest earthquake in 25 years on April 3, registering 7.4 on the Richter scale. The quake killed nine people and injured 1,038 others, with its epicenter close to the densely populated county of Hualien, according to Reuters. Maya McKelvey, a sophomore communications major at the College, is currently studying abroad in Tamkang University in Tamsui District, New Taipei. She provided a perspective on the local response to the earthquake in an interview. 

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Christine Tartaglione recently announced her intention to introduce new legislation in Pennsylvania's general assembly to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 (Photo courtesy of Flickr / Governor Tom Wolf. January 28, 2020). 

Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to increase minimum wage to $20

Democratic legislator Christine Tartaglione recently announced her intention to introduce new legislation in Pennsylvania's general assembly aimed at raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20. Tartaglione plans to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage on July 1, pending approval in both the assembly and the governor’s office, and maintain cost-of-living adjustments every five years thereafter. 

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