This week is a doozy. All the bases are covered with issues ranging from natural disaster, politics, foreign policy and social controversy riling up in the sports realm. A short week can pack quite the punch, so what’s up in the world?

Double Earthquake Disaster Connection (4/18)

On opposite sides of the world, earthquakes have caused massive destruction within the span of a few days. Japan experienced two of these natural disasters, the first on Thursday soon followed by another on Saturday. Japan’s Thursday quake had a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale, followed by a magnitude of 7.0 on Saturday.

Later on Saturday, an earthquake shook up Ecuador in South America. The quake was one of the strongest in more recent decades, matching the country’s magnitude-7.8 earthquake back in 1942.

Could these two events be more than an unfortunate coincidence?

According to geophysicist Paul Caruso, earthquakes in one region of the world aren’t usually associated with occurrences elsewhere. Recent research on “remote triggering,” however, may reveal a deeper connection between the locations of these natural disasters.

Both Japan and Ecuador are located on the infamous Ring of Fire, a region surrounding the Pacific Ocean known for its volcanic chain and earthquake activity.

Trump, Clinton New York Primary Win (4/19)

Tuesday’s New York primary resulted in another double front-runner victory in the bid for the presidency.

Republican Donald Trump took 61 percent of the vote in his home state, securing a total of 89 delegates. Gov. John Kasich came in a distant second with four delegates and 25 percent of the vote. Sen. Ted Cruz hit rock bottom, receiving no delegates from the Empire State.

In the Democratic race, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton pulled 58 percent of the New York vote, securing 139 delegates. Sen. Bernie Sanders received 106 delegates and 42 percent of the vote.

Both Trump and Clinton proudly call New York “home,” adding to the anticipation beforehand and celebration after their victories. Following New York, only the District of Columbia and 15 state primaries are left for both the Democratic and Republican parties until the national conventions take place in July.

Obama Visits Saudi Arabia (4/20)

President Barack Obama left the country on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. Obama met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz to discuss the country’s growing opposition to its Iranian nuclear deal and issues with Syria.

Obama attended a Persian Gulf summit that addressed issues with Iran, stability in the Middle East and counterterrorist efforts. The summit also skimmed over al-Qaida and the Islamic State’s impending threats on other nations.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have made extra efforts under Obama’s administration to create comprehensive and effective agreements pertaining to the issues plaguing the Middle East and other nations. The king set an active foreign policy agenda for his reign of Saudi Arabia, pushing the U.S. to join the campaign against the Syrian president. Both world leaders hope to make great strides towards peace in the region along with uprooting and eliminating extremist efforts.

Schilling vs. Social Media Aftermath (4/21)

ESPN fired Curt Schilling, one of its highest-profile baseball analysts, on Wednesday for an inappropriate social media post. Schilling’s post depicted a meme of a heavy-set man in a blonde wig and revealing women’s clothing alongside a strongly-worded, offensive caption.

His Facebook post was a response to North Carolina’s new law banning transgender individuals from using bathrooms and locker rooms that differ from their birth gender.

This offense was not Schilling’s first strike on social media. He was already suspended for a month after comparing radical Muslims to Nazis on Twitter last summer.

Schilling argues that he is falsely labeled as a racist or transphobic for merely replying to a post. However, Outsports revealed screenshots that tell a different story, showing Schilling directly shared the offensive post on his account alongside the controversial comment.