June has begun and a multitude of events have been underway as tensions rise in politics and sports. Importantly, some of the most important developments this week have been just getting started and reaching their climax.
NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs & New York Knicks
NEW YORK --- Some of the most decisive games have been played during this week, with the San Antonio Spurs’ turnaround being hinted at with their June 8th game at Madison Square Garden, taking their first win against the New York Knicks after 2 consecutive losses. In an even more climactic comeback, the New York Knicks managed to close a 29-point deficit in the fourth game and emerge victorious, leading the NBA finals 3-1 and needing just one more win to take it all. In a tense game, the Knicks managed to win the NBA finals in the fifth game. Taking home a victory after 53 years without a championship win
More shockingly, the victory of the Knicks has brought a whirlwind of chaos to New York! Reportedly, a fan of the Spurs was attacked by Knicks fans in New York due to their Spurs jersey and this wasn’t an isolated event, with more events like this occurring and large celebrations appearing more like riots.
World Cup Kickoff
MEXICO CITY --- The FIFA World Cup has officially started, with the opener game between Mexico and South Africa resulting in a Mexican win 2-0. However, while the games themselves are tense and important, some more underlying issues have been brewing as a result of this championship.
The US has denied Somali referee Omar Artan entry at Miami International Airport, sparking more criticisms in regards to US immigration regulations. Omar Artan was set to be the first Somali referee for the FIFA World Cup in history. Further, the rivalries between nations during the World Cup have not just been limited to soccer games, but rather proxies of existing political conflicts. For example, the growing discontent with South Africa and Argentina due to historic racism and xenophobia has led growing transnational unity against these two nations. For instance, Latin America has seemed to disown Argentina just as Africa has disowned South Africa. It’s safe to say the FIFA World Cup is kicking off with tense conflict already!
Artemis III Crew Controversy
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- On June 9th, NASA announced their crew for their next step in their Artemis program that seeks to build bases on the moon. Their next step, Artemis III, the third launch out of the five planned for the Artemis program, is going to consist of four crew members. Randy Bresnik is the planned commander, an experienced astronaut with history including days spent in the ISS. From the European Space Agency, Luca Parmitano is planned to be the pilot for Artemis III, an Italian astronaut who also holds experience with the ISS as a commander. Back to NASA, Frank Rubio is the first expected Mission Specialist, who holds the U.S. record for the longest single spaceflight which lasted 371 days. Andre Douglas, the second expected Mission Specialist, was originally the backup crew member for Artemis II and is now taking his first mission to space with Artemis III.
Despite an incredibly prepared crew, the announced crew of Artemis III has sparked some controversy, particularly due to the absence of a female crew member. Christina Koch, a Mission Specialist for Artemis II, significantly gained popularity with the female audience of Artemis II and was seen as a female symbol of power and equality. However, the announcement of an all-male crew seems to have reversed this progress in the public eye, and upset proponents of Koch and female inclusivity in the Artemis program. Still, Artemis III looks promising in keeping up the momentum of the Artemis program to hopefully achieve a permanent moon base.
Iran-US Conflict Ends?
TEHRAN --- President Donald J. Trump has continued to push for a peace deal with Iran in an effort to extinguish the conflict in the Middle East. Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, brokered a peace deal between the US and Iran with the assistance of other parties such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Fortunately, the final text of this peace deal has been agreed upon after many rounds of negotiations taking place in various areas such as Italy and Pakistan. The official signing ceremony is set to take place June 19th in Switzerland. Still, controversy surrounds the title of a “peace deal” being agreed upon, with critics calling the peace deal more of a ceasefire that has already been put in place. Truthfully, the deal reopens the Strait of Hormuz and lifts embargoes. However, a deal regarding the nuclear program of Iran which was what kicked off the entire conflict has yet to be reached. Still, the opening of the strait makes slight progress towards a possible end to the conflict between the US and Iran.
The US and Iran have a profound history rooted in disagreements and tension; however open warfare has only recently escalated in February. Iran and US conflict broke out when Israeli and American airstrikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as attacking various strategic sites in part of a larger operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”. While immediate speculation believed that the assassination of Khamenei could put an end to Iranian counterattacks in similar fashion to Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela and subsequent capture of President Maduro, the reality has been a stark contrast. Conflict continued to escalate sharply as Iran began to retaliate against Western intervention, but the recent peace deal offers a possible reversal in the trajectory of the Iran-US conflict.
Trump Administration & Immigration
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Trump Administration has resumed and intensified border regulations and restrictions with the signing of the Secure America Act. The roughly $70 billion bill provides significant amount of money to agencies responsible for regulating the border. Inside the bill, $38 billion is allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion is allocated to Border Patrol, and $5 billion is for “unforeseen costs”. This is a continuity in the Trump Administration’s focus on “securing the borders” and funding agencies responsible for controlling immigration.
The Trump Administration’s proposed $100,000 fee on H1B visas has been struck down by federal judge Leo Sorokin, ruling it as an unconstitutional tax. The proposed fee was intended to deter foreign workers from coming to America, the fee would promote American-born workers. However, the federal judge ruled that this was an overreach of power and that congress can levy this tax but Trump could not.
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