U.S. and world news for Aug. 15
Trump indictment in Georgia: A grand jury in Georgia handed up a criminal indictment against former President Donald Trump on Monday night for his attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. Reuters reported the 98-page indictment listed 18 other defendants and 41 criminal counts in all, including racketeering. Among the other defendants were Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, and his attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman.
Sharp uptick in homelessness: The U.S. has seen a record increase in homeless people this year, according to a Wall Street Journal data analysis that determined an 11% year-over-year spike in homelessness ”“ the biggest recorded increase since the government started tracking comparable numbers in 2007. The new level is being attributed to rising housing costs, lack of affordable rental units and the nation”™s continuing opioid crisis. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is expected to release its official figures on homelessness later in the year.
Deposed Niger president held prisoner in basement: The military junta that took control of Niger announced it would prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason and undermining national security. The BBC reported that Bazoum has been held prisoner with his wife and son in the basement of the presidential palace since the military coup on July 26, and Bazoum”™s daughter ”“ who was out of the country when the coup occurred ”“ said the captives had no clean water or electricity and were living on rice and pasta.
July”™s record-breaking heat: Officials from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration affirmed that July was the hottest month on record. Specifically, last month was 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than any other July recorded by the federal government since record keeping began in 1880 and was 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit. “It was the warmest July by a longshot,” observed NOAA Chief Scientist Sarah Kapnick.
Volcano disrupts Sicilian flights: Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Monday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna. Reuters reported the 10,925-foot volcano fired lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island on Sunday evening ”“ and while the lava flow subsided before dawn, ash was still coming from one of the craters. Flights to and from Catania, a Sicilian tourist resort, are expected to resume this morning.
Apple”™s next watch to monitor blood pressure: Apple is planning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its watch with a new device called the “Watch X.” According to Bloomberg, the Watch X will offer a thinner case and include a microLED display that not only provides better color and clarity, but also enables users to monitor their blood pressure. The company is expected to officially debut the device next month.
Blue-collar country song becomes viral hit: A former factory worker in Virginia became the unlikeliest music sensation of the summer thanks to an angry song denouncing the political and social elite while lamenting the life of the working class. Oliver Anthony”™s “Rich Men North of Richmond” has already reached 9.6 million views on the streaming service YouTube and topped the U.S. Apple Music and iTunes Country charts and has sparked discussion across social media, with supporters praising its blue-collar appeal and detractors deriding it as a conservative political anthem. Anthony had recorded other songs with a blue-collar focus, with minimal success, but he noted this was the “first song to get out there that has been recorded on a real microphone and a real camera, and not just on my cell phone.”