National

Even if it no longer is the center of media attention, the war between Ukraine and Russia is still happening as it draws towards its one year anniversary.

The 118th Congress has been sworn in, and with it comes a bunch of shake ups in the House of Representatives. The long and strenuous election of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House can be left for another time. This new congress saw a new generation of House Democratic leaders, with Hakeem Jeffries as the new caucus leader. So who is he?

This past week, the victors of the 2022 midterm elections were sworn into their two year terms--just like the 118 times prior. However, this process was not one of routine; instead, it was marred with the failure to elect a speaker and almost persistent negotiation to get one. It wasn’t until early in the morning of January 7th that the house finally decided on who the next speaker would be: U.S. Representative from California's 20th congressional district Kevin McCarthy (R).

TikTok, the second most popular social media platform that 2/3 of teens use, has been banned from US federal devices as Congress passes a new bill restricting its access to government information. Officials are worried about the security threat this popular app poses, as user data, American interests, and locations can be easily accessed by the Chinese government.

The CDC reported a surprising spike in drug-related deaths among elderly Americans late November.

On January 4, the Biden administration announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be missing several self-imposed deadlines in March 2023 for making major environmental standards. If delayed for too long, these regulations could be vulnerable to future legal challenges.

It is without doubt that the Bomb Cyclone of 2022 will go down in history as one of the most catastrophic and devastating winter storms the city of Buffalo has ever faced.

Two Trump Organization companies, The Trump Corp. and The Trump Payroll Corp. were found guilty on all charges concerning tax fraud and falsifying records in connection with a 15 year plot to defraud tax authorities.

On Thursday, December 8th, the U.S. Congress passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects one’s right to same-sex marriages. It is a landmark law that repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and is a huge step forward for LGBT equality and rights in the United States.

The college admission process for high school seniors across the country has become increasingly competitive and demanding. For the elite schools, students need to be the best of the best, pressured to overload in extracurriculars, maintain exceedingly high GPA’s, and sandwich as many AP’s as possible within the span of four years. An acceptance into a university in The Ivy League, eight of the nation's most prestigious institutions, is a dream shared by tens of thousands of students each year. But questions have been raised regarding the schools’ attention and support for students’ mental health due to the continued suicides and the insensitive withdrawal policy from one of the most renowned universities of the eight: Yale.