Hump Day Update

Hump Day Update Graphic
April 5, 2023

NCU students, we at the Northerner know it’s hard to follow anything going on in the news. There are so many different outlets, so many different stories, and it’s hard to even know what is true. We’re here to help! Every Wednesday we’ll have a curated list of news that is relevant (some what) to college students at the local, national and international levels. Each topic will have a summary but click on the link to read the full story. News made easy by your friends at the Northerner.

Minnesota:

St Paul Woman Starting Fires

An apartment building in St. Paul was set on fire by Guadalupe Castillo. Castillo used toilet paper to light fires, did not have shoes on and ingested meth before starting set fires. While the building had some significant damage, no one was injured.

Frustration Over Kia Boys

As the NCU community is well aware, the Kia Boys continue to strike. The police are completely frustrated, as 190 cars were stolen just last week (76% being Kias and Hyundais). MPD are asking for the community to help keep track of your kids and to use a steering wheel lock if you have a Kia or Hyundai.

Is Crime Really Down?

Despite a shooting in our own Elliot Park on Monday April 3, violent crime is down in Minneapolis. Carjackings are 46%, robbery 34%, gunshot victims 38% and assaults are down 7%. If you don’t count all of the car thefts and joyrides, Minneapolis’ crime is down compared to recent years.

US:

Aggressive Turkeys Strike Back

In Dedham, MA, turkeys are taking over…not really. But they are becoming more aggressive towards humans due to being overly familiar. Experts warn civilized to stop feeding the turkeys and to leave them be. If not, we in Minneapolis could be surrounded by a group of turkeys demanding our lunch money.

Double Standard in Women’s Sports

This time the double standard isn’t men and women. It’s black women and white women. LSU’s Angela Reese was criticized for smack-talking and gesturing to Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark in the NCAAW Championship after Clark received praise for the same thing. Many are coming to Reese’s aid and want to encourage the smack-talk in women’s sports.

Laid-Off on Leave

Can you imagine going on maternity or medical leave and having your job pulled out from under you? This is what’s happened to several META employees after the company made some serious worker cuts. The lay-off is legal as long as you can prove it’s not because the employee went on leave in the first place.

Trump’s Indicted…What Happens Now?

It’s hard to find the facts surrounding former president Donald Trump’s trial, but now that he has been indicted, here’s what you should know. Trump will have to be arraigned in person and his case might go to trial which might not happen for a while. This could and most likely will affect his campaign. 

29-Years-Old and Still in School

If you were lonely, would you fake some documents and go back to high school? A 29-year-old woman did just that at a New Jersey high school. She attended four days worth of classes before she was caught. Her lawyer assures that she didn’t intend any harm and wanted “a place of safety and welcoming and an environment that she looks back on fondly.”   

World:

Mosque Arrests

More than 350 people were arrested from al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem by Israeli police during Ramadan prayer. The people arrested launched fireworks back at the police in retaliation. The arrest is sparking conversation across religious groups and even rockets launched toward Israel after the event. 

No More Oil

Saudi Arabia and some of its allied countries decided to cut a chunk of their oil production. For us, this means that gas prices will go up again. This could benefit the U.S. if we bump up our oil production to take the market share from Saudi Arabia.

Japan and Same-Sex Marriage

Japan is facing pressure from its citizens and activists to allow same-sex marriage in the country. This pressure comes amid the death penalty in Uganda for any sort of LGBTQ actions. Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida will be proposing legislation that might help out his reputation but will not allow for same-sex marriage. 

English Language Ban

Lawmakers in Italy are proposing a law that will ban the English language in any Italian official documents. If passed, employees that did use English (or any other foreign language) would face a fine of $5,500 to $110,000. Italy also banned TikTok this week.

Find out what’s happening at the local, national and international levels.