Know/inform/care

Emily Grossmicklaus

Opposing teams congratulate each other on a good game at the Backstoppers kickball tournament, Nov. 5. The tournament raised over $800 for Backstoppers and the family of fallen Officer Blake Snyder, who died in the line of duty, Oct. 6. His death reminds us of how the recent police deaths in Israel hit close to home.

Local

Know: Eric Greitens was sworn in as the 56th governor of Missouri, Jan. 9. Greitens defeated Democratic opponent Chris Koster in the election with 51 percent of votes in the Missouri election.

Inform: Former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens became Missouri’s  governor after a swearing-in ceremony, Jan. 9. Greitens, a republican, promised changes, which were at the core of his campaign platform, including upholding the second amendment in Missouri, restricting abortion within Missouri and cutting down spending as much as possible.

Care: After a taxing election, it is important to remember that the peaceful transition of power is fundamental to a democracy. The biggest transfer of power in the U.S. will occur in just 8 days, when Donald Trump takes over as president after Barack Obama.

National

Know: President-elect Donald Trump hosted his first news conference as president-elect in the lobby of Trump Tower, Jan. 11.

Inform: After a brief introduction from press secretary Sean Spicer and vice president-elect Mike Pence, Trump stepped on stage and began the conference by complementing Ford on their recently-announced factory to be built in the U.S. Afterwards,Trump answered a question regarding the recent investigations by the CIA into alleged hacking during the U.S. election, stating that, after a briefing, Jan. 7, he believes Russia is behind the hacking. Trump also answered a question asking how he will handle his business as president. He showed a large stack of files which he said were the papers that turned over control of his business to his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Trump also announced a plan to simultaneously repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, as well as addressing recent reports of compromising information allegedly obtained by Russia, per unsubstantiated reports, stating they were entirely false.

Care: After an eventful first news conference, frequently mentioned issues surrounding Trump and his forthcoming presidency, including the election hacking and the Affordable Care Act, have been addressed. In just over a week, it will be time to see how Trump executes these plans when he becomes president, Jan 20.

International

Know: Four Israeli soldiers were killed in Jerusalem when a truck rammed into them, Jan. 8.  Local police deemed the tragedy an act of terrorism.

Inform: Four Israeli soldiers were killed with 17 other individuals injured after a truck rammed into them multiple times in Jerusalem. The crime occurred at Armon Hanatziv Promenade, a popular tourist spot. Other soldiers began to fire at the driver of the truck shortly after it started to ram into soldiers and civilians. The attacker was killed shortly after. The four soldiers who were killed were cadets, three of them being women and one a man.

Care: This tragedy is just another in a series of attacks in Jerusalem since October 2015. Hopefully this attack will be the last but nothing is certain. Attacks such as these are solemn reminders of the risks authorities face everyday. There were over 117 police deaths in 2016, just in the United States. Locally, we have paid tribute to those losses through the Backstoppers kickball tournament, Nov. 5.