New York Metro Area Experiences Series of Anti-Jewish Attacks

At least five people were attacked in a Rockland County, New York, home last Saturday, all of them Jewish. The suspect, Grafton E. Thomas, 37, was apprehended afterward. Investigators claim that Thomas had searched online for “Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews,” in addition to finding a journal with references to claims and arguments often put forth by the Black Hebrew Israelites, known for their anti-Semitic beliefs.

This follows an attack earlier this month by two Black Hebrew Israelites which killed four people in a series of attacks in Jersey City, two of them Orthodox Jews.

Trump Impeached by House, Faces Trial in Senate

President Donald Trump this month became the third president in US history to be impeached, with a majority of the House of Representatives voting to impeach him on two charges, one for abuse of power regarding his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the request to investigate Hunter Biden, and one for obstruction of Congress for not providing documents from the White House in the course of the inquiry.

 The vote was near party line, with nearly all Democrats voting for both charges and no Republicans voting for either. Independent Justin Amash of Michigan, who broke from the Republican Party earlier this year after he came out in favor of impeachment even before the Ukrainian issue came forth, voted to impeach on both counts. Notably, Democratic presidential contender Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii voted “present” on both counts, saying she favored censure of the president rather than impeachment. Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey voted against both impeachment charges as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party days later.

While impeachment articles are usually quickly sent to the Senate to begin the trial phase (two thirds of the Senate must vote to convict the president to remove him, an unlikely scenario given the chamber’s Republican majority), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has withheld sending them over, claiming concerns that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will not conduct a fair trial but seek to have Trump exonerated quickly with as little political damage as possible. McConnell has said  he is working with the White House during the process, something that has been opposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a leading moderate and potential swing vote.

Wildfires Rage in Australia

Australia’s wildfire season has been exacerbated by intense heat and
abnormally dry conditions

Credit: eyeweed/flickr

Massive wildfires have threatened thousands of acres of Australian brushland and hundreds of homes as winds and dry conditions fan the flames forward. In one seaside city, thousands of residents and tourists took refuge on the beach or even on boats as wildfires approached the city. At least 12 so far have died in this year’s wildfire season.

This year has been the driest on record for the continent, with high, gusty winds and sweltering summer heat exacerbating the problem.

Most of the country is under a firework ban this New Year’s, though the city of Sydney has been exempted to allow for its massive firework display along the shore.

Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Candidates Win in Elections

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists and protesters scored a major victory this month when the pro-democracy bloc of candidates scored a majority of seats in the local district council elections, winning 388 out of 479 seats total. The pro-Beijing (or pro-establishment bloc), which favors close relations with the Chinese government, won only 62 seats, or just under 13% of the total. To compare, the pro-Beijing bloc held a majority of seats prior to the election.

Because of the first-past-the post system in Hong Kong’s district council elections, in which candidates are elected to represent specific districts, pro-democracy bloc-won seats are over-represented compared to the percentage of those who voted for those candidates; pro-democracy candidates managed to win just under 60% of the vote. While pro-democracy voters outnumbered those candidates who support the Chinese government’s increased role in governing the area, the population still has a large share of the population who may hold unfavorable attitudes towards those who seek to distance Hong Kong from Beijing’s control.

Elizabeth Warren Drops in polls, Pete Buttigieg Rises

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) standing in the polls has fallen this month with the senator now trailing in Iowa and New Hampshire. In her place, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has taken her place as the rising star of the Democratic race, polling first place in both states and remaining in fourth place nationally, behind Biden, Sanders, and Warren. They are the only candidates polling in the double digits; Sen. Kamala Harris, the fifth highest polling candidate, is at 3.8% (D-CA) in national polls.

Impeachment Inquiry Testimonies Begin

This month saw the first public testimonies from officials involved in the controversy over President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year, with House Democrats hoping to implicate President Trump in an alleged attempt to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s son, in exchange for foreign aid. The alleged request by Trump was to look into Biden’s involvement in a Ukrainian oil company during his father’s vice presidency and the dismissal of a prosecutor supposedly investigating the company. While Hunter Biden had no previous experience in oil and gas, no wrongdoing by Biden has yet been uncovered, and the dismissal of the prosecutor has been linked to the prosecutor’s own previous corruption.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in making the call, dismissing claims of a quid pro quo in which American aid would only be released if the investigation into Biden’s conduct began. While the foreign aid did go through, it may have only gone through after a complaint was filed by a whistleblower documenting concerns with Trump’s request. It does not prove, however, that the aid would not have been delivered otherwise.

