The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 13

November 3, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 3 News Global news, courtesy of the current 69 killed in Nigerian protests On Oct. 23, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, commented on the death of 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers in an emergency meeting to find ways of ending the unrest due to recent protests. Protests began on Oct.r 7, demanding the abolishment of a notorious national police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Although theunitwas dissolvedonlydays later, the protests have continued, with shootings in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, on Oct. 27. At an emergency meeting, Buhari said his administration was committed to fulfilling the needs of the protesters. However, he said that his government would not “Fold its arms and allow criminals who had hijacked the protests to continue to perpetrate hooliganism.” $500 million worth of cocaine found hidden in charcoal shipment Police in Paraguay found a record- breaking 2.3 tons of cocaine hidden among a charcoal shipment bound for Israel on Oct. 20. According to BBC, “Charcoal, a key Latin American export, has become a popular cover for trafficking cocaine across international borders.” This was the largest drug seizure police have made in Paraguay. The drugs were found in a container at a private port in the city What you need to know to vote today No, You Can’t Touch My Hair: A discussion on hairstyle discrimination Tuesday, Nov. 3, is the last day to vote in the 2020 presidential election. For “everything you need to vote,” including election deadlines, dates and rules by state, visit Vote.org. Additionally, for information specifically regarding how to find your polling place, regardless of whether or not you are currently living in Florida, visit Vote.org’s polling place locator to find out where you can vote today. While the option for absentee or early voting has passed, the opportunity to vote in person is still available in numerous locations. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to look up information about local polling locations to see whether or not any new rules or regulations have been put in place. Visit this link for more On Nov. 6, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), as part of the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law, will hold their semi-annual panel for the fall 2020 semester, focusing on the 2019 CROWN Act. The panel, titled “No, You Can’t Touch My Hair: The Importance, Necessity and Controversy of the CROWN Act,” will be held on Zoom, starting at 6 p.m. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating A Respectful And Open World For Natural Hair, is a bill that prohibits racial discrimination based on hairstyle. This includes the denial of employment or educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective styles, such as braids, dreadlocks, twists or Bantu knots. The CROWN Act has been passed in resources and information regarding voting and COVID-19. Additionally, should you decide to vote in-person, be sure to follow CDC guidelines to help reduce the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. If you’re not entirely sure who to vote for, visit ISideWith to take a quiz that can help you determine which parties and candidates best align with your beliefs and interests. They also have other quizzes to help with local elections as well. While the site states that they “are not affiliated with any investors, shareholders, political party or interest group,” it’s important to further research any quiz results, candidates and parties. To check for biases of specific news outlets and articles, visit AllSides. To read previous articles published by The Current about voting, visit this link. seven U.S. states, including New York and California, but for many states, including Florida, the act failed to pass in the Senate. The panel will feature Florida state District 11 senator Randolph Bracy III as the keynote speaker and will focus on the legal perspective of the CROWN Act from different standpoints. Attendees can expect to learn more about the act, how it was handled in the Senate and the current political climate attached to the act. Panelists for the event include Adjoa B. Asamoah, Judge Ashleigh Parker Duston, StephenWigley, Linda Harrison and Doris ‘Wendy’ Greene. Jordana Rostant Nunes, president of BLSA, said the CROWN Act is significant because, “Many men and women have been told that, in order for them to receive a certain employment position or opportunity, they would have to shave their dreads, they would have to chemically straighten or materially alter their hair to fit archaic standards and roles that have been set.” While the CROWN Act may have failed to pass as law once, it is still an important topic of discussion among young professionals. “The purpose of the CROWN Act is to change the narrative. It is to get people to understand and respect that you cannot deny someone an opportunity for advancement because of the way their hair biologically grows or the natural protective styles that people of the Black community chose to protect their hair,” said Nunes. Those interested in attending are required to register for the event prior via this link, or going to the BLSA section of NSU’s website. The panel is free for all students and members of BLSA and $10 for the general public, faculty and staff; and attorneys can attend for $20, as it qualifies for a Florida Bar CLE credit. “Having conversations like these will not only help minorities, but also help people that do not come from these cultures and teach them to respect others. The phrasing of the CROWN Act is creating an open and respectful environment, and I would say that, as students, we are lacking a respectful environment when it comes to other cultures and identities. Having a conversation here, we can learn to respect others,” said Nunes. of Villeta near the capital, Asunciόn. So far, two people have been arrested, one of which is a former director of a state TV channel. The police said that the cocaine parcels were found in one of six suspected containers and that the five remaining containers that have yet to be searched could contain drugs as well. Euclides Acvedo, Minister of the Interior, stated “The final haul could amount to more than three tons.” Greenpeace claims that contaminated water could damage human DNA According to a statement released from the environmental campaign group, Greenpeace,“Contaminatedwater fromJapan’s Fukushima nuclear plant contains a radioactive substance that has the potential to damage and alter human DNA.” This statement follows media reports suggesting that the Japanese government plans to release this water into the open ocean. Reported plans state the water would first be diluted inside the plant in a process that would take several years. In the report “Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis,” released on Oct. 23, Greenpeace claimed that the contaminated water contained “dangerous levels of carbon-14,” a radioactive substance that “has the potential to damage human DNA.” The group went on to accuse the Japanese government of suggesting the water was “treated,” misleading the public by giving the impression the water“only contains tritium.” The government has not ultimately made any changes in regards to the water treatment, but instead is holding off on any decisions while listening to concers. However, observers think that one could be announced within the following month. Hundreds mourn the death of Syrian Mufti Hundreds attended the funeral of the Sunni Muslim Mufti of Syria’s capital, Damascus, who was assassinated by a car bomb last Thursday. The Mufti, Sheikh Mohammad Adnan al-Afiyuni, died after his vehicle was targeted with an explosive device from outside of the city. al-Afiyuniwas known as an ally of the president, Bashar al-Assad, often conducting talks with rebels throughout regions in the country. The government now controls most of the country after nine years of civil war, more than 380,000 deaths and 13.2 million others displaced inside and outside Syria. al-Afiyuni died in the town of Qudsaya, near the capital, reported state news agency Sana. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY F. SHABAN Today is the last day to get your voting ballots in. By: Madelyn Rinka Co-Editor-in-Chief By: Rick Esner News Editor