National

Biden’s response to Ukraine war

By Halle Connell

After Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine starting in 2014 and the recent increase in attacks from Russia, other countries have tried to assist Ukraine. Over the course of the war, many different countries have tried to step in to help Ukraine by sending weapons, ammunition and huge amounts of financial support. The United States has stepped in to help fund Ukraine, investing over $18 billion to their government. 

Many are concerned about what steps Russia will take to win, and many administrations have stated how in the wake of this war not calming down, The western world has had a limited response and is trying to turn it into a broader war. As of the writing of this, multiple world leaders have stated to be very careful on the subject of nuclear weapons and the possibility of usage by Russia.

During a fundraiser event in New York on Oct. 25, President Joe Biden made a statement worried about Putin’s potential use of nuclear weapons, sparking panic and suspicion surrounding Russia’s claim. 

“The risk of nuclear Armageddon is at the highest level since 1962,” Biden said.

As the high risk of nuclear warfare in 1962 was a result of the Cold War, the possibility of the risk being at a similar level now raised concerns. In response, Putin denied ever saying that Russia would use nuclear weapons. 

“We have never intentionally said anything proactively about possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia, we have only hinted in response to those statements that the western leaders have made,” he said. 

White House secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has responded to news reporters about Joe Biden’s alarming comment. 

“Russia’s talk of using nuclear weapons is irresponsible and there’s no way to use them without unintended consequences. It cannot happen. If the Cuban missile crisis has taught us anything, it is the value of reducing nuclear risk and not brandishing it,” Jean-Pierre said.

Biden’s national security team has made multiple comments in the past warning people of Putin’s ability and threat to use nuclear weapons on Ukraine, but nothing they’ve said in the past has come close to the severity of Biden’s recent comment.

Local

Ingraham H.S. shooting tragedy

By Terina Papatu

On the morning of Nov. 8, the Seattle Police Department received reports of a shooting that took place within 100 feet of the entrance to Ingraham High School. Nearly 10 minutes after the first call, paramedics and police arrived at the scene and began CPR on the victim. The 17-year-old was later pronounced dead by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. The shooting was believed to be a targeted attack, according to both students and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Brent Jones. The shooting occurred during the passing time between Ingraham’s first and second periods. A 14-year-old boy was arrested an hour after the shooting was reported for first-degree murder on the King County Metro, while the school went into lockdown until 12:30 p.m. Along with the 14-year-old, a 15-year-old was also suspected of assisting the alleged shooter and illegally possessing a gun. The two teenagers remain in custody, but have not been formally charged.

 Following this incident, Ingraham families were relieved that no one else got hurt, but are also upset and grieving. Two Ingraham seniors planned a city-wide walkout against gun violence on Nov. 14, with the goal of providing an opportunity for students to grieve together and demand the district be less nonchalant about the shooting. They’re also advocating for better security for the school, some suggestions being adding metal detectors or bag checks. Harrell proposed a budget of $4.3 million to the district for prevention of gun violence and gang interventions. While this isn’t the first time Seattle has experienced gun violence, some students are outraged with how long it took administrators to alert parents about the lockdown as well as the reasoning. SPS plans to introduce more safety resource officers and a child wellbeing council that includes nurses, pediatricians and psychologists to the schools.

Community Transit’s new zip shuttles

By Rachel Davis

Community Transit introduced a new form of transportation, zip shuttles, on Oct. 20. The shuttles are part of a pilot project to provide more accessible and efficient transportation to citizens of Lynnwood, and will soon expand to other areas such as Arlington and Lake Stevens. 

While the zip shuttles are similar in system to other pick-up services like Uber and Lyft, the main difference is cost. Shuttles cost $2.50 regardless of pick up and drop off location, while Uber and Lyft have a minimum cost of about $3.50.

International

Halloween leads to Itaewon stampede

By Terina Papatu

As October ended, Halloween, and of course Halloween parties, quickly rolled around. In Itaewon, a fairly narrow street in Seoul, South Korea, these parties ended in disaster. During a party held on Oct. 29, huge crowds of people pushed through the thin street. Beginning in the afternoon, people kept arriving, expecting the large crowds but not realizing that the night would end with about 100,000 people in the small space. The first calls to authorities began at around 10 p.m. and with no crowd management, the panic in the crowd slowly became unbearable. The crowd only fully deflated at 5 a.m. on Oct. 30, leaving 153 dead, including two U.S. nationals, and 82 injured.

United Kingdom’s new prime minister

By Virginia Aslept-Beaty

As of Oct. 25, 2022, Rishi Sunak is now the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the leader of the Conservative Party. He was elected after Liz Truss resigned after just 45 days in office. Sunak is the United Kingdom’s first prime minister of color, being born to Indian Punjabi parents, and is the youngest prime minister to be elected. Sunak is also the wealthiest prime minister, boasting a net worth of over $830 million. Sunak’s first major hurdle to overcome is dealing with the United Kingdom’s economic crisis, with rising inflation and the Russo-Ukrainian war proving to be massive issues.

State

Washington’s midterm results

By Terina Papatu

Every two years, voters elect or reelect the members of the Senate, House of Representatives and state representatives. This year, nearly 60 percent of eligible voters participated in the Nov. 8 elections. Results included Senator Patty Murray, representing the Democratic party, winning and continuing to hold her position. Along with that, 10 House members secured their spots: Susan DelBene, Rick Larsen, Dan Newhouse, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Derek Kilmer, Kim Schrier, Pramila Jayapal, Marilyn Strickland, Adam Smith and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Washington’s Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs won again, who was the first Asian-American Secretary of State.

Local

Efforts to restore Washington’s grizzly bears

By Rachel Davis

The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have begun a new program to begin the restoration of grizzly bears in Washington state’s North Cascades. The North Cascades is one of six ecosystems designed to protect grizzly bears, but it has been 30 years since they were officially established. 

However, the effort is viewed cautiously by a portion of the population who are concerned that with the reintroduction of grizzly bears, farmland and animals may be at risk. There will be public video conferences for the next three weeks to discuss the issue and allow the public to express their concerns until Dec. 14.