Saturday, February 29, 2020

Riots in India Kill 42 So Far


Riots have broken out in the city of Delhi as opponents and supporters of a controversial citizenship law passed by the Indian Parliament clashed on the streets.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) creates a path for citizenship for certain illegal immigrants but notably excludes Muslims from those eligible. The riots in North East Delhi arose after a local politician vowed to clear the streets of protestors opposing the law, most of whom are Muslim. Supporters of the law, mostly Hindu, took to the streets in an attempt to stop the demonstrations of the opponents. At least 600 have been arrested so far.


Coronavirus Causes Worry as Markets React


The coronavirus outbreak, linked to the virus now-named COVID-19, has sickened nearly 90,000 worldwide, with most infections occurring in China, the virus’s origin point, though rapidly spreading across the globe, including major outbreaks in Iran and Italy.

The virus, which causes a respiratory disease similar to influenza, spreads through respiratory droplets emitted from the body during sneezing and coughing. Cases can develop into pneumonia and possibly turn fatal. The fatality rate for the disease is estimated at 1-3%.

The prospect of a pandemic, in which the disease infects a significant population in most areas of the world, has sent shockwaves through the global markets, with many indices having their worst week since the financial crisis in 2008. The S&P 500 and the DJIA both fell around 10% this past week, with the DJIA shedding 3500 points.

In addition, concerns over the availability of health supplies, such as face masks, have surfaced as many of these products are made in China, specifically in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak.


Friday, January 31, 2020

Senate Continues with Impeachment Trial

UPDATE 1/31/20 9:51 PM EST: The Senate voted 51-49 to reject any additional witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial.

The US Senate took up the impeachment case against President Donald Trump this month, and is currently in the question-and-answer phase of the trial. This comes after the president's impeachment (similar to an indictment) by the US House of Representatives last month and the presentations both by the House managers, who argue for the president's removal from office, and the president's defense team.

The House impeachment managers, led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) argued that Trump's actions on a phone call last year with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky constituted an impeachable offense after Trump asked Zelensky to open an investigation into the dealings of Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President and Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. Witnesses allege that Trump planned to hold military aid to Ukraine, previously appropriated by Congress, unless the investigation occurred. The aid was released, though only after a whistleblower reported it. Democrats called such the alleged act an abuse of power in an attempt to hurt a domestic political rival, and also added another article of impeachment alleging obstruction as Trump did not allow key administration figures, such as acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, to testify.

The president's defense team countered the arguments put forth by House Democrats, saying that the president never threatened the Ukrainian officials directly with withholding aid, and such an act is not even an impeachable offense as no written statute exist outlawing it. Senators will soon vote whether to allow more witnesses, such as former National Security Advisor John Bolton, to testify. Bolton is believed to have first-hand knowledge of the decisions Trump was making in the matter. Republican defenders of the president have countered that they will ask Joe and Hunter Biden to testify and answer questions about alleged profiting from Joe Biden's political office. Joe Biden denies the allegations and had originally said he will not comply with a Senate subpoena, though he has since said he will testify if compelled by a lawful Senate order.



Coronavirus Declared Health Emergency by WHO, US

Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States government this week declared the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus a health emergency. This virus causes a respiratory illness that has led to 213 deaths, all in China, though its overall mortality rate is relatively low.

The US has limited to the number of airports that in which direct flights from China can land, and the State Department has issued a ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory for the country and encouraged travelers to rethink their plans. The Chinese government has continued its lockdown in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province and the city in which the outbreak began, to prevent the virus from spreading further.

While the symptoms from this strain of coronavirus are not as severe as other previous viral outbreaks, such as SARS and MERS, the threat of continued spread, as well as a more severe mutation emerging in the near future, have put pressure on public health officials. The virus has already infected over 10,000 people worldwide.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

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.