2017 Year in Review: Day 1 | Politics

6-word summary of global politics in 2017: Time-travel (one word) to pre-Civil War is possible?

Here we go!

The Wall

Trump is still optimistic, but the experienced businessman he is, he ironically doesn't realize how unrealistic the costs to build the will are.

In other words, it didn't happen. Period.

Missile roundup

North Korea has launched 23 nuclear missiles, the first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) being fired on July 4 (perfect in time for the U.S. Independence Day--nothing says "independence" than nuclear fireworks). One in September, was a "success," having reached a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter earthquake scale and spanning over 1,000 kilometers or roughly 620 miles toward Japan. Here's a summary of the country's missile launches this year and everything you need to know, from how concerned you should be to emergency procedures. Trump responded to North Korea's unabashed nuclear threat by saying that the nation "will be met with fire and fury."

Russian Collusion

Here's everything we've found out and you need to know about the Trump administration's collusion with Russia, all in one video. You're welcome.

Terrorism

To date, there have been 1,096 attacks and 7,456 casualties internationally.

According to the Global Terrorism Index 2017 edition (you can find a PDF of this online) though it contains data from 2016. Data regarding terrorism in 2017 will be issued next year.

You can also see a visual, a map of the magnitude or amount of impact per nation, all compiled in one map.

DACA

Trump threatened to revoke DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which the Obama administration passed in 2012, and the benefits it offers undocumented children. Nothing has been set in stone, so DREAMers will have to wait for a decision from legislators after the winter vacation, in January. Multiple schools have provided shelters for families and sued Trump for the inconvenience that the revocation has on the families. According to an advocacy group, 122 immigrants lose their DACA protection every day.

Roundup of Politicians Who Resigned Due to Sexual Assault Allegations

1. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken (DFL)
2. Texas GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold (R)
3. Oregon Former Senator Bob Packwood (R)
4. Washington Sen. Brock Adams (D)
5. Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas (R)
6. Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson (R)
7. Oregon Rep. David Wu (D)
8. Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R)
9. NY Rep. Eric Massa (D)
10. Former president George H.W. Bush (R)
11. Georgia 2012 presidential nominee Herman Cain (R)
12. Michigan Rep. John Conyers (D)
13. Florida Former Rep. Mark Foley (R)
14. CA State Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D)
15. Illinois Former Rep. Mel Reynolds (D)
16. Majority whip for CA State Assembly Raul Bocanegra (D)
17. Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore (R)
18. Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D)
19. Arizona Rep. Trent Franks (R)

Roundup of Everyone Trump Has Fired

Here's a summary from the Washington Post. It gives a visual and reasons as to why Trump fired or threatened to fire his employees. Long story short, does he really have reasons when he doesn't really know why he's doing and talking about? Yeah, there's not as much reason as there is a tantrum.

In general

Danica Roem | Courtesy of Twitter

• Trump has basically thwarted any possible positive interaction with México. And he's been sucking up to Chinese President Xi Jinping for inconsistent, self-serving reasons. 
• A military-computer expert figured out about how Russia hacked the DNC, without any help from the FBI, making us question how the DNC didn't figure it all out before and think that it is not at all suspicious why Trump fired FBI Director Comey.
• According to FiveThirtyEight, Trump's approval rating as president is 37% and dwindling.
• Brexit: UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that she will initiate the Brexit process, which, if successful, should formally leave the UK from the European Union. If all is well between Europe and Great Britain, the UN will be removed from the EU by late 2019. As a result of the initiation, many Britains have left the country.
• Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plans to elicit a second independence referendum by spring of 2019, though now without its pushbacks.
• Oregon is the first U.S. to acknowledge and legally/medically accept a third gender.
• Approximately 14 million more people may become uninsured by the end of year if Republicans pass the Trump health care bill. They have attempted to repeal Obamacare but much to their own avail. This would save about $37 billion, but 52 million people (over one-sixth of the U.S. population) may not have health insurance by 2026 as opposed to 28 million uninsured people under Obamacare. The bill has constantly been revised throughout the year that its relationship with the Senate and House of Reps is almost as annoying as any on-again-off-again relationship in television and cinematic history. That means you, Ross and Rachel.

