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President Trump reshapes government during first two weeks
In addition to firing federal workers and offering them buyouts, Trump’s administration withdrew from international agreements and ridding DEI from government agencies
Eliot Raymond Staff Writer
His first week in office, President Trump reinstated many policies from his first term that included withdrawing the United States from some international agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord and reimposing tariffs on Chinese goods His administration also quickly
Heil Tesla
Elon Musk’s controversial salute at the postinauguration party caused a stir on social media
On Jan 20 at the post-inauguration rally during Elon Musk’s speech celebrating the inauguration of Donald Trump, and is facing scrutiny over a controversial arm gesture whenshowinghisthanks
Musk talks about how important this past election was and expresses his gratitude by saying, “Thank you for making it happen, thank you,” before placing his right hand over his heart and then throwing the same arm into the air in front of him He then turned around and performed this gestureagain
Immediately after, Musk was receiving major backlash on all social media platforms The main concern was that this gesture was too close in resemblance to a Nazi Salute This ‘Nazi Salute’ or ‘Seig Heil salute’ was commonly used in Germany during the time of Hitlers ruling, during WorldWarII
The salute is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air with a straightened hand, typically followed by the phrase “Heil Hitler!” For someone to salute something so frightening surrounding the war, mass murder, Auschwitz and other concentration camps thatHitlerenforced,isscaryforthisnation
It had viewers wondering if they'd have a certain future as this was dystopic to see This salute, when interpreted this way, can beextremelydisrespectfulandinsensitive
There has been lots of speculation over social media over why such a successful public figure of so much status would do such a gesture on live television However, his involvement in Germany’s culture and protecting German people makes this all slightly suspicious
On Jan 25, Musk made an appearance on video at Germany’s Alternative fuer Deutschland election campaign event in Halle, publicly expressing his support for the far right party This would be the second time this week He repeatedly speaks about how Germans should take pride in their heritage
“There is frankly too much of a focus on past guilt and we need to move beyond that ” This brings up the idea that he is directly speaking on negative history surrounding Germany
“Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents,” Musk says “Let alone their great grandparents,”
a series of executive orders aimed at curbing immigration, strengthening border security, and reducing regulatory oversight on businesses
“I think he has a lot of great accomplishments while he has been in office,” says senior Caleb Caldwell First off, closing off most of the border and not allowing illegal immigrants into this, into our country "
Trump's first week also saw a renewed focus on economic growth and job creation, with plans to cut taxes and deregulate industries
The Trump administration emphasized supporting domestic manufacturing, particularly through incentives for American-made products and job training programs
Domestically, the early days of his second term were characterized by efforts to rally support among conservative voters He held multiple rallies across the country and began to shape his message for the 2026 midterm elections
Meanwhile, the White House also took steps to assert its influence over social media platforms, continuing its stance on free speech and the regulation of big tech
On the global stage, Trump reasserted America’s stance on geopolitical issues, including his tough
rhetoric on China, Russia, and Iran
Additionally, his administration continued to prioritize strengthening military spending and bolstering alliances with countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia
”I think he might be going a little overboard,” says Caldwell, “because he's just recently gotten to office again, it's been two or 10 days ”
While Trump's first week was largely focused on reaffirming his platform, it also set the stage for a contentious and polarized term
“His stance is make America great again,” says senior Addison Hodges, “and the only thing he's doing is just tearing everybody apart ”
However, his second week caused a lot of panic when he released information about cutting funding for everyone and distributing money more liberally In all seriousness, this meant funding cuts across the board
While he later revoked this statement, the situation is still causing anxiety People are either worried about what's coming next or confused as to why everything is moving so quickly
As his administration moves forward, key issues such as healthcare, climate policy, and immigration reform will likely be central points of debate
Supposedly referring to Germany’s Nazi history He then goes to speak in favor of voting for the right party and encourages others to do the same, advocating for a “great future” for Germany
Some would argue he was just expressing his love and thanks for the nation by performing the ‘Roman Salute ’
This ‘Roman Salute’ was never even actually Roman No historical Roman records or artwork depict this specific gesture as any kind of positive greeting
There is evidence of certain salutes involving raising a hand but none were in this certain manner
So in this day and age, that gesture is only known as a symbol of fascism and nothing more There should be little doubt about what this gesture truly means
In conclusion, this gesture is seen as insensitive If you were to be walking
down the hallway and see someone perform this salute the average person wouldn’t reciprocate the action because they know of this gesture's painful past history People on social media going out of their way to defend Musk even though they have no idea of his true intentions are blowing the situation out of proportion when the most logical thing to do is to stick to the facts
Afton Ingraffia Features Editor
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump began his second term in office after securing a dramatic win in the 2024 presidential election
Boys basketball off to one of its best starts in MCHS history
Heading into the midway point of the season, the team holds an 18-2 record and is continuing to be successful on the court
Hunter Blake Sports Editor
The MCHS Boys Varsity Basketball season has been underway for about two months now, and midway through the season the team has seen a great amount of success following an already highly successful season last year
Going into the final month of the season the team currently remains unbeaten in Fox Valley Conference play, and hopes to keep the momentum alive going into the playoffs in late Feb
The team currently holds an 18-2 overall record with a 10-0 conference record, with a chance at setting the school record for wins previously broken last year when the team finished with a 26-9 record
MCHS recently beat two top FVC teams in Central (Burlington) and Crystal Lake South Crystal Lake South went undefeated in conference play last season, and the MCHS boys handed them their first conference loss in almost a year on Dec 12
Following the recent success, senior guard Dylan Hurckes feels the season has been a major success despite losing some key players this season
“I think the season has gone great so far, we have beaten every team in the conference,” Hurckes said “I think we are all playing hard and our team plays very well together I think we’ve had a lot of improved successes, even with losing some key players from last season Our physical strength and athleticism has definitely improved, and our team work and ethic have gotten better ”
Along with the successes, Hurckes also is optimistic about the rest of the season, and feels team chemistry will be a major key to the team’s success
“I am looking forward to the rest of the season, it feels like we are getting better after every game and practice which makes playing so much fun,” Hurckes said “Our team chemistry is very important to the team, all of us have grown up playing with each other, it gives us a sense of comfort on the court and helps us bring energy ”
Similar to Hurckes, senior guard Marko Stojich is also optimistic about the rest of the season, and feels the team’s ability to execute during games has contributed to a lot of the team’s success
“We have been running the floor better and getting more transition baskets,” Stojich said “This has resulted in the majority of our wins, we have also been scoring more in the paint which has been successful for us ”
Stojich is also confident that the team can set a new school record for wins in a season, and advance even further into the playoffs than the team did last season
“I am feeling confident,” Stojich says, “that we will break the school record of wins in a season again and make it to the sectional final ”
Not only have the players seen overall improvement this season, but so have the coaches involved Assistant Coach Rob Niemic has noticed improvements within the team week by week and an increased level of toughness from the players
“The fellas have done a great job trending up week by week,” Niemic said “The thing we have seen a lot of improvement in is our level of toughness Each game going forward will be a point of emphasis as we value fury ” With the second round of FVC play currently happening, the team hopes to continue its success with a tough schedule incoming as they enter the midway point of their season
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Players on the varsity boys basketball team a huddle on the sidelines during their game against Crystal Lake South on Dec 11 in the Upper Campus Main Gym | Photo by: Rose Wenckebach
Dominic Burnett Puzzlemaster