Most witnesses, including former acting Ukrainian Ambassador Bill Taylor, have said that they received the impression that a quid pro quo existed, though they based that on information from second-hand sources, not from the president himself. US Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, said that members of the Trump cabinet knew about the request, including Vice President Mike Pence and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

Nationals Defeats Astros in World Series

The Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series Wednesday night, clinching their first championship in the franchise’s history. The Astros led 2-0 until the 7th inning, after which the Nationals managed to score 4 runs in the course of the latter part of the game. The Astros never managed to score any further runs, giving the Nationals the game.

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg was named the MVP of this year’s World Series.

Fires Continue to Burn Thousands of Acres in California

Strong winds and abundance vegetation has continued to fuel wildfires throughout California. One fire threatened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which was saved by a change in wind direction and the efforts of some goats, which ate the vegetation around the property and created a fire perimeter.

Other fires have broken out in San Bernardino County and across Southern California, promoting massive evacuations and burning dozens of homes. Other fires in Northern California, including one believed to have been started by an arsonist (put out soon after it began), have threatened homes and property there as well. The largest of those fires, the Kincade Fire, has burned nearly 80,000 acres.

Massive power-shutoffs by California’s main electrical utility, PG&E, were started earlier this month to prevent wildfires. Old, damaged lines can spark wildfires when they fail, sometimes with destructive consequences such as in the 2018 Camp Fire, which led to at least 85 deaths and $16.5 billion in damage. The shutdowns have not been without controversy,  however, as the shutdowns have lefts millions without power periodically and caused massive disruption to those affected.

PG&E, still facing billions in liability claims from the Camp Fire and other outbreaks, is planning on replacing many of those lines going forward.

Center-right Party Wins Most Seats in Austrian Elections

The conservative OVP (Austrian People’s Party), led by  former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, won the most seats in this past Sunday’s legislative election. While falling short of a majority, the task falls to Kurz to form a government with one or more of the smaller parties.

One of those parties, the FPO (Freedom Party), was the OVP’s coalition partners in his previous government. A scandal involving the party’s leadership in which some of them were recorded discussing deceptive practices and malintents led to its dissolution. The FPO, a right wing populist to far-right party, could conceivably become a partner again, with the center- left SPO (Social Democratic Party) and Greens and the centrist NEOS parties also possible participants.

Britain Continues Its Messy Separation from the EU

UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s attempts to remove Britain from the European Union over four years after the country voted to leave the political bloc has continued to hit obstacles. The British Supreme Court, a relatively new institutional body, ruled against Johnson’s suspension of Parliament, itself an attempt to negotiate a deal with the EU without immediate domestic political opposition.

Johnson, a staunch supporter of Brexit who took over from Theresa May a few months ago, is tasked with delivering a Brexit process that has the support of Parliament and preferably that of the European Union. The EU’s support of a Brexit deal will ensure the country has access to the trade bloc following its separation. A “no-deal” Brexit would lead to higher tariffs and obstacles, which will negatively affect the economy. This would leave the UK in need of seeking free trade agreements elsewhere, with one with the US the most cited example.

Some of Johnson’s political opponents have called for his resignation, while Johnson seems inclined to push for a new general election. Polls currently have his Conservative Party in the lead.

House Launches Impeachment Inquiry

fter months of resistance to pleas from vocal members of her caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced last week that she would open an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s conduct. While many Democrats have called for impeachment proceedings in the past (soon after his inauguration), the event that sparked the latest round of calls relates to Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his plea for him to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s business and political actions in the country, a request that is politically salient given Joe Biden’s candidacy for president, in which he hopes to face Trump in November 2020.

The story broke earlier this month when a whistleblower released information about the contents of Trump’s call, which led to sharp criticism, mostly form Democrats but with a few Republicans joining in condemning the president’s action. After Pelosi initiated the impeachment inquiry on September 24th, the White House released a transcript of the call (which was not a verbatim copy, but rather a series of notes and recollections from other listeners) with Zelensky, which confirmed Trump cited Biden as an example of corruption in Ukraine.

In addition, Trump withheld $400 million in military aid to Ukraine prior to the call. Democrats have said the aide was withheld to be used as a bargaining chip to force Zelensky’s hand to investigate Biden; the White House says interagency disagreements led to its delay in disbursement.

