February and March 2023
Loss of young students in the Michigan State University mass shooting
A man with a gun opened fire on students at MSU(East Lansing), causing five injuries and three deaths before the shooter shot himself after a three-hour hunting down. According to the police, three victims, two junior students Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verne, and a sophomore student Brian Fraser, was inexplicably killed inside school buildings during the shooting. All eight victims are students from Michigan State University, the police said, and the 5 other wounded victims were hospitalized right after the shooting happened. The suspect, confirmed as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, was found dead off-campus through a self-inflicted gunshot on February 14, 12:28 a.m.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine around the one-year mark
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reaches the one-year mark with both geopolitical tension and armed conflict still on the rise. Last week, both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden stated fiery positions through high-profiled speeches strengthening the dueling conflict. As the Ukraine war entered a new uncertain phase, Biden criticized what Russia has been up to during this war year and renounced its support to Ukraine while Putin blamed the Western countries for causing the war to happen. On February 23, 2023, Ukraine announced that they already take security measures to brace for potential Russian strikes arriving on the upcoming anniversary, according to a CNN report.
The US military downed four flying objects
The US military shot down at least four ariel objects with one identified as the Chinese spy balloon and others remaining unidentified. According to the report by senior U.S. military and national security officials on February 8th, the ariel object that was shot down on South Carolina’s coastline is related to a surveillance program run by China’s military. Under the order from President Biden, the military start the process of shotting down and collecting three more unidentified objects that landed in Michigan, Alaska, and Canada’s Yukon Territory. These UFOs would not present any actual threat to the residents on land but may threaten civil aviation but they would continue working to solve it, as reported by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on February 13th.
20 more years sentenced to prison for R. Kelly on child sex crimes case
The disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to another 20 years in Chicago, Illinois after a conviction for 30 yearscharged with child pornography production and enticement of a minor in New York last year. This 56-year-old singer was accused of sexually abused with 5 minors in the late 1990s and making explicit videotapes with at least 4 of them related to child pornography. His six of nine accusations were established including three counts of production of child pornography and three counts of enticement. According to the US District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber on February 23rd, it would be served concurrently for 19 years of the 20-year sentence but with 1 year served separately, after the original sentence is completed.
Alex Murdaugh’s trial for murder is going on the second day
On February 24th, this disgraced former lawyer Alex Murdaugh’s trial entered the second day with the continuation of cross-examing on the charges of murder of his wife, Margaret, 52, and their younger son, Paul, 22. At trial in South Carolina, this erratic lawyer denied all the accusations of killing his family members. However, during Alex’s testimony on the representative of his own behalf, Alex unexpectedly admits his lying to the investigator about his location before the murder to prove his alibi and he blamed all the strange behaviors on his general paranoia caused by his prescription pill addiction.
Thousand in California remain unpowered due to the historic storm
Nearly 85,000 households and businesses, and more than 120,000 people in Los Angeles areas remain without electricity due to the snowstorm sweeping through California. This massive storm brings high snow elevation of the snow, heavy downpouring, and damaging strong wind to parts of California. According to The National Weather Service, a “cold and dangerous winter storm” continued to wreak havoc in California from February 24th to 26th. For southern California mountain areas, a rare blizzard warning is issued to drivers to plan ahead to avoid dangerous roads. Under the influence of heavy snow, a steep grade on Interstate 5, the largest highway heading north out of Los Angeles, was still closed while other more southern points around the city were also shut down due to flooding, said by the California Department of Transportation.
California communities were flooded catastrophically by “atmospheric rivers”
In recent months, central California has experienced ongoing precipitation from “atmospheric rivers,” resulting in flooding and other severe consequences for millions of residents. As California experienced its 11th atmospheric river of the season, bringing more snow and rain, over 300,000 customers were left without power this week. The National Weather Service warns that these atmospheric rivers will continue to impact parts of California, bringing dangerous floods and record-breaking snowfall. The recent period of high winds and heavy precipitation, lasting until March 15th, caused disruptions to electric service, put a strain on levees, and led to evacuations and road closures. Atmospheric rivers are a common weather phenomenon on the west coast characterized by long streams of moisture-laden air flowing in the atmosphere, formed when water evaporates and is carried by the wind.
Latest casualties of the train crash in Greece rises to 57 people
Officials reported on March 2nd that a passenger train carrying hundreds of individuals collided with an oncoming freight train at high velocity in a fiery accident in northern Greece. At least 57 people were killed and around 85 others were injured as a result of the incident, with the majority of the victims being in their teens or twenties. Greek police have reported that the manager of the railway station in the central city of Larissa, who was arrested on March 5, has been charged with manslaughter and is being held in jail pending trial. According to reports, his negligence was directly responsible for the accident. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis issued an apology on March 10th for any responsibility that the Greek government may have had in connection with the tragedy.
Balmain and Beyoncé have launched a couture collection that draws inspiration from the ‘Renaissance’ era.
On Friday, the Grammy Award-winning musician, Beyoncé, revealed her collaboration with French fashion house Balmain and designer Olivier Rousteing on a 16-outfit collection that she referred to as a “wearable album.” According to Olivier Rousteing Balmain’s creative director, they created a lookbook featuring stunning designs. The collection is centered around a theme where each outfit corresponds to a track from Beyoncé’s upcoming 2022 album, such as “Break My Soul,” “Cozy,” and “Summer Renaissance,” creatively translating the songs into fashion. The collection presents a range of striking sculptural elements, such as breastplates made of hammered metal, bustiers created with 3D printing technology, and feather-made fireworks. Additionally, it includes luxurious velvet garments, intricately embroidered gowns, and a wearable chandelier adorned with crystals. The collection boasts meticulous attention to detail, evident even in the platform heels, which feature Beyoncé’s autograph at the base.
