North Korea Claims to Test Nuclear Warhead

North Korea may have successfully tested a nuclear warhead. On Sept. 9, their state-run media claimed that the North Korean military had done just that.

According to the state, “The test would enable North Korea to produce a variety of smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear warheads of higher strike power.”

While the North Korean government has confirmed the test, several other sources are yet to confirm or deny the tests.

According to the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies,”It’s hard [for us] to verify their claim. My deep fear is that they will launch a live nuclear weapon on one of their missiles, but that would be extremely dangerous as that could trigger a war.”

After the tests, the UN Security Council stated that they strongly condemn the tests done by North Korea by releasing a statement: “The members of the Security Council also recalled that they have previously expressed their determination to take further significant measures in the event of another Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear test. In line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, the members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures.”

President Obama has also condemned North Korea and spoke with the leaders of Japan and South Korea over this test.

House Passes 9/11 Bill

The House of Representatives passed  The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, a bill which would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Arabian government for the country’s involvement in the attack and for their sponsorship of Al-Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups from the area.

The bill is a bipartisan measure that passed in the house unanimously and passed in the senate back in May. It is currently awaiting President Obama’s signature, though Obama is most likely to veto the bill to protect diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.

The bill was sponsored by Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas. It was co-sponsored by 13 other Republicans, 11 Democrats, and 1 Independent.

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, released a statement after the bill passed in the House, saying, “There are always diplomatic considerations that get in the way of justice, but if a court proves the Saudis were complicit in 9/11, they should be held accountable. If they’ve done nothing wrong, they have nothing to worry about.”

2016 Election Draws Closer, Mild Controversies Ensue

Over the past week, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has taken a narrow lead over Democrat Hillary Clinton in numerous polls. He has had a lead between 3 and 5 points over Clinton. Trump’s support has also rose in key battleground states such as Ohio, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Hillary Clinton was also involved in a few mild controversies over the past week, including one on Sept. 9 where she referred to Donald Trump’s supporters as being a “basket of deporables”. This comment was seen by many as being out of line and offensive.

Clinton also caught some heat after she left a 9/11 memorial service early. She said she felt “overheated,” and upon leaving, she tripped while getting into her vehicle.

After these incidents, questions of Clinton’s health arose. It was also revealed that she has been  recently diagnosed with pneumonia, which had possibly contributed to her behavior at the memorial service.

The Trump Campaign also got into a mild controversy on Sept. 12 when vice presidential candidate Mike Pence refused to answer CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer when Blitzer asked if Ku Klux Klan leader and well known white supremacist David Duke was considered “deplorable.”

Pence responded to the question by saying “I’m not really sure why the media keeps dropping David Duke’s name. Donald Trump has denounced David Duke repeatedly. We don’t want his support, and we don’t want the support of people who think like him.”