INTERNATIONAL: THOUSANDS RALLY IN SPAIN AGAINST INDEPENDENCE
On Sunday, anti-independence protesters took to the streets of Barcelona to express disapproval of Catalonia’s effort to secede from Spain. Officials reported that over 300,00 people were in attendance.
The protest comes after the Catalan Parliament voted to declare unilateral independence on Friday. Protesters marched through Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia shopping strip wearing red and yellow apparel and waving flags that said “Juntos” with a heart the colors of the Spanish flag.
CNN reports that some protesters were chanting for the imprisonment of the ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who began the movement for independence.
On Saturday, Puigdemont made a statement again urging independence.
“Let’s move forward with the only winning attitude, without violence, insults, in a very inclusive way, respecting opinions and symbols and protests by other people who are against what the parliamentary majority decided,” Puigdemont said.
NATIONAL: REMNANTS OF PHILIPPE DEVASTATE NORTHEAST
On Sunday, the National Hurricane Center reported in an advisory that the center of storm Philippe was moving north-northwest at a speed of 46 mph. Winds reached a maximum of 60 mph and veered off the coast and into the Atlantic.
The NHC classified the storm as “remnants of Philippe” and on Saturday, heavy rains caused the National Weather Service in Miami to expand a flood watch in several parts of South Florida, according to CBS Miami.
CNN reports that the Northeast continues to struggle with power outages and traffic delays. Due to heavy rains, the remnants of Philippe caused swollen rivers and downed trees that damaged roads. More than 1.1 million power customers were still without electricity in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
On Monday, remnants of Philippe made its way into Canada but CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen says that conditions will improve due to the low-pressure system drifts.
LOCAL: SOUTH LAKE TAHOE MIGHT BAN STYROFOAM
The South Lake Tahoe City Council is considering the ban of styrofoam products. The idea of the polystyrene ban was presented by city staff at a council meeting last week.
Items ranged from banning polystyrene takeout food containers to restricting grocery stores from selling egg cartons. According to the RGJ, the council asked the staff to return with more research on how local business might be affected.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe have expressed their support of the ban.
“This year alone we hosted 17 organized cleanup efforts and just with polystyrene, which is expanded foam, we found 2,000 pieces,” said Marilee Movius, community engagement manager for the League. “This does not include other plastics that we also found, which is over 16,000 pieces.”
However, senior director of State Affairs for American Chemistry Council, Tim Shestek, expressed his disapproval of the ban.
“This ordinance falsely assumes that banning one type of food packaging material will result in a reduction in litter; overlooks many environmental benefits associated with polystyrene food service containers; (and) incorrectly assumes biodegradable or compostable alternatives have a lower footprint on the environment,” Shestek said in a statement.
Karolina Rivas can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter@karolinarrivas.
