Q04

Describe an event in the world that has impacted you this year. How? Why?

Shootings opened my eyes in to gun violence.

The ongoing trauma of the Trump presidency. Watching democracy erode before our very eyes, speaking up and feeling like nothing's making it better. I'm terrified for the future of this country.

Donald Trump - the country's relaxed attitude towards his actions is appalling to me. The number of people who aren't upset is more concerning to me than anything else. How low will we sink as a country?

Leaving my job and starting self-employment. It was a leap I put off for a long time. I didn't believe in myself enough to do it sooner. But now that I have, and I am thriving, I feel empowered to know I can do similar things in the future. I know now I land on my feet.

The ongoing Trump presidency. The anonymous opinion piece in The New York Times. I am afraid that no one is really steering the car. The article claimed that the insiders are trying to keep his from driving off a cliff. But now he is suspicious of them. Maybe he'll fire them all. Then no one but a madman will be in control, and he'll drive us off the cliff. I am depressed, and feel as if the situation is hopeless, that I am dead inside, that I am losing my mind is this miasma into which we've been thrown. I feel awful on a daily basis because of Trump.

As we get closer to Brexit with no clear plan I am becoming increasingly nervous. I’ve really developed a sense that I want to make my world ‘small’. Manage the things I can manage. Do the things I can do to improve the lives of those close to me and make ethical and sensible purchasing choices to support others. I have very much embraced a zero waste lifestyle, significantly reducing the plastic I consume. I’ve really enjoyed that and the feeling that I can make an impact in my own small way.

SO many terrorist attacks in France, and shooting in the US. It is scary. I realized I am overall scared thinking about the state of the world

My Country elected a populist coalition, which is ruining our economy and our welfare. Also, the Brexit effect has begun and finding a job in the UK as a EU foreigner is not as easy as before. Since I am a biotechnologist, so I would work in a small niche with a lot of competition, the lack of funds and the growing ignorance towards some topics (which is pushing governments to de-fund research) is quite harming what my future perspective would be. I would really like to be positive (and I actually try to be), but I feel really descouraged at the moment. I hope everything will be sorted for me when I read this, next year.

The negative coverage in the political world exhausts me. All of our USA leaders are behaving like children and causing unnecessary stress in our families and on social media. Everyone needs to take a step back and remember that they are leaders and adults. Not children throwing temper tantrums.

My aunt's death. In particular because I couldn't make it to her funeral as I live abroad.

I mean, my country falling apart? Trump's election last year galvanized me to call my representatives and get out into the street. But this year I'm demoralized. Nothing, no matter how heinous, seems to matter. Trump got on national TV with a foreign adversary and sided with him against US intelligence—the spirit of treason if ever there was—and while my right-leaning reps all issued statements that it was unacceptable, they of course continue to accept it and support the president if it means they get to enact more of their agenda. Trump separated immigrant children from their families, put them in cages, and illegally drugged them to stop them from crying, and while public outcry forced him to tone that down, it's still going on yet everyone has moved on. It's been a hard year in work and life, and I'm at my limit for how much frustration and powerlessness I can take from politics, which itself feels like a defeat.

Facebook's appearance before congress (twice). It made me aware of the ways modern digital platforms abuse privacy and exploit users, and i've started to research the risks i take by being online. This has led to me figuring out how better to protect myself when i browse the internet.

All the shit with Jeremy Corbyn in the UK has been deeply depressing and wasted too many hours of my time. Upsets me to think about the negative affect he has on so many. Aside from that can't think of any single events.

The election of Trump as president has shocked me awake to the illiberal and racist tendencies in the US and elsewhere. It reminds me of how important it is to ask the questions of what others think, listen with respect and also voice my belief... for only in silence does an ill-informed agenda and fear take root. We must be able to have the conversation. I regularly and consciously ask the questions.

Nothing comes to mind. There is the growing awareness of global warming. Trump is horrible.

The immigration crisis in the world and how the current &*&^%%$%^ administration is dealing with it. I can't fix that but I have begun to volunteer with HIAS. It's just a little bit at the moment; helping one family but it's something and it's within my means. Perhaps more will come. Also, I am generous with household goods for other families who come. Again, small but something. G!d willing, next year we'll be able to answer this question differently.

The continual needless shootings in public places. I don't want to be afraid to attend an event or afraid for my family every single day. Although I trust God completely, our free will has taken over. Our president has given violence permission to do whatever it wants.

Luckily this year has been a little more positive than last, other than Brexit and Trump which I am really fed up of hearing about and getting bored of. We had such an amazingly HOT summer in the UK, it was mid-20 - 30 degrees for weeks and it was glorious. One week I had 5 picnics in a row (lol), I just wanted to spend as much time as possible outside. England also did so well in the World Cup, for the first time in my lifetime. The atmosphere in the pubs and just around was amazing and it was a lot of fun to watch the games!

My son starting second grade with with a teacher he really likes. The last two years of school I’ve been pushed to get him tested for ADD or AD/HD. This year his teacher assured me he’s behaving in class, he’s doing his work, and he’s ahead in reading. She told me good job. After two years of refusing to have him tested and feeling torn down and like I wasn’t doing the best for him, we enter a great year. He does still show signs of ADD, I’m not denying it entirely, but he needed someone who understood him better as a teacher and met him halfway than forcing him into being a robot. I’m sure there’s other stuff going on in the world that impacts me directly but this was the first one I thought of.

The frightening politics of Trump. I have been disgusted and afraid of what he's able to get away with and just as upset with the fact that he has some many strong supporters in spite of his megalomaniac behaviors. I'm worried about the impact far into the future of our world, with his environmental decisions, the opportunity he has to influence the Supreme Court and his attitudes towards women, for starters.....there's more of course. Pretty much anything he does is dangerous in my eyes.

The mess that is Donald Trump's presidency. I am appalled by his lack of dignity, his petulance, his contempt for anyone who disagrees with him, his outright lies, and his attacks on the media, undermining freedom of speech. In particular, I was horrified by his border policy separating families. So much unnecessary trauma to those families and the American psyche. He is a dangerous man promulgating hate and selfishness and I am genuinely anxious for the future.

As I write this hurricane Florence is about to hit land around Myrtle Beach area. More refugee’s flood into this country and into Canada and my heart breaks for them. They are fleeing for their safety. And I worry that this could be us someday. It worries me when government’s decisions have so much of an impact on our everyday lives.

This year’s discourse around ICE and family detainment has been the most agregious of the many Trump disasters. In Seattle, I’ve engaged in political action in ways that feel more distanced than when in NY, and I’d like to find ways to be closer to the epicenter there

The various primary elections and the events that surround them have shown me that it is not naive or futile to have hope that justice will prevail and I can be a part of attaining that justice.

I think we are still reeling from the hurricane season of 2017. And of course every moment in this current political climate is affecting all of us on a deeply personal level.

The hurricane in Florida that was a few months ago. I was really scared of that and I thought about how brave all the people who live there must have been.

Hurricane Maria. This time last year there was a terrible storm that nearly devastated an entire country (Puerto Rico). My husband's family all lives there and it was very unsettling not being able to hear from them and know if they were okay for a few days. Our relationship with them has always been shaky, but this tragedy has created an even bigger rift between our worlds and it hasn't been mended.

The hurricanes, Harvey, Maria. I volunteered with FEMA in the US Virgin Islands. Saw the impact of loss of power, saw the impact of human interaction, saw the impact of direct aid. Saw people struggling with dignity and grace, saw people falling apart, saw people stealing from others in time of need.

הבחירה של טראמפ - או שאולי זה כבר היה בשנה שעברה. התנועה הרעיונית הזאת בשילוב עם הרשתות החברתיות התפיסה הלא פוליטקלי קורקט לדעתי עוזרת גם ברמה האישית להסרת כל מיני מסכות. וגם ברמה הזוגית

The constant battle in Israel. I feel it brings me closer to the Jewish world but at the same time pulling me farther from some people. I have very strong feelings about how people have treated Jews and I feel that people often forget our past

Trump took office. I became more politically aware and vocal. I think I became more empathetic too.

Watching Trump as President undermine our democracy and values with his every action, comment, policy and appointment. All this should have spurred me to action. And I have taken a few small actions over the course of the year. But mostly I have felt anxious, depressed, discouraged and powerless.

All the random shootings that are occurring everywhere. I feel apprehensive when I am in a crowd or very public places. I think that I am vulnerable.

The refugee crisis and the imprisonment of children

I have been impacted by the #metoo movement. It has given me the courage to give voice and name to male behaviors that I have witnessed and lived with my whole life but have assumed are just something to be tolerated. I am not speaking of sexual assault or abusive behaviors, just the tendency of men to take up more of the oxygen in a room, speak more in meetings, or assume they understand another person's perspective. On the outside, my behavior in response to these commonplace situations may only be subtly different -- I interrupt them more and practice baton passing where I make it clear with my body language that I am turning the stage over to another women rather than leaving a silence for anyone to jump into -- but internally I feel empowered to be myself and take up space in a new way. It is no longer my responsibility to help men be more comfortable in the world.

I don't think that anything in the world this year has been as jarring as last year (when I wrote about the election loss of Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump). I think that this broader event still continues to define so much of life - the news cycle, certainly, but also daily life and how people interact with one another. I'm generally of the opinion that the world is getting better (and in the past nearly two years, often in spite of Trump), but I do think that this continues to deeply impact the lives of everyone. In terms of my life, I think this has impacted me in two ways. First, I think I have been forced to be more aware of certain political realities, particularly regarding the need to do more and how those without privilege feel. That being said, I think the second thing is that it has caused me to be less engaged in a lot of ways. There is so much noise, so much negativity, it often feels like the best thing to do is disconnect. In some ways, I think that is incredibly helpful. But in other ways, I think that is a tactic I can use because I stand in a position of privilege. I do think that women's rights have, at times (and currently with the Supreme Court nomination process) been threatened in a really scary and real way (one that I think many men do not truly understand). But otherwise - I have the ability to block things out because I'm white, I have access to wealth and social resources, etc. I think that in the year ahead, I need to challenge myself to engage more openly, honestly, and in a way that is meaningful, even if it is still limited.

Living in Florida since 2006, I have been lucky in the category as it were of hurricane impact in my life. Last year, we faced Irma, which required an immense amount of preparation followed by five days of no power. It is now again hurricane season, and we don't know what to expect. On a larger level, this reminds me of our overall powerlessness against nature and rhythms of the universe and to get a little Al Gore, I am frightened about global climate change and ways in which no matter what we do, we cannot control what is happening to our earth. We can in small ways, but in the larger picture we are so tiny and can be swept away literally. It reminds me to value every day and be more environmentally conscious about things I can control.

Children separated at the U.S. / Mexico border. I grieve for these children and their parents, families and worry about the future of their mental health as they age into adulthood and this traumatic experience will affect their lives, and the lives of those around them for the next generation. I’m in recovery for my own childhood abuse and am exploring the inter generational transference of pain.

Trump continues to be the worst president ever. He sets such a horrible example for everything. So glad our daughters grew up with Obama as their president So worried about everything Trump is dismantling...

Trump meeting with North Korea - it created a real fear for all of our lives. The fact that 2 unstable blowhards are meeting to discuss arms, while the more cunning of the two is the one that hates us and the stupider one is the one going off about how great we are, while alienating all of our allies, makes it all way too real that we are in danger.

Merciless separation of children from their undocumented parents. I've been working with a team of attorneys, notaries and translators to help these families prepare legal documents (special powers of attorney and caregiver agent for travels inside and outside of the country) to protect children born in US in the event their parents are deported.

There have been quite a few tragic world events this year, as there are always, but the one that's impacted me the most is the one that's been going on for a while - the Syrian refugee crisis. To be fair, I don't read about it or think about it often, but every time it comes up in my mind or in the news, I remember how entirely helpless I am (and most of the world is) in providing aid. It's such a tangled web of history, interests, and agendas, and staggering numbers of people find themselves caught in the crosshairs simply for living where they do. And moreover, the response of the world to these refugees, although sometimes quite touching, is in many cases incredibly frustrating and disheartening. I think I find myself so affected by this issue because 1) I am so uneducated about it, and therefore in some strange way feel complicit, 2) I can do so little to help, and 3) I benefit from a good quality of life that is provided by the very government and mindset that contributes to the crisis, and therefore feel guilt. If I can do anything, it's to educate myself more about these matters.

Anthony Bourdain's suicide. He is someone I admire and seemed to have such a joie de vivre. Finding out about his depression, alcoholism, and other demons was a surprise, but helped me to put the suicide in some kind of context. He was suffering for a long time. I have been suffering for a long time. I need to wake up and make big changes. I don't feel suicidal, but the depression I live with is not "living". Time for change

I honestly can't think of anything significant. That's probably a good thing.

Jeremy Corbyn's rise to power is frightening to watch. We are watching from the sidelines as we live outside the UK. I am wondering where it will take the British people.

Trump being president and the political turmoil - and the hate and lies - and the results of this. Add to it the complicity of Congress in all this and it's over the top. It has ratcheted up my anxiety and my fear. I believe democracy as we know it is rapidly disappearing. Ever since fear-mongering and denigrating people became part of the political landscape I have been concerned.

Our dear, dear, president. I never before in my life have disliked a president this much. Even presidents that were of persuasions that I disagreed with. I am waiting for the next two years to pass so that I can vote for anyone that will not be him. I am waiting to vote for anyone who can block him from being an effective president. Personal politics do not matter. Only that he be blocked from harming our country further. He may be doing more to unite our country by causing those like me to rebel against him. How very odd.

I guess the Me Too movement has had an impact on my sense of victim-hood. I've always identified as a man who was abused by a woman. Truth is, I and my abuser where both children. It gets tough because men are not really recognized as being victims of female abuse. I have a wired mechanism, that frankly I'm getting tired of in myself, that wants to remain the victim of women: my sister, and my mom specifically. But I, the fundamental I, wants to just be me, in however that truth manifests itself. I'm sick of the being stuck in the past, labeling myself from the past, living in the past. I'm much more apt, and equipped, to handle myself being present, than I was certainly 3 or 4 years ago. It's funny, I look back and think, in my early 20's I was present. But I don't know that that is true. I'm present now, I can only be present now. So, to answer this question, the growing consciousness of the planet, our collective treatment of women, and black people in America, and how there is a change occurring in these regards. Well it's in me too. And it's affecting how I relate to myself, and in turn how I relate to others. It feels like growing pains, acceptance of a darker past as I step into the light. I see this happening all around me too. I am no longer a victim of my past, the past, or the past I have lived, or perceived. The future does not hold the answers to my freedom and self love. The present does, may I be receptive enough to experience it fully.

I know that there were many meaningful political events happening in the world, and with our President involved. But, I'll have to say that I enjoyed watching the World Cup with coworkers from all different countries, cheering on teams with them. I liked that the best, knowing that the whole world was watching, too.

Trump. Not just one event. But everything he says, does, Tweets, touches. The family separations at the border were a particularly upsetting moment when I was fighting back tears on a daily basis, while rage brewed. Thank goodness my job allows me to channel some of that into positive action, through fundraising for our immigration work.

The first thing that comes to mind is the death of a young girl my age, a black girl who got her throat slit on the bus by a racist. She felt like one of my own, my age, she wore cute makeup, she had a sister, she was riding the bus, just like me. Fuck trump and fuck white supremacy. Another thing was that one morning in austin i woke up to a statesman alert that an apartment building in san marcos had burned down and students were dead. Turns out it wasnt my apartment, but it was less that a mile away, students died who were living parallel lives to mine. It was 3am and they were alseeep, like i wouldnt been. Innocent. Just like that girl. Just like everyone. I guess the world going to shit has me constantly reminded that we are all one, we are all the same, and we are all in alot of fucking danger. We are our only hope.

My biology test score lowered my grade because I did bad.

The shooting in parkland didn’t directly effect me but it affected my friends and I had to step up to the occasion and help those who needed help. My friends experienced loss on a level that they shouldn’t have ever had to deal with and hopefully will never have to deal with again.

The school shootings within the last year have been too numerous to name but have finally affected me not as a student, but as a teacher. I have to be prepared G-d forbid something should happen, I have to have a plan of action, I have to be the one to keep the kids safe, I have to act as a leader even if I don't feel like one, I have to stay calm, I have to have a clear mind, etc. etc. etc. I'm now not only an adult, but I'm trusted with the care of children. In my current case, 20-150 teenagers on any given day. I'm responsible for their health, for their safety, for their lives...when did I sign up for this...?

The Parkland Shooting affected me because it happened very close to me and it hurt and affected many people that are close to me and that I'm friends with.

The degradation of American policy on everything from immigration to climate change to environmental regulations. I never thought we would be living in a time with a Nazi sympathizer in office. I'm horrified. I'm also reminded that we must constantly appeal to people to be better than their worst instincts. We should strive towards an equal and progressive society and help lift as many as we can out of misery.

Probably the thing that impacted me the most this year was the Red for Ed movement. It caused us to scramble to find last minute child care for over a week and created a lot of stress for us. Luckily, my parents helped out a ton. So I guess it was good to remind us of the importance of family.

The arrest of two black men at Starbucks.

I took two weeks off and it changed my life. I felt more relaxed than I had done in years.

I wanted to quickly go to the Trump era, but decided to positively reflect that climate change has indeed impacted me. I have produced the most abundant garden ever due to the weather conditions. I have also had some marvelous days/evenings with just right conditions. Climate change is a bitch however, best of luck to those in line to face Florence and her horrible weather machine.

An event in the world that has impacted me this year is the Illinois primary. It was the first time I was really pumped about a local/state election. I also had a pronounced awareness of corporate campaign financing because of the 2016 election. I felt a lot of hope for a more progressive future in some ways, especially around Fritz, but also felt a lot of dismay. Some of the results (Pritzker, Kwame) make me worried that we will just fall into a trap of corporate white feminist politics forever. Now that Rahm has announced he's not running for reelection, I have hope that Chicago can elect an actually progressive mayor. I really enjoy being a Chicago resident and am curious to see how this all plays out. On a more personal note, the primary and upcoming midterms and local elections have made me notice who in my life really cares about voting and progressive politics and who does not. I've realized I cannot change my friends' apathy no matter how much I try, but I can convey to people why this is important in the world.

It is Wednesday, September 12, 2018. Hurricane Florence is posed to make landfall on the NC/SC coasts early Friday morning, probably as a CAT 4. with 9' storm surge possible in our area. My parents & I live in Craven Co., NC. We have thus far chosen to stay, with the option of evac to B's in Knoxville, TN. The impact here is yet to be seen, but predicted to be catastrophic. Personally, it's keeping me from being with my daughter in MD, 32 wks pregnant, hospitalized until birth with IUGR...a preemie on the way. Baby is 2 wks behind in growth at 3.5 lbs and could be birthed at any time deemed necessary. That is most difficult right now.

I think the whole #metoo movement has had an effect on a lot of us. For me it has left me with this feeling that I owe it to the next generation of women to be more vocal and to be more approachable to women who may not feel strong or willing to speak out. And when I say that I don't mean specifically speaking out about abuse in any of its forms, but I mean to not be afraid of being the "bossy" girl, the "outspoken" girl, the "girl with a lot to say". Fuck them all and just say what you want to say... your voice has value too!

Following the primary elections and getting ready for the midterms in the United States has definitely impacted me. On the one hand, some of the people who have ended up on the ballot are truly inspirational, others are terrifying. I care about my country, and want to see it become better.

Since this time last year; my cousin moved in with me after Hurricane Irma wrecked St. Thomas. In that sense, life has been pretty different as I have a roommate after several years of living by myself. And now this year at the same time 4 hurricanes are slated to hit the same islands that just go there power back.

I mean, Trump. Always. Craziness. But apart from that just surviving day to day. Scott thinks it's the end of the world. Lets see what happens in November. GO VOTE.

Charlottesville, and the POC being killed by police, and continued Jewish hate crimes. I don't know how to address the world anymore. How to work to make it safe for everyone.

It is hard to remember anything except the racism and damage that this administration has encouraged to flourish.

There are multiple world events happening that continue to impact me. The political unrest that exists everywhere is disturbing on one hand. On the other hand, ordinary citizens seem to be coming together in support of one another as all of the horridness unfolds. It is hard to pinpoint one event...it seems like something happens every week and sometimes every day. And in saying that, it is hard to know what to feel as a result. I am pessimistic about the near-term, but strangely optimistic about our future.

The revolt of the people of Nicaragua against their oppressive government, and the ensuing violence with over 300 deaths makes me very sad. I've traveled to Nicaragua annually for the past 15 years to work with children in their schools. I've established friendships with teachers at schools and the staff members of the NGO that hosted our group. Because of the violence they are not able to host work groups now, and more than likely the staff will lose their livelihoods. They are 45 local Nicaraguans who have been working hard to provide a good life for their families. Their lives will now be thrown into chaos.

The fires on the west coast both in the US and Canada have changed the way my summers work. Last year I was stuck indoors during the Eagle Creek fire because of my surgery, but this summer I wanted to get out and do things, but the smoke kept me indoors. I'm looking towards a future when this will be the new normal. Instead of getting out to do more running I'll be wearing a mask and walking slowly or running on a treadmill.

The sheer devastation of Hurricane Harvey had a significant impact on me, especially since I felt like I was helpless. I don't have a lot of monetary resources to donate, but I donated what I could, I just wish I could have taken some time off from work to donate my time. I'd much rather donate time than money.... but I need the money from the time I spend working. I wish I could have done more, but I am so inspired by how the Houston community bonded together to begin recovery from the storm. Perhaps my faith in humanity isn't as weak as I thought.

My 84 year old mother forgot who I am and thought I had taken her away from her family against her will. She was tormented. The next day she remembered what she had said to me and was tormented all over again. She missed the college graduation of one of her granddaughters and the wedding of another, both my daughters. It broke her heart that she could not attend and mine too.

I cannot accept President Trump's assault on the environment through deregulation and promoting coal and fossil fuels. I has made me very sad, upset, anxious. As long as I thought we were doing something, I could just be part of the movement, but this lack of understanding about our climate is just very scary. In addition the treatment of immigrants...separating children and parents has made me upset and fearful for the future of our country.

Trump becoming president. It's made me realize that anything's possible regardless of how unqualified you may be ;)

Election of Donald Trump continues to impact me. Makes me feel hopeless and discouraged about the world. I feel betrayed by many of my fellow Jews, and isolated from them and others. I'm exhausted from focusing on the constant negativity and bored of the topic of conversation. However, the way I cope is to have made a conscious decision to impact the world positively on a one-to-one basis. Make the world/my world a better place through spirituality, good deeds, positive actions. If I can make a positive impact or change in one person's life, that is better and more effective than trying to change the world my making big statements, demonstrating, trying to influence people, etc ... I'm done with that, and trying to make my microcosm better instead.

Hmm... I suppose the #MeToo movement seems like the likeliest candidate. The narratives of women hushed and hurt and abused by men have stirred in me a desire to examine my own experiences and give voice to them.

Kirtan. It is local, yet it is of my world and in the world. My gaze has become tiny this year, there is so much to see right under my feet. Raising voices together with devotion has been and continues to be an education and a way of wise reflection during this time of contraction of the world.

The refugee crisis has impacted me a lot this year. Through volunteering with refugees, I have learned a lot about my own privilege of simply having a national citizenship, particularly US citizenship. I also now have a lot of friends who are refugees, which helps put things into perspective for me. I am very passionate now about helping those who have to flee their homes, who lost everything and everyone, and who live in fear.

Can I still talk about the election? Oh, that was last year? Well, it still SUCKS. I'm so angry, and you know what? I'm really ashamed of the Jews who work in the administration and the Jews who support this pigheaded narcissist. This is the first year I've been embarrassed about my Judaism. And that's saying a lot given the likes of Henry Kissinger. Yes, being Jewish isn't a guarantee of being a good person, but Kushner and Miller and Yianoppolus...these people are horrid. Not to mention people I know who have sacrificed all of their morality on the altar of Israel. If we sell our souls to gain a homeland, what is that homeland a home for? Empty shells of former humans? I'm so angry!

The separation of parents and children at the U.S. border was an extremely upsetting and shocking event that occurred this year -- and isn't fully resolved. Describing the impact on me is difficult. Like most people, I was upset and dismayed to learn that this was occurring. And I attended marches and donated money to organizations working at the border. But I have to admit that I found it surprisingly easy to forget about this tragedy as I went about my daily activities. And I found that this was true for most people. The atrocities at the border may have been in the backs of our minds -- and undoubtedly cast a pall over us -- but it didn't really alter our day to day patterns, for those of us not affected directly. I also found many people's social media postings to be self-centered and pretentious. I was surprised and upset by how easy it is to disregard the suffering of others when they aren't right in front of you. And this has given me a better understanding of how even perfectly well-meaning people can neglect massive evils happening around them when they are not directly affected.

Ughhhhhhhhh...not a particular event, but Trump in general is horrifying. It is so disturbing to witness how ill-equipped he is to run this country. He is so divisive, egotistical, and completely out of touch with reality. It's disturbing to see how many people just don't care about his lies and unethical behavior. The damage that he's doing to the country will take years, if not decades to repair. While congress is ignoring their duty to check the executive branch, the judicial system is being revamped to support his corruption and gut existing civil rights. Scary times.

The eruption of the volcano in Guatemala. We live just half an hour away, and while we were completely safe, a lot of peoples' lives were disrupted, destroyed or ended. It was a really incredibly sad event that's affected thousands of people, and hasn't gone away.

Since the beginning of the Trump presidency, there have been so many issues that have made me angry. But this past year, in fact in the past few months, the administration made changes to policies about detaining individuals/families who arrive at the US border without proper documentation. Particularly horrific have been the initial policy of separating kids from their parents, and the follow-up policy of putting whole families in detention (and trying to circumvent existing rulings about how long children can be detained). As a parent, actually as a human being, it's inconceivable for me to imagine that anyone would knowingly and willingly do this. With a few others, I was part of a group spearheading a fund-raiser and political action event where we had kids writing postcards to government officials and raised money for each postcard sent. In our first week, we were able to raise more than $20K for a legal organization working on immigration issues, and more than 1300 postcards were sent. It felt GOOD to be doing something that had (I hope) a tangible impact, instead of feeling helpless as I do so often these days.

Trump has impacted me by making every day full of anxiety -- but I've oddly gotten more used to the chaos he purposefully creates- which may not be a good thing - a kind of numbing. I used to believe that events like WWII and hatred of people bc of their race was in the past or only existed in a small percentage of crazy fringe people. But Trump has shown how pervasive and ugly it is. I don't believe in America like I used to. And I don't believe in PEOPLE like I used to. That something as horrible as Trump and his blatant lies and hate mongering could still be defended by people. It's broken my belief in the inherent goodness of people.

The fires up north terrify me. As does the refugee and migration factor. If people can't move freely to navigate our changing climate, what will they do? What will *we* do? Its a scary time and I worry for all of us.

The GOP administration has repeatedly attacked and taken advantage of the most vulnerable. It has left me feeling harassed, vulnerable, and scared for our country's vulnerable. I have always identified with people who are struggling so attacks on them feel like attacks on me and all of us.

Rachael Rollins, Nika Elgurado and Ayanna Pressley all winning a primary on the same evening was really beautiful, and as much as the impact of legislative change can be overstated in our culture, it sends a powerful message about the possibilities of building grassroots power.

president Trump asks some legislation that put all immigrant Children at Risk if their parents were being deported and locks the children up in detention centers. It was very reminiscent of World War II when that was done to the Japanese and it impacts me in a way that hurts my soul because these children will be affected for their entire lives.

The shooting in Florida, that kid who just opened fire in a high school because he wasnt getting enough attention. There were plenty of red flags and not enough people paying attention. Im not sure why people are brought into this world if parents aren't going to take responsibility and the bigger issue which seems like a no brainer is why guns are still legal and accessible mentally ill adolescents. Listening to the parents of the victims broke my heart and I cant even imagine and it made me think I might be better off not bringing a child of my own into a world like this with this kind of corruption where gun lobbyists prevail because of money. What if their children were killed? I wonder then how they'd feel. Seeing all those people march was nice but its not enough. How many more children how many more people have to die needlessly?

The current US political climate remains the thing that impacts me the most. While constantly worrying about federal funding for science, I continue to worry about diversity, freedom of expression and civil rights. Among these the #metoo movement about harassment of women has also had a strong impact as it constantly reminds me of how much work we still need to do for women to be considered equals in society and the workplace. While not directly touching my daily life, all these issues are at the forefront of the newscycle almost daily and a constant source of confusion and worry.

Major loss of innocent children's lives in all of the school shootings. I am focusing on mental health for all of the children I am connected with. Making sure their hearts are in a good place. Making sure they feel respected, listened to, loved. Every child is a miracle. Every child is special. Every single one.

Everything with Donald Trump. It really is a remarkable feeling to be afraid of what's going to happen to the government and feel like war isn't a work of fiction at this point. I find myself trying to convince myself of blind trust in the government, that things can't possibly be as dangerous and terrible as they seem. Inside, though, I think it actually is. I fear the elections and what could happen. I fear total collapse of society, and I hate that I don't know what I would do if there was a true emergency. It makes me kind of scared to have kids, it makes me annoyed that I ever had to grow up. It also helps convince me that being an adult really isn't that great, which I think I've known for awhile. Jason also told me about an alarming article in the New York Times about how there's new research saying that global warming is going to destroy our planet in 50 years and there is nothing we can do at this point to stop it. It's too late. That terrified me and I couldn't even read the article. I don't know how it has impacted me in the day to day, other than my mind occasionally drifting there and feeling so anxious inside. That means I could be 80 years old and just watching a huge fire outside waiting to come and take me. Maybe the people to stockpile have it right, maybe I should be doing that, too.

45 continues to take away rights, continues to offend and injure various people. He has reversed many good works done by the previous administration. People's lives are in jeopardy as a result of his flawed tax breaks, ruthless immigration laws, misinformed education policies, carelessness with the world and the EPA, and his disregard for civil rights for people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. I keep hoping that something will be uncovered to get him out of office. I hope midterm elections make a difference.

Gah! What hasn't happened in the world in the last year? I couldn't even tell you because of the constant drama of the news cycle. Oh, #metoo has probably affected everyone in some way. I'm not really sure how this will affect me in the long run but it's really made me reflect on where I stand and I see myself as part of "a generation" more than I ever did before. Maybe this is just because I'm getting older? Although I don't work in the entertainment industry, and sometimes the movement has felt like the airing of grievances, I am really glad it's happening and it's encouraging to think that our sons and daughters will be living in a fairer world. More than anything, the backlash to it that I see in private conversations makes me realize it's a real step in the right direction. I guess what I mean by this is, there are still some really retrograde ideas about women that people subconsciously hold.

Children being taken away from parents and put in "cages" - only "crime" is that the parents are trying to find a better life for themselves and their children, running away from violence and poverty in South America. As of Rosh HaShanah 2018, 500 children (some under the age of 5) are still separated from their parents, many of whom were deported without being reunited with their children.

My mom connecting with the son she put up for adoption in 1968. It's new, so I can't really assess what will happen, but I have yet to want to form a connection with him. She's very excited about the possibilities, so I am happy for her, but still cautious.

I cannot think of a world event that really impacted me this year.

The #metoo movement has been particularly impactful. It's affected how I analyze my own power within work and personal dynamics and how I advocate for other women. It's also made me less patient with men's transgressions, whether it's sexual impropriety, temper tantrums, mansplaining, etc. I also found myself surprisingly affected by John McCain's death. As an Arizonan, he was a steady figure in my life and nuanced, complex manifestation of bipartisanship in the Trump era.

Hurricane Maria. I was horrified both by the magnitude of the damage (and of Irma's right before) and then by our government's failure to adequately respond. More people died from Maria than from Katrina, yet we were disastrously slow to respond -- no doubt due to many Americans thinking Puerto Ricans are "foreigners." (THEY'RE CITIZENS.) Most of the island was without power for MONTHS, and some places still don't have it, a year later. The tourism industry has mostly recovered, but many residents still live with blue tarps instead of roofs. Even where power and infrastructure is restored, it's been done hastily -- one reporter likens it to being "duct taped" together. Just today Trump claimed that the response to Maria was a great success. He is utterly full of shit. In terms of its direct impact on a personal level, it meant that Mom & Dad didn't know if their boat had been destroyed *for three months*. While that is a distinctly first-world problem, it was devastating to them (living aboard is their life.) Miraculously, the boat made it and they were able to return to it in January. When they got there, they helped as they could, contributed to the economy, and reported back on the struggling region. It's shameful how the mainland US all but abandoned our fellow citizens there.

The continued purposeful blindness by the Republican party in reacting to President Trump's words and actions. They might not have sold their souls, but they have sold their bodies and votes in return for being able to advance their programs, including the packing of the federal courts. Trump will leave some day. What is happening now will take years to undo.

The endless killings of students in schools. I worry often about the safety of my boys. I believe they will be ok but I wonder when the day will come that someone shoots up their schools. How can we live in a society that's ok with that?

Constant investigations and the barrage of information confirming that our country is being led by an incompetent buffoon. My worst case scenarios have come to light with Trump in office, and we will bear the consequences for, sadly, generations to come.

The apparent disregard for life in Baltimore City. Innocent people are being shot every day. Makes me not want to travel into the city any more. I'm concerned to be walking down a street thinking a car that drives by will have someone with a gun shooting at random. All this, just because they can.

All the shootings in the US have had a serious weight on my mind. So much so that when we were in Canada for our road trip, I felt so much safer. And upon arriving back to the US, I felt a heavy unease of coming back and subjecting my son to the environment. Granted, where we live is not a high crime or threatening area, but the areas where there are shootings, are not far away and seriously impact our decisions whether to go out or stay home.

Shootings. I feel scared at synagogue and worry about my kids schools and other public places.

I'm drawing a blank - not because nothing happened in the world, but because nothing seems to really have a real effect on my everyday life. There is a lot of political rhetoric, there are natural disasters, there are refugee crises and environmental crises for sure. Forest fires. Floods. Tariff wars. But life goes on pretty much as normal here in Canada. Not much changes on a day to day basis besides a few cents on the price of ketchup. Perhaps we should all be frightened by this - does it mean a huge change will come and no one will be able to handle it because we are unused to change?

The fires in California. Every so often it hits me emotionally that climate change is causing drastic damage NOW, and close to home (I live on the East Coast, but in this country), and irreparably. I've generally taken for granted that the (privileged) part of the world I inhabit will remain more or less the same, other than gradual positive progress, for my entire life, but now I have doubts.

It just feels like the world is undergoing some sort of monumental shift, that the way things have been is no longer. It could be that I'm getting older and my worldview is changing, but things seem so much darker than before. Bad news is everywhere right now and there seems to be more just on its heels.

I talked about it in previous answers but Michelle's death has impacted me. It has been sad and heavy around our office, sometimes messy as we deal with our emotions. On top of that Pam's death too. Having to tell lots of people about those deaths was rough. We're learning how to remember them with honor and grace.

The political climate -- Trump America, #MeToo, BDS at Barnard -- has made me a more engaged, politically curious individual. I read more, I listen more, and I'm genuinely interested and forming my own opinions about politics. I used to pride myself on being apolitical, but the anxieties and insecurities of the world during the past year have forced me to come to terms with my own ideologies and how they're present -- or misrepresented -- in the world today.

The Parkland shooting affected me deeply. I worry about my childrens' safety in their schools more, and the randomness of violence that we all must steel our psyches against, and prepare ourselves for that potential traumatic loss.

Doug Ford being elected as premier of Ontario. I've never felt like I wanted to leave a place because of who's running it and it's given me a lot more empathy for people in places where they could have left/should have left but didn't. My whole life is here, my friends are here, the person I love doesn't want to leave so I'm staying even though I could easily go to BC or Quebec.

This wasn't since Rosh Hashanah last year, but Hurricane Harvey continues to impact my home city. Some family lost their house, and my city is hurting. It was so hard to watch people lose their homes and know there was nothing I could do to help. It was devastating. Thinking about it still makes me cry.

I know it didn’t exactly happen this year but I’m still feeling the effects of Brexit. Ridiculous. I feel ashamed of our nation and I feel sorry for the individuals who were hoodwinked into thinking it was a good idea.

Still down and occasionally overwhelmed by news about Trump White House and awful things done by Republicans. Families in detention for trying to immigrate.

Donald Trump is President. Donald Trump is President. Donald Trump is President. That covers a wide range of issues: immigration, LGBTQ rights, the wealth gap, allllll of this is taking turns for the worst. It feels very Harry Potter: “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right. -Albus Dumbledore”

Increased evidence of fascism in various forms in the US and in Europe. I have read about the time leading up to 1939 and this time seems eerily similar. I have grandchildren; two of whom are Jews so I am worried about their future.

Kennedy’s retirement. Now the Court is going to fall. First the Executive, then he Legislative, and now the Judicial. Nothing feels safe in this country any longer and it feels like all the protests and marches in the world can’t save us from the wave of crazy nationalism, misogyny, and racism. Hard to find home, and I’m afraid the Midterms won’t save us.

Radio 5 presenter who died of cancer. She was known for her candid blog The Big C. Her son is a similar age to mine. I’m currently being investigated after pains in upper right abdomen and severe fatigue. I’m desperate for this not to be the Big c myself (will probably laugh after at my worrying) but imagining the pain of leaving my son too soon is devastating. Hearing a description of her recalling the only time she cried in front of her son after she received the diagnosis was heartbreaking. I hope I never have to do this, I’m not ready. He won’t be ready. I love him so much and have so much to look forward to together.

The Parkland Shooting on February 14. While I unfortunately have had to read about many school shootings, and mass shootings, this one was particularly difficult to comprehend. I think because the victims and their families were so vocal about their experience and the need for gun control, it was more public than past mass shootings. Also, the kids reminded me of myself in high school and I felt just so fed up with these senseless and avoidable tragedies.

California legalized marijuana. Game changer for many.

family separation. The Trump administration has been a total blow to everyone in terms of general morale towards country and so many policies impact most vulnerable. One event that has most impacted me is family seperation...i just keep thinking about little zev and his relationship to his dad. how would he survive being seperated from his dad? he wouldn't! his relationship to his dad as his important to his relationship to me...what our country is doing is despicable and each time something happens i'm outraged and sad...but the family seperation is most impacted...it's beyond my comprehension --i just keep thinking of little zev...how we'd do anything for him to get him a better life....these little kids are just like Zev and their parents love them as much as we love zev...how can we create policies when we arent thinking about these little kids? who are these evil people who don't have a relationship with one kid to realize how EVIL this is!?

I think it is more a matter of cumulative events, than a single event, in 5777 that made it the year we seemed to really experience global warming. The fires in California and in Europe, heat waves across Japan and other parts of the world. Smoke as the new norm for summers in Seattle, bigger hurricanes hitting the east coast. We will clearly not survive global warming, and that seems undeniable now but I am sure denial and delusion will rule the day for some time to come. (As an aside, I heard that in 2012 the Republicans in North Carolina made it illegal to use actual science in disaster planning, so the state will get destroyed by hurricanes because they are so incredibly deranged. It is shocking to both reason and morality that anyone would ever vote for a Republican in any circumstances. How stupid and morally depraved does someone have to be to vote for a bunch of world-class assholes like that?)

Black lives matter. I've been horrified by the racism in what is being reported. When I was at a meeting where the national anthem was played and a flag displayed, I instinctively took a knee. Trying to figure out what actions I can take to actually make a difference.

I honestly can't think of anything.

Brexit has not yet impacted me much but I am dreading it and it can only be bad for us economically, socially and many other ways. We will be set back 70 years. I pity the generations to come.

The shooting in Parkland, FL. While there have been too many mass shootings over the past several years (including unfortunately, school shootings), this was was different in that when it happened, we knew our son would soon be starting kindergarten. And with that, the pain and fear of school shootings became even more real to me. I remember when Sandy Hook occurred, there was pain and sadness at the tragedy, but it felt somewhat distant from me personally. Contrast that to Sept 11th and being a New Yorker, where I felt that I personally affected. But none of the other mass shootings had done that to me....until Parkland...because now there is a deeper, smaller fear in me as I think of putting my son on the bus everyday. And it is scary...I don't want to think about it, but it's a real fear that I think I'll always have until things change in our society.

McCain died. Will there ever be any politicians who will work across aisles and stand up with dignity and morals when working for their constituents.

The horrific school shootings that have occurred this year have impacted me in so many ways. Having had experience of a school shooting, these events always seem too close to home. Also, seeing that the white males with guns are continuing to rise, scares me as a Jew. I am always afraid and very aware that the white supremacy in the US is growing and my safety is in question. Being in the LGBTQ+ community, this just exacerbates the concerns that I have regarding personal safety.

Ayanna won! This was my first real sustained campaign volunteer experience, and it was a success. She is such an inspiring woman, candidate, human, and seeing her take her rightful place in the primary for Congress is/was thrilling. I am so excited to watch her skyrocket.

The obvious answer would be the #metoo movement, but if I am being really honest it was Anthony Bourdain's death. I wasn't even a massive fan or anything... I just think it made me realize how you truly never know what is going on in someones mind. It made me start thinking more about mental health and the importance of sharing your thoughts and feelings. Not being scared to speak up or ask for help. We share our happiness and success, but there is just as much sadness and failure. It is those feelings and experiences when one truly needs a shoulder or an ear. Something needs to change...

Doug became very ill this last summer, and one of the diagnoses was cancer. A day later we found out that he had an entrenched staph infection, but that was the scariest 24 hours of my life.

A lot of crappy things happened to a lot of people this year, and it taught me a lot more about my acquaintances and their views on the world. There are a lot of people out there who would never consider themselves racist, but recent world and US events have proved that they are very wrong about themselves.

Lula da Silva took to prison. That made me believe in the justice system and that no-one escapes when one is guilty. No money, no political prestige or good image among the poor and needed saves you when you´re greedy and want to be privileged.

Basically Trump. All the time, Trump. Maybe the day where people were being stopped at the airport and told they were no longer welcome in the country they called home -- that was the first one. Then, of course, the separation of families at the border. Just when I think the administration has gone as low as it can, something so appalling and sickening happens... I think the election of Trump has made me, like many others, a more political person and more hungry to be informed. Did everyone else know how broken the world has been for so long?! I mean, I have a PhD in American Studies, ifs, so I *guess* I knew, but if I did know, then why am I so shocked all the time? Anyway, this has made me very cynical and angry all the time, which, you know, happens.

Trump's election has impacted me greatly as it continues to knaw away at my nerves and induce anxiety about the world we live in, especially as members of a minority (though admittedly further up the food chain this time around). I feel constant stress about not doing more to combat this reign of terror.

Living in Washington, DC, the ongoing travesty that is our current government feels more personally relevant than ever before. Each day, a new scandal seems to unfold, and I'm torn between being a civically engaged person and checking out so as to salvage my mental health.

School shootings, as well as the Syrian bombings have had a major impact on me emotionally. They have made me stop and aknowledge the fact that I am beyond blessed to live the life we have. If I were sending my kids to school rather than homeschooling I would have so much anxiety over what would happen. Not only would I worry about losing them in a school shooting, I would be terrified of the truama they may experience from extreme bullying. I am also relieved and blessed to live in a non-war zone such as syria. I don't have to fret over whether or not chemicals are going to be dropped on us in the middle of the night, terrorizing the life of my children. I don't have to worry about preparing for the likelyhood that my children will suffer and/or die from monstrous warfare. So with these stories spreading around the world, and images of broken mothers and father's crying out for the deliverance of their precious innocent children who suffer under such gruesome terror...I am pushed to hug my kids a little tighter, rock them a little longer, and pray both for those who are suffering while also thanking G-d for sparring us, and aknowledging that the protection we have is not to be taken for granted.

The changes in immigration laws and resurgence of extremist groups and antisemitism. It is a scary time for the world, and the lack of social justice and people standing up for what is right or being able to affect, change, or block policies that are being made is really pretty terrifying. The president/presidency is a mess, and the country is feeling it.

Stonewall pride in 1969. This year was the first year that I did not attend a proper pride (besides a support pride). As a queer active citizen those marches/parades are a day of establishing my existence to the world. Of showing my true colors. Of shouting through silence. Of spreading a message. If it is hard in times of privilege, I cannot imagine the year of 1969. I will forever be grateful for those who fought first. And I will forever be attending the prides for those who cannot be with me that day.

Camp Nai Nai Nai...it made me realize that I can be a Jewish professional.

I dont follow news much but the camps un the US for illegal immigrants (or legal ) is outrageous. Just hoping this clown gets off power soon, praying for that.

I can't say that I know what's REALLY going on in the world. However, the movement towards vaccine awareness and parents exercising their right to choose excites me more than any election ever did!

I felt immensely sad when the last white rhino died. The end of a species. That's quite sobering.

The death of my step-father this November, a mere six months after the death of my mother. i feel like there is a whole continent this is just being erased. The traces of his life/ their lives are becoming more and more important. in addition to the waves and waves of grief, the forensic side of loss is all encompassing. A tea cup, a spoon, a military portrait.... slippers

The family seperation policy enacted at the US border pushed me to further question the institutions of law and authority that I grew up believing were good and inevitable. Those forces of idelogical change were already in motion for me, but that issue brought some things into focus for me. Specifically, the failure of law to prevent atrocity, and the unlimited dehumanization that can befall anyone who becomes a captive prisoner.

My birthday was an event of kindness in the world. Wishes flooded in, Love and Blessings wrapped their arms around me and held me tight. I basked in the enjoyment of it, appreciated that I was living on this Earth and renewed my faith in Good and Purpose.

I am furious about family separation, both as a policy initially, and how it has not been fixed. I fought my social anxiety to go to out of my house to in person protests, and have been donating to causes as well as helping with people behind the scenes who have been able to do more directly. I will also be doing a great deal to help with elections in November. I will not rest on this topic. Period.

The orca that mourned the loss of her child for days... We don't understand the world around us nearly as well as we think we do. We imagine ourselves more evolved - more intelligent than the creatures around us. However, there's more to life than intellect. We could all use a bit more compassion, empathy, connection, and community.

Having Trump as President has continued to impact me this year as he continues to defy all expectations for what the President of the US has historically aspired to. He's crude, openly racist, sexist, close-minded, and downright stupid. He's such a horrible person that it has created a huge divide within our country and I can't wrap my mind around how any sane person could possibly support him. Evening entertainment shows have turned into almost entirely political entertainment since there are virtually daily news stories to marvel over and be disgusted by. This division has also impacted us personally because Bryan's parents are strong Republican supporters, they voted for Trump, and as far as we know they still support him. This blows our minds and this really limits the topics of conversation we can engage in with them because our core beliefs seem to be so entirely at odds. I attended my first political rally/protest this year. Bryan and I took both kids to downtown Raleigh to protest the separation of immigrant families at the border of Mexico. Children were being put into detainment camps separate from their parents, and I think many still have not been reunited and may never be because it sounds like there was not good documentation being kept to keep track of which children belonged with which parents and where they were all sent. It's just inhumane and horrible that this was happening.

This isn't a specific event but the #metoo movement has been really powerful for my own identity and confidence in speaking up about feminist issues and self-protection. Ever since the 2016 election I've found new strength in my identity as a woman and am only now realizing what a victim I've been to internalized and external sexism and the patriarchy without even realizing it. It's a power I'm enjoying and look forward to continuing to explore it.

I'm not sure I've really been affected by any world news this year... Brexit politics continues to be infuriating, but that hasn't changed. I find it quite hard to recall anything major that's happened in the last year that's affected me, really.

The Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy stepping down is fucking me up all day every day. I can't deal at all and I am not ok. I am so afraid of having to live in a country that doesn't respect my basic control over my own body.

Donald Trump's 1-on-1 meeting with Vladimir Putin in the summer made me feel like the leader of our country - and really, the leader of the free world - sold all of us out to the enemy. On 9/11, we all were Americans - united in our pain, regardless of gender, religion, color, etc. We should have felt the same way when we saw Trump & Putin together at a podium. This was not the Begin-Sadat accord in 1980. This was the beginning of a hostile takeover. Abraham Lincoln was right - America could only crumble from the inside, and it has started to do so.

There has been a major shift in US relations with Israel and the palestinians which has been significantly for the better. The embassy moved to Jerusalem, the refugee agency is being defunded, and the plo headquarters are being removed from Washington, DC.

It's strange when you know someone who's famous. It's not famous enough that you get dragged in, at all, but when something happens to them, it's news. People who don't know your connection mention them to you as an item of passing interest. So is his death an event in the world? Yes. Is it an event that impacted me personally in a very strong way? Equally yes. Death by suicide. Loss. Grieving publicly and yet completely privately.

I mean. Trump's election and the terrifying slide toward chaos, fascism, and ethnic cleansing that has happened since. Oh wait he was actually elected almost two years ago. Still, it's so fresh and so scary. My clients are having panic attacks, and every so often I wonder if one day I'll be, I don't know, starving and hiding and on the run, and I'll think about this moment I'm in right now, when I'm stressed about making a spreadsheet to track business expenses, and think of myself as so innocent and so stupid and so foolish to believe that daily life could continue. I vacillate between believing I should go full-on prepper, immediately, and completely ignoring the terror. It's disorienting and makes me feel more than a little crazy.

The complete failure of the Republican party to hold Donald Trump and this administration accountable for their actions. The corruption, racism, misogyny, and much more has been devastating. Watching the families separated at the border, seeing the lack of response to help hurricane victims (especially in Puerto Rico), and the attacks on vulnerable people throughout our country has been devastating.

Hmmm - in the world. We have been so focused on the atrocities here in our own country. Hatred, xenophobia, mass shootings, school shootings - right here in our own community! I am feeling pessimistic about the condition of our country and the morals of its occupants.

I have two... The separation of immigrant children from their parents. I felt the call to do something more and I felt helpless and paralyzed. I was unsure how to make a difference. I wrote about it (and was published), I donated $ but it all seemed insufficient. I thought about me and my children. I thought about mothers and children at the gas chambers. I feel I am being a bad activist by not doing more. The other event was the school shooting in Florida. Everytime there is a school shooting I know I am closer to having to explain this to Mia. I can't imagine my child not feeling safe in school and that will happen as soon as she knows. I work in a school. I am scared. I hate not feeling safe always and looking for a safe way to survive a shooting. I worry about my children. I also feel helpless in helping remedy this problem.

mMr Trump. He makes me totally crazy.

I think we've all been dominated by Trump's presidency and the ill effects it's caused. Its frankly frightening how he has worked to deteriorate our democracy and attack the conventions of our constitutional rights and norms. We are living in scary times and the country has never been more divided. Its brought to light the existing racist undertones of our populace and has affected the way I lead my life.

My youngest son, Riley , Graduated from Boston University. all four of adult children were present. I was standing in a very proud moment. Alone. Witnessing the great achievement the mother in my had accomplished. One about to embark off into the adult world. One with child. and two well on their way. In that moment I feel as if I detached from the Raising them up" part of the mother job. Quite a feeling.

The ongoing disaster that originates in the white house each day. I no longer feel certainty about my country. Simply the incredible divide between specific demographic portions of our population and the other sides willingness to move toward an authoritarian state.

The disgusting administration policies toward immigrants has been a dominating story and reflects Trump's concern, along with his "base", that non-white Americans will become a major factor in future elections. This impacts me because of the long delays in opening up immigration during WW II and almost prevented my grandparents, and my mother, from coming to America. What will "make America great" continues to be our policies toward welcoming immigrants.

Oh my god, where to begin. Well, I think the detention of migrant children is one of the most horrifying events of this year. I've talked to a lot of people about it, donated to migrant rights organizations, participated in local campaigns, and attended a demonstration- but the frustrating thing is that even though everyone seems to realize how awful it is, they either don't care (they ignore the news coverage about it, head in the sand) or they fail to make the connection between party and policy, and they just keep voting Republican.

Brexit or so far the threat of it. Our currency has devalued, a divided government, no experts seem to know how to implement it, holidays are more expensive, can't get an au pair, the world assumes we are all racist. Uncertainty all round. Especially bad for those of us who don't want Brexit to happen anyway.

People (legal and not) being rounded up and detained. Children separated from parents. Awful conditions. Almost all of us are immigrants here. Immigrants are great. It's really hard to get here, so if you can get here, you are an ambitious clever person; the US should know this and strongly welcome them.

Like many, my answer will refer to the horrible man who is currently President of the United States. It's an ugly, horrible time and I weep for the world.

The death of my mother impacted MY world and I have written about that on a previous day. The election of Donald Trump has impacted me, personally, those around me, and I believe the rest of the world in a not only negative but dangerous way. The world feels less safe, less kind and more divided than it has ever been in my lifetime.

It was a little more than a year ago, but I think the events in Charlottesville really affected me in ways that surprised me. It was the first time since converting to Judaism that anti-Semitism really hit home for me in a personal way. After Charlottesville, I found myself suddenly fearing large organized crowds - every time I hear a school group outside my office chanting something (usually just their school song or something) my first reaction is a thrill of fear and the immediate thought that the Nazi's have come to DC. This year I lost the privilege of not knowing fear in the face of large groups of people. Equally, Unite the Right 2 rally in DC affected me in the opposite way - us counter-protesters vastly outnumbered the Nazi's, and I was so relieved to see how many people were willing to stand up to them in my city.

The "zero-tolerance" policy at the border which led to over 2,000 children forcibly separated from their parents and kept in deplorable conditions. It made me want to jump back into pro bono immigration law (even though I don't speak Spanish). It made me reconsider my friendships with people who contorted themselves to justify the policy. It made me empty my wallet with donations to immigrants rights organizations.

Having my son become more independent. It's a strange time for us. He's old enough and big enough to do many things, and sometimes he does. I think it's nearing a demarcation point where he will no longer need me. In one way it's a huge burden lifting, I won't be responsible for his every need any longer. In another, it was a burden I carried so long and so willingly, that most days it seemed like that burden was as light as air; and that I would gladly carry it to the end of my days. I think maybe all parents feel like that about their children. He'll be ok, he needs a bit of wisdom, but it will come; an he in turn will carry a burden for his children, and them too in time, and so on.

OMG, this Trump shit is worse... I dunno how many times I gotta tell you this. Run for your fucking lives!

Essentially, like most Americans, I have experienced a continuous lack of hope and faith in public institutions and the news media. Every news story is presented in the most sensationalist and vapid way, and most of what happens in our country is already stupid to begin with. And we're so wrapped in this colorful idiocy that we are insulated from the impact of refugees everywhere, bombings, disasters of all types. We're really a terrible country right now, and perhaps we always have been.

This is a tough one. There are so many national and global issues and events that concern, frighten and anger me. Possibly as a result of all of that, I've become more locally focused. I have tried to shrink my emotional world to my house, yard, friends and immediate family. I don't mean that in a negative, paranoid way. What I mean is that I'm trying to focus on the good I can do, here at home--growing berries, raising my son, being a support to my friends--to distract me from all that I can't do.

What hasn’t. The world appears to be in disarray. But I have to maintain that as a good person surrounded by good people that there are others who will impact the world in grandiosely positive ways.

President Donald Trump has made decisions to roll back much of the progress that prior administrations have made over my lifetime, which includes environmental guidelines to address energy use, pollution, and climate change as well as equality for citizens of all races, ethnicities, religious affiliations, gender preference and identity, and socioeconomic status. He has taken positions that have alienated our allies and put our nation in danger of self isolation. He has empowered fascists and racists to behave in violent ways that were never condoned. President Trump, through his choices for the Supreme Court and budget priorities,has affected women's health issues and choice. Through his tax plan, he has solidified the financial status of the wealthiest in our country and has trapped the lower income population in their debt and inability to hope for something better. I feel anger and despair and remind myself that when in the past evil has caused us to suffer, there has been a corrective response for good from the people of the world.

Trump’s dismantling of the country. Keeps an undercurrent of stress and fear in everyone’s lives.

I've been feeling very aware of the impact of climate change world-wide. Personal experience of overly hot weather on our UK trip, reading about the oddities in weather in different countries and so on. No one event per se but a definite sense that 'normal' is shifting under our feet across the globe.

Individual events don't make that much of an impact on me at the moment, unless it happens to me. I continue to work to make the world a place where bullies are kept from power.

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Serena Williams' experience this year at the US open finals - I strongly related to her experience of cracking under pressure, and demonstrating anger and violence in a context that tries to suppress any demonstration of female aggression. I hope that women in the future will be allowed to feel and express anger without being discredited.

Just about everything the Trump Regime does scares the crap out of me, starting with the "Muslim Ban" and, as of this writing, immigrant children housed in detention centers/concentration camps. Is this the year I'll become that fully boiled frog?

Nothing comes to mind, so I guess my world has been pretty stable so far this year. If you had asked me this in 2011, the answer would obviously been different!

At the moment, I think the summer of burning has had the most impact upon me. It's becoming more and more clear that the climate has changed and will continue to and that we humans will have to figure out how to live in this new environment. It causes me grief for myself and the world, but more for Claire and the younger members of my family as I think of the world that they'll be living into after I'm dead. Though there will be beauty and wonder and light for them all, there is also the ongoing cataclysm that our planet will be going through. What will it look like when there isn't enough water to drink and to support crop growth? When the air becomes toxic? The grief is deep, and, as I noted last year, it seems like we continue to teeter on a precicpice.

I'm horribly ashamed and embarrassed by the ongoing travesty that is the presidency of Donald Trump.

Being in New York on 9/11 really makes you think. It's crazy to think of how many people lost their lives after showing up to work one morning. This is v eat/pray/love of me, but "tell people you love them", "don't leave things on a sour note" - that shit is real. Who knows when you or someone in your life will be gone.

The clerical sex abuse scandal hurt me deeply this year. Having just returned to the Church, it felt personal. I’m desperate for reform, a cleansing fire in the Church, and answers from those who were responsible.

The raising of consciousness. We are in this together, I am realizing, and I am transcending ego and understanding that my role is to be me, to respond, to engage, to initiate (something I'm moving into more) and to utilize my privilege and gifts for the service of us all, our growth, our expansion in awareness!

Plastic pollution. Not exactly an "event" in the world but definitely something that has been changing my perspective (ever since watching Plastic Ocean on Netflix!). Also immigration reform, the "closing" of the borders, and family separation has forced me to distill my views on immigration in ways I hadn't before.

I feel like the world has gone insane. I’m so ashamed of what is happening in my country, so disappointed, so disgusted with the president.

Having Trump as a president. It makes me angry. I just don't understand how people can support him. I question how it is possible that so many people think he can be the right person to represent what our country stands for.

Just in general anytime that someone hurt someone else. I am especially appalled by people who participate in human trafficking. Horrible. I wish it will stop.

I think the death of Anthony Bourdain as strange as it sounds. His suicide really hit me hard. I loved watching his show and using it to plan trips. I always knew he was a bit dark and twisty--which I appreciated and could relate to. So his death and the fact that he was just so tortured and depressed- was truly devastating. I think it also reminded me of my own struggles with depression over this past year and just how acute it can be. Reminded me that we never really know what people are going through.

Alex Honnald free solo'd El Capitan in June 2017 and I was pretty amazed and freaked out by this. Biggest athletic feat ever.

Seeing American style violence coming closer to home in my own city. Mass shootings / vehicles used as weapons and record breaking numbers of shootings across the city (some just a few blocks away from my home), it's feeling scary and like we've reached a tipping point where we can't turn back, this will only get worse. And with Do-Fo as our premiere with his Trump style politics and dictator-like approach to getting what he wants, I don't like the direction we're heading. It feels like a very hostile world.

There's such an overload of negative stuff these days that I can't find one thing that happened that was so bad. I'm feeling really desensitized to the confusion of it all and like there is no one powerful enough to change things. As far as direct impacts go, the tariffs on China and possible trade escalation are likely to impact me directly since we're moving to China. I won't be able to get products that remind me of home very easily this time around, I think. Other than that, climate change. It is already affecting me and everyone else. I've tried to take steps to reduce my carbon footprint but it's too late. Now it's just mitigation and hoping the worst types of climate change don't come true.

The Trump presidency and the threat of authoritarianism continue to color my world dark. There are so many echos of Germany in the 1930s that I am always planning escape routes, lately including even suicide. I’m glad that the racism that is woven through America has become obvious and visible to white people, and I despair of any real improvement in my lifetime. I miss my optimism.

I spent a lot of time following the trump administration this year. Still figuring out how it affected me

Trumps Presidency.

The war in Syria has been deeply impacting me, among other things. Seeing what the people there are going through, the struggles to get aid, and our own country not allowing refugees in from that country makes me feel like I'm complacent and can't help in any large way. Plus things like this are happening all the time and hate and war continue to promulgate. I feel a bit helpless when I think about it.

45 and all his supporters and their self-serving, anything for a tax cut, separate brown children from their families, etc etc etc bullshit. Also, I'm starting to really resent social media for shoving the ignorance of people I care about and respect into my face on a daily basis; like, I really don't want to know that one of my favorite aunts thinks that Anthony Bourdain was killed because he was about to expose Hillary Clinton's pedophilia ring.

John McCain's death.. recent, I read his book, and I think his style of leadership and collaboration were a model for us all (in politics and elsewhere) and the model is slowly becoming obsolete.. and it needs to be the other way around!

Right wing extremists on U.S. Supreme Court rule that labor unions representing public employees must represent non-members for free. Thousands of union staff lose their jobs due to funding cuts.

The separation of migrant children from their parents at the US/Mexico border. I was traveling through Peru at the time. I felt so far away and so powerless. I wanted to take action more than I ever had, and since then I have been thinking more critically about how I can help and make positive change.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I learned that a friend and colleague committed suicide. Even though we weren't that close, I've been crying on and off since. Somehow, losing him so suddenly, and knowing that it was because of deep despair, affected me in ways I can't know.

nothing comes to mind that's not a consequence of last year's political slide toward nationalism. The fires in California rung (yet more) alarm bells about global warming

A singular event? I'm not sure. But an ongoing situation - this president. Ugh. For eight years, I really believed that we had a president who was looking out for the whole country - those who supported him and those who didn't. This current president - he's my president, but I don't know that I count as "real America" to him. With other presidents, I honestly believed that they were doing what they believed was in the best interest of the whole country, even if they misunderstood some of the issues that some people faced. But this guy - I think he actively doesn't care about some people in this country. And that has me afraid. I find myself wanting to learn more about how our country, our constitution really works, if only to understand how bad things could get, and what, if anything, can be done about it.

All over Europe, as in the US, right-wing groups are gaining ground. I feel a chill north wind descending and dark clouds gathering. I fear for myself and my loved ones. This will not end well.

The MeToo movement has probably had the most direct impact on me, dredging up memories and old feelings, and also feeling a sense of a seismic shift in perceptions. There are other world events that have had a big impact on my feelings, but not on me directly, such as the persecution of women and ethic minorities, women in Saudi Arabia finally driving, and all of the effects of global warming. However, as far as direct impact on me, it's the Me Too movement.

Last October there was a big wildfire in the county north of where we live, and the office where I work was closed because the fire came within a couple of miles of it, and it was in the voluntary evacuation zone. I spent a few days volunteering at a big county shelter, and it was great to see so many people from the community pitching in to help in various ways. Many, many people volunteered time, energy and resources, and it gave me a warm feeling that so many people wanted to (and did) help others in their time of need.

It's been another long year of political horror; for me the worst have been the Supreme Court appointments and the Republican tax plan. I don't think I need to elaborate.

I'm going for the funny answer- the Bachelor and Bachelorette happened this year, and I had so much much connecting to people by watching this show. I watched the bachelor (staring Arie) with new friends in Madrid, and gave us something fun to gather around when our interests weren't entirely overlapping. Then I watched the bachelorette (with Becca) with Judy and Max over the summer which was so much fun and such fun drama.

Hearing that the emperor of Japan will step down and a new one will be crowned was oddly significant. The Japanese year name changes with a change in who sits on the throne, so there will be a new name for the upcoming era. The current year is Heisei 30, meaning that the emperor has been around for 30 years. I was born during the previous era, Showa, which lasted 63 years, and always thought that being part of the previous era made me feel a bit old. Now I will be from two eras previous, making me feel like someone's grandfather.

The whole mess with the government turning into a bad reality show. I don't see how people can be so blind to the truth, especially when it is right in front of their faces. I fear for the future.

I guess the MeToo movement. As a young male it really made me evaluate (and somewhat uncomfortably at first) how I approach potentially intimate scenarios with women, especially strangers. Not that I was a monster before but I definitely recognize a need to keep that top of mind.

My life has definitely been caught up in the insanity of the Trump presidency. I feel less distraught now and more invigorated and hopeful about the midterm elections. I am glad to have found a way to contribute to the resistance and am inspired by all the young folks stepping up to run for office.

The Occupation of Gaza by Israel looks more and more like the Nazi Holocaust. I am ashamed, some days, to be Jewish and to know that people may think I support the State's actions. I speak up more to ID myself as Jewish, vulnerable, able to hide those aspects, but choosing instead to speak up. #Resistance!

The very first thing that comes to mind when I think of this question is the passing of Anthony Bourdain. I would look as an outsider at him and say he was living the absolute dream. That job that he had is a dream job and he seemed so incredibly fulfilled. But he still decided to end his life. It just goes to show that you never know what someone else is going through, and that success means different things to different people. Just because you have a shiny title and prestige and are a celebrity does not secure your mental health. It made me grateful for the relative low stress life I lead at the current moment, despite my ambitions and reminded me that happiness and peace comes from within.

Although it's been a series of steps, one of the things that has most affected has been the ongoing efforts to devalue truth and uncouple it from fact. Factual news reporting has been increasingly derided, scorned, and put down. The facts of science are increasingly denied by people without understanding of scientific process or studied and tested facts. These influences have spread and changed society as a whole, and what we expect of the world.

The crisis at the border with immigrant children being separated from their parents and essentially kept in cages was heartbreaking. Where is our humanity? Where do we learn that it is okay to treat other human beings in this matter? It is a reminder of the importance of kindness, and to always treat others the way you yourself would want to be treated.

Not really an "event," but the Trump administration. What has happened to America? What's being done in our name? I think about what our kids and our grandkids will say, and it makes me ashamed.

OMG, Trump. He's ruining everything and I'm utterly terrified. This is not hysteria or hyperbole...this is my response to watching our democracy fail to prevent massive human rights roll-backs, rampant corruption, and heartbreaking amounts of cruelty and fear. I don't know how much more of this I...or we as a country...can take.

The new tax law will make our deductions that we have always itemized be too small to matter, so we will be taking the standard deduction instead of itemizing. I am worried that our tax bill will be higher. Just trying to not worry.

Oyyyyy... The #metoo movement. Impacted me because it showed how powerful the voices of women can be... and how quickly people can stop listening. I guess I knew the second part already, but the first part was really completely new.

The death of Nia Wilson. I was asleep, now I am waking up. Now I am an aspiring intersectional feminist, pro-BIPOC ally. I am angry, saddened, disappointed, tired, and awake.

Nothing has impacted me in any concrete way that I can see; that is, nothing has affected my personal economy or physical reality. However, political events like the children abused by the government at the border have left me appalled and sad. My response has been, as it has for years, to continue my work with the ACLU. It covers just about all the horrors perpetrated by Trump and co., not just immigrants’ rights.

The separation of families at the border of the US and the detaining of children in camps. Being forced to be in court unaccompanied by an adult or a lawyer. This filled me with fear, rage and helplessness. It is immoral to do this to people and the refusal of politicians and law enforcement to be personally accountable for these inhumane and illegal crimes against humanity is equally enraging.

Donald Trump decided to separate US citiezen children from their illegal parents and him diverting 10million dollars from FEMA Hurricane relief to ICE to implement this. The detention centers where the children are being kept are abusive, yet Trump and his supporters dont care about the physical and emotional trauma this is causing not only the children, but the all the family members as well.

The ongoing disgraceful, shameful, embarrassing, Earth-ruining saga of the US President and associated loss of the importance of facts, and the complete abdication of responsibility of the Republican-controlled Congress, is truly, truly disheartening when examining the potential future of the human race.

Continued disintegration of the government and social fabric under Donald Trump. Every week or two I wonder what I can do to help protect all the health and welfare institutions that I believe in and that my family has worked hard to support. Contributing money, but wondering if I should also contribute more of my time.

This year the U.S. government inhumanely, cruelly, forcibly separated 3000 families, taking children from their parents, as they were fleeing other traumas. I decided to learn immigration and asylum law. I volunteered to represent a 19-year-old girl in a bond hearing at Adelanto, and got her out of prison. Next week I will meet a Salvadoran family whose asylum case I will be handling from start to (hopefully excellent) finish.

Donald Trump taking office

The Parkland High shooting was 10 miles from my home and it's a sort of surreal experience to be close, but not directly impacted. It's a study in how national or international trauma filters into the news cycle and is here and then is gone, but families are left behind in the devastation. It was so close geographically, but it could have happened in another world, except that people I knew knew people who died. And then it's weird to see organizations "supporting" the victims, but it also looks like a sort of tragedy exploitation. It really made me feel gross. I think being this close, I got to see some of the things that don't make national news, and some are really inspiring and heartwarming, others are deeply disturbing.

It's in not one event, it's a realization that any of the events that I hear on the news could be fake. And so far I have no way of distinguishing real news from the fake ones

The world community is learning a lesson which perhaps we all needed to learn. We are seeing played out before our eyes the absolute necessity of a moral code, of long-established human values transmitted and nurtured by communities, as the basis for communication, for interaction, for mutual cooperation and understanding, for peace. Because the "leader of the free world" has no moral authority, other nations are finding that they must step up and declare their intentions without dependence on what the United States will do. I have always thought of us as an adolescent nation. As hideous as most of us find this learning process, perhaps we needed it in order to grow up.

Donald Trump. There's really nothing else to say. Everyday, sometimes even every hour, brings another disaster. Some things directly affect me, like the rise in anti-Semitism, others just affect me emotionally, such as the practice of taking away immigrant children from their parents, but it ask has affected me. Maybe it's because things have gotten so bad so I'm paying more attention, but I've never before felt this much disgust and hatred against another person before, and I've never wanted to get so involved in something as I do now. My problem is that I don't know where to start. I'm not a "marcher". I often don't have the money to donate. And I'm often too tired or busy to make phone calls. One of my main goals for this year is to be more involved. Besides just voting.

I was following the cave rescue in Thailand closely. Those boys and their coach used meditation to stay calm during a serious situation and responded to everyone and everything with gratitude. Meditation is credited as. a major part of how they survived and why they are admired around the world. I have been struggling with anxiety and have been learning to meditate and the power and effectiveness began to settle in with me after seeing ti work in this way more serious situation.

Trump's policies of performative cruelty, practical hatred and division, while moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and the astounding antisemitism evinced by the British Labour party, have really challenged my politics, my senses of loyalty and locus, of identity and identification, of right and left and right and wrong. I am not sure what's going on, but I feel like the world as I knew it is unravelling beneath my feet.

Participating in Boston's Senior Civic Academy was an education in how the city runs, how the state and federal governments fund programs (or don't), and how I as an individual can influence legislation. The death of John McCain touched me deeply. I mourn the loss of a leader with true character. As a democrat, I value legislators of principle and want to find them in both parties, so we can work together to make change.

A prisão do Lula sem provas concretas, apenas presumidas. Aumento do preconceito, antissemitismo e diminuição de direitos para todos!

The presidency of Donald Trump has made me sad about the future in a way I never was before. I studied a lot of American history and read lots of dystopic future science fiction in my youth. It seems that the Trump future combines the end of democracy and a future of bleak corporate enslavement for the masses in a burning hellscape of a planet. My current radical lifestyle choice to leave Santa Cruz in an RV seeking a simpler life and others like me is a direct result of Donald Trump's presidency.

The death of my father. Our relationship was good, but rocky. And I wish I had more time to make it better, and to better express myself to him. When a parent dies, no one tells you that you also lose a part of yourself, and your identity. I am also seeing him through a new lense, and it makes me sad that it took his loss to now have this perspective. And that I can't share this new perspective with him, or have better interactions because of it. That is what I wrestle with the most - his loss, and the loss of all the future we were supposed to have. Dad, you burned too hot and died to young. I love you.

The shooting at the high school in Florida had an impact on me. It was one of many shootings in the past year, but that shooting in particular spurred the March For Our Lives movement. I believe that MFOL is a good movement, but the negative impact that it has on me as a person with schizophrenia is their campaigning for more lax laws relating to therapist-patient confidentiality. This drive to strip privacy from the mentally ill impacts me especially because I have a very stigmatized mental illness, and shootings are often blamed on mental illnesses like mine.

There has been so much awful news I have had to limit my newspaper and television consumption. I am so grateful to be part of the resistance in a limited way. But it is hard to watch civil society teeter and I often want to just pretend it isn't happening.

Hurricane Irma damaged my home and because of technicalities (and ignorance as a not-quite-yet homeowner), I didn't take the right steps, didn't do the right things, and so still have a roof in need of replacement. It is frustrating to be so ignorant and out of touch and it's a reminder of all the challenges faced by otherwise intelligent people who find themselves trying to traverse new (safety net type) ground. Very humbling and a reminder that my privilege is still situational and that I should essentially always be prepared to use my powers for good.

The election of Donald Trump. He is a terrible person and a terrible president. But what upsets me is that so many people voted for him and still support him. And many of them are my neighbors.

I could talk about Trump like I did last year, but I think I will focus on hurricanes instead. So far in Hawaii, my roommate & I have gotten ready for 2 that didn't seem to happen. Lane & Olivia. Olivia is today. Lane was 3 wks. ago. Life still seems normal as far as appointments & bus schedules. Hassle & conundrum of whether or not to get ready when damage is not certain. But I like to be prepared. We prepared just a little less for this 2nd one. It is my life lesson to live my emotional life in the eye of a hurricane- to be surrounded but untouched by the vicissitudes of life.

Parkland school shooting in Florida. It felt like I was thrown over the edge for my tolerance. It helped to mobilize me to take some actions. I attended March for our Lives. I tried to organize a rally in front of my current congressperson's office. There were only three people in attendance, but we got a lot of support from folks driving by. I was able to share some good things on social media. I attended a talk by an action group at my local library, and I will be volunteering in the campaign for the nominee hopeful to unseat my current congressperson. I am so heartbroken and so ashamed that we can't stop the madness, the loss of life, the obsession with guns, the paranoia about sensible gun control... and these beautiful children have taken the reigns and pushed us to action. I'm inspired and heartbroken. I still don't know what else to do, or if what I'm doing matters.

Trump.

I guess this is not one event in itself, but the entire presidency of Donald Trump has been this terrible whirlwind. On a very personal level, I think it has caused just general uncertainty and anxiety in my life. Every day feels like something new and crazy--and crazier than ever before--comes up. Every time I think "THIS will be the tipping point. THIS will be the thing that makes people take action," but somehow it never is. Every new tweet, announcement, stupid decision coming out of the White House feels like it should be the straw that breaks the camel's back, in a positive or negative way. I'm constantly bracing myself for the break. Emotionally, this puts me on edge from day-to-day. In more practical terms, this presidency has spurred me to get more involved in the political process, especially leading up to the midterms. I've registered voters, written postcards, and am trying to get my friends to join me. It's hard to know if it makes a difference, but at least I'm not sitting back while the world falls apart.

This year the shooting in Parkland happened and in its aftermath, some of the students there organized a huge movement which has continued. Seeing this has inspired me and showed me how much of an impact a determined movement can make on the public.

The kids being separated from their parents at the Mexican border. I can't even think of it for more than a second because it is so horrible. Even as I write this I want to cry. The trauma and terror the children and parents must feel. I can't even read details about it but heard that some have been separated for months and others can't find each other again. What impact will this have on those innocent children's future, their emotional state, their view of the world? This has been a horrible crime against humanity. Sick, just sick.

I'm starting to see climate change patterns on an everyday, undeniable basis, and now that I'm bringing a baby into this hot mess of a world, I'm worried about the earth that she will inhabit and inherit.

It was a hot wet summer in New England. I think that climate change is making itself directly visible, more than moving the dates that leaves change. I don't like hot weather much, so the change was mildly annoying; but I can live an air-conditioned life a lot, so _very_ mildly annoying. It does make me feel in my gut things that have been clear for decades: that climate change is going to mess with agriculture and the oceans, in large ways and soon. I think I still believe that it won't kill me in the next thirty years or so (which is the largest window it has!) but it's clearly killing lots of people already, and friends and family are going to move into range while my kids are around. All in all, yet another pretty strong reason to despise and fear our president (and the large collection of political supporters and voters on whom he depends).

culmination of the anti-democracy actions by #45 has made me more vigilant in look for ways to oppose his actions

Trump...what does this man being elected mean? About the people in the US that voted for him? About US relationships and status in theWorld? About our personal relationships with Trump people? Instability and hate are never good...they produce TRAGIC results.

The Trump presidency. I knew it would be bad but I had no idea it would be this bad. Supreme court shifting to the extreme right and the consequence on civil rights being the most significant impact on humanity. we are no longer the moral compass for the world and in fact we are becoming as dangerous as the fascist nations that precipitated world war 2. equally as dangerous but not as imminent a danger is our withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, which has jeopardized gains made earlier this century and will accelerate the consequence of climate change to the degree we can not mitigate them quickly enough to avoid severe consequence to the planet. Foolish policy with the sole purpose of temporary material gain for the wealthy. It troubles my spirit and makes me question the if mankind even deserves a chance to evolve and grow.

section of progressive Democrats

The death of Aretha Franklin. Her voice was a Michigan’s “natural resource” and everything I loved about Motown and Detroit and strong women.

Brexit has been quite a big deal for us. My husband is English and I am American, and we live in Italy because of his EU status. Right now we have no idea what our future will look like from an immigration perspective, which is worrisome, as we have decided to remain in Italy throughout the rest of our work lives as well as retirement. It's all a bit disconcerting.

The De-nuclearization in North Korea. I hope Kim Jun Un holds to his promise and isn't just jerking us around. I don't trust Russia.

Donald Trump is president and it is really messing with our entire world. There is such polarization between Democrats and Republicans right now and it makes it so difficult to have productive dialogue among people. What gives me hope is all of the women and people of color running for office and I can't wait to see what happens in the midterms. I am also hopeful because there is such a push right now to vote in the midterms.

I feel that much of this year (and the previous) has been overshadowed by the Trump administration and the negative atmosphere of this country. Everyone is so polarized. This really came to a head last September with both the Charlotteville protest and then the hurricane that hit PR. I felt that people were so busy defending their side that they stopped listening, stopped being thoughtful, stopped caring. It terrified me, both as a woman and as a Jew. One way I tried to balance it was host monthly dinner parties. The purpose was to bring diverse people together and discuss face to face different viewpoints. I wanted to provide a space that allowed people to talk and share without attacking. I feel that this was very beneficial at the time. I am constantly trying to find this balance of having a social conscience and being politically active while still holding compassion and understanding for others who do not hold the same view. This has certainly been tested of late.

Going to the PCCC. Meeting all those people and being surrounded by others like me was incredible. Anytime I get a little weary now I think of that weekend and I'm back to myself again.

I find world events to be so indicative of the chaos caused by our current administration in the U.S. that I don't give it a lot of thought even though I keep up with what is going on. Locally, I have seen a lot of citizens coming together to address local issues and that is great. There was outrage on FB that the library was hosting a drag queen story hour in which a drag queen read books about diversity to children whose parents chose to bring them to the event. Only 4 protestors showed up to the over 100 supporters and 50 participants. Another example is the hospital announced it was getting rid of a long-time local group of anesthesiologists to go with one from a big city and the community has been coming together to protest that. Good stuff.

A couple of friends and my closest aunt all suddenly dying (unrelated events at different times). These all made me take a moment to reflect on what's important, emphasize taking better care of myself, eliminating stupid/simple risks, and taking better advantage of the good things in life. Because they were sudden, I didn't have a chance to make peace with them or the circumstances...fortunately in all of these cases, I was already "good" with each of them. As a result, I find that I'm a lot more generally friendly and for people I don't like or 100% disagree with, I'm just neutral towards. I've got no reason to be negative towards anyone as it affects me more than it affects them. I find that I also now take races or obstacle courses less seriously (as if I were ever in contention to win anyway) and instead just do them to enjoy myself. This allows me to do more of them and not have any sort of pre-event jitters or worry...who cares how it turns out?!

Much has happened in the past 12 months, but going back to October 2017 and the shooting in Las Vegas comes to mind. This horrific, senseless act of violence disturbed me because we visit Vegas each year in October, and because we are planning to retire near there, but largely because it didn't need to happen. There should be a policy that no one can stay in a hotel sheltering behind a "do not disturb" sign for an extended period of time without raising a red flag of concern. And our nation's gun laws need a drastic overhaul, and each of us needs to pay closer attention to those in our lives--someone may need help.

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal church in the United States spoke about love at the royal wedding in May (Meghan and Harry's). It was so inspiring and wonderful to see him there.

What changed? I can't really think of anything. It feels like more of the same, which is completely awful. But like a general level of awfulness where blips barely register anymore. I know that's bad... I guess I still don't really understand all the implications of GDPR, but it definitely impacts me in my personal life and at work. I haven't really tried to learn about it. But still... it's annoying and weird. But probably good?

Trumplandia. The horror. The CNN addiction. The injustice. The who to believe anymore? The damage to our culture. The wrong message it sends to everyone and everything about what it means to lead. The setting us back a 100 years in terms of human rights, free expression, and the progress that could have been made everywhere from the environment and education, to reduction in military spending and a more equitable distribution of wealth. I mean half the world still subsists on less than $2 a day and just a small fraction of the world's population can even consider taking a "vacation." How is this fair?

This year - ever since the Trump presidency began, in fact - I have turned my focus to be inside *my* world rather than the world at large. I don't watch the news or listen to NPR or read a newspaper. I don't put my energy into things I can't control or influence. In that way, the Trump presidency continues to impact me in that it has permanently changed my media consumption. But it's not just Trump coverage - it's all of it: the yelling, the hyperbole, the inability to prioritize crises. Every headline is breaking news, every event is a tempest in a teapot. This doesn't mean my life is necessarily quiet or simpler; it just means I'm not participating in the national shouting match that is going on. I don't post on Facebook very often, nor do I engage with others' political posts. The very last thing to go, for me, was publicly defending my belief in gun control after the Parkland shooting. But then I remembered that our nation didn't implement gun control after Sandy Hook, and I realized the futility of it, so I let that go too. I don't know that this is a better way to be. Maybe being disengaged with current events is a lazy way to feel above the fray. But it's the only thing I can think of to shield myself from the anxiety of mass hysteria that seems to be constantly going on.

Definitely climate change. It kicked me in the ass in Lisbon, where there was basically no proper spring/summer weather until mid-June, when crazy temperature record were broken.

Those fucking fires. Not knowing for a few days if the family house was going to make it; watching friends evacuate over an over again over the course of a week; seeing my hometown burn down... what a terrible, apocalyptic, time. The silver lining was watching the community come together to support and encourage one another - and they continue to do so.

Ugh. UGH UGH. I have hated this question since 2016. I almost want to refuse to answer it. We are all impacted by the corruption and devastating regressive policies and actions of our country's current administration. In particular, this has impacted our most at-risk people: our most impoverished, our immigrants, our young . . . and our most at-risk thing of all: our environment. I don't think I'm the only one sort of shutting down in terms of hope. I'm trying to find it again, in the good people I know, in my children, in my work.

Sadly, it is almost identical to my answer last year, with the added misfortune of witnessing Kavanaugh take his seat on the Supreme Court. This will set us back for decades to come, and will affect our quality of life and that of our grandchildren as well. The increasing denial of climate change also sets a new low, even as we see the damage continue.

Donald Trump's presidency shows that the world will not end if we put the worst possible person alive into the seat of the presidency. It does prove that morals matter and that we need a leader in place that will represent the people of our country from a place of good, not evil.

It fucking bothered me and offended me so much when Donald Trump put those babies in cages and as of 9/12/18 there are still children being held. There should't be a special place in hell for him. He should receive no special attention even hell, he should rot with the most mundane of them.

The election of Donald trump continues to defiy all logic. Almost 2 years in we are still fighting to take back America. Despite the ignorance of the people who voted for him I think the truth is coming to light.

I think that when the administration started to separate immigrant children from their families, I was deeply affected. I became angry and depressed. I am still enraged. This is not the country that I love. Our country has committed (and continues to commit) horrific human rights violations against already traumatized children and parents and I felt it in my gut. Not only that, but some administration supporters people continued to justify it with false facts and racist rhetoric. I'm so afraid of how far our country is falling into tribalism... and insanity. Where is the line in the sand? How much worse will it get? And how will we get back on track?

My first thought is, again, the October firestorm. It stripped away a sense of safety I didn't know I'd had, made me feel vulnerable in a way I had previously not considered. I knew house fires happened, and I knew wildfires happened; but a wildfire destroying whole neighborhoods of houses with basically no warning, that was outside my concept of what fire does. It's affected my ability to feel safe pretty much anywhere.

All of the shootings in schools, especially the Florida one, have impacted me because I teach in a school. I want to able to come to school and feel safe, but some days it is difficult.

Still reeling from the effects of having Trump as a president. It's so very toxic and disturbing, both the culture and policies! Not only that, but I personally have been shaken to my core with some of the decisions I've had to make - because of gaslighting, a lack of good-faith arguing, non-reciprocal assumptions of 'respect', victim blaming, etc - re what I do, how/when I communicate, and how I approach the world and other people. I am much more guarded and less open, much more fierce and less flexible in my responses to some people/things. And my habit of assuming good intentions is GONE, really. Also, global warming - OMG! Can you see NOW?!? TL:DR - I'm not happy about the state of the USA right now.

The Parkland shooting had a huge effect on me, kept me focussed on the gun problem in our country for a good while. Still an issue I want to press on for reform, though the battle is frustrating. So many other tragic and ongoing events: the plight of the Rohingha in Myanmar, the wars/bloodshed/repression in Syria, Yemen and Palestine, and the inhumane direction and denial of climate change by our current US administration.

The Humbolt Broncos bus crash made me realize how separate me and my family are compared to most people around us. For us, yes, it was a tragedy but it was not personal. We did not know any of the victims or have any connection to hockey at all. It was just another horrible thing that happened in the world. All around us, though, people were mourning and hanging ribbons, putting hockey sticks out on their porch. The outpouring of grief left us feeling alienated in a way. We always felt isolated in a sense and our inability to connect with the larger community only intensified that.

It would be easy to answer Trump so I will pick Colin Kaepernick. His protest actions have made most of America really think about how they feel about non-violent protest, the military, the flag, and racism. I am fine with his form of protest and believe there is a real problem still with racism and white privilege in America. I do think that things like this, though, are bringing racism to the forefront and making people address it and talk about it, which is good. Fro too long, people have been able to get away with thinking everything was OK and racism is in the past when it clearly is not.

Still worried about cross border living post brexit! Total disaster and no solution in sight

Trump's Middle East "Peace Plan", and the widespread reactionary antisemitism on social media as a result. It's scary. I thought humans had made better progress towards compassion and respect for one another. It's really disappointing.

I suppose the whole issue of the way "the stranger" is treated both in this country and elsewhere... I am particularly thinking of events at the Mexican border and everything that happens to those who cross but this issue can be seen in many places... in Israel for example... Although this is not just one event but many, many events, they are all connected and equally disturbing... This has impacted me because we are taught from a young age that we were once "strangers in a strange land" and so should know how that feels and treat all strangers kindly and with compassion...when I see so much unkindness to strangers it hurts me as a Jew and a human being... I have tried to donate to causes which help but I know that is not enough...I have tried to be kinder to strangers myself and I think that is one part too... I hope when I read this next year things will have improved at least a little...

The ongoing genocide in Xinjiang is probably the world event that has affected me the most strongly. I think this is because I've had to reduce my engagement with US domestic politics over the last year--it's been mostly an neverending slog of bad news, leavened only by the occasional story about how we've managed to save some small piece of progress from the unrelenting tide of hatred. But for Chinese politics, my expectations were lower, and I felt like I could be more intellectually engaged. But right now, the PRC government is committing genuine ethnic cleansing against a sizable minority group. And the rest of the world, wracked by domestic problems and uncertainty, is not only letting it happen, they're not doing anything to save the small number of people who are escaping. And yet, what can I do? I don't have a platform, I'm not enough of an expert to add anything meaningful to the conversation, and my ranting about the issue to friends has only resulted in making them feel sad but also powerless. What could a random American have done in 1939? What can I do now? I feel tiny and lost and hopeless.

Trump, as president, speaking with constant superlatives, saying inflammatory things that he may or may not mean. The impact has been two fold: 1) my immediate reaction was to call him an idiot and narcissistic; 2) I remembered my teaching at home that I must respect anyone of authority. Then I listened to my economist brother who explained the negotiation tactics and his positive outcome. So I am left struggling with my heart's reaction to not liking him and my head's mantra to wait and see the outcome. It leaves me with my helplessness and wanting to ostrich-defense and ignore it all.

It seems like everything Trump does is an event that has impacted me and parts of the world. The Paul Manafort arrest and conviction are big ones. The guilty pleas from other parties. Paul McCartney saying "fuck it" and spilling the beans on his mushroom trips and masturbating with John Lennon. Lots of stuff has happened and it gets pretty overwhelming trying to keep up with world events. I guess that's my general response to world events--exhaustion.

The placing of Donald Trump as president. I'm African American, female and over 60. He is hostile to people like me and he and his cronies have made life a living hell. I'm hoping to look back on this message next year and know that he and his ilk have been taken out of all the offices they hold.

too many to describe, but most relate to the fact that we have a totally amoral moron as a president who is an embarrassment to the world. his outrageous shenanigans depress me daily.

The zero tolerance policy that resulted in separating thousands of migrant children from their families at the border. It has made me think about our policies, who makes them, and my own motherhood and participation or complicity. It felt like it tore me apart from the inside, and I recognized a taste of a kind of grief I've never known before, of losing your child.

Donal Trump being president has me watching the fall of my country. Angry white men who feel they have had to suppress their anger, feeling as if their privilege is being taken away, which they don’t even see the reality of having been privileged, the hatred, violence, cowboy gun violence, this radical extremist overzealous religious right denying science, fueling hatred to Canada, Europe, flirting with Russia, EPA run by corporate polluters, stealing the Supreme Court justice pick from obama now a second lunatic will be chosen, women’s rights are at stake, education run by a religious wealthy idiot, so unstable, I see my country as being in the dark ages

The US recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This seems distant, but like the prayer we had in the Rosh Hashanah service I went to, what affects Israel affects us all. And especially as a Jew who has serious doubts about Zionism and supports Palestine, I end up having to negotiate these conversations a lot, even just with myself. I can't avoid Israel, even if I want to. It ties in with me slowly rediscovering my Jewish faith over the last year, going back to a couple services, getting involved with Jewish Twitter and the conversations on engaging with Judaism on my own terms and with my own priorities. It's complicated but at least my personal journey has been rewarding.

The movement of the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem really impacted me. It was a bold move that has other countries assessing their possible embassy moves. I pray for the day that the world recognizes Israel, and Jerusalem, in their own merit.

Hey hate to be cliche but the royal wedding. The royal wedding peaked my interest in Queen Elizabeth and I started watching the crown and learn some interesting things about the English royalty.

My wife’s father was taken into hospital for 6 weeks with heart issues, we live on different hemispheres and her father was unable to stay in contact which was very hard on my wife, she felt a lot of guilt for being so far away and went through the stresses of projecting a possible bad outcome. Fortunately this outcome did not transpire.

There have been several events that have affected the Israeli peace process that is bothersome. US withdrawing funding to the Palestinian refugees, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, nation-state law and the demolition of a Palestinian settlement to make way for Israeli occupation. These events affect a 2 state solution and ultimately peace in the area. A positive event in the world was the recognition of the Me too movement. Awareness campaigns regarding women and harassment has taken these acts and put them in the forefront for awareness. it's one step closer to balancing power between men and women

maybe hurricanes last fall. Maybe just the continuing chaos out of DC. And using that to practice forgiving & accepting.

No big difference from previous years. Scientists discover multiple ways of defeating illnesses and bettering our lives. Musicians work their guts away doing marvelous performances.But the news give them tiny space, while dedicating to corrption, drugs and war.

The presidency of Donald Trump. Because it impacts policy in the US and also perception across the world...and not in a positive way.

I feel like politically, everything is fucked.

The #meToo movement took hold and is challenging the patriarchic view of women around the world at a level I never thought I would see in my lifetime. It has re-awakened memories of my early activism on behalf of women's rights and makes me feel like I made a difference. Most welcome as I age and am increasingly ignored by a young workforce.

The forced separation of children from their families at the border of the U.S. has been the most impactful for me. It strikes close to home because my own mother was put in a "school" when she was 2 1/2 and left there for over 6 years, visited only by an uncle and seeing her mother maybe twice a year. She learned never to ask questions, and whatever feelings she had became buried deep within her. A brilliant woman, she has never been able to advocate for herself; a loving person, she has been prone to bouts of the most primitive rage which seem to come from nowhere, but which are clearly the unprocessed traumas expressing themselves; she has picked distant, angry partners; she has thrown away partners who have loved her; she somehow reached inside herself and found love for me, but she chose to end three other pregnancies. And yet...she is a ray of light to others, witty and brilliant and attractive. I often think--what if she had been able to experience strong, secure attachment and connection? How might her soul have flourished? And then I see these children--thousands of children who, like her, have been ripped from their families and silenced, placed in restrictive conditions and silenced. Whose needs have been suppressed. What will happen to them if they never see their parents again? What joys will be snuffed out forever? What angers will emerge toward others? Toward themselves? We are hardly the only country which has separated parents and children, but we are SUPPOSED to know better. And yet...we do what was done to families during the Holocaust, what was done to the young girls kidnapped and silenced by Boku Harum. Who is left to speak for sanity?

Two come to mind: the school shooting in Parkland, FL and the whole immigration debacle where children were being ripped from their parents. Both of these impacted me because of the job I do working with kids. I feel like Parkland was the straw that broke the camel's back and made people realize that we need to do something and we need to be prepared. Even in my own district, we now have new security, an emergency app, and are doing an active shooter training next month. The immigration thing really hit home because of the research I've been doing about childhood trauma. I just couldn't stop thinking about those kids and how this was going to change them for the rest of their lives. It was not right.

There are a number of them considering how the news is just a series of disasters happening everyday. But keeping in line with last year, I feel the US moving their embassy to Jerusalem and the subsequent protests and violence really hurt my heart. Trump has reinforced Netanyahu’s hateful rhetoric where Obama tried to counter it. Palestinian rights and causes are moving in the wrong direction, and each side is digging in further to their ideologies. It saddens me that I have to feel so conflicted about Israel. It is a very important place for my family, particularly for my grandparents. However, I cannot just blindly accept practices that I view as immoral and violating human rights in the name of maintaining a Jewish State. I feel that Israel has become everything that Jews fled their homelands and moved to Israel to avoid, but with Palestinians being the sufferers in this case. The deafness that the country shows to its own hypocrisy destroys any hope that I had for peace.

#metoo. That movement impacted me and my entire industry. It broke open the ubiquitous sexism that targets young women.

Well. Trump is the worst president ever. Racism, sexism, and anti-semitism are on the rise in America and people are no longer afraid to show their true awful selves because “the president is doing it so I can too.” From collisions with Russia to paying off prostitites, from playing nice with North Korea to calling Canada our enemy, from disavowing science and medicine to defunding the arts and PBS, from not offering aid or money to Puerto Rico after a giant hurricane hit and killed thousands of people to not offering any public condolences after John McCain died....the list could go on truly forever. Luckily, midterm elections are approaching in the next few months and I can only hope that we turn congress blue. Even though Trump has been using his executive powers to bypass congress at times, having as much resistance as possible within DC is as much as we can hope for.

Trump & the Republican control (and soon to add judicial=ALL 3 BRANCHES = THE END OF DEMOCRACY) continues to put me in a state of despondency over folks; not so much me personally (YET), but mostly the poor and fringes of society. The racism and hatred and divisions feel like we're headed for a literal Civil War, I doubt it will be very civil either. I'm losing hope. But I know that APATHY is the real killer of hope.

Evil in the American White House. It has almost daily impact on me, because horrific things keep happening. I don’t want to become numb to the horrors, either, because that could be tragic for many. Me included. So I take action where I can, and keep voting for the most progressive candidates I can find.

This year feels very selfish to me, and I hope that next year is different. Hurricane Harvey happened locally, but that probably had the greatest impact on me.

I feel so rattled around by events, large and small, personal and historical-- I can't seem to find any highs or lows in any of them. I feel deadened to impact.

Charlottesville VA protest and the white supremacists. It really brought home the hate, prejudice, misogyny and darkness in our country. I feel afraid.

You know what? I actually predicted Trump would become President. His daily presence in pretty much every topic around the world is quite astonishing. I normally do not discuss politics with anyone. It's hard NOT to now. I would reallllllly like to go back to the non-discussion era, please and thanks.

The event that most impacted me this year was the forced separation of refugee families seeking asylum at the US/Mexico border. As an American I was embarrassed and as a father I was grieved to see this abuse take place. I really wish for our society to place much more emphasis on healthy child development rather than accept child exploitation. I don't see this as a political issue but as a human one.

Boy, on the world stage, it's basically still the Donald Trump show that has impacted my life. It's not just about him, of course, but about the truly craven views of the current Republican party leadership (and their corporate puppet masters)--ready to reduce taxes on billionaires, prop up a ruinously expensive health care system that leaves people bankrupt, strip natural resources from National Parks to profit their corporate buddies, privatize education, trash the environment for a few bucks, reduce American competitiveness in the world's alternative energy markets, ramp up misogyny and racism, denigrate women, and more. And every one of the people that tRump has appointed or hired are lying cheats or ignoramuses sucking at the public teat and compromising America's national sovereignty. Oh, and how about his charging the government millions of dollars every time he goes golfing at one of his golf resorts? What a lovely way to enrich himself at our expense. I can't believe he's still president, and I'm proud of all the new people who are running for office to challenge current Republican incumbents. May they win!

So many things have happened in the world in 2017-2018, it is difficult to choose the most impactful thing. I think the event that resonated the most for me was the school shooting at Marjory Douglas HS in Florida and the subsequent amazing response of the surviving students. Their courage and activism was awe-inspiring and forged such hope out of such a horrific situation. They gave me courage and hope in what are such discouraging and frightening times.

Fuck Donald Trump. And all who associate with him.

I'll stay local: I wrote an op-ed for the SF Chronicle that brought me to Livermore city staff's attention, which resulted in my taking Key to the City and subsequent project, ultimately landing me in running for city council.

Other than the seeming chaos in Washington DC, all has been well. The universe does provide!

I was inspired to watch how the world came together to watch the successful rescue of the Thai boys stuck in the cave. It was heartwarming to see how scientists, top divers, local townspeople and so many others came together to rescue these kids, and that everyone made it out alive.

Many events stemming from the current administration. It seems that we wake up every day to a new crisis that, in most cases, can be attributed to the US government. In my lifetime, I have never seen such hate coming from the top which encourages and emboldens the spewing of hate speech (which in the past would have been condemned by the masses) by others. I fear that the progress - civil rights, human rights, environmental rights - I have seen in the past 60 years is slowly being whittled away.

The world continues to be a crazy place. There is so much hate and violence. I often ponder why yet other times I marvel that there is not more. we're becoming less connected while becoming more virtually connected giving way to a falsehood. We spend hours, especially our youth engaged in violent gaming and yet are surprised when that violence spills over into our reality.

My life has been impacted hugely by my mother's experience as a care worker. It has changed me politically from a wet liberal to a hardened leftie. I believe in the social justice and I want to contribute to change. I just have no faith in the current labour leadership.

This year, I got my first full time teaching job! I graduated from undergrad at U of Illinois in May and spent over 4 months applying to/interviewing at schools all around the Chicago area. All of my friends had gotten jobs around May/early June. On June 19th (a day before my birthday), I landed a job as a 7/8th grade science teacher at my dream district! I have gotten so much support from other coworkers, my friends, and most of all, my family. So blessed!

It's hard to answer this question, because there has been so much going on in the United States, specifically with politics, that we sometimes forget to listen to what's happening around the world. I would say that something that really impacted me was President Trump's decision to round up immigrant children and put them in camps in Texas. This showed the whole world how ruthless, careless, and removed our current administration is. It makes me angry that this is how my government is representing us. It makes me sad that there are children in camps unsure of when they'll see their families again. It motivates me to be the change.

Honestly, the deaths of so many famous people due to mental illness and / or drugs. I think loneliness and lack of connection and community is one of the biggest things that plagues people lucky enough to have their fundamental human needs met (shelter, food, water, etc.). Loneliness is one of the most pressing public health issues. I think if we can rebuild communities and connection, a lot of other health issues would be alleviated as well. Emotional health is at the root of it all.

I don't feel that I have been majorly impacted by any world events. I don't feel that I often get emotional about global events. Trump is still president and that's pretty terrible. While it has not impacted me directly yet, it may eventually, and is certainly impacting a lot of other groups of people in really negative ways. That's hard to see.

All of the celebrity overdoses. Of course, overdoses happen every day, but I've been so encouraged to see all of the responses and engagement and discussion surrounding mental health. We have a long way to go, but at least we're talking about it.

I was delighted to see the addition to the Constitution on abortion removed and the freedom to have power over their own bodies given back to the woman.

I feel very shut away, not in a negative sense but more that I’m living in a bubble. The news with Trump, and Brexit, and Momentum is all so unrelentingly grim that I have retreated. I don’t want to engage with popular culture at all. So, no, everything that has meant something to me this year is personal; Mum getting ill time after time, Pa apologising clumsily but heartfeltedly for shuffling a load of shit at us when we were kids, Mark asking me to marry him on a yacht in New York harbour, doing well in my new job, leaving Millbrook in my past as a lesson I learnt, getting diagnosed with hypothyroidism, getting my life back afterwards and taking my health more seriously.

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and a BRCA2 gene mutation. I was tested and found out I don’t have the mutation. My sister will survive, but I feel a terrible sense of fear, sadness, rage and guilt — and relief that I was spared. But why me and not her?

It hasn't been a single event. It's the almost daily shattering news about my own country and about Israel. I see both moving into spaces filled with fear, anger and suspicion, leading to scapegoating and demonizing of the 'other.' The plethora of actions in this direction is overwhelming and deadening.

My wife's family saw three deaths in a very short period of time and they're on the other side of the world. Maybe not a world event but it really made the world feel like it was smaller and I couldn't control things. It also brought to mind the fact that when I move to the other side world with her to have kids I'll loose family back home, and that's scary. I know it's what I signed up for when I married her but it was hard to face it directly and I felt selfish that my thoughts went to that I was going to have to deal with this in the not too distant future.

The Trump presidency. I'm constantly worried about what he's going to fuck up next.

The failures, travesties, horrors, lies, greed and malfeasance as well as outright criminality of the current Republican party and particularly the Trump administration are staggeringly disheartening, frightening and disgusting. Having lived through Nixon/Watergate and all of Vietnam, Bill Clinton, both Bushes and Reagan, I thought I'd seen the worst of USA politics. I was so wrong! I've never been so ashamed to be a citizen of this country nor a member of the human species as I have this year. This year (and many more to come) are consequentially tragic for so many; merely awful, for me and so many others.

Everyone is still angry with each other over Trump president. It's crap how it can tear is apart.

I continue to be stunned by the things Donald Trump says and does, and I'm ashamed to have him representing our country. I find that I'm deeply offended having someone this morally bankrupt and such a blatant liar in his position. I have had to work hard to maintain relationships with family members since I can't believe they'd stand behind such an evil person.

Before this year is out, Donald trump will have placed two justices on The Supreme Court, lifetime appointments. I am more afraid of this than any other aspect of the current threat to our democracy from the President, Senate or Congress.

An event? Wish there was just one. The Event is an amalgamation. Watching Trump repeatedly blow my mind with his greed and blatant disregard for humanity and the environment: His separation of families at the border, his unwillingness and repeated denial of the need for gun control, his greenlighting hunting of endangered animals, his rollback of environmental regulations, his response to the hurricane in Puerto Rico, his evasiveness and constant lying, his attempts to payoff Stormy Daniels. The event is the highjacking of democracy, the tacit support of racism, sexism, and bigotry. But I can't help but think that he is the catalyst that was needed to wake people up. In these upcoming midterm elections, white men are the minority of candidates. The government for so long has only represented the interests of a few. Better representation of the people across all parts of government would go a long way in changing the dynamic.

The world event that most affected me was the separation of the children of refugees from their parents on our southern border. I thought of how , as a young boy, I would freak when I would be lost for three minutes away from my mom in the supermarket. The horrible visceral impact of the possibility of losing my parents forever would wound me forever, no matter the outcome.

The tensions between governments of the USA and Turkey almost cost my wife and me the trip of a lifetime and a huge deposit! There was a state department warning to reconsider travel and all, and we had already ponied up thousands in a nonrefundable deposit to take the classic Orient Express train on its once a year run from Istanbul to Paris. We sweated and agonized a lot, but a call to a nephew who is a high intelligence officer in the Pentagon assuaged us. We went and loved the once in a lifetime journey through many countries, and through time itself back to the 20's. The Turkish people were warm, helpful, open. We got lost in the Old Town section of Turkey at 11 p.m. and were not scared, and people smiled and assisted us in getting back to the hotel. Plus we got some great meals. Turkey is clean, friendly, worth the visit, and its history is central in the development of civilization. Glad we went and enjoyed it.

Trade policy blow ups all over. The Trump effect and protectionism. This is my job now, and it wasn't even a thing two years ago. And the future of the world's prosperity and happiness will be determined by it.

I can’t think about an event in the world that impacted me. This year I kinda disconnected myself from the world news, wishing myself for the next year to be more updated with the world.

The daily onslaught of bad news coming from the Trump administration is challenging my ability to stay engaged in the news cycle. Relatedly, many of my friends are super activists and organizing campaigns and going to rallies and stuff-- and I'm still plodding along with my "small picture" projects. I'm trying to figure out if that's "enough" or if I really need to push myself to join the fray. It's not clear to me.

Everything going on with the presidency has been terrifying. It has added a layer of stress and depression to my life and I bet many others. I can't pin down anything specific that impacted me this year, it was more a year of thousands of little cuts non stop. W getting numb and exhausted.

Concentrating on the good news, it's good to see the rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

the insanity of the trump presidency and all the havoc that he is creating in the world. his supreme court nominations -- his rolling back regulations re: polluters, banks...separating parents and children at the border. i have never questioned the stability of the US government. now, it feels that his instability and his impulsivity threaten not only our safety and security but the well-being of the entire world. i am deeply, fundamentally frightened. reading the news literally turns my stomach. i go around feeling frightened and nauseous much of the time.

The separation of children from their parents at our southern border made me realize that my sense of safety is tenuous. There is a movement towards vilification of the "other" which is currently anyone with brown skin. This fear/hatred could just as easily become any other minority. I found this, as well as Charlottesville last year, to be profoundly frightening.

My "boyfriend" broke up with me in a cruel way. He sent an impersonal email saying "the hotel" was closing for repairs, to have all belongings out within three days, and that anything left behind would not be honored. He did this while sitting across from me in our shared office the day of my dental surgery. This, after barely speaking to me for several days. It is a call to get back to myself and never to take shit again. I'm back on my path, though I would have gotten here anyway, but this just got me back to myself more quickly. I love where I am headed now. Thanks, you complete asshole, for making all your shit my fault and for venting to me for two years about your alcoholic ex and your spawn, whom she uses as a lever and a club to control you. Thanks for leaving me the time I had a bad couple weeks. I listened to you for two years. You gave up the minute I was no longer your therapist. Dick.

I don't know. Trump's presidency? As a centrist, with passionate friends/family on both sides, it makes me less likely to be completely truthful on Facebook. Immigration is huge and confirms that I embrace legal immigrants, while still wanting a wall. Slavery used to be legal. Is legality the final determination about why something is OK? Can any country handle unrestricted entry? Marijuana is going to be a big issue. I still say NO (except medical) until and unless there is a way to measure impaired driving.

April 6 – A semi-truck collides with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos ice hockey junior team in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 and injuring 13 people. I had to look up what world events took place in the last 12 months. I find with the barrage of information that is available right now, I feel a little out of touch with "the rest of the story". We get the headlines, and everyone's opinions of them, but not always the whole story. The Humbolt crash is a tragedy as so many young lives were ended that day due to negligence. What role might have those young people played in the years to come? How do the families move on?

It's a tie between all the awfulness of the Trump presidency- which makes me unable to watch the news, read parts of the paper or listen to the radio as I am constantly offended and disgusted- and the Parkland school shootings, so close to here and still front page stories in the paper every day, but no change to our lax and ludicrous gun laws and culture!

The MeToo movement has given me hope that power will no longer excuse predatory behavior. At the same time, it has fueled disappointment with my own community where power continues to excuse predatory behavior.

I can't think of one, and I'm OK with that because I'm kinda over globalization.

I was very saddened by the suicide of Anthony Bourdain. I generally don't follow celebrities and don't feel a personal impact when they die. There was something about him, though, that really got to me. Maybe it's that I wish I had his job. Certainly his programs are scripted and edited, but I love the ways he interacted with the world and allowed Americans to see aspects of other peoples and cultures that they wouldn't see otherwise. I'm sad to lose that gift.

I am still recovering from the 2016 election. Never before in my life have I felt in so much danger from the world at large. I am a bi Jewish woman and I feel my marginal status magnified by actions taken in DC. I watch everyday as Mr. Trump works against the tenets of United States' democracy and I am appalled. I watch as the Senate acts complicity with the Emperor with no clothes. I feel rather hopeless about it

Sadly, this year's answer follows on the heels of last year's. Last year I was afraid of the impact the 2016 election might have on the country, the world's population, and the planet. Now that I've seen the havoc wreaked and the hatred legitimized, I'm horrorstruck. I wonder what I'll be writing next year. Though I try to remain hopeful, I'm not optimistic.

Trump's garbage fire of a presidency. Or rather, the presidency itself hasn't affected me so much as the fact that it seems to have encouraged every shitbeard xenophobe that their views have a degree of social legitimacy. It's distressing to see how many people seem to feel like "might makes right" and the strong should oppress the weak. So many people who will disregard the many handouts (or hands up) they needed to get to where they are in life so they can deny those same hands to other people. If I think too much about it, it makes me despair. Makes me think there's not much good in humanity.

Instead of one specific event, I will broadly state that my awareness of microaggressions and the struggle that minoritized people face in our world, particularly in the US, has increased tremendously in the past year. I have become more aware of my own power and privilege and am learning to navigate how to use my voice and power to make a positive difference through educating myself and talking with friends/colleagues.

I know this is bad but I haven’t really been keeping up with current events. For my religion and politics class (the politics of religion, crime, and punishment in the US) I’ve been reading more articles but still not as many as I used to. There have been so many mass shootings though and acts of gun violence and it makes me so sad and I just don’t understand why nothing is being done. How many people have to die before stupid people give up their stupid guns? They don’t even have to give up their guns!! There can just be tighter regulations!! Also, a lot of women have been coming out and saying they’ve been sexually assaulted or mistreated by men in positions of power. This is disgusting. Last semester, I went to the Title IX rally and heard so many stories of people (men and women and non-binary people) who had had experiences with sexual assault and not only was nothing ever really done but the whole system made things so hard for them in every possible way, even though it was supposed to be helping them find closure and security. And none of this is new. It’s just news to people who have been sticking their heads in the sand or altering reports or siding with men or who are just generally ignorant or oblivious.

Ugh, where to even start? It's all such a mess that it all blends together. I think the biggest would be the Trump administration not taking careful record of the children they separated from their families because they thought no one would care about brown people and now they think they can just dump the reunification process on the ACLU. These people are fucking evil sociopaths, I literally don't understand why there isn't more of an uproar.

The event happened in November, 2016 when Trump was elected as our president. Because I’m very “plugged in” to the national political scene and support progressive politics, these two years have been excruciating for me. To my mind, this President, along with all the people who enable and encourage him, is the greatest threat to our democracy of our lifetime. His terrible misdeeds must be exposed for all to see. And then, perhaps, we can begin to heal.

I was really troubled by a lot of things this year that happened in government, and I think the most disturbing was learning about the way that we were stopping people at the border and separating refugees from their children and families. It was truly horrifying, and I didn’t do nearly enough because I felt powerless, and I think I was fairly wrapped up in my own life.

There have been so many. I think the entire political situation has impacted me this year. But the most difficult was the separation of children and parents at the US border. The fact that there are people who consider themselves Jews and Americans (i.e. Jared and Ivanka) and could still let this happen makes me cringe.

The separation of children and their parents at the U.S. border impacted me and my family emotionally. We are lucky to have had a largely positive immigration experience, and my daughter is likely to have had a (so far) charmed childhood. The thought of other children and parents suffering so much is hard to take.

Maybe I’m too focused on politics at this point. But the divisiveness around me has changed neighborly relationships and topics of conversation. All in negative ways.

I’m actually feeling more hopeful about the world this year. I don’t know if it’s that things are getting better, or I’m just taking a longer view. That’s one of the ways that spiritual practice has changed me—I’m less focused on the day to day crises of the planet, and more thinking about the arc of change in the world. That said, Trump is still president, populism is on the rise around the world, global warming is getting worse, and there is an international refugee crisis. There is tremendous suffering in the world right now. At the same time, I do see attitudes changing. I see people more aware of sexism, racism, heterosexism, and other prejudice. And awareness is the first step in creating change. So overall, I’m hopeful. I want to continue to cultivate that hope over the coming year.

I hate to call the #MeToo movement news or a singular event, but the tenor and momentum of what has happened under that banner do seem truly different from the millennia-old tradition of covering up sexual harassment and assault. Nothing made me angrier than hearing this movement called a trend and I will be furious if there's a backlash. I hope it's the long-overdue foundation for real accountability, and that that accountability spurs on much-needed accountability along other axes of oppression. That said, there was a period of a few weeks where it was devastating to hear the particulars of accusation after accusation. I didn't want to open up facebook and see friend after friend disclose the terrible things that had happened to them. My empathy was stretched so thin, and as everyone kept saying, those were only the stories people could bear to tell. I still can't bear to tell mine, at least in public. Why did it take this collective ritual to shake people out of complacency? Why did the most wounded have to shoulder this burden too?

This was the continuing year of the trashfire political scene. It’s been compelling, dramatic, terrifying, and yet it seems like nothing ever changes, no amount of fighting makes it better. I’ve come to accept that evil exists — a kind of selfishness so profound that it would burn the whole world because the smoke is pretty.

Obvious answer, the election of Donald Trump as president of the U.S. There was impact at work, huge impact. There was impact in my personal life. And massive impact world wide. No telling how long this damage will take to recover from.

I continue to be stunned by the lunacy of the president of the United States, and the Republican party that is in lockstep with him. I am in a constant state of high anxiety over the events that unfold on a daily basis, and over the realization that a large segment of our population supports his racism, misogyny, and xenophobia. I continue to be fearful for the future of our country.

Continuing to live in the Trump era is devastating - as a woman, as a queer person, as a human. It feels like end times. The amount of complacency from my fellow Americans is distressing. That the majority of our elected leaders don't seem to be doing much to stop the horror show is depressing. That it doesn't feel like there is anything that can be done beyond continuing to say things out loud makes it all feel futile. So I'm alternately wracked with guilt for not doing enough; feeling exhausted from doing some on top of my own personal dramas which have not been in short supply this year; and just feeling resolved and apathetic to it all.

The Parkland shooting. Extra sad because my friend had a direct loss, related to one of the children killed. It affected me as you would expect but also it was the a-ha moment for me in learning that all of our school children must have an ingrained fear that stems from their “active shooter” drills. Not having kids, was not so close to it and did not realize that this is a possibility that they all prepare for. I find it nauseatingly revolting. Ban the guns.

The Trump Years are a stain on the fabric of history. It is an ongoing tragedy in so many ways. Horrifying treatment of undocumented immigrants and their children. Disturbingly anti-woman statements from the supreme court nominee and other old white guys. The list of tragedies is so long. The only hope I have is that this will solidify the opposition to this mysogynistic, xenophobic, fascist mindset and usher in a new era of people being kind to each other. (lol:sob)

There's been any number of awful events and circumstances over the past year that I could reflect on. Taken as a whole, they've made me keenly aware that the world is not a safe place in a way that never really hit home before now. That said, anytime there is a school shooting, I can't help but consider that my nephew is now among those school children who could be affected by gun violence. Mostly, I just feel completely out of control and very, very vulnerable, not just for myself but for my loved ones as well.

I was too busy trying to keep going to pay attention to world events. When every day is a struggle to get through your perspective changes.

Our political situation. The ongoing fear about the state of our country. I constantly am reminded about the inequality that exists and how many people's human rights can be violated or taken away at a moment's notice, at the hands of an incredibly racist, misogynistic administration.

I have been more disconnected from world events and news in general than usual this year. So much of it is horrible, and so much of being a working (new) parent is already overwhelming, that the easiest thing to do is mostly ignore the world event shitstorm for a period. I do not like this as a long-term plan, though, and I know it's one that I'm only afforded due to privilege. That said, one world event that has impacted me is the forest fires in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. It seems to be a nearly seasonal thing now, every mid-August, that the entire region is engulfed in smoke for a few days. Air quality hovers around 200 and everyone laments their lack of A/C and filtered air. Of course, many smaller communities have it much worse than Seattle, but population centers being affected is what makes headlines. It's so tangibly dystopian, an immediate symptom of longer climate trends, and it makes life worse for everybody.

All the political stuff. Trump is a loose cannon and every time he touches something, I feel like all hell is going to break loose. Scares the crap out of me. I feel like he's going to get us all killed. I don't feel safe, I don't feel safe for my kids. All the other political stuff is scary too. We're going back in time until we have no rights left. Roe v Wade, Same sex marriage. Shootings everywhere. When is it going to end!

The depredations of the Trump administration have caused me to submit my naturalization form so I can become more civically engaged.

The US Embassy was moved to Jerusalem! Not that Israel needed anyone to tell them it is their capital but it was a huge recognition!

The death of Senator McCain has had a huge impact on me. I mourned the passing of not just the man but also the old era of politics -- one of bipartisanship, compromise, and principle. He was one of the few Republicans who spoke out forcefully for action on climate change and campaign finance reform. He was not afraid to do what was right -- oh! How exciting it was to watch him reject the awful skinny repeal bill of Obamacare. I will miss him dearly.

The "Me Too" movement has been an incredible breath of fresh air. It feels like men's unquestioned hierarchy over women has been called out. And hopefully, society can move forward to allow for all people's perspectives and rights to be honored.

The school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and subsequent 'March for Our Lives'. I work with young children and we tell them so often that they can have a huge effect and students at that school proved that in an extraordinary way.

The Trump election. It made me realize how much of a liberal echo chamber I've been in for years. My eyes were open to see how disenfranchised so many in our country feel and that they were not on board with Obama's very liberal social policies. I get that.

I was listening to NPR from bed one morning, waiting to fully awake when I heard a brief story about immigrant children being separated from their parents at the Mexico border. I cried thinking of the harshness of this decision. In the days to follow, as this story became a major news event, I got angry, then outraged and then determined to work on social justice as never before.

What's happening with the immigration issues, detention of parents and children, separation of families - all this has deeply impacted me. I feel like I've been inspired by others to do one-small-thing, and sometimes I actually feel like I am making a difference, in a small but meaningful way, in another person's life.

As of 9/12/18 there are no world events that impacted me.

The Parkland school shooting aftermath was truly heartening. How students who survived rose to the occasion, and especially how they began to budge the needle on legislative action to rein in America's amazing bloodthirst through guns. That has given me hope.

any number of things trump has done. im so ashamed of our country and scared about the future. I think 100% of every human's efforts need to be aimed toward the health of the planet and each other.

The suicide of Anthony Bourdain, whose TV show about food and people around the world I had just discovered. I've read him for years and he's survived so much. Like the suicides in my own family, it seemed inexplicable. The ongoing blundering of the Trump administration with its divisiveness and feeling of being gaslighted.

Global warming is upon us. It has not personally impacted me yet but I know it's only time.

Winter Olympics! It brought friends together, and brought the world together (for a minute) too.

I have to say having Donald Trump in the Whitehouse. He creates steady chaos and craziness and motivated me into social justice action including voter registration drives, marches, and ongoing environmental action initiatives at Temple Isaiah. I can't wait until he's impeached.

There were several major fires in October 2017 that had family members and friends evacuating their homes at the very last minute. Many of them lost their homes in a fire that claimed 7,000 homes. Members of the community, including myself, have suffered anxiety and panic attacks due to this event. Every fire or police siren I hear, every tower of smoke (whether white or dark), and each time I smell "campfire" smoke has me remembering waking up at 3am to a panicked call that people had been evacuating. By that time, many in Coffee Park, Larkfield, Fountain Grove and Mark West had already lost their homes or businesses. Over the last year I have been granted the privilege of watching those in coffee park rebuild. Shortly after the fires the neighborhood had burned out buildings, cars, and garage doors that were crumpled, melted, and lay desolate. It was terrifying to behold. Watching the new homes being built has left me with varied feelings of sorrow, hope, awareness of the imminent futility of our lives and the acceptance of our small impact on this world.

The President of the U.S.A. a TOTAL embarrassment, a moron, a narcissist, kakistocrat, misogynist heartless.

Immigration crackdown in US

Trump. Fuck everything.

None, at least in any major way.

I have been consistently appalled by our president. I feel like he represents the worst side of humanity. I feel at a loss for how to respond, other than to try to live my life in accordance with the principles he eschews.

The death of Anthony Bourdain. I did not expect to be as devastated as I was to hear about his suicide. It was no secret that he struggled with depression and his own personal demons. But he seemed so full of life, and had the kind of career connecting with people all around the world and diving into each countries history, politics, culture, religion and food in a way that most of us only dream about. He had an adorable daughter, and was in love. And yet, the darkness still won. Somewhere alone in the dark, he forgot how amazing and beloved and blessed and connected he really was. And that terrifies me- the power of the dark, how true the demons toxic chant can seem when we are alone in the night or in pain. Depression has nothing to teach us, it just wants us dead.

The Parkland shooting and subsequent mass shootings since have been both heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Conversely,I was heartened to watch as the Parkland students and the young people of this country rallied together to create a movement, challenging the current administration and the gun lobby. The fight for sensible gun laws has been going on for far too long. By the time I read this next year the 20th anniversary of Columbine will have passed. Sadly, I don’t anticipate much change by the time I revisit 10Q next year, even so, I will continue to support these teens in their fight and hope that by raising our voices in protest and in the polls we can make a difference.

President Donald Trump. Like a natural disaster, a page-turning book or a binge-designed series I am compelled to watch headlines in a way I have never before. #brainchemistry? #wheresasocialscientistwhenyouneedone?

I want to speak about positive events. This June, my city hosted its first Pride, and it was awesome. So many people, so much joy. On the same note, I just found out that being homosexual is no longer a crime in India, which is a big step forward. Amongst the many horrible things that keep happening, these news gave me hope. I believe my generation can make things better for everyone.

So much! I have basically shut off my brain in regards to the insanity of it all. But definitely the child detention centers along the border and a lot of the black lives matter stuff. To an extent the metoo movement, but that one disappoints me with some of the double standards.

Growing signs of anti semitism and anti - Israel feelings on the left and the far right

It’s hard to narrow it down to one, since Trump and associates are doing such a good job of doing so much damage. Standouts include locking up children away from parents to protect us from immigrants who come here for a better and safer life. Just like everyone else, who wouldn’t have left home if things were good. There are a huge number of people earning livings and supporting this work, individuals and corporations profiting, so the really disturbing part is my inability to understand how so many people can be so disconnected from basic humanity and interpersonal connection, most supported, too, by their religious leaders and communities. It’s all about fear and power and control and greed. And if it is so prevalent, is this truly what human nature is about? Or maybe it’s just the dark side of a multifaceted and complex existence. It would be great to be able to believe things will get better.

We sold the family home after my father died. The cleaning out of the house brought back memories of a 5-year journey with my dad’s Alzheimer’s and it resurfaced the mistrust among us sisters. The final day there brought back fond memories that had been buried under strife, exhaustion and stress.

US moving their embassy to Jerusalem. It has recognized a reality to the world that should have happened years ago. Reality is what is needed in the world, not brushing truth under the rug. It has given me sincere hope that the peace process can move forward.

All this Trump collusion stuff is like please can we ITMFA....Typhoon Jebi in Japan made it so Laura K & I had to cancel our trip...The Royal Wedding of Harry & Meghan was magnificent, watching it in Dallas was magic.

Donald Trump’s presidential term thus far has impacted the whole world, to my utmost embarrassment. He is the second president to make me personally feel marginalized at home and embarrassed on an international scale. Every day with him seems worse than the last, and I don’t know if the damage he’s creating, condoning, and ignoring will be possible to fix. I feel ashamed to be an American.

Lots of discussion about sexual assault this year. It’s triggering and empowering. I get really upset by the injustice and knowing I’ve been a victim. It makes me feel good about the work I do in this world.

Same theme. Not one event. The continueing "event" of Mr. Trump. I think that what it has done, as I have moved forward, is to help me to move even more forward in encouraging kindness, empathy, and to always present yourself with class and dignity. Take the high road. Set the example. As I said last year stay the course. Be the example. Stop listening to the news all the time. Enjoy life. Be present.

If i were to think about something that is not directly personal, the first thing that came in mind, oddly, was the football world cup. We won! And that was a night to remember. Everyone was so happy, and we were outside partying, and dancing and screaming and celebrating. We were just living the moment. For a night, everything stopped. It was just about celebration. I think i’ll remember this night for a long long time, we’re still talking about 1998 so... i think that we feel so lonely in our big cities, so threatened with everything that is happening in the world, that just for a moment, everyone’s main interest was the same, and it was just about a fucking ball.

Literally every Trump thing because it's inescapable in today's climate—everything leads back to that car wreck whether you want to pay attention to him or not. I'm trying to be more mindful of how that constant news stream affects me adversely and to find ways to create greater distance from the noise.

The #Metoo Movement. What's crazy to me is how normalized it is for women to be harassed in the work place or discriminated against because of gender. Looking back on my time in a male dominated field, I now realize that basically every job I've had, I've been treated in a disrespectful manner or outright discriminated against because of my gender and probably the intersection of my race. I don't think I would have realized and subsequently quit FitHouse if I did not realize that the treatment of women in that way wasn't appropriate or legal or okay in any way. Reading the experiences of so many other women and understanding that there is support was so critical for me to finally be able to stand up and speak out.

Not one event, but something I have been writing here for the last 8 years: Trump, Brexit, showing an overall growing fear and bigotry. Which is directly opposed to my own experience and view of the world. The day that Trump and similar fascists will disappear cannot come soon enough.

I am just concerned in general about how President Trump seems to be distancing our country from many of our strongest allies. I am concerned about what will happen to the world in general as it becomes increasingly unstable. I hope the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that tear us apart.

The Thai boys being rescued from the cave. I was tutoring a student in English online (italki), and she was talking to me about it, and I started following the story pretty closely. I was so nervous for the safety of the boys and so relieved that they all made it out safely. It's amazing how they kind of became the children of the world for a brief time. It took a whole village--and brilliant scientists, strategists, and emergency personnel--to rescue them, and they did. And amazing how they managed to survive, mentally and physically, for so long in the cave. A true testament to both human capability and also the ultimate power of nature; we may creators sometimes, but we are always creations. Always.

I continue to be impacted and highly disturbed by the rise in hate crimes and antisemitism in the US. I am also very concerned about the political climate in Israel and view the decision by the US to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem as a negative development. The intolerance by the Israeli government and dominance by the ultra-orthodox is very troubling to me. I feel torn in this way - as a convert to Judaism, I want desperately to love Israel and what it stands for the Jewish people, but I cannot relate and support the majority political views by their government.

My recent travels to Europe and Israel- it made me ponder on where do I want to live

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez won the Bronx Democratic primary, unseating a long time incumbent. She did it without any corporate funds, on a strong progressive platform, through smart organizing and telling her story through social media. Others have followed suit. The midterm elections are only a few weeks away, and I am holding my breath to see how many seats the liberal wing of the Dem party can capture, using this new playbook that eschews or minimizes the dependence on corporate money. What does this mean to me? It feels like what hangs in the balance is the possibility of redemption from the awful desolation of the Trump presidency. If the result is an awakening of social and civil consciousness, a revival of the core participation and vision of our democracy, then the pain will have been worth the gain. I am holding my breath.

I find the sick behavior and statements of Trump the most disturbing thing in the world this year. His lack of decency, decorum and inability to show respect have demeaned human interactions everywhere, making our world a much worse place to live and enabling other racists and fascists to come out of the woodwork and express themselves in public. No one person on earth has caused as much depression as Trump.

The ongoing political climate of polarized bipartisanship and inept leadership has resulted in increased depression.

This whole Trump presidency has been such a shit show - it makes me furious, worried, despondent, and fills me with the need to get out and do something about it. Currently, we are watching the Senate pretend to vet Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. I'm certainly hoping that next year when I read this, he will NOT be a member of the High Court.

The separation of children and adults at the border. More than any other inhumane act of cruelty and violence that has been perpetrated by the current U.S. administration, this makes me wonder how much people will support or tolerate.

Gun violence in schools across America. I participated in a walk-out at my high school. I attend a school in a pretty conservative community, so I was scared of participating in a predominately left-sided event. It was very touching and even helped pressure the US senate to outlaw automatic rifles and implement more extensive background checks.

The doctor who sexually abused all the atheletes in gymnastics was disturbing that it could happen to so many for such a long time. The secrecy and enabling was upsetting. It encourages me that eventually he was held accountable. Maybe the Catholic Church will hold their pedophiles accountable someday.

Too much hating in America.

Trump's policy of forced family separation has caused me more emotional distress than any policy I can remember. I believe it is the most intentionally cruel act done by the US government in my lifetime. It was done with the clear intention to cause as much trauma as possible, and it has succeeded. I know that this, among other things, is what has moved me further left as I seek a vision of the world that is robust enough to combat the world as it is.

Trump Trump Trump Ad infinity Not only his lies But his blatant disregard for human rights His powerful delusions And the permanent and devastating effects of his actions on the globe, which has changed for the worse, and from which I believe there is no way to recover

It's really difficult to single anything out. I think between the war in Syria, watching the United States alienate itself, and watching the EU come to the grim conclusion that that they are the only hope for anything anymore have all made me extremely anxious. How are we still at war in Afghanistan? How has no one been able to help the Syrians? I've never felt more powerless, or more determined to push my students to understand that we make this world, and we just let things happen, and that is not acceptable. The world has never seemed to me a fair or reasonable place, but right now it seems to have far outstripped any parodistic or dystopic depiction I've ever come across. We have got to do better. And those of us who have any kind of power or privilege, we have got to unbuild this structure from which we blindly benefit and others visibly suffer.

I still don’t have an answer to this. Why am I so disconnected from the world? Perhaps it’s the level of privilege I possess? The bad shit happening doesn’t effect me. But it seems like the good shit happening doesn’t effect me either. Am I invisible? Am I that self absorbed?

The smoke from the wildfires, and the way it affected air quality in Seattle, brought home to me on a visceral level how much human activity is hurting the planet. I already have a lower-than-average footprint for an American, but I'm working on shrinking it even more. I get it that doing so isn't going to really change things, but it makes me feel better - which may just be denial. Still, living sustainably also strikes me as a more fair way to use resources in a dying world, so there's that; and that realization helps me remember that I care about environmental justice, which is one of the reasons i added Via Campesina to my financial giving plan this year (which I initially did in response to the volcano in Peru, and the fact that the only person I knew who was promoting aid was asking us to donate through an agency led by white Americans, which reminded me that I prefer to support grassroots organizations led by the people who are most impacted by the work being done. It's all related, eh?)

The reign of Donald Trump. The hatred, greed, racism that so many people support, despite his obvious lack of intelligence, empathy, sophistication, maturity, and civility. He has so debased America, and yet so many support him. The excuse I've heard is the economy; to some people $ is the deciding factor, overriding morals and ethics.

Gun violence in the US because it is so avoidable. I was at the venue in Vegas the weekend before the shooting at the country concert at the same venue. These events are about joy, friendship, and community - the antithesis of this violence. It very much made me feel like no place was safe. It made the issue all the more real to me.

All of the movements that are trying to create social change. The people who started them are so inspiring and I admire each person that continues to fight. They are all up against so much adversity. It's ridiculous to me that these movements even need to exist: they are fighting for basic rights, equality, safety, and justice - all things that should already exist.

Probably the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It is my alma mater, and it has been absolutely devastating for my community. People are in so much pain, and now they're all angry, which is good that they're fighting for a cause they believe in, but some of that anger is spilling out into the community too, which is hard on a lot of people too.

It was something that happened specifically in my world, though it also made national news. Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, died in April. For nearly half my life, Burning Man has been a HUGE part of me. I made tons of good friends, learned a lot, lost my innocence, fell in love...the list goes on. While the event will continue, it was sad to lose someone who influenced me so much.

Pipeline Barons refuse to stop destroying the forests and mountains around our home (Mountain Valley Pipeline). Water changes, accidents, road damage, automobile damage, dangerous drivers in big trucks on our small country roads, decimated hillsides around us, wildlife loses right of ways, increased human population around my home, loud noise all day, reduced bird population.

SO many school shootings. It makes me love the people I do a little more, but also very weary of strangers. I’m starting to lose faith in people; not exactly humanity, but the older generations and those in charge I think. Our gun issue is one out of many problems in the USA, but it is one we need to fix. I hope that when my generation takes leadership roles, we remember the passion we have now and act in it.

The deaths of Tom Petty and Aretha Franklin-trite? maybe. These were people that I admired, they did ground-breaking work, and they are subject to the same forces that affect the rest of humanity.

Where do I begin? I don't even know where to start. The Mueller investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 election? The daily barrage of stupid and reckless coming out of the White House, the botched response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico where nearly 3,000 people died due to situations arising from the Hurricane. Tampa Bay's direct hit by Hurricane Irma, resulting in serious damage to my childhood home. Net Neutrality repealed. The law suit against the US Gymnastics team doctor who raped hundreds of girls and women under the guise of medical treatment. The muslim ban went into effect. The mass detention of those who crossed the Southern US border seeking asylum and were subsequently separated from their children. Hundreds of children remain in custody. Unbelievable wildfires in California. AGAIN. Unbelievable floods in India. AGAIN. Republicans are trying to ram through a nomination of a hardline right wing judge who is likely going to be the deciding vote in reversing Roe v. Wade and eliminating a woman's right to choose. It is really hard to stay positive. Entropy is accelerating.

Climate keeps changing. Harvey wasn't great. Fucking flooding in India & Pakistan are progressively worse. It makes me feel guilty for not spending enough of my energy to do anything about it.

It's not one event, it's constant barrage of bad news. I can't even bear to read it anymore. I feel like I've played Ostrich with my head in the sand because I can't keep fighting a new cause every day. The separation of children and their families, the deaths from drugs and Orange County cutting our new needle exchange, the removal of the homeless from our town and now I worry where they are, worrying about new rules (or lack of rule) that allow pollution and destruction of our planet, more and more threats to reproductive rights and women's healthcare...the list goes on. the #metoo movement especially opened some wounds and made remember the importance of female solidarity. It re-lit some feminist passion in me. I guess I'm not acting in a big way but I am acting in my relationships with friends and strangers. Also the murder of a young gay Jewish boy in my community. Hate crime is the scariest thing. Lots and lots of lost sleep over current events this year. Been thinking of how do I make a change? I failed at going to rallies. Maybe there's another way to fight that is better for me. I feel like I've given up hope of making any change. everything is making me feel more and more hopeless and depressed. Actually making me feel more distanced from my friends because everyone has her own cause and is pissed if you aren't fighting for the same one. It feels like everyone is hyper-sensitive and no one wants to hug. I wanted to hug this girl yesterday. Just connect. I think of all my patients who died this year. I just want to hug everyone, regardless of politics. just make everyone feel ok

The President is a poor communicator and I can't stand his Tweets he has done nothing to help this country. I feel we are an embarrassment to this country.

The tragic Humboldt Broncos crash in the prairies - so much loss of young life and a horrific accident. Because of the hockey connection, this one touched our family - the boys wore Humboldt green one day at school to show our support, and put our hockey sticks out on the porch like thousands did across Canada. It made me think how life is too short - we need to put things into perspective and love more.

The whole world has been a bit of a shit show this year, compliments of Trump. I'm fortunate that few of his policies and impulsive disregard for humanity has affected me personally, yet I did find myself particularly struck by the March for Our Lives movement. Attending the local march and rally was done mostly on a whim, but I felt like it was a resurgence of that social justice spirit within. I was moved by the profundity of the students' actions and words and in awe of the tenacity with which they held onto their beliefs. If those kids could act so forthrightly for what's right, then who am I to not do likewise?

Trump. It is impacting me daily to have a liar in the office of the president. I am astonished at how our country is NOT dealing with his incompetence and I am not paying attention to the details as I will become too stressed and overwhelmed.

India legalized gay marriage. It is wonderful to see the world becoming more accepting as time passes, even if things in America are currently going backwards.

It didn’t happen this year but the election of president #45 and the swamp that he has brought with him in high places has severely damaged my view of America’s ability or desire to stand on the side of what’s right and increased my need to look at “others” with a very skeptical eye in order to feel safe going through life. I decided to volunteer for a political organization to hopefully change the face of my state to more compassionate and open leadership.

Every day that agent orange is in the WH is an event that impacts me - EVERY DAY. If I think about it I am dragged down and feel lost. He's going to destroy the future of our country.

Parkland. It shook me to the core in a way other mass shootings hadn't. Maybe it was because the kids affected looked so much like my own kids. Maybe it was the video and audio recording that I couldn't watch or listen too beacuse I thought I would vomit. Maybe it was the total naseau of yet another mass killing and policy makers still unwilling to act. Maybe it was seeing my own family acivated in a new way - demonstrating at the state capitol, marching in DC in the March for Our Lives, building and participating in school walk-outs. I doubled down on my own efforts to show up and advocate for gun violence prevention. Thank you God for another year of life. Let's work so that many others will have another year of life too.

Trump's continued insanity in 2018 as "president". This has impacted me by driving me to care more about politics and speaking up for what I believe in.

Israel passed the Nation State Law this summer and it cements into stone writing all the problems I have with how the country currently operates. There is systematic racism and inequality between Arabs and Jews, the issue of settlements and occupation, the diminishing of Arabic... it makes me sick. It's made me question my identity as a Zionist. How can I call myself a Zionist, someone who supports the State of Israel, when I more and more don't subscribe to its actions. On the contrary, as a Zionist who believes Israel must be an exemplary country, this law and the direction of the right-wing orthodox bending government is the opposite of making Israel what it should be. I feel ashamed to be someone who loves Israel, just as I'm ashamed of being an American with Orange45 in the White House.

I have very little interaction with the wider world around me. As a result of my mental health as well as my innate introversion I spend most of my days inside, keeping to myself and watching from a distance as world events scrolled through my newsfeed. I commit myself to voting and see if I am able to take part in any actions organizations urge for. But I rarely am, and so I detach myself from news events to an extent, to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed by it all. This year has been different. Last year was as well, but last year I got angry, and empowered to try and push out to do more, to fight. This year I got overwhelmed. Last year I learned that the government was putting children in camps separated from their parents. This year I learned that they have no records of many of these families that could be used to reunite them. This year I learned that even among families who have managed to fight through and been fortunate enough to be reunited, the severe ptsd effects on the children are already showing as destructive and heartbreaking. I learned that citizens on the border often have their passports revoked and are accused of forged birth certificates because of having a midwife listed on it (an especially common situation for lower income people who can't afford a hospital). I learned that there seemed to be nothing I could do to stop this. And I'm overwhelmed. There's so much evil in this world, and things like this send me into depressive spirals where it seems the world will never truly get better, and that there's nothing I can do.

The #MeToo movement changed what I will tolerate from men, how I talk about things that have happened to me in the past, and has given me words + narratives to better understand what has happened to me in the past. It's empowered so many women to come forward and toppled so many men behaving badly. It's creating real, public consequences for the men that were the bad actors - which previously the female victims were charged many times over for: once for the act against them, once more if they came forward, and again in their own shame / minds for life.

The accident that killed several members of the Humboldt Broncos team. I live in Colorado but I am from Saskatchewan. One person killed was my brother's wife's neice. It was surprising to see the coverage on the news here in the USA and the scope of people who were impacted by the small town team.

The world is a big place. There's a lot happening in my house, my neighbors homes, and my country. I am amused and horrified that the US President causes huge messes, and then wants a pat on the back for cleaning them up. I know we have a small child in the White House, but why didn't the country at least vote for a loving small child?!

The #MeToo movement that has exploded has been a great outlet for me to recover from my own experiences as a survivor. While I firmly believe people do not have to out themselves as survivors, it gives me so much comfort and ability to heal to have this support and solidarity across the globe.

The Philadelphia Eagles winning their first Super Bowl Championship made the city of losers into a city of champions. As a son of the city brotherly love I share this feeling of victory.

I've been paying more attention to the way we treat black people in America. It's such a complicated issue and I think the main problem is that people think we solved anything through legislature changing. There is still racial bias, there is still discrimination, and the justice system is built around protecting white people. The worst part is that race really doesn't matter physically. You aren't smarter, stronger, or more creative if you're a specific race. There is no "race" gene. It's just something we made up to explain differences in face shape, skin color, and hair texture. Because that's all it is. Superficial. I wish more people could learn about race the way I did in my anthropology class.

If I had to pick one I would have to go with the migrant children being taken away from their parents at the border. I work in child protection and it was devastating seeing our country stooping to such a low level. How could we ever believe that was an appropriate reaction to them? I see that a lot in my work. It seems like people really disconnect from the less fortunate. They want to blame them for their misfortune rather than noting the inherent errors in the system. I think that makes it easier for them to see horrible things and yet not doing anything about it. I really hope that we've swung so far to one side that we will only correct back to the appropriate medium. That's probably not likely to happen though. I think as a society we've just grown so far distant and stuck on our own ideologies that we can't appreciate where the other side is coming from and that is not only sad but horrible. I guess we will see what happen going forward

Fires, impending hurricanes on the east coast (as we speak), mass homelessness and what feels like a new world order under Trump. Occasionally I wonder if we are living through the apocalypse. If we are, I should I find a way to enjoy my time more.

Children being separated at the border from their parents. Chills me to the bone thinking of my older relatives being separated from their parents during the war. Inhumane, inconceivable, just horrific. I think of my little guy, tucked in snug in his bed, safe and sound. He knows I will be here for him in the morning, and the evening and the morning after that and after that. My heart would be ripped from my soul if I was separated from him. I grieve for these parents and children.

When is the answer to this not going to be something to do with Trump? I am so tired.

The presidency has a daily affect about n me. I know it shouldn’t take up that much space in my energy allotment but the constant news is so pervasive it’s hard to tune out. This man has reversed everything good. It pains me and I worry for the next generations to come.

More shootings at schools, because I am sick of it, and I wish that our government would do something about gun violence and access to dangerous weapons.

The Hollywood #metoo movement has had a profound effect on me. I actually know a couple of the men who have been called out and it is quite surreal to see that but I certainly don't find anything surprising about the details of their offenses. But I have conflicted feelings about it. I've never made any public statements but I am a major survivor of so much unwanted male aggression. I want to be more positive and supportive but I'm afraid it will go away or be trivialized. It's hard to believe the movement has any staying power when our country elected a man who has openly embraced his own #metoo offenses without any real remorse. So the movement is important and it stirs me up and gets me thinking.

I'm not much for worldly events. I keep my focus pretty tight to the vest. I don't know anything about politics or economy, but I'm pretty sure I've earned more money this year than ever, so I would guess that things are looking up out there. Maybe I'm getting better at what I do or maybe one of these gentlemen in charge of things has done what he's said he'd do. Maybe it's some of both. I know that I've been working hard on me. I'd love to think that many, many others can say the same. I wonder what difference it would make if everyone worked hard to improve themselves without even noticing what their neighbor is doing.

Transgender bathroom bills have shaken me. They've made me feel less safe. I'm working on correcting my birth certificate so I can finally get a passport that reflects my identity.

The #MeToo movement. It's impacted how I act every single day. I've become more passionate for speaking up and saying something. I've been more open with my #MeToo experiences and I'm no longer hiding and pretending those moments haven't existed in my life.

Huh. The March for Our Lives, and the horrible school shootings. How? Proud of our teens, sad for our country. Why? See above. We need to do better.

The continued Donald Trump presidency. Attacks on immigrants. Changes in immigration policy. Executive orders. My green card comes up in FEB 2020, so I have to go for citizenship now. Add that to the “things I should’ve done when Trunp wasn’t President and I wasn’t in a PhD program” lists. It feels shaky. What if I don’t get citizenship? I’ve not lived in England since 1994. My parents are U.S. citizens now. My brother and nieces are here. And yet, I can’t go to the place of fear. Can’t live in it. Can’t get stuck there. I just have to stay in the now. Do the paperwork. Pay the fees. And trust.

Still the same. Donald Trump has been so negative. The policies and the politics keep getting worse. It has given rise to similar movements in other countries. It is very distressing. In general, the fear mongering is creating a world that is distrustful and afraid. Hope this election cycle brings back some checks and balances.

The fires - what a crazy time it’s been. Impacted yet not...

I started my new job in March, which has been a great experience on a great team doing actual Good Work instead of just Work That Pays. And the stress level is way, way down, and my ability to do the work is proven and positive, and I'm really enjoying it. The ability to breathe again with a steady two-person income has really eased up the concerns and allowed us to do things we had put off while I was unemployed. And have a little bit of fun, too, of course.

Trump. Too terrrrrrrible. On a more local level, the passage of Prop 66. Also, too much facebook and social media. On the positive, #metoo, #blacklivesmatter.

Gay pride marches across the world. I attended the march in Edinburgh this year with two close friends who are straight. I had never attended a march before, although I am not involved much in gay culture I felt a unity with other LGBTQ people on the day and empowered by the support shown from people in the crowd. Listening to the speeches made me realise why these things are still important. The cheesy live music was shit though... and the weather

The world always affects me. However I'm at a time in my life where I need to reflect on how I impact the world and how I impact myself more than concentrating on outside infulences.

My first thought is that I've been relatively disconnected from the happenings of the world and it's been a net-good thing. And after thinking about this for a while...it's still the main thought I have. Though it is, in part, due to moving to a whiter city, I think the rise of the alt-right has definitely meant I have been on the receiving end of explicit and casual racism (e.g. being called a terrorist by strangers), which has been, more than anything, really disheartening. Three close friends have also made similar remarks and that crushed me even more so, even though they apologised after. I expected better, but I guess these are the times we live in and it is a burden that I have to carry.

The extreme weather conditions leading to fires hurricanes, floods. It has made me cautious about where we live and how I will invest Mum's money when I get it. I have also tried harder to do y bit to help live a sustainable life.

There are so many things that make me overwhelmingly sad: shootings of Black Americans, teacher strikes, our president being an idiot, climate events. I feel crushed when I try to engage with the gravity of our world. I've just gotten a lot more comfortable financially and have turned a little insular trying to square away my debts and gain some security.

Trump continues to be President, so that’s fun. Yelling at the news in my car was a pastime last year and earlier this year but now I mostly try to keep him turned off. The most shocking event this year was the family separations and detainment of all those children at the border. The depravity of this U.S. President is always on full display, but nothing had yet been as bad as that. It affected me in that it was a rare time I fully tuned in instead of sticking my head in the sand. Of course it’s not solved, not by a long shot.

Political & environmental events, much like last year, continue to impact me. Though Puerto Rico has still not recovered from last year's hurricane, over a million people in the Carolinas are under evacuation orders as hurricane Florence approaches and more may be on the way this very day. This year saw the biggest wildfires in California history, and Santa Ana season has yet to begin. Climate change is real. The fact that I even have to say that is a political issue nowadays. I am still heartened by the spirit of protest among progressives in response to the scandalous GOP administration in DC. I still have high hopes that progressives will do well in the midterm elections, boosted by the #MeToo movement, women standing against harassment & discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere.

The separation of families at the border seeking asylum was one of the most horrific violations of human rights this country has perpetrated on vulnerable people. It was a betrayal of American values. And to find out that there was no time man for reunification of these families was just unthinkable. The horror of this action will always mar and shame is. We will never be able to make things right, and we are diminished by the wrongs we have committed for all time. My heart cries out for these families and the agony we have put them through its our heartlessness.

The immigration and family separation crisis at the border, perpetrated by the Trump administration. Our country truly reached a new low in international amnesty and human rights violations. It makes me sick to my stomach every time I hear about it, and it spurred a lot of activism within my own community. My roommate organized her own fundraiser, my temple sponsored families, and I myself donated to national and AZ based organizations. It still doesn’t feel like enough.

There have been positive and negative impacts. A positive one, that came to my mind first, was the new EU attempt on regulating plastic. A newspaper article made me find out that plastic bottles are a trading good in Austria too, and that helped me to decide against buying food, beverages and toiletries packaged in plastic. The negative impact comes from the our government elections. Ugh. Our government keeps shocking and depressing me whenever I look at the news. They change all good things in the state at a tremendously fast rate.

Honestly, I wish a world event impacted me but when I think of it, I have nothing. Trump building a wall? I am in this Brooklyn bubble that I hope go get out of... I hope to read newspaper and listen to the news. Telaviv ? Still didn’t impact me

Me too movement. Was it even this year? It's definitely made me more aware of gender dynamics and the many ways voices can be silenced.

De nuevo Trump y el ascenso de la extrema derecha y sobre todo del encumbramiento de la política espectáculo que niega la realidad por todos los medios. Está acabando con una forma de entender el mundo que me importa mucho y reduciendo el espacio para el optimismo, la creatividad, el cambio transformador. No quiero que se cierre esa ventana!!

Having an incompetent president has impacted me greatly His lack of moral fiber and his self centered approach on most things has given me a sour taste for the country. There are a few bright spots and many people who see through his fascade, but how he became president still baffles me. Money, power, lies, etc is not the way to a better world.

#metoo Climate change Trump on just about everything We are making progress on the asshole behaviors of so many men. Bill Cosby went to prison two days ago. Christine Blasey Ford is testifying against Brett Kavanaugh today. We are seeing a major moment in history today. I am excited, hopeful, cautiously optomistic...or maybe even resigned that things WON'T change. But they WILL and they ARE! I worry about the planet. We must get that guy out of office.

I feel very mixed attachment to what’s happening in the world. I’m trying to stay informed, but the deluge of bad news in relationship to the US government has also made me want to look away from everything. The President’s interactions with North Korea, Israel, and Russia are probably the most impactful world events this past year.

What hasn't impacted me this year? Donald Trump. Child and family detention centers and family separation (most if this is not new but it's worse, and the family separation is especially unbearable). I don't even want to talk about it all -- maybe that is bad, but it's all I've got. My defense has been to focus on my community and locus of control and do as much as I can to spread love and educate and advocate for good policy where I can.

The shootings in Florida over the past year has made me think more about the fragile concept of life and how lucky I am to have my kids attend a school that has not been affected by such tragedies

I thought about this for awhile and I am fortunate enough to say that I can’t think of any event that has impacted me on a personal level. However, the many instances of emboldened racism I’ve been noticing more and more disgusts me, and I am not a person of color. I feel like this all stems from our terrible president and I sincerely hope he doesn’t turn us all against each other.

Watching ministers hold the line in Charlottesville, holding hands to form a wall in front of white supremacists. It was part of the call I got of who I want to be in the world, and how I want to be in the world. In general, the Trump administration has impacted how I feel every single day - it creates no way of being complacent as every day I see something horrible going on.

I really dislike Trump. He is the devil. I have had to work hard to conclude that it will all be okay in the end of the day

Honestly, it's been the weather as proof that we have wrecked the climate. It has rained so much this year here in DC and there have been wildfires near my friends and family in California and it seems unfathomable to me that anyone doubts climate change at this point and makes me think less of them. Same thing for family separation and child imprisonment over immigration. A Spanish-speaking kid whose parents brought them here deserves to be in a camp? FOH. I'm learning a lot of people are just not as compassionate as they think they are and it hurts.

The Trump Administration and all the energy that has been unleashed around fear, hate, anxiety, and racism has had a huge emotional impact on me. It is draining and puts a cloud over so many things in my life and mind on a day to day basis. These are dark times. I am doing something about it though in terms of my own activism with local organizations, canvassing or midterms, etc. Things need to start getting better, please.

The presidency of Mr. Trump, with all it’s misgivings about his leadership and fitness for the job, has at least stalled the alarming direction our country seemed to be taking toward socialism and it’s inevitable undermining of the pillars upon which our way of life has been built. I continue to watch, participate where I can and hope for good things to come in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Crazy Rich Asians came out in theaters, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before was released on Netflix. For the first time, seeing Asian characters in lead roles and as non-stereotypical characters has been amazing. It makes me think about my dream of being an actress when I was younger, and the lack of representation was a huge reason why I decided not to pursue it. There are so few roles for aspiring actors as it is. To be a minority aspiring actor is, realistically, accepting a life of barely being able to pay the bills and working side jobs. But with this change in the industry, maybe my children will have a real choice about what opportunities will be open to them as an Asian-American. Maybe I'll even go back into the entertainment industry someday.

Faced with my own troubles and battling anxiety, I had been thinking a lot about life and death, mental health, human struggles and suffering, love and compassion, and trying to figure out how to lead a full and purposeful life in light of all of this. Anthony Bourdain's death was a reality check that reminded me to treasure my life and appreciate other people, that life is finite and even those who seem to be on top of the world are battling their own demons. The news - and people's reactions to his suicide - moved me greatly. I felt more connected to humanity as a whole - something I hadn't felt in a while.

There were elections in Colombia. Three times: Congress President Referendum against corruption. All of them were.... meh. At least the left gain more power this time, but not enough to really rule. I am kinda glad they didn't, because I definitely don't like the guy. I actually dislike it more than the guy who won. It affects me because I am Colombian. It doesn't have much impact because I left 16 years ago. But why am I mentioning this here... Because I believe less and less in democracy. It became a way to impose the voice of the majority, rather than to give a voice to the minority.

I haven't been following world events, I don't have the bandwidth. This is very unusual for me but I am not beating myself up about it. I have a lot going on

The child detentions have me sick. It's unimaginable the damage this is doing to defenseless children - not to mention just how sad they must feel. And their parents! Utterly horrific how inhumane this government is. Like a nightmare I can't wake from. There are horrors happening constantly all over the world but often those situations are more complex - war, famine, genocide, slavery. While this situation is also complex, the fix for the detentions is very simple and as such it's unconscionable that someone with any heart or scruples wouldn't take that action.

It’s less a single event than the accumulation of many many developments that signal the erosion of democracy, both in this country and in the world at large. This trend has piggy backed on my despair over personal issues/circumstances to create an overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss of hope.

The rise of the #metoo movement has impacted my life in such a huge way. I’m a survivor myself so it’s been extremely hard for me to watch it play out. I’ve had to step back and evaluate my own art, who I idolized, and who I can trust. It’s been rough coming to terms with everything, but I’m slowly starting to accept what happened to me and start to move on. I’ve also been slowly finding my own voice as an artist and have solidified what kind of art I want to create.

uch - what hasn't. This year has made me more and more angry and hopeless. The entire world is moving right and populist. Ford has a bloody majority and 60% of the people didn't vote for hi,. Ontario is a shit show with so much anger and the divide between supposed elites and non elites - rural vs urban. I am tired of it and don't know what to do. Plus, to add to it - we are past the point of return with climate change. I am freaking out and don't feel I can do anything to affect change. I feel utterly hopeless if truth be told

I feel as though I have been fairly isolated in my little bubble here in Geneva this year, and have had barely any connection to Australian news at all. I think the biggest thing for me is the rising temperatures, and the records that keep falling for hottest day, hottest month, hottest season, year etc etc. It's something that I feel genuine concern and unease about, and something that I lie awake at night worrying over. I feel an urgency to travel more and see the world as it currently is, before everthing floods, dries out or melts. I worry about the ethics of having children when the future of the climate is so unknown. I feel frustrated, disappointed and let down by world leaders failing to take action. I feel genuine despair at Trump's attitude towards it.

Oh man....Trump continues to try to destroy the US and his impact has affected us world wide. The unrest he has created and the divide in our country that has always been there but now has a spotlight shining on it has made so many people feel unsettled and afraid. In the midst of this worldwide natural disasters continue, terrorist attacks continue and it makes me wish I could spread a healing balm across the world.

The world is undergoing significant changes now. I am not sure if people realize it as everyone had their own side and the separation is growing wider with the echo chamber media. There are lots of things that look good to me with regards to potential deal with N. Korea, Iran under pressure again, and pressure on the Palestinians to finally work on real peace. On the other hand, the giant mess that was left behind with regards to foreign policy is so hard to clean up and the massive resistance to doing the right thing makes me wonder where we are going to end up in a few years. I just hope for the best

Can't think of one because I blocked all news for peace of mind.

Trump made it even more difficult for our special needs kids to get their medications.

The separation of immigrant children from their parents. It's just so terribly wrong. I went to 1 rally. Not enough. It epitomizes the cruelty and lack of humanity from the Trump administration, and all who choose to follow his horrible lead.

There are so many events in the world that have impacted me this year; I guess to choose one, I choose the treatment of the asylum seekers and migrants coming to our southern border. The imprisonment of people fleeing for their lives; our cataloging their belongings better than their children; taking their children away. It is infuriating, heartbreaking. I continue to ask myself am I just being a bystander? Am I just letting this happen? What can I do? I am so grateful to the woman at my synagogue who organized a backpack filling project for the children - both those separated from their families and those who come here unaccompanied. I am grateful to have played a small part in the project. There is so much more that needs to be done. The questions of "Am I just a bystander" and "what can I do" will be persistent ones this year.

Everything Trump, honestly. It's been a year of safeguarding what means the most to me and hoping it won't be taken away because of him.

I don't know. This year I've been trying to keep up with events and be informed, but it still feels so distant. Nothing hit home. But things are bleak. I hope it get better.

I watched a documentary about LGBTQ youth and how they interact with the church. It helped expose me to different ways of thinking.

I suppose that Donald Trump's Presidency has created a fairly constant state of anxiety - it's basically the way that we live now. I absolutely detest it. At the same time, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a source of constant joy and celebration and delight. I care about them more than is normal or necessary.

I was deeply saddened by the death of a few famous individuals, Charles Krauthammer, John McCain, and Philip Roth. Krauthammer and McCain were deeply moral men, strong leaders, and people who millions looked to for guidance. Roth was a brilliant writer, perhaps one of our country's best, who captured American and Jewish life in a way that was both biting and heartwarming. When larger-than-life figures like this leave the world I wonder who inherets the responsibilities of being a moral compass, a leader, or an artist.

I'm still gravely impacted and upset about the election from two years ago. Every day feels like another shoe is dropping. What will be today's crisis/ thing to be outraged about / etc etc etc. It's exhausting.

Activists taking action on my college campus made me proud to be an alumni. It brought me closer to some of my college classmates. It has helped me feel safer being an activist.

ugh. TRUMP and specifically #METOO. i am sick of being second class because i am a woman.

The US election of President Trump has changed my world views, how I interact with people, & how I engage politically. I’ve been very disheartened by what I see as hateful, racist dialogue that has become more vocal over the course of the past year.

The detentions and separations of families at the border have shaken me to my core in thinking about how our government treats the most downtrodden, and how immigration bans have been activated as a winning tool for fascists and racists

The increase in mass shootings has caused me to have random bouts of anxiety when in crowded public places. I wish I didn't have to even consider whether or not my kids are safe at school (preschool!), or whether or not we are safe going to the movies. It occurs to me regularly that we should move abroad, but our ties to the Bay Area, and, most importantly, our local family, is too much to give up. I really hope that I don't end up regretting this decision.

A world event that continues to impact me is Donald Trump being POTUS. I still find it so hard to believe that its true. It has impacted me in may ways, one of them is my growling belief that social media is not always our friend. Another, is that its nearly impossible for me to listen or watch anything that discusses today's political climate. I keep up on things from my listening to NPR on my 15 minute drive to and from work, and my Time and Vanity Fair magazine subscriptions. As little as that is, sometimes even that can be too much. I find myself turning to fictional political television for comfort. The West Wing, Madam Secretary. Shows that portray people in politics trying to do good in the world. Real good in the world, not what is good just for them at the time. Sometimes doing the good that needs to be done is not for us. Sometimes it has to be for others in-spite of ourselves. I continue to hope that there are people in the world to want to make things better, that believe that building walls, and separating people for any reason is just wrong. We need to unite, not divide. We need to love, not hate. I always go back to something written by someone that is very dear to me. She wrote this most profound thing, that most people only know or reference the first sentence of. Read all of her words. They ring true now to me more, and more every day. Her words continue to lead me through the wilderness, looking for peace and tranquility. “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.” - Anne Frank

There is no doubt that the 17 killed in the Parkland mass shooting impacted me. I am so sick of the gun laws and lack of gun control in this country! it has inspired me to be more proactive and I am clearer than ever about my democtratic ideology.

Trump just keeps impacting everyone, every day. I STILL wake up and find myself thinking it was all a dream. I mean, I wrote an entire book that I never would have written if he hadn't won the presidency. Clearly it's impacted me on the daily this year. I've also become WAY more tuned into politics and I've even mused about whether I should run for office. I just wonder whether every left-leaning patriot needs to be stepping up, in the JFK way, and putting their neck on the line to protect and further our amazing country.

US Supreme Court transitions have been disheartening in ways that make me feel depressed-and I never feel that way. Trump is America and that is disheartening...disgusting. Makes me question and distrust. Who else is hiding their real convictions and contributing to the institutionalized humiliation of women, people of color, gays, and anyone else-less than or not them.

Chester Bennington dying. It turned my word upside down, but has helped me move forward in mental blockades.

All of them. This year has been intense. From children being detained at our borders to the roller-coaster that is North Korea, this year has been ridiculous. I am so concerned about all the people we, as a nation, could be helping and are instead hurting. I am so fearful of how we will be portrayed in history books. When I read about Japanese internment, the people of that era are all complicit in that disgrace. Those that didn't vote for it, or actively seek it, are still complicit. They allowed it to happen. I blame them. I am afraid of what future generations will blame me for.

The Trump presidency continues to negatively affect my work, my career, and in fact, the whole cause that I've devoted my life to. I've gone a bit from anger to resolution on this. This, too, will pass. The questions are whether I'll be around to see it and whether he'll be succeeded by something even worse.

Wow. It seems like there's a new event every day. Not much has affected me personally, though - no natural disasters, no elections, no wars that have anything to do with me. I suppose I should be grateful for that and hope it's not a reflection of my self-absorption.

Perhaps not the world at large, but the Anti-Semitic violence in Orange County, and the world at large, has deeply upset me, especially because it is continually swept under the rug. Each threat we would receive at my old position at a JCC, and the resulting lack of police investigation or media coverage, made me feel that much less safe or appreciated in today's cultural landscape.

There is too much happening in the world that pains me... but one that has struck me is all the violence in Nicaragua. I used to live there when I was a kid, and those were some of the happiest memories I built with my family. Everyone should have the right and the opportunity to leave in peace, to not worry about being kidnapped by state officials (or even unofficially) or being killed while peacefully protesting. The political discourses have mixed people up, and the violence is on-going with little people caring about the country or doing something about it. I feel a bit powerless, but have also find small ways to contribute in terms of informing others about what is happening and also facilitating spaces for people living all of this violence to talk and share.

The whole country is a shit show. The amount of xenophobia is mind numbing. I've had to disconnect a bit so I don't get too down. Seeing kids as young as my own being pulled away from their families was heart wrenching.

Other than the continuing political idiocy of our president and the Republican party, I can't think of anything. But, as it is I sign petitions and write ot my congressmen and senators virtually every day over some issue. I've definitely grown more outspoken about my beliefs and the issues I'm concerned about.

The Parkland school shooting and continued school shootings motivated our family to participate in the March for Our Lives walk in Atlanta. Libby has become involved in the cause. We had the opportunity to meet the Parkland kids and help promote the get out to vote movement. The countries divided politics continues and it is only worsening it seems sadly.

Hurricane Florence, which is gathering strength as I write, has had a strong impact on my life, since Molly was evacuated from Charleston a few nights before the storm even came close to land. This storm is so weird, and keeps changing shape, speed, and size, so it's almost impossible to know how to prepare or where it will land, and, once it does, where it will go and how long it will last. It makes me realize how unsettled I am by uncertainty, even when the outcome doesn't affect me much.

The world is burning and I'm mostly ignoring it because I just don't have the spoons.

There certainly have been no shortage. The deportation of people and separation of children and parents at our southern border sticks in my mind as a watershed moment in our nation's history—one that echoes the Japanese internment camps of WWII, among other hideous parts of our history. The reason this (ongoing) conflict has remained stuck in my mind is because, when I cross-reference it with memories of stating the pledge of allegiance before class or simply living life without care, I'm reminded of how much of a disconnect there is between my perceived ideas about our country's greatness—a perception insulated by privilege—and the realities of its actions and the perceptions of those actions in the global community.

Mass shootings. I am at a loss with how many we have had and will continue to have. The lack of personal responsibility that is not taken and the trend of moving away from personal responsibility. I work hard at averting depression but when you can not get answers it leaves this void where depression can very easily and readily fill it.

The continuing unfolding of the disaster that looks like it's endangering our democracy and country. It was stressful, and impacts my daily life.

The disappearance and death of Mollie Tibbits. The loss of this beautiful soul hurt my heart. I had so hoped that she would be found alive - even though I knew the odds were stacked against that happening. Her death was a reminder that women - young women in particular - must always be aware of their surroundings. We must be prepared to defend ourselves against unwanted advances and establish clear boundaries for those men who feel the need to push. Mollie's death reminded me how society objectivifies and shames women. "She should have worn more clothes. Why would she run in the country?" Women shouldn't have to think twice about what they are wearing and where they are running. Perhaps if our laws for violence against women were stiffer - maybe just maybe women would be safer?

The events that have most impacted me have all been around global warming. The terrible hurricane in Houston, the fires in CA, the new hurricanes this season, and the increasingly alarming news reports about how global warming is impacting us. It has impacted me because it drives home two depressing truths. The first is we live in a world where we routinely disgreard the best scientific evidence in favor of what we want to believe. I understand this is a human failing, but still depressing when the issues are this serious. The second is that even when confronted by a global catastrophe, we can’t seem to work together on comman challenges. I find all of this depressing, and all of it making me want to work towards supporting political candidates who are willing to deal in facts and who don’t view compromise as a dirty word.

The fires in California, probably. Besides the obvious Camp Newman issue, I now have friends that have lost their homes (or almost lost their homes) to fire. It's the first time I've been really conscious and aware and personally affected by a natural disaster.

Having a summer with the classic features that one associates with that season outside Britain is certainly an impactful enough event to warrant merit and attention. The depravation of continuous sun light and indulgence of warmth, in the last ten years I've lived here, was a cruel affliction that nearly made life here intolerable. I don't mind the overall mass of dull skies, cowardly drizzle and pale faces that mark the usual autumn, winter and spring, so long as there is a reliable relief I can look forward to. It's the great mark of inspired artistic genius to be regularly subjected to some level of suffering and if the great Northern countries have sunlessness to remedy those unfortunate enough to be impoverished of the advantages of familial dysfunction and significant depravation of some sort, I am only happy there is a way to preserve those near spoilt ambitions. But as I am not a particular genius with burgeoning talents and have enough dysfunction to make externally induced depression unnecessary, I find my need for some sunlight for at least three consecutive weeks vital. And as I am too poor to find it elsewhere, a proper summer for the first time in ten years in this country has most likely saved the planet from the intrusive and uncelebrated births of some poor quality poetry and indistinct, malformed water paintings..

I'm in the Pacific Northwest...and the fires have been the hot topic. Pun intended. No apologies. :) I grew up in a logging town. I honestly don't recall things being this bad in the last 40 some years of my life....my mom is in her 70's and she has a memory better than mine and SHE says the same thing. This year was bad. Drought conditions play into it, for sure. Oregon needs to step up its water conservation - as much as we tout ourselves as a "green state"...seems that applies more to the marijuana than the recycling and such. :( Forestry is a disappearing art...maintaining the forests has to be a priority when they will turn on us like this. Not just trees, but the whole of it....plants and animals too. Something or someone got cut out of the process along the lines in the last 40 years...and nothing and no one has taken their place to make sure things don't get so bad. I don't have any hard and fast answers...I don't even pretend to. But it seems there need to be some serious changes... look to the areas that didn't go up in flames...how are they being managed and why are we not doing that EVERYWHERE? For my part...my family and I try to do our best to take care of what is around us. Clean up what we pack in, etc. No fires when they say NO FIRES (duh) and making sure to know how to put a fire out so it does not spark problems. :) This use to be stuff they educated kids on in Outdoor School, Boy Scouts (uh, just Scouts now?) Girl Scouts and so on.... here's hoping we start teaching kids again how to really help where they are....not just march and scream about it.

The answer remains the same and is even more dire now. Here is what I wrote, now all completey true: The election of that charlatan Donald Trump to the US Presidency is the worst thing ever in US history, a turn to the fascist right, and may be one of the worst events in world history if he indeed leads us to war with NK, Iran, Syria, Russia, Pakistan, or any where else he simply chooses. His position and actions on everything environmental, most particlarly climate change, is endangering all of mankind and even his own properties and businesses, SAD FOOL. He is the most ignorant, dangerously arrogant, professionally incompetent, and mentally unfit person to have this office, ever. He is an embarrassment to US, leading US down a perilous path to the worst possible outcomes on everything he touches or tweets, and has revealed the worst in America. He is a traitor. I hope and indeed pray he will be the ruin of the Republican Party, and that he and his family will see personal, professional, political, and complete financial ruin. Any respect for the Republican Party, which I used to have, is completely gone. They are traitors to defend and promote this man and his aims, supporters, and ilk. My now hate for Trump and the Republican Party has truly made my life a misery this last year. It is the most politically depressing year of my life, and with all my other sadness made this one of the most despondent years of my life.

I think it's the burgeoning research on trees and how they communicate. I think sometimes about these alien beings among us—alien because so apparently different from us and yet we are learning that they protect, love, nurture, strategize, even respond to humans in their midst. That science is confirming what any hiker might readily intuit—that trees are part of a complex system we dismantle at our peril—is, in my opinion, good news, and I want to keep learning about them. So far: the RadioLab podcast about the woodwide web; the novel, The Overstory by Richard Powers; and The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben.

Donald Trump being president. The way that he has divided our country and completely made us take a step backward on some major issues and policies is so disheartening. Hearing and seeing the lies and complete disregard for the people in our country is such a shock after 8 years with Obama. I never imagined we would take so many steps forward just to take even more back in such a short amount of time. I can only hope that the damage being done is not irreparable and we can find a presidential candidate who can bring our country back together.

Does anyone else answer anything but Trump? I’m not American, but this impacts the whole world. Suddenly all kinds of nasty come crawling out of the woodwork. He’s constantly moving the norm towards new lows. It’s OK to say anything, lie about anything, it’s OK to do anything, incarcerate children, harass, threaten world war 3. And still he remains, people making excuses for him and enabling him. I’ve lost faith in the system that was supposed to prevent this sort of shit from happening

The current president has made me fearful and angry. He has also made me want to do what I can to change the evil that surrounds his “White House”.

Family separations at the border. This year, that is something that broke my heart. Shredded my soul. And I can't even imagine what it did, and continues to do, to the families directly experiencing this wrenching horror.

From 2017-2018 I continue to try and resist locally and turn local politics to Democrats. I also want to talk about Israel - in that I feel shunned as a Zionist and even Jewish from the American Left and shunned as a non-observant Jew (interfaith marriage) and as a Democrat from Israeli government, if not people. We'll see where this goes. I hope that Bibi and Trump can unwrap themselves and their supporters. I am more committed to progressive (Reform + social action-oriented) Judaism and I am working hard to find a place for me and my family.

The school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was geographically too close to home. It was senseless and I am afraid it is the "new norm".

A lot of the Israeli political events this year have really affected me emotionally, or in my school career. I spent my last year/semester at NYU being attacked for my Zionism, and with the current political climate being what it is, I feel like every new thing that happens is a candidate to start WWIII, which feels really dark and scary.

For the first time in my life, I've been internalizing and feeling strong emotions in response to the pain and suffering and bad decisions that I see around the world. Events like migrant children being taken from their parents and elected officials that don't seem to care for the welfare of the people they lead have caused me, on multiple occasions, to feel deep sadness that verges on depression and hopelessness. There are so many terrible things happening in our world all the time, and I think it is very important for me to remember that there are also so many wonderful things happening as well! I find salvation of sorts in the times that I go outside and interact with people in my world, such as chatting with a man on the corner or making a connection with someone in a coffee shop. It reminds me that people are, as a general rule, good and kind and craving connection. I have been working to bring that feeling of community back from Latin America and to incorporate it into my daily life simply through being open and bright-eyed and having my first reaction to another human be a smile and eye contact.

Family separations at border. To countenance the fact that our government forcibly separated parents from their children and detained them in cages, in facilities where several of them have been abused and traumatized, is nothing less than aiding and abetting our current sham of an administration. It is reminiscent of the forced breaking up of families during slavery and the "Indian wars", and I can't believe in this day and age that the government that purports to speak for me and act in my name does this. Hearing the crying, scared voices of children whose parents have been detained was the thing that ultimately sent me to therapy. I can't believe that our government can be so cruel, and that there are people who are actively rooting for these actions. They are deplorable and unforgivable.

I'm not sure it counts as a "world event" but my dad got a liver transplant a few weeks ago. It's made me reflect on his and our shared mortality, and it's been a reminder to enjoy every day we get.

The 2016 election has continued to impact my life in so many ways. I am absolutely disgusted with Trump. I wake up every morning wondering what stupid thing he has done, tweeted, said, or denied doing in the few hours while I slept. He is a horrible, horrible person, totally unfit to hold public office. In spite of the current president, I am optimistic seeing the large amount of political awareness and resistance in our society. People are becoming aware of the racism and sexism in our world, and are fighting to make significant positive change. More people are running for office, particularly women and minorities, which opens the door to diverse ideas.

It was so thoughtful that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan chose to marry on my birthday...

Cambridge Analytica Scandal - I heard about the shady company 2 years ago on a podcast, mentioning that it was trying to influence Trump's campaign! Didn't think much of it. And now it comes out to the general public.. Made me realise I should pay more attention to what I hear and anticipate the news

This year in June, one of the volcanoes in Guatemala erupted. This was weeks after a volcano in Hawaii erupted. In June, I was in Guatemala when Volcan de Fuego erupted the first (and second) time, but we were in the south of the country. I remember being totally shocked for a few reasons. 1) I didn't realize volcanoes erupted in an explosive and violent way anymore. In my head, that's a thing from the dinosaur ages, and MOST recently Pompeii. I thought by now scientists knew how to predict well enough for people to evacuate before entire towns were buried. In Guatemala, the images of people covered in ash and houses completed inundated with lava looked like science fiction or an historical movie. 2) I was so upset that people were complaining about the eruption in Hawaii. While the air was bad quality, the lava moved slowly. People were evacuated (when rarely necessary) with ample time. No one died - I don't think any were injured, and I'm not sure if there was even any damage. But the constant narrative about Guatemala was compared to Hawaii as though they can be compared at all. The truth is, Volcan de Fuego affected poorer villages and communities. It was privilege that protected those who survived. I suppose it's with most natural disasters anywhere - it's poorer people who think they need to stay with their homes during a hurricane, or who can't get out. Or maybe people who are not as educated and don't know what to do when they hear a warning. I hate that these preventable deaths happen because of a discrepancy between rich and poor. Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, etc. are all examples of this as well. With climate change affecting natural disasters (i.e. we are seeing more and more) I worry that this will divide us more between the "haves" and "have nots".

I suppose Trump was officially elected two years ago in the Jewish calendar, but living in Trump's America continues to be a significant event in my life. Lately, I've been realizing how normal and sane GW Bush was in comparison, and I almost long for the days when we felt like he was a fascist. Also, the #metoo movement has been significant. I'm both proud of the women who have been brave enough to share their stories and horrified by how common assault and harassment are in so many industries.

I am deeply affected by the continuing uncovering of the network of disinformation outlets, because it keeps me reflecting about the profound impact they may have on people's ways to think.

I became more active, went to what was said to be the largest environmental demonstration in Israel ever, calling the government and Noble Energy to change the plans for the Liviatan gas rig. Supposedly a NIMBY protest, but with much larger-scale impact than just My Back Yard.

Not just 1 event. As I witness all the effects of accelerating climate chaos, how Earth is reforming as a result of human induced warming, I see the chaos caused by our indifference, lethargy, stupidity. Our failure to get rid of our cars, shift away from monoculture, move quickly to renewable energies is not only resulting in myriad inconvenient truths, it’s leading to destruction of people's mental well being, physical health, loss of homes, and worse yet, loss of lives. This is deeply disturbing. We must come together to model care and compassion for one another. More challenges to come, no doubt. May Love prevail.

I think all the school shootings in the past year have had a chilling effect. We had active shooter training at work and it's scary to think that you aren't safe anywhere. You never were, but now we notice it. Parkland was horrific. All shootings are. In the conversation aftermath, it never seems productive. Also, Bourdain and Kate Spade dying by suicide is jarring. We live in a heartbreaking world.

Our government under Republican rule and Trump continues to move in a meaner and harder direction. I contribute more politically but mostly feel upset about it without a real way to dissipate what I feel. Israel has embraced the partnership with Trump and I feel less connected as a result.

Italy's 2018 elections that brought to power the worst coalition one can think of.

Oh crap. How many thousands of responses will you get naming Donald Trump as the “event”?! I won’t dignify any more space to him. But sadly, I cannot think of an impactful world event that occurred that didn’t have his stupid bloody mitts on it in some awful way. Sad. On second thought, the Thai cave rescue was a stand alone impactful event.

watching Junior get killed ON SOCIAL MEDIA. he was 15 and grown men killed him. No one helped him. Heart breaking.

Trump's presidency continues to be disturbing and chaotic in ways that cause me to bounce back and forth among fear and despair, outrage and activation, and numbness. The separation of children at the border has particular upset me and hit all of these buttons. I wish I knew how to do more to stop what was happening, and I wish I could let in fully the pain, fear, sadness that this event engenders. We always say "never again" in the Jewish community but how do we know what "again" looks like? How do we know when we are inside the warning zone? I feel that this administration has crossed so many red lines into fascism, but this is the moment that rings all the warning bells for me.

It has been a hard year to be an American. The national event which impacted me most was ICE policy to separate children at our border. This bothers me to the core and terrifies me for what might happen to dear friends of ours who are not legal residents and because of our family's history of being refugees in the U.S. This heinous policy did spur me to act locally by joining coalition causes when I can and donating our spare dollars to multicultural organizations.

The #metoo movement has stirred up a lot of anger for me. I know it has made a lot of men feel under attack and I don’t think that helps anyone. I’m wondering how to have conversations that invite them to feel they have a place at the table.

Not so much, an event, but probably all horrible things happening at the border (children in cages, being separated from their families, etc). Honestly, basically anything that has to do with Trump. I feel like I've been shutting out these things as they continue to happen and becoming more and more desentitized. On the bright side, there's also the #metoo movement, which is not great in itself, but is inspiring in that I feel like more and more conversations are happening and and I hope that this continues to progress.

Changes in the law affecting health care essentially raised my Healthcare costs, and forced us to begin using a Health Share. Soon, credit scores will allow lenders to lower your credit and employers to not hire. This will be devistating to me as I am struggling financially.

There have been multiple shootings around the globe, and it seems like every day, I am reading about another child gone missing or beaten or tortured. 😭 I have gotten to the point where I see a news story with a child’s face and I am instantly sad. I am tired of legislators who create laws to punish ‘bad guys’, but never want to enforce the laws already in place.

I feel like women's rights are being chipped away little by little. I feel like we are moving backwards in this country. It's scary! And it makes me angry!

Oh, where do I even begin? The state of our world, or even really, closer to home, is top of mind all the time. Between our current president and his antics, the #metoo movement and stories of the sexual abuse of multiple children by people in power (gymnastics, Catholic church, etc,), it's hard not to think about what's going on in the world constantly. Its impact on me was huge, as it made me face my own past in ways I'm not sure I was ready to do, but I'm glad about it, now. Going to therapy and speaking about my past, even if it wasn't the immediate "fix" I was hoping for, was definitely an unexpected outcome of all of this.

I have had my head so far down in my own woes that I don't have a good idea what happened this year. My perception is that it is just more negativity and more ill will sown by our political leaders, which scares me for our future. The cumulative effect is that I have withdrawn somewhat from the world, or narrowed it to include my circle of friends and acquaintances, family and caregivers. I read headlines but rarely delve into the details.

Much the same as last year. Every day in the news there are more accounts of the ways in which Trump and his administration are undoing so much of the good that the Obama administration accomplished. It's so painful. And hearing every day more about how much hate other Americans have, how fear and judgment are creating such huge rifts in our society. I am truly concerned about whether our democracy can survive this administration. That's not a single event but it's had the greatest impact on me. If I had to choose a single event, I think it would be when Supreme Court Justice Kennedy announced he was going to step down from the court. I felt sick to my stomach, and wondered why he couldn't wait just a bit longer so that Trump couldn't get a second nomination with a full Republican congress. Still feel sick about it.

I really don't so much keep up with current affairs, and I can't think of anything really big that affected or impacted me. But getting to know Indian culture has really impacted me, learning about the religions and art and culture and history and seeing a whole different perspective on how the world functions. It really opened my mind up to broader cultural understandings.

I mean... Trump is still awful. I'd say that the increased border patrol and kiddie concentration camps really made an impact on my decision to seek out human services work. I hope that if I see an opportunity to be the right kind of person that I will take those opportunities and that others will do the same. I want to be brave like my friend Benji, but I'll have to do it in my own way when and where I can. I wish I had more to give.

I think I have to basically repeat my answer from last year in regards to Donald Trump being president. “That evil hearted person has been president for [almost two years now] and has awoken and created space for rascist, hateful, neo-nazi white supremacist, sexual predators to thrive...” There has been so much depressing news in the last year. The stories that have specifically stuck with me and broken my heart: -Nia Wilson, young black woman murdered by a white supremacist at Bart in Oakland -ICE separating immigrant babies and kids from their parents and holding them in detention center/jails. -Parkland High school shooting, 17 teens murdered. The only empowering world event I can think of has been the Me Too movement, calling out sexual predators and holding them accountable. Proud of the brave women who have come forward and shared their stories.

The Valentines Day massacre at Majorie Stoneman High School was particularly difficult for me. The senselessness and never ending quality of our school shootings pushed me off balance. For weeks after the shooting, when I dropped my girls at the bike path, I was seized with panic and cried. Every day, I pulled on my sunglasses and pretended everything was fine. I knew my terror would infect the girls. By the time I had arrived at my school, I had dried my eyes. It makes me afraid to write this down, as if the documenting of my fear makes my family more vulnerable. There is something superstitious about NOT wanting to admit how much this frightens me.

When the government took immigrant children away from their parents as a way to punish them for seeking asylum not only did it brake my heart but it also enraged me. I am a teacher of young children and I know first hand the damage that this action did and will continue to do to the lives of these young children. This action made real all my fears about what could happen in this country. The language used and rational given for ripping children away from their parents, putting them in cages and treating them and their parents in a most inhumane way mirrors what the Nazis did in Germany at the beginning. For the first time in my life, I decided to be a part of a mass act of civil disobedience. I protested with the intent of getting arrested. In my religion, I ask for pardon for the sins done in my name. I felt that if I did not act then I was allowing a great sin to be done in my name. This was not an easy decision to make but I do not regret making it. I have been changed by this event and I will not stay silent any longer

This is the hardest question for me. I think the biggest issue has been all of the "driving while black" instances. People are calling the police on innocent black people who are right where they are supposed to be, just because of the color of their skin. I'm just sickened by this. The riots in Charlottesville- a white supremacy march held and a protestor run over. When will this end? Not until Jesus comes again.

The deportation of "illegal immigrants" and the separation and incarceration of their children of all ages. I am so horrified by the actions of Trump and his henchmen that I haven't been able to take about it with friends or colleagues. It touches a place in me that harkens back to the fear that all mothers' carry; having our children taken away from us and having no recourse in a cold and cruel world.

Oh god. The US still stresses me out. It's scary. I don't even know what to say here - that people's rights are being taken away, and that things things are just happening - it's scary and awful and almost unbelievable. But that's the thing, it's real. It's happening right in front of us. The challenge now is to support those working to make a difference, and doing what I can, in my own small way, to stand up for people that need it, and make a difference.

It's telling—of the state of the world, and my own willful ignorance—that I don't have a concrete answer. There's been so much, too much, that has happened this past year. It's all been happening for a long time— cops killing unarmed black men, horrible acts of violence committed against trans folks, rampant deportations, inmates suffering at the mercy of the prison industrial complex—but now, it's being named and reported upon...at least more than before. So I should have plenty to write about, right? Well, I take in the news in only the most cursory way. I scroll through Facebook, I see my friends' outraged posts about the latest injustice, I take it in, I feel sad and angry, and then I keep scrolling. I decide in those moments that "now is not the time to feel this hurt." I scroll past because I can. That is my privilege. I am not using my privilege in the way I should—and I'm ashamed of that. I wish, in this past year, I had let the woes of the world impact me more. I wish I had gotten angrier. I wish I had done something (more than talk with my friends in an echo chamber). I wish I had used my voice to support those who are most vulnerable.

Becoming more aware how prevalent neglect, abuse, and trauma is in our world and our culture. The events are so unbelievably frequent. We often hide our eyes from this reality, whether it be about a child or adult. Bringing more awareness to this has really made me take a deep look inward. It made me ask more difficult questions to myself and others. Awareness is important, but action is even more. I’m more considerate of the potential experiences people may or may not have had in their lives. It’s so difficult to know, so we must seek to understand and continue to work on being considerate with how we approach one another.

The detention of the children of asylum seekers at the U.S. border has taken me to active political protest. There is an ICE detention center near my new home, and we protest there each month. I claim that it makes a difference, because we are together, taking action, and that means that we are likely to take more actions, individually and communally. And those actions add up. Right?

So many world events weighed heavily on me this year. But the most appalling (and therefore salient) is the detained asylum seeking children at the border. I have nightmares about these children (who have come from terrible circumstances) who are basically living in cages. The news stories coming from the "camps" make me ill and I feel helpless in knowing what to do. It is reminiscent of the holocaust and that makes it exponentially worse. I donated to ACLU for Father's Day, but beyond that have taken no action. I wish there was something more I could do.

Dear god. There's so fricken much. I think I probably would say the Parkland school shooting. Like I'm not sure why that one fell so much harder than anything else but it did. It's no surprise to anyone that America is a fucked up place but these kids (yes I know they're not much younger than me) honestly represent how we - as activists, as people affected by tragedy - need to rise up, utilize our skills and speak out for what's right. Between not taking shit (and honestly biting back) at social media jabs to getting out the vote, sharing stories and creating nationwide movements, it's made me want to get involved. Going to the immigration protest felt like a really good step. It definitely wasn't the be all end all but goddamn something's gotta shift and I need to start figuring out how to be a part of that shift.

Lol, like I said before - January. Ocha work day. How? It was the start of path with orisha. It was the TRUE start of my path on being a better me. Why such a big impact..? They say everyone has two lives -- the second one starts when you realize you really only have one..

The #MeToo movement has been really inspiring for me, and it's also made me really angry and scared. I love that people who have been silenced are finally being heard.

The total dissolution of the importance of facts. When I used to argue with people about politics I felt like we were arguing with the same set of facts but different philosophies and principles. Now I feel like I'm arguing with people living in a totally different version of reality than mine. It's exhausting and disheartening and scary.

While it was the previous year, the presidential election is still hanging over everything. It is so hard to see the racism, sexism, hate that has increased with this president. It is embarrassing to hear the words that come from his mouth; the ignorance that he spreads is a virus.

Mass family separation and deportation of people who have entered the United States in hope of something better. Why has our country failed their hopes? What do we stand to gain from xenophobia and cruelty? I have more resolve than ever to subvert and undermine hateful policy, starting with helping those in my own community who are now in fear of being sent back to countries they fled.

An event in the world that has impacted me was school shootings. It shows me to now appreciate life and everything you have because you don't know when it will be taken away from you. I now care a lot about my surroundings.

You know what... I'm just gonna skip this one this year.

The continued decline of our nation's reputation in the world under the "leadership" of the reprehensible Donald Trump has continued to bring me dismay, bordering on despair. While I have remained active (to a point) and outspoken, I fear the impact he and his vile, amoral presence is having on our collective spirit. The only "good" is the continuing discovery of other like-minded people who, like me, are so very tired of the evil he represents, and the hope that, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "The arc of history is long, and it bends toward justice." I'd like nothing better than to be reading this answer a year from now and be looking back on this as a dark time firmly in the past, with more ethical and admirable leaders having displaced this pretender once and for all.

The immigration to wester countries, due war, economics and racial issues.

The mass shootings in Vegas and Parkland shook me and the world in a way nothing since Sandyhook has. The idea that innocent people were gunned down at a festival, having the best time of their lives, right before they were killed is gut-wrenching. Even worse has been the reaction from the Right and the awful things said. It's not about politics, it's about morality, and I just hope that this year is free from these kinds of tragedies, but sadly, I doubt it will be.

An event in the world that has impacted me this year would be the ongoing degradation of democracy in the US. Every day it seems there is a new assault, a new outrage, and I barely have time to keep up. Not to mention the daily issuance of inanity from our "dear leader". It seems like nothing he does is enough for his base to abandon him, and the GOP are touting the party over country to all our detriment.

Some of the interim government elections across America have given me hope for the future of this country and the possibility of a better day to come. In the past couple of years under the election of Trump I have woken to many a day of disheartening news and thoughts for the future and for the people of America. Seeing that change is possible has reignited my belief in humanity coming to meet the true needs of the people and not allowing such blatant ignorance to disssuade us from reaching and meeting our true potential of being the country that leads through example of being the best of humanity instead of being the laughing stock and worst of humanity that we’ve digressed to under Trump. Onward we shall move toward being better versions of ourselves in the future.

The massive amount of shootings in schools and insane amount of violence towards others that is super unexpected. Then seeing how the communities come out of the ashes to support each other. It moves me and gives me hope that humanity is still alive and well within our world. We have to lean on each other to survive the crazy 10% out there wanting to fuck things up. Starting to think that instead of the 90/10 rule, it is more of a 80/20 rule. That might be due to the exponetial growth of the human population.

Donald Fucking Trump. The amount of blatant, outspoken racism out there scares me. The continuing prevalence of school shootings and other acts of gun violence scares me. The threat against women’s rights and against upholding Roe v Wade in a soon-to-be-conservative court scares me. The ignorance of not only our president but also his followers and their ludicrous denial of science and evidence not only scare me but also infuriate me. The country I live in and my own countrymen scare me more than any “terrorist” outside our borders. And I’m tired of it. The midterms are coming up. I’m scared to even be hopeful for reason and hope to take over. Hearing President Obama on the campaign trail is a huge comfort: there are still intelligent politicians out there. I feel like any cheeky Dem or Independent could run on the platform “Oust Trump: Make America Great Again.” Let’s hope. I’m tired of that narcissistic orange baby. We deserve SO much better.

OMG! This lunatic president! I seriously don't think that I have felt fully relaxed or had a full nights sleep this year because of that asshole.

All of the suicides this year. One right after another. It hurt to realize in a world so "connected", we are super isolated. This caused me to make an effort to reach out & have moments with people, so we could just be people! I had a block party in my neighborhood for back to school & we're going to do something for the Texas night out October 2nd. We just need more community & fellowship. I want to try to have a neighborhood event once a quarter. Just spreading love & humanity as commanded by Christ. No more keyboard friendships, but real friendship!

The school shooting at Parkland was brutal and The strength of those kids was hopeful for a future that’s better than today. Our president every day ups his idiot factor.

The tearing apart of refugee children from their families has broken my heart, and I don't even think I'm capable of processing the enormity of it. The NYT article about Jose tucking his drawings of his family into bed each night. The video of the child who cannot hug his mother when they are reunited. The stories of toddlers going to immigration court alone. The detention centers. My God what have we done. I donate to a charity whenever I feel overwhelmed by the latest news about it, and that helps me feel like I am doing something, doing what I can. but these separated families and the lasting damage. Lord have mercy.

Donald Trump was elected as president, need I say more

Honestly since Trump was elected there are so many major world events that it is hard to keep track and I do my best to let them NOT affect me. I'll pick a good and a bad event. Bad event was border separations... watching kids be separated from their families. I feel complicit in this torture because I am a citizen in this country. Good event was that Israel won the Eurovision because I felt national and religious pride for my other home, Israel.

The Me Too movement--but not for the reasons one might think. I'm all about women finding their voices, but I caution women not to bond in the shadow of being a victim. I also hope that finding their voices will result in the education of men, not the shaming and blaming of them. I hope that women will stand in their beautiful softness and strength rather than anger and resentment.

Not one particular event has affected me but the continuous stream of events revealing the extent of climate change denial in our government; the seemingly endless decisions that are taking us back a few decades and creating a more dangerous environment for our planet. It scares me. It also makes me want to become much more self-sufficient in my family's food and environmental security. It may force me to move out of the urban environment where I have lived for much of my life and into a rural and more isolated place where I have more control over our food supply and security.

It is impossible to pick just one. The horrible administration and president we have are a constant depressant to me -- the incarceration of small children taken from their parents seeking refuge, the effects of climate change causing so much destruction with fires, terrible storms, and the slow decline of starving Orca whales in the Sound. I feel such a heavy pall over everything. I have reached a point of "compassion fatigue" where it is all too much and I want to give up fighting or caring or believing anything can get better. Pretty depressing.

The separation of families at the border. Having a toddler who is precious, helpless, and innocent made this horrible situation hit home so much. I can’t remember the last time the news of the day brought me to tears. There are all kinds of atrocities in the world associated with war, poverty, and natural disaster. Strangely this felt worse because it was mearly a policy choice from our government born, at best, out of ignorance and at worst, out of malice. It ripped young children, just like my daughter, from the families that loved them so much they were willing to take a risk to give them a better life. The choices of the Trump administration that led to this occurring were deplorable.

There hasn't been one that has caused direct impact and for that, I'm lucky based on the country I live in.

Hmmm... I can't really pick one event. Brexit burbles on in the background. I have tuned out of the detail because it is all so pie in the sky. I think and hope there will be a second referendum. Surely?! Trump continues to exist, unfathomably. I have given up on following the news too closely for the past couple of years as it's just too depressing. I absorb enough through osmosis to have a rough idea of what's going on.

The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and how so many brave and beautiful women came out this year and told it like it was. How they withstood the bile and hate they were met with to call out their accusers. How women are beginning to talk about, as a public issue, how men treat us in private and how it limits our ability to live our lives as full human beings. It impacted me because I have despaired of such progress ever happening in my lifetime... and yet so quickly the culture is changing. It makes me realise I am pessimistic and perhaps my sense that it's hopeless, that I can't do anything, that things will never get better is not accurate. I think it has been a very self-focussed year and I don't think I am the better off for it... I have put myself first but I just feel alienated from humanity. I focus on my own little patch and not the bigger picture. I want to reconnect, to feel a part of the human race, to contribute to it in some way.

I haven’t been impacted by a single world event, but in the past year I started to subscribe to the Chicago Tribune and read it most mornings. That has become a morning ritual and a way to learn about our city and state. I’ve become a lot more knowledgeable about what’s happening in our community, and I really treasure that. It gives me a more nuanced understanding of the world, provides for interesting conversations with others, and helps me be a more informed citizen.

Direct impact versus psychological impact is hard to separate especially in the times we currently live in. Trump being President, Justice Kennedy stepping down, separating parents from children at the border, gun violence everywhere, gerrymandering in NC, all have given me lots of mental turmoil but the outcomes are yet to be felt in my body and in my home. I guess thats what makes me one of the lucky ones. Psychologically though it takes its toll, fast and slow. Quickly, in the pain and emotion of the moment, and long term in the slow stressful slogging that is living in modern America.

There were many school shooting this year, including one where I live. I lost my friend to gun violence.

Terrorists attacks and school shooting -made me very sad and scared

It's not an event in particular but rather several ones: the slow switch of many countries towards the right and extreme right side of politics. That many leaders around the world feel entitled to be racist, sexist, elitist bigots, and that the majority of the population accept and even support it, makes me sick. I understand the confusion and disappointment of many people who wants some change but under no circumstances that switch towards intolerance and populism should be an acceptable change. It had led towards the worst in the past and will do so again. I see that people would rather vote for obnoxious, ignorant leaders just because they have money (gained by screwing those exact same people) rather than leaders with a true political willingness that embrace social and environmental issues. People vote for senseless lies without questioning them rather than for harsh truth than actually need to change.

I had trouble with this question. I follow a lot of news, and some of it affects me emotionally but overall I think this year I have turned more inward and away from being so connected to whatever is happening politically. I do find it troubling how so many countries are turning away from acceptance and towards a "country first" policy.

Not sure if it's impacted me yet, but the imposition of usurious Internet access and data-use taxes in certain African countries is designed specifically to limit the population's access to information other than that which is disseminated by the party in power. I fear that may happen in the US, stifling innovation as well as progress.

i think i've been kinda wrapped in my own personal life this past year because there has been a lot of change happening in my life(?) but something i would hope to see in the future is the legalisation of gay marriage here. like (omg rant space) i get that u have your own opinions and all, but honestly denying someone of their sexuality and calling them sick and whatever mean words is just plain horrible. people are people. love is love. how can you deny love? so many korean dramas, netflix series about ooo het couple so cute uwu SO WHY CANT GAY COUPLES BE THE SAME they're human too. we all have the same requirements. i thought people would be open but haha gay hate crimes exist. my heart honestly hurts for them. i myself am searching for my sexuality and damn it would SUCK to have a sexuality forced on myself, to love a gender i do not like. I SUPPORT THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND I HOPE GAY MARRIAGE IS LEGALISED BY THE TIME I MEET THIS QUESTION AGAIN

This is a little silly, but Hope Hicks leaving the White House was an interesting event. I was just intrigued by how the whole events unveiled, being the same age and from New England, I was shocked she even landed the job in the first place. This sparked a lot of debate among my coworkers and friends. I'd like to apply for the job, via Twitter.

Bitcoin blowing up in value. It made me realize I need to take a few more risks.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've been so stuck in my hole during fellowship, that I've shut out a lot of the world this past year in particular. It was like it was too much to care extra (which sounds awful and is NOT who I am). After Trump was elected and particularly after the initial Muslim ban, I just couldn't listen to the news anymore. I was so stressed and beatdown from work on a daily basis that I couldn't even take NPR in the morning. I mean, if there was a particularly touching StoryCorps episode, I would pull into the garage at work crying. So I stopped listening to the news. I listened to My Favorite Murder episodes to & from work, I only read the news on Us Weekly, and I coped. I've finally crawled out of my self-pity hole in the past month and I think it's good for me. The world impresses and disappoints and inspires and frustrates me on a daily basis, but it's good to be able to cope with a full range of emotions.

Well, the ongoing cultural chaos of the United States has driven me even further into the arms of Finland. I don't feel connected to my homeland, its people or their stupid self-imposed problems. It's like watching an ex running around embarrassing herself after you broke up. So, yeah.

I feel impacted by seeing the blood and guts lakes of the pig industry getting ready to be flooded and breeched during hurricane season 2018/ Florence. My concern regarding the practices of human behavior in the context of capitalism with out conscience causes me to delve deeper into a linear state of lifestyle meditation focused on living with the littlest footprint possible. This is not easy when one would like to travel but trading carbon credits on the individual level instead of the corporate level would give power to the people instead of putting all of the power in to the corporate level. Supply and demand runs capitalism. If we demand wellness through clean water and air we can turn this mess around. We must take responsibility for our mess.

I still experience anxiety over the trump presidency. He is such a toxic person. Our country remains bitterly divided. Specifically, the mass shooting at Parkland High School had an impact on me, although the impact was relatively minor. One of the victims was related to a family in our neighborhood. The victim's grandmother and aunt live here in our village. So, I know people who know the family and possibly the victim too. Such close proximity puts a real face to the tragedy making the impact more strongly felt than if the event were simply headline news.

Anti semitism in Charlottesville. It was quite unbelievable to see that this type of behavior and mindset still exists and it's scary to know that I'll always be a minority in that aspect.

Like many empathetic Americans, I think I'm still reeling from Donald Trump's election since the consequences are still being felt in ripple effects. But that doesn't really get at the question of this year's events... I'll go with something a little different: the France winning the World Cup was different. Franklin Foer once wrote a book How Football Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. The premise is that football, much like the olympics that also happened earlier in the year, is a global game with global implications under the guise of nationalism, patriotism, strategy, and athleticism. The World Cup is the culmination of that dream--even if it's not one that is mightily recognized here in the US. I started following soccer more intently about 16 years ago and it was very heartwarming to see the French squad I root for as the winners of this contest for the first time in 20 years.

Everyday the news is getting more and more terrible when it comes to issues of sexual predators, whether it is the White Patriarchy taking advantage of their positions and making women do unthinkable things in order to garner their positions or careers, or the terrifying news of the clergy for how many years now taking the innocence of young boys! I say time is up! NO MORE cloaked secret societies where secrets that hurt, destroy and maim are kept! How to move forward as a humanistic society if many seek to harm? I want the world to be a better, safer place for all - making sure there is voice and safety and that women aren't seen as hysterical when they are mad and aren't asked to do things that men aren't asked to do! Equality doesn't mean I just get a seat at the table, but more that I get a seat and my voice and opinions, needs and ideas are heard and respected. Kamala Harris during the Kavanaugh interviews asked a question that I am so humbled by, yet shocked that it has never been asked before. "What laws are there on the books that govern a man's body"Crickets all around! We have got to do better, we have got to listen and we have got to VOTE! My hope is that more people (women and men that believe in women) get out and vote and that the tide changes - I truly wish this for all beings across the land!

Attending the March for our Lives in Washington, DC. Even though we were nowhere near the main stage, we still felt awed by being part of such a huge throng of people. It felt like a seismic shift, and I had such high hopes for real change; I'm anxious for the midterm elections and the possibility of improvements.

The forced separation of children from their parents has had a strong emotional impact on me because of the empathy I feel for both the children and the parents. It's heartbreaking, and I fear the long-term effects will be devastating.

I guess the #MeToo movement affected me this year. It showed me that dealing with the trauma of sexual assault is the only way to overcome it. Being ashamed of my body for what someone else has done was not the answer. Now I'm learning how to heal.

Our horrible President and all the political bullshit from the Republicans this year has been a serious drain. Thank GOD I had something else to think/worry about closer to home--but also I'm somewhat glad to have had the distraction from my life in reading the absolutely ridiculous news out of D.C. I'm so glad to know that people are really stupid and awful everywhere, so my little part in making the world around me a bit better is something I hold onto. Even just getting someone cranky to relax and maybe smile a little makes my day better.

Ugh. I've tried to avoid all the events in the world. In what little I have heard, I know there have been more shootings and race riots, like in Charlottesville, wherever that is. Unless it's in my back yard, I'm not too concerned about it, and I know that's not being a good human, but I just can't get my blood boiling with every single news story about disgusting and ignorant people, esp the rump. That's why I am on a media blackout, and I'm happier that way.

It's more a series of unfortunate Trumpian events. He's a disaster, and the republicans are a disaster, trying to destroy this country for their own personal financial gain. It's shocking the level of unabashed hatred and disregard they have. The detention centers for immigrant children was probably the worst event in recent history. I think everyone involved in that should be jailed, but I wouldn't wish for their children to be jailed, not ever. I'm intermittently paying attention to the news now. It's difficult, but I'm hoping that the midterms make this shitshow a little less shitty.

Still the fascism thing. On a personal level, I've had a lot of "how do we help people who are so selfish and hateful they'll destroy the world and themselves to upset liberals?" and the answer is "I dunno, maybe let's all move to the moon."

I am more affected by many events in the world than is probably normal or healthy. I see our country heading way off course, and our government falling apart, and our values decreasing in importance. I see the oceans opening up to swallow us. How do you go about selecting which pair of socks to wear or what to eat for breakfast? How do you choose to set down roots in a broken drowning city? How do you start a family?

It isn't really one particular event but rather the pile-up of world events that has a cumulative impact on me this year. I see the US becoming more hateful all the time and I worry that there will be war that will involve my sons. I know it's a selfish way to see it, but it's the truth.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out which of the dozens of despicable actions by the Trump administration to write about. Every day, we wake up to news that is worse than the day before. Family separations, thousands of children being held in detention camps, judicial appointments whose effects will be felt for a generation, immigration bans, reversals of the few steps we've taken to reverse climate change, trade wars, tax cuts that hasten the already skyrocketing pace of inequality. The thing is, as much as I am emotionally exhausted by all of this, I am also largely insulated from it. I am not personally impacted by any of it. I can choose the extent to which I want to engage in the resistance. I can take as many breaks as I need for self care. I follow the news with an almost morbid fascination, but I am not doing much about it. I just feel so powerless. Maybe that's how I've been impacted. My trust in my fellow citizens has eroded. I have grown much more cynical.

Trump existing? It didn't start this past year, but it certainly continued to test my faith in the US and our politics. I'm scared about our country and our planet, even though I'm not the most vulnerable to his policies. It's exhausting and terrifying.

The events in the world this year have caused me to stop watching the news. I do not watch mainstream tv news or read newspapers. To get an endless repetition of the increasing corruption, greed and cruelty causes me actual physical and emotional distress. Perhaps the most upsetting event is the separation of immigrant families. I truly believe this is a war crime and I hope those responsible, from those in charge down to the last guard will be tried for war crimes. I so hope that when I read this answer next year, families will all be reunited.

Trump, unfortunately, seems to trump everything else that has happened. Since his election, it feels like a huge cloud is hanging over the planet, and we're just waiting for the next catastrophe. There have been more mass shootings, massive wildfires, drought and storms in the past year than I can specifically recall. They are starting to blend together into one ugly mass. Trump can't be blamed for all of it, but I blame him for much of it. He is on the exact wrong side of every issue I can think of. Yet his suck up sycophants will back him because the economy is strumming along nicely, he supports tax cuts, and he will keep nominating young conservatives to the Supreme Court. So no one event has impacted me. They've all impacted me in some way, and made me numb at the same time.

Tarriffs preventing us from doing this damn Dual Zone HVAC upgrade!

Global warming. I have had weather incidents that changed the way I could vacation and just try to live. It is overwhelming to think about how this will just continue to worsen with time.

Honestly it was the Trump vs. Kim Jong Un over Twitter then coming together for a summit. Seeing North Korea and South Korea reach a peace agreement was pretty powerful in comparison. Both of these were impacting because both events could have gone so poorly. I am constantly surprised that our president hasn't gotten the country nuked at this point and that the most concerning global relationship seems to be repaired (for now). The political sphere is superficial and good intentions are really self-serving

The detention of undocumented families and separation of their children has re-oriented me towards working for justice as a citizen and as an educator. "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed." -Isaiah 1:17 Before family, before town, before tribe, race, people, country, love justice. We have lost our way.

Trump. He is a living nightmare.

I have continued to be dismayed and disturbed at our current president's actions. I feel my rights as a woman being stripped away; I feel rights of many others are also being systematically being removed. I believe the US's standing in the world has dropped significantly. I feel unsafe, insecure.

Trump has been a drain.

Trump is President which is awful to even write. He is a disgrace of a human being and is just disgusting.

The reign of Trump and Bibi sickens me almost every day. Their capricious disregard for people is criminal. I truly despise them for their pathetic weakness and prejudice.

Shootings. Too many shootings this year. More children died in school shootings than in our military thus far. I have witnessed the loss and heartbreak this has brought but I have also seen how it has unified some to fight against these tragedies. I worry about my children's safety in a crowd or even in school. Also, I have seen our world stand up against these crimes and stand with us against these atrocities. We are not alone even though we may not be from the same places.

Our presidnt trump has taken away many rights, been racist and has said many stupid things as well as doing them. It has made other countries mock us and made out country a terrible place. Hopefully the rest of us will be smart and get him out of there to save the many people who fear that they get deported, persecuted, and even killed.

Trumps presidency continues to fill me with bewilderment, despair and anxiety about how the world as we have known it will be screwed up as a result of his myopic decisions. He shows little compassion for human beings and his whole pigheaded attitude and brazen lying is changing the face of politics world wide.

There are so many things happening each day under this horrific administration. It's hard to stay focused and take action because each requires attention! But what stands out to me is the separation of families at our border. These children being stripped away from their parents, being locked away, abused, and treated with such little regard is just sickening. The fact that there was no plan in place to actually keep track of anyone or make any effort to reunify them is positively hateful. We must all take action to get this country back on track and attempt to undue the untold damage created by these evil policies, decisions, and actions.

My husband retired. This is great to have him home more, great not to worry about a failing business and the stress involved for either of us. We now have the ability to have time for everything, but now we need to decide what we truly care about and live to implement our values. That is a challenge ironically!

I am having a tough time answering this question. It's not that I don't pay attention to events going on around the world, but I am struggling to think of a particular one that has impacted me. Last years' answer was about Donald Trump and I can't think of a different answer for this year! I guess in 2018, he still sucks and impacts me. Hopefully I can reflect and connect more with world events in the next year.

As a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, I felt impacted by the one-year anniversary of the neo-Nazi rallies in our town (August 12, 2017). It was both terrifying and reassuring to see our downtown inundated by police. I felt as though we lived in a militarized zone. It was inspiring and uplifting to experience many of the interfaith, community-wide events to continue to process, heal from, and vow "never again." It was a mixture of acknowledging how much work we have still to do to be a truly universally-embracing community, and a celebration of the solidarity we have built upon in the last year.

The economy is doing much better which in return has caused the rates to go up in the mortgage industry. This has caused many banks to close their doors, fire employees. This has caused me to realize how important it is to be an expert in my field, and really made me laser focused on my career in the mortgage industry.

The determent of young undocumented immigrants has shattered me. I've gone through periods of feeling helpless; periods of feeling like I want to foster; periods of feeling like I want to get on a plane to Texas to lend a hand. But mostly I just feel so incredibly discouraged about the sorry state of our country.

I feel like saying the amalgamation of Trump's presidency and the inane things that have occurred in the last 10 months (has it really only been that long?) is an obvious answer, but I've never been so disgusted and afraid of the President. Selecting Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education shows how little this man values educations. She has no idea what she's doing, and our educational system needs better help than she can give it. The #MeToo movement has been interesting to watch unfold. There was a period of time where no man in power was safe--and I hope that continues. I hope women continue to speak out and up against behavior that belittles them, shames them, and treats them as unequal. Ideally, no one would have to experience sexual harassment or sexual assault, and the work and exposure this movement is getting will help us move in that direction.

The truth is that I do not watch or read any news in general. I prefer to stay away from the chaos that is our world and our society. I would like to change the world and how many people live but it is not in my direct power. I know I am a privileged person but I still have a lot of things going on in my life and I prefer to focus on that and try to fight the injustice of the world with little changes in my everyday life which I think is more than just watching the news and be horrified about what our current system does to most of the people living in it.

I continue to worry about the political climate in this country. We are becoming more negatively viewed around the world with each passing "tweet" and I fear for my children and grandchildren. The repercussions may be long lasting.

The Trump presidency has been a series of events that affects us all. I have had to turn away for a time because I just didn't have any more energy for the feeling of futility that I have as a citizen currently. I have been frightened by the relationship with North Korea as our nations enemy and then as our friend. The essential imprisonment of people seeking refuge has been heartbreaking to hear about and be able to do nothing. The white supremacist everywhere I look has been horrifying. It is a troubling time to be an American.

When Mia's brother killed himself. It shook our whole school and at that time I wanted to die. His funeral showed me what would happen if I ever died. It was very sad.

I felt physically ill hearing about the migrant children being separated from their parents. It was so disturbing and I felt powerless.

The Lake Christine Fire. Whenever disaster -- natural or otherwise -- comes into life, perspectives shift and our worlds change. Feeling the real and present danger and watching one's peers evacuate makes you start evaluating your dependents, belongings, and situation in a whole new way. What does it mean to "lose everything?" What is truly worth saving? What does it mean that something "cannot be saved"? In some ways the drama of it can give a heady hit of adrenaline that, if scary, is also interesting. But the closer it comes to true catastrophe, the more solidly that interest morphs into dread. It was wonderful to watch the community pull together, and euphoric to come through the night learning that the firefighters had done what, at sunset, had seemed impossible in saving our towns. The situation definitely had its thrills but the other side of it showed how truly pragmatic even disaster is, at its heart. Time, distance, weather, supplies, these finite and unchangeable things dictate what happens, including what actions we take. Same as getting a mortgage, or a legal procedure, same as a medical surgery, same as building a structure. These things are profoundly *not art*. There may be "an artistic side to them" that involves creativity, ingenuity, and personal meaning. But art has an X factor, a sort of magic that makes it greater than the sum of its parts. How we survive a disaster is only exactly the sum of the parts that we have to work with, and the absence of that X factor is what makes the work so meaningful. To stand in the face of low odds and use what you know to win through to your desired outcome is a superpower equal, but also opposite, to the power to stand onstage and use what you know to move in a way that, inexplicably, heals people's hearts. We can dissect theories as to why art works, but we never really know. That is the world that we live in so often these days, that when we switch to living in the world of "time plus distance plus resources equals survival" it can almost feel refreshing. And, paradoxically, it makes the case for art. They make the case for each other. They are not opposites like good and evil, or even dark and light. They are opposites like sharp and soft. Both have their particular uses and delights.

The growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, and ongoing conversations about race. It has become obvious what a well-meaning-white-lady I have been. I am trying to be better. I feel weak and ineffectual. But not incapable.

The truth is that there is an event almost daily in our country that impacts me. Our president is a bad man. Possibly an evil man, but definitely a selfish and needy person who puts himself above the country and above the law. The impact it has had on me is similar to the impact that I read about almost daily from others. I am worried and depressed. I am not hopeful that I will see change in my lifetime. I pray that there will be change in my children’s life time, that our country goes back to being a fair place. If it ever was even fair. I am not even sure anymore. But at least not a cruel and heartless place where the environment and human lives are damaged and damned.

Events in the world do not impact me. Events in my life impact me.

Piper's Birth. Of all the ridiculous things happening in politics with Trump, she reminds me that there is still good, pure, beautiful things happening everywhere.

While there have been many significant events and news stories this past year, I think the thing that has affected me the most profoundly has been the massive numbers of immigrant families that were separated from each other and held in detainment facilities. Beyond the fact that this just simply isn't how humans or any other living creature should be treated, it also just really hurts my soul to think about the parents and children that are seeking a better life, and then are separated from each other and traumatized. I don't know how I would react if someone tried to take my children away from me, but I know there would be forceful resistance. My heart cries for all those aching moms and dads.

#familiesbelongtogether has made me think deeper about my family history and culture. It has also brought up some hard realizations about my immediate family and some thoughts on privilege. It's heavy and I am so grateful for the life I have. I have a responsibility to use my privilege in supporting others.

The ongoing Trump nightmare. It's not that he has simply degraded the Office of the Presidency, our freedoms and very democracy are threatened by his cabal. But of course, it's not just him. As President Obama said, he's a symptom. I'm seriously thinking of leaving the country.

The world just sucks right now. That fucking fascist pig is still in the white house, though one might hope the walls are closing in. Geezus, he made a fool of himself to all our respected allies, while shaking hands with enemies. The world is in chaos, and getting hotter, too. Everyone is guilty, but no one cares. Take a knee, don't take a knee, believe in nothing. If this mid-term election cycle does not bring a serious Blue Tide, we're fucked. Completely. I strongly suspect it won't happen. I mean, everything is fucked up. Idiocracy in action. Locally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention 1Oct and the effect that rippled through here, as well as the way we all came together for our KNIGHTS. We have always been a reflection of the nation, and now we have bloodshed and pro sports added to our repertoire. Lovely. Think I'll have another way overpriced cocktail in this convection oven while watching plastic people and listening to music so loud my ears are bleeding. God Bless Amerika!

An event that has impacted me is the continued pollution of our planet. I was swimming in Lake Haliwil with it's alpine turquoise waters, so pristine, but then I noticed the ugly grey foam on the edge of the water and realized the water was polluted. Ships cross the lake many times a day and I believe this is what contributes to the dirtiness. I live in a cancer cluster here in Rochester, New York and that worries me. We have Kodak and Xerox here. Goodness knows what they have been pouring into the air and the waters for all these years.

This year was the year that immigrant children were separated from their parents at the border. Babies and toddlers were taken out of their parents arms and put in terrible detention centers. Everyone I know was impacted by this. I can’t believe how disgusting this is and that people could agree with it as a policy? I am impacted by how powerless I felt. Of all the horrible things that have happened in the world in the last 2 years it was the first thing that made me sob out loud. I have been so numb but this was too big and too horrible to not get through to me. It was good to see for myself that I do care. Sometimes I am so complacent that It scares me.... like there is something wrong with me. I am tired of my not knowing how to take action. My complacency. I don’t know why people can’t see themselves in the other. Why can’t people imagine what it would be like to be that situation? Maybe as a Jew I have had to live with that reality my whole life and that is why it is impossible for me not to be able to imagine what it would be like to be them. But then why aren’t I doing anything?

#metoo and Time's Up movements - women have never been stronger. Watching women come forward with their stories and find validation and support - there have been moments that literally took my breath away and sent a chill through me. Oprah at the Academy Awards is one example. Last year, I answered this question by speaking about Trump becoming president, and the associated negative thoughts and feeling. His existence, position of power, and the ideals he represents continues to terrify me. But over this past year, we've witnessed wealthy, powerful, influential men fall from glory as women bravely stepped forward to share their stories of harassment, abuse, and assault. There are no excuses. There is no going back.

The Resistance - its continued growth gives me hope that we will not succumb to the "regime" we live in. What is really giving me hope is that this is about the people - the We the People. And to be a part is very gratifying.

As has been the trend with the past few years, the world is a fucking mess right now. Everything about it. I'm not sure which is worse: continuing gun violence in schools, separating parents and children at the border, or another one of the 10000 things that has gone on this year. However, I'm going to be a little hopeful here! After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, young people in the US have been increasingly politically motivated to make a difference. They're not just protesting and writing on social media. They're out there making speeches, organizing rallies, and getting actual political shit DONE! The students at Parkland inspired students, mainly high schoolers, all over the country to participate in high profile protests and walkouts. It's seriously inspiring watching people who couldn't even vote yet take action to make a change they wish to see in the world. I feel like in the past there was an increase in people paying attention, and caring about major issues, but this is the most actual tangible progress I've seen from a student advocacy group and I'm hopeful that this trend will increase in the coming year in terms of other issues (doubtful, but still hopeful).

The presidency of Donald Trump impacts me every day, usually with horror and profound pain and disappointment: pathological lying every day, tax cuts for the wealthiest, harming our environment - possibly beyond repair, tearing families apart; not only NOT draining the DC swamp but increasing it exponentially - and the list goes on. He is dangerous and so pathetic. I pray God protects us all.

I'm just not impacted personally by most world events. There have been lots of events that I believe are wrong, but I'm not really interested in activism. It's just not "me." I'm glad there are others to march and write and speak up, etc. for me.

Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Donald Trump. HOW is he still in office? WHY has nobody thought to impeach him? He is destroying the world as we know it. There is a constant anxiety that people have just learned to cope with, because we know that if we stop and think about it, even for a minute, it will consume us. It's terrifying. He's terrifying.

The refugee ban and the migrant crisis - i feel horrible and so upset, and yet I can - and should do more.

The family separation policy has been just awful. I can't imagine having to flee our home to seek refuge, and beyond that, our son being taken from us. The absolute horror of it sinks in constantly, and the terrible policy continues to ruin lives of thousands of people. It's so awful to be a part of the policy, in a sense, seeing as how it's my country that's imposing it. I want so much to make an impact, and am working now on a fundraiser to send money to aid separated families to help them find and reunite with their children.

The presidency has been a shit show. I've become more politically active writing postcards to voters with my Indivisible group weekly for the whole year. With my family history in Germany, I don't want to be the person who did nothing when immigrants were incarcerated and families split up.

What has caught my attention the most has been all of the worldwide natural disasters. I cannot help but think, "Mother Nature is pissed off." POTUS is made so many decisions that I find detrimental to the environment. And though those may not have contributed to the disasters this year, I believe they will effect the future of 0ur planet.

What hasn't? Our president can't stop lying, it's ridiculous. And worst of all people don't seem to care about the truth, all they care about is that he is pushing the policies they believe in. And this is affecting the whole world. Paris climate accord, North Korea, trade with China, trade with Mexico and Canada, the list goes one.

Terrorism in England. Making me fearful in traveling overseas. Afraid for my personal safety.

Trump's new tax bill killed the historic tax credit business (my business). By reducing the corporate tax rate and changing the structure of historic tax credit vesting from up front, to over five years, the demand for HTCs plummeted. My boss decided that rather than go out of business, we would shift our focus to Commercial PACE loans. So far I am learning a lot about PACE loans and easing into being a sales person. I hope we can make a go of it.

I have made the change to being more eco-conscious. From the way I shop to the way I eat. It is a long journey to being waste conscious and I believe I have taken little steps towards it. Seeing our environment being abused as it is, I want to do my bit.

There was a series of earthquakes in Indonesia just as we went on our honeymoon in Bali. I didn't think much of it, but my husband was actually scared and wanted to double check the safety. He deliberately didn't tell his mother. When we were there and we actually felt one, I was far more impressed than he was. This didn't really impact my life, though. Closer home, things are changing in Education City. I'm part of a teacher's platform now, which will give me one year of job security, and the conditions you need to meet to 'become TADD', a first step towards tenure, have improved.

It's not just one event this year, but the increase in suicides and mass shootings--violence due to mental illness. The need for more help has changed the focus I planned on taking after my MMTCP. I now want to teach self compassion to people and children with mental health issues because I understand how it feels to beat yourself up when you are already suffering, which compounds your suffering, making that much harder to recover.

La eleccion de duque como presidente de Colombia.

The ongoing political division in the US and the shifting on a world stage toward the far right have affected me quite a bit. The lack of common courtesy that people show on a daily basis is wearing. Putting my focus on loving kindness as *my* way of being in the world has been my answer, but I have had to come back to that again and again and again as the actions of others trigger my fears, insecurities and indignation. As a result, I have backed way off in my consumption of news. I am still involved and will vote and help out in the voting process as much as I can, but I am committed to giving as little thought and energy as possible to the drama and will focus on seeing all people through the eyes of loving kindness. The event in the world that had the bigger impact on me this year was the American High School Theater Festival in association with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Traveling to the UK, sightseeing in London, going to see Othello at the Globe, spending 10 days in Edinburgh and all the wonderful experiences we had there, in addition to supporting the kids' show that they performed, were all life changing for me! It showed me the power of art to uplift and move people, to lead the way in a world gone mad. It showed me that two weeks away from the drama of US politics didn't end the world and in fact made me happier, kinder, and a better person. It has also made me committed to travel more and to share my experiences. I firmly believe that the more we interact with others different than ourselves, the more we see that we are all human, and the less fear an anxiety there is about "the other".

Almost nuclear war with North Korea? Honestly I sat here for a bit thinking about what to write, but this is the best I can come up with. How: Two macho guys fighting and the rest of us would die. Why: I'm assuming for a greater cause.

The Nation-State Law in Israel appears to be a law that puts certain people second and Jewish people first. I can't support that, and I don't believe Judaism will survive with that attitude. I am a proud to align myself with the Jewish people, but the Israeli government has gone a bridge too far on this one.

Right now we are weathering hurricane Florence. Hurricanes last year are devastating to the islands.I guess I’m not really abreast on what’s happening in the world, but yet I sense a sadness and a bit of confusion on how I can make the world a better place. I guess the impact is...uncertainty

Donald Trump has degraded the office of the US Presidency to the point that I am embarrassed for our country.

Just about this time last year, there was a large earthquake in Mexico City as my teammates were on a video conference with our Mexican clients—the walls were shaking and the clients ran outside. A week later we were in Mexico City for a client meeting that they chose not to postpone. In the evening, as we were walking around La Condesa, we saw rescue workers everywhere and temporary structures set up in the parks for people that couldn’t enter their homes. There were signs on buildings, saying no photography please—in respect for the dead. It was striking to be in the middle of the drama, and inspiring to hear every single person’s story of what they were doing to help their community.

Events in politics impact me every day, for the last two years, since Trump got elected. Every day it's like an assault - the reckless way he's undermining the environment, and human and animal rights. It impacted me in making me so incredibly disappointed in humanity - that so many people support him and don't care about our planet or its inhabitants. So part of me wants to give up and part of me is motivated to speak out and become more politically active.

Our fraudulent president, Donald Trump, built prisons for infants, toddlers, adolescents and teens who were separated from their parents at our southern border. After many months of outrage and a high court ruling that the government must reunite all of the children taken into custody with thier parents, more than 500 children remain imprisoned and in foster care. Our president, the biggot narcissist that he is, says they "can't be reunited with their parents", even as he plans to separate and imprison more children crossing our borders. During this time, children were sexually assaulted, brutalized, and bullied by ICE guards. Mothers, who were imprisoned without their children, miscarried when denied proper medical treatment, children have died from the lack of proper care and treatment while incarcerated. Money was diverted from FEMA and from the Coast Guard--money sorely needed for a renewed and unprecedented hurricane season--for more prisons to house children torn from their parents. This is fascism. This is depravity and evil destroying our country. This is the ugly American underbelly exposed. Currently we citizens are suffering a constitutional crises that goes unaddressed by the elected leaders who are supposed to be representing the people. An overwhelming majority of Americans see this and know we are not being represented. Corporations are the only entities being represented by our elected leaders. The Republican party and many Democrats are owned by corporate wall street. They are only interested in getting rich by doing corporate bidding. They sell our democracy out from under us. In many ways I feel hopeless and at the same time the egredgious actions by the president and non-actions by those who are responsible for checking him are strong motivators for the "People" to use our collective power to reclaim a progressive America-embracing our diversity, making restitution for the many wrongs commited by Patriarchy. A feminine America is coming of age as the old white man takes his last urgent breath before sputtering under.

I don't really know if there was one event that impacted me this year. I do feel though that each year, as famous people who I "knew" or "grew up with" die, it makes me realize just how long I too have been alive. Recently Kofi Annan died, for example. And John McCain. I am now working for the UN and I lived in McCain's electoral district for awhile too. It wasn't this year, but the deaths, for example, of David Bowie and of Prince (my gawd, already this is 2 years ago) made me sad but also grateful that I was alive when they were too and that I appreciated their music contemporaneously. I think all of this is again just a sense of my own mortality coming into better focus as I have more years to now look back on. The impact of famous people dying of course doesn't really impact me in a significant personal way, but it's just another way to look at and consider the passage of time and the limited nature of life.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass HS significantly impacted me and the world this past year. It really forced me to grapple with whether or not I was doing enough and has motivated me to get involved on local campaigns through the NCDP fellowship

Me too movement It brought forward some tough memories.

Family separations at the border have been devastating. Where I can, I've tried to help. I've gone to marches and donated money to legal services working to reunite children with their parents. My eyes are open now to the ways the US perpetrates violence. I have lost all patriotism I ever had, not that I had much. History will not look kindly on us, of that I'm sure.

The ever increasing evil of Trump and the Republicans who support him. It's made me want to fight -- and also, a little, to flee. I hope that the nightmare of my stupid fellow Americans electing this moron -- the the people in Congress who are too afraid to lose their jobs to not support him -- to end.

This isn't necessarily an event, but rather a trend. With the election of Trump, I have become more and more attuned to the disregard of facts and polarization and distrust of media. These trends have really helped me hone the way I want to engage with and impact the world and helped shape my decision to go into media and how I want to work within it to change it, and hopefully, the world.

An event in the world that impacted me--I supposed technically this was last year--but Trump getting elected. I feel much more anxious. I'm worried about global warning, worried about Kavanaugh being on the Supreme Court and about my reproductive rights, about our democracy and whether we are seeing the collapse of our democracy. I've been to two marches. I email my senators. I still feel powerless.

The most impactful event that’s happened to me has been watching donald dump destroy the country. I’m afraid to see what other horrible, racist, hateful, stupid, insane, or illegal things he will do before I read this message next year. All I can say to future me is, “Hang in there! It will be over soon!”

The detention of families at the border affected me because it made me feel like I wasn't doing enough to stay on top of the news, stay vigilant, and prevent injustice. I have struggled this year amidst all of the terrible news to figure out how to manage my desire to help, my guilt over not doing enough, and my need for rest and peace in order to do the social justice work I'm already committed to. I constantly feel like I'm not doing enough. I'd like to spend some time untangling this so that I can feel at peace with what I'm able to do and separate myself from guilt or shame about what I'm not able to do.

The #metoo movement? But maybe I'm only thinking about that because I just listened to a podcast about that for awhile. Nothing was a surprise with it (except maybe Garrison Keiller?), but I feel really glad to hear the world (aka men because let's be real women and nb folks were already talking about it) talking about harassment and double standards more. I think a lot of Trump's comments about immigrants were extra upsetting to me because of working with so many immigrant families. Hearing Nigeria called a shithole country and thinking about M's pride in being a "Nigeria girl." How heartbreaking it was to hear him say that, but how much extra mission it gave me to really work in being affirming and helping to teach my students self-love.

The EU are planning to get rid of daylight savings. Good news but it was meant to be my conquest and victory later down the line... Damn Europe... We miss you Europe (British)

Still the fallout of trump, Manafort's conviction, and the polarization of us as a country. And larger movement towards correcting the place of people of color in America. I'm not of color, but I'm trying to see through a lens that listens, and is cognizant of privilege. When I voted in local elections this year I literally prioritized my selections around "any black women?", "okay, if no then any black men?", "okay, any lesbians?", etc. need to see more folks in office, leading. important for kids of color but also for white folks too!

the #metoo movement was huge this year. although i didn't actively participate (i didn't even post "Me Too" on my social media for fear of my family finding out), i was surprised by how big of a deal it was. i remember coming to the realization years ago that most, if not all women, would be sexually harrassed or assaulted at some point in their lives, and i had sort of just accepted this as a fact of life. when the movement gained traction, i was surprised because i thought, "wait, this wasn't obvious?" and it was amazing and scary to watch careers get ruined over events that happened years ago. we still have a long way to go- i think #metoo still needs to gain more nuance, men still don't feel comfortable talking about times they were sexually assaulted, and consent needs to be taught as part of sex ed. but we've come a long way in the past year.

Korean peninsula peace talks left me feeling hopeful. Hurricanes and major storms made me feel terrified of the permanent damage we've done and worried at how we move forward.

Trump, trump, trump. He leaves me terrified and so drained constantly. I am so afraid of the lasting impact of this time. Already from the Supreme Court which has decades of impact, to or world reputation, to the shift in our culture. It makes me nauseous and anxious every time I think about it. The child separations on the border were especially traumatizing now that I am a parent. That situation was almost unimaginable for me. And unforgivable. And disgusting. So incredibly disgusting.

This year's 9/11 anniversary hit me really hard for some reason.

Not sure if there was such an event this year that impacted me. Maybe just my concerns about the government, Supreme Court, etc. Not really feeling the impact now, but think that changes that happened this year may affect me in the future.

Trump continuing to be president. It's depressing, demoralizing, and embarrassing. He's the epitome of the personality type I hate and exactly what people think poorly on Americans for. He's rude, self-centered, full of himself, aggressive, condescending, and radically stupid. I'm afraid for what kind of a role model he is for the next generation and for what permanent damage he is going to do.

It is the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I didn't get to go to the STLV celebration, however I am going to the LA screening of the documentary. I'm very excited to celebrate this in costume with many Star Trek friends. It may seem silly and frivolous to many people, but it is important to me because I believe in the vision of the future that it paints for humanity.

separating children from their immigrant parents. unreal, and yet completely and totally who america is.

Still the Trump presidency. It's worse than I could have imagined. We just have to pray he doesn't cause a disaster.

MeToo movement. It confirmed to me how ridiculous and nonsensical religious idealism is when it comes to modesty. How women are so tortured everywhere to look and present themselves a certain way. But men always seem to get off the hook; “men will be men, boys will be boys.”

The imprisonment of migrant children really affected me. It’s unbelievable to me that we’ve stooped so low as to allow this to happen, and at the same time, not surprised. I am ashamed of my country because of how we treat others.

There are so many - The dismantling of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is extremely distressful. The dismantling of the United States Foreign policy is horrifying. I feel like we are destroying our planet, and enabling history to repeat itself.

The Parkland School Shooting in Florida. I have experience working in a high school environment with 1800 students, and know how vulnerable a public school can be to terrorism. In addition to the sympathy I felt for those that lost there lives, I felt the same for the one who took their lives, also a victim. This event weighed heavy on me for several weeks following. I was asked to lead a prayer at one of the regional school rallies which offered me also the opportunity to echo to parents, teachers and students just how fragile life is and that we must love everyday.

The MeToo# movement had an impact on me. It was unbelievable to me that after Harvey Weinstein was outed about his sexual misconduct soany other very influential men were 'outed' too. I used to love Matt Lauer... He went to Ohio University and I just really liked him on the Today Show. Learning about how he took advantage of women really impacted me. I watched him every morning on the Today Show and had no idea he had such a double life. I also realized that small instances of men coming onto me when I was young and first moved to Chicago was not a big deal... But perhaps it was. All the men being outed for their inappropriate sexual behaviors felt like an epidemic. It was crazy.

The children being separated from their parents horrified me so deeply. I cried about it, and donated, and tried to be more mindful with my own children and other children. It affected me because it’s just the most unfair, unecessary, blandly horrible thing I have ever witnessed in real time. Like an extension of every stupid bureaucratic human awfulness, but at powerless children.

The fracturing of the US (and the world) politically has been tough to comprehend. Obviously the presidency of Donald Trump and the rise of white supremacy, white nationalism, and fascism has been toxic to our country. Our country is being sent down a path we may never recover from and so many cowards in DC aren't doing a thing about it. But what also bothers me is how many people are reacting with far-left, no compromise socialism. I'm all for a social democracy with socialist programs for basic needs like healthcare, but the left is getting extreme with its anti-American, anti-Zionist, and even anti-Semitic sentiments, which is harmful and dangerous. The response to extremism cannot be different extremism.

Trump is despicable. I have such hatred for him, his ways, his lies, everything. I hate how he is dividing our country and separating the US from the world. I'm seeing such disgusting behavior from him and I can't wrap my head around why someone would be like that. I'm just exhausted by the news these days and decided to stay informed enough to know what is happening, get involved when necessary, but also know that it makes me anxious and I need to limit my exposure to the news.

Probably something political, so I'm going to hit the fast forward button on my 10Q. Some thoughts need not be recorded for posterity.

I have been very focused on my small world of day to day and almost purposefully not been watching the news and world events. However, with all the political dissonance that is embodied in the current presidential term, one cannot help but be drawn in to the worldview of many different issues. I can’t say that one specific event has impacted me. Rather that it has been a steady throbbing ache in the background as I catch the snippets of a radio broadcast or read a headline or hear a conversation; a never ceasing source of stress, uncertainty, bewilderment, disbelief and embarrassment.

A lot has happened in regards to the presidency, I stopped really watching the news though because it made me too anxious. I think the #MeToo movement was really powerful because it allowed people to share their stories and made me feel less alone.

Big storms blew down and 85 foot chunk of redwood tree from my backyard across my fence with the school. Making a large thump noise and after hundreds of dollars and clean up and thousands of dollars and fence rebuilding the backyard is looking better than it was before the tree fell. Of course the storm was partly due to the greenhouse gas emissions and global warming impact.

No particular event. Just the ever-increasing awareness of how completely fucked our environment is. How it's just going to get worse and worse, and millions of people are already dying due to increasingly severe weather. Hurricanes. Fire tornadoes. Droughts. I'm becoming more and more depressed. And feeling more and more guilty about my efforts to get pregnant.

In the country, everyone became a damn sheep after the government changed. I have more than enough experiences to tell me that hope does not work. This new government will not be any better than the last. This country is a shithole.

The “world event” is the continuing fallout from the 2016 election in the US. Our status has infected the globe, giving legitimacy to autocratic governments elsewhere and feeding the darkest natures of humans. So my answer this year is exactly the same as last year...high concern for peaceful world order, devastating outcomes of climate change, anger and rancor here and around the globe, and the willful ineffectiveness of our “leaders” at all levels. I am heartened by the resistence in all its manifestations and hoping more and more of us take up the cause. I am managing my angst better with all this practice, but I do not accept this as the “new normal.” Silence is complicity.

The death of Anthony Bourdain has gutted me. When I first heard about his death I refuse to believe that he killed himself. I was certain it was another case of auto erotic asphyxiation gone wrong. It was inconceivable that a man who continuously said he had the best job in the world and seems so full of life would kill himself over some stupid woman. Given the fact he has a young child who he loves so much it was impossible to believe that he would hurt his child by killing himself. The whole thing just doesn’t make any sense. People who didn’t know him started talking about Depression and Suicide. Yet no one who actually knew him or work with him talked about some sad depressed guy who had emotional problems that led them to believe this was possible. His own mother said how shocked she was so I’m not alone in my impression of him. I will mourn his loss for the rest of my life!

Again, probably none really. It's a good and a bad thing. May be the fact that Ukrainians don't need visas to come to Europe now - friends from home can now visit me without too much planning.

This will sound horribly apathetic but there isn’t any major news story that has seemed to shake me yet. I believe that in this upcoming year something will happen in Israel or in America that will change me, impact me in a way that I am under of yet. As of now I stilll have my health, family and my rights so I am happy. I hope it stays that way.

In the world? hmmm....Oh God.. Trump.. and his insanity. He has made the whole world unstable. We are all threatened. How did he get in??? well.. we know how.. and that is even scarier.. there are people who back him.

Was going to say the same thing as last year, the Trump presidency has been insane. In even more ways than I thought last year. It's made me more politically engaged then ever before, and also helped me develop a more moderate political ideology. I'm so frustrated at the left too for how shitty and divisive people can be. Realism!! But let me think of something else too...I think also the stuff going on in Israel with say Netanyahu's sketchiness and the law that makes Israel specifically Jewish. My relationship with Israel has evolved a lot this year and I'm hoping to go on the NU Perspectives trip next year. I just have solidified my hatred for the government and pride in the state's existence, but I still really struggle with my views toward the country.

I have no faith or hope in anything.

The world trend towards authoritarianism is disturbing. Trump's continuing Presidency remains a source of discontent and concern, but I hope we (US) have learned a lesson: that a democratic republic requires participation to work. We need to hold those who represent us accountable, and vote, otherwise, we end up with an autocracy.

I hate to be ethnocentric, but I am still deeply disturbed by Trump's election and demise of our democracy. I believe it has had a terrible effect on the world. Trump has been engaging in significant bombing in Syria and Yemen. He is dismantling environmental policy. He has begun numerous trade wars. Perhaps the worst act has been to separate children from their parents at the border with Mexico. Kids are being held in detention centers that are prison like. It is one of the most shameful acts I have ever seen.Trump has already replaced two members of the supreme court. I am afraid of who we will become.

I guess there are a few that impacted me. The raising of minimum wage and the election of Doug Ford. For different reasons both show me the evolution of consciousness. That people are starting to wake up and that the edge of evolution is coming soon. That we move to electing someone with a lot of old ideas about social issues shows me the contraction before the expansion. The point where things get really bad before a big shift occurs. How he removed the sex ed programs in school. Things must fall apart in order for something better to rise from the ashes. The same thing with all the natural disasters. I feel it's nature's way of destroying what no longer works. It gives me hope that things are on the cusp of change.

This is such a bad time for America. Every day, Trump attempts to dismantle some part of the government that was working so well, so humanely, so sensibly, that I didn't realize it COULD be undone, unmade, and the forces of chaos unleashed. So it's hard to pick just one event: The separation of the young children from parents who have come to this country legally, seeking asylum? Placing those children in cages and shipping them hundreds of miles away from where their parents are detained? Losing the paperwork so that they can't reunite the families? What about the killing of unarmed people of color by police officers? That's nauseatingly horrifying -- and the police are almost never prosecuted. Or white people who call the police when they see black people where they don't want them, and the police who come, making black people PROVE that they belong there -- in the houses they own, the apartments they have rented, in the schools where they are enrolled as students, at the pools where they have passes, riding in cars with their own grandparents! Seriously, rehearsing the wrongs in Trump's America just feeds feelings of helplessness and despair. If I have a prayer for the New Year, it's to live in a country where people are once again ashamed to be openly racist, and to help like-minded people turn out to vote in elections for every level of government. Amen.

Children being separated from their families at the boarder of the USA. To think that parents would never see their children again is unthinkable, but I feel powerless. Shootings in school - makes me so scared to send my kids to school each day. I pray that they will be safe.

Pick any police shooting of an unarmed person of color. It impacts me as a mother and as a black woman. The police and rise of blatant racism serves to remind me of my “place” in America; reminds me there is nowhere to go for safety; and reminds me even as a Jew, Jews that look like me aren’t welcome in Israel either. I have nowhere to go should the need arise.

I am not sure there is one event that has happened this year that has impacted me rather the current state of our culture. I am disturbed by the social climate that our current presidential leader perpetuates (hate & exclusion). I am equally disturbed by the school shootings that are in the news. While women are not covered under our constitution we are gaining some traction in the fight against sexual abuse. I ponder weather technology is always for the better and why anyone would go hungry where there is so much wasted food. I am concerned for the ability for children to be safe and enjoy being children.

Last year's answer to this question (Trump elected, fall-out from Brexit) continues to reverberate through this year. There is no light appearing yet at the end of this tunnel as we seem, globally, to be descending quickly into autocracy and on the brink of wars. This continues to impact us as a family, especially a family like ours made up from various cultures and classes. In a world where the outlook is global, we belong. In a world where states promote inward-looking xenophobia, we belong nowhere.

The ongoing murder of the Palestine people by Israel. The murder of Syrian citizens by their own government. In general, the ongoing murder of humans by other human beings.

Antisemitism in the Labour party has had a surprising impact. I didn't think it would, but I've found myself feeling politically displaced in a way I never have before. Where does the left wing Jew go politically now? How do I vote in elections when no one represents what I believe in and I believe so hugely in my right to vote? And how much is media overblown propaganda vs honest reporting and truth? It's made me feel so uncertain of politicians and politics in general and the benefit it's supposed to have on society. Last year I was concerned by the far right and I still am. But this year I'm also concerned by the far left too. Politics is a horse shoe, not a straight line. The extremes in either direction are closer together than we think.

The world has been such a shitshow this year that I’ve been trying to focus my energies internally. Everything has felt helpless and chaotic, but I am learning to change my interpretation of things. I’d like to focus on my community in the coming year.

The backlash against Colin Kaepernick has impacted me this year, because it's made me even more aware how many people are blind to white privilege, blind to the reality that police brutality exists, and blind to the fact that protest is NOT an insult to the U.S. military tradition. I'd been aware of such blindness before; however, the strong resistance against what I'd thought was an apparent cry for attention to an apparent injustice has been particularly jarring.

Teeth are impacted. People are affected.

This year the Israeli government decided to deport tens of thousands of African asylum seekers. With a group of 4 other couples we successfully got in an application to the Canadian government to apply for refugee status for Jack, an asylum seeker in Israel who is friends with melody. This has been something I've wanted to do for a long time. The process of him coming to Canada will take up to 2 years but the application should protect him from deportation. This issue is especially important to me because my Jewish grandparents were refugees to Canada and it hurts me to see a Jewish state not standing up for other asylum seekers when they know so well how it felt. We should have the most empathy and if we can't complain that no one stood up for us if we don't stand up for others.

I typically don't pay attention to the news that much. Perhaps I should. It wasn't until last December 2017 that I found out about Chester Bennington's death (he past away five months before I found out). I felt like an idiot for not knowing before when it happened. Of course, I cried for many months and felt empty inside, partly because I was a huge Linkin Park fan when I was a teenager. It made me realize that life is a gift and that no one should be ashamed in reaching out for help whenever they are in their darkest moments in life. I'm still upset that gay men are still being tortured in Chechnya, Russia. I'm also disgusted at Russia's law that decriminalized domestic violence back in 2017. Things are getting worse in Russia as Putin won the election back in March 2018. I do love the country dearly, and I understand that Russia has always been a traditional country, but there has to be a better solution than allowing violence as the norm. I do hope and pray for a better future in Russia. On the bright side, I'm more than happy to know that India has finally decriminalized homosexuality on September 6th, 2018. It gives me hope that the world can fully accept human rights one day.

The creation of Camp Namegans brought me back to a sense of inspiration and hope that as communities people can show up for each other in good ways, despite very challenging circumstances; that mutual aid, community care, and personal transformation are real things not just wishful thinking.

This may not be an event recognized by the world but the world will soon know that this event is pivotal.The calling of President Russel M Nelson as the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. With this calling the work of the Lord is zooming ahead. There have been many policy and procedure changes - never changes in doctrine - that seem to be life changing. This means the end is closer than we thought.The Lord is moving His work forward at a pace that only those who have a firm testimony will be able to sustain. It's time to reawaken, shake the worldly dust off and remember who we are, why we are here and what lies ahead.

Everything. The continued resistance, the terribleness of this administration, the terribleness of congress. Racism. But I think there's some hope, as people aren't giving up. There has to be, right?

The brightest outlook that I can retroactively apply here is that it seems that the rule of law may actually win out and our democracy may hold together after all, as the judicial branch is (at least for now) holding things together until the current legislative and executive branches can be repopulated with people who have ethics and spines.

the trump presidency is continuing to impact my life, especially the screws tightening on immigration

I feel like I could say "every stupid thing that 45 has done" (Helsinki, N Korea "summit") but the truth is that I'm not really directly impacted, other than emotionally. At least it has spurred me to action!

The election of an incompetent, racist, narcissistic, ignorant President of the US has caused me to question what has happened to our citizenry and their reasoning. The hate that has been revealed and is prevalent in some of the many actions around the globe is frightening. This planet may not have as long of life as it should.

Women being legally allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. Makes me grateful for the rights I enjoy in my country.

The refugee crisis, around the world. It is appalling, globally. And what is so angering, so crazy, so merciless, is what our own American government has been doing: taking children away from their parents upon arrival at the border! WHAT THE @#*!! We actually have the space and the resources to help people. We are not overflowing. We are not at war. We are not in famine. THESE PEOPLE JUST RISKED THEIR LIVES TO GET HERE, and you - for merciless, cold-hearted political ploy - JUST RIP THEIR CHILDREN AWAY FOR THEM AND PUT THEM IN DETENTION CENTERS?! WHAT THE @#*!? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THOSE CHILDREN NOW? DO THOSE PARENTS KNOW WHERE THERE CHILDREN ARE? CAN YOU IMAGINE?! What I'm thankful about is this question posed here in 10Q. Because I didn't realize just how appalled and angry I am about this, and I haven't really done anything about it, and now I'm going to go and figure out how I can channel my energy towards some kind of efforts to address this issue!

Hillary Clinton got up again to fight. If she can do it, then with the strength of God, my family and friends, so will I. Eventually. So they say.

Donald Trump. Racism and Bigotry, fear mongering, bullying, scare tactics, dishonesty. Need I say more?

The biggest event that imputed me was when our administration decided to implement a family separation order to control immigration. Families were literally stripped apart, leaving children - as young as infants - to fend for themselves in court. It struck me deep because I grew up reading about, learning about and seeing photos of Jewish families stripped apart by the Nazis. I felt like my country was echoing back those dark days. I was impacted enough that I rallied my organization to mobilize funds to help a nonprofit, RAICES, provide free legal services for affected individuals. When we say Never Again to remember the Holocaust, we must mean Never Again for all.

Trump Trump Trump. Can't even choose one specific event. It's just everything. It's really depressing that he is our leader and that he is so horrific. It has made me again not want to read the paper. Has made me want to retreat. Again, that's not the right reaction. I should really do something. It just makes me pray that we will win in the midterms and impeachment proceedings actually become a real possibility.

Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria – and the devastation of Puerto Rico. We were due to fly there 24hrs before the hurricane hit, and because it was due to be so severe we decided against it – but followed it closely on social media/news outlets. Seeing the destruction, the loss of life - and the ‘leadership’ of the administration and ‘President’ Trump... it is horrifying and sickening. I have no words.

I haven't been directly affected by any world events. Although it's been nearly two years, I still enjoy watching the clips of people's saying Trump will never be president, and watching the meltdowns on election night.

Fucking Donald Trump is STILL in office. How? Why? What the actual fuck?! I have the sense that there haven't been any random bombings or school shootings recently. Is that true? Does that mean more are coming soon? Our world is so chaotic - maybe it always has been - it's just more chaotic on US soil, and it sucks. The planet is heating up; we had more 90+ degree days this summer, and Portland is no longer a great place to be for the summer as it once was. Summer feels like despair.

Trump. I'm sure everyone has put that down. Trump putting children in cages - Trump denying that Puerto Rico lost 3000 souls to the storm, Trump making everything about him even John McCain's death. So many things have happened that are numbing that nothing seems odd any more. Everything is business as usual. I am concerned about this country and yet - HELP IS ON THE WAY and EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS WORKING OUT FOR ME - and everyone else too. So I wonder how it's going to come out. I wonder how things are going to find a new and more profound and wonderful normal. Maybe it's great because of all the new young people who care and that could create a stronger democracy than ever before. It is my hope. We need to support and cherish and enjoy one another. We need to appreciate our differences and enjoy them and want to explore them. That would be the world I want to be part of...

The shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. We know families who lost children, and I realize it could easily have been mine. As a society, we have to do better - gun control, mental health services, programs to ensure students don’t feel isolated and ostracized, etc.

Bashar al-Assad's 2nd chemical attack on his own people in April this year affected me emotionally. He committed the same type of atrocious attack on his people one year earlier. Many innocent people, including children, were killed. If it were not for the news coverage on the event, it may not have registered on my mind. Fortunately, cable news stations, specifically CNN, made sure to enlighten and educate its viewers. We can't allow ourselves to become numb to these violent actions.

Maybe the most painful and shocking news event in a year full of egregious, horrific world events was the US government and ICE separating parents from their children at the border. I want to go down there and see it for myself so that I can testify to it pesonally.

An unbelievable amount of nonsense from the current occupant of the White House has kept me tense and uncertain of this country's future. Mostly, he's just an idiot, but he could get us embroiled in a war with North Korea, or Iran, or China or Canada. Also, he's destroying the environment and converting the U.S. to a third world country.

I'll be totally upfront and honest, the only reason I know anything about anything that is going on is because I ask Mommy and Daddy what happened on the news that night. I need to do a better job of staying informed this coming year.

In 2012, I dearly hoped the massacre of 20-some children in their elementary school would be the proverbial straw to break the gun lobby's back, but it was not. The kids who survived the Parkland High School murders had an advantage the first-grade survivors did not - their voting-age voices are not so easily ignored. I'm so impressed by their energy, focus, and eloquence. I'm glad the kids are taking the lead, I'm glad at least some industry leaders are paying attention, and I'll support them however I can. I'm still not sure the Parkland massacre will effect the major changes we desperately need in this country when it comes to gun laws - but I hope to be proven wrong.

So much of this year was overwhelming, I felt unable to continue to follow all of the horribleness that was occurring - be it not helping those after a natural disaster, banning people based on their religion or ethnicity from the country, ripping children away from their parents and not being able to return them - really the list could go on. The events just made me feel helpless.

Still the administration. America is a different place, a darker place, and frightening.

President Trump continues to baffle and annoy the mainstream media and they constantly skew any reports on his actions. I have essentially stopped listening to all news except from sources I know to be impartial.

I don't know if there's been a single event, as much as watching tr*mp destroy this country and the world. It's been heavy and terrifying to watch, and I think I've sat on the sidelines watching, and collecting information, being more informed than I ever have, but not taking enough action. As I'm writing this, I am remembering the shooting in Parkland. Nationally it was devastating; personally it was shocking & terrifying knowing that someone close to me, who has already gone through so much was there. Watching the response that's come out of that tragedy has been inspiring and uplifting -- thinking about it earlier, I realized that I do not know the name of the shooter, but I know the names of many of the victims and activists. We owe it to the activists for not letting us forget.

The "Me Too" movement, although disorganized and flawed in many ways, has tasked me to coming to terms with the level of sexual harassment and assault that happens on a daily basis. It has made me reassess the harassment I experience in my own life and what levels of sexism in the workplace and my personal life I experience and what I need to address.

Still hate Trump. Trump and Congress are not helping women, families, minorities, students, the disabled, the ill, or the environment.

Trump's election. It is depressing on a daily level. He is amoral and awful and doing things that generations to come may live to regret. But what is most disturbing is that there are people who refuse to draw a line. Where is your line? What does he have to do before you withdraw your support?

The world is in flux. The flux of diarrhea. Leaders say and do things that defy decency and civil discourse. Overall, this has frightened me. The election of Donald Trump, the rise of antisemitism and the hatred that is now approved has made me afraid. I try to by hopeful. I try not to be a fatalist, but I fear for my children and my children's children. What have we become? Some thoughts should be unspoken as we strive to be our best selves; yet our political discourse has reduced us to our basest selves.

Trump being president has unleashed hatred and made (some white) people bold in their anger. I had a guy in a pickup truck yell at me last year that it was great we were all "allowed" to say Merry Christmas again. But most of the events impacting me are doing it with slow creep -- it's hotter and we had more snow days, the environmental regulations have been stripped back, the financial controls... I won't feel the full impact for some time.

The California wildfires have affected me. This is made me feel a little more vulnerable and less trusting as the world feels more precarious. Nationally and internationally there seems to be a feeling of unrest is also making it feel more precarious. I believe this makes me feel more anxious which is what was happening last year this is a little more.

I can't really think of anything different that what I wrote about in the prior year; specifically, the November 2016 election. This country has become so divided and discourse is incredibly uncivilized. There is no longer any dignity in the White House. I have no respect for those who purport to govern our country today. Makes me so sad ... and also scared for our future. *sigh*

The white power rally in Charlottesville was horrific. President Trump's response, such that not was, was heartbreaking. I have not, in my lifetime, seen such a lack of understanding or respect for the power and influence of the Office of the Presidency. He exerted absolutely no effort to heal this nation. I will say that the racial fault lines exposed have given me a stark realization of what America truly thinks of me. I subsequently left the Republican party. And honestly, as monumental as that is, I understand implicitly that there are those who wish me a fond farewell, and care not a lick that I have left.

Honestly I feel like the combination of not having a TV, not being on social media, and being buried in studying 24/7, I can't think of an event from the past year that sticks out in my mind as having impacted me.

Children detained and separated: general outrage Marjorie Stoneman Douglas: March for Our Lives The World: Me Too/Time's up. There is a connection. A coming to consciousness? We can only hope. For me? I tried to pick up the Bible yesterday. I'd been sick, taking meds (which no matter how "over the counter" always get with my head), missing yoga, stressed about the trailer, girls gone back to their lives, I can't seem to keep on my spiritual path unless bidden. Anyway, I thought I'd try to get back and all I saw was a book about men's wars. And who gives a shit? They immortalize themselves. Spirit, I love. Michael, I love. Jesus, I love. The old book is nuts. And, then, Morgan called and I saw Miguel, whom she just met, and things came to me with a clarity I've missed: why those with privilege, which means they have access to everything--the best of learning and culture along with all the rest of it--they often have the privilege of seeing religion as a drug for the proletariat. What else would the world do if religion wasn't keeping them down and quiet and happy, the same way working for the man does. This is new. All of it.

Oh gosh. I've done a terrible job of keeping up with the news. The Me Too movement has probably affected me the most, besides Donald Trump distracting the public from everything he's doing by getting our attention instead with petty things. With the Me Too movement, it's definitely in it's "Witch Hunt" stage, where everyone is getting blamed. It's definitely not a black and white movement. There's a lot of gray areas. People are questioning why so many women are coming forward now. I think the reasons are because it's 1) difficult to come forward regardless and 2) when no one is coming forward, it makes you feel even more conscious about your choice to speak up. Regardless, people still forget that the people coming forward are the victims, and the victims end up getting questioned, made to feel insignificant by having their behavior questioned, and like their stories are invalid if the incident happened to long ago. Would I ever come forward? Probably no. I feel like coming forward would cause me more embarrassment, and I would not want to deal with people questioning whether what I said was true or not. I don't need to relive what happened. Would speaking out stop other women from getting hurt by the same hand? Am I at fault for not saying anything? It's not worth ruining a life.

I guess the best answer would have to be the Parkland High shooting. It happened on Valentine's Day. My husband and I spoke that night about what we could do to be the light, bring positive change. We started a giving circle to support democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections. We raised awareness and dollars. The elections are in 6 weeks. Hard to know when and if there will be meaningful gun control legislation to stop this type of massacre, but the decision to act has changed me for the better.

The Novochok poisoning in Salisbury has been unsettling, as it's made me question just how far people are willing to go to get their own way. It scares me how it's been done with ease with no care for the impact and worried me how easy it would be to inflict mass damage in the world.

Trump Trump Trump. All Trump, all the time. I'm surprised that a year later little has changed. I'll be shocked if I say the same thing next year (I said this last year, didn't I?)

The rise of right-wing political leaders across the world is concerning to me. It feels that even though as a whole the world is trending towards becoming a more peaceful place, some of that hard fought over progress is made redundant every time one of these leaders gets elected.

Trump's election. Every day it gets worse and worse. I have become more politically active, made some new friends, and learned how to be more effective. But I still consider it the great American nightmare.

That would be the rescue of those Thai kids who got trapped in a cave in Thailand. It was amazing to see the whole World anxiously hoping for the best while expecting the worst; the daring rescue operation, racing against the clock; the heroic sacrifice of Saman Kunan, retired Navy diver; the former monk-turned-football coach who kept his team calm through the power of meditation; the legends surrounding the mountain that contained the cave system and finally, the successful rescue of all the boys without loss of lives. When it looked like tragedy was the most likely of outcomes, all ended well and the World let out a collective sigh of relief. This was truly an impactful and inspiring event.

Everything that is going on politically in my country right now: the complete and total travesty and disgrace of our federal government and everyone who enables it. It has become a daily preoccupation for both my husband and me, and it has caused both of us great anxiety and distress. It has sometimes caused us to be tense with each other even though we are well-aligned in our political beliefs; the whole thing just has us both on edge. After November 2016, I found I am more patriotic than I realized. I believe this country is worth fighting for and I won't cede it to the corrupt, venal, spiteful people who currently hold power. At the same time, I am more aware than ever before of its deep flaws and shameful past history. This country was built on a rotten foundation of inequality, and we have never lived up to the principles it was supposedly founded on. The promises of America have never been kept to all of its people. But I still believe in those ideals, and I believe we have made some progress and have the potential to do better. It's not a straight line, though, and it's sickening to see us being dragged backwards.

Several high-profile celebrity suicides have affected me more than I thought they would this year. It was incredibly shocking, in particular, to hear about Anthony Bourdain's suicide while I was out on the trail this spring. He seemed to me like a man who had lived and been to the brink; he had wrestled with demons like addiction to heroine and come out on top. He didn't pretend to be a hero but was only himself entirely. And to hear that he'd taken his own life was a true shock because he seemed like someone who had truly lived, had pushed his life to the edge, and who had come back to make things better for other people. It made me wonder about the darkness that hides in each of us - if we don't confront it and make peace with it, can we ever really live? It calls to mind lyrics to a Hozier song "never tame your demons, only keep them on a leash." Meg and I talked about this a bit at the Yankees game - she's convinced that his suicide has something to do with Bourdain's own metoo issues or perhaps with Asia Argento's (his girlfriend). It makes me think about how we train young men to treat others, how we view sex not as negotiation but as conquest, and how we aren't realistic about the role alcohol plays in so many people's sexual experiences.

I think about the Nicaraguan crisis and hear about how it has continued to impact Gloria, my tutor there. I have grown to love her over the last two years we have met online and in person and care deeply about her wellbeing. I want the best for her and her family and wonder how getting her to the United States would play out. I pray for her wellbeing regularly. I also went to Cuba over Labor Day weekend and wondered if I would have any issues with getting there, since the U.S. president had been less than friendly with other countries. I have also been watching the crisis at the U.S. border play out over the last several months and felt a deep desire to help those migrants. I wonder what I could do to help, either present, or if this is a future calling that would be wrapped up in my own migration to Texas. It certainly gives me motivation for continuing to learn Spanish.

Tariffs on soybeans will impact my farm income.

More Trump. Border patrol separating families, citizens having their greencards revoked or suspended. My friend JJ is on tenterhooks about it, she's naturalized. What if that isn't enough? Being adopted as an infant... there is no relationship to the birth country. The government makes me feel unstable and unconfident. I'm ashamed of what our President is doing, how he is marring the face of the USA to other countries, the shit he is stirring up that I worry we won't be able to repair. The socialized hatred. The mainstreaming of "white" issues. I am conflicted about whether we are making progress on progressive issues or tumbling backwards into oppression.

Doug Ford was elected premier of Ontario. Now that I live here permanently I really have to care about Ontario politics and this is just a nightmare. He takes his plays right out of the Trump rulebook. Sigh. At least he's not Prime Minister.

I think the overall state of the world has impacted me. There is so much hate being tossed around. It has made me think before I say negative things about people. However, I need to work on that a lot more within my own house.

So many of us are still reeling from the election and I count myself as part of that because the chaotic legislation and racist, xenophobic decisions impact all of us, if not directly, then indirectly. I worry a lot about global warming. That's more of a burning buzz of a worry in the background, something that especially persists on a really hot day or when the temperatures seem different this year than past years. I worry about whether or not this is a world to bring a child into and because these are such large questions they tend to loom and hover.

The Me Too movement. Harvey Weinsten accused of sexually exploiting young female actresses. Two leading figures at Save the Children being accused of misogynistic behaviour. Stories about Trump and RKelly... I have always had quite a relaxed attitude to feminism. I am definitely all about challenging gender stereotypes and not being held back because of gender (alongside discrimination against race, religion, age etc etc) and would happily call myself a feminist, though I wouldn't rage against the men or go to a march... but this year I felt like my 'relaxation' was based on ignorance, nieveity and passivity... That pub landlord when I was 16 was a total perve. I was made to feel physically threatened and belittled at work by a man. I think I may have been sexually exploited when drunk by a fellow graduate trainee (I still don't remember what happened that night, but I remember feeling the shame the next morning)...these things do matter.

All the Comey/Mueller Trump consolidating power, etc. It's hard not to pay attention to the news 24/7. It's hard not to be glued to tweets on a screen. (Not his tweets. Tweets in general). I've gotten more morose. Sleep uneasily. Hard to concentrate. Feels like right after the Bush re-election. But even worse, somehow? I'm scared for where things are going. I worry about us getting into a Turkey or Hungary situation. But I wonder if my actions match my fears. Am I spending a ton of money on election stuff? Volunteering enough? I feel like less of a leader. More of a bystander. I don't like it. My job makes it strange. Instead of volunteering, maybe go work harder?

Honestly, the caps winning the cup! So fun and cool to watch them, and my friends, and lots of people i care about. also made me think about Home and Place and what it is to love and feel connected to a place like that!

The mass school shooting on Valentines day down in FL impacted me more so than all the other school shootings. I don't know if it was the day, a day supposed to be about love, or if it was the response of the kids who survived, but it has impacted me more than other mass shootings.

I mean - it still has to be trump right? It still leaves me trying to understand how people can act a certain way. I read a book about the different profiles / taste buds of how people make decisions in politics and it shows that my values are different than a lot of people (individualism vs universalism, sanctity, etc). It caused me to spend more time trying to imagine these values and understand them. Unfortunately I don’t know many people in these areas and I’m in a bubble.

Hurricane Harvey impacted me by expanding my nexus of charitable giving beyond my immediate community.

I have found a way to be at peace with what's happening ...actually that's not true. This administration is killing my desire to live in this country. To say I live in America when outside of it, and to acknowledge that we as human beings are capable of what is happening along the border, in red states, to women, to poor people, to Black people. It's soul crushing. The good news is it isn't forever. Praise G-d.

#metoo has really brought back memories I'd forgotten I had. I didn't realize I was so impacted by little incidents my whole life that I had normalized in my mind.

This isn't so much of a specific event, but Trump is still president, which is as upsetting of a fact as ever. His immigration practices are dehumanizing and it disgusts me to be a part of a society that treats people like that. He doesn't care about the environment or animals or people unlike him. Every day feels like hell that our country can't escape from, with that gripping concern of "who will he come after next?"

Piggybacking off the most impactful event of last year, the political climate in the USA has only worsened and I am still horrified by the family separations at the border. I don't usually voice my political beliefs on Facebook, but a response was something very warranted during this crisis. I wrote: "If the anguished cries of motherless children do not haunt your every waking moment and the first thought that comes to your mind when you see photos of toddlers being caged is, "well, did they come here legally?," it's time to recognize there IS an us versus them and I refuse to remain silent in the face of this monstrosity any longer. AMERICA. WE NEED TO BE BETTER THAN THIS. Where is the accountability, the empathy, and even more that that—the morality? This man's actions are criminal. Our government is failing us. Ways to start acting now: donate to organizations working to reunite and assist separated families. Call your reps. Sign petitions. Speak out against these atrocities. Do whatever it takes to make sure that your voice is part of the rallying cry that condemns these crimes against humanity. Because there comes a time when silence becomes betrayal. Because when you aren't speaking up for what's right, you become part of the problem. FRIENDS. WE NEED TO BE BETTER THAN THIS." I'm trying to stop being a bystander. It's time to act and I want my voice to be heard.

Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s funeral has impacted me positively this year. I made the effort to attend the funeral and it was good to be among the masses and acknowledge the power house that she was. Her funeral brought such a spotlight on the evil of patriarchy and how far we come with it. Many powerful women are not acknowledged whilst they are alive because all attention is given to their husbands.

Oh my good gosh, seriously? The Trump effect on our national caring, morality, and civic democracy. Mr. Trump's words and actions have global consequences for the now and all the tomorrows we can imagine because he lies.

While Trump is not in jail, as I had hoped last year, I think that the whole political lead up to the midterm elections has had a great impact on me. On the one hand, I am thrilled with the renewed excitement and energy that is underlying this year's races. On the other hand, I am sad that it took 2016's turn of events to get us there. I am also worried at the lack of empathy and listening that I see on both sides. As Democrats dig their heels in deeper, they are continuing to miss a large group of people that feel unheard and unrepresented, leading to their decision to vote for Trump. Many of these people are not alt-Right or neo-Nazis, but rather those that have suffered because of the great changes that the last few decades have meted out. The Democrats need to go on a listening campaign to show these people that they care and begin to tailor their messages to that specific audience.

We continue to be impacted by the obscene decline of the Alaskan Wild Salmon runs. As a commercial fishing family, the stress has been rough. The conversations at all levels focus on scarcity and assigning blame. It is important to figure out why this is happening so that we can help improve the health of our ocean going populations of fish for everyone who relies on them for sustenance. Both for food and for income. The question in bigger than just our little fishing fleet.

The continuing t.rump/GOP fiasco of racism, sexism, anti-intellectualism and fascism is hard to distill down to one event. It is an ongoing trauma and I fear the USA will not pull out of this madness in time to recover...at least not before too many lives pay the price.

Hearts are worn in these dark ages You're not alone in this story's pages Night has fallen amongst the living and the dying And I try to hold it in, yeah I try to hold it in The world's on fire and It's more than I can handle I dive into the water (I try to bring my share) I try to bring more More than I can handle (Bring it to the table) Bring what I am able I watch the heavens and I find a calling Something I can do to change what's coming Stay close to me while the sky is falling Don't wanna be left alone, don't wanna be alone The world's on fire and It's more than I can handle I dive into the water (I try to bring my share) I try to bring more More than I can handle (Bring it to the table) Bring what I am able Hearts break, hearts mend Love still hurts Visions clash, planes crash Still there's talk of Saving souls, still the cold Is closing in on us We part the veil on our killer sun Stray from the straight line on this short run The more we take, the less we become A fortune of one that means less for some The world's on fire and It's more than I can handle I dive into the water (I try to bring my share) I try to bring more More than I can handle (Bring it to the table) Bring what I am able

Not an event per say, but a series of events and verbal explosions by President Trump that have me fearful for the future of the US. If he is a reflection of the turn our nation is taking, then I truly am sad for our children and grandchildren. I am concerned because many of my family members support this President and buy into his nationalist/isolationist/racist stance. I'm worried because many of them only get their news from what I consider to be biased sources on the internet and social media. In some ways, their language on social media even seems to have become as crude and angry as his. What is everyone so angry about?

Oh God, how to choose one? Children were separated from their parents at the US/Mexican border to deter immigration. Most of these families are refugees fleeing war, cartels, and other horrors in Latin America. These children are being kept in cages in detention centers. It's shown me how little the deplorables in charge care about non-whites. I hate using that term but I don't know how to describe those people. So much of what they do - so much of their policies - are so racist and careless and "I got mine jack" and I hate it. It's so depressing. It makes me work harder to serve my students. But it makes me feel hopeless.

Living through the Trump administration for the last year has been a nonstop avalanche of angst, especially since it often puts me at odds with family members and people I grew up with. It has also forced me to confront my complicity in structural racism—and often specific, personal racism as well—in a way that has not been fun to contemplate.

Even living on the other side of the world, Trump still had a constant impact on me and my thoughts. Declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Asylum Seekers, gun control (or lack thereof), it is difficult to not feel a constant lack of hope for humanity.

The Great International Scavenger Hunt 2018 was an event in the world, and it got me involved with GISH, and introduced me to some awesome people. I spent a week at the end of July getting my toenails painted, dancing around in a giant bird costume, floating in a swimming pool (dead), doing a heavy metal water ballet, and having a tea party underwater, among many others. And donating to survivors of genocide in Rwanda, the most important thing on the list. I'm hooked, and I'll be doing it next year. It was a great discovery of a new community that puts its energy into volunteering, giving back, and creativity.

The Las Vegas shooting in Oct 2017. So many young people dying from gun violence and nothing being done about it. Utterly devastating. Related to this, the Trump presidency and the actions he is taking continue to cause harm - some irreversible. I believe his appointment of a right leading supreme court justice and currently the potential that he will appoint another shortly will have long lasting negative impact on this country.

Friends I'm politically in agreement with are so up in arms about Trump and angry with those who voted for him that they have expended so much energy, time, and space it has sucked up all the energy, time, and space they could have used for kindness, charity, prayer. This has pointed out to me just how much better it is to worry about things we can indeed affect, more directly, and how much farther seeking common ground gets you than skepticism and rage. They have put their political demons at the center of their lives, and I want to have love at the center of my life.

I don't know how to answer this question, and that, for me, is pretty defining. Having lived most of my life just outside of DC (and now actually living INSIDE the beltway!), I've always been aware of world events and national news. But this year, everything has been SO crazy, and SO intense on a personal level that I feel like I haven't been as aware of what's happening in the world around me. I feel like I've dropped the ball when it comes to the marches and protests, that my awareness of global issues isn't where it usually is. We have spent this year so thoroughly drowning in the muck of our everyday lives that I've struggled so much to resurface and see what the world has been doing. And the few times I do manage to come up for air enough, what I see terrifies me.

National politics continue to grow messier, with POTUS under increasing suspicion of role in upending US democracy setting...but that is the context of what he campaigned on.

The shootings, most recent and altogether. I have only recently begun to understand how damaged and afraid these school shootings have left this generation of kids. Once I realized that the impact was even greater on me, I'll use my vote, and am considering anything else I can do to help our society change on this issue.

A close friend of a friend of mine, and somebody I vaguely knew myself (Imogen Roche), fell off a balcony and died. This really impacted me, just because... I KNEW HER. AND NOW... SHE'S GONE. I really started thinking about how sudden and close death is. It could happen... randomly. To any of us. Who knows, I might be dead by the time you're reading this! It's truly terrifying.

Ari Fuld passed away on September 16. It is the yamim noriim and he is the first to be murdered in this Jewish New Year. I am praying to Gd that myself and my husband be blessed with money, children, happiness, good health and on some level i'm embarrassed to be asking for such things knowing he has left behind a widow and 4 children. The whole thing is overwhelming and deeply devastating.

Beto v. Cruz is now happening in a state that I'm registered to vote. I am maintaining optimism that we can start to turn at least part of Texas "blue." Our "president" is a very dangerous man. I'm glad I got my IUD before he got the ball rolling on the "direction" he'd like the nation to take. I'm without insurance again. It does impact me. I'm worried about the level of civility American citizens even bother to offer. If you can get them to bother at all. It is puzzling and sometimes even drowning to think about where we are as a nation. I stress about my right as a woman. My stomach is in a knots over what is happening (and expanding!) in Tornillo, Texas. It is easy to feel hopeless. And sometimes I find myself... taking the easy way out.

Trump. It feels like a distant memory when he wasn't president. I have forgotten what it is like to live day to day without hearing a story about his ignorance or self-absorbed antics. I don't remember what it is like to not be ashamed of calling myself American, when we had a leader who was respected and had dignity and poise, when we were a positive example instead of a negative. It sucks. And the environment is suffering for it.

Trump's administration continues being horrible. It ensures racists are emboldened and allowed to use force against people like me.

All the strife and struggles of the refugees and the US change in immigration policy. My heart goes out to the families that have had to leave behind their lives. It pains me to know my countries leaders are trying to close our borders to those in the most need based on fear and misunderstanding of other cultures.

I've been deeply conflicted about my emotions toward Israel as a result of the recent basic law passed in Israel regarding its Jewish identity. It seems to enshrine a form of Judaism I don't identify with as a part of what it means to be Jewish, and I am still coming to grips for what it means to me. For one, I think I will no longer donate to any Israel-related organization that doesn't support Jewish pluralism in Israel. Beyond that, I'm not sure what I can do now, but I am always thinking of ways I can make my voice heard.

Good grief, this world is just going crazy. The flooding, the fires, and the politics with Trump being an ignorant fool. With the craziness of politics, even here in Canada such as Rob Ford - ROB FORD being elected, I feel like my personal challenge has been to not become cynical. It is work - but I believe it is what God wants.

In April, the Oklahoma teachers held a strike for two weeks to demonstrate that we need more funding in our classroom. I think in a very real sense it made my first year of teaching more dynamic than I imagined it could be, but it also made me very cynical to the legislative process and those whom we trust to make decisions that benefit the people. However, it also made me even more interested in pursuing law to change that representation.

The Me Too Movement really got in to full swing this year and it has greatly shaped the debate around consent, sexual violence, and power. I would not claim to have been assaulted, but the experience that I had my first year of college has felt very close and present in this conversation. I don't think I ever got over it, or had the ability to process it and so it has bubbled up frequently.

I’m finding it really hard to pin-point on thing, but maybe the rise in the #metoo movement. It’s taught me so much about the people around me, by allowing conversations I’d never had before. It’s taught me about how I relate to the world/people around me and how I’ve experienced sexual violence

I was in the World Cup in Russia 2018.. This event was amazing. You can reunite millions of people from differents countries, with differents religions and cultures and this finally no matter. Everybody are happy. It´s very nice and very hopefull.

Geez twice erased!! Not forgotten The Nice France attack. A tucked plowed into a crowd and killed many showing us more human capability. I was crushed to see how we, as humans widen the gap between a centered self and a image. The stronger the image, the more of a shell others seem to look like and the less we care wtf happens to anyone and any living thing. Our earth suffers, we suffer and I honestly don’t understand what I’m doing here sometimes. And I know so well why I’m here at other moments. Florida shooting showed that kids in high school has a better understanding of our government and how to engage with people on a large scale. A lot of heart. It left me hopeful. Bill Cosby slammed open the flood gates for the metoo movement and empowered women to feel themselves, their own oppressions amd how they bought into them as well. It’s it keeps on going. It’s time. Time be honest people. The shootings. White cops and black people. The horror and astonishing. Words words Words. Wtf can we do to guide people back to themselves and empathize. The only way to grab the attention of a politician or someone with the self given right to control is the have them somehow experience the pain of prejudice, loss and grief. Jesus! You know what I mean. The year was another tough year. I don’t want to feel like we’re de-evolving .its just that it feels as if we must be. I don’t want to forget. Peace

The Trump presidency still looms large in my mind. While not a singular event the scandals, outrage and outright inflaming of culture wars in America are just taxing. It's both frustrating to see them disregard environmental concerns, respect for human decency and overwhelming the public with these things seems to numb everyone to what would have been career ending just 2 years ago. Without going down that road it's been the work event that impacts me the most. On a business note it will be interesting to see what effect the tariffs have on our business and if this tax cut does anything positive.

All the fires and all the floods and the tsunami last week and the heat waves and hurricanes. Climate change is here and it's hard to grapple with the impending doom. I feel powerless, mostly, but also a fierce determination to continue the long slog of smashing capitalism, the heteropatriarchy, and colonialism. All empires fall ✌️

El éxodo venezolano

There's so much. I just keep saying "hell in a handbasket". I think the one that scared and woke me up the most was the incarceration of masses of immigrant families in the US who were caged and separated from their family members. It's just so terrifying to me that this is happening. I realized I want to go to rallies and protests and speak up to inspire people to action and help us all feel less alone.

We are edging closer to Brexit and it feels like the end of the world. People turning on each other, using vans and cars as weapons. There is no one event which has felt hugely impactful, just a series of heart sinking 'oh no' on the news. Perhaps the bright spot is the revolution against this. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas teens who are leading a spotlight on the NRA and gun control. Why are the victims forced to use clear backpacks? Why do people need guns? Why doesn't the government care? If nothing else, these kids are showing that they will change the world. We need to be there to support them and lift them up. We need to have a different view next year.

American politics continue to fascinate, infuriate, and worry me. As an expat abroad, I find such fear in looking forward to someday returning to the United States and yet such hope in being able to go back and make a difference.

Honestly, I feel like the most selfish person on the planet for not having a good answer to this question. What happened in the world? Everything. Nothing new. Trump is president. Refugees are welcome nowhere. Every community, every country turns inward more and more. It's fucking grim. And I've spent the year, amidst everything shittier happening to other people, only thinking about the shitty things happening to me. I have turned inward, too.

The passing of the Nation-State Law in Israel. It made me think a lot about what it means to be jewish. Whether I could see myself living in IL, despite really not agreeing with it current politics. Also the way that IL is now portrayed as the only "safe haven"/home of the Jews and how it kind of screws over jews outside of it. I think I am more open to exploring for myself what it means to be Jewish, you know, what kind of link do I want to have to it, or to a community (if any).

The weirdness, the sense that something is off, or has slipped, continued without cease.

I couldn't ever imagine how fast Trump has changed the world's opinion of the U.S. We are no longer the "power house" or the nation who stands up for other nations. We are now known as the nation that bullies other nations, who discriminate against people who are different than us, and basically, think we can still "rule the world" without actually having good relations with other countries. But among all this chaos and sadness has come hope and community at the grass roots level. I have become more passionate about getting to know my neighbors and getting involved with community in lower levels of democracy, like our neighborhood association and volunteering with Master Gardeners. What I have come to realize is that I may not be able to change what is going on in the world, but I can change how I interact with my neighbors and how I participate as a good citizen and neighbor in my community.

Trump's (and the nuclear bomb industry, lobbyists, pork politicians) lurch to tactical nukes as a viable option --- and business. In the face of all the gains in the treaty ban, robust civil society action, and the humanitarian acceptance for the ban in societies around the world. It brought back the traumas of working tactical nukes during the height of the Cold War, which I thought were over for humanity. It led me to learn that the nuclear sites in north Germany were located on SS slave labor sites, sub camps of Buchenwald. Trying to metabolize these screaming realities, I threw myself into an art project to express this, as prayer energy. Over the year I struggled to learn new artisan skills in printmaking, paper making and pop-up mechanisms. Now as I am in the final stages of assembly, I am grateful for my G-d-granted creativity and see how I can help others.

This year the North Carolina educators held a big protest in Raleigh for better teaching conditions. My mom and I went with a couple of her friends. It was amazing and so powerful. She is 60 and works 3 jobs and has me and my sister giving her money and it still isn't enough sometimes. It scares me a little becoming a teacher knowing how little they make and how little respect they get, but I also know how fulfilled I am working with kids and can't wait to do that for a long time to come.

The continued dumb-fuckery of the Trumpistas has impacted my interactions with people of Facebook. I've had several unfriend me and block me. I'm not upset about it, but I am aware of it. The why: partially personal integrity, I cannot (will not) stay silent on things that I believe are important.

Climate Change. Not so much an event, but the continual change in weather, temperature and storm events. Thinking about how my children and potential grandchildren will be impacted. Will future parts of the world be inhabitable? What changes can I make in my day-to-day that will have a positive impact on this?

I actually really like my answer from last year and feel that it is still very applicable: I think that through the terrible things that are happening the shining light in here is truth: Black Lives were always undervalued, but now there is light on the situation for everyone to see. Native lands have been stolen since this thing we call a nation was founded. Immigrants have been unfairly and hypocritically targeted since the dawn of time. What I see is different is people standing up for those rights on a large scale. Yes, this brings out the prejudice lying dormant in some people. Yes, it feels overwhelming to solve these problems and be a good ally. Yes, I should be doing more. But in all of this hatred we also see the true colors of good people and the support that the human race has for the future, no matter who holds the supposed power.

Brexit. A backward move in my opinion. Upsetting as I grew up as part of EU. Don't agree with segregation. Annoyed because I didn't choose this.

I continue to feel the impact of the Brexit vote. I was certainly sensitive about it at the time, but the effect has not lessened. I feel that many of my life decisions, especially regarding work, are influenced by the upcoming separation with Europe. Working in a multi-cultural environment I also feel somehow embarrassed and ashamed, as if Brexit reflects my own views in some way, which it does not.

I am disturbed by the ferocity of antagonism between the left and the right and the virulence of antisemitism.

I mean, the world is on fire. Politicians are running things based on their own interests and no concern for the needs of their constituents. Racists and misogynists are feeling empowered to come into the open. Women are constantly having their rights challenged and/or removed altogether. Working for Planned Parenthood - which started in June - has made the latter of those especially impactful. It's also given me hope, because I see the good side of the fight. "If we haven't won, we're not done fighting."

It's been a whirlwind year in US politics that has reshaped my views on the civic responsibilities of every US citizen. While I do not believe in compulsory voting, I firmly feel that it is our duty to the country to be informed about current events and that it is the obligation of the government to be open and transparent in its dealings.

Family separation at the border has really broken my heart; especially as we think about becoming parents ourselves. It is so devastating.

The ongoing event of the current president has caused me concern for our country, our world, and my child's future on this planet. I try to leave places better than I received them but I don't think I will be able to say I did that as I leave this earth. Our country is becoming desensitized by the administration's antics, yet we are more proactive than ever. I'm proud that my child sees things for what they are, sees a bully and knows that behavior is unacceptable, sees bad decisions and considers the impact. In the end I am sorry for what your future could hold, my child, but good people are rising to the top!

I think the biggest thing is Donald Trump becoming president. This has absolutely rocked my world and I was completely distraught. However, i will say this, I have noticed more people banning together and engaging in political discussions surrounding social justice and equity than before. i hope this has woken people up the racism, sexism, and hatred that prevails and has been there for years.

The release of information about the chaos in the White House and the involvement of Donald Trump in racketeering and money laundering through Russian oligarchs has been startling and eye-opening. His atrocious behavior, bluster, and mindlessness have been astounding. Before it's all over, he will hang from a lampost, either literally, figuratively, or both. The fearfulness and hypocrisy of the Republicans in Congress has also been eye-opening.

The continued slow motion train wreck in the White House.

Wow I feel like I’ve both had my head in the sand and been effected by everything. We are still suffering it’s still pretty bad out there. Trumps America is the most scary place and my friends relationships and family are all suffering quietly and loudly. I’m running out of enough cope to stay on top of things.

The North Korea talks is the only thing that might have caused me to ponder. I was stationed in Korea 1972-73 at USASG-JSA. I always thought (even back then) It would be fun to go back some day and spend a few days with one of my opposing guards. Talking about life, family, old age and laugh at the stupid things we did as young adults. Unfortunately the North Koreans are still being forced fed propaganda and my drink with a KPA guard may never happen. Too bad!

President Trump's decision to separate families, and imprison children away from their parents has frightened me so much. I can only imagine how frightened these children must be, ripped away from their parents and anyone they've ever known. How is it possible that my country can do this? My reaction has been to try to stay informed as much as possible, and donate money to groups seeking to reunite families. It is more important than ever to vote these horrible amoral people out.

Our president is the absolute worst. I have little faith in half the people in our country. I don’t see how the great divide can be bridged. I feel pessimistic and depressed about the direction of our country.

All the bloody racist comments about white people. It's so frustrating to have a double standard that makes people think it's okay to talk about what white people do but we can't talk about what black people do. And it's so, so weird to see white people talk poorly about their own race - so weird, so twisted.

The unprecedented announcement and meeting of the US with North Korea. I'm not a fan of King Trump, but his high jinx may have had a major, unplanned consequence which may be dissolving the freeze, and beginning active conversations and movement in the relationship between North & South Korea....while not impacting the nuclear risk, it may completely change the alignment in Asia.

The world is falling apart around me in addition to inside me. I am in a dark place right now. I am trying to have hope.

Watching the Brexit getting closer. It has made me having doubts about living in London. And it has made me feel insecure.

I think back to New Year's Eve, which we spent with family in England. It felt bleak, and in many ways uncertain, but we've taken our lives day by day since. I can honestly say that life, despite not being without its ups and downs, has gotten better since.

As last year, I feel like the fate of the protections in the ACA will closely mirror our fate. Any removal of pre-existing condition coverage or allowance of lifetime limits will eventually lead to my losing insurance. After that I'm not sure what happens to me.

The world is still a scary place, and I am still feeling challenged by trying to live in a post-Trump world. Probably the most impactful and scary thing from this last year though were the huge wildfires in Santa Rosa and Napa, which were close enough to home to feel "there but for the grace of God go we...". So many people lost their homes and livelihoods, and the area will never be the same. Camp Newman (our Jewish camp) burned down. It really inspired me to try to volunteer and help in various ways though, and that coming together of people to help and support was pretty impressive.

There was a story about, I believe, an 8 year old boy who committed suicide bc of being bullied for being gay. That is devastating to hear, especially as a member of the lgbtq community :(

Two events: One: The Windrush Generation being kicked out of Britain. Two: Families being separated at the USA Border Control and kids being put into cells. They both showed that the UK or the USA doesn't like anyone to be in their country, who isn't white, which I believed we were pasted. I want to live in the world, were compassion is important, and currently the USA and the UK this is not the case. I have tried very hard to show compassion to everyone because currently, I'm not seeing it in the world

I feel like every year the outside world has less impact on me. I now consume very little news, most of it passive. There have been times, such as when I was in sixth form, when I read the paper every day. Now I just occasionally do the crossword and the weekend quiz. I don't listen to Radio 4 when I wake up in the mornings or in the car on the way to work. I don't watch TV news. My news comes secondhand and in headlines I see on social media. But also in more depth and at greater distance in podcasts. I do this for self-protection because I know the news can have a negative impact on my mental health. GDPR has had the biggest impact at work, but I'm glad to be working for an agency rather than have to be responsible for it in-house. A lot of the reaction seems silly to me and over-cautious. I'm glad I don't have to make those decisions. There was that crazy week leading up to 25 May when any organisation who ever collected my email address emailed me to inform me about their new privacy policy. Some of my favourite sites, such as Instapaper, have also been unavailable for a while until they get their house in order. It seems against the fucking point of the internet to shut down your operations in a country for regulatory reasons. I'm also not precious about my personal data as long as I'm able to opt out easily.

The decisions of our president re: tax cuts, tariffs, NATO, Supreme Court, etc. have greatly dismayed me. But they also have me focused on fundamentals: prayer, family, community, holidays. I think as a society we need to get back to basics. Like R. Salanter, we have to start with ourselves if we want to change the world.

10th anniversary of the financial crisis: how little we've learned and how badly the system continues to be manipulated. The Windrush scandal. Should've toppled the government. Corbyn and anti-antisemitism. Should've toppled the Labour leadership.

The fires in n. california and the heat and extreme weather everywhere brings home the reality and urgency of climate change.

moving the US embassy to Jerusalem was mega! Though I can't stand (understatement) Trump, but for that move (and his overall attitude towards Israel) I will always be grateful.

The overreaction of the IDF against Palestinian protesters at the Fence impacted me greatly this year. I do believe that the protests were organized and supported by Hamas, but I also believe that Israel must continue to hold the upper hand, the more mature stance, in this issue. Their actions must not lead to ours. I was part-way through an application for yeshiva in Israel when this happened and I haven't looked at the application since the news broke. I just can't accept that Bibi and his cabinet would lower themselves to this level.

Family separations have left me feeling sad and defeated. I am hoping our political climate changes soon.

Most of my reckoning with Charlottesville occurred in 5778, even though it happened in August 2017. At times, it feels like I am an imposter. I never felt physical pain or hurt. I just processed it, which is much more than can be said about Ferguson. I think the event helped me grow as a writer and a thinker, providing me with nuanced material with which I could think about my own life. It gave me a college essay, a chapel, and a newspaper. Oh that poor, poor newspaper edition. Ben Fallica really screwed me over. When he wrote a defense of the confederate statues which I edited to remove the... racism... he went straight to Ware instead of me or Taylor. I had to stall out the whole edition to sit down and edit with him. That was a very sad edition of the newspaper. I had to add extra photo spreads to fill space. It was a rough effort. 5778 was the year I dealt with the Charlottesville stigma. That has subsided. My home was hijaked. We couldn’t host MAR fall this year because of a trial. The impact of August 11-12 will scar Charlottesville for years to come.

I feel exactly the same way this year as I did last year: "It's so hard to pick just one event that has impacted me in 2017. This year has felt like death by a thousand paper cuts, except that the paper cuts are actually massive wounds that are bleeding. It's been really hard to stay present and aware of everything going on in the world, and even harder for those things to not either keep me permanently angry or permanently numb."

The ongoing Mueller investigation is probably the most impactful event of the year. It impacts everyone in the country, as well as much of the world. The impact to me is one of hope. Hope that the investigation will conclude and that Trump will either resign or be removed from office. It is also a very draining experience. It seems like every time things can't sink any lower, Trump finds a way to dig to deeper depths.

TRUMP. it's horrifying to see this evil and stupidity rewarded and protected. I am miserable to see how a show commercial is more controversial than a shooting. Unacceptable. So hard to be alive in these times. honestly.

Handing in my final assignment for my degree has had a great impact on me this year, and I am already seeing great improvements in terms of mental capacity since completing my undergraduate work this summer.

All the race, hate, and division in the world has negatively affected me. I feel like I have lost hope in our superiors and it has left a bad taste in my mouth for those who defend and support politics these days. It is nothing but another tool divide and conquer.

I won't go very far. My country has elected an asshole for office, and possibly this is the last of freedom we get for a while. It's the same as everywhere now: being stupid is fashion. This will cause a lot of trouble, unstability and instead of progress we'll go backwards... I just hope I'm mistaken... Unfortunately, history is on my side this time...

I seriously can't think of anything. What happened this year? The metoo movement? Mac Miller died, he was in camp, teens, when I was a counselor in the village. Idk why it affected me as much as it did. I've been thinking abt it alot.

How can I answer just once? Every single day, the White House and its inhabitants and staff do and say things that floor me. I am in a constant state of shock, disbelief, horror, anger, frustration, rage, depression, heartbreak, and endless despair. And somehow we still have to put up with him. It's a nightmare. The most heartbreaking has been the internment of children coming over the southern border. Only the absolute worst kind of a person, someone close to not even being human anymore, could do something like that.

I have never really been that impacted by current events. Things that happen in the world don't touch me. Because of that, nothing immediately springs to mind. I'm still kind of reeling from the 2016 election and every time I hear anything about politics, I sink even further into disbelief that this is even really happening. I am utterly flabbergasted that there are people in the world that have so much irrational hatred for other human beings to the point where they are trying to withhold basic human rights. How can people like that exist? I want to believe that everyone exists to do good; people have their own morals and worldviews and, sure, they don't always align perfectly to my own but they still have them, don't they? Don't they have a sense of right and wrong? Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there are people out there in the world who are just bad people, who exist solely to persecute and hate. I don't want to believe that but it's hard not to given everything that's transpiring. USA. Go team.

This is the same as last year, really. Total insanity appears to be prevailing. Brexit is going to be an utter clusterfuck and it's becoming so obvious to anyone with a brain. Opinion polls indicate a huge change of opinion, the Electoral Commission have determined that Leave broke campaigning rules - but I don't know if we can pull it round so we'll just have to watch the country commit economic and social suicide. It makes me want to cry, honestly.

It would be hard to pick just one event; it feels like every day there really is 'breaking news' and it's never good. I did work as a poll worker on primary day and had great fun. Generally I'm mostly tired and horrified and almost don't know what to do anymore. I need to find my way through and find a way to help/volunteer, affect some kind of change I believe in.

Refugees everywhere and all the worlds ability and ability and willingness and unwillingness to help.....the racism, sexism, xenophobia and religious oppressions Phew

The Kavanaugh confirmation hearings show the irrationality and the ease some have for throwing due process and innocent till proven guilty because someone timidly makes and accusation from the shadows.

The ongoing fracas/farce that is this American life. Liberals.Conservatives.Antifa.Alt-right. All of this bullshit drives me to be different.I don't want a team. I thought we were all on the same team already. Guess not. Makes me feel like just another being on this globe. Makes me ache for a home when mine is ravaged by war.

The negative: That idiot piece of shit in the whitehouse is shitting on everything and everyone and sometimes it's just so overwhelming, I don't feel like I can do anything to do any good in this world. The positive: Beto O'Rourke has given me some hope in this regard. I'm trying to keep hope alive, not just in me, but in my community. I'm trying to be my best self and extend a hand at all times.

I cannot think of a world event that has strongly impacted me. However, I can feel the tension in our society through various media. It seems we interact more with each other in the world than we did several decades ago. Our reactions and the responses to our reactions are so much quicker. Sometimes I feel like we've become a hyper-sensitive society. Yes, there are many atrocities in the world and problems that need to be resolved, but there are so many knee-jerk reactions. It feels like we're sending data to each other, not relating to each other. I have actually pulled away from most social media and take time to reflect on what do see and hear, trying not to judge or lash out, but determining if/how I can make a difference in a positive way. There is no easy answer for the problems in our society, but lashing out at each other is not the answer. It only fuels the fire. I am going to continue to try to help temper the flames and to keep my stress levels down as well. I think that is what I can do best for everyone.

Bomb threats affected me in school and how I view security. Of course the presidency. I regret that I am not on top of news events this year like I used to be. That will be something I will try to work on moving forward.

It's hard to feel impacted by anything in the world these days. Because there is just so much wrong with it that nothing feels real. Hurricane Harvey was devastating and horrific; that at least felt real.

The election of Donald Trump! Thank G-d!

the continuing reign of terror under President Trump and the Republicans who enable him. It's real depressing to have our country run largely by a bunch of cronyistic, plutocratic, callous, selfish bastards. The lack of caring by a lot of those in power scares the hell out of me.

The supreme court nomination given by President Trump. I worry about that a lot. Only because of my now legal marriage to my husband Andrew. We are left at the whims of the political system who can at any moment change because of ideology. I fear that my marriage to Andrew can and will become invalid just by a signature of the President or the courts having to challenge the subject of same-sex marriage again and those against it will win. It is a scary thought to know that my life could change in an instant. My marriage to my husband could become invalid. That is why I hope to get married soon within the Jewish tradition.

The presidency is an event: a daily traumatizing heart wrenching experience that adds up to one prolonged catastrophe. There is a multitude of madness at the federal level that keeps me in a state of worry. I would love to see some type of order and organization, kindness and compassion, civility and decency, yet, there is none. Day in and day out, I am bombarded.

There has been an unending churn of news and I've spent a lot of time and energy this year twisted up in consuming it or energy trying to control my exposure to it. I go cold turkey reading news online and that only works for so long. Even on Instagram. Especially Instagram?

The Trump presidency has broken my heart. I am saddened by the many fellow Americans who voted for him and still, after the myriad of sides of himself he has shown us, they support him with all their might. The man is everything I detest. It kills me everyday to hear so many jump in to support his vile and disgusting behavior.

The election of Jacinda Adhern as NZ prime minister. As the world moves right it is great to see a young progressive woman elected.

The camps migrant children are being sent to when they cross the US border in the south. Being separated from their parents in such a traumatic fashion that they just. Shut down. It. Really shows how willing people are to ignore atrocities in the pursuit of “not getting political” and how...gleefully some people will commit atrocities if the victims are suitably othered. I feel almost hollow. Numb. I won’t let myself get there, though. This is one of those times that people really need to keep heart and not become apathetic.

Hurricane Florence shook me up. I was not prepared to see images of disaster of a place I've only just left. Everything else is so awful too.

Basically everything Trump says or does disgusts me. Hurricane Maria, separating immigrant families, policies and xenophobic rhetoric, thinly veiled racist speech - it’s all vile. The #metoo and black Lives Matter movement heartens me.

I don't know how to answer this, honestly. I've been avoiding this question, because it seems like so much terror has happened this year. Things are just bad, all the time, more than I can bear. It makes me want to do good, though, and has made me appreciate the good people and look to find those with hope and light in their hearts despite all that goes on in the world.

i cannot believe trump is president. i just don't understand. i cannot believe so many black boys and men are being tattled on for grilling while black or just being black, or murdered in their homes while just living their lives.I want to do more, I don't know what. I don't think protesting/rallying is the way. It hardly seems like it will effect change.

As a citizen of the world I believe that I’m impacted by everything that happens in our world, the war that the U.S. is still involved in for the past 17 years, also the war in Syria, the recent hurricane (Florence) that greatly affected the Carolina’s, climate change, our crazy president, and other things that negatively impact the world. However, the thing that has impacted me the most this past year has to do with the opioid epidemic in the U.S. Over the past few years several close friends have lost their kids or the kids partners to heroin overdoses. So in 2018 when it home with my friend it felt like a message for me to use my own recovery as well as my interest and involvement in the criminal justice system to do more work around this issue. Volunteering in the prison that past few years allowed me to see first-hand how drug and alcohol addiction is one of the main reasons why so many people end up in prison. I feel that I’m being directed by God to do what I can to impact this crisis in our country.

Hurricane Florence impacted me because I have a friend in Wilmington, NC who elected NOT to evacuate. I was worried about her and her family for several days.

wow, all the #metoo speaking up and tearing down, watching "Nanette," thinking about the opportunity cost of protecting offenders, and noticing how much I have been conditioned to excuse away former bad behavior. Hearing about IO leaving the midwest with her baby when it was bad enough, not as bad as it can get, and overlaying that onto our shifting social norms around what's acceptable behavior in leaders keeps ringing in my ears, loudly.

Trump being elected president. I was not expecting him to become the president, it was disbelief for me. I mostly don't get involved in politics. I don't waste my time following all the negativity which seems to happen on a daily basis.

Trump trump trump. What a disaster. I’m just hoping we survive with minimal damage. Women’s marches and responses have been nice. MeToo movement has certainly impacted my job!

The death of my cousin, at the age of 67, has brought the reality about the frailty of life home. At 60. I'm two family members away from being the matriarch. I feel like I'm just getting to 40. Not ready to be the old lady of the manse!

As a teacher in Canada, still seeing the young woman lead the massive "March for our lives" really impacted me. To see that despite all the naysayers there are kids who value their safety and their education in schools. I still try to find ways to use that young woman's speech in my classes, as if to say to students "yeah, you can do that too, if you wanted. "

As I said in the answer last year, I'm finding it harder to follow the news and either not get affected by it, or sometimes I feel like I'm getting hardened to it (e.g. 'oh? another mass shooting? huh'). One thing that stands out is the boys soccer team that got trapped in the cave in Thailand. It was a big talking point among people and I found myself increasingly glued to the media coverage about it. I think it brought out a mixture of strong emotions in me and I imagine others - fear and terror, mixed with relief and happiness when it all (mostly) turned out OK. Another thing is the whole Jacinda Ardern becoming Prime Minister and having this massive amazing year in which she seems to have inspired this sense of positivity and optimism amongst many New Zealanders, brought in some very positive and practical policy changes and initiatives, and, been pregnant and had a baby! Just amazing. So I guess that's left me with a (much-needed) sense of hope for the future, for our country and the world, and for women. It has also helped validate my own choices around combining work and having a child, which I know some have judged or not understood.

Bruh, which one??

Anthony Bourdain's suicide shook me. I'm a huge fan, and even though some signs were there, it still felt like it came out of nowhere. I respect so many things that he did and his philosophy on travel and eating.

New Zealand's prime minister is an unmarried (though partnered) woman who had a baby in office, and took several weeks of maternity leave! She is the first head of state to do so (and the second to have a baby in office). I think this made a huge impression on me because she is clearly a motivated, accomplished woman, and also makes the decisions she needs to make to take care of herself and her family without worrying about whether it makes her seem less professionally capable. It kinda makes her seem more baller, really, and that's a good lesson.

The election of Donald Trump. I find no redeemable quality in his personality, and find it disappointing how many people seem to believe that he can be any good for America.

You know I am so fortunate that big “events in the world” so rarely have a direct impact on me and the people in my life. Many things have worried me and made me angry and sad for the people they affect, but at this moment I am very buffered from the direct effects of the dangerous direction “events in the world” have taken. May this be the case in the next year as well. We are starting to really see the effects of global warming and this hot, humid summer has made mold grow in dark corners of our house, which is disgusting but nothing compared to the people who have died in heat waves in hotter places, or in the stronger hurricanes we’re seeing now, or in droughts and floods and whatnot. I’m extremely fortunate and that makes it all the more vital to remember how thin that line is and that what divides me from those more directly affected is pure dumb luck.

The ongoing Mueller investigation has justified my faith in the honor and dedication of public servants. Many in the government are called to serve the people, not to govern them, or to accrue power and wealth with no consideration of the people at all. Not all people suck.

Many things in "my little world" have impacted me, but I can't think of anything "in the world" in the bigger sense that has. I sort of live in a cave. I have come to peace with not keeping up with current events. Things that I can't affect and the don't affect me directly drain my energy and my happiness, so I tend to ignore them.

Trump is making it really hard to be an immigrant in America right now. Hopefully, by 2019, I will be less afraid of my life here in the States.

Not an event, just the ongoing onslaught of incompetence, immorality, and evil on both sides of the Atlantic. Brexit and Trump. I am encouraged by activism in both places, for the midterm elections and calls for a second vote on the EU. But it is hard to feel hopeful.

The forced separation of children from their parents when families have sought asylum in the USA from terrible conditions in their home country has made me ashamed of these orders from the current President, the Attorney General of the United States of America, and other members of the Administration. Today more than 400 children are still separated from their parents, even though a judge ordered the administration to have all children reunited by late May 2018. We have contributed to the ACLU to help get these children reunited with their parents.

Donald fucking Trump continues to the the fucking president. I really wish there had been an event in the world involving him getting what he deserves, but I can’t report this. Every day since November 9th of 2015 has been a horror and a battle, full of events that make me upset.

All of it. The family separations impacted me in a huge way. I did not understand why we were not taking to the streets. I wept. I still weep.

ugh the world is so shambles. I bought PLan B on Amazon though so that's good because Trump is the fucking president and Kavanaugh and Gorsich will probably sit on the bench and I am afraid. I bet I could still get an abortion because I am so fucking privileged but I am so afraid for my sisters. We have been shaken by Russia, the surveillance state, and a new type of war with an old foe. And yet, my day was lovely. Looking at the news is jarring.

I don’t know if I’ve been too busy focusing on the good in the world, but I can’t think of any one big event that has taken place. The Cheeto remains in the White House somehow, but the upcoming midterm elections will hopefully shake some things up. There were some deals with North and South Korea which were particularly interesting. Lots of horrible things in Syria. Abortion’s legally is currently being questioned with the potential approval of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. I do keep track to stay aware, but it doesn’t provoke fire inside me like it would have a year ago.

The Parkland, Florida shooting in February - 17 kids killed. Not the first mass school shooting nor the last, but it stoked tremendous fear. I faced a lot of evil shit in high school - the LA riots, gang violence, bullying - but nothing equivalent to the terror gripping schools today. Even wealthy suburbs like Newtown, CT are targets and nothing is being done is stop it. Every day I am more and more frightened for the child I'm bringing into the world. Did I conceive him just to watch everything fall apart around him? Will he live to be my age, or an old man? God help us all.

The U.S. continues to be less than stable. Trump keeps disrespecting various nations and leaders, and North Korea is an ever looming potential threat. China’s started their social score trial. It’s apparently rolling out in 2020, and it really raises some questions on what’s an appropriate level of monitoring a nation?

The anniversary of 9/11 really hit me hard this year. No, I really have no idea why. Besides that, the whole FISA abuse thing really has gotten deep under my skin.

The entire political year has impacted me. It's becoming a more and more frightening world. I do what I can, but feel so powerless. My only real power is my vote, and that doesn't even seem to count for much

The #metoo movement. It's made me aware of the rape in my own experience. It has created thoughtfulness and conversation around consent. It's challenged the way-it-is. It's been empowering.

All the events/fallout from the election continue to stack up. Even more isolation from family causes friction. I’ve tried to speak out against things but it’s a matter of picking your battles carefully! So frustrating.

FUCKING TRUMP. FUCK. THAT. FUCKER. SO. MUCH. (yes, a repeat from last year). I have never loathed politicians SO MUCH. I have never wanted so desperately to believe in an afterlife so I could know that he and his ilk would rot in eternity for the hate and filth they've brought in to this world. The insane policies, the systematic destruction of any progress made during the previous presidency, the human rights abuses against any brown person... just... ugh. UGH.

There have been a lit of world events this year. We are in a very tumultuous time. Most deeply this presidential administration has effected me because I disagree so fully with all he is doing. It causes a lot of stress wondering what funding he will cut next. I work in social service. My father receives a lot of social services and to see them cutting funding to vital programs like Medicaid is scary. Shootings are another source of stress for me. I hate hearing about school shootings, the kids in FL who went to school one day and saw their friends and classmates being shot was horrific. I pray my children never have to experience anything like that.

2019'dan daha önce aldılar seçimi ondan dolayı artık Tayyip başkan. Dolar inanılmaz artmış durumda. Türkiye iyice fakir bir hale geldi yurtdışına nasıl gideceğimiz konusunda hiç bir fikrimiz yok. Bu ve benzeri nedenlerle yurtdışında yaşama opsiyonu giderek kuvvetleniyor

This year has been incredibly packed with so many issues. Our president is part of the issue. Not only do I not agree with him on a variety of issues, but his policies are hateful and have encouraged antisemitism and racial divide. As a Jew and the parent of a child of color, I am constantly on alert. Had I not had such a personally stressful year, I would be doing more. I hope to do more leading up to the election to get out the vote and to help create the blue wave.

It feels like the world is getting more full of hate from the president and the state of relationships between different races and groups of people. I think it causes a constant state of tension in our world and people are too focused on what divides us rather than what unites us.

The first thing that comes to mind is the mounting political impact of #45 being elected. It seems like there is a slow chipping away at what we used to take for granted. The slowness of it is purposeful i am sure, so that most people don't notice or don't thing the changes will affect them. Even though i have stayed tuned in to all that is happening, you are never really prepared for when something hits close to home. For me, that was the swastika painted on the synagogue where our preschool is, where i have attended services and is only 5 miles from my house.

Oh fuck the world. I don’t know. Trump is still happening. People are still dying everywhere. Every day the news get more absurd and more horrible. I can’t pick one event. I guess if I have to say one thing. The whole Me To campaign. That fact that people are starting to talk about the things that are wrong. Starting to discuss them and call out the rich whitw straight dudes who have so far just been allowed to be horrible. Perhaps this is the beginning of good things. Perhaps this is the beginning of humanity turning this ship around. I hope that in 12 months my answer to this question will be “we fixed it. We’re doing better now” but I doubt it to be honest.

I have to say that it is still that horrible man being our president. How he is treating anyone not white and “born” American is disgusting and horrifying. I am still feeling that I can not be proud of this country even less so then last year. It has gotten worse. The hate and the fact that he is supported by so many in this country no matter how he lies, ridicules, shames anyone other then how myself. He treats this country and it’s people so disrespectfully it amazes me. I can’t believe it is happening and I am scared of what the future in this country will be for my children and their children.

The world seems to have gotten to be a worse place- and yet I have embraced apathy. The indifference I feel and powerlessness (which then easily allows me to pretend there is nothing I can do and so then do nothing) is scary. I'm not sure what will awaken me- I feel so self-involved and focused on my life and those around me- partially because its easier and partially because what impact can I have?

The #metoo movement and all of the events and revelations that lead up to that moment were incredibly important and also very triggering for me. It was amazing and also so bittersweet to be able to finally publicly acknowledge and give words to some of the daily atrocities we women face daily. I also had to deal with some of the hard reasons I opted out of a more visible career in the entertainment industry. There was so much anger and residual grief that came up for me and it's still present today. Even this past weekend, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward to accuse Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court Judge Nominee, of attempted rape when he was 17. These events impact me profoundly and I feel the backlash and reactions to her story very acutely. I feel devastated and worried and angry about it all. I vaguely remember hearing about Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas as a child and I pray that we have moved passed that as a society in the last 25 years. It doesn't seem like the needle has moved far. The same bigoted, misogynistic old men that tormented Anita Hill are still presiding over the Senate Judicial Committee decades later. I pray that they do the right thing and fully investigate and give her story voice, or are so pressured by female voters that they are compelled to do the right thing. I pray that women can change that this year. I pray that women and liberals sweep the midterm elections. I pray for restoration of truth and justice and equality in our society.

I can't think of one specific bevent in the world. President Trump is already in office. So I think that Gay Rights has affected me in this world. I see so many having to hide who they love due to non-equality. I am happy to live on a country where I can marry who I want, kiss who I want and love who I want freely. Yes there are people out there who can't understand or tolerate the LGBTQ community. Yet we all are humans and want to live and love and be loved back. I think it impacts me so much as it took me a very long time to come out and accept who I was. For all of the men and women who already know and can't come out I feel is wrong. Love is love. I am grateful for being me. Being able to love another man. It's just love, man, women, cat, or dog. You love who you love.

Trump. Always Trump. Or at least, for the past two years, Trump. It feels like so much that is important to me is not important to the world in which I live, or at least, to the people who oversee and control and direct the world in which I live. This man has brought so many out of the woodwork to speak out, to stand up, to march -- but there's a persistent feeling of anxiety and uselessness to everything, I think. There's a sense that this is just our reality now, and we have no better choice than to adapt. In general, this -- in conjunction with the internal goings-on of my own life -- makes me wonder how best we are meant to encounter or engage change?

I am gravely concerned about the health of our democracy and what is happening from the Whitehouse and Congress, but the Supreme Court debacle hurts most of all. I am depressed, angry and sad. I also feel like human time on earth is very limited and that makes me sad as well.

I wouldn't point to one specific event but rather an acceleration of the overall trend of the rise of illiberal democracy. Taken together, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, the Philippines, and others, along with near misses and growing nationalist movements in many other developed nations, are a troubling sign that commitment to the post WWII liberal democratic order is faltering. I don't like surprises, so the sense of not knowing where all of this might lead is frightening.

I feel both disconnected from world events and overwhelmed by them. Sitting here now, there's not just one that stands out to me from this year. I think I worry most about the environment and evidence of climate change here and abroad and the lack of ability to do anything meaningful about it.

The presidential election is still having a major impact on me. The racist and greedy decisions that are influencing policy are really disheartening. The impact that this person will have on the world for generations to come is infuriating. The world seems like a much darker and scarier place. I hope that his term and all of the republicans that are silently enabled get voted out during the midterms. Enough is enough. We need to save our world for generations to come not completely abuse and neglect it for our children to attempt to clean it up

I am usually not sad about the passing of a celebrity or political figure, but two deaths hit me hard this year. 1. Claire Wineland - not exactly a celebrity, but a stranger to me and a true gift to the world. She spoke passionately about her desire to make a difference and to live life to it's fullest no matter how short. She taught me the importance of taking risks and making the most out of the moments we have. 2. John McCain - someone said, "It feels like we are losing the grown-ups in office." I may not have agreed with Sen. McCain on a lot of things, but he did seem like someone who was willing to listen. Most importantly he was unwilling to stay quiet to make his party happy. We need more politicians like him.

I hate to have the same answer as last year, but Hillary Clinton losing the election has continued to impact me this year. Everything that has come about from the current administration has been negative. The Office of the President is rapidly losing its dignity and the news is a never-ending cycle of scandal and shit. God I hope we can do something about it in the midterm elections coming up.

The seemingly interminable presidency of DJT continues to bear down on my (and everyone else's) well being. Lately I have been saying that it feels like we are being led to slaughter and cant do a damn thing about it, especially since the nomination of Kavanaugh for SCOTUS. So much of the future seems to be on the line. The environment, health care, the well being of others less fortunate than me and mine, and so much more, all seem to be at risk now. The captain of the collective ship appears to be insane, narcissistic, self absorbed and downright extremely dangerous on many fronts.

An event in the world. Hmm. Well the US is getting more and more evil? Openly evil. The whole separating families thing, the denying full citizenship benefits to citizens, lessening human rights and increasing corporate power. I’m scared of it. It’s already pretty much too late to do anything about the coming apocalypse and it alternately terrifies and totally numbs me. It for sure adds to the trauma and stress gumming me up.

All I can think of is the neverending shitshow that is the Trump presidency. It's frightening, enervating, abominable. The craven behavior of politicians leaves me hopeless. Both the conservatives who kowtow to whoever appeals to the 'base', regardless of their stated principles and the so-called liberals who can't see beyond their need for comfort via a civility that belies the suffering caused by their inaction, their lack of anything resembling fortitude.

The sitting president is getting closer and closer to impeachment. On the one hand, I'm thrilled because he never should've been 'elected' in the first place. On the other hand, his vice president is potentially worse than he is, so the idea of having him instead is terrifying. So there's still a lot of anxiety surrounding the political situation.

There was no particular world event that affected me, but in the early part of 2018 I had a feeling of impending doom. Then I found out I had cancer, dear friends lost their home to fire, another's 40-year-old son died of a heart attack, and an acquaintance's daughter was murdered. Add to that the current lunatic administration, and the world felt like a scary place. Then I found out I DON'T have cancer, and suddenly everything felt right again in my world.

Trump's separation of immigrant families - hearing about children younger than my baby girl being torn from their parents - and it's transpiring that it's unlikely they can ever be reunited. Likewise our Nazanin imprisoned under false charges in Iran and only granted brief moments with her little girl. You read about these things and as a normal compassionate human you think 'oh god, how awful' and you might even shed a tear and donate a few quid or sign some petitions... then you become a parent and the full horror of it suddenly strikes at your heart and you rage inside - how do people get away with such evil? How the hell do we change the world so that compassion rules everyone's actions, even the bosses and the bankers and the policy makers?

There are so many I could choose. This has been a tough year for world events, particularly those related to our US government. It's frightening to see that the President appears so unhinged, and that he is effectively getting away with doing whatever he feels like, no matter how illegal or immoral it might be. I am torn between wanting to keep up with news and take action to counter these things, and on the other hand wanting to hide in a hole and pretend it's not happening.

I’ve been really inspired, and also healed, by the empowering movements by women this year. The time’s up and me too movements remind me that I’m not alone, and that women everywhere are sick of poor treatment, harassment, and discrimination.

The school shootings, starting with Marjorie Stoneman Douglas HS, devastated me--and then the popular call for change with no legislative response was even more disheartening. "Thoughts and prayers," while I believe can have weight and importance, are now just nauseating talking points in the aftermath of yet another tragedy. Mental health issues, social and socialization issues, and immigration status are dog-whistles that direct attention away from what to me is the real underlying issues--the ubiquity and ease of access to horribly destructive firearms, and the last gasps of male privilege.

Everything from last year ( Trump, nazis, hurricanes, earthquakes, DACA, refugee bans) but somehow just getting worse.

Trump's continued trashing of values that are important to me, like protecting the environment, Roe v. Wade, compassionate immigration, positive relationships with our allies, etc. I'm angry! I'm also hoping that the damage can be repaired once he's gone.

The recent and public suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain had a profound impact on me. As a professional in the mental health field it is a constant reminder how we can think we know people and then not really know them at all. It is relevant to both my work and personal life. Additionally, these deaths make more salient the idea that money, fame, fortune, etc do not cancel out the difficulties of mental illnesses, and that no one is immune.

Doug Ford being elected premier, it’s our very own mini-Trump. He’s changing city council in Toronto, cutting social assistance (I’m on disability), he changed sex-ed curriculum which only hurts our future generations, and I’m scared about how the province is going to come out of this, just as I’m worried about the US and the world.

I can't think of a single event that had an impact on me more than another. I will say that I feel similar to how I did last year--hope who love or hate Trump or his decisions feel like they are choosing sides and constantly at war. I much prefer people who work to bring people together and understand others.

Climate Change seems the answer here too – – floods, hurricanes and fires. It shows us the extent of the damage we have done through our greedy actions. It also forces me to reflect on what small kinds of good things I can do in the world immediately around me since I cannot solve this problem. I also feel constantly called to give my students hope in the midst of this new reality (not that new really!). I am not always sure how to pass on the hope – – but I am committed to it.

The major earthquake in Hokkaido Japan where my wife's family live. They've had to suffer through loss of electricity, running water, and had their normal lives totally disrupted for weeks. It has to be very hard on my wife's mom who at age 85 had never experienced this sort of a disaster followed by dozens of significant aftershocks. I also feel bad for those that died in their sleep after being covered by huge mudslides. What a way to go!

Gun violence was extremely high this year. The heightened discourse over gun regulation is both relieving, as well as frustrating. I am hopeful for a solution this coming year.

It's hard not to be impacted by the ongoing state of US politics. I certainly continue to live with this low-to-moderate level anxiety about anything from gay rights to immigrant rights to women's rights to the general fight for a fact-based reality. A lot of the impacts and threats are existing on a hypothetical level, but I recently listened to Obama's speech from the 2004 convention, and there was a section that resonated with me very deeply: Alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga, a belief that we are all connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription and having to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab-American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It is that fundamental belief -- it is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work.

Last year world events did seem personal because I was just getting use to the fascist tendencies of Trump and it felt personal due to my family history escaping Nazi Germany. But generally speaking, world events don't "impact me" in a spiritual way or directly. They may motivate me to act, but they're not about me and I'm lucky enough that they generally won't impact me directly.

Trumps election has impacted me more than any other. I find myself watching 3 hours of news a night, just to keep up. I have been depressed, possibly by too much news, by his behavior, by my fear of our standing in the world, by the hatred and violence against immigrants and minorities. I find myself not as disappointed in Trump as I am in the people who could consider supporting him. I can't wait for him to be gone, and pray that there is no permanent damage to the USA.

The Trump presidency and the racism that has unleashed continues to impact my life and those of my dear ones. We live in a fearful time; it is an area where we are always waiting for another bombshell to drop. This administration is a criminal enterprise with racist and misogynistic and fascistic tendencies.

The election of Donald Trump. The #MeToo movement. The detainment of thousands of women, children and families at the Mexican border. The hurricane that hit Puerto Rico. The exposure of top leaders as sexual predators. Ireland overturning the abortion ban. These are the first things that come to my mind as impactful. There is so much more. All of it is painful and wonderful and horrifying and gives reasons for both hope and continued resistance.

Yikes - it has been a scary year in this world. Trump's America continues, and scary things are happening left and right. From Parkland and other school shootings, to children being separated from their parents at the border, to the scary, sad things that happen every day even here in Philadelphia - thinking about the world can be scary. More than anything else, when terrible things happen I can't help but feel grateful that they aren't happening to me. And then I feel guilt and shame in making these tragedies about me at all. And even still, it's easier to feel gratitude and safety than to be mobilized to action. I think if there's one event or movement in the world that has mobilized me more than the others, it's #metoo. Not sitting quietly while my friends, colleagues, and women across the globe suffer in silence is something I think about with great frequency. Thinking isn't doing though, which begs the question -- what should I be DOING in the coming year?

The presidency and the republican congress, whittling away at the rights of women, education, the environment, healthcare. I knew it would be hard when he was elected but to see the republicans so complacent on everything. He is doing things that will leave irreparable harm to our country especially the environment. No human decency. It is hard to believe. It is very disempowering. It has also called me to action to volunteer for the Democrats. There is a change coming, happening already but the enduring we have to go through is excruciating at times.

#MeToo. I never thought about myself as seriously in relation to these stories and the movement until very recently. I never thought in those terms about how it impacted me. I now understand how hard it is to share publicly because I decided not to.

The continued clashing, choosing of sides, tribal politics...asking me to turn over and inspect each of my beliefs. There is still much work to be done here.

OMG, it's hard to pick just one. It's been like an unstoppable avalanche of tragedies this year: the Parkland shooting, the children separated from their families at the border, the ongoing attacks from the Trump administration on civil liberties. How have these impacted me? I'm afraid I'm becoming desensitized, because when I allow myself to feel these things, I become paralyzed with grief and anger and feelings of helplessness. I've sunk deeper into believing that the world is beyond repair.

Trump as president (still). It's annoying how polarized everyone is. No on functions as a legitimate human being online and that's impacting in person interactions. Just like using a credit card takes away the feelings of using cash, the internet takes away/masks the feelings of in person interactions.

I've kind of cocooned myself this year, but I couldn't ignore the Tubbs fire, which burned about half of Santa Rosa last October. Now the Carr fire is burning west Redding. Climate change is going to beat us fast if this is how we go. Talk about being burnt at the stake. This is upsetting too. Donald Trump refused to help Californians because it's a sanctuary state. Verizon slowed firefighters' data speeds until they upgraded their dataplans and paid more while fighting the Tubbs fire which caused them to be slow in maneuvering and firefighting. It's so fucking dystopian.

Oh, god, how to even BEGIN to answer this? The President is a nightmare and, as a result, I keep up with the news less and less.

the family living in desert in Arizona. Where the Dad kidnapped the son who later died and that he was training the other kids to shot and kill people. What was disturbing about it is that these kids were scared and dying. I cannot believe any parent would do this to their child or any child.

The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court affects every single one of us. Lowering the ceiling on the number of immigrants allowed into the US affects every single one of us. Seperating families at the border and locking children in cages affects every single one of us. The new tax plan affects every single one of us. An unindicted coconspirator for a president affects every single one of us.

Trump. Ugghhh. Has been awful to watch a horrible man empower his horrible base. But at least now we all know who the bigots and racists around us are

The #MeToo movement has taken place over much of this past year, igniting a public discussion on sexual harassment and sexual abuse affecting women, in our daily lives and at work. It offered me a more public voice to discuss some of the situations I have been in as a result of abusive power dynamics. While I have not been a victim of violent rape, I have been grabbed on the street, not been heard or listened to when I said no to sexual advances, and used for sexual pleasure of a man as I drunkenly fell asleep. I've had the chance to confront some of my feelings on the matter, to be more resolute in my own respect for my boundaries, and felt pride in my ability to buck shame and speak up.

Not much this year. I think next year I will have more to say with the Brazilian elections coming up. The scenario is drear and hopeless for the country. I have chosen to not get involved emotionally in the topic, I have realized its of little use.

I just looked at a slideshow of major news events from around the world in 2017. It brought back horror after horror. The ones that impacted me the most? Multiple mass shootings, the rise of white supremacism, unforgivable treatment of immigrant families, a huge increase in the presence of homeless people on my doorstep, the MeToo movement exposing sexual harassers and abusers, and climate change is affecting every nook and cranny of our world.

The easy answer would be Donald Trump, though reciting the litany of his atrocities would be a never ending exercise. The world is teetering and we have incompetent and dangerous leadership. That is always there, always a part of the framework of how I’m experiencing my life and my community. But I think more personally, the ongoing murders of transgender people across the world (though particularly in the US), which are most likely trans women of color, has been impacting me. It’s hard to describe collective and community trauma. As a white trans man, plenty of people question why the murder of a trans woman of color should upset me so deeply. But our community is being ravaged at alarming rates and no one seems to care. Trans people are not being viewed by the police or the law as actual people worthy of caring about. We are misgendered even in our death. Trans communities and our allies are shaken to our core. I know that even though I’m statistically much less likely to be killed than a trans woman of color that I still never feel safe in the world, and without safety how are we able to fully engage in the world authentically?

In the clusterfuck that is 2018, it's more like the queue for the rollercoaster - Brexit and Trump are crap, but there are two more horsemen required before the apocalypse really gets going. I know it's coming - even if we're not hoarding tins of food, we are most definitely heading for an isolationist, fascist epoch. It's inevitable. But what event has impacted me this year, really? I can barely remember what happened two minutes ago. Ah, wait, never mind. How could I forget about the Labour Antisemitism meshugas? As a Labour member who never spent much time thinking about Antisemitism, it's been fascinating and unexpected to feel such strong emotions about the whole thing. I've found myself getting so angry and weary at the response from the far left of my own party - the denial, the smearing, the tropes. I have been shocked but not surprised at the level of crap people believe about Jews in 2018. I used to vehemently dislike the Antisemitism-obsessed orthodox right of the Jewish community, but for the first time in my 30 years, I have something in common with them - I believe that we got some work to do if we're going to be safe here long term. Cray.

The public display of white nationalists and a president who supports them, has made it so much easier to be a bully. it seems acceptable to shoot people just because we don't have the same beliefs or color of skin, and declare they're fine people. In my office I deal with a woman who says religious slurs and laughs and calls others horrible names. This all soul crushing to me and yet it's hard to speak up without fear retribution.

I've been so deeply disturbed by the separation of families at the border and how enhanced ICE enforcement is instilling fear in and tearing apart families. I think this would have impacted me no matter what but being in my first year of Parenthood and feeling the deep attachment to my child and his wellbeing, gives me a greater understanding what these families are going through. Seeing jesse's innocence, dependence, rapid learning, attachment and shapeability also gives me a greater horror about and sense of what we are doing to children by our actions.

The children from the football team that stayed in the cave for over a week with their coach. That stopped anda gathered the world, made us believe that all this children had to get out of that place alive. It's beautiful when people from different nationalities, status, etc are gathered around a same cause.

This year was so full of impactful events. The Parkland shooting was probably the most intense one for the past year. It really put things into place for me and others in my community that gun control needs to happen. How many more lives must we lose?

My family and I were in Hawaii when the false missile alert was issued. The alert advised us to seek shelter. There was none, so we went to the beach. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It still does.

It is hard to believe that the presidential election was almost 2 years ago. It continues to affect me every day! Every time wake up, I wonder what fresh hell this day in politics will bring. It almost doesn't seem real; it's like a bad movie where every decision is made in a way that sabotages its own goals. It is exhausting, disheartening, devastating. I feel like my original outrage and energy to fight back have totally collapsed into jaded hopelessness. It feels dangerous to hope for change in the upcoming elections- like it's a set-up and you can't really believe anyone anyway.

We have jails for babies now ... The moral horror of it makes it imperative that we bring a great change to this land.

it has been and continues to be the election of Trump in the USA. combine that with Brexit and the Catalunya bid for independence and all of a sudden life as we know it is seeming more tenuous. with Trump there is no way i would ever want to return to the usa. i have not yet renewed my passport nor do i feel a great desire to. i miss all my stateside friends very much but i just can't imagine living there with the current state of affairs. over on this side of the pond i wonder what impact Brexit will have on my ability to live and work in spain. so far i'm not affected. but just in case we got our permanent residency status. in two more years we could become spanish citizens but i would have to seriously up my spanish language skills. with catalunyan independence i also worry -- will the EU recognize Catalunya? would we still be able to live and work here?

The #metoo movement and the reckoning that followed and continues today. When it first started with people posting #metoo on facebook, I disregarded it because it wasn't surprising or new. Of course this was the experience of so many, it's the norm for women. But when it grew beyond that and there were actual consequences for abusers in positions of power that made me optimistic. Maybe change is coming? Slowly but still heading in the right direction? I hope so.

The president twitters constantly and sounds like a 5 year old. I feel like his behavior is tearing our country apart.

A lot has happened to you! You went to Pride for the 2nd time and it was great! You're finally feeling comfortable in your sexuality.

The Me Too movement reminds me that, yes, Me Too. I keep being reminded of something I don't want to remember or be reminded constantly about. I'm grateful we, as a society, can have this conversation and confront biases and discrimination. I just wish I didn't have to be constantly reminded how much this impacted my life...too.

Donald Trump getting a second supreme court pick. Makes me feel like everything is upside down. Politics are disgusting. No on ever tries to be fair. An eye for an eye. It really bothers me. Also Brett Kavanaugh was accused of trying to rape someone 30+ years ago. I believe her. I wonder if he'll still become a justice? Probably. So terrible.

So much has happened, and Trump, the instigator, is a mean, crazy douche bag. I want to get more involved in my communiy and local politics and help stop this madness.

This is such a hard question because there are so many. The world is on fire. Even reading last years response in which I hoped the Trump nightmare would be over by now and it has worsened. But of all the events this year I would say the most significant to me personally was Trump’s separation of families and kids at the border. I wanted to take immediate action and am still disappointed I wasn’t able to set up a border trip. I think it signified rock bottom: literally not caring about children because they’re “other.” It makes it worse to realize that our collective outrage over it died with time, like everything else. At the moment, at the forefront of my mind is the Kavanaugh confirmation as his accuser is set to testify in a few days. I fear I will read this next year and once again be saddened that I had hoped for a positive outcome.

I don't know what to really say. Politically the USA is like watching a dumpster fire. Every event in the world that happens esp. this country there is a increasing amount of dread and feeling like I woke up inside a dystopian novel.

The separation of immigrant children from their parents really affected me. I held my son tighter and prayed and looked for ways to help. Also, the continued school shootings simultaneously break my heart and terrify me.

The election of Donald Trump. In many ways it has divided so many people. In my own family, I don't talk politics anymore. My husband and I are on the same page, but my mom is very outspoken in her beliefs and won't listen to any other opinion - they are just wrong! My oldest son is very much like this too. My husband's mom is on the opposite side of the party line, and posts lots of stuff on Facebook and riles my oldest. While I don't agree with everything he is doing/had done, there is good and bad in all and we need to work together and listen to all sides in order to make it all work.

Mac Miller died on the 7th of September of an apparent overdose and it really struck a chord with me. I was never an obsessive Mac Miller fan, but I really loved his hits in college and beyond, and I really loved Ariana Grande, who was with him for years. I think the reason why it hit me so hard was a mix of having so many of my loved ones and loved ones of my loved ones being affected by opioids while also feeling so crushed for Ariana, having been with and currently with someone who struggles with substance abuse. The news completely tore me apart, and days later (it's the 19th as I write this) I still find myself tearing up while watching the video Ariana posted, listening to his music, or thinking about memories where their music is the backdrop. I'm so fed up with addiction and I feel really helpless with the issue. I don't know what to do about it. I sometimes feel like I'm too empathetic to be around or with substance abusers, but then I feel like because I'm so empathetic, I'm one of the few people who can actually show them love long term. It still hurts.

An event in the world impacting me this year, the economy has placed most people on tighter budgets if they have not been wise with expenses. At work this has translated to not hiring enough full time employees, and as a result we have had to work more compulsory overtime.

The rise in school shootings have impacted me because I often fear that that can happen anywhere. I feel unsafe knowing our elected leaders seem to be standing idly by.

#Metoo It's about time. It feels good to be part of this movement, to have a name for this sisterhood. I have no patience and no tolerance for men who sexually assault women. None. I have felt myself become harder and more open at the same time. We are a force, we cannot be silenced, we cannot be kept down. And yeah, that means the dynamics at family gatherings feel a little different.

Every year it gets more and more difficult to be a progressive Zionist. I felt this perhaps most strongly this year. I love Israel and I always have, but I am so frustrated by the actions and choices and opinions of her government (whose opinions have honestly bled into the mindset of the people) that it becomes hard for me to defend her when someone is anti-Israel.

It's hard to think of a *world* event with that impact. But Scott Pruitt resigned as head of the EPA, and that's a considerable relief. His replacement may be too business friendly for my tastes, but all least he follows the rules, is ethical!

Trump's outrageous behavior towards our allies and our adversaries - Outrage; trying to energize from it. Real worry about the future - he's so destructive to our democratic values. He continues to think we are all here to serve him and to be a slush fund for his family!

I think the upcoming midterms will be a big deal, but in the past year, but the past year has been mostly pervaded with daily mistakes made by Donald Trump.

I am drawing a blank again. Perhaps pass right now and return to this in the evening?? It would probably be all the refugee and emigrant plight stories. So many, seems all over the world, fleeing war and violence and corrupt governments and leaders. It only harms me mentally and emotionally, psychologically. I want them all to be safe and healthy and in a home with good food and water and health care to start with. Return the children to their families and don't EVER do anything this STUPID again!

immigration insanity in the US due to Trump and his fuckwads. separation of families at the border. children being kept in depraved conditions. the hundreds of families still separated. the apathy of the country and world to this issue. other armies should be storming our shores decrying human rights violations if the US isn't going to do anything about it. so much should happen. and isn't. the helplessness and acceptance that prevails is one of the saddest things to witness and i cannot allow my boys to grow up absorbing that as a possible response

We have a corrupt and despicably unkind administration. It is unfortunately inspiring people to be disrespectful and unapologetic. More and more people are feeling depressed and overwhelmed, and suicides seem to be at an all-time high. I’m doing what I can to stay positive.

It seems strange even to myself but nothing in particular comes to my mind. Maybe this is due to my way of life without TV .Things seem a lot smoother if I am not constantly exposed to pictures and comments.

The fall of the bridge in Liguria italy. Life is one, we need to live it at full every day & moment because you cannot say how long you’ll be here for. And we need to care for each other in this world and teach our children to do so.

Hmmm, I think the militarization of the Spratly islands by China, and, in general, China's rapid expansion globally has impacted my significantly. That fused with Donald Trumps childish rants and total lack of leadership have had a huge impact. I guess locally, I feel the Australasian government does very little to really manage our future growth, or make big decisions when it comes to great government. I am concerned that leaders lead by asserting power rather than by creating a livable world for future generations.

I feel like every year I don't really have an answer for this! Either I can't remember or I don't engage with the news much. What I might say is books that have impacted me: The Work by Byron Katie Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine The Course of Love Zen and the Art of Falling in Love The Tao of Pooh You're a Badass at Making Money Playing Big

I guess it's the continuing Brexit saga - I feel no more optimistic about how this is going to work out than I did immediately after the vote. Such a mess and such incompetence from the government in dealing with it...

Approval in RSA of taking land without compensation, increased farm murders, makes me not want to live in RSA ever again - which is where I'd like to live closer to family. I value fairness, especially fairness of compensation for ones efforts - seems to be of no importance in Africa

Everything Donald Trump related. Like literally everything he's done has been so incredibly frustrating and has impacted me in some way. I know that as a white, heterosexual woman I have the privilege to not be directly impacted by many of his terrible policies, but it's so frustrating to feel so helpless while these things are going on. I think recently one specific event that has impacted me was the resignation of Anthony Kennedy and the choice of Kavanaugh to replace him on the Supreme Court. We're currently in the middle of the controversy around Christine Ford bravely speaking out, and I'm so nervous to see what will come of it. I really hope these allegations will change something, but am more nervous that it won't matter. I guess we'll see!

I am mostly numb this year. Cerebrally I'm angry and sad, but I don't often let it get to the emotional level or I would cease to be functional. However, every so often something happens that pierces the numbness and make me devastated. I don't know what it is specifically about an event that makes it affect me in this way, I only know that some do and some don't. It would be too overwhelming to think back over the whole year, but over the last couple of months: Family separation. The xenophobic policies and violence coming from the Israeli police state. This week is a pierce-the-numbness week: The denial of death toll in Puerto Rico. Botham Jean, shot and killed in his own apartment and then they got a search warrant and found marijuana and now that's all over the headlines. How? Why? I just can't understand. I don't have words. Does the truth not matter? Are people so expendable?

The Douglas High shooting. Another school shooting. Another person who was marked for trouble and needed help and/or investigation. How does anyone send their children to school now?

Last year: The president who shall not be named. So much hate and dehumanization, name-calling and bullying. So many friends and loved ones not feeling safe. I don't always feel safe. We are living in a dystopian novel turned nonfiction. This year: Same. But now battle-weary

Tronald Dump's nuclear war threat against North Korea. I have heard that it brought us dangerously close to war.

OH. a big one. On May 14 2018, the death of 50+ Palestinians and over 1,000 Palestinian injuries at the hands of the IDF. I had just gone to a job interview, and from there I checked my phone and was immediately in such a state of shock and mourning. I decided to join a public recitation of the Kaddish in front of the Israeli Embassy in Boston. That moment was a breaking for me. It is no longer something I can keep silent around. I saw my people as oppressors in a most obvious light. some Israelis I have spoken to think that diaspora Jewry taking responsibility for Israel is internalized anti-Semitism, or that my feeling a responsibility for the Jewish state/Jewish people is placed on me by outside forces. But I know this is not true. These are my brothers and sisters. Israelis are doing harms in my name.

Israel turning 70 and the Israel Embassy moving to Jerusalem were historic moments that impacted me, my family and community.

The state of US politics right now. How the GOP is being so blatant with their agenda and how divided the country is. I feel so sad. American democracy has been a beacon of hope for so many in oppressed countries. Now, it is being destroyed. I only hope that the true spirit of America rises up in the midst of this. True bipartisanship for the good of the country.

The world is a cesspool right now. The world is a miracle right now. "Our dark period" as I heard someone say on the news, will likely be something that we look back and wonder how we survived and if we did enough. We are in a vast backlash of fascism. But we are also in an era of #metoo and the Parkland kids and women running for office, and Atlanta, and Black-ish and my good God it's intense but the tectonic plates are truly shifting. And conversely, I have such an awareness of the critical need for self care. It truly isn't selfish. It truly is the way to be strong and contribute.

The wildfires destroying the west coast fill the air with smoke and make it hard to breathe. They are bigger and more dangerous every year. Less trees and foliage means less oxygen and more carbon dioxide. This is due to, and exacerbated by man-made climate change. Polar ice caps are melting at an unprecedented rate due to an undeniable rise in temperatures worldwide over the decades. There's more water in the oceans and more vapor in the air, which means more tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, monsoons, and flooding. This is due to greenhouse gases caused by man-made pollution. Might as well mention the mass industrialization of livestock meat and all the methane and toxins produced by that as well. Our current villainous president and his sycophantic misinformed supporters, who never met a fact they couldn't ignore and say "get cucked" to, seem to stubbornly and boorishly wallow in knowing they're destroying the Earth. They like making obscene amounts of money regardless of the long-term consequences and they like convincing unsophisticated dupes that it's somehow patriotic to be exploitative. Thus they're unified in being insufferable assholes at every party. Literally every Thanksgiving is a drag as soon as they arrive. Think about any harmful thing that destroys the world we live in, and you'll find the GOP always falls on the side of promoting it. Coal run-off into our waterways? They love it. Fracking? They love it. Deregulation of industrial emissions? They love it. Oil spills? They love it. Animal cruelty? They love it. Wilderness destruction? They love it. Oceanic pollution? They love it. Wiping out native species and old growth forests? They love it. Renewable energy and environmental advocacy? They HATE IT. Now...when you say these things out loud to them, they'll swear they aren't true. Yet Trump has rolled-back, or attempted to deregulate, most protections that keep us breathing cleaner air, drinking cleaner water, using cleaner energy, eating better food, and leading safer healthier lives. And these cult-like apologists defend his every decision while calling our growing alarm "fake news". They'll even defend our pulling out of international environmental accords and human rights treaties, because they're mental slaves and outright scumbags. An event in the world that has impacted everyone is the rise of these right-wing cavemen and their nefarious agendas. There can be no centrism about it, no "meeting in the middle". We can only try to persuade them with reason, facts and evidence for so long. Are we brave enough to take appropriate steps if they won't listen or change? When will it become enough of an emergency to take more extreme measures against them?

Trump. So gross. Been going to rallies and bringing along my peewee sidekick, Scarlet, to make our voices heard. Hoping creepy crazy Kavanaugh isn't confirmed and women's rights stay in tact. Scary times.

Our political environment is terrifying. I hope we wake up soon. Hate, divisiveness, a complete disregard for truth, logic, or reason seems to be the norm now. I am at a loss to see how it is even possible to turn this around.

The #metoo movement started in Oct 2017. As a survivor of sexual assault, I have my own story. It was nice to see people starting to believe women, and men are starting to feel repercussions for their actions. Although with Dr. Blasey Ford's recent accusation of Kavanaugh, it's clear that we aren't great yet. I'm glad we are making progress as a nation and a society, though we still have a long way to go.

This continues to be the current government, and it continues to make us stressed and sad. I've decided to decrease my media consumption so that I can stay sane and happy more often.

The Trump Administration has been worse than I could have imagined. Every day they spawn new absurd, egregious policies which accost refugees, immigrants, reproductive rights, the environment –human rights across the board. Child separation at the border is just one example of how brutal the administration has been. He’s ridiculous and his cronies are ruthless. It makes me anxious, stressed, scared, and disillusioned with our democracy. I am, however, more motivated to stay informed and engaged.

North Korea's entry into the nuclear arms race, and Trump's response to it, terrify me.

The NorthBay fires that hit just after the book of life was sealed. 44 people lost their lives and 3,000 homes in SR alone were lost (5% of housing stock causing rental gauging county wide and mass movement to west county increasing traffic dramatically). The terror, the smoke, the fear for safety of so many of my friends was an emotional drain for months. I completely lost my stride for work creativity and planning the wedding. It was sobering to have the worst fire in CA history hit in my backyard and to witness the months of grief and anxiety we all shared because of it. Even now, a year later I have tears welling up and the enormity of the loss of lives.

There isn’t a single world event that has affected me, but there is a cumulative of things like A rising far right Brexit - especially the fuck up we’re being given. Lies from government and unions about the meagre pay gap refill Trump continuing The Tories continuing No real opposition in parliament. Constant right wing comments and lies and stupidity in the press and social media. The odd bits of left with stupidity that are somehow used to argue a balance for the mass of right wing anti intellectualism that’s rife. Continued austerity. The increase in food bank dependence. My own personal decline into poverty. Increased zero hours contracts. Companies getting away with it Workers getting hit to help companies get away with it. Privatisation of the NHS The fact this privatisation is even hidden anymore. The high chance that brexit and trade deals will make total privatisation almost inevitable. Lowering standards to try and fix our broken situation caused by the lies of the powerful and the stupidity of the rest of us. Increase in crime and violent little cnuts on stolen bikes. Police cuts. The gits that stole the rubbish bin. The council that won’t replace the rubbish bin. This all makes me feel pretty shitty about the future.

The worlds a mess. Trump is president. Ugh.

The cruel, spiteful and calculated separation of children from their families of asylum-seekers by the U.S. ICE enraged me and struck fear into my heart that we are very close to becoming a fascist ethnostate capable of committing even more horrible atrocities.

The Trump administration has just perpetuated more hate and blissful ignorance. This is felt through Barbara, Larry, and Roger's attitudes of intolerance and refusal to believe unews stories.

I no longer am sure that my friends and family are safe - because of weather, because of health care, because of immigration laws... It has increased my determination to do right by those I care about, and to let go of people who hurt me. It has also increased my determination to bridge gaps with people I disagree with, when I see people around me isolating themselves and calling people they disagree with names.

Trump ~ Not a nice man, can’t wait until his 8 years are up, say no more 😡 People not looking after the planet, we only have one & we can’t replace her xx it saddens me that we are killing off all the sea creatures with all the plastic that’s out at sea xx the world needs to get a grip! xx 😢

No one event in particular, but the constant onslaught of hate, discrimination and shit being spewed by this administration. I have become angry and argumentative and it has made me less interested in talking to people who voted for him. It has moved me more to the left politically. Seeing my fate as wrapped up in the fate of everyone means that I must fight for the rights of those that are targeted and discriminated against. I am continually inspired to do more in my community organizing work.

#metoo, wow, wow, wow, what a ride this has been for men and women! It disgusts me that Harvey Weinstein and all of the other men accused, think we want to see their pathetic dick. (Oy, I see there's still a bit of anger there.) It also saddens me that women felt they had no choice, but to participate for fear of retaliation of some sort. The blessing of this movement is that women have now taken a stand and are truly making their voices heard. I think this is a great thing for women, but at the same time, I think some might go overboard and not allow men to be gentlemen. I love a man treating me like a lady, but I sense that nowadays, men might not know how to be, for fear their actions might be misinterpreted.

it's not just been this year, but the state of our politics is generally quite impactful. i still remember laying awake into dawn watching the states, and it's not like england is doing much better at the moment. at best, the news is exhausting and draining, at worst it's given me spirals of anxiety and distress. it's hard to remain optimistic and supportive of humanity when people are in charge that seek to destroy my rights. i find things affect me personally when i know others that are damaged by it, and since trans people are common scapegoats, that's quite easy to experience.

The way Trump is demolishing accepted standards of behaviour is worrying. He is weakening democracy & liberty, damaging international co-operation (thereby giving room to dictators and autocrats who seek to rule by terror) and weakening respect for the law. Unfortunately this is not an American problem - we all suffer when he acts like a bully. I'm not talking about his politics, that's up to the American people to decide, rather the way he goes about it. He doesn't make a case or listen to opposing views, just shouts that he's right & anyone who disagrees needs to be sanctioned as a liar or enemy of the state. It demeans the office of President and undermines any US ability to act as a force for good in the world.

The #MeToo movement and the nomination of a conservative judge to the Supreme Court. Within a week of that nomination, two women with whom I have relatively close relationships confided in me about abortions they had years ago and how the experience affected them. Neither of them has regrets about their choice; both have wounds that I can only conclude exist because of the stigma and the perpetual expectations placed on women. The dignity and bravery I could hear in their voices made me both immensely proud of them and immensely sad that the world is such as it is.

The legal trials surrounding the involvement of Russians in election and President Trump. Christy and Josh get excited about it, I am not paying too much attention. It does scare me every once in a while when I think about our society, country, and our values, and if they are being upheld. Or, if we as a country will lose some of the freedoms we have?

The guy driving the van and hitting everyone on Yonge street in April was a big one for me. It is scary to think something like that could happen so close to home. Then, there was a high alert the night of the Foo Fighters concert July 12 the city was on high alert because of a potential attack. I was very anxious and upset about being at the Rogers Centre that night as I worried something could go wrong. I worry about that at a regular concert, let alone when the city is on high alert.

March for our lives. It's fucking bullshit that people keep dying due to guns. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of bring worried about the teens I work with. I'm sick of being worried about working at a synagogue near DC... I'm ready for the gun plague to be over.

I am continually impacted by our planet's climate crisis, which is ever unfolding. I observe the changing weather around me, and I read the news with grave predictions. I am afraid that human extinction could happen in Oz's lifetime. I worry about the depth and breadth of human suffering before extinction is upon us. I am grateful that in moving to Maine, I chose a state that will have less severe climate impacts in my life time. That makes me feel somewhat safer but not ultimately safe. I also feel powerless to avert climate disaster and guilty that for the entire course of my professional activist career I have chosen to work on other issues.

The immigrant crisis - the separation of small children from their families - the way people got lost and families are still not reunited and months have passed. The trauma that was needlessly inflicted on all the innocents is heartbreaking, soul crushing.

Sometimes I think I don’t pay enough attention to “the world” – especially “the world/U.S. under the Trump Administration.” I would so much rather ignore it/him. The California wildfires – both Oct 2017 in Santa Rosa and now this summer 2018 all around California -- feel important. As if they are a harbinger of things to come, and whether California can be resilient to climate change. Ant pointed out that both Zuma and Mugabe were ousted this year also – change at least on the surface in southern Africa.

Realization and recognition of the new earth. Cosmic consciousness. The domino effect. The mirrored reflection of the collective conscience that is projected into or onto space and time. The love and comfort of communal living. Being in love with myself and learning more of compassion.

The Astros winning the World Series last year was awesome. After hurricane Harvey, the city rallied around the Astros, and after being a lifelong Astros fan, they are finally world champions. Getting to experience the Astros parade downtown with the kids and seeing their excitement was priceless! And after Harvey people all over the city worked together to recover.

I feel like events in the world rarely affect me. I mean, I know that we are all part of one beautiful collective, and things that occur thousands of miles away certainly have the potential to change my life, but it never really feels like that is happening. In the past year, it has bee more obvious than usual that having a republican president and a republican congress can change laws quickly, and usually in ways that I don't like. But even with that, I feel like it doesn't usually have an actual impact on me, personally. For example, I was not in favor of the proposed changes to health insurance, but unless I lost my county job the difference between Obamacare and Trumpcare would likely not be very large to me. As for the rest of the world, I really don't feel like things that happen overseas affect me in any real way. Maybe some people answer this question by talking about things like the kids in Thailand who got stuck in the cave, and maybe they talk about how much they were pulling for those kids, or how bad they felt when one of the rescuers died in the cave. It's not like I wasn't interested in the story, or that I didn't feel any compassion for the diver who died, but I still don't consider that to be an event that impacted me. Perhaps I am putting too much weight on the word "impacted." :-)

One more school shooting. As a school principal I felt this one especially deeply, though I'm not sure why. The media response to the leadership of the students in Parkland made me both inspired and sad-- the ways that those students were heard put into deep relief how my own students-- young black men and women at an urban school--are not equally heard and valued.

Volcanic eruptions in the area we planned to travel to on the Big Island of Hawaii... made me realize that we really live on a planet, that it's a changing environment and that some things are beyond our control. Made me also realize that I tolerate more risk than some family members... and less than others! Also made me realize how much this has up-ended the lives, and livelihoods, of the people who lived in that area.

The Me Too movement really impacted me because it helped me see just how common my experiences are and how almost every single woman out there has dealt with some form of harassment or assault. Which is awful, but it beats going through the same things alone. It was definitely the most emotional a news story like that has made me in a long time, and it was probably the impetus behind me not spending my time on the news and cutting who I follow on social media, because I just don't want the internet bringing that kind of pain into my life uninvited anymore.

The descent of the US government into proto fascism has me considering an escape plan especially given a boyfriend with a disability.

I continue to loathe Trump. Family separation has made be sob a number of times and reignited my calls to electeds.

The Stoneman Douglas shooting is the first mass shooting of children since my son's birth. (And writing all of those qualifiers makes me weep knowing what it means.) First, I have good friends who went to that high school. I can describe its location. I've been there. It's very real. Not a "well it'll never happen here." Next, I cannot picture my son going to school as a five year old and being taught active shooter drills. FIVE YEAR OLD CHILDREN are being taught to HIDE FOR THEIR LIVES from BAD PEOPLE. That hits me in the gut all of the time. Five year olds should not be worried about these things. They should be carefree or as carefree as possible - worrying about recess and snacks and other age-appropriate things. They should not worry about people trying to kill them. When I think about this I wonder how or even if I'll be able to let him go to school in this country if nothing has changed by the time he's ready to attend school. I am tempted to leave the country as I don't think homeschooling would be good for me or my son. I'm not ready to do that yet and am working for change in this area but I can't do it along and I'm not sure if it can be done at all, let alone in the next 5 years.

The entire DT investigation is just thrilling and has been a fun ride. I can't wait to see what happens next! I'm hoping for a grand finale.

I feel overwhelmed by the changes in world political focus and the lack of compassion, or even the semblance of compassion, for the most vulnerable ones among us.

School shootings in the US POTUS destroying America. How lies and ignorance of Constitution becoming 'acceptable.' Never going to be acceptable to me. That my life so busy/stressed that I have little time to be impacted by world affairs The MeToo movement - raising awareness that women have known all along - we've been raped, sexually assaulted and attacked for ages and no matter how we explain it later, men still make it all our fault.

There are too many to name: School shootings, unarmed black men shot by police officers (most recently Botham from Harding), families torn apart at border patrol. I feel numb and simply want Jesus to return, redeem us, and restore peace once and for all.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I grew up a few miles away from Douglas, spent countless weekends on campus for various programs, and had so many friends who attended there. It was incredibly jarring that something so tragic could happen so close to home, particularly at a high school so similar to my own.

THE election. While it may not have directly impacted my life so much, it has impacted my welfare, my thoughts, and my worries. I see so much hate and so little compassion. I fear for my children and their growth and safety.

I've spent so much of the year hiding from the news, there isn't anything. Things globally are in a bad place, and I've had to stay unaware for the sake of my sanity

the Kavanaugh hearings. Brought back memories that i had so long repressed. Its so hard. Are there any women that have not been taken advantage of by men?

It has to be the cruel separation of children and parents at the border. Desperate people seeking asylum. How could anyone involved in this have thought this was anything but an abominable, unconscionable act of inhumanity?

The Trump presidency continues to cast a shadow over everything. I am hopeful for the midterms, but worried about the Supreme Court and its impact on this country for decades to come.

The only world event impacting me is not really an event. It is the growing spiritual movement on the planet.

The #Me Too movement has made me think about human interaction and how the lines have become too blurry. Its made me think about empowerment of women to know they can stand up for themselves and they don't have to be victimized. The Trump presidency is a moral crisis in America. I believe our country is strong enough to get through this one and that hopefully the midterms will mean change.

Trump being president of the US (which is not my country) and all the echo chambers that arose from that 2 year old problem still affects me, to the point of not being able to read the news at all anymore.

Still dealing with Trump being our President. He is a complete idiot. I can't imagine that anyone else has anything bigger to talk about as far as world news and events. He has taken so many good things and made them shit. Other countries look at us like we are total dumbasses... I can't wait for the next election. PLEASE GOD SEND US SOMEONE GOOD! thank you.

Too many to pick from, but let's just go with the recent nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. As of this writing, he has not yet been confirmed, but it seems almost inevitable. This will change the country for the worse for many, many decades to come. He will likely be instrumental in overturning Roe v. Wade and continue to support corporations over workers and the environment and basic human rights. I am heartsick over this. Even if he is one day successfully impeached (because he perjured himself during his confirmation hearings, at the very least), he can still do a lot of damage in a very short amount of time. And it's really, really difficult to impeach a Supreme Court judge. I despair for my country's future.

The #metoo movement and all of the questions and points about job security and satisfaction for women has impacted how I interact with people in my work place and what I "demand" in my day to day life.

Trump continues in his disgusting cannibalism of our government and every single day I am horrified, upset, and afraid for the future of my country and our world. I believe it has contributed to my high blood pressure and worsening health because of the tension and anxiety.

I can't pick a single event. It's the godawful, unending onslaught of news, most of it bad. It has motivated me to make a regular habit of volunteerism (for both a political campaign and non-profits), but it also feels like a constant weight. I want to believe that small actions add up to big results, but I'm also overwhelmed by the feeling that *everything* is my responsibility right now.

There's too much to choose from this year. Our news cycles have been insane here in the States. We'll continue to fight. Freedom. Equality. Solidarity.

#metoo. :(

Parkland. I hope those kids have sparked a true movement that brings lasting change. It feels possible for the first time in a long time... and still a little hopeless, as usual. (The horrible things that some people have said about these CHILDREN makes it clear there is a sizable faction of this country that will never be reasonable on gun safety regulations.) But if anyone can inspire the masses to rise above the fear mongering and move the needle toward sane gun control measures, it's those awesome Parkland students. I'm in awe.

I really didn't engage with the world this year. And I can feel it in my psyche because I feel kinda hollow - without purpose. I need to be productive and working towards something at a decent rate to feel like me.

The #metoo movement and the whole thing about aziz ansari had me in a tizzy. I really enjoyed parts of it and I didn't enjoy others. Regardless, I think it was a major step forward for opening doors for conversations around enthusiastic consent.

It is hard to pick one event, this year. I'm closely following the midterm elections, and as I write this one poll has Beto O'Rourke leading by two points. Beto feels a bit like a white Obama, and the sense of hope in Dallas (a blue city in a red state) is palpable.

The first thing that comes to mind is all of the police brutality towards people of color. It really put into perspective my own privileges and how I can use my privilege to raise awareness about this matter. It makes me so sad to think about how some people use their power for injustice and evil. I hope one day something will be done about this. I feel kind of hopeless because I don't know what to do to make it better.

A world event that impacted me on a surprisingly personal level was when Iceland played Argentina in the World Cup. I was so excited about Iceland being in the World Cup, and this was the first match they played. I was expecting them to lose by a lot, but Iceland and Argentina scored a goal each, and then Argentina kept pummeling shot after shot at Iceland and they kept being blocked. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I was so happy that Iceland didn't lose. But what stuck with me about the match is that it really was like an illustration of what is in my head. I always feel like I am playing defense, and I keep getting pummeled, and the best I can do is not get scored on. That match was a good way to show that you can't win by not losing, and you have to score to win, both literally and figuratively.

The whole metoo movement has really woken everyone up to sexual harassment. I find it especially liberating based on my own personal experiences. I am also very sad by learning how many women never felt they could do anything about their situations or tell anyone or that they had to hide in the shadows for so long.

All of the bullshit that Trump is doing to our country. There's not one specific, but a whole crapton of shit that he's doing to make the rest of the world think we're idiots and hate us. I am tired of reading the headlines each day of the next stupid thing he has done or said.

Trump is still an ass

Hmm, between #metoo, the shootings, natural disasters, the year certainly had an end of days type feeling. And like last year, I'm hoping that's exactly where we are. The end of days for racism and misogyny, for unreported sexual assault, for disbelieved/burden on the victim reported sexual assault. An end of days for the bystanders, for the perpetrators, and and end to tolerance and acceptance of these heinous behaviors. I find, in spite of it all, and despite the seeming mountain to the contrary, I still believe that when we emerge, when we come through it, when we rise on the other side of this darkness, we will be that much stronger and free of the demons that have plagued us for so long as nation, and more expansively as global citizens of this tiny blue marble floating in space that we all share

climate change's impact on accelerating severe weather situations has been on my mind, along with a feeling of hopelessness about it; there seems to be no solution.

just the ongoing Trump saga. the ongoing murders of African Americans, the Palestinian apartheid. I came to believe this year that the eternal nature of human beings means we can't change people from the outside, in. We experience things and come to beliefs that last forever. I must understand conservatives, tho I see I must also understand bigots. And how are they going to understand me as other than a kooky liberal (I'm a moderate). Grace, is that how we are changed from within?

Summer began with the Renwick Gallery Burning Man Exhibit with Emanuelle. This Thing is bigger than me. SOAP (Sleeping Octopus Assembly on Psychedelics) Conference in Pittsburgh. I found my tribe. 😍 Parkland. This is no longer fun. Time to get out of school. The tragedy in Annapolis at the Capital Gazette. So grateful to know Wendi Winters. So tired of guns.

I'm still reeling from the 2016 election of known slimy businessman and sexual predator, Donald Trump, to the presidency of the USA. It triggered a massive deconstruction for me, politically, religiously, and personally. I am no longer a "die-hard" Republican. I now vote Democrat and female unless there's a specific reason not to. I no longer consider myself a complementarian and believe that the Bible clearly teaches that women are equal to men and should be equally involved in leadership (in church, at home, politically, etc...). I'm trying to go back to school so that I can be a more viable provider in our family. And I no longer believe that gun control is impossible or illogical.

I don't pay too much attention to things in the world outside of my own, but one event that comes to mind is the moving forward of the doomsday clock. It puts things in perspective. How close we could be to collapsing, and how much some things really matter.

The Parkland shooting really affected me. As a high schooler, this seemed all too personal. I know people who go to that school and many more who live in the area. My Rosh on wheels ended up even being an alumni of MSD. The shooting forced me to realize that I had to take a stand on the issue of gun control and make my voice matter. I emailed my representative and senators in Congress, went to a March for our lives rally, and walked out of class. When it came to the school walkout, I was faced with a major dilemma, but I’m so proud of myself for what I chose because I think it really reflects how this event impacted me. I chose to walk out even though it was a test, and stand up for what I believe in, even though I was in the minority. I think that this was a powerful experience.

More than anything, it has not been one event, but a sequence having to do with race and justice, women’s issues, the daily flip flops of leaders and leadership. The boat has not righted and a course is not set. It continues to whipsaw me in terms of where to put my interests and time.

Trump. Enough said.

I was shocked and saddened when Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy suddenly announced his retirement. Not only because of the fishy circumstances--something about a financial connection between his son and Russia was probably the leverage--but because whoever replaces him is certain to be an arch-conservative hostile to many of the things I stand for. I worry less about Roe v. Wade (which, unfortunately, I pretty much consider a goner already) than about Obergefell v. Hodges. In the year that I decided I want to marry my partner, who is a woman, will my right to do so be taken away before I can even exercise it? Will we be able to find and keep jobs, adopt and raise kids, live a normal and stable life? Or will a future "Justice Kavanaugh" (accused rapist) destroy all the progress my feminist and LGBTQ brethren have fought for?

US politics have taken such a horrendous turn that I had to stop following the news. It isn't normal to cry for days following an election, so I cut it out. It's a weak response, but I have just this one life to live and I can't live it like that.

This year, school shootings are really starting to affect me because I'm a mom now. I feel more vulnerable than I used to.

In April there was a van attack in which a man drove a van down Yonge, intentionally striking and killing pedestrians. I happened right outside the Starbucks office at Yonge & Sheppard and affected many of Les' colleagues. There have been so many attacks like this around the world, but of course being close to home it is more impactful. It made me try to be more alert and aware of my surroundings when I'm outside. Instead of walking with my head in my phone (I don't normally do that, but it happens) I try to avoid it and keep my head up. I also make an effort to be more careful crossing streets and standing at street corners - not at the edge, but behind a post. It also makes you reflect and try to appreciate your life and your family. A reminder that bad things can happen to anyone.

#MeToo I would like to think our society is actually reckoning with the realities of rape culture. I believe parts of it are, but it will take a long time for changes to come to the system. It makes me angry to think about it too much, especially as we are facing Supreme Court nominee accusations. There are finally consequences coming to those who violate others, but it's not uniform, and many people continue to not believe women. I'm ready to watch the patriarchy crumble and shatter.

I've experienced events in the world differently this year, since living in Southern MD and working with a lot of people who think differently than me. It's been hard at times, emotional and confusing, but overall really refreshing and hope-inspiring to form relationships with people who challenge my beliefs and who let me challenge theirs. It's solidified my deepest values while letting me see that there is so much more grey area than I thought. I've tried to see the world from other perspectives, and in a few cases, have been surprised that someone else wants to see the world from mine. Instead of shutting down or shutting out, we talk, honestly from our experiences and try to hear each other.

It is still crazy and wasn't this year - but the Election and all of the circus surrounding it just continues to be a completely crazy thing every single day.

This past year the election of President Donald Trump has had a profound impact. He is a hateful man that promotes cruelty to non-whites born and those that haven't had the same advantages he's had. I've never seen such mass fear from people of all ages and races. Children afraid they'll be killed and adults telling them so. Women openly victimized and people use the president as an excuse. This is supposed to be the best country to live in, and it scares me daily.

The socio-political climate, both in the United States, and abroad, has really impacted negatively on me and on my loved ones and friends. In general, I mourn the change rules of engagement for discourse and civility. In the U.S. it feels as if we are engaged in a constant state of wack-a-mole - each day bringing presidential tweets that veer from one subject to another and one catastrophic decision after another. I would say that two things have affected me most profoundly: 1) the venomous policies towards immigrants, in particular, undocumented immigrants, that culminated in the separation of children from their parents and their detention under primitive conditions 2) The Jewish Nation Law passed by the Knesset in Israel. It disenfranchises Israelis who are not Jewish and makes a mockery of their positive contributions to the state of Israel (I am thinking particularly, though of course not exclusively, of the Druzes). It also makes the possibility of an eventual peace and the existence of two states, an even more of a fragile and elusive proposition.

The Australian detention centre on Nauru and hearing about the kids with despair syndrome and going on hunger strikes. Because it's just awful that kids are in a situation like that and that a whole institution is behind making this happen. Ditto on the American policy of splitting up families at the border. Why is it suddenly okay for governments to behave like this towards children and the most. vulnerable?? It feels like a step change in the world and not in a good way.

Hm. No particularly large impacts in my life this year. Some small things that occurred: I joined the globally organized March For Our Lives in March, doing the march here in Boston. I got to watch Eurovision in the UK, so the first time I've really gotten to watch and feel part of the event in any way, chatting with friends about the event while it was ongoing. I was also in the UK during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (not that I went, but at least one person staying at my hostel at the time did, and folks talked about it a ton). GDPR went into effect this year, and caused a bunch of interesting extra work for my office. It was a bit of a scramble (which it shouldn't have been - we all knew it was coming), but it was interesting and novel, and involved working together with people on teams I don't normally get to interact with. The world cup took place this year, and lots of folks in the office watched several of the matches. It's the most football I've seen in many years, and I enjoyed watching bits. I think most of my experience of global events this year was in a context of participating in a larger community than normal in some way. Actually, that's really cool as a thing to take away from this year.

Saudi Arabia allows women to drive. The last country in the world where women were treated as cattle, is allowing women to get behind the wheel and take back the control of their lives. Makes me feel so much more hopeful for the world.

Number 45. Taken away and working on taking away, our hard fought wins for more social services while he blinds us with raging patriarchal white supremacy values. Gross. I'm ashamed to be America.

Donal Trump becoming president. He is a horrible man and is making America much, much worse than it was before he came into office. He is an awful president and a terrible human being.

Probably the ongoing Brexit nonsense. I'm seriously concerned about the future of Britain if we continue down this path to a "hard Brexit". The NHS is already in crisis and now we have staff leaving in droves because they cannot stay here. Plus a lack of trade deals mean we could have issues with food and supplies. Medication may be a problem. It's very worrying. I'm hoping it sorts itself out soon.

The weather scares me. I read articles, sometimes, that are just basic reports of a trend, and all I can read in these texts is THE END IS COMING. It's getting hotter, important animals are dying out, we're only immune to its effects for so much longer. I start to panic, I close the articles, I force myself to stop thinking about it. I recycle. I turn off lights and air conditioners, I try to be a mindful consumer. I also know that's not enough, and my heart is in my throat to think of the future we are looking at. And yet I'm really not doing very much. This makes me feel so big and ignorant and privileged, and also so, so small.

I'm not sure about this one.. Maybe thinking about Trump and how bad things need to be stirred up and looked at before ultimately getting to a better place.

To be honest, I've had to stop reading the news. Or at least, stop engaging with it. I find I can't handle the hopelessness of western politics and the regression of society, the awfulness and inevitability of climate change, the vile self-service of politicians and media owners, the superficiality of fashion and lifestyle coverage. It makes me too terrified about what will happen to my son, what kind of world he will inherit. I just want to invest in my own local little society and trust that at a local level, communities will continue as they always have.

Well, the continued atrocity of the presidency. Too frustrating to get into, but ingrained in our brains forever, so no need.

Everyday I am affected by the vileness and amorality coming out of the White House in Washington, but it reached a new level earlier this year when they started actively separating babies from their parents and putting them in jails. When I look at my son and imagine him being torn out of my arms and taken away from me simply because I was trying to protect him by seeking asylum in another country....it is heartbreaking. I can't believe the depths of evil that this administration has sunk to and the fact that congress just lets it happen. Thinking of all those poor traumatized children brings tears of sadness and rage to my eyes. If something doesn't happen soon to bring goodness back into this country I just don't know if I can continue.

I cannot stop thinking about all of the kids torn away from their parents at the borders. The rise of nationalism and a rampant anti-immigrant mentality has me so alarmed/upset/irate. We were ALL immigrants at some point! I recently saw "BlacKKKlansman," and that also has me totally fired up over racism, hatred and intolerance.

The current administration continues to tug at my emotions. In some ways it has been helpful as I navigate the practical implications of "accepting the things I cannot change" and evaluating the areas where I can promote change. The incident with families being separated at the border affected me deeply. As a mom, it was difficult to hear about the treatment of these families. I heard an interview on NPR with a border patrol officer - a seasoned officer and the head of their union. It was encouraging to hear NPR air an interview that went against the popular reaction to the situation in many ways; the interview highlighted that the policies have been in place long before this administration. It was also discouraging to see the treatment of it in the media across the board. It affirmed one of my lifelong convictions about the importance of asking questions.

there is a laundry list of things, plaguing blacks, women, BLACK WOMEN in the united states and in every country in the world yet i am stumped.... it is extremely recluse of me to have meditate on this question over multiple days and still not have an answer... do better sis

Oh, Mr. Trump. You momma deserves to be shamed.

I've honestly scaled back from the news because it's been so hard to continue processing the extremists/nationalists that seem to keep popping up all over the world. It just reminds me of the injustices, hatred, mistrust that is happening right here at home in the US. It's been hard to feel safe in this world as a member of the racial minority. It has caused me to have underlying anxiety that I do not know how to resolve.

The never ending US shootings and the Parkland kids attempt to say enough and the lack of action by politicians all came very close to home. Nothing quite has the same impact as seeing the terrified faces of colleagues running for their lives during an active shooter event.

Ayanna Pressley won the democratic nomination for my Congressional Representative. Seeing as there is no Republican candidate, she will be our Congresswoman. She's smart, progressive, and a woman of color - I'm thrilled. I didn't work on the campaign - I talked her up a bit among friends and voted for her - so I take no credit, but I'm very happy.

The continuing noise that is Donald Trump. That includes him, his followers AND his detractors. Lot's of shouting. Lot's of complaining. Little effective action. And the potential results are terrifying. I do not want my children and grandchildren growing up in Gilead. That fictional hell would execute both my sons.

My mom apologized for something she said about me 17 years ago. I didn't even think it still bothered me but as soon as she apologized, she then said what she would have said if she could go back to that moment, and when I heard those words, it was like God was gently, physically pulling a root system from the very core of my being. I physically and spiritually felt an emptying of something and I could literally breathe better. It was so healing!

There is so much going on in the world for the past year that has been impacting me hard. I believe the things that hit families have been the hardest to deal with: the asylum seekers separated from their children, the school shootings. All the awful things are awful, but these ones I feel responsible to stop for future generations. Some days I see the world and struggle to look my child in the eyes. How will I defend going to work and coming home to read and not burning it all down?

The sheer amount of natural disasters that have hit Japan this year has caused a stir in me. It has made me think more seriously about my teaching career and where that could take me, Japan is high on the list of options. I don't want the country to be destroyed before I am able to experience it again for more than 2 weeks.

The way in which both America and Israel shut others out based on nationalism and nativism. Trump's administration separating kids from parents at the US border, and Israel's Nation-State Law. I was ashamed for my country the USA, and for the Jewish people, and also determined to be part of the solution.

#MeToo has changed some conversations between and about men and women. I fear a backlash but I hope the events of this time will be seen as another step toward equity.

While I can't think of one specific event, the increasing polarization of political views in our country has definitely impacted me in a negative way. In fact, worldwide, tensions are growing. Populism and anti-intellectual sentiment are becoming more prominent in many countries. Trade wars, terrorism, propaganda. It's sad to say, but I have to actively work to keep my faith in humanity. I see so much potential for this world to be a benevolent utopia, a place where we live in harmony with nature, where no one is struggling to survive, but it seems like each year, we take a step in the opposite direction. Hell, I've been verbally attacked by my own father this year. He's a very enthusiastic Trump supporter, and the right wing propaganda has turned him against me. I'm liberal, but I'm also in favor of compromise and having a reasonable, intelligent discussion, rather than hurling insults at each other. Instead of listening to me and explaining his point of view, my dad prefers to insult me, which is really sad. I tend to avoid mentioning anything remotely political when I visit my parents.

Donald Trump being elected President. Racism, Sexism, Homophobia etc has all been thrown to the forefront of things I care about and seek to change. The fact that a sexist rapist was elected into office proves to my naive self that the world is far less kind and open that I had assumed it to be. I am now cautious of conservatives, Brexit voters, Trump supporters, and am aggressively starting conversations with them to inspire healthy debate and alternative POV. Although an issue previously, this last year has highlighted just how many people are closed off and judgemental to entire groups of people. As entitled as they are to their own opinions, it is so important for them to appreciate and understand their impacts, where those opinions come from, and perhaps the bias and rudeness they take into their own lives.

Ha! Usually my answer is "I don't know, I've been focused on my life." This year it's been President Trump. Specifically, taking away passports (birth certificates? citizenship?) from people who were born in S. Texas & who always thought/were told they were citizens. I should be calling my elected representatives, but I haven't. At least I'm paying attention. Right now it's sexual assault. Both that Supreme Court nominee Kavenaugh is being held to account - at least in public voice - for his teenage actions, but even more, the reflection of the 1980's as a bad time/place to be a high school female. The public reflection, with associated cringing about how people acted and how unsafe women were, is surprising and relieving at the same time.

Trump ,. Reminder that being elffctive may not equate to being g liked

Trump- what a horrible man and I can't stand to see him run our country.

All the shootings that continue to happen...when will it ever stop? What is this country going to do to stop it? It seems like they're content to let it keep going on. Trump isn't helping anything either.

I think Donald Trump being president is an event enough. I can barely stand to read the news, much less watch videos of the UN laughing at him for saying he had the most accomplishments of any president in a long time, that he considers South Korea a friend, and him being late to the general assembly.

There have been many events in the world that could have impacted me. But I chose not to care too much. There have been things that impacted me for a few hours, maybe days, but overal.. meh, not really. Because of the past where I let events in the world impact me a lot, which actually cost me a lot of sleep and sometimes even triggered depressed thoughts, I finally learned how to shut it out. Horrible shit happens, yes. But it doesn't affect me personally, or my family and friends. And although I feel sorry for the people whom it happens too, I can't help by worrying. On retrospect, it's not an event but something that has impacted me is "Plastic Waste". It has been in the media ver often lately, but this is something I do care about. I try to minimize my waste by taking my own bags etc. But I still see I have a lot of plastic waste during the week. I should work on that.

The emergence of the #metoo movement. None of it is surprising, but it is demoralizing. Seeing it all come to light made me realize how far we have to go, and honestly, I am exhausted just thinking about it. The overwhelming distrust of women and women's stories is exhausting and enraging. I am angry at the abuse I have suffered and angry at the abuse all women have suffered. It is bullshit. Women and anger has been a real theme this year and I think it has helped me accept and understand my own anger. Part of that is anger with myself for being so needlessly cruel to myself. Which I realize sort of continues to cycle but hear me out. I'm angry that this world has encouraged and justified my cruelty to myself because "that is what good girls do", and hearing my mom say I "could be perfect" if I lost a few pounds (I'm 130 pounds, btw), and that I went along with it. That I have lamented my beauty because I worry I won't be taken seriously, that I am frustrated and scared that my partners' success will mean that people don't think I have ambition, that I have sat with every mistake and every imperfection and punished myself as Eve was punished for eating the apple. I'm realizing that my reaction to this moment has been molded by years of living in a world dominated by men, fully and completely in every fucking realm, while people told me women could do anything (the ultimate gaslight, btw.) And I am turning that on its head. Yes, I am angry. But I am taking that anger and making my relationships more compassionate, more trusting, more accepting of flaws, and failure, and mistakes, and pain. I am allowing myself to love my own imperfections and to learn and embrace my mistakes. My anger at what is happening to women has shown me how anger and hatred towards and of women have shaped how I treat myself. I am better today than I was yesterday and I will be better tomorrow. I will stumble and fall and my story will take many twists and turns, and I may even take a step back at times but the trajectory is clear: onwards and upwards.

I think for the sheer tension it would be the rescue of the Thai boys from the cave. I never thought it would end as it did. I thought they would die before the rescuers found them, and then once they were found, I thought they wouldn't be able to get them out. For me, this showed what we are capable of when all working together. Forget our differences - it's the things the we share that are important.

Trump's strict immigration laws and quotas caused the US embassy to reject my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brother-in-law from attending my wedding in the US. They taped themselves giving their speech instead, and we played it before we cut our cake.

I still worry, or worry more, about our country and our future. Even if this fall's election changes the make-up of the Congress, people have been appointed whose decisions and actions have taken us backward instead of forward. Our rights seem even more precarious. The "Me Too" movement has both made me sad for what women (and men) have experienced and hopeful that our stories and voices will bring about change.

By and large, the main event that had a deep impact on me this year was the slow drip of the Mueller investigation, and Trump's subsequent presidential flailing. It feels like I'm watching a historical moment in American politics, intense partisan divide, and an ongoing diminishment of the credibility of the united states presidency. I don't think the FBI will be able to prosecute Trump on collusion, but am hoping they can somehow raise enough questions about the motivations and amoral ambition of the Republican party that it causes their party to fracture. I am proud that I am finding a way to maintain some distance from this political turmoil as I intended to do after the 2016 election. I'm hooked on reading about the administration all the time, but I'm not as emotionally destroyed by my disappointment as I was during the Bush era.

"Incel" terrorism has highlighted to me that that acts of violence and Terror stem from an inner pain insecurity and fear that men rationalize into an ideology. But really it's just pain and fear expressing itself as punches or bombs or runaway Vehicles. Heal the pain and fear and we can heal the world.

Trump elected in the US. More fear and anger in the air (and among friends). All of this has given me a clearer understanding of a family relationship.

the disturbing events around the choices made by the president of our country, and, more and more, the effect of hearing him, of seeing him, has added to stress, depression, despair.

The immigration policy of separating children - babies - from parents is horrible and I don't know how to change it. I feel colossally awful and overwhelmed, and have no idea what I can do. It's one of the many things this administration has done that makes me feel powerless. I'm working as hard as I can to make the midterms matter, but I'm so anxious it's not enough, or it's too little too late.

The #MeToo movement has continued to have impacts and I've been surprised how much it's affected me. I worry that I share some things in common with several of the men who've been accused/punished over the past year. I'm also angry and conflicted that the sins/mistakes from one's past can be used against them at any point. I feel that one's memory is a fickle thing, so relying on someone's memories - be it 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or 20+ years - seems rife with potential inaccuracies. Two people can have very different memories of the same event and those differences only seem to diverge over time.

2018 was the year of celebrity suicide and rape. What a terrible relief it is to know that it's not just relegated to plebs like us.

My 2017 answer: "Many negative world events have occurred in this past year: the emergence of the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) and of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and of the would-be north American tyrant Donald Trump. However, I would say that the instability here in the Philippines triggered by the election of Rodrigo Duterte as president and his consequent war against illegal drugs has really made me rethink whether I should remain in this country to continue striving for its well-being. I am unhappy at the culture of impunity and mindless sycophancy that is being promoted by this emerging tyranny and where it is leading Inang Filipinas." My 2018 answer: I guess it's still PIDUTS' shenanigans. With Chief Justice Sereno out and replaced with a bittermelon, and Senator Trillanes' amnesty voided and him being incarcerated. With August 2018 inflation rate at a 9-year high of 6.4% and the US dollar - Philippine peso exchange rate now breaking the PhP 54 mark. With another phase of the TRAIN wreck of a law about to be enacted. Inang Filipinas IS going to the dogs and it will be years before she recovers.

This country is a laughing stock - and a sickeningly dangerous one - due to the current President. The midterms will hopefully save congress, and then maybe a glimmer of hope

The shooting in Parkland has had a massive impact on you in so many ways. The community you grew up in was shattered into a million pieces and it will never be the same. You are still coping with the aftermath now but you have come such a long way. The heartbreak you felt in the aftermath of this event just goes to show your deep love for humanity and your community. You marched with the children and that helped you heal. You MUST NOT FORGET HOW IT FELT, keep marching, keep fighting, keep screaming, until the children are safe.

Trump being elected; so disheartening and upsetting at “we the people” since we elected him! Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem was / is historical and in some ways has me hopeful for peace but mostly worried and feeling like it wasn’t the right move, for the world. The Myanmar Rohinga genocide is deeply disturbing and makes me feel helpless.

I can't say much has changed from last year-- every day the news is alarming. Our president is unhinged. The #metoo movement was eye-opening but also not surprising. The Parkland shooting. Right now we are amongst the Kavanaugh hearings which are disturbing. It feels like everything is falling apart, and feels like there is a baseline stress and anxiety just when thinking about the news. It's been a tough world. I hope my answer next year will be more positive.

All the latin american move against corrupt governments that started off in Brazil, known as "Lava Jato". It made me have some hope that things might one day change and our countries might straighten up after so many decades of corrupt history.

The death of Anthony Bourdain hit me surprisingly hard. Sure, I'm a big fan of his work, but there's more to it than that. Maybe he reminded me of Mom in some small ways. And I still think much of how he approached life is to be admired, even if the ending wasn't so great. It helped me get off my ass and think about what I really want to do in life.

TRUMP - no explanation necessary (fuck that guy so fucking hard)

Kavanaugh. Right now. Makes me sick, makes we want to revolt. Made me speak up in S&D about diversity the other day. I'm furious and suffering and not going to take it anymore. I won't shut up about this. BELIEVE WOMEN.

Doug Jones was elected to the U.S. Senate. I never thought I'd see a Democrat win such an election in Alabama. This gives me great hope.

The whole #MeToo movement is still less than a year old. I had gotten so used to women's stories being discounted or disbelieved or ignored or fought, and then suddenly there were sometimes consequences, even for powerful, well-connected men. I feel like a lot of men I know have gotten a lot more perspective on how many women's lives (including the ones they know!) are affected by sexual violence. It's ugly and it's necessary if we are to build a better world.

Going to Mumbai. I learned about Jews in a different part of the world, and it helped me to treat people more equitably here. I realized that all people have some things in common regardless of race, religion, gender or geographic location.

On Oct 1 of 2017 there was a mass shooting at a concert in Vegas and a woman from my community was killed. She has children in school with my kids. Her husband works with parents of one of my daughters best friends. She was one of us. I didn't know her, though I knew her face. I can't claim that I lost something, other than my tolerance of anyone who thinks those kinds of guns are ok for anyone outside of the military to have. But then... then my daughter began to get to know the kids, almost a year later. As if it wasn't close enough, the reality of the situation came even closer. I don't feel pity for these kids. They don't need my pity, do they? But I do feel responsibility to my community and knowing that they are in it, shapes how I feel. They deserve better, And if their mom could talk to me now, I know she would ask me to help make our town a soft place to land, a place to always call home even as they grow up and on without her. I know that because it's what I would want.

The deaths of Xxxtentacion, Lil Peep, and Mac Miller. The fact that all of this music which I enjoy sometimes ended up being the product of people who weren't really able to keep it together.It made me realize that the vibes I enjoy that help me move through the world are not vibes that end up well even in the best case. The motivation that I was able to garner from artists like these was of an adversarial nature and while most of my big accomplishments have been set up in adversarial terms, it's perhaps not the best way to go about life.

Generally speaking, the economy is the thing I think affects me most. It has allowed me to have a good job, for my wife to have a good job and for us to make the financial decisions we have made. We now own two homes, one being set up as a rental to create a new revenue stream. The kids are in a school that is helping them to grow and thrive. I am fortunate to have come through the great recession in a strong and enviable financial position. I am grateful.

Pass? I don’t think I’ve paid enough attention to the world… Like I got so overwhelmed when i left facebook and stopped reading the news for work, I just … tuned it all out.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford coming forward to share her experience of narrowly escaping being raped by Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge when they were teenagers. She was looking for a bathroom when she was pulled into a room and began to pull her clothes off. Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth when she screamed. It's terrifying. Only when Judge jumped on the bed, Blasey Ford was able to escape and hide until she could exit the house safely. Because of her, so many MORE people are sharing their #metoo experiences, and it's bringing this issue of sexism, sexual assault, misogyny to the forefront. More people are talking about it, which is equally upsetting because of the trauma they are reliving, but also it's been an awakening for our society. It's the "Come to Jesus" moment that we've been needing.

I have the feeling that I'm not really interested in anything in the world anymore and I don't have the drive to look at news or research what's new in the world. I always get very little bit by bit with what happens. For example, many of them concern Dresden and Saxony in general, but most of them only concern negative news, which unfortunately brings with it a very bad reputation.

This is also a hard question. Maybe the successful Space X launch? I don't know what made me share it with work colleagues, but I was surprised and happy that some people responded enthusiastically. It just made me feel that great things were still happening in the world, despite the cloud of Trump that rains down on every damn news cycle, every day. It's exhausting. I certainly pay less attention to the news now in an effort to avoid the pervasive Trump.

People hate on Trump. Fine—he’s crude and brash and all that. At the same time, he seems to be advocating for Jews and Israel. I don’t like that his hard-headedness is getting lumped together with the “hard-headedness” of Zionists (AKA their unwavering desire to have a country and the right to defend it), but at least there’s a significant power in support of Israel.

The #metoo movement created a lot of ripples in our friend and family group. I struggled a lot with B on his response to it, and also understanding him and his perspectives more. That impacted our friends and family probably more than any other event, particularly because I took a more vocal and non-traditional stance.

So many things: the Ford/Kavanaugh hearings, the Russia stuff, the anonymous op-ed about the inner resistance, all the things about our president’s terrible interactions with foreign leaders. I am constantly angry, constantly disheartened, constantly suspicious of the people who run this country and of men in general. I also feel resolve, and I feel proud of the women and people of color who fight so hard in the face of such relentless crap.

I’ve become much more aware about plastic in the world. Every part of me wants to make a change in my life, but it’s easier said than done. I’ve already embraced reusable products, and tried to get rid of as much single use plastic as possible, but there is just so much plastic that’s part of daily life it’s inpssoble to avoid it. It horrifies me how much waste there is, and how much plastic there is in the oceans.

#metoo was a huge movement this year, empowering women to speak their truth, the truth of being treated improperly, of being harassed, of being abused, without hesitation for fear of shame or judgment or criticism. That has deeply impacted me and society at large. We are speaking our truth and demanding to be treated with respect and love and demanding that those responsible accept consequences for their choices, regardless of their social status.

The separation of immigrant families shook me more than any news story I can think of lately. The night I first read about the news, I sat there holding jack jack and I just held him tightly and started crying, unable to imagine ever having him ripped away forcibly, perhaps never seeing him again. I just can’t imagine it. End of story.

OMG...the news when #metoo took over the news with continuing reports of men who have assaulted and raped women. Knowing there are people - including some women - who challenge any woman who opens up and bravely shares the hell they went thru and the hell they have quietly carried with them makes me disgusted and sick. The fact that women are blamed for what happened to them, are challenged in any way, is a pathetic reminder of how much women still have to put up with and so much to fight for. I’ve been assaulted twice, stalked twice, and raped..and knew each man except for once when I was stalked and never knew who it was. The feeling of betrayal is immense and has affected me in ways it has taken a lifetime to understand.

Interestingly, I cannot think of any single even that has really impacted me. There are a lot of small small things that have had an impact. I'd say that global oil prices going high has had an impact on finances but that to not significantly enough to cause deep worry. That's about the only thing I can think of.

Fuck Donald Trump.

Let’s avoid politics on this one, too many things in that category. Instead let’s talk about the largest fire in California’s history, the Mendocino Complex Fire. My house was one of the first to get a mandatory evacuation, which lasted 12 days. It my have been the most frightening and disconcerting experience of my life. Wherever I go from my house I see the destruction, and I still tear up. I am having a difficult time settling back into my house. I am known to be brave, strong, and independent and all of those qualities have been challenged like never before. And still I move on.

The Trump presidency shit-show. The racism, sexism, the gleeful double-standard and willful ignorance of the GOP is appalling and disgraceful. It has made me concerned for the future of the country and the people. As Americans, we are better than this.

School shooting in Parkland. This world is getting more chaotic and morality, conscience and personal responsibility is sorely lacking. Kids should be safe in school.

#MeToo has affected the way I see my past and my present. I haven't had much harassment in my life in total, but discovering new and reframed ways of thinking about coercion, abuse, and consent has really shifted my paradigm. The Mattress Factory assault allegations were just published 2 days ago, and the Kavanaugh hearings are happening now. Women are angry and I hope it continues.

For some reason the Las Vegas concert shooting. It weighed so heavily on my heart. It really hit me in my psyche. I had dreams with mass shooters in them. In one, I was in a train station, when a bunch of people on an upper balcony opened fire with machine guns. I ran outside with a bunch of people and police were riding by on massive mounted horses, and nobody cared. I stopped, and screamed into the sky "I hate this world!" In another, I was in a city square and got ambushed by a bunch of mass shooters in all directions. I can't imagine the horror of going through something like that where you're just terrified for your life and you're not sure you or any of your friends will make it.

Trump is still a dumpster fire. We still have too many children and their families being detained at the border, and today we all live streamed Kavanaugh’s hearing. I thought my eyes were going to pop out.

It's increasingly difficult to be shocked and upset by national and global events, but images of family separation of the U.S.-Mexican border shook me to the core. As a volunteer assisting a mother and her two young daughters in sanctuary, I hugged them tightly that day and shuddered to think that these children were different only by circumstance, and, at the risk of hyperbole, victims from Europe during World War II.

Trump.....so depressing and terrible

The Malaysia's 14th General Election gives me a little hope to come back to my home country that is striving while being tolerant, plural and multicultural. Although not an event per se, but I've been reading a lot of fictions around race relations or the dissonance of living or growing up in a country where you're different than everybody else; The Hate U Give, Americanah, The Hate Race, Small Great Things. It makes me think a lot about my own experience and ultimately writing it, putting it into words.

The enduring idiocy of our President has absolutely made me more politically aware. Originally, I had said that we would be at war with someone by November of 2017. Luckily, I was wrong! I've been a little more cautious with our current political atmosphere, but I'm just as concerned with the current senate race. Hopefully, Beto will win, but either way, I'm more aware of my world.

Donald Trump is pretending to be president. This is making most of the world sicker every day.

I think the debacle that is politics has been truly obsessing this year. I don't think there's been any way to stay away from it. I sort of hate how much I'm aware of the Presidency, the Mueller investigation, the crazy crap that's going on in the White House. I wish it would just calm down so that the world would seem, y'know... safe. it doesn't right now. And I think the daunting thing is - we have about a year until the presidential election process starts again. Yes. Really.

If you could call the continued downward spiral of the United States an event (or a slow-motion train wreck of an event)... :-(