The Current

February 17, 201 5 | nsucurrent.nova.edu News Septem er 1, 2020 | nsuc rrent.nova.edu 2 global news, courtesy of the current 3301 College Avenue Don Taft University Center, PVA Room 328 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796 nsucurrent.nova.edu NEWSROOM Phone: 954-262-8455 nsunews@nova.edu The Current serves Nova Southeastern University from its location in Room 328 of the Don Taft University Center. The Current is NSU’s established vehicle for student reporting, opinion and the arts. All community members are invited to contribute. Editorials, commentaries and advertisements in this publication reflect the opin- ions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or its officials, The Current staff or other advertisers. The Current will not publish unsigned letters except under special circumstances at the dis- cretion of the Editor-in-Chief. The Current reserves the right to edit. Contributing writers must not be directly involved with their coverage. Coverage by contributing writers must be meaningful and of interest to the NSU community. The Current reserves the right to edit, publish or deny submitted works as it sees fit. The Current shall remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility or otherwise cre- ate a bias, real or perceived. Megan Fitzgerald Faculty Advisor mf821@nova.edu Jarrod Bailey Staff Advisor jbailey1@nova.edu Sports Editor Features Editor Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor thecurrenta &e@nova.edu Open sportseditor@nova.edu Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief Co-Editor-in-Chief nsunews@nova.edu Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor thecurrentfeatures@nova.edu News Editor thecurrentnews@nova.edu Rick Esner nsunews@nova.edu Christina McLaughlin Copy Editor thecurrentnews@nova.edu Flor Ana Mireles Farhan Shaban Chief of Visual Design Emma Heineman thecurrentfeatures@nova.edu thecurrentad@nova.edu BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Phone: 954-262-8461 thecurrentad@nova.edu Laura strikes Louisiana as a powerful hurricane Hurricane Laura made landfall in Louisiana last Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph. According to The New York Times, the storm left at least 880,00 residents without power and tens of thousands without potable water as the storm moved northwards throughout the day. Laura has resulted in at least six deaths from fallen trees, carbon monoxide poisoning and drowning. Additionally, a chemical plant caught on fire after a chlorine leak was started by storm damage, which created “thick smoke” necessitating residents to shelter in place. Improvement in the fight against California’s wildfires Hundreds of wildfires have burned over 2,000 square miles of land across California. However, cooler temperatures, humidity and an increase of equipment and personnel allowed for firefighters to gain ground in the fight against the fires raging in the northern regions of the state, according to AP News. On Thursday night, over 50,000 previously evacuated residents were given permission to return to their homes. The number of homes damaged could continue to rise as the fires progress and responders face difficulty accessing areas that are cut off due to blockages. Crews are continuing their efforts to restore power and water in order to allow for more evacuees to safely return to their residences. The shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old African American man, survived being shot in the back at seven times at near point-blank range by an officer identified as Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, WI, sparking protests and calls for justice. According to The Guardian, a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice stated that Sheskey fired while holding onto Blake’s shirt as he opened his car door and leaned in. An investigation found a knife in Blake’s car, although authorities did not state that Blake threatened anyone with the weapon. In the protests following, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, has been accused of first-degree intentional homicide by killing two and injuring one with a semi-automatic rifle after calls for action to protect businesses were posted online. Trump renominated for 2020 election at RNC President Donald Trump received the Republican party’s formal nomination for the 2020 Presidential election at the opening day of the Republican National Convention last week. According to U.S. News and World Report, the convention, which was held in-person in Charlotte, NC with restricted proceedings, saw representatives from across the nation virtually on a screen to show their support for the nominee during the roll call. Japan’s Prime Minister resigns Last Friday, Aug. 28, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, announced that he would be resigning from his position, according to The New York Times. Abe explained the reason behind his resignation is due to personal health issues. Abe, 65, is facing a relapse of ulcerative colitis, a bowel disease, which has caused him problems in the past. In 2007, Abe had to step down during his first term as Prime Minister due to the same health issue. Abe’s decision was announced only four days after he had broken the eight-year record for the longest uninterrupted service as a Prime Minister in Japan’s history. According to The NewYork Times, “[Abe] said that he wanted to make way for a new leader who could focus fully on tackling the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges.” Brazil’s plan to protect Amazon causes harm After a string of wildfires in the Amazon Rainforest in May, Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, faced international demand for action. Last week, the Associated Press was able to analyze Bolsonaro’s plan for the Amazon, named the “Green Brazil 2,” but found that the plan was anything but helpful. Most notably, the plan includes the army focusing on small-road projects, allowing for easier access to ports, and in turn, further exploitation. To add, the Associated Press also found that the number of fines for environmental crimes have been halved under Bolsonaro. Exporters of resources from the Amazon have also stopped being penalized under the new plan, allowing for meatpackers who sell beef from the deforested areas and other companies to operate freely without repercussions. There has been nomention of a revised plan from the Brazilian government. France prohibits banned bird hunting technique On Aug. 27, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a temporary suspension of a bird hunting technique using harmful glue traps, according to The New York Times. This particular technique, which consists of covering tree branches with glue to trap songbirds and in turn lure other larger birds for hunting, has been condemned as cruel by outspoken activists and even banned by theEuropeanUnion in 1979. France had created a loophole for the ban on the trapping technique, allowing for it to continue being used for the past 41 years. It is unknown whether the temporary suspension of the technique will be turned into a permanent ban. According to The New York Times, “Conservationists welcomed the suspension this week, but they also urged Mr. Macron’s government to make the ban permanent and outlaw other indiscriminate hunting practices like trapping birds with nets.” Palestine and Israel unable to restore ties Earlier this month, Israel announced annexation plans of Jewish settlements in theWest Bank were to be halted as part of a diplomatic deal with the UnitedArab Emirates. However, according to The NewYork Times, Palestine is still not ready to restore ties with Israel, a pledge made by Palestine until plans of annexation of the West Bank were canceled. The security, financial and civil ties between Palestine and Israel were cut off in May when Palestine announced their pledge to cut the ties. As a result of the diplomatic deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Palestine