California going up in flames

Wildfires in California have claimed 50 lives as of Nov. 8, 48 passing in what is deemed the Camp Fire, the “most destructive and deadly blaze in state history” according to CNN. 2 passed in the Woolsey Fire near Malibu. More death is expected to be uncovered once firefighters can safely approach remains. The Woolsey Fire and Hill Fire have together claimed about 105,000 acres of land. A new blaze called the Sierra joins 500+ others in the state this week. Many residents are unable to return home, or to what remains.

President Trump says the issue stems from “gross forest mismanagement.”

Wildfire special Max Moritz tells The New York Times “The fires aren’t even in the forests.”

Kidnapped students are returned alive

Parents rejoice as 79 abducted children return with three staff members after being abducted from boarding school on Nov. 4 in Cameroon. No group has taken the blame, though separatists are suspected by the government. Two children were released separately, and investigators believe the reason is because their parents are government employees, Peter Tah of Bamenda tells CNN. Military and rebel battles have resulted in hundreds of civilian death, and separatists have killed hundreds more children in an effort to create unrest in the region. Families rejoice over the relatively little amount of harm their children received and are thankful they did not face the same fate as the Chibok girls in Nigeria. This refers to the recent abduction of 110 schoolgirls in 2018 and 247 in 2014 by terrorist group Boko Haram.

California shooter takes 12 lives

In a town about 40 minutes away from Los Angeles, ex-marine Ian David Long killed 12 people by open firing at Borderline Bar & Grill at Thousand Oaks in California. He was later found dead by a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to CNN, three friends described him as stable, while his mother (who he lived with) lived in fear of his actions and had previously called the police because of erratic behavior. California Senator Dianne Feinstein calls for stronger gun regulation, saying in her statement on Nov. 8, “This failure to act is cowardice of epic proportions.”

President Trump offered condolences over Twitter and ordered for all American flags to be flown at half-mast on government agencies, bases, and embassies.

CNN sues President Trump

CNN has filed a lawsuit against President Trump and White House aides for violating their First Amendment rights by suspending reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass. Many large news outlets including Fox News and CBS have offered support to CNN and plan to file friend-of-the-court briefs. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders claimed on Twitter Acosta “ plac[ed] his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.” This claim has since been dropped by White House lawyers in court filings.

The choice to suspend press passes to any news outlet, big or small, changes the precedent of the US government’s attitude toward journalists in the past decades immensely. This rarity is matched by that of a news corporation suing a president. First Amendment lawyers agree that no politician can barr a reporter because they disagree with content choices or probing questions.