Chris Bassett ’18:
Flash Floods in Puerto Rico:
The storm-ravaged island of Puerto Rico must prepare for rain and flash floods as hurricane relief continues. Many Caribbean islands were subject to Hurricane Maria and are now attempting to recover from the damage caused. With additional heavy rain heading towards Puerto Rico, relief and rescue efforts are likely to be disrupted or hindered. Dams will particularly be affected, as the rainfall will create more stress placed upon them, increasing the chance of flooding. The Guajataca Dam, if compromised, could potentially cause flash flooding on the Rio Guajataca. Flash flooding warnings come in wake of the already weakened Puerto Rico, which still has large portions of the island without power and drinkable water.
President Trump’s Tax Plan:
The Trump administration has laid out a new tax plan. Propositions include reducing taxation of business income and eliminating the estate tax. Trump believes that these cuts will increase investment and spur growth, but others say that these reductions will benefit primarily the financially elite, including President Trump. This plan would not benefit low-income households that don’t pay federal income tax, nor are there increases in the earned-income tax to expand wage support for the working class. The New York Times argues that the conservative tax cuts of Trump that are intended to increase economic growth are very different from that of Reagan and Bush. It says, “Mr. Reagan and Mr. Bush cut taxes during recessions. Mr. Trump is proposing to cut taxes during one of the longest economic expansions in American history.” Trump’s plan must pass the Senate’s approval with 51 votes.
Elon Musk SpaceX Rocket:
Elon Musk plans to build the most powerful rocket ever in order to launch a reusable manned spacecraft to Mars, possibly within a decade. With his SpaceX company, Musk has projected the first human trips to Mars in 2022-2024, which is years before any governments expect to attempt the project. Musk, through applications of technology from his current rockets and machines, desires to use his cash flow from other operations such as Tesla Inc. to finance the Mars trip. However, officials and experts are skeptical of Musk’s ability to launch these projects with some of his planned projects being later than anticipated. Some experts have priced the journey to mars at $10 billion despite Musk’s confidence that he has figured out how to pay for the expeditions.