Portland riots, remembering Jane Goodall, and Hamas' response to peace deal
Last week's news. Clear, clean, simple.
National: The government officially shut down for the first time since 2018 on Wednesday, Oct. 1, as democrats in the Senate denied a federal funding bill. The bill would continue the federal government’s current funding plan. Democrats sought funding safeguards for federal agencies, such as public healthcare. Republicans refused the addition. The shutdown primarily affects non-essential government employees, such as some federal workers and military servicemen, who may not receive paychecks during the shutdown. The last government shutdown occurred in 2018 and lasted 35 days. Five years before that, in 2013, the government shut down for 16 days.
National: The Trump administration is sending hundreds of National Guard troops from California and Texas to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities and other federal property in Portland, Oregon. The State of Oregon and California have launched a lawsuit against Trump to bar him from deployment. An Oregon judge from the U.S District Court issued a restraining order on Trump, temporarily forbidding the deployment of Oregon troops. Trump claims the city’s crime justifies the troops. His critics, including the suers, claim the deployment only inflames the situation. In Portland, ongoing riots ensue outside the ICE facilities. Some have resulted in minor acts of violence.
Global: After proposing a 20-point peace plan between Hamas and Israel, President Trump reported that Hamas has responded positively to aspects of the proposal. “I am told the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to move fast,” Trump said on social media. Hamas agreed to release hostages and allow an independent Palestinian body to govern Gaza. Hamas did not mention disarming itself – a key point in the proposal. Delegates from each party will meet on Monday to discuss Trump’s peace plan.
Life: Jane Goodall, a renowned conservationist for her chimpanzee research, died at 91 on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Goodall studied chimps in the wilds of Tanzania for decades, documenting their use of tools, cooperative hunting tactics, and other unique behaviors. Her work ended up in numerous National Geographic articles and documentaries, elevating Goodall to celebrity status by the 1960s.
Editor’s Note: If you feel politically isolated, like a child trapped between two parents deluged in argument, try this. Find a friend. Pick a news story from last week. Ask them what they think of it. Together, consider both sides of the coin, and then settle on a conclusion. Or don’t. The point is to engage in the mutual exchange of ideas, a concept that built our country and will continue to sustain it so long as we keep it alive. Give it a shot.
