Our Top Stories for the Week of December 19th, 2022

Updated December 22, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

It’s been a busy week, from political strain to natural disasters. Who has time to keep track of it all? That’s why we’ve boiled it all down to our top stories of the week.

International News

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Russian Missile Destroys Ukrainian Power Supply: On Friday, December 16, 2022, the most recent series of Russian assaults on Ukrainian electricity installations produced a blackout in Kharkiv's second city for many hours. Local officials acknowledged that mine power facilities were struck due to Russia's 76 missiles and drone assaults on Friday. According to Commander-in-Chief General Valeriy Zaluzhny, 60 of Russia's 76 missiles were intercepted by air defenses, and the emergency services are working hard to restore the electricity supply.^[1]
Shanghai Resorts To Online Classes Over Covid Surge: On Saturday, December 17, 2022, Due to a spike in Covid infections across China's cities, the education bureau directed Shanghai schools to begin online courses on Monday. Since the relaxation of some of the world's harshest restrictions, the number of cases in China has increased again, with fears that Covid would spread swiftly among the country's 1.4 billion people over the lunar new year vacation next month have grown.^[2]
Argentina Clinches Third World Cup Title: On Sunday, December 18, 2022, Argentina won their third World Cup, defeating France in a dramatic World Cup final match. They won 4-2 on penalties after the match finished in a 3-3 stalemate. Argentina had now won six of their seven World Cup penalty shootouts, including the quarter-final against the Netherlands a week ago when they trailed 2-0. The Sunday match concluded the tournament hosted by Qatar, which saw Croatia clinch third place behind the 2 finalists.^[3]
Crew Of The Thai Royal Navy Goes Missing: On Monday, December 19, 2022, The Thai Navy stated that 33 of 106 personnel were missing after a Royal Thai Navy cruiser overturned and drowned in the Gulf of Thailand during a storm.

Three sailors were rescued but are in serious condition as the hunt for the missing crew begins. After the ship, a 252-foot (76.8-meter) long corvette HTMS Sukhothai, was titled by the high wind, the ship's electrical system failed owing to seawater entering the exhaust pipe.^[4]
Cornwall Space Project Approved: On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, the UK Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) granted permission for the Cornwall project, which will be the first space launch from British land. Although no date for the launch has been announced, the permission brings the historic occasion one step closer to reality. Local authorities are hoping that the initiative would benefit Cornwall's space sector.^[5]
21 Campers Confirmed Dead In Malaysia: On Saturday, December 17, 2022, Malaysian authorities reported a large accident and land collapse near a camping area. The landslide advanced around 100 feet to reach the camp location, covering nearly 3 acres of ground. The rubble was also measured to be 26 feet deep. Among the 21 already confirmed deceased, two persons were discovered suffocated together under the debris, according to local police.^[6]

Sources: [1] BBC [2] The Guardian [3] Reuters [4] CNN [5] BBC [6] The Guardian

Closer to Home

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United States Senate Passes Defense Act: On Friday, December 16, 2022, The United States senate passed $854 billion in defense legislation which is $45 billion more than President Joe Biden suggested. The bill debates saw Senators strongly endorsing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a document that sets policies for the Pentagon that must be passed yearly, with an 83-11 bipartisan majority. The fiscal 2023 NDAA includes $858 billion in military expenditure, including a 4.6% increase for personnel. Senator James Inhofe called the bill the most essential item they approve yearly.^[1]
Appeal Court Reject The Sustenance Of Title 42: On Saturday, December 17, 2022, A federal appeals court rejected a plea by six Republican states after a district court upheld the contentious Trump-era border policy. The petition sought to maintain the Title 42 regulation. The CD Circuit refused the state's request to intervene in the case in a fresh order, putting the lower court's judgment on hold. The Affected States now look to move the case up for litigation at the supreme court.3^[2]
Zelensky Addresses Us Congress: On Wednesday, December 21, 2022, after arriving in the United States for his first overseas visit since the invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, reminded Congress that help to Ukraine is an investment in democracy, not charity. The United States has given over $50 billion in aid to Ukraine due to the worst land conflict Europe has seen since World War II.^[3]
Massachusetts To Reform Prison Conditions: On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, The Massachusetts state prison system announced that they will now reform how convicts with major mental health concerns are cared for, and they will also oversee prisoners who are prone to injuring themselves, following years of civil rights investigations by the United States Department of Justice. The agreement includes policy and training reforms that increase prisoner oversight.^[4]
Transgender Right Activist Dies At 24: On Thursday, December 22. 2022, Henry Berg-Brousseau, a transgender rights advocate whose narrative inspired opponents of trans-restrictive legislation in Kentucky, was confirmed dead at the age of 24. Karen Berg, a state Senator, says that he was always a victim of mental illness and that the reason for his death was suicide. Berg-Brousseau made headlines when he was 16 years old after testifying against a Kentucky anti-trans restroom law.^[5]