Notre Dame students are smart—no doubt about that—but there’s a difference between being intelligent and being informed. You may excel in the classroom, but education needs worldly context beyond your ND bubble. This weekly column exists to keep you up to date with the latest happenings around the nation in 500 words or less. We do the research, you do the reading. HCNDXO
Hilary Clinton Wins the Nevada Caucuses
This weekend, Hill won that Nevada Democratic Party primary caucuses, taking 52.6% of the votes. Much of her support came from a large population of Hispanic and African-American voters in the state. After Nevada, Clinton’s delegate count is at 502, a strong lead against Sander’s 70. For those who do not know, in order to win the Democratic nomination, a candidate needs 2,383 delegates. In essence, Sanders has a long way to go, but he thinks he is going to make the upset of the century. Meanwhile, many democrats think that this win in the contested state of Nevada may have just solidified Clinton’s nomination. We will see what happens though come July.
Uber Driver Kills 6 On Shooting Spree in Kalamazoo, Mich.
On Saturday, Feb. 20, an Uber driver went on a seven-hour killing spree in Kalamazoo, Mich., killing six people and injuring 2 others. The accused shooter Jason Dalton is set to be charged for the six counts of murder, two counts of assault and eight firearm charges. Dalton began his spree around 5:40 pm Saturday when he shot a woman in the parking lot of a townhomes complex. The woman, who was with her daughter at the time of the shooting, is expected to survive. Dalton continued to drive for 7 hours stopping sporadically and gunning down people in Kalamazoo County, picking up Uber passengers in between shootings. One man who spoke to police requested an Uber ride that night rather than walking home when he heard a shooter was on the loose. Dalton, coincidentally, was his driver. He joked with him, asking Dalton if he were the shooter, to which Dalton said no, and they had a normal conversation for the rest of the ride. Dalton’s motives are still unknown and one of the two surviving assault victims, a 14-year-old girl, remains in very critical condition at the hospital.
Jeb Bush Pulls Out of the Race After Sinking in the S.C. Primaries
After winning only 7.8% of the vote in the South Carolina Republican primaries, Jeb Bush has suspended his campaign for the Republican Party nomination. Though he came in 4th out of 6th in the state’s primary vote, Bush decided that given his similarly low New Hampshire and Iowa results, 4th was not enough to keep him going. He was done. Now with Bush resigned there remains only 5 Republican Candidates: Trump, Kasich, Cruz, Rubio and Carson.
Harper Lee Passes Away
On Friday, Feb. 29, Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Harper Lee passed away in her sleep at the age of 89. Lee had been living at Meadows, an assisted living facility in Monroeville, Ala. Before her death, she had slowly been going both blind and deaf. Lee was buried in Pineville Cemetery next to her parents at a small, private ceremony. Lee will live on in the memory of the many fans of her novel To Kill A Mockingbird and in its beloved characters: Atticus, Scout and Boo.
We hope after this little update that you’re feeling more informed about what’s happening outside of our home under the dome. Clearly a lot can happen in one weekend. Stay tuned next week for more updates.