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Staying on top of the news is a challenge. It’s so difficult, in fact, that we’ve taken it upon ourselves to gather the most jaw-dropping stories from this week. The seven days leading up to mid-June were filled with chaos, beginning with a political upheaval and culminating in a shocking assassination attempt on a congressman. But there were also other significant events unfolding, from the tragic to the historic to the downright strange...
10. The UK Election Result: No Clear Winner
That was a surprise.
When British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a snap election on April 19, many believed she was playing a brilliant political move. Her Conservative Party (the Tories) had a 20-point lead over the left-wing Labour Party. With the vote approaching, polls predicted the Conservatives would increase their majority in the 650-seat UK House of Commons from a slim 330 to a commanding 420. May’s advantage seemed unbeatable.
You can probably guess how this unfolded.
In a shocking twist, the Tories lost 13 seats, leaving them unable to form a government without support from a third party. Labour, which was expected to be decimated for years, gained 30 seats—an incredible result, especially considering the party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is so left-wing that he makes Bernie Sanders look like Augusto Pinochet.
The craziest part? This election wasn’t even supposed to happen. It was scheduled for 2020, but May called it early, hoping for a resounding victory to strengthen her position in Brexit talks with the EU. Her overconfidence likely backfired.
9. The UK Election Outcome Sparked Chaos
Until June 8, the political future of Britain seemed all but decided. May was set to secure a 'hard' Brexit, cutting off all EU immigration in exchange for losing access to the market. Scotland would likely hold another independence referendum and probably break away. Left-wing politics in the UK seemed doomed to irrelevance.
By June 9, everything had changed.
In losing her government’s majority, May has effectively dashed all hopes for a hard Brexit. Her party now depends on 13 Scottish Conservative MPs, all of whom campaigned for a softer Brexit, and her weakened leadership has only strengthened the EU’s position in negotiations.
This leads us to the next surprising result: Scotland. Back in 2015, the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) won 54 of 57 Scottish seats, making a second referendum all but certain. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon scheduled one for 2019. Then came this election. The SNP lost nearly half of its seats, including 12 to the Conservatives, who hadn't been a major force in Scotland since 1983. It now appears the United Kingdom will remain united.
At least on the mainland. Due to her party’s disappointing performance, Theresa May is now seeking an agreement with Northern Ireland’s hardline Protestant Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to stay in power. However, this has coincided with the complete collapse of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government (as we explained here).
The UK government is supposed to act as a neutral mediator in resolving disputes between Northern Ireland’s Protestant Unionist and Catholic Republican factions. However, with the DUP supporting May’s government, there are growing concerns that Westminster’s neutrality may be compromised, which could potentially exacerbate or prolong the region’s political crisis.
8. Puerto Rico Voted Strongly in Favor of Statehood (Sort Of)
Puerto Rico is facing a severe crisis. This year, the US commonwealth declared bankruptcy, surpassing Detroit’s infamous collapse by defaulting on more than $70 billion in debt. Unemployment rates are as high as they were on the mainland in 2009, and nearly half the population is living in poverty.
Puerto Rico's unique status means its ongoing crisis could potentially turn it into America’s version of Greece. San Juan can’t devalue its currency because it uses the dollar, and it can’t get a Detroit-style bailout because it’s not a full state. It has long been clear that something must change, but the question remains: What?
On Sunday, the answer came. In a nonbinding referendum, Puerto Ricans overwhelmingly voted by 97 percent in favor of becoming an official US state. This marked the fifth such vote in the island's history and the second time the result was a 'yes'. However, voter turnout was only 23 percent.
Congress now faces a decision: either ignore the results or chart a course toward Puerto Rican statehood. Given the island’s leanings toward the Democratic Party, Republicans are understandably cautious about granting the Democrats an electoral advantage. That said, everyone once expected Alaska to be a Democrat stronghold after it became a state, so Puerto Rico could yet surprise us.
7. We Might Have Rediscovered New Zealand’s Greatest Lost Natural Wonder
New Zealand is undeniably a beautiful country. Yet, even the awe-inspiring landscapes we know today are overshadowed by the archipelago’s greatest lost treasure. In the 19th century, people traveled from around the world to see the terraces of Lake Rotomahana—striking pink and white steps over which warm waters cascaded. These terraces were once known as the 'eighth natural wonder of the world.'
In 1886, disaster struck. Mount Tarawera erupted with the force of Vesuvius, the catastrophic explosion that destroyed Pompeii. 150 people perished, and entire villages were buried beneath a blanket of ash. The iconic Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana were obliterated.
Or were they? This week, a team of researchers made a remarkable announcement. They believe they have located the site where the terraces now lie, perfectly preserved beneath 15 meters (49 feet) of earth. The eruption didn’t destroy them—it merely buried them. If these scientists are right, the terraces could be excavated, and this long-lost wonder could be restored.
6. Gadhafi’s Wild Son Was Released
Saif al-Islam Gadhafi was once viewed as Libya’s greatest hope. The son of Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, Saif was educated in London and presented himself as a moderate force in his father’s regime—a well-spoken technocrat with connections to the British establishment. It was hoped that he would succeed the 'Mad Dog' and lead Libya toward something resembling democracy.
The Arab Spring dashed those hopes.
As the revolution swept through Libya in 2011, Saif shed his image as the good guy and became complicit in his father’s violence against protestors. When the regime collapsed, he was captured by an Eastern militia, tried in absentia, and sentenced to death by the Western-backed government in Tripoli. After six years in prison, Saif was suddenly released this week. He is now a free man.
