The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation purchased Hamley's steakhouse, coffee shop and western store at auction for $3.55 million in July 2019.

UMATILLA COUNTY — Every decade brings change, and the past 10 years are no exception for Umatilla and Morrow counties. Hinkle Rail Yard is a shell of its former self, the Umatilla Army Ordinance Depot ends its nearly 72 years of service and Hermiston overtakes Pendleton for the population lead in the county. Here are the East Oregonian’s top local stories for the 2010s:

1. Standoff at the wildlife refugeThe Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County is more than 200 miles away from Pendleton, about the same distance away as Portland is.

So when a group of armed activists took over the bird sanctuary in early 2016 to protest the imprisonment of two Harney County ranchers, the connections to Umatilla and Morrow counties were minor.

But for 41 days, the eyes of Oregon, and sometimes the nation, were on rural Eastern Oregon.

The standoff was led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy, two men who had already had a standoff with the federal government over grazing rights at their family ranch in Nevada.

By the end of the occupation, the FBI had seized back the refuge and an occupation spokesman was killed by police, but there were long-term victories for the occupiers.

The Bundy brothers were eventually acquitted by a federal jury while Dwight and Steven Hammond, the ranchers who inspired the occupation, were given a full pardon by President Donald Trump in 2018.

2.

Weapons depot declares mission complete

The Umatilla Chemical Depot ended its run in 2012, but the long-term future of the land remains up in the air.

After more than 70 years of operation, the Army deactivated the Hermiston-area depot and transferred control to the Oregon Army National Guard.

Originally opened in 1941, the facility supported the Army during World War II before transitioning to chemical weapon disposal. At its height, the depot destroyed 12% of the country’s chemical weapons, reaching a milestone in 2011 when it incinerated the last 2,000 pounds of mustard gas.

In 2014, a group looking to redevelop parts of the massive property into an industrial area rebranded itself the Columbia Development Authority.

Now led by Executive Director Greg Smith, who also represents the land in the Oregon House of Representatives, the CDA has been waiting for the Army to transfer ownership to the group for years.

The latest word is that the federal government intends to offload the land in the first half of 2020.

3 (tie).

Union Pacific lays off more than 200 people in Hermiston, closes most of Hinkle Rail Yard

The era of Umatilla County as a rail hub instead of a pass through for trains is over.

The beginning of the end started in March when workers told the East Oregonian that Union Pacific Railroad laid off 80 workers at Hinkle Rail Yard over the past few months and closed the yard’s hump. By May, Union Pacific announced it was laying off another 195 workers and closing its supply warehouse and mechanical shop, leaving only a skeleton crew in its wake.

Although the freight rail industry all but disappeared in 2019, rail in Umatilla County has been declining for years.

The Amtrak Pioneer line, a route that once ran from Seattle to Salt Lake City that included a stop in Pendleton, held its last trip in 1997 due to budget cuts.

Although the service is gone, the rail remains, and a group of local train supporters has formed with the idea of getting the Pioneer line, or some version of it, back on track.

3 (tie).

Marijuana goes on sale in Pendleton

On a night where most Americans were tracking who would take the White House, Pendleton voters delivered a surprise of their own.

In November 2016, Pendleton voters approved three ballot measures that legalized medical and recreational marijuana sales, in addition to a local marijuana sales tax.

Within a few months, Pendleton became the only city in Umatilla County with a legal pot market.

The city had to quickly turn around and create regulations for the burgeoning industry. Within a year of the vote, Pendleton attracted three marijuana dispensaries and a professional cannabis grow.

Even as the industry has dealt with a glut of marijuana production, all the original cannabis businesses remain operational and a fourth retailer opened in 2019.

Although there remains a funding shortfall in Pendleton’s street system, the city council directed some of the revenue from the local tax to road maintenance.

5.

Pendleton UAS Range takes off

The Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems eventually started attracting business, but it needed a long runway to get off the ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration designated Pendleton an official drone test site at the tail end of 2013, but there wasn’t much activity in its first few years.

But by 2018, several customers, including an affiliate of French aviation giant Airbus and defense contractor PAE, had set up shop at the Pendleton airport, and local businesses were reporting new sources of revenue from employees staying or living in town.

