Michigan
Mecosta County – Chronic wasting disease identified in Mecosta County deer.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that mainly affects cervids. The disease causes brain deterioration, loss of bodily functions and abnormal behavior.
Mecosta is the 14th county in Michigan to have a deer test positive for the disease.
The spread of the disease has been slow but consistent says DNR Deer Moose and Elk Management Specialist Chad Fedewa.
“The expansion of CWD to Mecosta County is consistent with the slow spread we’ve seen throughout Michigan,” Fedewa said. “Especially since the CWD-positive animal was harvested near confirmed cases in adjacent Montcalm County.”
The DNR selects counties to test each year, intending to diagnose enough deer early for treatment.
The first case of CWD was detected in 2015 since over 100,000 deer have tested positive in Michigan.
No CWD cases in humans have been reported in Michigan, but it is advised that infected animals are not consumed.
National
Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2025.
Trump previously served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017-2021. This makes Trump the second person in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms.
Trump is also the first convicted felon sworn in as president. Last Friday, it was announced that the inauguration would be moved indoors to the United States Capitol Rotunda due to the extreme weather conditions.
This second inauguration came after the previous power transition was met with tension. After the Jan. 6 riot at the capitol building, Trump broke the long-standing tradition by not attending former president-elect Joe Biden.
Global
Gaza – A ceasefire was enacted on Sunday, Jan. 19 in the Gaza Strip.
This long-awaited ceasefire stops 15 months of war between Israel and Palestine, and dozens of hostages kept in the Gaza Strip. The hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel are set to be released.
The death toll in Gaza over the last 15 months has exceeded 46,000.
Residents who have returned to their homes in Rafah, a southern city, have returned to their land destroyed. Mohamad Abu, a resident, was quoted saying it was surreal.
“It’s an indescribable scene. It’s like you see a Hollywood horror movie,” Abu said. “Flattened houses, human remains, skulls and other body parts, in the street and in the rubble.”
The ceasefire was met with celebrations across the strip as the first responders held a parade in celebration.