A lot happens in a month. From fashion to finance, we are constantly bombarded by headlines from around the world. Here are the Hawkeye’s picks for what you need to know.
Local
Detective files $10 million claim against SPD
Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin, a longtime detective in the Seattle Police Department (SPD), has filed a $10 million claim against the department. Bouldin alleged that she experienced sexism and racism coming from her coworkers several times, and that her coworkers resent her close relationship with the communities of color in Seattle. Bouldin is accomplished in the Seattle community, as she runs a youth chess club where she teaches children to play chess and build themselves. Bouldin is being represented by James Bible, a former chair of the King County NAACP, in court. If the SPD denies the claim, Bouldin can file a lawsuit.
National
Taylor Swift’s first tour since 2018 “Eras”
At State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, pop singer Taylor Swift opened her “Eras” tour, her first tour since 2018. She began the evening with her 2019 album, “Lover.” The concert lasted 44 songs, Swift ending the night with the song “Karma” from her most recent album “Midnights.” Throughout the three-hour concert, she performed songs from the entirety of her 17-year career. After a second night in the same stadium, the ensemble will move to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, with AT&T Stadium near Dallas, Texas next. With this tour, Swift sold more than 2 million tickets when they went on sale, Nov. 11, 2022.
Donald Trump predicts his arrest
On the morning of March 18, 2023, former President Donald Trump predicted he would be arrested on March 21. Following his prediction, he encouraged followers to protest said arrest. The cause for this predicted arrest was because in 2016, Trump allegedly paid $130,000 to an adult film actress who claimed to have an affair with him. This allegation has prompted an investigation in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is currently nearing the conclusion of its investigation. Trump has actively denied previous allegations with similar payments, and plans to continue running for president again, even if he is indicted.
Disastrous train derailment in Ohio
In East Palestine, Ohio, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed and several toxic chemicals held on the train were released. As a result, every resident within a one-mile radius was evacuated and Ohio declared a state of emergency. In total, 11 of the 38 cars derailed contained chemicals. This included 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride, which is known to increase rates of cancer. After investigating the cause of the derailment, it was found that a wheel bearing overheated and the sensors installed into the train didn’t alert the crew. Over 45,000 aquatic animals were killed and many residents have reported severe health problems in their pets. On March 14, 2023, it was announced that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost would be filing a 58-count lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, citing they had been negligent and violated environmental health laws.
International
2023 Oscars brings a series of firsts
By Rachel Davis
On March 12, the long-awaited 2023 Oscars aired and the awards this year managed to break 22 different records. Most of these records were achieved by those involved in the production of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (EEAAO), as the movie was the most Oscar-nominated this year, with 11 different nominations.
Of those 11, seven were rewarded: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
Michelle Yeoh, lead actress in EEAAO, is the first Asian woman to be nominated for lead actress and win while her co-star Ke Huy Quan is the first Vietnamese actor to win an acting performance award. These two are now the first Oscar-winning actors who portray Mandarin-Chinese and Cantonese-speaking characters. Overall this year’s Oscars is the first to have multiple Asian actors winning awards in a single year.
Outside of EEAAO, other actors and films also made firsts in their categories.
Ruth E. Carter is the first Black woman to ever win two Oscars for her costume work in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and actress Angela Bassett is the first Marvel star to be nominated for an award. Rihanna and Ryan Coogler were nominated together for Best Original Song “Lift Me Up” that premiered in the movie.
Ana de Armas is the first Cuban woman to ever be nominated for Best Actress for her role as Marilyn Monroe in the movie “Blonde.”
The composer for “The Fabelmans,” John Williams, is the oldest nominee ever at 90 years old, as well as the current holder of most nominees, this being his fifty-third. This year’s Oscars gave a lot of representation across the board, but there is still room for the Oscars to grow in representing more places and people in their awards.
Warrant for war crimes against Putin
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has filed an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war crimes Russia has committed in the Russo-Ukrainian War. The arrest warrant, issued on March 17, 2023, claims Putin is responsible for “the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children).” They have stated that since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has abducted thousands of children from Ukraine and transferred them to Russia without the permission of their legal guardians. It has been found that these children are transferred to adoption and re-education facilities in Crimea and Russia, before they are given to Russian families and then granted Russian citizenship. There are more than 43 active adoption facilities and it has been found that the majority of children at these facilities are being re-educated with Russian values in order to be integrated into Russian society.
The ICC’s course of action has been praised by many internationally, with Ukraine wholeheartedly supporting this announcement. President Joe Biden has stated that Russia has “clearly” committed war crimes and supports the ICC’s choice to put out an arrest warrant. However, Russia has argued that they aren’t subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction. In 2016, Russia withdrew from a treaty that would allow them to join the ICC, making it unlikely for Putin to face the charges from the ICC in court.
On May 30, 2022, Putin signed an official decree that, essentially, legalized the abduction of Ukrainian children and the process of making them Russian citizens, as described by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. They went on to say that Russia had violated the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which disallows the process of changing children’s citizenship in any occupied territory. As of March 2023, Ukraine has rescued over 300 children from Russia.
7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey, causing devastation and leaving 44,000 people dead. On Feb. 6, 2023, one earthquake caused thousands of aftershock quakes, and left 1.9 million people looking for shelter including 850,000 children displaced. During the aftermath, 150+ aid cars are out with desperately needed supplies, cities have suffered widespread destruction and the people of Turkey are left in devastation
