2023: A Year in Review

Let’s look back at some of the biggest “Top Stories” of the year.

In January, NFL player Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game. There was a huge outpouring of support for Hamlin with over $8 million raised for a charity he supported. Hamlin made a full recovery and is back playing with the Buffalo Bills.

In February, a suspicious-looking balloon was spotted over Montana. The U.S. said it was a Chinese spy balloon and shot it down off the coast of South Carolina. The incident increased tensions between the U.S. and China.

Also in February, a powerful and devastating earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, killing over 65,000 people. It was the deadliest worldwide disaster since the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In March, former president Donald Trump was indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for his alleged role in hush money payments to an adult film actress, Stormy Daniels. He was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump is the first current or former president to be indicted. He denied all wrongdoing. Trump would be indicted three more times in separate cases in 2023.

In April, Fox News agreed to pay $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation lawsuit. Fox News acknowledged that it broadcast false statements that Dominion’s voting machines rigged votes in President Biden’s favor.

In May, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the Covid-19 global health emergency.

Another major news event in May was the death of Tina Turner, who was known as the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll.” She was 83.

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In June, the biggest news story was the submersible that imploded during an expedition to view the wreck of the Titanic. Five passengers passed away.

In July, NASA said July 2023 is the hottest month on record ever since 1880. The measurement highlighted the dangers of climate change.

In August, wildfires destroyed the historic city of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii. At least 100 people were killed. The fires happened in extremely windy conditions and destroyed over 2,200 buildings.

In September, a former national leader of the Proud Boys organization, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in coordinating attacks against the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6, 2021. It is the longest sentence in the Jan. 6 cases.

In October, Hamas fighters breached a wall in southern Israel and carried out a massive attack against Israeli civilians and security forces, killing about 1,100. About 250 hostages were taken into Gaza. The Israeli military responded by carrying out devastating airstrikes and an invasion that has killed over 21,000 Palestinians. The war is still going on today.

In November, Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, which researches and creates artificial intelligence products, was removed by its board, but after an outcry by staff, he was reinstated. The incident and the attention it received highlighted the rising power of AI and its role in everyday life.

In December, Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, passed away at the age of 93.

Also in December, a new controversy for Donald Trump appeared — on whether his name can be removed from ballots for inciting an insurrection. Colorado and Maine officials made moves to block or remove Trump’s name from their respective ballots for the 2024 election, but the Supreme Court will likely make a ruling on whether this can be done or not in the near future.

So, that’s 2023 in a nutshell. Thank you for watching our Top Stories. We’ll be here next year. Stay with the light!