U.S. and world news for Aug. 22

Russia blames car bombing on Ukraine: Russia”™s Federal Security Service, which picked up where the former KGB left off as a spy agency, this morning blamed Ukraine for the car bombing in Russia that killed the daughter of a confidant of President Vladimir Putin, Alexander Dugin. It”™s believed that Dugin himself was the target. Ukraine”™s President Zelenskyy denies that Ukraine had anything to do with the car bombing.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister branded a terrorist: Pakistan”™s government announced this morning that charges have been filed against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, naming him as a terrorist. A no-confidence vote by Pakistan”™s Parliament forced Khan from office. He has been campaigning against the current Pakistani government and trying to run for office again.

Cheney calls GOP leadership very sick: Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was defeated in Wyoming’s Republican primary in her bid to run for re-election, appeared in an ABC News interview yesterday. Cheney said that her loss shows that many Republicans still believe what she described as Donald Trump”™s big lie. “They continue to believe what he’s saying, which is very dangerous. I think it also tells you that large portions of our party, including the leadership of our party, both at a state level in Wyoming as well as on a national level with the RNC, is very sick,” Cheney said.

Floods hit Dallas: The drought in parts of the southwest U.S. has been at least temporarily replaced in some areas with a heavy rains and flooding. In Dallas, more than seven inches of rain were recorded in just three hours, creating massive flooding that continued into this morning”™s rush hour with cars and trucks stranded and a flood warning in effect until this evening.

Military exercises underway: The U.S. and South Korea began joint military exercises today that are expected to continue through Sept. 1. North Korea says the exercises are rehearsals for an invasion of North Korea and says the exercises justify North Korea”™s continued development of nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them.

Glacier melting increases: A Swiss study released this morning shows that while it took the 1,400 glaciers in Switzerland 85 years to lose half their volume through melting, in the past six years the rate of melting has increased with the glaciers losing another 12% of their volume.

Photo of Imran Khan by World Economic Forum / Flickr Creative Commons