BY BRENDAN CAPUANO AND SABRINA GARONE
Co-News Editors
From Sept. 23 through Sept. 30, the third Invictus Games took place in Toronto, Canada. Created by Prince Harry of Wales in 2013, the Invictus Games are an international sporting event in which disabled armed servicemen compete in events such as wheelchair basketball, tennis and volleyball.
Five hundred and fifty injured military athletes representing 17 nations came together to show their fighting spirit and prove that they are invictus; unconquered, unsubdued and invincible.
“Invictus is about the men and women who served their countries, confronted hardship, and refused to be defined by their injuries,” the prince said at the opening ceremony. “In a world where so many have reasons to feel cynical and apathetic, I wanted to find a way to let veterans be a beacon of light.”
The overall winner of Invictus Games was the United Kingdom, winning 87 medals, 24 of which were gold.
Response to North Korea:
On Sept. 19, President Trump made his first speech to the United Nations, addressing North Korea’s recent nuclear threats to the United States and its territories. In his speech, he stated that the United States is willing and able to “totally destroy” the country if necessary.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself and its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” said Trump. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.”
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un responded to Trump in the first ever direct statement from a North Korean leader to a U.S President.
“Now that Trump has denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world . . . we will consider with seriousness exercising of a corresponding, highest level of hardline countermeasure in history,” he said. “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.”
Natural Disasters:
In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
Super markets, restaurants, and stores remained closed for weeks after the category five hurricane made landfall on Sept. 20. with “maximum sustained winds of 155 mph,” said the National Hurricane Center.
AP reports that relief efforts have been slow so far, and that water is a scarce commodity for the victims. On Thursday, the Trump Administration waived the Jones Act, legislation that “prohibits foreign-flagged ships from hauling cargo between U.S ports.” Waiving the act will easily allow supplies and resources to be shipped to Puerto Rico in a more timely manner.
Relief efforts are also in full swing on the mainland following the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City on Sept. 19. AP reports 333 people were killed in the destruction.
The small tourist island of Bali, Indonesia has been evacuated in fear of a volcanic eruption from Mount Agung, threatening thousands of lives.
Healthcare:
One of the promises of the Trump campaign was to repeal President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Nine months later, the Republican-controlled Congress still cannot reach an agreement to repeal the legislation.
Despite Congress’ failure to compromise, HBO’s “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently took her stance on the issue.
The Emmy award-winning actress was recently was diagnosed with breast cancer. In a statement, she said “The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union. The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let’s fight all cancers and make universal healthcare a reality.”
