Olivia Bodnar '23 The Presidential election took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. It is estimated that almost 150 million people voted in the election. Polls were open for at least twelve hours. Here in New York, polls opened at six am and closed at nine pm. Long lines were expected because of record voter turnout and also because of COVID restrictions that limit the number of people in one place at one time.
Vice President Biden had a national lead over President Trump in the polls but it was expected to be an extremely close race. News commentators knew they were in for a long night as polls closed state by state and early projections started trickling in. Some states could be predicted easily. For example, the coasts usually vote blue. True to form, both New York and California remained blue and went to Biden. States up for grabs were Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona. Their electoral college votes were crucial in declaring a winner. The results of the election were still unclear as of Wednesday, November 4, 2020. The popular vote was clearly going to Biden, and he was also ahead in electoral votes. Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona, were blue, but Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia were red. By Thursday, November 5, the story changed. Numbers between Biden and Trump stayed extremely close, but began to flip. As more electoral college votes went to Biden, calls of a fraudulent election came from President Trump. Accusations were made about issues at polling sites, refusal to let people watch ballot counting, and lost or invalidated ballots, and lawsuits were filed. As of this story’s publication, President Trump has not publicly conceded the election to Joe Biden. Biden has been declared the winner by most media outlets, winning the most number of both the popular and electoral votes. The tally for electoral votes stands at Biden with 306, to Trump’s 232. A total of 270 votes is needed to win. The popular vote stands at Biden with 79,854,782, and Trump with 73,805,554. President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at least as of the time that this article was published.
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Olivia Bodnar '23 The first Presidential debate between the Republican nominee, President Donald Trump, and the Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, took place on Tuesday, September 29, 2020. The debate was held at the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Presidential debates are sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The format of this debate was broken into six segments, each being 15 minutes long. The moderator of the first debate was Fox News anchor, Chris Wallace. Wallace was responsible for deciding on the topics that would be discussed as well as the questions asked of both candidates. Some topics debated were COVID, racial justice, the Supreme Court nominee, and climate change. The debate lasted about 90 minutes and was interesting, to say the least, from start to finish. Debates typically help people to make up their minds about who they will vote for. By the end of this debate, that decision may be a difficult one. The debate began politely, but soon went downhill. Both candidates spoke over the other, went over their time limit, and ignored the warnings from the moderator, Wallace. I spoke to different students who had their own feelings about the debate. One student still clearly prefers one candidate over the other by saying, “One is trying to help the economy, while the other wants higher taxes to help the poor.” Another student thought the debate was “crazy and childish.” A third student had the most to say: “The debate was a real disappointment, instead of being civilized and properly representing our country, President Trump and former VP Biden are just being immature and disgraceful.” The election takes place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Unfortunately, this debate didn’t seem to have given people a solid answer to the question, “Who should I vote for?” At this point, the best thing to do is to research both candidates again, see what they each stand for, and what they intend to do with their time in office, regardless of their behavior at the debate. If that doesn’t work, there’s always eeny, meeny, miney, moe. Irina DiCunto '21 On October 3, 2020, Pope Francis signed his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti. In it, the Pope writes about transforming systems to help aid the marginalized, the reconnection of communities, and to send the overall message of love towards every person.
