Buzz
Keeping up with the news can be overwhelming. That's why we've taken the time to highlight the most impactful, strange, or just downright jaw-dropping stories each week.
Following last week's horrific mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, tragedy struck again with the Camp Fire, now recorded as the deadliest wildfire in the state's history. Meanwhile, Europe saw bizarre scandals, Australia faced unrest, and the Democratic Party had some surprising good fortune. Let’s dive in.
10. The Democrats Received a Surprising Post-Election Surge
One of the main takeaways from last week's 2018 midterm elections was that the much-anticipated Democratic “Blue Wave” never materialized. Now, with an additional week of hindsight, and as more results continue to emerge, it seems we might need to reassess our initial reaction. While it wasn't a tsunami, it was indeed a wave.
The most notable late development has been in Arizona. On Monday, it was confirmed that Democrat Kyrsten Sinema defeated Republican Martha McSally to secure the open Senate seat. The race was tight, but Sinema’s centrist platform ultimately triumphed over McSally’s Trump-aligned tactics. Sinema is now Arizona’s first Democrat in the Senate since 1988 and the first openly bisexual member of Congress. However, don’t expect her to be overtly progressive; she has already stated she will oppose her party on several issues.
In other news, Florida’s governor and Senate races are heading toward recounts, a situation that eerily echoes the 2000 presidential election. It’s unlikely the Democrats will secure a victory here, but should they pull off an upset, it would give a significant boost to their election narrative.
Lastly, we saw more House seats shift to the Democrats than initially predicted following the vote. The Democrats have now gained 35 seats, with the potential to increase that number to 44. If that occurs—and it may take some time to confirm—2018 could indeed go down as a wave year.
9. Stan Lee Passed Away
Spider-Man. The Avengers. The Incredible Hulk. The X-Men. These are some of the most iconic names in pop culture, and it’s almost certain that you’ve watched at least one movie featuring them. The common thread? All of them were created or co-created by Stan Lee, the man known for his humorous cameos in every Marvel film. This week, the mastermind behind these legendary stories passed away at the age of 95. The superhero world will never be the same.
Lee’s passing would have been major news back in 2007, but in today’s world—where the biggest box-office hits and most talked-about films predominantly come from Marvel—it’s nothing short of monumental. Lee shaped much of today’s pop culture, a remarkable achievement considering he was already middle-aged when he began creating some of his most famous heroes.
Although a cultural icon, Lee wasn’t always held in high regard within his own industry. Legendary artist Jack Kirby notoriously criticized him as a self-serving opportunist who took credit for the work of others (including Kirby’s own contributions). Regardless of the details, there’s no denying the vast influence Lee had on global pop culture.
8. We May Have Finally Tracked Down The Australia Strawberry Saboteur
In September, Australia was thrown into one of the strangest panics in recent memory. A number of strawberries were found to contain sewing needles. Although only a few minor injuries were reported, the discovery sparked widespread hysteria, leading to the destruction of vast amounts of strawberries and rumors of tainted fruit spreading to neighboring New Zealand.
Over the weekend, we may have uncovered the identity of the person responsible. Fifty-year-old strawberry farm supervisor My Ut Trinh was arrested on Sunday and charged with seven counts of food tampering. If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.
The most significant impact of Trinh’s alleged actions was the devastating blow to Australia’s $400 million strawberry industry, resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Authorities believe her motive was to exact revenge on her employer.
7. A Shocking Terrorist Attack Struck Australia
Turning our attention to the south, Australia was rocked by a tragic act of violence since our last update. Last Friday, 30-year-old Hassan Khalif Shire Ali set his car on fire in Melbourne's busy Bourke Street before stabbing three pedestrians, one of whom died from his injuries. Police shot and killed the attacker. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the assault.
This attack was part of a series of similar incidents involving ISIS sympathizers targeting Australia, following previous stabbings and sieges in Sydney and Melbourne. While the death toll has thankfully remained low, Friday’s attack had the potential to be far more lethal. Ali's car was packed with propane tanks, seemingly designed as a makeshift bomb, but they fortunately did not explode.
As is often the case with such horrific events, stories of civilian bravery began to emerge. In this case, however, there was an unexpected twist. A homeless man, who had intervened during the attack by using a shopping cart against Ali, was initially celebrated as a hero. He is now wanted by the police in connection with a series of burglaries.
6. Macedonia’s Former Prime Minister Fled The Country
From 2006 to 2016, Nikola Gruevski served as the prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). This week, however, he gained even more notoriety as a fugitive from justice. On Monday, the former PM failed to appear for a two-year prison sentence related to corruption charges. Instead, he sought asylum in Hungary, an EU country. An international arrest warrant has since been issued for him.
Gruevski’s time in office was characterized by corrupt, authoritarian rule and an eccentric building spree that transformed the capital, Skopje, into a city full of ancient Greek-inspired statues. Following the exposure of his excesses, he was ousted, and his party suffered a major defeat in the 2017 elections. Gruevski was later indicted for the illicit purchase of a luxury limousine. Many of his former political allies are now facing trials themselves.
