Update on October

By: Khadija Nadeem, Gr, 11
NDP Party Internal Affairs
Two candidates of the BC NDP Party, Anjali Appadurai, and David Eby have been competing against each other to win the leadership of the left-wing party. Now, the person in charge of running the leadership race is recommending Appadurai be disqualified from running. If she is, David Eby will automatically be elected to lead the BC chapter as he is the only other candidate. Appadurai is under investigation for several breaches of the party’s leadership rules including offering to pay for memberships (you can only vote for a party leader if you are a party member), using Dogwood BC’s list to recruit members (a third party), and encouraging BC Greens to temporarily leave their party to join the NDP and vote for her (unethical). Appadurai responded saying her campaign was run fairly and that the recommendation of her disqualification is the result of bias. The party executives are set to vote on this issue on October 19.
Russia’s Annexation of Ukraine
Last month, President Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia is ready to use its nuclear arsenal to protect its territory which now seems to include the recently invaded areas of Ukraine. When these threats were first mentioned, they were seen as a desperate attempt to gain leverage over the Western allies of Ukraine. Now, experts believe there is a possibility of nuclear escalation yet chances are still relatively low. Thinking rationally, it doesn’t make much sense to destroy territory using nuclear power in Ukraine if Putin plans to occupy and use that territory. Additionally casualties and radioactive contamination are significant factors to consider. Overall, the likelihood of Putin using nuclear weapons is still relatively low.
Today’s News In Pop Culture
Taylor Swift’s Midnights-
For her upcoming album release, Taylor Swift revealed themes and hints regarding the record which will be her 10th to date. Swift said “self-loathing” and “fantasizing about revenge” keeps her up at night which clues listeners into what Midnights may contain. She has already shared the full 13-song tracklist and fans are excited for a Lana Del Ray collaboration. Are you tuning in on October 21?
Kanye West On Social Media
After being temporarily locked by Twitter over an anti-Semitic tweet, Kanye
West has revealed he will be acquiring Parler, an alternative social media platform that is known to host conservative voices.
West said that “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves” and controversial indeed. Some of West’s recent takes have turned heads such as wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt in public which resulted in some of his brand partnerships putting out statements regarding the pending condition of their relationship. In the weeks following the January 6 riots, Parler was temporarily removed from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, is it possible for West’s new connection to boost the status of this app that has, so far, been in the shadows?