However, many people found the encyclical suspicious because of the timing of its publication, since it is now close to the U.S. Presidential Election. People also appeared frustrated with what the Pope wrote - or the lack of. One issue that is on every Catholic’s mind is the argument of abortion. In the Catholic faith, all life has intrinsic value, and they promote the intention of being welcoming and always giving a helping hand. So when Pope Francis failed to include abortion in Fratelli Tutti, people were startled and concerned, but they are failing to see the big picture. Maryann DeLuca, Fontbonne Hall’s Religious Studies Teacher & Director of College Bridge Programs, stated, “Pope Francis has explicitly excluded abortion from the political concerns laid out in his latest encyclical. This position suggests a break with the previous popes which cannot be overlooked...” We should not stop addressing the issue of abortions, but we can try to look at the term “pro-life” from another perspective. Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical, “Every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop integrally; this fundamental right cannot be denied by any country. People have this right even if they are unproductive, or were born with or developed limitations. This does not detract from their great dignity as human persons, a dignity based not on circumstances but on the intrinsic worth of their being.” The Pope does not have a strict interpretation of this term, and we should follow his example. We should try to understand that, as a Catholic, Pro-Life truly means the valuing of all life. We cannot overlook immigrants, racism, the treatment of women, people in poverty, capital punishment, and the effects of war, which are all mentioned in Pope Francis’ encyclical. As Americans, we often think that everything is about our country. When we saw the Pope's encyclical, we immediately believed that it was a response to our upcoming election - that the encyclical was hinting at what candidate we should vote for. However, Samual Scheidt, Fontbonne Halls Minister, and Religious Studies Teacher, very nicely said that Pope Francis’ encyclical was a “love letter” to the world and that all across the world we are “unity through diversity. It’s about this idea that we are bringing people together who are going to agree on everything...we are making a commitment to love above that.” Pope Francis never strictly said which candidate to vote for. Instead, he wants us to reflect on the values of Christians and on all the issues that are happening in the world. Then we can try to find a candidate that shares ethics that come from the Catholic faith. In “'Take and pray' Pope Francis's New Encyclical” by Monsignor Kevin Irwin, Irwin stated, “I caution that the document is not about making adjustments here and there to our personal and communal lives. Rather it is nothing less than about a way to reread and to live the Gospel for our times. Fratelli Tutti was written for the world and to spread the idea of hope, love, and prosperity to all. By Kristen Kupper '21 During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have been social distancing and quarantining themselves within their homes. Although we have been spending our time isolating, people’s opinions on social distancing have become apparent.
In a survey taken with 27 people, it has become apparent that people’s political opinions influence how they feel about social distancing. All the participants of this survey have been social distancing. Although, according to an anonymous Republican participant, “I can’t say the same for some selfish people in the stores that infringe upon your space”. However, a lot of people that participated do not like social distancing. One registered Republican that we polled believes that “Each individual city should be developing their own plan for opening the economy based on the number of COVID cases.” Another major part of preventing the spread of the coronavirus is by wearing PPE, (or Personal Protective Equipment). Everyone who participated in this survey wears Personal Protective Equipment when they go outside. Although all of the people who participated in this survey are social distancing within their homes, some people all throughout the world have begun to protest. Ashley Smith is a resident in North Carolina who started the organization ReOpen NC. The main goal of ReOpen NC is to host a series of protests around North Carolina to end social distancing. Smith was arrested on April 28th after protesting in Raleigh. Within the survey, people’s opinions were varied when it came to these protests. One democrat had this to say: “I do not agree with the protests. Those who are protesting are unnecessarily exposing themselves and others to COVID-19, which will lead to a spike in cases.” Another Democrat had this to say: “I feel that protests are selfish and fueled by conspiracy theories that have no evidence to back them” Most of the Democrats and the Republicans that we interviewed are on the same page when it comes to these protests, but one Republican had this to say. “I believe that these protests are infringing on my rights set by the constitution.” The last major thing people are most concerned about when it comes to social distancing is their religion. Some people believe that their religious liberties are being taken away from them. A Democrat had this to say, “I am ashamed sometimes when people choose ignorance and call it ‘my religious freedom’ and not think about their fellow man.” Another Democrat mentioned, “I don’t think my religious liberties were taken away from me. There are many opportunities for people of all faiths to participate in various religious services on TV and online on a daily basis”. Although