2022 has been a significant year for the history of planet Earth. Making it past the halfway point of the year, 360 reviews the leading stories for the month of August.
Brittney Griner receives nine-year sentence in Russia
United States’ WNBA player Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years of prison on Thursday August 4 in Russia. Griner pled guilty to cannabis possession charges earlier in the year after mistakenly breaking Russian law. When travelling to Russia in February of the year, Griner had vape cartridges that carried less than one gram of cannabis oil in them.
In the courtroom before hearing her sentence, Briner stated, “I want the court to understand that this was an honest mistake that I made while rushing, under stress, trying to recover from COVID and just trying to get back to my team.”
Moments after Griner was sentenced, the White House released a statement, reportedly in the name of US President Joe Biden. The statement read, “Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney, […] It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”
Monkeypox outbreak continues to swarm the US
The viral disease known as monkeypox was recognized as a national health emergency in the US. After the first case was contracted around May of 2022, the virus has only continued to spread. Over 6,600 probable or confirmed cases have been reported in the states, with only Montana and Wyoming not having any reported cases.
Alex Jones defamation trial begins
Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ defamation trial commenced after years of claiming that the 2012 mass elementary school shooting at Sandy Hook was not real.
In 2018, 10 families of victims from the Sandy Hook shooting sued Jones, resulting in two suits in Texas and one in Connecticut. Since then, in 2019, Jones admitted that the shooting took place, but he continued to communicate false claims surrounding the event.
With the trial taking off in the beginning of August 2022, Jones has already lost the three cases by default judgement. The happenings inside of the courtroom have gained widespread attention, as videos of a victims’ family confronting Jones’ years of lies went viral online.
Jones attorney, also, accidentally sent the prosecution copies of Jones’ phone records that included his texts and emails – important documents that Jones has refused to hand over for years, resulting in his losses in three cases.
FLORIDA: Police arrest a woman for committing “sexual acts” with her dog for eight years while her ex-partner recorded it
As stated by the Pinellas County Sheriff, the 36-year-old woman “voluntarily participated in sexual activities with her dog”. Christina Calello, and her ex-boyfriend, Geoffrey Springer, 39, have been arrested in Florida. The woman is accused of having sex with her dog for eight years while Geoffrey recorded it, videos that were later stored on a hard drive. He will also face legal charges for having recorded the acts of his ex-partner and having “saved them on a flash drive”.
Four injured in lightning strike near White House
Four people have been seriously injured after being struck by lightning that struck this Thursday (August 4) near the White House, the residence of the president of the United States in Washington. At the press conference, the spokesman for the fire department of the US capital, Vito Maggiolo, stated that two adult men and two women received medical attention and were taken to hospital after receiving the “apparent impact” of lightning.
A man shoots a McDonald’s worker in New York for serving him cold fries, New York City
An employee of a McDonald’s in New York is in serious condition in the hospital after being shot during an altercation with a customer and his mother after an argument because the fries were cold, reported this Wednesday (August 3) the Police and the New York Post newspaper.
In a city where gunshots are frequent, this new episode took place on Monday night (August 1) in Brooklyn. Police confirmed to AFP that a 20-year-old man is charged and detained with “possession of firearms” and “attempted homicide.”
Balenciaga are now selling ‘the worlds most expensive trash bag’ for $1,790
The luxury brand has unveiled a brand new it-bag for Winter 2022 – dubbed ‘the worlds most expensive trash bag’ by the fashion house itself. The Balenciaga Trash Pouch retails for $1,790 and can be bought in Balenciaga’s boutiques and online now.
Khloe Kardashian & Tristan Thompson have welcomed their baby boy
The couple have become parents for the second time. The athlete and the celebrity announced last July that they were expecting their second child together, this time through a surrogate mother. “We would like to ask for kindness and privacy so that Khloé can focus on her family,” says the statement from the television businesswoman.
‘JOKER 2’ will officially be released in theaters on October 4, 2024
‘Joker 2′: Folie à Deux’ finally has a release date. The film starring Batman’s archenemy will be released in theaters on October 4, 2024. The film will be filming in December, with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in talks as Joker and Harley Quinn.
