It seems to me that the news cycle surrounding the presidential race this year has become omnipresent with no chance of escape. None of the large news organizations seem to care of anything aside from praising their preferred candidate and bashing the opposition. Political discourse itself seems to have devolved into a competition between the mainstream left and right of who can assassinate the other’s character better, each strike being larger and more absurd than the last.

This realization of mine came last Friday night when I had come home from an evening spent with friends to my parents watching CNN. This was the day that the video of Donald Trump talking with the Access Hollywood reporter from 2005 was released, an event which coincided with the landfall of Hurricane Matthew. According to my parents watching, CNN had been cycling through rounds of three to five pundits for hours, all giving their two cents on Trump’s lewd comments while taking the time to yell at one another.

Amidst the cacophonous uproar of the talking heads, I began to scan the text crawl at the bottom of the screen. The crawl was talking of the destruction in Haiti by Hurricane Matthew and the predicted death toll nearing 1,000 (it currently sits at 902) and I couldn’t help but notice how backwards the entire spectacle was. Hundreds of people are dead, thousands are in desperate need of aid, America’s coastal states are soon to be hit by this storm, and CNN found it more worthwhile to cover some gross banter Trump had with a nobody reporter over ten years ago for an obscene amount of time.

Disgusted doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. This organization has one of the largest platforms in the entire world. When CNN speaks, people listen. They, along with Fox News and MSNBC, have an absolutely insane reach, but they seem more content to sling mud at one another than bring light to actual issues in the world. So, in an attempt to bring some small amount of light to some of these actual issues, I’ve written out this list as a sort of dossier on what has been going on in the world outside of our current political circus.

1.) Diplomatic Relations Between the US and Russia Have Broken Down

Violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo has increased in recent months, the city now in a state of near-lawlessness. Both the US and Russia have been sending humanitarian and military aid to the region, though there have been talks of a ceasefire. However, there has been a worrying lack of communication from American forces, which seems to be deliberate. As these diplomatic talks have ceased, the violence in Aleppo has increased, and Russia has suspended accords with the US that were designed to take steps toward mutual denuclearization. In response to this...

2.) The Russian Government Schedules Emergency Nuclear Response Drills for Millions of Citizens

Following the lack of diplomatic relations in regards to Aleppo, the Russian government seems to be fearing the worst. The Kremlin is ordering over 40 million citizens and rescue workers to participate in this massive drill, occurring just hours after the Department of Defense announced the cessation of amicable interactions with Russia. Though it is possible this is merely a coincidence of terrifying proportions, the fact that this is the Kremlin's response to a breakdown in diplomatic communication is incredibly troubling.

3.) Bees Are Now On the Endangered Species List

Bees are an incredibly important part of the global ecosystem and are all but necessary for the continued success of many species of plants and animals. Bees pollinate plants which serve as the base for a majority of the food chain, which includes humans. However, bees being put on the list of endangered species can only mean negative things for the health of all life on Earth, human or otherwise.

4.) The DAPL Protests Are Still Going On, and They're Getting Ugly

Though this protest attracted some large attention, the mainstream media seems to have forgotten that this environmental disaster in the making even exists. Thankfully, some have not. However, land claimed by eminent domain for the construction of the pipeline has yet to be returned, and the police are turning this peaceful act of civil disobedience into a bloody conflict.

5.) Hurricane Matthew Is Incredibly Destructive

Fortunately, awareness of this storm's potential has reached a wide array of people, as Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia have all declared states of emergency. However, the scope of the damage done by this storm is drastically underreported. Over 800 people were killed in Haiti, a number which is compounded by a cholera outbreak caused by the mixing of drinking and waste water following the storm. In America, over 12 million people are under a hurricane advisory, and mass infrastructure damage and power outages are expected. If you are in any of the areas affected by this storm, please take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety.