Amazon Eliminates Tampa as Contender for Second Headquarters Location 

Since September, multi-billion-dollar corporation Amazon has been searching for a home to establish their second headquarters. 

Over 238 cities across North America sent in applications, including Tampa and St. Petersburg. Despite copious collaboration efforts between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, both cities failed to make the final cut.  

“[In Tampa] there’s a great community around…and the weather’s very nice most of the time…Tampa should’ve been up there,” sophomore Tristan Van Horn said.  

Amazon’s second headquarters is predicted to economically benefit whichever community it is located in. Not only is it expected to host approximately 50,000 jobs directly at the location but it will also create thousands of other jobs and billions of dollars in investment for the city as a whole.  

North and South Korea to March Together for Winter Olympics 

During the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, North and South Korea will march side by side under the same flag.  

This comes after a significant decline in military tensions between the two nations and an improvement in diplomatic talks. Besides marching together, North and South Korea have agreed to form a women’s ice hockey team representing both countries, as well as hosting a cultural event with performers from both nations.  

Some, such as Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, believe that North Korea’s display of diplomacy may just be a way to buy time in order to continue their nuclear weapons program. The talks between the two Korea’s could possibly ease criticisms from the international community, allowing North Korea to expand their nuclear developments.  

“I definitely think that we should take precaution as much as possible but at the same time, there’s not much we could do about it…it’s not really our business,” junior Madison Bonisa said.  

Although the nations working together at the Winter Olympics may seem like an advancement, it remains unclear if lax relations between the countries will continue afterwards. 

Flu Outbreak Sweeps Continental U.S. 

H3N2, the most dangerous strain of the flu, has impacted nearly every state in the United States, so far causing 105 deaths.  

The scale of the outbreak has led scientists to classify the current flu season as “moderately severe.”  

Additionally, the dramatic number of cases has caused overcrowding in many hospitals, causing some in Texas and Minnesota to turn patients away. Doctors in California, where the disease has been particularly impactful, have also had to tend to flu patients in hallways or makeshift tents outside.  

Consequential to these events, some Americans have taken measures against contracting virus. 

“Wash your hands, of course,” freshman Jacob Bernhardt said. “Always be sure to steer clear if you see any symptoms or have any symptoms.”  

Experts have emphasized the importance of being vaccinated. Although the flu vaccine cannot guarantee that one will not contract the virus, it can lessen the health toll.