Nation & World

---

Google Calendar erases various cultural celebrations amid Trump’s DEI crackdown

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro | Feb. 19, 2025

Google Calendar has removed several cultural celebrations such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month and Pride Month. According to the New York Post, this resulted from the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Other celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and more were also erased.

Read More »

---

Good News Lion: New stars discovered, water on Mars, krill from space

By Aliyah Siddiqui | Feb. 19, 2025

The Good News Lion is the Nation & World section’s bi-weekly news segment, highlighting positive news in the country and around the world. The theme of this article is out-of-this-world revelations. 

Read More »

---

Trump administration orders major data purge, affects dozens of websites

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro | Feb. 19, 2025

Information was taken down from several United States government websites shortly after President Donald Trump took office, affecting 8,000 web pages across dozens of sites that provide information on vaccines, scientific research, hate crimes and many other topics. These website purges have been driven by federal agencies rushing to incorporate Trump’s executive orders, which target “gender ideology” and other diversity issues, according to The New York Times. 

Read More »

---

Russia releases American teacher after being detained for three years

By Gauri Patel | Feb. 19, 2025

Marc Fogel, an American history teacher, has been released from Russia in a high-profile exchange negotiated by President Donald Trump and his administration. The White House views Fogel’s return as a development that could help advance negotiation to end the war in Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.

Read More »

---

Veterans with PTSD make strides in recovery at Mexico psychedelic retreat

By Zo Terrana | Feb. 18, 2025

The Veterans Administration introduced a new self-funded program aimed at treating post-traumatic stress disorder along with other mental health issues like depression. These treatments include two psychedelic drugs called psilocybin and MDMA. 

Read More »

---

President Trump’s aggressive tariffs threaten to spark a trade war with key partners

By Parisa Burton | Feb. 12, 2025

President Trump declared steep tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, the United States’ top trading partners, on Feb. 1. These countries account for nearly half of U.S. imports. The tariffs, which were set to take effect on Feb. 2, included a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China, according to Reuters. 

Read More »

---

President Trump signs numerous executive orders throughout first week in office

By Gauri Patel | Feb. 10, 2025

Within one week of taking office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at reshaping federal policies across various sectors, including immigration, gender and diversity policies, and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Read More »

---

Hamas-Israel ceasefire updates

By Paige Gould | Feb. 6, 2025

The Guardian reported on Jan. 16 that after 460 days of conflict, a ceasefire agreement was reached between The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas and Israel. 

Read More »

---

American Airlines jet and U.S. Army helicopter collide midair near D.C. airport

By Brinda Patel | Feb. 6, 2025

Whilst approaching the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, an American Airlines passenger plane collided midair with a United States military helicopter at 8:48 p.m on Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. over the Potomac River.

Read More »

---

Trump Administration ramps up ICE raids in effort to crackdown immigration

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro | Feb. 6, 2025

During President Donald Trump’s first week in office, Americans witnessed federal immigration enforcement intensify under his administration. The effects of his administration’s policies have been felt on local ground in Newark, New Jersey, where the business Ocean Seafood Depot was targeted. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were seen rounding up both undocumented immigrants and American citizens, Reuters reported.

Read More »

---

Good News Lion: Dogs detecting cancer and AI understanding animals

By Aliyah Siddiqui | Feb. 6, 2025

The Good News Lion is the Nation & World section's bi-weekly news segment, highlighting positive news in the country and around the world. The theme of this article is human and animal collaborations.

Read More »

---

China's DeepSeek challenges U.S. AI dominance, poses threat to investors

By Parisa Burton | Feb. 5, 2025

DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence model, released its latest version of R1 on Jan. 20, quickly capturing the attention of consumers and investors alike. Its wide capabilities and low costs raise important questions about the future of AI, concerning whether the U.S. will lose its market dominance in the industry.

Read More »

---

Nations meet to discuss climate crisis in COP29

By Padmaja Thirumalai | Dec. 5, 2024

The annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change met in November, according to Nature. The event consists of global countries gathering together to discuss plans on how to tackle climate change. 

Read More »

---

President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet choices

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro | Dec. 4, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump has begun selecting executive department heads for his administration. His choices include experienced leaders in commerce, technology, educators and political allies, however, some of his picks come from unconventional backgrounds with no public service experience under their belt. His appointments have sparked debates across the country.

Read More »

---

Good News Lion: Siberian tigers, stranded whales, orphaned bears and endangered animals return home

By Aliyah Siddiqui | Dec. 4, 2024

The Good News Lion is the Nation & World section’s biweekly news segment, highlighting positive news in the country and around the world. The theme of this article is animals returning home. 

Read More »

---

Wildfires burn in New Jersey and California

By Gauri Patel | Dec. 2, 2024

Fire crews have battled numerous wildfires across both the east and west coasts of the United States. While wildfires are a familiar challenge in California, the recent outbreaks in the northeast have sparked concerns about shifting wildfire patterns and the readiness of regions that typically do not face such threats. 

Read More »

---

Ukraine fires U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia

By Gauri Patel | Nov. 27, 2024

In a significant escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine has fired long-range missiles supplied by the United States at Russian territory for the first time, according to NPR. 

Read More »

---

Lawsuit against Elon Musk for illegal Pennsylvania lottery dismissed

By Leah Cruz | Nov. 21, 2024

Elon Musk’s $1 million-a-day voter sweepstake was allowed to continue through Nov. 5 as a Philadelphia judge deemed the contest legal in response to a lawsuit filed by Philadephia’s district attorney, Larry Krasner, the Associated Press reported. 

Read More »

---

Volkswagen announces plans to close three car plants in Germany

By Brinda Patel | Nov. 21, 2024

In late October, Volkswagen announced that it plans to close three of its factories in Germany. The car company is known to have a long standing relationship with the country for over 87 years. According to Bloomberg, this move was made due to financial setbacks Volkswagen has faced in the last five years, with sales declining more by 15% this year alone. 

Read More »

---

Devastating flash floods in Spain cause billions in damage and hundreds of deaths

By Fiona Espinoza-Castro | Nov. 13, 2024

Southern and eastern Spain, including cities such as Murcia, Malaga and Valencia, were hit by intense rainfall beginning on Oct. 29, accumulating to a month’s worth of rain. As the rainfall built up, it escalated from a calm storm to flash floods that swept everything in its path. 

Read More »