April 2nd- Investigators determined that the co-pilot of Germanwings flight 9525, Andreas Lubitz, crashed the plane he was piloting on March 24 to commit suicide. Police found evidence that Lubitz suffered serious depression. His computer contained a web browsing history of ways to crash a plane. His internet records had indicated that he had searched suicide methods just prior to the flight, and the black box showed that he sped up the plane during its descent into the Alps. All 150 people on board the plane were killed.

April 3rd- Nuclear deal negotiations between Iran and the United States came to a conclusion. Within this deal, Iran agreed to significantly reduce its ability to create nuclear energy, and practically eliminate its ability to create weapons-grade radioactive material for at least the next ten years, creating relative diplomatic peace between Iran and the United States after 36 years of opposition. Critics are concerned that this will further destabilize the region, however, proponents say that this is a noteworthy stride towards peace in the region. Congress has until June 30 to pass an official bill.

April 12th- Hillary Rodham Clinton annouced that she would run for the presidency in 2016. Political analysts say that she will likely win the Democratic nomination, as there is no incumbent running in 2016, and other Democratic candidates are not as widely supported as Clinton. This announcement follows her 2008 campaign, where she was defeated for the Democratic bid by Barack Obama. 

April 17th- Cardinal Francis George, former Archbishop of Chicago, passed away after a year-long struggle with cancer. Cardinal George was 78 years old, and had led the Catholic Church in Chicago for 17 years until his retirement in November 2014, when he was succeeded by Archbishop Blase Cupich. Cardinal George had sufferred from three occurrences of cancer before his passing.

April 25th- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing and injuring thousands, and demolishing infrastructure throughout the country. On May 12, a second major earthquake struck, reversing any progress that had been made, and causing even more destruction throughout the area. The death toll is currently just less than 9,000 people, and over 20,000 have been injured.  Rescue workers are still struggling to bring aid to the most rural parts of the country, and are still trying to locate hundreds of missing people. 

April 27th- Following the death of 25 year-old Freddie Gray, protestors took to the streets of Baltimore. Although many of the protests, lasting several days, were peaceful, several groups of young people became very violent throughout the week. These rioters threw rocks at windows, set fires to buildings, and continually clashed with police and National Guard members, even after a curfew was imposed. They eventually were met with tear gas and widespread arrests, and ultimately, the situation was labeled a ‘disaster’ by Maryland politician Jill Carter.

May 2nd- Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William, gave birth to her second child, daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Charlotte was 8 pounds and 3 oz., and was born at London’s St. Mary’s hospital. She is the fifth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, and fourth in line to the British throne, after her grandfather, father, and older brother, George. Reportedly, Charlotte is in perfect health.

May 12- An Amtrak Train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania derailed, killing eight people. The train is said to have been traveling at 106 miles per hour, 56 over the speed limit while turning around a sharp bend in the track, causing the train to derail. Authorities are unsure whether or not speed alone caused the derailment at this point, as there was reportedly a projectile that hit the train’s windsheild shortly before it derailed. The engineer, who was severely injured but now is in stable condition, has no recollection of the crash. The FBI, with news of the projectile, is now taking over the investigation.

May 12th-  The Obama Foundation announced that it would build its new presidential library on the South Side of Chicago, to be affiliated with the University of Chicago. U of C beat out Columbia University, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Hawaii for the bid. The Obamas released a video in announcement of the library’s location in Chicago, where Obama says his ‘whole life came together’. The first lady said she is “thrilled” for the library to be “in the heart of the neighborhood that means the world to me”.

May 15th- A federal jury condemned Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon Bombers, to the death penalty. Tsarnaev, now 21, planted a pressure-cooker bomb at the Marathon two years ago along with his older brother, Tamerlan. Tsarnaev was found guilty of all 30 charges against him that were related to the bombing, and a federal jury determined that the death penalty was fitting for 6 of these counts, despite a testimony that Dzhokhar was heavily influenced by his malevolent older brother, as well as a testimony from Sister Helen Prejean that he was “genuinely sorry” for his actions.