Outside Iona

Krystal Ortiz, News Editor
October 1, 2020

Throughout our hectic student lives, we should always remain aware of what is happening

around us. In this column, I find the most significant things going on around the world and

provide you with a small blurb of all the nitty-gritty details! Here are some of the major events

that have been happening:

Corona update.

The state of New York has consistently been reporting lower numbers of COVID-19 cases. However, the death toll continues, as 17 fatalities were counted during the week. In New York City, teachers have been preparing to reopen schools for in–person learning. Starting Sept. 29, classrooms have a maximum capacity of 10 students, and parents have the option to keep their child home for remote learning. Schools still face a risk of being shut down, however. If a child contracts COVID-19 in a classroom, that specific classroom is mandated to have a 14–day quarantine. If two kids in two separate classes contract COVID-19, the entire school will be ordered to shut down. Many other states are reopening as well. In another national update, Florida is preparing to fully reopen all businesses at maximum capacity, despite having the current highest positive COVID-19 cases in the country. The global amount of reported coronavirus cases has surpassed 33 million, with deaths just reaching one million. The United States accounts for over seven million cases.

Information from ABC news, City & State news and CNN.

Donald Trump’s tax avoidance.

According to a report released by the New York Times, it was revealed that President Donald Trump has paid barely any income taxes for at least a decade. The documents reported that Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he became president. During the first year of his presidency, he paid another $750 in income tax. The reason behind the president avoiding income taxes the years before were due to him losing more money than he made. Trump had recently refused to disclose the amount he had paid in taxes during a briefing when asked by a reporter. Trump has also been facing an audit battle with the Internal Revenue Service over the validity of a $72.9 million tax refund that he received after declaring the huge losses. A possible adverse ruling would require him to pay around 100 million dollars.

Information from NY Times and CNN.

Brain-eating amoeba found in Texas city water supply.

The governor of Texas issued a disaster declaration in Lake Jackson, Texas after a brain-eating microbe was found in the county’s public water supply. After testing, Naegleria fowleri was found in the system. The organism is usually found in freshwater lakes and rivers. Individuals may become contaminated when it enters the body through the nose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys brain tissue. The amoeba can cause an infection in the brain with the results usually being fatal. Infections are rare in the U.S., with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018. The contaminated water supply resulted in the death of a 6-year old boy. The water is undergoing cleaning; however, officials are unaware of when the water supply will be safe to consume.