AP exams begin, world news makes firsts
May 6, 2016
sJust as the week of May 2 marks the beginning of Advanced Placement exams, it’s also the beginning for U.S. amendments in foreign relations. However, several political endeavors are coming to a close as the 2016 presidential race surges forward.
U.S. Cruise to Cuba (5/2)
On Monday, an American cruise from Miami docked in Havana for the first time in decades. About 700 passengers traveling on the Carnival Adonia set a precedent in recent relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Crowds onboard for the seven-day expedition chanted “Cuba!” as the ship docked in the port.
Several Cuban Americans see this as the first step for bettering relations between the land of the free and the Communist country. Large welcoming parties greeted passengers with music, dancers and beverages. Havana was the first of three stops in Cuban cities with Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba next up on the list.
While this voyage charted new and exciting waters, it faced resistance with picketers and protesters lined up for the sendoff. Lots of the resistance came from embittered individuals who oppose Castro’s slow reluctance to allow Cuban Americans back into the country. One sign said “Castro why do you ask Cubans for a Visa to visit their own country?”
Cruz Suspends Campaign (5/3)
Following the Tuesday Indiana primary, Republican candidate Ted Cruz announced the end of his campaign for the party’s nomination. In recent weeks, Cruz pelted front-runner Donald Trump with a series of attacks, hoping for a contested party convention. However, Trump clinched all 57 delegates from Indiana with a 53.3 percent win.
“With a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign,” Cruz said during his suspension announcement.
Cruz’s suspension comes just a few days after his announcement of previous candidate Carly Fiorina as his running mate. This last-ditch effort to gain support didn’t pull the necessary votes Cruz hoped for. Trump moves on to the Nebraska primary on May 10 with 1,053 delegates out of the 1,237 majority cut-off.
Kasich Cuts Candidacy (5/4)
Following Cruz’s Tuesday dropout, candidate John Kasich announced his campaign suspension early Wednesday. Kasich, the last-man-standing against frontrunner Trump, understood the imminent defeat he would face at the national party convention.
Kasich was a solid 900 delegates behind Trump after the Indiana primary, in which Kasich picked up a total of zero delegates. His campaign never posed a great threat to the other candidates, even after his Ohio home state victory back in March. Before Cruz dropped out, Kasich was pulling up the rear with a total of 153 delegates, falling behind Cruz’s 564.
The Kasich campaign had plans to continue on to the next primaries, even setting up fundraising events and rallies in upcoming states. However, Kasich leaves on the note that “as I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward, and fulfill the purpose of my life,” he said to reporters back in Ohio.
The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to it mission statement, the FDA is “responsible for protecting the public health by assuring safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.” So practically everything under the sun…
Except for tobacco and “vaping” products. Until now, the FDA had no regulations over E-cigarettes, premium cigars, hookahs and other tobacco products. Going into effect on August 8, 2016, tobacco products will be subject to review before hitting the market. The FDA will be able to evaluate claims, ingredients, risks and how products are made.
Before approving its passage, the FDA took over 130,000 comments into account regarding the products being limited in the act. Tobacco use, according to the FDA, is the “single largest preventable cause of disease and death in the United States.” The American Lung Association believes this new regulation has been “long-awaited” and will protect the public in years to come.