the majority of religious Democrats feel like their religious liberties were taken away from them, some of the religious Republicans believe otherwise. One of these Republicans said, “I definitely feel that our religious liberties have been infringed upon and that is very concerning.” Another Republican mentioned, “I believe that people have every right to protest! I believe that certain states have violated the constitutional rights of the people by refusing to open businesses even though rates are drastically dropping.” Clearly, a lot of the Democrats and Republicans interviewed share the same beliefs about social distancing, even though some people have differing opinions on the protests. The majority of all interviewees agree that social distancing is important and essential to ending the spread of COVID-19. By Amal Dawoud '20 These past few weeks have been filled with rumors and speculation of the whereabouts of Kim Jong Un after he received a cardiovascular procedure. Turns out, Kim Jong Un was healing well after the procedure and was seen cutting a ribbon for the grand opening of a new factory outside of Pyongyang. So, what exactly happened to him? After receiving the surgery, many South Korean media outlets have rumored that Kim was in ‘grave danger’ as they claimed he had heart surgery which can go faulty very quickly. These rumors started to spread literally across the globe, and many world leaders started to worry about the dictator’s health. The theories about what surgery Kim had were debunked once it was found out he had a cardiovascular procedure, nothing more. Although it seems that the world shouldn’t fear over the health of such an inhumane person, the country of North Korea was completely at stake under the hands of Kim, meaning if something were to happen to him, there would be chaos over who would be next in line and fears over military control. However, all of these rumors started to settle down once news coverage from North Korea showed Kim happy and hopefully healthy cutting a ribbon to commence the grand opening of a new fertilizer factory. After seeing Kim, many news outlets such as CNN have expressed their apologies over misinformation on the dictator. There is some speculation and suspicions about where exactly was Kim if his procedure wasn’t as serious as many outlets claimed it to be. Many news sources started to question why Kim didn’t show up to many special events such as the anniversary of Kim’s grandfather, the founding dictator, on April 15. North Korean officials responded to this by downplaying the situation and staying very vague about what exactly happened to Kim. It’s not clear as to what really went on with Kim’s health, but as far as everyone knows, he is still alive and reportedly doing well. With so many different types of articles on why Kim didn’t show up to his own grandfather’s anniversary and other events show how secretive North Korea is with their news coverage. Time will only tell what exactly went on in the country during the month of April, so all that’s known is that Kim is not dead. By Kerry McGouran Every U.S state has implemented guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Many businesses have closed or have made physical contact adjustments. Others have made the transition into learning remotely for their job or school, and most activities have been put on pause. But as of May 20, all states have begun easing some restrictions on businesses, despite public health experts stating that some are doing this too quickly.
In Texas, you can go to a tanning salon, but in Pennsylvania they are taking a more cautious approach, only easing restrictions based on the number of COVID-19 cases. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported an increase of 326 cases on May 25 in just one day and Montgomery mayor, Steven Reed, said that the loosened restrictions gave “a false sense of security.” Reed stated that the spike was due to people believing the pandemic was over and stated the easing of restrictions was a “mistake.” Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced that the reopening of the state would be in phases, starting with construction, manufacturing, retail (curbside pickup), agriculture, forestry and fishing. Phase two would include more businesses such as retail and real estate, phase three would be the reopening of restaurants and food services, and phase four would be access to the arts, entertainment, and education. State officials are trying to find a balance between reopening the economy and protecting the health of their citizens. Governors are also developing timelines as far as increasing testing for the virus and contact tracing. Infectious disease expert Anthony S. Fauci warned others at the Senate testimony on May 12 that new activity taking place may cause another wave of infection, “There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control” if states reopen too quickly. As of May 25, 2020, no state has met the federal government's recommendation of a two-week decline in reported cases. Many Americans still remain inside with the added fear of physical contact, and a death toll of over 94,000 with many still unable to be tested. By Jenine Samara '22 Although Australia may seem far from reach, the environmental crisis that its population is facing is all too real. Australia has recently been plagued by an influx of bush fires, with New South Wales as the most heavily impacted state. Over 25 million acres of land have been consumed by fires that range from mild fires to dramatic sweeps of flames. In certain regions, the intense byproduct of smoke has become lethal, far exceeding standards of hazardous air quality. Contrary to popular belief, wildfires are not limited to rural areas that present open land.
