Top 10 most talked-about stories in the United States from 2018
Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels Non-Disclosure Agreement Scandal
The Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels political scandal broke out in January, dominating the news throughtout the year. The controversy centered at a $130,000 worth of non-disclosure agreement reached between the president's private lawyer, Michael Cohen, and adult film star Stormy Daniels right before the 2016 presidential elections over her alleged affair with Trump. Shortly after the revelation, Daniels sued Trump and Cohen arguing that the NDA was invalid and the entire controversy gained significant media attention.
Series of Deadly Mass School Shootings: Fight Against the NRA
The year 2018 witnessed a significant number of school mass shootings in the United States, the most prominent of them being the Parkland school shooting. A 19-year-old gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 students and staff members and injuring 17 others. The gunman, Nikolas Cruz, was later arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.
#NeverAgain: Parkland Students-Led Gun Resistance Movement
The tragic Parkland school shooting triggered a major anti-gun movement called #NeverAgain headed by the student survivors of the massacre. The movement pushed back against the NRA and advocated for stricter gun control regulations in the country to prevent gun violence. The student group held multiple protests and organized a nationwide demonstration called March For Our Lives, where hundreds of thousands of protesters participated to demand action against gun violence.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford- Brett Kavanaugh Testimony
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, California, became the face of the 2018 MeToo movement after she gave a public testimony in front of a Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers. Her heartbreaking account contrasted with Kavanaugh's testimony. Regardless of Dr. Ford's account, Kavanaugh was ultimately appointed to the apex court judge panel.
#MeToo Movement Marks 1 Year Anniversary: Takes Down 201 Powerful Men
October 2018 marked the one year anniversary of the iconic #MeToo movement with over 400 prominent people being publicly accused of sexual misconduct across various industries. Several of these accusations — mostly against men — resulted in firings, resignations or saw some form of professional accountability with a few even issuing apologies for their conduct. The year also saw serial predators like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein sentenced to prison.
Nike's Controversial Colin Kaepernick Advertisement
Nike's latest advert stirred up a storm this year as several social media users destroyed their Nike merchandise in protest after the sports brand included NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, in its Just Do It campaign. Kaepernick was the NFL player to take a knee during the national anthem as a protest against racism and police brutality. Nike, however, said that they included the sportsman because they believe he is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West meet President Donald Trump
In an unprecedented turn of events with the Kardashian-West family, both the celebrities — reality television star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West — met with President Donald Trump at separate meetings this year. While Kardashian met the Republican president to lobby for a presidential pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, West met Trump largely to show his support for the president.
Pipe Bomb Packages Sent to Democrats, Donald Trump's Critics
At least 16 mail-bombing attempts were made in late October this year where packaged pipe bombs were sent through the US Postal service to several prominent critics of President Trump, including multiple Democratic Party politicians like Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Billionaires George Soros, Tom Steyer, actor Robert de Niro and the CNN headquarters also received similar packages. Shortly after the incidents, the FBI nabbed a suspect, Cesar Altieri Sayoc Jr., in Florida and charged him with five federal crimes. The case is being probed by the FBI as domestic terrorism.
Midterm Elections: Democrats Win Back the House
After eight years of being in the minority, Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections this year. Although the Republicans maintained their majority in the Senate, a comparison picture of the House of Representatives' members-elect between incoming Democrats and Republicans became the face of the results. The iconic, comparative picture showed the lack of diversity among the incoming Republican members.
Most Destructive California Wildfires in Recorded History for the State
As the wildfires in multiple counties in California are still raging, the Camp Fire has been dubbed the most destructive wildfire in the state's recorded history based on the structures it has destroyed so far. Reports stated the fire has destroyed over 16,000 buildings, most of them homes. Camp Fire has also been marked the deadliest with over 80 people confirmed dead and hundreds missing.
