The LuLac Editrion # 4, 655, December 29th, 2021

 

TOP TEN NATIONAL STORIES

1.       6 January: Storming of the US Capitol. Supporters of the former US President Donald Trump laid a siege on the US Capitol following his defeat to Joe Biden in the US Presidential elections 2020.

At the time of the attack, a joint session of the Congress was being held inside the Capitol to validate the results of the elections. The rioters assaulted security officials, looted offices and vandalized the Capitol.

 

2.       20 January: Joe Biden becomes US President, Kamala Harris appointed as VP. Joseph R. Biden, the Democratic Party leader, won the presidential polls in November 2020, in what was one of the most contentious elections in US history. He took oath as the 46th President of the United States on 20 January 2021.  At the event, Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate during the elections, was sworn in as the first woman, first black American, and the first South Asian American vice president of the US. Singers Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez performed at the inauguration, but the star of the day was National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, whose inspiring poem, The Hill We Climb, made headlines around the world. Harris had served as US Senator from California before becoming the new Veep.

 

3.       COVID-19 vaccines available to all  By May 1, a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, adults in the U.S. across all 50 states were eligible to receive a Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccination. Both Pfizer and Moderna use a novel mRNA technology to create their vaccines, while Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine uses more traditional, pre-existing information-delivery technology. It was a milestone met by the American public with hope, relief, and, for many, hesitancy. With the introduction of these vaccines and reported cases on the decline, America, and many other parts of the world reopened their economies.

 

4.       Georgee Floyd and other verdicts. Derek Chauvin found guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd. Chauvin, who is white, was seen on video pinning George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, to the ground with his knee last Memorial Day for over nine minutes after police responded to a report that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill. A jury Wednesday found three White men charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, guilty on multiple murder counts, as well as other charges.

The verdict, delivered by nine White women, two White men and one Black man, came after more than 11 hours of deliberation spanning two days. It followed eight days of testimony, involving 23 witnesses. Arbery's parents appeared alongside civil rights stalwarts outside the courthouse following the verdict. They praised the prosecution and supporters who joined the family in the fight for justice for their son, whose killing spurred national outrage and helped cast a spotlight on other racially driven crimes around the country.

 

 5.       In September, the Wall Street Journal published a series of investigative reports called “The Facebook Files” thanks to documents released by a whistleblower at the company. The files confirm some of the most heinous allegations made against Facebook and its subsidiaries, including the negative impact on teenage girls, the pervasive spread of hate speech and misinformation, and ad hoc decisions around censorship. Perhaps most concerning is that these dangers—and other systemic problems—are well-known and well-documented internally.

 

6.       Death Threats to Members of Congress Have Doubled This Year, Capitol Police Say. Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said death threats against members of Congress have doubled this year, with an overall increase of 118.7 from 2017 to 2020.

 

Pittman said in March there was a 93.5 percent increase in threats against members of Congress in the first two months of 2021 compared to last year. Pittman testified again in April, saying threats have increased 65 percent in the first four months as compared to the same period in 2020.Congressional members have reported more safety concerns following the Jan. 6 riots, but Colorado Rep. Jason Crow told the Associated Press death threats "are unfortunately the reality of congressional life these days".

 

8.       The Supreme Court is signalling that it’s ready to end Roe v Wade. This constitutes the most serious challenge to Roe v Wade in a generation, many court watchers predicted a massive rollback of abortion rights. But the line among reasonable pundits was that the court, fearing censure from a largely pro-choice American public, would attempt to have its cake and eat it too – allowing states to impose abortion bans earlier in pregnancy, but keeping abortion as a constitutional right intact.

9. Biden gets Stimulus and Infrastructure bill through. These are landmark achievements that have received very little attention.  It will deliver $550 billion of new federal investments in America's infrastructure over five years, touching everything from bridges and roads to the nation's broadband, water and energy systems. Experts say the money is sorely needed to ensure safe travel, as well as the efficient transport of goods and produce across the country. The nation's infrastructure system earned a C- score from the American Society of Civil Engineers earlier this year.

10. Extreme weather events prove climate change is already here. From extreme temperatures, to fires and floods, 2021 was a year of extremes. This may have been the year the world finally began to pay attention to the mayday calls for climate change and the harmful effects warming global temperatures will have -- not just on the environment, but on human life. Scientists have long warned of the calamity that could result from rising global temperatures. Predictions such as extreme temperature events, the increase of severe drought and more intense storms have all come to fruition in 2021 -- around the world and close to home.

    (CNN, Weather Channel, Newsweek, LuLac)