A lot has happened in the world over the short Thanksgiving break. Let’s catch up on the major news headlines:
Thanksgiving weekend sees a record number of shoppers
The United States saw 197 million shoppers between Thursday, Nov. 28 and Monday, Dec. 2, with 14 million more than projected, according to Reuters. Online and in-person shoppers were nearly equal, at 81.3 million and 81.7 million, respectively.
The most commonly bought items were electronics and jewelry. However, it’s also important to note that some retail companies have had Black Friday deals for weeks before Thanksgiving weekend, which may have influenced the data. Reuters estimates this year to have slow-growing holiday sales due to the short amount of time before Christmas this year.
Massive snowstorm across East Coast
Over the weekend, parts of New York issued emergency declarations due to a major snowstorm that blanketed areas with at least two feet of snow, according to CBS. Pennsylvania enacted a disaster declaration, with three feet of snow in Erie County. Ohio and Michigan also suffered multiple feet of snow. Parts of I-90 were closed due to the immense levels of snowfall. Areas near the Great Lakes are still experiencing snowfall, which is projected to travel through the Northeast and toward the Atlantic over the next few days, as of Dec. 4, according to snow-forcast.com.
The first female president in Namibia elected
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, a 72-year-old woman from the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) became the first woman to be elected president in Namibia and the second woman to be elected president in the entirety of the continent of Africa. Nandi-Ndaitwah, the current Vice President and President-elect is highly qualified, according to BBC, who stated she is “a trusted leader having served in high government office for a quarter of a century.”
She won with 57% of the vote, which her closest opposition, Panduleni Itula with 26%, claimed to be due to a “deeply flawed system” following days of electoral issues. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) admitted to ballot shortages and broken technology but refuted the idea that the election was fraudulent.
The Philippines VP’s assassination threats against the president
Sara Duterte, the Vice President of the Philippines, stated on November 30 that she has hired an assassin to kill the president, his wife and the speaker for the House of Representatives if she is assassinated, according to ABC News. In response to such threats, the security of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was increased by the Presidential Security Command, who claimed this threat was called “for immediate proper action,” and is a national security issue, according to ABC. Duarte has since stated that her comment was not intended to be a threat, but is known for being outspoken about suspected corruption between the President, his wife and his cousin, who happens to be the House of Representatives speaker.
Mexico’s minimum wage increase
Mexico’s Labor Minister, Marath Bolanos, announced this week that the national minimum wage will be increased by 12% from its current 249 pesos, or $12.23, daily, according to Reuters. This will increase the minimum wage to about 278.80 pesos, or about $13.73 daily. However, some areas in northern Mexico will be paid more daily, as they had higher wages to begin with, with an increase of daily wages to 420 pesos, or about $20.70. The Mexican government states that this will not increase inflation but will combat the growing poverty rates. President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has promised to raise the minimum wage by around 12% annually.
jamabil3@ramapo.edu
jamabil3@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @hvresortpa, Instagram.
