Domestic: 

On Tuesday, U.S. President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address. In this speech, he touched upon four major points: tax cuts and regulations concerning the economy, potential health care legislation, the trade deal with China and foreign policies with the Middle East, and criticism of socialism in Venezuela. He finished his speech by presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh. Although Trump did not directly address his impeachment trial, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s appearance behind Trump provided a stark reminder about the looming vote.

Legendary television and theatre producer Lucy Jarvis passed away on Jan. 26 at the age of 102, in Manhattan, New York. Throughout her lifetime, she was well-known for gaining access to hard-to-crack locations such as the Soviet Union and China during the Cold War. She earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics and nutrition at Cornell University, while also taking part in the drama club. Afterward, she started working in a talk show and ended as a producer at NBC before creating her own production company: Creative Projects. Jarvis is survived by her son and granddaughter after her successful career left an imprint on the media industry.

International: 

In the most recent update on the coronavirus epidemic, Hong Kong has imposed further quarantines as the death toll rose to over 500. So far, over 24,000 people have been reported to have been infected and this insurgence shows no signs of stopping. The mortality rate of 2 percent is mostly due to the high number of infections and not the deadliness of the virus itself. On a more domestic scale, the second group of Americans was evacuated from China on Wednesday morning. Additionally, many institutions across the United States, including the University, have recognized and raised precautionary awareness around the issue.

On Tuesday, a judge in South Africa formally issued an arrest warrant for former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma had continuously avoided appearing in court on a corruption case for months. Most recently, he has claimed to be suffering from illness and is seeking treatment in Cuba until mid-March. Prosecutors have requested evidence of his health records. Prior to the arrest warrant, which will not come into effect until the resumption of the case in May, Zuma had publicly denied the charges of corruption, money laundering, and racketeering related to an arms deal during his presidency.