The city is now in the midst of building a multimillion-dollar UAS industrial park at the airport to create more hangar and testing space for customers.

Despite creating several permanent jobs and bringing in dozens of workers on temporary stays, the Pendleton UAS Range is still waiting to land its first production facility, a development local officials believe would be a significant job creator.

6.

Round-Up rides to 100

The Pendleton Round-Up’s centennial brought a new level of success for the venerable rodeo in 2010, a high the Round-Up hasn’t come down from.

The Round-Up’s 100th anniversary brought its fair share of pomp and circumstance: the revival of the grand serpentine entrance and long-gone rodeo favorites from yesteryear.

But the Round-Up also did big business that year, setting records for attendance and total earnings.

Despite putting the centennial in the rearview mirror, the Round-Up has continued to post strong ticket and merchandise sales.

Another moneymaker for the Round-Up, its royalty agreement with Pendleton Whisky, took on a bigger spotlight when the brand was bought by liquor giant Proximo Spirits in 2017.

The Round-Up’s success allowed the association to buy the neighboring Albertsons property in early 2018, demolish the vacant supermarket, and start building a new retail and administrative facility. The association also acquired property west of the rodeo grounds to accommodate a new indoor rodeo arena and classroom space for Blue Mountain Community College.

It wasn’t strictly a glide path to success for the Round-Up: in 2017, stockholders nearly rejected the board of director’s pick for president while complaining about a lack of adherence to association bylaws and late financial statements.

7.

Hermiston takes population lead

In 2011, Hermiston reached a feat decades in the making.

The U.S. Census revealed that Hermiston had surpassed Pendleton, the Umatilla County seat, as the largest city in Eastern Oregon.

The gap was only 133 people that year, but it’s only continued to widen as the decade has progressed. According to Portland State University’s annual population estimate, the disparity is now stretched to more than 1,000 people in 2019: 18,415 for Hermiston versus 17,020 for Pendleton.

While Pendleton has struggled with a housing shortage and an aging population, Hermiston’s growth has been driven by demographic change.

Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, Hermiston’s white population grew modestly while its Hispanic and Latino population grew by more than 70%. The Latino population growth spurred the city of Hermiston to establish a Hispanic Advisory Committee in 2012.

Although Hermiston’s rising population has led to new economic opportunities like Amazon, it’s also led to some growing pains.

After successfully passing bonds to expand school facilities in 1999 and 2008, local voters rejected a $104 million bond in 2017. The district had to cut the bond ask down to $82.7 million in 2019 before voters approved it in November.

8.

Wildfires rage in Eastern Oregon

The sunny, summer skies of Eastern Oregon have become overcast in recent years, not due to cloud coverage, but because of the thick smoke of wildfires.

Massive summer wildfires have become the norm across the western United States, and although Umatilla and Morrow counties haven’t gotten it the worst this decade, they’re not immune to its effects.

2015 was a particularly brutal year for wildfires in Eastern Oregon. The fires at Canyon Creek in Grant County, Windy Ridge in Baker County, and Grizzly Bear in Wallowa County burned nearly 300,000 acres combined.

Prolonged droughts and intense heat have made massive forest fires a risk each summer, and local firefighters often join the regional efforts to extinguish them.

Smoke-choked skies have become commonplace during fire season, and even when the fire is hundreds of miles away, a strong wind can cause local air quality to plummet.

At one point in August 2018, Pendleton had the worst air quality in the state due to several fires burning in Central Washington.

9.

Wolves settle, spread in Oregon

No animal has caused quite as much contention in Eastern Oregon than the wolf.

An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife trail camera at the Mt. Emily Unit in Umatilla County captured photos of three wolves of the newly christened Walla Walla pack in 2011.

But as wolves continued to spread throughout the region, the animals became an increasingly political topic, with local ranchers on one side and environmentalists on the other.

The issue came to a head in 2017 when ODFW approved kill orders for three wolves from the Harl Butte pack of Wallowa County and one more from the Meacham pack after they preyed on cattle from the Pendleton-based Cunningham Sheep Co.

As known wolves rose from 21 in 2010 to 137 in 2018, ODFW revised its wolf management plan that includes a rule that allows Eastern Oregon ranchers to kill wolves that have attacked their livestock twice in the past nine months.