Going forward, House Democrats will hold hearings on Trump over his conduct, with many Democrats hoping that it will lead to an impeachment vote. If successful, the Senate will decide whether to remove the president.

Democratic Field Narrows, Republican’s Grows by One

The 2020 Presidential field continues to change as several Democrats drop out of the race, while one Republican joins in an attempt to deny President Donald Trump the GOP nomination.

This month, four major candidates have dropped out of the Democratic race: former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton, and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. None of the candidates managed to gain major support during any of the campaign, with Moulton never making the debate stage and Gillibrand (the highest-polling one of the group) only scoring 3% in one poll and usually averaging only 1%.

This still leaves well over a dozen candidates in the mix, though only three, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warrant, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, poll in the double digits. The rest, including relatively high polling candidates California Senator Kamala Harris and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, are in the single digits.

However, recent polls have indicated that any of those candidates has a polling advantage over Trump in the general, though the election is still over a year away, and the political environment can easily shift more in favor (or even less in favor) of Trump’s reelection prospects.

Meanwhile, former Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois announced a longshot bid to challenge Trump for the GOP primary this week. Walsh, once a strong Trump supporter and a conservative firebrand, has come under fire for controversial and racially tinged statements made in his past.

Democrats Debate Again, 10 Yesterday and 10 Today

The race for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 continues after ten Democratic candidates met in Detroit last night for the second primary debate, with ten more to go tonight.

Last night’s debate featured the two highest-polling progressive candidates, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Other relatively high-polling candidates (though still in the single digits) were South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

The debate demonstrated sharp differences between the progressive wing, led by Sanders and Warren, and the relatively more moderate wing, including Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Some of these differences included whether to abolish private health insurance in favor of government-run insurance, providing free health care to those residing in the US illegally, and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Places of agreement between both camps included providing a government-run insurance program (regardless of whether private insurance would still be allowed), instituting more gun control, and placing higher taxes on wealthy Americans.

Ten more candidates will debate tonight, including two other high-polling candidates, the frontrunner former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris. Biden is considered relatively more moderate than many of the other candidates (though still liberal by national standards), and will likely face progressive criticisms from Harris and other candidates.

Another Heat Wave Strikes Europe

Another heat wave has stricken the European continent, the second major one this year. At least six deaths, five in France and one in Belgium, have been blamed on the phenomenon, which is caused by a meteorological air pressure block that has maintained the hot temperatures for over a week.

Temperatures in France have reached as high as 108.7 °F. (42.6 °C) and 107.2 °F. (41.8 °C) in Belgium. These temperatures have led to the deaths of hundreds of farm animals, whose ventilation systems failed in the heat’s wake. The heat wave has also raised river temperatures, which has led to a decline in their use for cooling systems, wishing to maintain conditions to protect aquatic life.

In the UK, trains have been ordered to maintain slower speeds to protect against buckling railways, and concerns have been raised over the stability of the Notre Dame Cathedral in France. The cathedral, damaged by a major fire earlier this year, has vulnerable structures which could break further because of the heat’s effect on water-logged materials.

Strong Heat Waves Hit Around the World

This summer has come with massive heat waves around the world. One in India and Pakistan has killed at least 184 in one east Indian state, with dozens more likely killed across the region. This heat wave, which is still ongoing since its start in May, has led to record-breaking heat, with the highest temperature recorded as just over 123 °F. in Churu, India.

Problems in India have been exasperated by water shortages, much caused by delays and irregularities in its monsoon season, which begins in June.

Another heat wave has stricken Europe, with at least thirteen people across the region dying as result of drownings in attempts to keep cool and heat strokes. France recorded its all-time record high of 114.6 °F, and many other countries experienced abnormal heat often in excess of 90 °F.

The European heat wave is caused by a high pressure system and winds coming from the Sahara Desert, one of the hottest regions on earth.

The frequency and severity of future heat waves is likely to intensify as earth’s global temperatures continue to rise.

Democrats Open Up Primary Season with First Debate

NBC hosted the first Democratic debate on June 26 and June 27, with twenty of the twenty-four declared major candidates participating. Ten candidates debated each day, and though NBC said the order was randomly allocated, four of the five top-polling candidates went on the second day, including frontrunner former Vice President Joe Biden.

