Three American Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

November 27th

This week three American soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni Province. This marks the deadliest attack on U.S. forces this year in the 17 year old war. Three other service members were wounded, along with an American contractor. A spokesmen for the U.S. forces, Lt. Ubon Mendie, stated that the wounded service members and contractor were evacuated and are receiving medical care. The killed soldiers remained unnamed until the news was delivered to their families. The Taliban have claimed responsibility and according to The Washington Post their attack on the U.S. came three months after U.S. Special Forces were sent to prevent the city from falling to the Taliban.

United States-Mexico Border Migrants

All week

Last Sunday, U.S. authorities fired tear gas to repel hundreds of migrants who dashed to the U.S. border fence. Mexican authorities arrested 98 migrants south of the border, and Chief Patrol Agent Rodney Scott reported that about 42 people who managed to cross the border were arrested on the U.S. side. This confrontation has been an outcome of the last two weeks, during which thousands of migrants have camped out at Little Padres baseball field in Tijuana, Mexico. The migrants were part of the famous caravan, some of them traveling as much as 3,000 miles. These migrants were seeking asylum after facing persecution in their home country and are asking the U.S. to legally accept them as residents. The problem is that only 40 to 100 people are allowed in the U.S. every day. The federal government is aware of the problem, with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General reporting it back in September. President Trump has talked about the threat of the “migrant caravan,” and of his decision to send nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S. Mexican border. Trump has also stated that he's "given the OK" for U.S. forces to "use lethal force" against the migrant caravan. As for the migrants back at the baseball field, conditions are only getting worse, from overflowing trash cans to showering under cold water spilling from the pipes along the outfield wall.

Nancy Pelosi Nominated for Speaker of the House

November 28th

Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, was nominated by Democrats to be the new Speaker of the House. She represents California’s 12th Congressional District which covers most of San Francisco. In 2007, Democrats were the majority party in the House and Pelosi was elected as the first female Speaker of the House, serving from 2007 to 2011. The Speaker is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives and acts as presiding officer, administrative head and elected member. The Speaker is also the second in line to the presidency after the Vice President. With a Democratic majority in the House after the 2018 midterms, Pelosi is so far the only candidate that has been put forward. While receiving opposition from some Democrats, Pelosi still remains confident in her bid as Speaker. Pelosi plans to use the advantage of a Democratic majority to push for protection of voting rights in the next session. Though there were contentions in the past, President Trump has agreed to cooperate with Pelosi to secure her seat as Speaker.

NASA’s InSight spacecraft

November 26th

On Monday, Nov. 26, NASA’s newest probe, InSight, successfully touched down on Mars. The InSight lander -- short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport -- is the newest robot sent to the red planet. Its mission is to study the crust, mantle and core of Mars. By finding out how Mars was formed, scientists can gain insights on how other rocky planets (such as our own) were formed. Equipped with the latest tools, it is the first probe that will be able to study the interior of Mars. InSight was accompanied by two other probes; MarCO, or Mars Cube One, was launched with InSight with the goal of providing communications about the InSight landing. Nicknamed Wall-E and Eva, these two briefcase-sized orbitals are the first deep space use of a "CubeSat" design. Wall-E and Eva will fly towards Mars in an attempt to demonstrate that small satellites can be used to explore deep space and still be able to support landing operations and communications.

Mueller Investigation Claims Paul Manafort Lied, Michael Cohen Admits to Lying to Congress

November 26th; November 29th

On Nov. 26, a court filing from special counsel Robert Mueller claimed that Paul Manafort, former 2016 campaign manager for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, violated his plea agreement by lying to the FBI and special counsel’s team about an unspecified variety of topics. On Nov. 30, prosecutors argued this during a court hearing, and also announced that they would consider further charges in light of the information. Manafort and his lawyers deny that he lied to investigators. In a Nov. 28 New York Post interview, Trump continued his criticism of the Mueller investigation and said that a pardon for Manafort was not discussed, but also “not off the table.”

On Nov. 29, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the extent of Trump’s 2016 discussions about building a skyscraper in Moscow. While these business negotiations were occuring, Trump was publicly advocating for better relations between the U.S. and Russia, as well as proposing that Obama-era economic sanctions be removed. In response to the news, Trump attacked Cohen in front of reporters, calling him a “weak person.”

Readers may have noticed a lack of analysis accompanying these stories, this is because a more in-depth explanation of the Mueller Investigation is currently in the works. Check back with The North Star for it and its continual updates!