President Obama declares state of emergency in Flint, Michigan due to water crisis
As a result of contamination in the local water supply, President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Flint, Michigan on Jan. 16, 2016. The decision came almost two years after citizens of Flint first reported that contamination in their water supply.
President Obama’s action authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to work alongside local and state authorities in order to coordinate disaster relief.
The assistance will provide water, water filters, water filter cartridges, water test kits, and “other necessary related items” for three months.
The contamination in Flint was first reported in April 2014, when citizens reported lead contamination, as a result of lead from aging pipes leaching into the water supply.
Approximately 27,000 lead-related non-fatal injuries have been reported, in addition to 77 non-fatal Legionnaires disease-related injuries, and 10 deaths from Legionnaires disease.
Taiwan elects first female president
On Jan. 17, 2016, the people of Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-Wen as the first female president of their nation. Tsai leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – a group that seeks independence from China.
President-elect Tsai won 56.1 per cent of the vote.
Though the DPP seeks independence, President-electTsai emphasized a maintenance of the status quo, in her victory speech.
“I also want to emphasize that both sides of the Taiwanese Strait have a responsibility to find mutually acceptable means of interaction that are based on dignity and reciprocity,” said President-elect Tsai, in her Jan. 17 victory speech. “We must ensure that no provocations or accidents take place.”
However, an editorial published in China’s official Xinhua news agency said that there was “no denying that the DPP’s return rule poses grave challenges to cross-strait relations.”
Though the DPP’s victory is seen by the people of Taiwan as a positive step forward, the response from the People’s Republic has been tepid.
—Compiled by Sameer Chhabra