The order for his release is believed to have come from the Russian-supported government controlling eastern Libya, angering the Western-backed Tripoli government. The International Criminal Court quickly issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges, but his current location remains unknown. He may attempt to reenter Libya’s volatile political landscape, possibly destabilizing the country further.
5. Japan Enacted Some of the Most Extreme Anti-Terrorism Laws
Since the 1995 Tokyo subway gassing by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, Japan has largely remained untouched by terrorism in the postwar era. However, Shinzo Abe's government has become fixated on the non-issue of terrorism.
This week, Abe's ruling party pushed through an 'anti-terrorism' bill in the Diet. The bill has raised concerns among civil liberties defenders, as it holds all members of a group responsible if one person commits a crime. (Imagine being arrested because someone in your church or book club turned out to be a terrorist.) But it wasn't just guilt by association that raised eyebrows. Some of the acts the bill classifies as 'terrorism' are truly bizarre.
For instance, the bill designates illegal music piracy as terrorism. It also includes things like picking mushrooms in protected areas, using forged stamps, and, most ridiculously, 'competing in a motor boat race without a license.' If these are the sorts of activities Japanese 'terrorists' engage in, we'd gladly make a trade.
There may be some strategy behind this madness. Abe is facing a potential corruption scandal, and this bill could be his way of shifting the focus away from the issue.
4. London Endured a Horrific Tower Block Blaze
The tragic fire that tore through Grenfell Tower in West London this week came at the most devastating time. Britain is still recovering from a series of terrorist attacks that have claimed over 30 lives in the past three months. This fire adds to the growing list of heartbreaking disasters that have hit the country.
While terrorism is not believed to have played a role, the consequences were still devastating. After a fire broke out in one of the apartments in Grenfell Tower, the entire building was engulfed in flames. Many people were trapped as their homes were consumed by the inferno. As of now, 17 people have been confirmed dead, dozens are missing, and at least 30 remain in critical condition. The death toll is expected to rise. This is the worst fire London has seen in decades.
What makes this even more heartbreaking is how preventable it was. Tower blocks are designed to be self-contained, fire-resistant structures. A fire in one apartment should not spread to others. However, the addition of non-fire-resistant, energy-efficient cladding to the building's exterior in 2015 acted as an accelerant, causing the fire to engulf the entire block. The residents had raised alarms about the building's fire safety back in 2016, but their concerns were ignored by the local council. The lives of those affected were tragically lost.
3. A Gunman Finally Took Partisanship Too Far
Regardless of our political leanings, it's important to remember that our opponents are human beings. They are not inherently evil or bent on ruining the country. They're just regular people who enjoy everyday activities, like unwinding with a game of baseball. Unfortunately, it's far too easy to forget this basic truth.
On Wednesday, James Hodgkinson, a passionate Bernie Sanders supporter, approached a practice session for a charity baseball game between congressmen in Virginia. He asked which side, Democrats or Republicans, was playing. When told it was the Republicans, he pulled out a gun and opened fire. Four people were injured, including House majority whip Steve Scalise, who was critically wounded. If Scalise had not been there, the situation could have been much worse. As the third-highest ranking Republican in the House, he had an armed security detail, which likely saved many lives.
Hodgkinson was obviously disturbed, but his violence did not come from nowhere. It's likely that the vitriol and toxic rhetoric circulating in the media played a role. When we consistently dehumanize our opponents, we risk inciting violence. After Jared Lee Loughner shot Gabby Giffords in 2011, many rightly criticized the violent language of the right-wing. Now, the left wing is also fueling anger, and it's time for those who condemned Loughner to hold themselves to the same standards.
If media outlets, whether liberal or conservative, continue to portray their political opponents as evil, this is the inevitable result: a bloodied field near Washington and a father of two fighting for his life. No matter how much you disagree with liberals or how much conservatives disgust you, it's time to recognize that these are real people—good people—with families and loved ones. They don't deserve to suffer the fate that nearly befell Scalise. If we all keep this in mind, we may be able to put an end to the poisonous partisan rhetoric that fuels people like Hodgkinson in the first place.
2. President Trump Faces Investigation
It feels like there’s a new scandal to report every week from the White House, and this week is no different. After former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony last week indicated that President Trump wasn’t personally under investigation, a new story in The Washington Post dashed any sense of relief within the White House. According to anonymous sources, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating the president directly for obstruction of justice.
The focus of this investigation is on President Trump’s abrupt firing of Comey in May, a decision that was allegedly made to derail the FBI’s investigation into the disgraced General Flynn. The timing could not be worse, as Trump’s advisors are openly considering whether to dismiss Mueller due to his ties with Comey. Moreover, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has stated that, as Mueller’s appointing authority, only he can fire him, meaning that any attempt to remove Mueller could cause major turmoil within the Department of Justice.
1. Catalonia Announces a Date for Its Independence Referendum
The Spanish constitution explicitly prohibits secession, which has led Madrid to take a firm stance against independence movements for many years. However, there's only so long you can suppress growing tensions. This week, Catalonia, with its capital in Barcelona, set the date for its much-anticipated independence referendum. On October 1, voters will decide whether they want to establish their own republic. This vote could trigger a political crisis in Spain.
In 2014, a symbolic vote among Catalans showed overwhelming support for independence, with 80 percent in favor of breaking away from Spain. Madrid quickly declared the referendum illegal just days before it occurred and removed the Catalan president when it went ahead. They’ve already threatened to block this new vote, and their tactics in doing so could lead to major unrest.
Article 155 of Spain’s constitution gives Madrid the power to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy. This means they could silence the regional government, close down schools and public offices, and take control of local police forces. If Catalonia resists, it doesn’t take much imagination to predict how mass protests could disrupt Spain’s economy, especially in a region that contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP.