The state removed Eastern Oregon wolves from the endangered species list in 2015 and U.S. Fish and Wildlife is considering doing the same for all wolves in the contiguous United States.

10.

CTUIR buys two Pendleton businesses, begins expansion at resort and casino

When the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation opened the Wildhorse in 1994, it was a collection of 100 slot machines in a five-wide trailer.

With the Wildhorse Resort and Casino now celebrating its silver jubilee, the facility has grown to encompass a massive gaming floor, a hotel tower, multiple restaurants, a movie theater, a golf course and more.

But the Wildhorse isn’t done growing.

Tribal officials spent the latter part of the decade planning an expansion, and in 2019, construction officially begun on a new bowling alley that’s expected to complement an expanded family entertainment center and movie theater.

Once the renovations are complete in 2020, the tribes expect to expand the facility further by building a second hotel tower and a new event center.

But the CTUIR didn’t restrict the Wildhorse expansion to reservation boundaries: the tribes also bought the Pendleton Country Club and Hamley’s in 2019 with plans to continue running them.

At a government-to-government conference, Wildhorse CEO Gary George explained that the tribal gaming was hitting a saturation point, so Wildhorse’s future plans mainly involved expanding its entertainment options.

Top grossing films each year of the decade:

2010— Toy Story 3 ($1.1 billion)

2011— Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 ($1.3 billion)

2012— The Avengers ($1.5 billion)

2013— Frozen ($1.3 billin)

2014— Transformers: Age of Extinction ($1.1 billion)

2015— Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens ($2.1 billion)

2016— Captain America: Civil War ($1.2 billion)

2017— Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi ($1.3 billion)

2018— Avengers: Infinity War ($2 billion)

2019— Avengers: Endgame ($2.8 billion)

Source: Box Office Mojo

The winners of the Super Bowl from 2010-2019:

2010 — New Orleans Saints 31 Indianapolis Colts 17

2011— Green Bay Packers 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 25

2012— New York Giants 21 New England Patriots 17

2013— Batlimore Ravens 34 San Francisco 49ers 31

2014— Seattle Seahawks 43 Denver Broncos 8

2015— New England Patriots 28 Seattle Seahawks 24

2016— Denver Broncos 24 Carolina Panthers 10

2017— New England Patriots 34 Atlanta Falcons 28

2018— Philadelphia Eagles 41 New England Patriots 33

2019— New England Patriots 13 Los Angles Rams 3


Source: NFL

The winners of MLB’s World Series from 2010-2019:

2010 — San Francisco Giants four games to one over Texas Rangers

2011— St. Louis Cardinals four games to three over Texas Rangers

2012 — San Francisco Giants four games to none over Detroit Tigers

2013 — Boston Red Sox four games to two over St. Louis Cardinals

2014 — San Francisco Giants four games to three over Kansas City Royals

2015 — Kansas City Royals four games to one over New York Mets

2016 — Chicago Cubs four games to three over Cleveland Indians

2017— Houston Astros four games to three over Los Angles Dodgers

2018 — Boston Red Sox four games to one over Los Angles Dodgers

2019 — Washington Nationals four games to three over Houston Astros

Source: MLB

The winners of the NBA Finals from 2010-2019:

2010 — Los Angles Lakers four games to three over Boston Celtics

2011 — Dallas Mavericks four games to two over Miami Heat

2012 — Miami Heat four games to one over Oklahoma City Thunder

2013 — Miami Heat four games to three over San Antonio Spurs

2014 — San Antonio Spurs four games to one over Miami Heat

2015 — Golden State Warriors four games to two over Cleveland Cavaliers

2016 — Cleveland Cavaliers four games to three over Golden State Warriors

2017 — Golden State Warriors four games to one over Cleveland Cavaliers

2018 — Golden State Warriors four games to none over Cleveland Cavaliers

2019 — Toronto Raptors four to two Golden State Warriors


Source: NBA

The winners of the NHL Stanley Cup from 2019-2019:

2010 — Chicago Blackhawks four games to two over Philadelphia Flyers

2011 — Boston Bruins four games to three over Vancouver Canucks

2012 — Los Angles Kings four games to one over New Jersey Devils

2013 — Chicago Blackhawks four games to two over Boston Bruins

2014 — Los Angles Kings four games to one over New York Rangers

2015 — Chicago Blackhawks four games to two over Tampa Bay Lighting

2016 — Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two over San Jose Sharks

