National News
Donald Trump All But Clinches Republican Party Nomination
After losing to Donald Trump by double-digits in the Indiana primary Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz dropped out of the presidential race that night. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio did the same the following day, leaving Trump as the only candidate in the race for the Republican nomination and the party’s presumptive nominee. After Tuesday’s primary, Trump now has 1,053 delegates out of the 1,237 needed to clinch the nomination at the convention in July. Trump’s decisive victory came shortly after a surprise alliance between Kasich and Cruz to block a Trump nomination, wherein Cruz wouldn’t campaign in later primaries in exchange for Kasich agreeing not to campaign in Indiana. abcnews.go.com
President Obama Visits Flint, Michigan
President Barack Obama touched down in Flint, Michigan Wednesday to address the widely criticized water contamination issue the city’s residents have been facing for years. He is scheduled to receive a briefing from Michigan governor Rick Snyder as well as state and local officials about the crisis, meet with a small group of Flint residents privately and deliver some public remarks before heading back to Washington. Many Flint residents said Obama’s visit is long overdue, saying that the Environmental Protection Agency should have taken more aggressive action in response to complaints filed with them as early as 2014. nytimes.com
Takata Airbag Recall Expands to Become Largest Recall in History
The Takata airbag recall was doubled Wednesday to include nearly one in every four cars in the United States, with priority given to those in humid climates, making this the largest automotive recall in history. The change comes after the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) learned from Honda that two more people were killed in Malaysia due to faulty airbags. NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind urged people who owned cars affected by the recall to act immediately since a minor collision that sets off the airbags could lead to a deadly explosion. The cause of the defect is a result of moisture coming into contact with the ammonium nitrate and a trying agent which sets off the airbags. theguardian.com
International Spotlight
“Bin Laden Bill” to be Removed from Circulation in Europe
The European Central Bank announced Wednesday that the 500 euro (value ~$575) banknote, often called the “Bin Laden Bill” because of its popularity among drug traffickers and terrorist organizations for money laundering, will be phased out of circulation by 2018. This comes after renewed efforts to combat terror after the string of terror attacks in Europe. This note will be succeeded by 100 and 200 euro bills. The bank also wanted to encourage European banks to increase their lending since storing currency of lower denominations is much harder. The 500 euro note has been attractive to crime organizations because it can store a high value in a small space; the equivalent of $1 million in 500 euro notes would weigh just 5 pounds and fit in a small bag. nytimes.com
Thousands Flee as Canadian Wildfire Spreads to Fort McMurray
Over 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada have fled their city Tuesday and Wednesday after a wildfire, which started in a remote area and overwhelmed firefighters trying to keep it at bay. As of Wednesday, over 1,600 structures have been destroyed by the blaze, including entire neighborhoods and businesses. No injuries or deaths have been reported in relation to the fire. The fire’s unpredictability and intense amounts of smoke coupled with hot and windy weather conditions made it impossible for the firefighters to contain it, although experts say Thursday’s weather conditions should give the firefighters an upper hand in combating the blaze. cnn.com
Ceasefire in Syria Extended to Aleppo, Remains in Controversy
The United States and Syria have reached a partial truce in Syria after officials from both sides declared the truce on Wednesday. American officials say the truce began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, while Syrian state television say it was to begin at 1 a.m. Thursday morning. Russia has not confirmed the deal, although it remains Syria’s most important ally. Nonetheless, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the deal in a press conference and called Russia to honor the agreement to prevent a higher death toll. nytimes.com
A version of this story appeared on p. 7 of the Thursday, May 5, 2016 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
