United States
Exactly one year after President Trump took office, the federal government officially shut down after the senate was 10 votes short of approving spending measures. While there have been proposed temporary budgets, senators have yet to come to an agreement.
Original story by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Thomas Kaplan, Jan. 19, 2018. The New York Times.
East China Sea
Jan. 6, an Iranian tanker crashed into a freighter while carrying 136,000 tons of oil and by Jan. 14, the tanker sank after a huge blast that set fire to the surface of the water. The oil spill is spreading rapidly and it is believed that 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis died, although only three bodies have been recovered.
Original story by Gerry Mullany, Jan. 15, 2018. The New York Times.
Hawaii
Residents of Hawaii were thrown into a state of emergency after an emergency alert text message warned citizens of a ballistic missile threat. The message came from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and was revoked after 38 minutes. The agency assured that the alert was human error and not done by hackers or a foreign government.
Original story by Adam Nagourney, David E. Sanger and Johanna Barr, Jan. 13, 2018. The New York Times.
South Africa
Several H&M stores were closed after protests erupted over a perceived racist advertisement was released. The advertisement showed a black child wearing a sweatshirt that said “coolest monkey in the jungle,” while two other jungle-themed sweatshirts without monkeys were modeled by white children. H&M has since apologized and stopped selling the sweatshirt.
Original story by Jacey Fortin, Jan. 13, 2018. The New York Times.
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