2017 — Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two over Nashville Predators

2018 — Washington Capitals four games to one over Vegas Golden Knights

2019 — St. Louis Blues four games to three over Boston Bruins

Source: NHL

NPR’s list of top 25 songs of the decade (based on listener nominations):

1. Bon Iver: “Holocene” from Bon Iver

2. Robyn: “Dancing On My Own” from Body Talk Pt. 1

3. Sufjan Stevens: “Fourth of July” from Carrie & Lowell

4. Lorde: “Royals” from Pure Heroine

5. Kanye West: “Runaway” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

6. Beyoncé: “Formation” from Lemonade

7. M83: “Midnight City” from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

8. LCD Soundsystem: “Dance Yrself Clean” from This is Happening

9. Kendrick Lamar: “Alright” from To Pimp a Butterfly

10. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars: “Uptown Funk” from Uptown Special

11. Childish Gambino: “This is America” (Single)

12. Adele: “Rolling in the Deep” from 21

13. Taylor Swift: “All Too Well” from Red

14. Lucy Dacus: “Night Shift” from Historian

15. Carly Rae Jepsen: “Run Away with Me” from E.MO.TION

16. Mitski: “Your Best American Girl” from Puberty 2

17. Frank Ocean: “Self Control” from Blonde

18. Hozier: “Take Me to Church” from Hozier

19. Alabama Shakes: “Hold On” from Boys & Girls

20. Janelle Monáe: “Make Me Feel” from Dirty Computer

21. Lana Del Rey: “Video Games” from Born to Die

22. Brandi Carlile: “The Joke” from By the Way, I Forgive You

23. Radiohead: “Daydreaming” from A Moon Shaped Pool

24. Courtney Barnett: “Depreston” from Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

25. Fleet Foxes: “Helplessness Blues” from Helplessness Blues

Source: NPR

The East Oregonian scanned major news outlets, such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, MSN and others to compile a list of top national and international news stories of the last decade.

2010

Haiti earthquake

A catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake the afternoon of Jan. 12 struck Haiti. The quake collapsed some 250,000 homes and another 30,000 commercial buildings. The quake killed between 100,00 and 316,000 people, depending on the source of the data.

Table computers become reality

Apple co-founder and company frontman Steve Jobs on Jan. 27 introduced the iPad, the tablet computer.

“Obamacare” becomes law

President Barak Obama on March 23 signed the Affordable Care Act into law.

Deepwater Horizon disaster

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded April 20, killing 11 people. Some 4.9 million barrels of oil flow from the damaged pipe for 87 days before crews could cap it. The spill damaged Gulf ecosystems and fishing and tourism industries.

Financial reform

Congress on July 15 passed the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, more plainly known as Dodd-Frank passed. The changes the anew law mades to financial regulations affected most Americans.

WikiLeaks reveals classified cables

WikiLeaks — the nonprofit organization that publishes submissions whistleblower submissions — on Nov. 28 began releasing more than 250,000 classified cables between the U.S. State Department and its embassies, consulates and diplomats. The documents revealed a trove of sensitive international situations, including the U.S. spying on United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

2011

Arab Spring

Anti-government uprisings spread across the Arabic world in beginning in January in Tunisia, where the people ousted the president. Social media and smartphones played key rolls in the movement.

The Arab Spring led to a violent civil war in Libya and the overthrown of Muammar Gaddafi. Opposition forces on Oct. 20 dragged the dictator through the streets and executed him.

Libya’s civil war continues to rage and contributed to the worldwide refugee crisis with more than 5.6 million Syrians fleeing the country. Thousands seeking refuge have died in the Mediterranea while trying to enter Europe.

Tohoku quake

A record 9-0 earthquake on March 11 struck off the coast Tohoku, Japan. The quake was the most powerful recorded in Japan and caused a massive tsunami, killed nearly 20,000 people and damaged nuclear power plants.

Taking out bin Laden

U.S. Special Forces on May 2 killed Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorists attack, in an assault on a compound in Pakistan.

Apple co-founder dies

Steve Jobs died on Oct. 5. He was 56. The Apple co-founder revolutionized computer technology and media and built one of the world’s most valuable companies.

