August Current Events 2023: U.S. News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the U.S. news events you need to know so far for August 2023.
- Supreme Court Of The United States Blocks Ghost Gun Ruling Temporarily
- Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN
- Donald Trump Charged With Attempt To Overturn 2020 Presidential Election
- Bus Rolls Over, Killing One Person And Leaving 56 Others Injured Near Grand Canyon
- Women With Complicated Pregnancies Are Temporarily Exempted From Texan Abortion Ban
- Supreme Court Temporarily Restores President Biden's Curbs On Ghost Guns
- White House Launches AI-Based Contest To Protect Government Systems From Hack
- Illinois Supreme Court Upholds State’s Assault Weapons Ban
- Three-Year-Old Migrant Girl Died While She Was Being Transported To Chicago From Texas
- Restriction On Access To Abortion Pill Upheld By The Appeals Court
- New York City Bans TikTok On Device Owned By Government Due To Security Reasons
- The First Drug For Rare Blood Disease Approved By The FDA In The United States
- Shop Owner Killed In California For Displaying LGBTQ+ Flag At Store
- Former President Donald Trump Skips The Republican Primary Debate
- Supreme Court In South Carolina Upholds State’s Abortion Ban
Supreme Court Of The United States Blocks Ghost Gun Ruling Temporarily
Photo Source: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
Friday, July 28, 2023 – Justice Samuel Alito of the United States Supreme Court has blocked a lower court decision to strike down a regulation aimed at reining privately made firearms known as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns will be difficult for law enforcement to trace.
President Biden's administration asked the justices to halt a nationwide ruling from a federal judge based in Texas. The ruling invalidates a Justice Department restriction of the sale of ghost gun kits, while it appeals to the New Orleans-based 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals. The administration warned that the country would have an irreversible flow of untraceable ghost guns if the judge’s ruling could stand.
Justice Department rule in 2022 clarified that ghost guns qualify as firearms under the federal Gun Control Act, which requires serial numbers and manufacturers to be licensed.
Source: Reuters
Federal Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against CNN
Photo Source: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Saturday, July 29, 2023 – A federal judge has dismissed Former President Donald Trump’s $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN. The former president claimed that the network’s description of his election fraud as the “big lie” associated him with Adolf Hitler. Judge Raag Singhal, who was nominated in 2019 by Trump, said CNN’s words were opinion and not fact, and they can not be the subject of a defamation claim.
The spokesperson of Mr. Trump said in a statement that they agree with the highly respected judge’s findings that CNN’s statements about President Trump are repugnant. CNN will be held responsible for the wrongful mistreatment of former President Trump and his supporters.
Trump has often attacked media outlets that he dislikes their coverage since he launched his first presidential campaign in 2015. However, he often attacks CNN more than other media outlets.
Source: Reuters
Donald Trump Charged With Attempt To Overturn 2020 Presidential Election
Photo Source: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 – The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, has been charged with attempts to overturn the result of the election in 2020. Mr. Trump is being accused of four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, tampering with a witness, and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. Each charge levied against the former President is punishable by prison time.
All the allegations were denied by Mr. Trump, who is also contesting for the office of the President. He is already been charged with two other cases: mishandling classified files and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a sex worker.
Special counsel Jack Smith, the leading counsel in the inquiry, did not charge Mr. Trump with inciting the mob. He also promised a speedy trial and said the former president must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: BBC
Bus Rolls Over, Killing One Person And Leaving 56 Others Injured Near Grand Canyon
Photo Source: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 – Officials confirm that a bus rolled over close to Grand Canyon in Arizona, killing one person and leaving 56 others injured. Eight injured people were flown to hospitals, while the rest, who suffered non-critical injuries, were taken by ground transportation.
The accident happened in Grand Canyon West, on the Hualapai Reservation. It is an area that includes the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Skywalk, an observation deck that protrudes into the canyon, about 4,000 feet above the canyon floor.
There was a collision between the tour bus and a visitor’s vehicle close to the Grand Canyon West parking lot. An investigation has been launched by the Hualapai Nation Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety to determine the cause of the accident.