The first debate, in which Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (currently second place in polls) participated, mostly focused on the candidates introducing themselves to the American people and what their main interests are. For example, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan focused on winning back working class voters while Washington Gov. Jay Inslee focused on climate change, which he has made a central issue to his campaign. Former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke was the subject of repeated attacks, most notably from Texas Rep. Julian Castro, who criticized his immigration plan, most notably in that it would not change unauthorized border crossings from a criminal to a civil offense (similar to parking tickets).

The second debate featured even sharper criticisms against each other, with Biden the most frequent target. California Rep. Eric Swalwell criticized Biden’s longevity in politics and argued its was time for someone new to be the party’s standard bearer. California Senator Kamala Harris criticized Biden’s earlier statements that spoke favorably of former segregationist politicians (though not their positions; his comments were on their “civility”) and his opposition to mandatory busing, a program aimed at integrating schools. Biden refused to apologize for his position on busing and also did not walk back his earlier comments on working with the segregationist senators.

Opposition Candidate Wins Istanbul Mayoral Redo

In a sharp rebuke to Turkey’s ruling AKP party and its autocratic leader, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the residents of Istanbul voted for opposition party candidate Ekrem Imamoglu over AKP candidate Binali Yildirim. Imamoglu, of the CHP party, had won the original election held in March by a narrow margin; however, Turkey’s electoral commission, under pressure from Erdogan, voided the election. The gamble failed to pay for Erdogan, however, when voters voted for Imamoglu by a 9% margin on June 23, versus the .16% margin on March 31. Combined with defeats in other large Turkish cities, including the capital Ankara, it marks the one of the largest rebukes to Erdogan’s rule since he took power in 2003.

Robert Mueller Speaks Publicly for the First Time Since Investigation Started

Former Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke publicly Wednesday to speak on the findings in his report on Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election, alleged Trump campaign collusions with those efforts, and possible obstruction efforts by President Trump of the investigation.

Mueller offered no new information on his findings. He reiterated that the report did not find criminal activity between the Trump campaign and Russia, but could not says the Trump campaign did not commit any obstruction. Mueller said once again that his investigation was constrained by Department of Justice guidelines that prohibit the indictment of a sitting president.

Mueller refused to take questions and said he would not engage in hypotheticals. Chief among them is whether Mueller would indict Trump if he were not the president. The report said that, in addition to the DOJ guidelines, such charges may be difficult to prove given the president’s wide latitude to appoint and dismiss officials. Most evidence of obstruction given in Mueller’s report was related to Trump’s failed attempts to fire officials overseeing the investigation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wins Second Term

Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a second term after his BJP party captured a resounding victory in the Indian general elections. The second largest party, the Indian National Congress (INC), failed to win 55 seats (it won 52 out of 543 elected seats), leaving the Lok Sabha without an official opposition for the second time in a row.

While Modi’s party suffered defeats in state assembly elections earlier this year, the BJP managed to increase the number of seats it holds from the 2014 elections, where Modi won his first term, succeeding INC Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

European Politics Shaken Up with Elections, Brexit Drama

Establishment center-right and center-left parties lost support in the European Parliament elections last week. While the two blocs still make up 48.2% of the seats, they lost their majority in the body for the first time since its inception. Liberal parties and non-establishment Greens and populist Eurosceptic parties also saw gains.

Focusing on one country, in the United Kingdom, these elections were not even expected to happen just a few months ago. The country, which voted to leave the EU in June 2016, has stalled in its progress to accomplish that goal, with disagreements arising over the terms of the trade deal with the EU after it leaves the bloc as well over its border with Ireland.

The party with the greatest vote share in the UK was the newly-formed Brexit Party, created by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, formerly of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). While the Brexit Party just under 31% the vote, two parties that favor staying in the EU and even having a second referendum on the question, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, saw a combined 31.4% of the vote. These results point to a strongly polarized electorate. The two longtime establishment parties, the Conservatives and Labor, gathered 13.6% and 8.8% respectively.

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced she will resign following the poor result of her Conservative Party which will only walk away with four seats. May will formally leave office once her successor is determined by Conservative voters.

Biden Enters Democratic Presidential Race on Top

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced last Thursday his entry into the crowded field for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Biden currently faces at least 20 other major candidates, as well as some others who may join the race, such as Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.

