1. North Korea utilizes crisis hotline to South Korea
Last year much of the news surrounding North Korea involved the reclusive dictatorship’s striving to develop their nuclear program amid mounting sanctions. On Jan. 3, the first good news to come out of North Korea in some time involved the use of a “crisis hotline” between North and South Korea. According to NewsWeek, the 20 minute phone call was the first direct contact between the two countries in two years.
While most of the details of the conversation have not been made public, it is known that both sides checked for technical errors. The North Korean government had earlier expressed interest in reopening communications with South Korea in anticipation of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games to be held to in South Korea.
U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his staff have expressed little optimism regarding the phone call, while a spokesman for the South Korean government called it “a move towards an environment where communication will be possible at all times” during a press conference.
2. The passing of the Republican tax overhaul bill
U.S. President Donald Trump has long been promising tax reform, and by the time that most Tech students had already finished up with the semester it had already been passed in the House and was about to go before the Senate. While many Tech students were taking exams the Senate approved an altered draft of the Bill, which was then sent back to the House, and passed. Three days before Christmas, Business Insider reported that President Trump signed the first major piece of successful legislation so far in his term.
On Jan. 11, as many Tech students were planning the return trip home, or purchasing their books, possibly the first major consequence of the tax law was revealed as retail giant Walmart announced that it would be raising its minimum wage to $11 per hour, as well as granting bonuses and increasing the length of maternity leave for its employees. “We are early in assessing the opportunities that tax reform creates for us to invest in our customers and associates and to strengthen our business, all of which should benefit our shareholders,” Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart, said in a press release.
Walmart’s announcement takes place as most Americans are still at odds over whether the tax reform will be as good for the lower and middle class as it is for businesses and the wealthy. On Jan. 3, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, California Governor Jerry Brown and Rhode Island Governor Phil Murphy announced plans to sue the federal government over the tax reform bill that limits the deduction of state and local taxes on federal taxes. The New York Post quoted Cuomo as saying that the tax reform law “takes from the richest states and has them subsidize a tax cut for the less wealthy states.” Later that week, Cuomo gave a statement that New York lawmakers were working on a bipartisan bill that would restore the state and local tax deduction in New York regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit against the federal government. Forbes Magazine later reported that some analysts expect other states to pursue similar legislation in the near future.
3. Development of the “Me Too” movement
Well before the break, the first women stepped up to accuse film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault or misconduct. This launched the “Me Too” movement, encouraging women to speak out about their own experiences with sexual misconduct. The movement has been particularly strong in the entertainment industry, where many big-name actors, directors and producers have been accused since Weinstein.
As the movement gained momentum, a story by National Public Radio on Nov. 29, 2017, stating that aging radio personality Garrison Keillor, long-term host of Minnesota Public Radio Program “A Prairie Home Companion” had been accused of sexual assault caused some to question the movement. Action film star Liam Neeson specifically cited Keillor’s story when calling the movement “a bit of a witch hunt,” on an Irish talk show on Jan. 11. Neeson maintained that the movement was important and should be expanded to other industries. Despite having not been accused of any misconduct himself, Neeson has since received some backlash for his statements.
Other recent and unexpected accusations have been made against actors James Franco and Aziz Ansari, both of whom have been outspoken supporters of the movement and have since said that the incidents in question were isolated misunderstandings.
4. Iranian protests
On Dec. 27, 2017, anti-government protests broke out in a number of cities all across Iran. The protests, led largely by college students concerned about the country’s economy, have resulted in several arrests. The protests lasted long enough to coincide with pro-government rallies that take place every year to mark the end of unrest following elections in 2009, according to Al Jazeera.
Two days into the protests, President Trump suggested via social media site Twitter that Iran’s economic troubles are the result of state-sponsored terrorism, and that the “Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including the right to express themselves [sic].” Iranian officials called the statement “opportunistic,” and many experts on the region in the U.S. have expressed concern that Trump’s remarks will discredit the protesters in the eyes of the Iranian government.
5. Israeli-Syrian missile crisis
On Jan. 9, Israel launched an attack on Syrian military outposts near the capital of Damascus, according to The Guardian. The attack, which utilized both planes and ground-to-ground missiles, was only the most recent in a series of escalations between the Middle Eastern countries, which share a disputed border. Israeli airplanes reportedly came out of Lebanese airspace, and the first round of ground-to-ground missiles fired from Golan Heights was largely stopped by Syrian anti-missile systems, though a later round of ground-to-ground missiles reached their target. The Isreali government claims that the attacks are to prevent the transfer of arms from Syria to hostile groups in Lebanon, north of Israeli and east of Syria.