North Korean leader dies

Kim Jong Il died Dec. 17 from a heart attack at age 69. The North Korean dictator had isolated the county, ruined its economy and staved its people. His death, however, also caused uncertainty on the international front during the transition to a new leader.

2012

Sandy rocks East Coast

Superstorm Sandy hits the East Coast on Oct. 29, causing enough flooding to float cars in streets of lower Manhattan. The storm killed 85 people in the U.S. Sandy would be the deadliest, most destructive and strongest hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season.

Benghazi consulate attack

An angry mob on Sept. 11 and 12 srike the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, setting faculties aflame and killing four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The initial report was the attack was a response to an American video that mocked Islam and the prophet Mohammed. The investigation, however, revealed this was a terrorist attack.

Obama wins second term

President Barack Obama narrowly won re-election on Nov. 6, overcoming public doubts about his performance on the economy—doubts that challenger Mitt Romney appeared well-positioned to exploit.

Sandy Hook massacre

A shooter on Dec. 14 killed 26 people — 20 of them children 6-7 years old — at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

2013

Black Lives Matter launches

A jury in Florida on Oct. 13 acquitted neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman of the 2012 shooting death of and 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an African America. The The Black Lives Matter movement began in the wake of the verdict with the hashtag BlackLivesMatter. The movement would continue to grow with street protests and demonstrations over police and others killing African Americas.

The new pope

Pope Benedict XVI resigned Feb. 28, and on March 13 Papal conclave elected Pope Francis. The election process did not follow Catholic tradition.

Boston Marathon bombing

Two homemade bombs detonated in a terrorist attack on April 15 near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds more, including 16 who lost limbs. A massive police manhunt ensued to capture two suspects. One died in a shootout with police, the other ended up in federal prison on 30 charges, including the use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death.

Deadly Rana Plaza building collapse

The Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed five garment factories, collapsed April 24, killing more than 1,100 people injuring at least 2,500.

NSA leaks hit the media

The Guardian on June 8 published top-secret documents showing the U.S. National Security Agency used a data mining tool to collect volumes of information from computer and telephone networks. The next day, Edward Snowden revealed he is the source of the leak.

2014

GM recalls hundreds of thousands of vehicle

GM in February recalled almost 777,000 older-model Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 compact cars in North America because ignition problems could turn off air bags and other components.

Malaysia Airlines jet goes missing

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 left Kuala Lumpur on March 8 for Beijing but never landed. The airliner when missing for 227 passengers and 12 crew onboard.

The annexation of Crimea

Citizens of Kiev in Ukraine protested their government accepting help from Russia. The people ousted the pro-Russian president, but before a pro-Western interim government could take charge, Russian in March used military force to annex the Crimean Peninsula.

The rise of ISIS

The terrorist organization ISIS — Islamic State of Iraq and Syria — gained worldwide attention for its public executions, beheadings, rapes and more, and posted the crimes online. ISIS kidnapped and killed journalists and international aid workers and often broadcast the slayings on YouTube. ISIS set up an Islamic state in Iraq and Syria and imposed the strict religious code of sharia law.

Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo.

Police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in August in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American teenager. The local prosecutor did not charge Wilson with any crime. That decision set off protests, some violent.

2015

“Je suis Charlie”

Two gunmen on Jan. 7 attacked the Paris offices of the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12. The violence stemmed from the magazines depiction of the Prophet Mohammed, killing 12 people. Another man, who pledged allegiance to ISIS, carried out a second series of attacks. But that did not stop thousands of Parison from publicly demonstrating their support and solidarity with Charlie Hebdo with signs displaying “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie).

Supreme Court ruling makes same-sex marriage a right

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in June ruled the Constitution guarantees marriage equality to gay and lesbian couples

Terrorists strike again in Paris

Suicide bombers and shooters on Nov. 13 targeted six Paris locations. The Bataclan theater was the scene of the deadliest attack, which resulted in 89 dead and more than 100 injured. The death toll from the coordinated slaughter rose to 130 with nearly 500 more wounded. ISIS claimed responsibility for the violence

Opioid epidemic devastates communities

More than 47,000 Americans died in 2015 as result of an opioid overdose. The crisis stemmed from the over-prescription and abuse of opioids. The crisis continues.