Biden currently tops the field in polling, leading second place finisher Sen. Bernie Sanders by 13.4 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average. No other candidates currently break double digits, though some, like South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg have seen the poll numbers rise over the past month, with Buttigieg starting near zero when he announced to now around 8.4%. Some, such as Texas Sen. Beto O’Rourke, have seen declines, with O’Rourke now polling around 5.6%, behind Biden, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg, and California Sen. Kamala Harris.

With the nearest electoral contest not until the start of 2020, polls are bound to change. However, the large polling lead that Biden currently has likely indicates a strong early advantage over other contestants, and is higher than Jeb Bush’s polling lead in the early Republican primary polls in 2016 (Bush eventually only won less than 1% of the vote after withdrawing in February 2016).

Sanders’s high poll numbers may also be an indication of winning potential, as he has kept a large share of his support from 2016, even with other candidates this cycle echoing his policies. If he manages to maintain this support and add to it when other progressive challengers inevitably drop out, his path to the nomination may become clearer.

Mueller Report Released

Attorney General William Barr released the Mueller Report on April 18. The report, which had portions of it redacted to protect information related to ongoing investigations and grand jury testimony, detailed Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election, the investigation into whether the Trump campaign conspired with them and whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice. 

The report says Mueller’s team did not find that the Trump campaign criminally conspired with the Russian government. It did not make a judgment whether the Trump campaign obstructed justice, however. It listed actions by Trump that Mueller viewed as evidence that obstruction may have occurred, such as firing FBI Director James Comey and telling then-White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller, but also wrote that such actions do fall under executive constitutional authority and thus can be hard to prove conclusively as obstruction. In addition, Mueller cited existing Department of Justice guidelines that do not allow indictments of sitting presidents.

Democratic Race Heats Up as Biden Faces First Allegation

The Democratic race for president has become more competitive than before with well over a dozen major entrants into the race, with former and current US senators governors, representatives, mayors, and executive officials in the race, with even more expected to enter in the coming weeks. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has not formally announced his entry into the race but is widely expected to do so, leads nationwide polling, usually getting around 30% of the vote.

Biden’s fortune may have turned over the weekend, however, as a former Nevada state legislator accused him of unwanted kissing and fondling when she was running for lieutenant governor in 2014. Biden has denied the allegation, saying he considers himself to have never behaved inappropriately with women in the past. His past interactions with women, however, may return to haunt him, with many observers pointing out his proclivity for touching women’s and shoulders and moving his head close to theirs, many of these instances captured on videos and in photographs.

The first primaries and caucuses are still almost a year away. The Republicans are not expected to have a competitive primary, with incumbent Donald Trump a prohibitive favorite against any primary challenger.

Mueller Report Complete, AG Says He Will Release It

A dramatic chapter in US political history has come to an end as Special Counsel Robert Mueller turned in his final report to US Attorney General William Barr, detailing his findings on Russian meddling in the 2016 election, alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and whether the president obstructed justice. The full report has not been released, but a four-page summary released by Barr says the 300-page report concluded there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and there was  insufficient evidence that Trump obstructed justice, leaving the choice to prosecute the president to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein both agreed that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Trump and will not do so, with both not considering whether prosecuting a sitting president is appropriate. Their decision effectively ends the president’s legal worries on that front.

Democrats criticized Barr for not releasing the report, calling for the full publication of the report, a position that has bipartisan support according to polls and a recent House vote on the matter. Barr has said he will release the report in April once the DOJ properly redacts it to prevent the release of classified information.

Trump has claimed complete exoneration on the matter, with Democrats responding the report did not do so, especially on the matter of obstruction. However, given Trump’s repeated claims that his campaign did not collude with the Russians and the report not discovering any evidence of it doing so, the Trump team’s celebration does not appear to be without cause.

India, Pakistan Escalate Tensions

India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states and historic adversaries, engaged in military confrontation this past week. The escalation in violence can be traced back to a February 14 attack by Islamist insurgents on Indian paramilitary troops in the disputed Kashmir region which killed 40 Indian soldiers. India launched strikes on the group inside Pakistani territory after it accused Pakistan of supporting the militants. Pakistan responded by shooting at an Indian fighter jet. The Indian pilot ejected and was captured by Pakistani forces.

Pakistan has said that it will free the pilot, following a request from India. Pakistan, however, did use the pilot’s capture extensively for propaganda purposes, with showings of the pilot’s comments of how well Pakistan was treating him widely circulating on Pakistani media.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to officials from both countries in an attempt to stave off tensions. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also called for  the de-escalation of tensions, saying “De-escalation should not be understood as a sign of weakness...These tensions do not benefit Pakistan or India.”