Although this type of terrain is ideal for fires, they have also migrated into major metropolises such as Sydney and Melbourne. The combined toxicity of the smoke and infiltration of fires into cities had major impacts on medical facilities. Australian hospitals have been reported to be the most affected sectors of the outbreaks. Many hospitals have encountered incidents related to the significant amounts of haze in the air including developing or worsening respiratory problems in patients, defective medical equipment, and the advancement of smoke into neonatal facilities. In total, there are approximately 28 people who’ve died in recent fire-related incidents. However, this number is only a fraction of the 1 billion animals that have died as a result of the flames. Fires not only target the animals directly but their ecosystems as well. This can be analyzed through one of the most popular Australian species, koalas, which feed off of eucalyptus trees. With the emergence of intense fires, trees are being burnt down, leaving the species susceptible to death by starvation or combustion. Many of us will not be able to directly assist those in Australia, however, there are smaller steps that we can take that will prove to be impactful in the long run. Attached below are links that will redirect you to donation sites, informational packets, and initiatives that you can take to reach the end of this environmental emergency. By Jacqueline Khorsandi '21 On December 31, 2019 pro-Iranian protesters, demonstrating against the American airstrikes, attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad. Then came January 3, 2020, when President Donald Trump ordered a precision drone strike at the Baghdad airport to "terminate" Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander who was plotting to imminent and sinister attacks on American military personnel.
On January 4, 2020 Iran vowed retaliation against the US in response to the strike. This got many Americans scared that there might be a possible war with Iran. Many average Americans have become scared by the US media’s overestimation of Iran military might. One can easily lose sight of the fact that Iran is a highly economically unstable country. This means that in a sustained war with the United States, Iran’s ability to sustain a prolonged war would be limited. A good recent example of what a war with Iran would be like can be understood by looking at what became of Saddam Hussein and Iraq during the Gulf war, that is to say total defeat at the hands of the United States of America. Coming from Persian descent, I interviewed my grandfather Dr. Mannootcher Khorsandi, who lived in Iran and moved to America 50 years ago, in order to see his insight on this whole situation. He grew up in Iran, the eldest son of a very wealthy family. As a young man in his day, my grandfather had to join the military for a mandatory two-year stay. At the time Reza Shah Pahlavi (the King) was the leader of Iran. He himself was a former army officer, thus laying the foundation for a military-first doctrine which still exists in Iran to this day. My grandfather has a unique perspective on the situation in Iran today having been born, raised, studied and trained in the military in his home country. In 1979 the Shah of Iran was overthrown by the Muslim Cleric Ayatollah Khomeini. He said, “It was not safe for many Iranians anymore. People were being killed and murdered if they didn’t fellow the rules of the Muslim religion” At this point he was living in New York and was raising a family. He knew that Iran was not not safe anymore. He said “Living there was beauty - but there was still a lot of scared people and my father sent me to America knowing that I would have a better life than in Iran”. While he was living in America, my grandfather did have a better life and does believe in the American dream. He said, “When coming to America it was a very weird transition and it was very easy to adapt to life, but it’s crazy to hear that there might be another war”. He believes that “The Iranian people have gone through so much in the past few years and it has to stop, so many innocent people are dying”. My grandfather has also said that the conflicts that are going on may be a good thing and that it might stop Iran for good: “You know there have been so many things happening in Iran that there needs to be war involved. The Shah was ruler and the balance for the people. Now that he is gone and no longer in power, there needs to be some kind of action that can stop them from going any further and I think the US can make that happen”. It is my grandfather’s belief that Iran and its people today need a release from the government in charge of Iran today. My grandfather hopes the United States of America goes to war with Iran and defeats Iran, so that his countryman can be freed. The people of Iran are good people but are living under an oppressive government with no voice. War, for all its negative connotations, does sometimes have a positive result. It can lead to an oppressed people’s freedom. My grandfather consistently points to American history and says “America's greatest moment was the defeat of the British during the Revolutionary War. But they had help from a foreign country. That is to say, France.” My grandfather feels that his country needs to be defeated in war to change for the better, and he hopes it happens during his lifetime. By Jenine Samara '22 By the year, month, day, hour, and minute, politics are constantly evolving. In 2019, the realm of political affairs can be complicated as they develop in endless directions, with a multitude of perspectives reporting on an abundance of topics.
