Since the election back in November (and long before that), every major news source in America has been focused on one thing: President Trump. With the mass hysteria surrounding him, on both the Republican and the Democrat sides, other news stories have been set on the back burner for awhile now. So, what has been going with the rest of the world, outside of Trump? The answer to that question is a lot.

 France recently held their own presidential election, one that had almost as much controversy surrounding it. This was because of the presence of Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate putting up a steady fight for the presidency. Her strict approach when it comes to terrorism and immigration has drawn international attention, especially in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris. She called for the closing of all Islamic mosques in France, along with the deportation of illegal immigrants and anyone seen as a terrorist threat. Junior Nathaniel McDonald said, “It is kind of weird how similar the election in France was to our own here in America; a radical right who wants to change a  lot of things is in one of the top spots.” On the other side of the election is center-left candidate Emmanuel Macron, who eventually took home the victory. Macron is a strong EU supporter, whose stance on terrorism is very similar to America’s last president Barack Obama, which is to not give in to fear or intimidation coming from these terrorist cells.

 In Russia, military spending has taken a big boost. After a long recession, their economy is once again back to growing, which has allowed them to add to to their military budget. According to CNN, they have increased their spending by 5.2%, bringing them up to $69.2 billion dollars spent in 2016. Russia is currently active in the conflict in Syria, and maintains military sections in the country. With these added funds, Russia becomes the third highest country in regards to military spending; coming in only behind the United States ($611 billion) and China ($215 billion). This increase in spending by Russia had prompted countries in Europe to increase their own spending by an average 2.4%, caused by perceiving Russia as a greater threat.

 Meanwhile, Venezuela has been dealing with its own political turmoil. Riots and protests have been occurring throughout the country in opposition to President Nicolas Maduro. In recent weeks, these protests have become increasingly violent as Manduro has responded with force. As of now, there have been at least 22 casualties.

 As much as can be possible, try not to let the Trump hysteria blind you to what is going on in the rest of the world. Just because it is not happening right next to you does not mean that these events are not important or that they do not affect you. Looking beyond the front page of news sites can keep you informed on these issues.