Source: Reuters
Women With Complicated Pregnancies Are Temporarily Exempted From Texan Abortion Ban
Photo Source: AP Photo/Eric Gay
Saturday, August 5, 2023 – A judge has ruled a temporary injunction, which exempts women with complicated pregnancies from the state abortion ban. The judge said there is a lack of clarity on the medical exemptions of the ban. Judge Jessica Mangrum of the Travis County District Court sided with women and doctors who sued Texas over the abortion ban.
The Texas Attorney General's office confirmed that a notice had been filed directly to the Texas Supreme Court for an accelerated appeal. The office said the filing puts the ruling on hold pending the judgment of the Texas Supreme Court.
There was no immediate comment from the Center for Reproductive Rights on whether the appeal filed by the Attorney General’s office will put the ruling on hold.
Texas was sued in March by several women who claimed they were denied abortions, despite grave risk to their lives. Texas banned aborting with relatively low exceptions.
Source: Reuters
Supreme Court Temporarily Restores President Biden's Curbs On Ghost Guns
Photo Source: AP Photo/Haven Daley
Tuesday, August 8, 2023 – The Supreme Court of the United States has granted President Joe Biden’s request to reinstate a federal regulation aimed at reining privately made firearms known as ghost guns, which are difficult to track by law enforcement.
The decision was made after a 5-4 vote, with the Chief Justice, John Roberts, and fellow conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joining the court’s three liberal justices to grant the administration's request. The rule clarified that ghost guns qualify as firearms under the Gun Control Act, expanding the definition of a firearm to include parts and kits that may be readily turned into a gun.
A spokesperson of the Justice Department commends the decision of the Supreme Court, saying that the rule “is about public safety, which helps law enforcement solve crimes and reducing the number of untraceable ghost guns flooding the community.”
Source: Reuters
White House Launches AI-Based Contest To Protect Government Systems From Hack
Photo Source: AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 – The White House confirms that it has launched a multimillion-dollar cyber contest to spur artificial intelligence (AI) use. The government plans to use AI to find and fix security flaws in the infrastructure of the United States government.
Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for the cyber and emerging technology of the United States government, said that cybersecurity is a race between offense and defense. She said they know malicious actors are already using AI to accelerate identifying vulnerabilities.
Many organizations in the United States have been targets of hackers in recent years, from healthcare groups to manufacturing firms. Officials have also warned of future threats, especially from foreign adversities.
The Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA) will lead a two-year contest, which includes 20 million in rewards.
Source: Reuters
Illinois Supreme Court Upholds State’s Assault Weapons Ban
Photo Source: AP Photo/Seth Perlman
Friday, August 11, 2023 – The Supreme Court of Illinois has upheld a ban by the Democrats on the ban of assault-style riffles and magazines with large capacity. The ban was enacted after a deadly mass shooting in Chicago’s Highland Park in 2022 that left seven people dead and several others wounded. Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, describes the ruling as a win for advocates, survivors, and families.
A 4-3 vote from the state’s high court turned away arguments from a group of plaintiffs led by a Republican State Representative, Dan Caulkins. They argue that the ban violated the constitution of Illinois by not applying the law equally to all citizens.
Justice Elizabeth Rochford, a Democrat, wrote that the Act is an attempt to balance public safety against the expertise of the trained professionals and the expected interests of the grandfathered individuals.
Source: Reuters
Three-Year-Old Migrant Girl Died While She Was Being Transported To Chicago From Texas
Photo Source: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Saturday, August 12, 2023 – The Department of Emergency Management in Texas confirmed the death of a 3-year-old girl from Venezuela. The girl reportedly died at a local hospital In Illinois as she was transported to Chicago from Texas alongside other migrants. The Emergency Management Department stated that the security personnel on board pulled over and called 911 when the girl was showing health concerns.
A spokesperson said that the Illinois Department of Public Health would investigate the girl's death because she died in Chicago. The spokeswoman of the IDPH confirmed that her department will be working with local health officials, state police, and federal authorities to get answers regarding the girl's death.
The officials are, however, yet to release any identifying information about the child.
