Local
The Providence Police Department received a federal grant of $375,000 to purchase body cameras to equip their officers. The grant comes from the Department of Justice’s Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. As a result of the grant, the department will be able to purchase 250 new body cameras.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Education, SAT scores have dropped slightly among Rhode Island students, despite an increase in overall participation rates. The average scores on each section are 478 in reading (-2 from last year), 478 in math (-3) and 465 in writing (-3). The drop comes at the same time as a national drop in average SAT scores. In addition, Rhode Island’s scores on the regional standardized test, the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP), also declined.
National
The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened this past Saturday in Washington D.C. Speakers at the opening ceremony included Former-President George W. Bush, Oprah Winfrey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts and President Barack Obama. Entry to the museum is free, as are the other Smithsonian Institution museums. However, advance-registration online tickets for the museum are already sold out through the end of 2016. Visitors who still want to see the museum this year can visit on a first-come first-served system of same-day timed passes.
The first presidential debate of the 2016 election season between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took place on Monday night. According to Nielsen data, after accounting for TV viewers and live-streaming, the debate is on track to be one of the most watched in history. There will be two more presidential debates before the election on Oct. 9 and Oct. 19. The first and only vice presidential debate of the election will take place on Oct. 4.
Global
A landmark peace deal was signed in Colombia, ending a war that lasted more than 50 years. The rebel group Farc (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has signed a treaty with the Colombian government to formally end the conflict. In addition, the left-wing rebel group agreed to fully disarm and relinquish all weapons. Foreign dignitaries and officials were in attendance at the signing, including Cuban President Raul Castro, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and United States Secretary of State John Kerry.
After the cessation of hostilities in Syria collapsed last week, the fighting in Syria has continued. A United Nations Security Council meeting this past Sunday illustrated sharp divides between the countries involved. Representatives from three countries, the United States, United Kingdom and France, even walked out of the meeting as a protest when the representative from Syria was introduced. Diplomatic arguments and negotiations between Russia and Syria and other Western nations have continued over the proper way to handle ISIS and other moderate rebel groups that oppose the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.