U.S. Politics: New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Corruption Trial Put on Hold
The trial against New York City Mayor Eric Adams was vacated last Friday by United States District Judge Dale Ho. According to AP News, Adams has faced corruption allegations since last September, charged with accepting gifts worth over 100,000 dollars from Turkish citizens and doing favors for them in return. The Federal Department of Justice (DOJ), represented by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, attempted to order all charges dropped, claiming that prosecuting Adams could interfere with the Trump Administration’s immigration measures in NYC. In protest against the DOJ’s order, several high-level prosecutors have resigned from their positions. BBC reported that the DOJ’s move may suggest a quid pro quo between Adams and the Trump Administration, which both Adams and Bove have denied. Complete dismissal was rejected by Judge Ho. However, Ho has agreed to vacate the case (originally scheduled for April 21) for now to gather more information and has appointed attorney Paul Clements to present the argument against dismissal in order to hear both sides.
Crime: Hospital Shooting in Pennsylvania Kills One and Injures Five
A police officer was killed and five people were severely injured during a hospital shooting at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania on February 22, according to the New York Times. As reported on CNN, injured faculty include an ICU doctor, a nurse, a custodian, and another employee, three of whom were wounded by gunshots. The gunman was identified as Diogenes Archangel Ortiz, 49. According to York County District Attorney Tim Barker, Ortiz had headed straight to the ICU, where he held an ICU employee at gunpoint. Ortiz then came out to the hallway, where he was shot and killed by officers. According to CNN, the police officer who was killed in the altercation was Andrew Duarte, age 30.
War/Peace: A Fragile Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
Set to expire on March 1, the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is nearing its end. According to the New York Times, Israel had agreed to free 620 Palestinian hostages. In exchange, Hamas will free the last six surviving Israeli prisoners. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed the release of Palestinian hostages. Both parties have since accused the other of hindering the ceasefire. Although, after threats of military escalation from U.S. President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, Hamas returned the agreed-upon hostages, the remains of one hostage whom Hamas had returned — Shiri Bibas — turned out to belong to another unidentified Palestinian woman. Once again, this raised concerns about disrupting the ceasefire agreement, highlighting its tenuousness. As the second phase of the plan, Israel and Hamas are working toward a consensus on withdrawing weaponry and armed forces from Gaza with the hope for eventual disarmament. According to BBC, the third
Economy: Germany’s Weakening Economy Influences Voters
Germany’s economy, the world’s third-largest, is in trouble. CNN reported that Germany’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrank in both 2023 and 2024, and is predicted to grow by a mere 0.3 percent this year. Germany’s wealth is mostly based on exports, which account for 43 percent of the country’s GDP. Due to rising energy costs, however, Germany’s once-enviable factories have been reduced to average in terms of efficiency. Research by the New York Times suggests that a less competitive workforce is another contributing factor. Additionally, President Trump intends to establish tariffs on goods imported to the US, Germany’s largest market, potentially weakening Germany’s economy even further. German citizens voted Sunday in the Bundestag (Parliament) elections on Sunday with economic reforms at the forefront of their minds. The conservative Christian Democratic Union party, led by Friedrech Merz, won the election with 29 percent of the vote, followed by the right-wing Alternative party with 21 percent.
Accidents: Delta Flight Crash-Lands in Toronto
Delta Connection Flight 4819 from Minneapolis flipped over and crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 17 at around 2:15 p.m. According to ABC News, the aircraft caught fire and slid across the airfield at roughly 100 miles per hour, losing a wing. All 80 people on board fortunately survived the crash. The crash is still under investigation, though aviation experts suspect that the jet’s landing gear prevented any deaths, according to CBS. This crash is the latest in a string of flight accidents in recent weeks, prompting concerns about flight safety.
