If you're anything like me then you may have had a difficult time finding anything on the news besides politics. It seems that every news website has an overabundance of political themed articles, and as such, it seems that many important events get lost in the sea of red and blue. This article, however, will contain absolutely no political information because let's face it--there's probably at least ten articles on your Facebook page right now that adequately cover anything you may want to know about Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders.
1. College student from the United States sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor in North Korea.
Otto Warmbier, a college student from the University of Virginia, was arrested on January 2 after stealing a propaganda poster in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. After a one-hour trial this Wednesday, March 16, Warmbrier was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor. His extreme punishment has infuriated both the White House and rights' activists. He is not the first American citizen to face such a harsh sentence and sadly will likely not be the last. North Korea has arrested Americans many times in order to secure high-profile visits from the United States. In 2014, three Americans were released from North Korean authority, and one can only hope that is the case with Otto Warmbrier.
2. SeaWorld ending orca breeding.
Since the release of "Blackfish" in 2013, animal rights activists have protested against and criticized SeaWorld, resulting in a decline in park attendance. On Thursday, March 17, SeaWorld announced that it is ending the orca whale breeding program and will begin phasing out the orca whales shows. The orca whales currently kept there will stay in the park for the remainder of their lives as they are unable to defend themselves in the wild after being kept in captivity for so long. This is a huge step in the right direction for SeaWorld, and even if this was only done in order to please the public and raise attendance, it goes to show you that with persistence we can make great changes in the world.
3. Devastating flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi.
While the storm itself technically occurred the week before last, many communities are still being flooded due to rising rivers and streams. The effects of the storm will be seen throughout Louisiana and Mississippi for many weeks, and thousands of people's lives have been irrevocably changed as a result of losing their homes and in some cases, loved ones. Rivers are now reaching record highs, and we can only hope that the effects of more flooding will not be so devastating.
4. Puppy found after being lost at sea for five weeks.
On Tuesday, March 15, a German Shepherd puppy named Luna was found after being presumed dead for nearly five weeks. She fell overboard just off of Southern California near the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island on February 10th. After a week of searching for her, the family lost hope and assumed she had died. On Tuesday, however, Navy staff on their way to work spotted what has been called a miracle. Luna was sitting by the road after somehow swimming the two miles back to shore, and she has now been joyfully reunited with her family.
5. Last surviving French terrorist arrested.
On November 13, 2015, the world was rocked to its core when Paris was attacked by ISIS, leaving one hundred and thirty people dead. Last Friday, March 18, Salah Abdeslam was captured during an anti-terror raid by armed police in Brussels, Belgium. He is believed to be the last surviving member of the terrorist group that attacked Paris. It is believed he fled Paris after refusing to blow himself up. His capture follows the burial of his brother Brahim, who did blow himself up during the massacre, and he was arrested mere hours after prosecutors revealed that his fingerprints had been found in a different apartment in Brussels. Last Friday justice for the citizens of Paris began, and I'm sure many can breathe easier now knowing that the last surviving terrorist is in custody.
