12/10/17: 2017 Nobel Prize Peace Ceremony takes place in Norway

On Sunday, ICAN-  the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons- was declared the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize Peace Ceremony. This organization was honored for being a driving force behind the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The new treaty, adopted on July 7 by 122 countries, prohibited different nuclear activities, including undertaking development, testing, production, manufacturing, possessing, or stockpiling of nuclear weapons. The five permanent members of the United Nations- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States – all of which violate these criteria did not partake in the negotiations of the nuclear weapons treaty. North Korea also did not participate. Setsuko Thurlow, a Hiroshima survivor and an ICAN member stated :“Heed our warning and know that your actions are consequential. You are each an integral part of the system of violence that threatens humankind.”

12/11/17: Explosion in New York train station

On Monday morning, a man partially set off a homemade pipe bomb in a busy New York City transit. Officials state the the suspect, 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, pledged allegiance to ISIS and committed this act of terrorism in response to Israeli action in Gaza. The homemade device was a foot-long pipe that contained battery, black powder, wiring, and screws. Although the explosive material ignited, the pipe itself did not, lessening the impact of the explosion. There are five with minor injuries. Ullah is currently in Bellevue Hospital being treated for lacerations and burns on his abdomen. He is to make his first court appearance on Wednesday.

12/12/17: United States ready to talk to North Korea

During a press conference Tuesday evening, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson revealed a shift the State Department policy by stating that the United States is ready to talk to North Korea without the prior preconditions of disarming North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Because North Korea is acting in a way that is unsafe to not just South Korea, China, and Japan, but the entire world, Tillerson believes that action must be taken immediately. Despite Tillerson’s previous clashes with President Trump, who believes that the Secretary of State is wasting his time by attempting to negotiate with North Korea, Tillerson states that President Trump now agrees that the previous policy is unworkable. With Pyeongchang’s dramatic increase in the pace of its missile program, coupled with continuous missile launches, Tillerson’s stance is welcomed by several world leaders alike.

12/13/17: Democrat win for Alabama’s senate position

Tuesday night, Doug Jones became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state of Alabama in 25 years, winning against Republican Roy Moore by a margin of over 20,000 votes. Jones describes himself as a “moderate Democrat.” He is pro-choice and supports -LGBT rights, believes in climate change, and that the Affordable Care Act needs to be fixed- not repealed. As the son of a steel worker and a grandson of a coal miner, he advocates for retraining programs and health care for out-of-work miners. He is expected to officially take office in January 2018. The Republican state saw a change in party representation in this election largely due to the increased number of African American voters and women.

12/14/17: FCC votes for the ban of Net Neutrality

The FCC- the Federal Communications Commision- repealed regulations to protect Net Neutrality placed during former President Obama’s term. Net Neutrality has protected websites and apps by ensuring that Internet providers will not be able to deliberately speed up or slow down traffic with intentions to keep the internet open and fair. With this repeal, companies such as Comcast can slow down the streaming services of websites like Netflix to make their own products more competitive. Internet companies would also be able to allow them to charge these bigger websites more money for internet fast lanes. Several website giants, such as Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, expressed their dismay with the repeal: “An open internet is critical for new ideas and economic opportunity — and internet providers shouldn’t be able to decide what people can see online or charge more for certain websites.” However this decision is not final: the issue may ultimately have to go to the courts or reviewed by Congress with legislative action.