Source: Reuters
Restriction On Access To Abortion Pill Upheld By The Appeals Court
Photo Source: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 – An appeals court in the United States has ruled to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. This ruling will return to regulations that were in place several years ago but will not be taking the medication off the market. The Appeals Court for the Fifth Circuit decided that the previous regulation for mifepristone by the Food and Drug Administration was unlawful.
The court confirmed that “until the final judgment, Mifeprex will remain available to the public under the conditions for use that existed in 2016.” The challenge affair the abortion pill began in November when the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an anti-abortion group, brought a case against the FDA.
There would likely be an appeal of the recent decision in the Supreme Court. Republican lawmakers have also attempted to curtail access to the medication on the federal level.
Source: The Guardian
New York City Bans TikTok On Device Owned By Government Due To Security Reasons
Photo Source: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - New York City has banned TikTok on devices owned by the government due to security concerns. They join several cities and states in the United States that have put such restrictions on the app. Mayor Eric Adams' administration said TikTok posed a security threat to the city’s technical network.
Agencies in New York City are expected to remove the app within 30 days, and employees will lose access to the app and its websites on city-owned devices. New York State has already banned the app on state-owned devices.
The Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, and other top officials in the United States have also said that TikTok poses a threat. Former President Donald Trump sought to ban new app downloads but was blocked by court decisions.
Source: Reuters
The First Drug For Rare Blood Disease Approved By The FDA In The United States
Photo Source: AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Friday, August 18, 2023 – Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O) confirmed that the United States health regulator approved its drug to treat CHAPLE disease, a rare blood disease. The drug known as Pozelimab, which was branded as Veopoz, would treat CHAPLE disease in adult and pediatric patients one year old and older.
The company confirms that the drug, the first treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for the life-threatening disease, would be sold in the U.S. at a list price of $34,615.38 per single-use vial. The drugs are expected to be available in the third quarter of this year.
However, the approval of the drug comes with a boxed warning for serious meningococcal infections. The treatment poses a risk of life-threatening bacterial infection. The company said the regulator’s decision on the 8mg dose of Eyla is expected in the next few weeks.
Source: Reuters
Shop Owner Killed In California For Displaying LGBTQ+ Flag At Store
Photo Source: AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Sunday, August 20, 2023 – In California, a business owner was shot and killed amid a dispute over an LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed outside her store. San Bernardino County sheriff’s office officials confirmed that Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene. Carleton, mostly called Lauri, is survived by her husband and nine children in a blended family.
The deputies located the suspect, who was armed and shot dead after confronting the officers. An LGBTQ+ group in the nearby Lake Arrowhead confirmed that Carleton spends time at the heliport advocating for everyone but does not identify as part of the community.
The director of Bridesmaids, Paul Feig, who described Carleton as a wonderful friend, wrote on her Instagram that “they are all devastated for her husband Bort, her family, and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was an ally.”
Source: The Guardian
Former President Donald Trump Skips The Republican Primary Debate
Photo Source: AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Monday, August 21, 2023 – Former United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not attend the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday. He announced his social media platform, saying the new CBS poll has him leading the field by large numbers.
Trump has been asking his aides privately and rallying crowds publicly on whether he should attend the debate or engage in counterprogramming to display his political strength. The response so far has been that he should skip the debate. Trump also confirmed that his interview with Ticker Carlson, a former host at Fox News, would be released around the time of the event.
Trump’s team also explored whether he would do the ultimate counterprogramming by scheduling his surrender to authorities after he was charged with conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
Source: The Guardian
Supreme Court In South Carolina Upholds State’s Abortion Ban
Photo Source: AP Photo/James Pollard
Wednesday, August 23, 2023 – The highest court in South Carolina has hip held the state’s new law that says abortion after fetal heart activity is detected has been banned. The Supreme Court found that the state constitution’s protection against “unreasonable invasion of privacy” did not include a right to abortion.
The governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, a Republican, said in a statement after the ruling that “with this victory, they protect the lives of countless unborn children and reaffirm South Carolina’s place as one of the most pro-life states in the United States.
The new law comes after a previous abortion law was struck down by the state’s Supreme Court by a 3-2 vote. Justice Kaye Hearn, the author of the ruling, has, however, retired and was replaced with Justice Garrison Hill, who voted in favor of the new law.
Source: Reuters
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