2018 has been a long and eventful year, especially in the political arena. Here are some of the top stories - the good, the bad, and the ugly - that media outlets and audiences have been following and that will surely continue to have impact as 2019 rolls in.
Gun violence in the U.S. peaks
Gun politics has always been a point of contention in U.S politics, as it is a constitutionally protected right, but this year in particular, it dominated media outlets across the U.S.
According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been a total of 54,556 gun incidents in the U.S in 2018, with 13,998 deaths and 26,990 injuries. 333 of these incidents were mass shooting, the most recent being the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in late October in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fired killing eleven people.
After the Parkland, Florida shooting in Feb. 2018, which claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members, U.S President Donald Trump defended the Second Amendment and called for a strengthening of federal background checks and a ban on devices that allow guns to rapidly fire.
With gun violence at a 40-year high, Trump is facing increasing pressure from those who want stricter laws and those who do not.
Migrant caravan heading to the U.S.
More than 7,000 Central American migrants fleeing persecution, poverty and violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have arrived at the U.S-Mexico border after travelling more than 4,000 km, according to official figures released by the Mexican Interior Ministry.
They are staying in temporary shelters in the border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali. Smaller groups of migrants who have not yet reached the U.S border are currently travelling through Mexico.
This has sparked international interest, and outrage among some in the U.S. who do not welcome the migrants.
President Trump has dubbed the migrant caravan ‘an invasion’ and has deployed almost 6,000 troops to the southern border as of mid-November 2018.
The situation came to a head in mid-November, when U.S agents tear gassed migrants, who had apparently attempted to rush the border.
Since wait times for recent arrivals are expected to take months, this is sure to be a story to follow throughout the next year.
Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump form a relationship
2018 saw a new era of U.S-North Korea relations. The first Trump-Kim summit took place in June in Singapore, where the two sides exchanged opinions and concerns in regards to the relationship between the two nations.
President Trump committed to offering security guarantees to North Korea, while Kim reaffirmed commitments to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Although a vague agreement, this summit was the first of its kind, and future summits will be a story to watch in 2019.
For now though, progress has been stalled. Pyongyang wants relief of punishing international sanctions in exchange for steps it has already taken, such as dismantling a nuclear test site, but Washington is holding out for complete denuclearization. That said, both sides have held high-level talks since the summit.
Puerto Rico without power
Although Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico Sept. 16, 2017, the aftermath of the Category 4 hurricane has continued to critically impact the archipelago in 2018.
More than 10,000 people were without power for eight months, as the storm decimated the island’s electrical grid, making it the largest blackout in U.S. history, and the second largest in the world.
As of August 2018, out of nearly 1.4 million Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) customers, 25 were still in the dark.
The slow restoration of power, due largely to PREPA facing widespread criticism for signing a $300 million contract to restore power with Whitefish Energy Holdings, which only had two employees at the time, has been cited by some residents and researchers as the cause of dozens of deaths that occurred after the storm.
Federal officials have also stated that restoration was further slowed by the island’s remote location and poor infrastructure.
Brett Kavanaugh and the #MeToo movement
The #MeToo movement has evolved drastically between 2017 and 2018, as victims of sexual assault and their allies continue to demand accountability.
For many, the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, despite allegations by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and others, highlighted a stark truth - that we have a long way to go in terms of hearing and bringing justice to survivors.
Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual assault dating back to the 1980s, all of which he denied.
Congressional lawmakers were split on how to proceed, with Republicans pushing for Trump’s pick to be confirmed and Democrats calling for a delay so that the FBI could investigate allegations.
Canada and the U.S. alike were captivated as a hearing took place to investigate the allegations. On Oct. 6, the Senate voted 50-48 confirming his nomination.
Accused of being a political pawn, Blasey Ford received backlash from many of Kavanaugh’s supporters.
The #MeToo movement itself has faced some backlash as well, but as sexual harassment and assault allegations continue to surface across various industries, #MeToo is sure to live on through 2019.
The Royal Wedding captivates hearts around the world
Whether you love, hate, or simply don’t care about the British monarchy, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t follow, at least to some extent, the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, exchanged vows and rings before the Queen and 600 guests at St. George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018.
The royal couple favoured donations to a select few charities in lieu of wedding presents.
The wedding was considered significant largely for its departure from the tradition typically associated with the Royal Family, as Markle’s father was not in attendance and it took place on a weekend, not the traditional weekday.
Some argue that the inclusion of African-American culture in its service is a milestone in the Royal family’s history, while others suggest that Markle being biracial limits that impact.
Trump-Russia investigation drags on
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation began in May 2017, but has sprawled over the course of 2018, making headlines throughout the year.
So far, Mueller’s team has indicted or received guilty pleas from 33 people and three companies that have been made public, including 26 Russian nationals, three Russian companies, one California man, and one London-based lawyer. Seven total have pleaded guilty.
These allegations range from making false statements to the F.B.I, conspiracy charges, identity theft, obstruct justice by tampering with witnesses, hacking e-mails during the election, tax and bank charges.
So far, none of Trump’s associates have been charged specifically with crimes relating to helping Russia interfere with the 2016 elections, however, five have pleaded guilty to other crimes.
The sentencing of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, to three years in prison makes him the most high-profile associate in conjunction to the investigation.
This has raised questions about how much legal trouble Trump may face as investigators dig into his past, which we may see play out in 2019.
Trump’s unprecedented tweets
Whether it has startled, angered, entertained or humoured you, President Donald Trump’s use of Twitter to break news, share his opinion on political and criminal matters, feud with critics, and even conduct diplomacy has attracted worldwide attention.
The White House has stated that his tweets are official statements, and should carry the same authority as a comment issued by his press office.
In his own words, Trump has said “My use of social media is not presidential. It’s modern day presidential.”
Results of the greatly anticipated U.S. mid-term
All eyes were on the U.S as its citizens decided their political agenda for the next two years in November 2018.
The Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives with 234 votes, ultimately giving them the power to investigate President Donald Trump, breaking an eight-year hold that the Republicans’ had on the lower house.
However, the Republicans increased their previous 51-49 Senate majority by two seats, solidifying their control and opening a new era of divided government.
Having seen the U.S largely polarized and divided in terms of politics, these results are sure to make for an interesting dynamic moving into 2019, likely riddled with legislative deadlock.
Jamal Khashoggi murder and its subsequent implications
The assassination of Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi rocked the news world in October as disturbing allegations came to light.
Murdered in Istanbul’s Saudi Arabia consulate, Turkish officials stated that they have evidence that the critic of the Saudi government was killed by a team of Saudi agents on orders that came from the highest levels of government.
Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor, on the other hand, said that Khashoggi was killed inside the building on the orders of a rogue intelligence officer.
In November of this year, eleven Saudi Nationals were charged with murdering Khashoggi by lethal injection and dismembering him. His body has not been found.
Saudi officials continued to deny that the Saudi Royal Family was involved in, ordered, or sanctioned the killing. The assassination has caused a diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and its closest allies, including the U.S, as the actions have been internationally condemned.
The U.S, Canada, France, and the U.K have all levied sanctions against 18 Saudis, but many citizens see this as not severe enough.
The leaders of these countries are now facing pressure to cancel arms deals with Saudi Arabia like Germany, Finland, and Denmark have.
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