Refugee crisis

The UN Refugee Agency in December reported the number of refugees and migrants to Europe reached “staggering new levels.” Nearly 1 million people — most fleeing war and persecution from Middle East countries — landed on Europe’s shores, Thousands, however, died at sea trying to get there.

2016

Pulse nightclub shooting

A gunman in the early hours of June 12, 2016, killed 49 people and wounded more than 50 others at the Pulse nightclub—a gay bar in Orlando, Florida.

Brexit edges out

Britain in a referendum on June 23 voted to leave the European Union. “Brexit,” however, has yet to occur.

Pokémon Go takes toll

The Pokémon Go app in june sent youth and adults on the hunt to virtual capture monsters. The game also resulted in real-world injuries, and damaged phones as well as water-cooler conversations and friendships.

Trump wins

U.S. voters on Nov. 8 pushed back against leftist politics and elect developer and popular reality TV star Donald Trump as president. Voters is California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada legalized recreational marijuana and in three other states approved medical marijuana.

Panama Papers

An anonymous source provided German journalist Bastian Obermaye with 11.5 million files from Mossack Fonseca, one of the largest offshore law firms in the world. A coalition of news organizations worked through the documents to reveal how the rich use offshore tax havens to duck out of paying taxes. The news reports exposed heads of state, other government officials, celebrities and more.

2017

No Paris deal with Trump

President Donald Trump in june announced the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords or start a new deal.

Grenfell Tower fire

Fire broke out on June 14 in fourth-floor apartment in the 23-story high rise in West London. Flames spread in moments to the exterior of the building and to all sides. Grenfell Tower had a “stay-put” policy, meaning resdient were to stay put until help arrived. The fire killed 72 people

Total eclipes

Millions looked to the sky Aug. 21 to watch the total solar eclipse, and Oregon becomes prime viewing territory. The event may have been the most-observed solar eclipse in history.

Hurricanes stirke the U.S.

Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 25 slammed into Texes with winds exceeding 100 mph and days later hit Louisiana. The hurricane submerged a third of Houston and caused $125 billion in damage, second only to Hurricane Katrina in costs. Hurricane Harvey also claimed 88 lives.

Category 4 Hurricane Maria less than a month later landed on Puerto Rico, resulting in the deaths of almost 3,000 people due to the lack of power, clean water and health care services.

2017

Mugabe falls from power

President Robert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37, but a coup d’état ousted the dictator from power. Tens of thousands of anti-Mugabe demonstrators celebrated in the streets.

MeToo movement begins

Several women came forward and accused Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein of mistreatment. The trickle of stories became a fire hose as more than 80 women eventually accused Weinstein of wrongdoing ranging from harassment to rape over a span of decades. The MeToo hashtag went viral as women around the world took to social media and shared their stories of sexual harassment and assault.

Venezuela in crisis

Venezuela’s faltering economy, food shortages, bbackouts and ever-increasing inflation set the stage for violent protests against President Nicolas Maduro. The crisis continues.

2018

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

A former student armed with a semiautomatic rifle on Feb. 14 attacked Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He killed 17 and injured 17 more, making it the deadliest school shooting in United States history.

Survivors of the attack and high school students nationwide participated in marches and advocated for stricter gun control laws.

Murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi citizen and U.S.-based journalist critical of the Saudi Arabian government. On Oct. 2, he went to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to deal with paperwork to marry his fiancee,. She waited outside for him, but he never returned.

Al Jazeera reported his murder, which resulted in public outcries for justice and a United Nations investigation that revealed Khashoggi was the victim of a “deliberate, premeditated execution.” The report also found credible evidence linking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to his murder.

2019

Climate crisis heats up

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report in October stating the world may have only 12 years to stop irreversible damage from climate change. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager, began the school strike for climate action in August outside the Swedish parliament. That resulted in major climate strikes around the world with calls to leaders to take on climate change.

Hong Kong protests

Massive protests began in June in Hong Kong against a proposal to allow the extradition of criminal fugitives to mainland China. Demonstrations grew in scope to demand real democracy and police accountability. The protests also grew in size, with perhaps a million or more participating.

Death of ISIS leader

U.S. Special Forces on Oct. 27 raided a safehouse in northwest Syria and killed ISIS leaderAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi