The Smoke Signal

By: Staff Writer Harshita Gupta

Local

In its annual California Coastal Art and Poetry Contest, the California Coastal Commission has recognized eighth grader Roselene Chen and sixth grader Ashwin Chembu, both residents of Fremont. Chen’s painting, “The Swimming Family”, depicts three dolphins, and was one of five winning art pieces. Chembu’s three-line Haiku “The Sunset” received one of 45 honorable mentions. The award-winning works were selected from 2,529 submissions, and will be displayed in public exhibits in Marin County, Mendocino, Ventura Harbor, and La Jolla.

National

The Defense Department announced on April 14 that the remains of up to 400 unaccounted service members from the Pearl Harbor wreckage of the USS Oklahoma will be removed from unmarked graves and identified. The Pentagon is optimistic that new DNA identification technology as well as medical and dental records will be sufficient in identifying bodies. “The secretary of defense and I will work tirelessly to ensure your loved one’s remains will be recovered, identified, and returned to you as expeditiously as possible, and we will do so with dignity, respect and care,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work said in a statement. Identified service members will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

International

President Obama moved on April 14 to drop Cuba from the terrorism list on recommendation from the State Department. The motion comes four months after the US and Cuba started talks on normalizing full diplomatic relations. The removal from the list, which includes North Korea, Syria, and Iran, is part of the US’s shift away from isolationist attitudes towards Cuba. Congress has 45 days to pass a joint resolution towards blocking the change. If Cuba’s removal is finalized, Havana and Washington are likely to reopen embassies in each other’s capitals, and American businesses will be allowed to reenter Cuba.

Quirky

When the Royal Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands flew a drone over the chimpanzee enclosure to inspect their apes better, Chimp Tushi whacked the unknown intruder out of the air. The AP reports that the 23-year old chimpanzee waited in a tree, gritted her teeth, and hit the drone twice. Tushi and fellow chimpanzees then walked over to the injured drone to inspect their catch. Zoo spokesman Bas Lukkenaar said on April 15 that “we can write the drone off. It cost about 2,000 euros ($2,100). Then again, it doesn’t surprise that Tushi did this. She is very handy with sticks.”