  

  Women's March in D.C. | Courtesy of A Cup of Jo

• Though the minority in Congress, congressional Democrats hope to pass legislation that would ban LGBTQ+-related discrimination and hate crimes.
• Travel ban: Trump signed an executive order in January to restrict immigration and travel with Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Let's see what happens. Muslim nations with strong U.S. ties should not be restricted, according to The Guardian.
• Trump signed an executive order to stop a plan by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to mitigate power plants burning coal, reversing the Obama administration's attempt at mitigating greenhouse gases. He justified that this would "turn the EPA from a job-killer into a job-creator." Blithely unaware of the depletion of coal and obstinate with his idea that climate change is a reality, he fails to realize that coal miners and anyone in the coal industry would actually be losing their job. Therefore, about 100,000 people would actually be losing their jobs.
• France's new young, progressive president, Emmanuel Macron. Enough said.
• Legalization of recreational marijuana is not that far away for Canada, according to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
• Abolishment of privacy protection: Both the House and Senate approved a repeal of internet privacy policies that require companies to give consent before sharing customer info, including browsing history, location data, and contact info. Due to this, internet service providers now have the ability to sell your browsing history and contact info, deploy tracking cookies in your devices without your consent and give internet service providers the option to tell customers about how they collect their data and why they collect it.
• Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement or the Paris Climate Agreement (oh, you know, just because) and Montenegro became the 29th nation to join NATO.
• Trump unexpectedly proposes to ban transgender people from being in the military, a year after the Obama administration negotiated with defense and military leaders and signed off on a policy fully supporting transgender people actively serving in the military.

  

  Australia legalizes same-sex marriage | Courtesy of
  Chicago Tribune

• Danica Roem became the first out transgender person to be elected to a state legislature in the U.S., defeating anti-LGBTQ+ incumbent Republican Bob Marshall.
• Australia finally voted "yes" to same-sex marriage. Approximately 7.8 million (or about 61.6% of voting Australian citizens) voted in favor of the legalization, while 4.8 million (roughly 38.4% of the nation's voting population) voted "hell no." In fact, all Australian provinces voted a majority "yes" decision. German parliament made the same decision.
• Syria signed the Paris climate agreement, making the U.S. the only nation not to sign the agreement. 
• Republicans pass tax reform that they say will help working class citizens pass fewer taxes, when, in fact, the bill is out for their own self-interest of the wealthiest 1% of people in our nation and will eventually allow them to pay fewer taxes as working class pay more in a matter of years.
• Multiple judges restrict Trump's proposal to ban transgender people from being in the military.
• Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe resigned after 37 years in office. The future of political affairs in the country is up in the air, especially when it comes to military defense.
• Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to allow an influx of Rohingya refugees into their respective nations.
• There was a march all throughout India to protest against anti-Muslim hate crimes.
• There was also an alt-right march in Poland.
• War on opioid: opioid-related deaths have nearly quadrupled from 8,050 in 1991 to 33,091 in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control. They estimate that 53,000 people died last year because of opioid. Somehow, Trump did his job and declared a public health emergency over the crisis. Synthetic opioid killers are the leading cause of overdose-related deaths nationwide.
• The National Archives released nearly 3,000 JFK assassination files. It only took 25 years since the Records Collection Act of 1992 was passed to do so. Though not all of the files were released, most have been made public.
• Australia's deputy prime minister fired from parliament.

  

  DREAMers protesting Trump administration revoking DACA | Courtesy of Elle

• Lawmakers are imposing more restrictions on gay citizens in Egypt.
• The U.S. military launched Tomahawk airstrikes against Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapon attack, killing about 70 and injuring hundreds of others.
• Catalonia free from Spain, arising celebrations throughout the territory, though Spain is claiming direct control over it until the territory gets on its feet as its own independent landlocked state.
• A judge ordered Trump administration to allow undocumented 17-year-old Jane Doe, who had been pregnant for 15 weeks while the case had still been in court, to get an abortion after much pushback between the two.
• Education Secretary Betsy Devos is being sued by 17 states over for-profit college policies.
• FCC voted against net neutrality.