Monday August 22 top stories
Hello! My name is Renca and I will take Alex’s place today for top news. Today is Monday, August 22. Let’s see what we have.
Car bombing in Russia raises tensions
On Saturday night in Russia, there was a car bomb that killed a 29-year-old Russian woman named Daria Dugina. This happened in an area outside of Moscow. She was the daughter of a man named Alexander Dugin, who was well-known for having extreme political views that sometimes aligned with Russian President Putin’s political views. Some have called Alexander “Putin’s Brain” or a “guru.”
After the bombing, there were comments among Russians that the Ukrainian government was responsible for the bombing. The Ukrainian government said it had nothing to do with the bombing.
Daria worked in the media field as a commentator and had views similar to his father’s.
Daria was at an event where her father was also at. The two planned to leave the event together but went in separate vehicles and that’s when the bombing happened. Some have suspected that whoever set up the bomb intended for her father to be killed.
Russian law enforcement said they have opened an investigation and believe that the crime was planned in advance.
Dennis Rodman going to Russia to help Brittney Griner
Dennis Rodman said he plans to go to Russia soon to try and get Brittney Griner free from her nine-year prison sentence.
Rodman told NBC News that he has permission to go to Russia and that he will try to go this week.
Rodman does have some experience with working with international governments, as he had a close relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The U.S. government is not working with Rodman. The Biden administration has offered a prisoner swap, but there has been almost no progress.
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140 migrants arrive in New York City
Yesterday in New York City, buses with 140 migrants from Texas arrived and the officials are saying that this is the largest single-day arrival of migrants. The group was a mix of individuals and families and they are seeking asylum. They are part of the thousands of migrants sent to New York and Washington D.C. this year from the order of Texas Governor Greg Abbott because this is part of his criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
From a few articles, the office of Governor Abbott said they have sent 7,000 migrants to Washington D.C. since April and over 900 migrants to New York City since August. They said that this is a “much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams and other city officials accuse Abbott’s administration for forcing asylum-seekers on the buses and not coordinating with the city officials for the transfer. Abbott’s office said that New York City had already given their consent for those people to come and have signed waivers.
Yesterday, volunteers greeted the migrants with food, water, and clothing. The city is also providing legal assistance.
Flash flood in New Mexico forces evacuation
On Saturday, Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico had a big flash flood from the heavy downpours. This flash flood forced about 120 to 160 people in the area to evacuate and find shelter. The visitors at the park had to wait in the shelter for approximately 9 hours before they were able to leave. Based on several reports, it seems that no one was injured and everyone was safe. A visitor mentioned that when they had to evacuate, it was a scary time because they thought they would not be able to get out, but grateful for the park’s help. Right now the national park is closed until further notice.
Carlsbad Caverns is a World Heritage site and has more than 119 limestone caves.
Somalia hotel siege
In Somalia, there was a hotel siege that resulted in more than 20 people dead. The hotel has been largely destroyed because of the intense fighting between the militants and security forces that lasted from Friday night to Saturday. In several articles, they say that an Islamist militant group al Shabaab (Somalia-based militant) has taken responsibility for this attack.
The fight began with the militant group using two car bombs at the barriers and gate to access the hotel. After that, they used forced entry into the hotel and started to “randomly” shoot at people. The militant also accessed the upper floors of the hotel and held an unknown number of people as hostages. During the attack, the security forces were able to rescue some people. The police have yet to give details on why this attack happened, but comments say it is likely because al-Shabaab opposes the federal government and other people who support it.
A health minister mentioned that there were 117 people wounded and 21 reported deaths with a possibility of more.
3 Indiana State University die in a fiery car accident
Three Indiana State University students died in a fiery car accident on Sunday at 1:34 am. There were five of them in the car and some of them were football players. It seems that this car went off the road and hit a tree.
When the police arrived, the car was on fire. Two passengers were able to break free, but the driver and two other passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. A vigil was hosted last night at ISU’s memorial stadium. This shock impacted the women’s soccer match to be postponed. ISU President Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said “this is a terrible tragedy” and “waiting for additional details from authorities.” This situation is being investigated. This happened in Riley, Indiana which is 10 miles away from the university’s Terre Haute campus.
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow. Stay with the light.
Rodman: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/dennis-rodman-says-going-russia-seek-release-brittney-griner-rcna44106
Migrants: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/us/texas-migrants-new-york-buses/index.html
New Mexico: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/us/carlsbad-caverns-new-mexico-flooding-evacuations/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/us/zion-missing-hiker-flood.html
Somalia: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/20/1118633436/somalia-mogadishu-hotel-gunmen-deaths
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62621205
Indiana: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/3-indiana-students-die-fiery-car-accident-rcna44127