By Layne Friedman
Happy Thanksgiving! Despite the holiday this has still been a busy week in the world, the United States, and LREI.
World News:
- Deadly Terror Attack in Egypt:
At least 305 people were killed in Egypt on Friday, November 24th in an attack on a Sufi mosque the northern Sinai. The attack is said to be the deadliest attack in Egyptian history. While nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, news media sources are saying that it resembles other attacks by ISIS. The attack took place at an important Sufi mosque, a branch of Islam that some extremists view as heretical. Attendees of the mosque were drawn outside by an explosion next door. When they exited the building gunmen opened fire, even shooting at ambulances arriving to assist the wounded. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi promised to respond to the attack with “brute force” while American President Donald Trump saw the tragic event as an opportunity to tweet about the need for his Muslim ban and border wall.
Click here to read more details about what happened in Egypt.
- Zimbabwe’s Longtime Ruler Steps Down:
Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe following its independence in 1980 until Tuesday, November 21st. Mugabe had spent much of his rule gaining complete power over Zimbabwe concentrating power for himself and his allies. Mugabe had continued this trend when on November 6th he began working to ensure that his wife would ascend to power after him. On Sunday November 19th the military took Mugabe into custody, but he still refused to step down as president. Ultimately, on Tuesday during the beginning of the impeachment proceedings against Mugabe the speaker of the parliament, Jacob Mudenda, read out a letter of impeachment where Mugabe said that he was stepping down “with immediate effect” for “the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and the need for a peaceful transfer of power.”
Click here to read more about Robert Mugabe’s removal and eventual resignation.
U.S. News:
- Information Sharing Between Michael Flynn and Donald Trump’s Lawyers:
Michael Flynn, previously the National Security Advisor to President Trump, had been under scrutiny for his interactions and potential ties to Russia. He was removed from the Trump administration in February of this year and is thought to be an integral part of Robert Mullers special counsel investigation. On November 25th the news that Flynn’s legal team was no longer sharing information with Trumps became a prevalent discussion topic. While there is no known reason for these actions there has been lots of speculation as to what the end in information sharing could mean. Many think that this divide could be a sign of Flynn’s cooperation with Muller. If he were to cooperate, his team would no longer be able to share information. There have also been discussions of this meaning that Flynn could be working towards a plea deal, which many say would indicate that Muller is looking into collusion involving even higher ranking officials. While this is almost all speculation it is one of the few public developments regarding the ongoing investigation.
Click here to read more about what people are saying Flynn’s actions could and could not mean.
- Sexual Assault and Harassment on Capitol Hill:
If you read or watch the news you have most likely noticed the massive wave of sexual assault allegations involving high ranking and powerful men. Following the unearthing of Harvey Weinstein’s disgusting actions towards countless women, the outpouring of people speaking out against sexual assault has spread throughout different industries. The politicization of sexual assault accusations became more prevalent when Roy Moore (R), up for election in the Alabama senate race, was accused of attempting to begin unwanted sexual relationships with at least 6 teens when he was in his 30s. Since then Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has been accused of unwanted kissing and groping by a radio anchor. Sen. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has also been accused of sexually harassing many of his staffers and then proceeding to quietly settle the cases. These accusations have brought to light the culture sexual assault and harassment on Capitol Hill, while at the same time illustrating the dire need for a better system to address these accusations and ensure that despite their power congressmen are not immune to punishment.
Click here to read about what fuels the culture of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill.
LREI News:
- Short Week For Thanksgiving:
The Thanksgiving holiday meant that LREI had an exceptionally short week. Classes only met on Monday and Tuesday while Wednesday was reserved for special Thanksgiving activities organized by the Student Government Executive Board. High schoolers met with their younger buddies ranging in age from 2nd graders, who met with their 9th grade buddies, to 5th graders who met their Senior buddies. Most of the Highs schoolers went to the Middle/Lower school to meet their buddies, but the 4th graders came to the High School in order meet with the 11th grade. Following time with little buddies, the faculty and student body made their way to Thomson where each grade competed against the others in games such as musical chairs and dodgeball. The faculty received a helping hand in knockout from aulani Sadie ‘17 and Bella ‘17. The day ended with a Thanksgiving assembly where thank you notes were exchanged and everyone contributed a leaf featuring what they were thankful for to hang on the tree in the lobby.
- Finals Approaching Quickly:
Believe it or not, there are only 3 weeks until trimester 1 finals. Classes a rapidly come to a close and teachers will most likely begin to let students know what finals they should be preparing for. Three weeks is less time that many think, classes only meet 3 times a week which means that there will only be 9 more class meetings. Some teachers will give finals to prepare for as part of homework, but others will assume that your are making progress on your finals aside from the other work assigned in their class. This year Reading Day is Monday, December 18th and finals are Tuesday, December 19th through Thursday, December 21st.