News Update

Florida follows suit with abortion ban

By Nico Francois

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & GRAPHICS EDITOR

Florida has become the most recent state in the U.S. to sign a bill into law further restricting reproductive rights. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has enacted a ban that will prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy beginning on July 1. The new ban has stated that very few exceptions will be made that would allow abortions past the 15-week period. Exceptions will only be made if the abortion would save the life of the pregnant person or if life-threatening fetal abnormalities are detected, but exceptions are not planned to be made for victims of trafficking, incest, rape or sexual assault. Even if life-threating abnormalities are discovered, at least two doctors must state that the fetus would die shortly after birth in order to approve

NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE an abortion for a patient. Prior to the passing of the bill, Florida banned abortions that would take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The new abortion ban is modeled after a similar ban in Mississippi, which circulated months back for threatening the rights granted by the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case from 1973. The enactment of the bill in Florida, along with other abortion bans being put into place in other states, has encouraged many to seek reproductive care in various other states without bans. Before Florida’s bill was passed, many went to the state seeking abortions after neighboring states made abortions after a certain point illegal. With Florida now joining those neighboring states in banning abortions, many may have to travel even farther to get the necessary reproductive care they need. H

Shanghai faces food crisis

By Nathaniel Reyes

COMPILED BY NICO FRANCOIS

China’s second biggest city has been locked down since the end of March in an attempt to curb the largest surge of the omicron variant in the country. The lockdown is very strict, allowing only healthcare workers, delivery drivers and certain volunteers to leave their homes. This has disrupted the city’s supNICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE ply chains, making it incredibly difficult to procure food and medicine.

The government has been forced to distribute these things itself. However, it has not been treating every neighborhood of the city equally, and has completely neglected some neighborhoods. Residents there have told stories of having to band together and send one person out to buy things, or even having to barter with commodities instead of with money. Unhappy residents’ complaints and protests have appeared on social media, including videos of an entire neighborhood screaming and a man yelling at visiting government officials over the terrible conditions. H

• the update •

A lot happens in a month. From fashion to finance, we are constantly bombarded by headlines from around the world. Here are the Hawkeye’s picks for what you need to know.

stories by nico francois stories by nico francois, rachel davis and nathaniel reyes graphics by nico francois graphics by nico francois

Ukraine and Poland’s childcare crisis

International

With men between the ages of 18 and 60 barred from leaving Ukraine, the vast majority of refugees entering neighboring Poland are women with young children. These women have been scrambling to find childcare or schooling for their children so that they can start working in an attempt to normalize their lives. However, the childcare system for children between 0 and 6 years old in Poland was already under strain before the crisis. Care for children under the age of 3 is very expensive, and there is a shortage of preschools for children ages 3 to 6. With the Polish government granting reprieves to Ukrainian mothers, it is feared that a lack of similar reprieves to Polish mothers in the future could cause resentment. H

Will Smith banned from future Oscars

National

American actor and one-time-Oscar-winner Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars and academy events for the next 10 years. Images and video footage of Smith slapping comedian and host Chris Rock on the night of the 2022 Oscars circled around on the internet, and was quite the talk of the people the following days. The academy acknowledged Smith’s misconduct, and explained that his ban is a way to protect other performers and actors. Smith has since released an official statement accepting his punishment and expressing guilt over the situation. H

Seattle International Film Festival returns

Seattle’s 48th International Film Festival (SIFF) will be hosted from Apr. 14-24, both in person and online. This will be the first in-person SIFF in two years, as the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19 and the 2021 event was completely online. Some films being featured at this event will be “Outta the Muck,” directed by Bhawin Suchak and Ira Mckinley, “Feathers,” directed by Omar El Zohairy, and “Between Two Worlds,” directed by Emmanuel Carrère. It is an event full of laughter, special guests and most importantly, good films. H

COVID-19 vaccines not required for K-12

The Washington State Board of Health approved the state advisory board’s decision to not add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required for K-12 students on Apr. 13. Back in February of this year, the board voted against the addition in a vote of 7-6 with four undecided. The concerns surrounding requirement of the COVID-19 vaccine to attend in-person classes were too great, as it could put the school system into more detriment than could be afforded. As concern for a new surge in the omicron BA.2 variant grows, the issue may be brought back into question in the future. H

Man found dead in car at Lynnwood park

A man was found dead in his car parked at Lynnwood’s Daleway Park on Apr. 5. With multiple reports of a shooting near 64th Ave. W., police went to investigate the park and found 70-year-old Carl Bridgmon riddled with bullet wounds lying dead in the driver’s seat. Reports before the incident suggest there were four others at the scene of the crime before Bridgmon was shot. Several suspects drove away in a black Toyota, while a few hid in nearby neighborhood homes. All suspects found were questioned, but there seems to be no clear answer as to what fully happened yet. H