On April 8, a video was trending on social media from Norfolk, Virginia. The video consisted of a capital lieutenant named Caron Nazario, an African American-Latino man getting pepper-sprayed numerous times by the police at a gas station. During the video, Nazario is shown innocently keeping his arms up so he can demonstrate that he was not a threat. Despite this and repeatedly trying to cooperate with the police, Nazario was forced to feel the sting from the pepper spray.
Since coronavirus has first invaded the country, there have been 562,007 deaths and there are 31,292,106 cases currently. As the year has progressed, the number of COVID-19 infections continues to increase and burden daily lives. As scientists have worked to develop effective vaccines, a new vaccine, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has since been developed and has proven to be 62% effective.
Nutley's annual Spring Break was last week and while many staff and students chose to stay home or travel locally, some did venture back into the travel arena. A popular, domestic destination was Florida. Spring Break travel to Florida was also popular among college students and now, the state, is seeing a rise of Coronavirus cases.
On March 2, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order lifting the mask mandate in Texas, meaning all stores and restaurants are full to 100% capacity and schools are back to in-person learning. Everyone is going back to work and living life normal again, or as normal as it gets.
Over the last four months, Americans have seen a significant rise in the number of mass shootings across the country. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 133 mass shootings in the United States since January, 2021.
On Thursday March 25, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the "Election Integrity Act of 2021” into effect. The 98-page series of bills will make changes to how elections are run in the state.
Andrew Mark Cuomo is a politician, lawyer, author, and currently the 56th Governor of New York since the year 2011. He’s a member of the Democratic Party and was elected the same position his father, Mario Cuomo upheld for three consecutive terms. Recently, Governor Cuomo is facing backlash and is currently going through one of the most chaotic events of his political career. Many women have come out and have accused Cuomo of sexual assault/harassment.
Cicely Tyson lived a life full of glamour and grace. The pioneering actor paved the way for current female actors through the way she carried herself, while displaying a level of artistry through her performances. The film world was greatly saddened when they heard that Tyson passed away on January 28. She had an everlasting impact and she inspired many, specifically in the black community.
The second impeachment trial of former president Donald J. Trump has already concluded. This makes Trump the only president in American history to be impeached twice. Trump has assembled a team of lawyers in order to defend himself against the impeachers, who are mostly Democrats but also some Republicans have joined the cause as well.
Throughout the last 11 months, Americans have been faced with multiple challenges: unemployment, the spread of COVID-19, and an unforgettable presidential election. Millions of Americans have lost their lives, jobs, and businesses this year. However, due to the significant unemployment rate, the House of Representatives will pass a new Coronavirus relief bill in the coming weeks. The bill will be passed as House Democrats prepare to implement President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal next week, which will increase the minimum wage to $15.
On January 29, 2021, Johnson and Johnson unveiled their new COVID-19 vaccine that has proven to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial.
China and Japan have been arguing over the seas that border them, claiming certain seas as theirs. However China brought this to a new level with their most recent foreign policy. This new policy allows Chinese Coast Guard vessels to fire upon any foreign vessel in Chinese waters. This means Chinese Coast Guard vessels can destroy objects placed on reefs in their seas by a foreign power, board and search foreign vessels, and fire on foreign vessels.
Through the year 2020- 2021, the country has taken notice of a lot of things; one of them being racial injustice. Nutley Public Schools and the township have taken their own steps with this. NHS now offers a new scholarship for African American students. This scholarship has many opportunities for these students available for them.
On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the President of the United States of America. He had previously served as Vice President alongside former President Barack Obama for two terms (2008-2017). Former president, Donald Trump, has left the office after only serving for one term. As President Biden gets situated into office, he strives to change some of the executive orders that former President Donald Trump had released.
Over this last month, the number of Americans in hospitals with Covid-19 fell below 100,000 for the first time since December 2020. Vaccine rollout continues nationwide as new variants of the virus, originating in the UK and South Africa, are appearing in the U.S. While vaccinations are assisting in the fight to lower the Covid outbreak, variants present new challenges.
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden officially began planning America’s future. It came as a shock that many executive orders were being put in place by President Biden on his first night in office. One of the biggest actions the President is taking is in regard to climate change.
President Joe Biden and Madam Vice President Kamala Harris took charge and immediate action during one of the most challenging times in history. They are coming into the White House very prepared with specific plans, timelines, and changes that are needed to get America back on track. President Joe Biden shocked America when he publicly signed 17 executive orders on his first night of being President.
On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala Harris were sworn into office and officially became the 46th President and 49th Vice President of the United States. Throughout the Inauguration, millions of Americans watched as President Biden delivered his Inaugural Address, prominent musicians performed, and politicians congratulated the president.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit countries all around the world hard. Thousands of people every day get infected with the virus as doctors race to treat patients and countries race to vaccine residents.
COVID-19 has been a global pandemic since early in 2019. It is over a year old and has killed over 2 million people, worldwide. It is one of the most infectious diseases in history, requiring several lockdowns and quarantines worldwide. However, hope finally may be coming to the world. Vaccines, developed by the companies Pfizer and Moderna, have been released and are being implemented all around the world. Is the nightmare finally over? Or is it not as effective as it may seem?