Regardless of your political stance, there is one topic that is dominating the headlines: Trump’s Impeachment. President Trump’s impeachment inquiry has an origin that stems from the analyses provided in the whistleblower report. This anonymous account provided a cautionary analysis of a telephone exchange held between President Trump and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. There are two major aspects of this telephone conference that catalyzed this widespread and complex investigation: Trump’s attempted use of the Ukrainian government to prove the deception of previous candidates such as Hilary Clinton, and the use of Ukrainian interference to investigate one of his current adversaries, Joe Biden. In many reports, the phrase “quid pro quo” is employed from Latin, which simply translates to “this for that,” a “favor for a favor” to describe the exchange between Trump and the Ukrainian President. As a result of his negotiations with the Ukrainian government, the President is now under scrutiny and is involved in a tedious, yet vital process to identify his actions within the parameters of impeachment. In recent news, on December 18th, members of the House voted upon a pair of articles of impeachment. To put it simply, the members of the House will convene and vote on whether or not they favored the endeavor of Trump’s impeachment. However, much of the evidence collected prior to the vote indicates that the President will be charged for the prevention of congressional action and the misuse of power. The process of impeaching a president involves tedious work and supplementary evidence as well as the efforts of several governmental sectors. The political climate of the upcoming year is anything but static with the upcoming presidential elections. Despite 2019 coming to a close and the rising anticipation of the presidential election, the impeachment inquiry is far from over and will continue to persist until a verdict which alleviates the political unrest is reached. By Giulia Troia '20 Situated at the aperture of the Pearl River Delta on the bank of southern China, Hong Kong's geographical location as a passage between the East and West has made it an alluring community for worldwide exchange and travel.
However, its natural beauty may take a turn for the worse. The “Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Bill 2019” was proposed by Hong Kong's government in February. It covers mainland China and other jurisdictions that do not have an extradition agreement with Hong Kong. The extradition bill which set off the principal fight was presented in April. It would have taken into consideration criminal suspects to be removed to terrain China in specific situations. Adversaries said this gambled with presenting Hong Kongers to unreasonable preliminaries and vicious treatment. They additionally contended the bill would give China a more noteworthy impact over Hong Kong and could be utilized to target activists and writers. A huge number of individuals rampaged. Following quite a long period of fights, pioneer Carrie Lam, in the long run, said the bill would be suspended inconclusively. How did the fights arise? Nonconformists dreaded the bill could be restored, so exhibitions continued, calling for it to be pulled back totally. By then, conflicts among police and protesters had gotten progressively visit and vicious. In July, protesters raged parliament, ruining portions of it. In August, one protester was harmed in the eye, prompting demonstrators to wear red-shaded eye patches to show their solidarity. Dissent activity at Hong Kong’s worldwide air terminal in August likewise recharged conflicts and prompted several flights being dropped. In September, the bill was at long last pulled back, yet, told by protesters to BBC said this was "short of what was needed." Exhibits proceeded, set apart by an expanding level of brutality. In October, while China was praising 70 years of Communist Party rule, Hong Kong experienced told to BBC said one of its generally "fierce and turbulent days." An 18-year-old was shot in the chest with a live slug as protesters battled officials with shafts, petroleum bombs, and different shots. The administration accordingly prohibited protesters from wearing face veils - a boycott that numerous activists continue opposing. Toward the beginning of November, a professional Beijing legislator was wounded in the road by a man claiming to be a supporter. Many weeks later, a police officer shot one nonconformist at short proximity when activists were attempting to set up a barricade and soon thereafter another man was determined to discharge by against government protesters. Both had to be treated in an emergency clinic. What do the protesters need? A few protesters have embraced the adage: "Five requests, not one less!" These are: For the fights not to be described as a revolt, absolution for captured protesters, a free investigation into supposed police mercilessness, usage of complete widespread suffrage and the fifth interest, the withdrawal of the bill, has just been met. Some additionally demand the abdication of Carrie Lam, whom they see as Beijing's mannequin. Fights supporting Hong Kong have spread over the globe, with rallies occurring in the UK, France, the US, Canada, and Australia. Much of the time, individuals supporting the demonstrators were defied by professional Beijing rallies. Chinese president Xi Jinping has cautioned against the objection, saying any endeavor to separate China would end in "bodies crushed and bones ground to powder". What is Hong Kong's status? Hong Kong is a previous British state that gave back to China in 1997. It has its own legal executive and a different lawful framework from territory China. Those rights incorporate the opportunity of gathering and the right to speak freely of discourse. In any case, those opportunities - the Basic Law - terminate in 2047 and it isn't clear what Hong Kong's status will at that point be. |