Throughout our hectic student lives, we should always remain aware of what is happening around us. In this column, I find some of the most significant events happening in the world around us and provide you with a small blurb and nitty-gritty details. Here are some of the major events that have been taking place:
U.S. ramps up pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza
As a 30-day deadline approaches for Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to keep receiving U.S. weapons shipments, the Biden administration is increasing criticism of Israel for obstructing aid. On Oct. 28, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller gave Israel a “fail” grade in terms of meeting criteria for improving aid to Gaza. The criteria were outlined in a mid-October letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, including Israel allowing a minimum of 350 trucks containing food and medical supplies for besieged Palestinians. According to the latest U.N. data, an average of only 71 trucks a day were entering Gaza by the end of October.
Information from AP News, PBS News, Reuters.
Voters turnout during Election Day in historic election
Voting has largely proceeded smoothly across the nation in the days leading to Election Day, despite sparse reports of technical functions with polling machines and extreme weather. Most of these incidents were part of “largely expected routine and planned-for events,” said Cait Conley, senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in a press briefing. Tens of millions of Americans already cast their ballots prior to Election Day, including in key battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina. According to AP News figures, 82 million ballots have already been cast.
Information from New York Times, AP News, Reuters.
Puerto Rican election opens new possibility for the island’s future
Puerto Rico’s upcoming elections are set to make history regardless of the outcome. Chronic power outages and a lack of affordable housing for years has fueled voter apathy toward the island’s mainstream New Progressive Party and the Popular Democratic Party. If Jennifer González of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party wins on Nov. 5, it will mark the first time in the island’s history the party wins three consecutive terms. If Juan Dalmau of Puerto Rico’s Independence Party and Citizen Victory Movement wins, it will be the first win for the independentist candidate outside of the two parties that have dominated the island’s politics for decades.
Information from AP News, Reuters, New York Times.
