Ethan Zubkoff

Contributing Writer

International

• A shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya became a battleground on Sept. 21 as armed militia stormed the mall killing more than 60 civilians and wounding scores more. The siege came to an end on Sept. 24 as police and military forces reclaimed the mall, killing five terrorists and capturing 11. The terrorist group al-Shabaab, an affiliate of Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist attack marks Kenya’s largest since the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi. (Reuters and the Washington Post)
• Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed hope before the United Nations General Assembly that the UN Security Council could reach an agreement on a resolution this week about Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. The resolution would require all five permanent members of the Security Council (Russia, China, the United States, Britain, and France) to agree to the plan. (Reuters)
• A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit western Pakistan on Sept. 24, killing more than 250 people. The quake caused a portion of seabed to rise and create a small island about 600 meters off the nation’s western border in the Arabian Sea. (Reuters)
• On Sept. 26 at the United Nations, a meeting took place between Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. This was the highest level of engagement taken between the US and Iran in more than 30 years. (The Wall Street Journal)

National

• North Carolina Central University campus police shot and killed an armed gunman late on Sept. 23. The man, who was not a student of the University, fired a shotgun at police which prompted them to initiate a three-hour lockdown of the University. No officers were injured. (Reuters)
• Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas filibustered for 21 hours on Sept. 25 against a White House plan to implement another segment of the Affordable Care Act next week. Across the capitol, Congressional Democrats and Republicans must reach a budget deal to prevent a government shutdown. The House already passed a measure to keep the government running until December, but their plan would strip funding from the Affordable Care Act. Senate Democrats have already refused to consider such a plan. (The Washington Post)
• Secretary of State John Kerry signed the UN Arms Trade Treaty on Sept. 25, which set standards for any and all cross-border transfers of conventional weapons. The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims that the treaty will undermine American sovereignty, a point Kerry has repeatedly attempted to address. (Reuters)

State

• The Marcellus Shale Coalition on Sept. 25 began its Shale Insight Conference in Philadelphia. The coalition is comprised of  drilling industry leaders, and usually attracts protesters concerned about the environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing and other drilling practices. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich closed the conference with a speech yesterday. (StateImpact – NPR)