Huge Breakthrough as CANCER ‘disappears’ for all patients in drug trial
A new drug being tested for colorectal cancer has left doctors stunned after it returned 100% success rate in clinical trials. Dostarlimab (a drug with molecules made in a laboratory) works by exposing cancer cells, allowing the immune system to identify and destroy them. During those six months, patients received a dose of the drug every three weeks. Each of them cost about $11,000.
Conor Mcgregor is making his acting debut in Jake Gyllenhaal’s new movie
UFC star is headed to the big screen. Conor, who last fought in 2021, will star alongside actor Jake Gyllenhaal in Amazon Prime’s remake of the 1989 action/suspense movie “Road House.” “Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of ‘Road House,’ a beloved classic,” McGregor’s spokesperson Karen J. Kessler said.
Olivia Newton-John dies at the age of 73
Olivia Newton-John has passed away this Monday (August 8) at the age of 73. The Australian actress and singer was diagnosed with cancer more than 30 years ago and it was her husband, John Easterling, who was in charge of communicating the actress’s death to the world: “Olivia Newton-John passed away at her home in Southern California, surrounded by family and friends. We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
F.B.I. Searches Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Residence in Florida
FBI searches Trump’s Florida residence for official documents. “These are dark times for our nation, as my beautiful home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach is now being besieged, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” the Republican wrote in a statement. Trump expresses that “something like this has never happened to a president of the United States before” and that’s right: there is no precedent for a search of the house of a former president in US history.
Spain: Drug jabs in nightclubs
The cases of alleged chemical submission by jabs do not stop increasing. The common element in all the cases was the jab and that, in general, the victims are young girls. Some people perceive the jab at the moment of receiving it, while others see it more late or even the next morning. Some report symptoms include nausea, arm pain and confusion.
New virus of animal origin detected in China, 35 cases in humans
Henipavirus, that’s what the new virus of animal origin detected in China is named. The cases, none of them serious, were found in Henan and Shandong, according to the ‘Global Times‘ newspaper, which cites an article published by Chinese and Singaporean scientists in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine‘, one of the most recognized in the world.
United States expands availability of monkeypox vaccine manufacturing
The United States declared this August 4 a health emergency throughout the country due to monkeypox. The first states to declare a monkeypox health emergency were California and New York. Now the health agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has received emergency use authorizations for the monkeypox vaccines.
“Last week, I declared monkeypox a public health emergency to unlock additional tools that will help us contain and end this outbreak and to signal to Americans that we are taking our response to the next level,” Xavier Becerra (US Secretary of Health) said in a statement from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Africa: William Ruto wins the elections in Kenya
The Electoral Commission of Kenya has announced the winner of the elections to William Ruto, the current vice president, with 50.49% of the vote over candidate Raila Odinga, who received 48.85%. “I am going to work with all the political leaders,” in a “transparent, open, and democratic” country, assured William Ruto upon learning of his victory.
Australia: Man arrested after shooting at Canberra airport
A man was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of several shots at the main terminal of the Canberra airport (Australia’s capital), with no injuries reported, Australian police said. In pictures released on social media platforms, a police officer could be seen reducing a man to the floor inside the terminal, while the airport alarms sounded. From outside it was possible to observe the bullet impacts on the front window of the airport, according to images published by ABC public television.
US first lady Jill Biden tests positive for coronavirus
Jill Biden has tested positive for coronavirus and is suffering from mild symptoms, her spokeswoman reported on Monday (August 15), confirming that she will remain isolated for at least five days. The American first lady will remain isolated in her house in South Carolina and Joe Biden will return to the white house alone to continue with his agenda.
Life sentence for Shafee El Sheikh, the leader of the Islamic State commando who executed several journalists
The terrorist El Shafee el-Sheikh, leader of the ‘Beatles’, a jihadist group of the self-styled Islamic State and known for its cruelty and specialty in the torture, capture and execution of Western hostages, has been sentenced this Friday (August 19) to prison life by a United States court.
WHO confirms new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
The World Health Organization has confirmed a new outbreak of Ebola in the North Kivu region, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after the worst forecasts were found for a case classified as suspicious. There is a lot of concern and tension in the African country due to these data. The head of the WHO, Matshidiso Moeti, sees this type of resurgence “worrying and alarming”, which is “appearing more and more frequently”.
