United States Attacked by Iran 

On January 8, 2020, Iran fired missiles onto the United States’ forces in Iraq. According to the New Yorker, this was revenge for the killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Suleimani. Iran targeted the two U.S. bases with over a dozen missiles, but there were zero American casualties. President Donald Trump spoke to the nation on how Iran is “standing down.” He stated that there will be economic sanctions put on Iran until they stop the conflict.

Australian Bushfires Are at All-Time High 

Extreme heat, long droughts and powerful winds are some of the most common causes of the Australian bushfires. Australia is home to many species of animals, who now are forced into finding new habitats because of the mass destruction. The bushfire season starts in August, but the severity of this season began in November of 2019. The Telegraph found that up until January 7, 2020, 13.5 million acres have been destroyed and 17 people have died.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Split From Royal Family

The couple, wedded in 2018, have decided to “step back” from the British royal family. They still support Queen Elizabeth II, but desire to be “financially independent,” according to NPR. They will try to be in both North America and Britain the same amount of time. Many opinions were raised as to why this split was announced, some including that they wanted to cut ties with the negatives of the royal family; nevertheless, these are simply rumors that have yet to be put to rest.

Recreational Marijuana Legalized in Illinois 

When Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill for recreational marijuana use in Illinois, dispensaries began to appear on the streets. The Chicago Tribune found that these stores sold 10.8 billion dollars worth of stock in the first five days. The shops opened January 1, 2020. This large amount of sales can be viewed as a good thing for Illinois’ economic growth, but it has caused many businesses to have to put a pause on their store because of their lack of stock.

New Plant-Based Options at ACHS 

After veganism gained popularity in the last couple of years, new options become available at Antioch Community High School to help cope with some people’s dietary restrictions. 

“I think the school should have these options because being vegetarian is the choice of some people but for others it’s for their religion that they follow and those people might not be able to make their own food at home,” vegetarian junior Riley Gaylord said. 

These new foods include vegetarian burgers and plant based power bowls.

Mike Bloomberg in the 2020 Debate

On the democratic side of the presidential race, Mike Bloomberg recently decided to finance his presidential campaign with his personal funds, according to Politico. Due to this, he announced that he will not participate in any democratic debates. The Democratic Party has participation guidelines which include having a few hundred thousand donors.

Flu Season Expected to Get Worse

While it’s the middle of the 2019-2020 flu season right now, experts expect this season to be worse than the 2017-18 record breaking flu season, which killed 61,000 people according to the New York Times. Center for Disease Control officials stated that people that received a flu vaccine are not protected against the B Victoria strain that has been spreading around the United States. The people who are vaccinated against the flu could be worse off if they catch this strain, as there’s a chance their case of the flu would be more severe.

Back to School

There is a large mixture of reactions coming back from the two week holiday break from school. Every year there are the few students that are motivated coming off of winter break, although a majority of students report being tired, regardless of the fact that they had the ability to gain sleep for two weeks. Sophomore Samantha Sy reported feeling tired upon her return to school. 

“Personally [break] felt like it went kind of fast,” Sy said. “It feels like we are jumping back into everything.” 

Most students expressed that same feeling of tiredness within the first week back from break this year.

Puerto Rico Earthquake

Reports of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake striking Puerto Rico have been all over news stations. The New York Daily News said that the effects of this earthquake are terrible, two-thirds of Puerto Rico has been left powerless. The earthquake ceased natural schedules for families, barred children from attending school and kept parents from work due to safety concerns expressed by the governor of Puerto Rico. Not only that, but a natural tourist attraction, the Punta Ventana, an infamous rock structure crumbled after weakening over this week.

Impeachment Articles

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives stated early January 10, that she will be sending two articles of impeachment to the senate next week. The articles are being sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; soon after he receives the articles, the impeachment trial could start, according to the New York Times. The articles of impeachment are expected to be transmitted January 10, McConnell said in a statement when addressing the Senate Republicans.