Trump’s New “Board of Peace”
On Jan. 22, President Donald J. Trump established the Board of Peace, created for overseeing the reconstruction of the city of Gaza and now expanding to handle global conflicts. This now official organization includes countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Hungary and Pakistan, with President Trump serving both as the Board’s Chairman and as the President of the United States. But, many of the 50-60 countries invited either refused or ignored Trump’s invitation to join the recently founded organization, including Canada, the U.K., Germany and Italy. Of the countries that declined—especially Western European—many see the Board of Peace as a threat to the United Nations; they demand a single, international political body instead of separate organizations such as Trump’s Board of Peace.
National Weather Crisis
On Jan. 23, the start of a national weather crisis was underway, stretching from central Texas to the Northeast. Coming from Canada, cold air mixed with the warmth of the South, causing significant snow and the chill of the Great Lakes in the Midwest, causing extreme cold. This crisis affected hundreds of millions of people—more than half the nation. In fact, exploding trees were a large concern for many—the frozen and expanding sap inside of trees causing them to seem to “explode.” There are expected power outages, tree damage and dangerous travel conditions for Monday, when the storm is predicted to end. In Chicago, temperatures reached around -10 degrees with a roughly -40 degrees wind chill, but not surpassing the record-breaking temperature set on Jan. 20, 1985, of -27 degrees with a wind chill of -60 degrees.
Bears Knocked Out of the Playoffs
The Chicago Bears, led by Coach Ben Johnson and Quarterback Caleb Williams, were brought to the end of their streak by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Jan. 18. Despite having three turnovers, the Bears kept it a tight game—the defense working overtime. But, with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter and down seven points, all hope was nearly lost, until Williams used his evasive maneuvers to run towards the 50 yard line on fourth and four near the endzone, and let the ball fly towards Cole Kmet for a fourteen yard touchdown, making the play of the game—possibly the play of the season. After completing a field goal, the Bears tied the game, sending the two teams into overtime, where, after a long fight, the Bears ultimately lost, and were eliminated from the playoffs. But, despite the loss, this season was one of the best, earning their name the “Cardiac Bears” for their clutch wins when everyone had already lost hope.