Trump-Kim Summit Ends Without Agreement

The summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam ended without a signed agreement Thursday. Neither side could come to agreement, with Kim reportedly wanting the removal of all sanctions and Trump wishing to implement more accountability on North Korea’s denuclearization efforts.

Trump claimed that while Kim had agreed to close the major nuclear site Yongbyon, he was unwilling to destroy others, including secret sites. North Korean officials pushed back on his claims, saying Kim had agreed to close other sites and had only requested partial, not full, lifting of sanctions.

The lack of a signed agreement at the end of the meeting was a disappointment for the White House, which had hoped to build on the momentum from last year’s summit in Singapore, in which Kim said he was open to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Many, however, accused the North of being disingenuous, especially after the country was revealed to have been building more nuclear weapons and missile sites even after the Singapore summit.

Trump has made peace on the Korean Peninsula a central foreign policy goal for his administration, which has largely been preoccupied with domestic issues such as immigration and investigations into alleged Russian collusion during the 2016 election. The failure of this week’s summit to achieve a further step in the denuclearization process, while a blow to Trump, is unlikely to be the end of peace talks and diplomatic efforts for rapprochement between the two countries, but will likely shift focus from the issue for now.

Jussie Smollett Alleged Attack Investigated as Hoax, Actor Arrested

Actor Jussie Smollett, best known for his role on Fox television series Empire, has been arrested in Chicago, Illinois, after officials believe he filed a false police report relating to an alleged assault back in January. Smollett had claimed that two men had attacked him during a late-night run to Subway after identifying him. They reportedly used racial slurs, said “This is MAGA (Make America Great Again) country, put a rope around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him.

While Smollett initially received sympathetic coverage from many media outlets and support from celebrities, others began casting doubt on his claim. Eventually, two brothers, who had been identified as persons of interest, told investigators Smollett paid them to stage an attack on the actor. Smollett denies the allegations.

Mining Dam Collapse in Brazil Leaves Dozens Dead

At least 84 have died in a Brazil dam collapse at a mining site, with many more missing. The resulting mudflow crashed into a surrounding area and destroyed numerous homes.

The company responsible, Vale, was involved in another dam collapse in 2015, which killed 19.

Newly inaugurated Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro dispatched ministers to aid with the relief effort, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent over 100 personnel to help in the search for survivors.

The union of mining workers has claimed that the dam was clearly unsafe before the incident; Vale has denied the accusation.

Deep Chill Hits Northeast, Midwest

A polar vortex has brought chilling air to the parts of the US this week. State of emergencies have been declared in several Midwestern states as record low temperatures are threatened to be broken.

In Chicago, workers have set fire to some of the rail lines to keep the trains running. Across the region, officials have closed schools until the cold air passes.

The cold air has led to extremely low wind chills being recorded. Wind chills in the Chicago area have reached below –50 degrees Fahrenheit, and wind chills well below –20 degrees have been recorded and forecasted across the Midwest.

Officials have warned that the low temperatures could be life threatening and urged people to take shelter.

Shutdown Ends, For Now

The longest federal government shutdown in history ended last Friday, with no permanent concluding agreement reached. Under the temporary agreement, funding for federal government agencies was restored until February 15, after which government funding will expire unless a new agreement occurs.

The shutdown began on December 22, after President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, failed to come to a agree on funding for a wall along the US-Mexican border. Trump wanted at least $5.7 billion in funding for building a barrier and increased border surveillance, while Democrats criticized such measures, with Pelosi going as far as to call a wall an “immorality.”

During the shutdown, Trump and Pelosi tussled over other areas of government, including Trump’s refusal to authorize a trip by Pelosi to the Middle East and Pelosi refusing to allow Trump to give the State of the Union speech in the House chamber.

Trump agreed to end the shutdown last week, without receiving any promise for funding, but also saying that he will attempt the same fight again next month. If Congress does not allocate funding for a border wall, Trump has threatened, he will declare a national emergency to divert funding to begin some of the construction. Trump cites the number of people crossing illegally and crime committed by those in the country illegally as justifying such a decision. Democrats have criticized Trump for this threat, as have some Republicans, saying that such as move creates a bad precedent for future administrations.