Our Top Stories for the Week of August 8, 2022

Updated August 12, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

It’s been a busy week, from political tensions to national investigations. 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 Tensions

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• China Sanctions Pelosi Over Taiwan Trip: On Friday, August 5, 2022, China announced fresh sanctions against the US in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, including the suspension of China-US climate negotiations. China has already increased military drills and air raids around the island. Future phone calls and correspondence between Chinese and US defense leaders have been canceled as part of the new procedures.^[1]

• Nuclear Power Plant Damaged By Russian Rocket: On Friday, August 5, 2022, the Ukrainian nuclear agency reported that Russian rockets had destroyed a portion of a massive nuclear power station under Russian control. Russia took over the Zaporizhzhia plant in March, but the Ukrainian workers were not. According to Enerhoatom, both a nitrogen-oxygen unit and a high-voltage power line were damaged. According to the agency, no radioactive leak is suspected.^[2]

• Kenyans Await Announcement Of A New President: On Thursday, August 11, 2022, two days after the presidential polls, Kenyans continue to swarm around radios and media outlets, waiting for the country’s electoral commission to announce the result. So far, the election has been a close fight between Raila Odinga, an experienced political figure, and William Ruto, the former Vice President. Although Kenyans think the electoral commission will provide a free and fair outcome, there are concerns that the late declaration of a winner would lead to rigging charges.^[3]

• Pentagon Declines Mayor Bowser’s Request: On Saturday, August 6, 2022, the Pentagon turned down a request from the mayor of Washington, DC, denying DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request for National Guard troops to assist in the processing of migrants, citing “disturbance in troops’ readiness.” This comes amid conservative criticism of US President Joe Biden’s immigration policies and efforts to overturn a pandemic-related restriction that has barred most asylum seekers from entering the country.^[4]

Sources: [1] CNN [2] BBC [3] Reuters [4] BBC

Manmade And Natural Disasters

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• Israeli Airstrike Kills 11 In Gaza: On Saturday, August 6, 2022, Israel’s military launched a lethal assault against a declared target in Gaza, as tensions between Israel and Palestinian militant organizations continue to rise. Tayseer Al-Jabari, a commander in Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Quds Brigade, was killed in the airstrike, according to the Islamic Jihad group. The Palestinian health ministry stated that at least 11 individuals were murdered, including a 5-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman. Israel stated that the vast majority of those murdered were militants.^[1]

• President Biden Visits Kentucky After Flood: On Monday, August 8, 2022, President Joe Biden visited areas of eastern Kentucky that had been ravaged by the greatest flooding in the State’s history, promising to assist in their recovery. Biden stated in his address that the government could accomplish this; it is not beyond their control. Since a rainstorm, last month that brought up to 10.5 inches of rain in just 48 hours, floods in Kentucky have killed at least 37 people.^[2]

• Fresh Covid Outbreak In China: On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, China is rushing to close venues to contain the spread of new COVID-19 cases in the tourism hotspots of Tibet and Hainan. In Mainland China, 828 new domestically transmitted cases have been reported in over a dozen provinces and regions. Only a few cases have been reported in Tibet and Hainan in over two years. Yet, authorities describe a local patient with proven symptoms and another 21 local asymptomatic infections.^[3]

• Cuban Massive Wild Fire Brought Under Control: On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, firefighters put out what officials called the deadliest fire in Cuban history, which burned 40% of the Caribbean island’s largest gasoline storage complex. After a lightning strike, the fire engulfed the four-tank system. The fire was accompanied by massive explosions, leading local firefighters to call in reinforcements from Mexico and Venezuela. Rafael Perez Garriga told reporters he was concerned about the fire’s influence on the county’s power supply.^[4]

• Wildfires Raze Down Major Regions In France: On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, more residents are forced to flee in an emergency as wildfires continue to destroy the Gironde area in southwestern France. Despite the efforts of firefighters, the fire is essentially out of control, filling the air with black fumes. So far, 10,000 homes have been evacuated, with firefighters indicating that further evacuations are likely. For decades, Europe has been experiencing one of its worst droughts, which scientists believe is one of the causes of the wildfires.^[5]

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

Implementations And Investigations

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• United States Senate Pass Climate And Healthcare Bill: On Sunday, August 7, 2022, the climate and healthcare expenditure bill was approved by the United States Senate. The legislation, originally known as the Inflation Reduction Act, proposes to invest $369 billion in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy. Experts believe the bill will lower America’s greenhouse-gas emissions by nearly 40% by 2023, compared to 2005. The law was approved by a 51-50 vote in the Senate, with every Democrat voting in favor.^[1]

• WhatsApp Upgrade Promises Better Privacy: On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, Meta announced that substantial new WhatsApp updates are in the works, giving users additional privacy and control over their internet appearance. Users can now quit group chats without telling the other group members. According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the improvements will be available in August, beginning in the United Kingdom. They will make WhatsApp discussions “as private as face-to-face interactions.”^[2]

• Federal Agents Search Mar-A-Lago For Classified Records: On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, federal investigators entered Donald Trump’s Palm Beach estate in Florida with a warrant, searching for presidential and secret records. According to sources, the search was conducted because the Justice Department believed that the former president was unlawfully and improperly retaining classified papers. However, no more action will be taken now that it has secured approximately ten boxes of records, in addition to the fifteen boxes retrieved earlier this year.^[3]

Sources: [1] BBC [2] BBC [3] The Guardian