Gruevski’s decision to seek asylum in Hungary is likely to raise tensions in Brussels. The EU has been increasingly frustrated with Hungary’s ongoing violations of the rule of law, and sheltering an international fugitive seems like a deliberate move to provoke further conflict.
5. A Shocking Child Abduction Scandal Involved The Czech Prime Minister
Sticking with our theme of “bizarre scandals involving European prime ministers,” as Gruevski fled justice, another controversy was unfolding around Czech PM Andrej Babis.
On Tuesday, Babis’s son from his first marriage, also named Andrej, appeared in an interview on the Seznam online TV network, where he accused his father of orchestrating his abduction. Andrej Jr. claimed that men working for his father held him captive in Russian-controlled Crimea for several months before he escaped to Slovakia and eventually sought asylum in Switzerland. Six Czech political parties, totaling 92 seats in the 200-seat parliament, have now demanded the PM’s resignation.
At the heart of this new scandal lies an older one, involving allegations that Babis embezzled EU funds. In 2016, it was revealed that EU money had been funneled into a farm called Stork’s Nest, which Babis allegedly owns. Babis insisted that the farm was actually owned by his son and daughter. Andrej Jr. asserts that he was abducted by his father’s orders to prevent him from exposing the truth. The PM’s office has dismissed these claims, suggesting that Andrej is mentally unstable.
4. Israel and Gaza Experienced Their Worst Conflict in Years
The last time violence escalated this severely between Israel and Gaza was in 2014, when a full-scale war erupted. While things didn’t quite spiral into all-out war this time, the situation came dangerously close. On Sunday night, an Israeli intelligence operation in Gaza went awry, resulting in the deaths of seven militants and one Israeli commando.
In retaliation, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack on Israel the following day. Israel responded with air strikes, leading to dozens of injuries on both sides of the border. In a tragic twist, the only fatality from a Hamas rocket was a Palestinian émigré in Israel.
Fortunately, a ceasefire was quickly brokered before the death toll could escalate further. However, the ceasefire itself created a significant political crisis. Right-wing Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned in protest, taking his five-seat Yisrael Beiteinu party with him. This left Israel’s governing coalition with just a one-seat majority in the Knesset.
That majority could soon vanish. The Beit Hayehudi party is threatening to leave the coalition unless they are given the now-vacant defense minister position. Should they follow through, political chaos in Israel would be almost inevitable.
3. We Commemorated 100 Years Since The End Of World War I
At exactly 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918, the guns along the front lines of Europe’s Great War ceased fire for the first time in four years. Since the summer of 1914, artillery and machine guns had ravaged the battlefields, turning large areas into desolate, muddy wastelands. Over 20 million lives were lost, with another 20 million left wounded.
This was the most devastating war the world had ever known, and for some of the nations involved, it remains the deadliest conflict in history. (For instance, Britain lost nearly twice as many citizens in World War I as in World War II). On Sunday, the centenary of the war’s end was solemnly marked. Leaders from around the globe gathered in France, as the bloodshed that dismantled the old European order finally became part of history. Today, there are likely very few, if any, who still remember the events of 1914 to 1918.
Reaching such a significant milestone in modern history prompted much reflection. Sadly, many of those reflections were pessimistic. It was a sobering moment to look back at the mass slaughter caused by national rivalries and aggressive nationalism, realizing that the lessons from a century ago may have been forgotten.
With anger and hatred spreading around the globe, it’s easy to see how we might be reliving the calm years before 1914, the years before the slaughter began and the world erupted. We can only hope that this solemn centenary helps our leaders understand that such division and hatred can only lead to immense human suffering.
2. California Endured Its Deadliest Single Wildfire
On Thursday, a fire started beneath power lines near Poe Dam, California. In no time, it exploded into a massive blaze that ravaged the county, leaving a trail of destruction. As of this writing, the fire is still raging, but it has already crossed a tragic threshold. The Camp Fire is now the deadliest wildfire in California’s history.
The current death toll stands at 63, with over 600 people still missing. There’s growing concern that the toll will rise drastically, as one of the towns devastated by the fast-moving fire was Paradise, where the elderly and infirm make up a quarter of the population. There are fears that not all of them managed to escape the flames, given how rapidly the fire overwhelmed the entire town. It’s possible that this tragedy will only continue to grow in magnitude.
Suspicion for starting the fire now rests with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), as the blaze began beneath their power lines, and they may have failed to perform necessary safety maintenance. The company’s stock has already dropped over 50 percent. PG&E has denied the allegations.
1. The Crucial Moment for Brexit Has Finally Arrived
Over two years ago, the people of the United Kingdom voted by a slim margin to leave the EU, a decision now referred to as 'Brexit.' Since then, Theresa May’s government has been engaged in lengthy negotiations with Brussels over the meaning of that decision. This week, May finally unveiled her exit strategy to her cabinet. In other words, the storm is finally brewing.
The referendum didn’t clarify whether Britain should stay closely tied to the EU or sever ties completely, which has allowed everyone to interpret the result in whatever way they wanted. As a result, May’s Brexit proposal is a compromise that’s bound to frustrate nearly everyone. Hardline Brexiteers in her party argue it would leave the UK subjugated to the EU. Meanwhile, Remainers believe it will severely harm both business and London’s influence within Europe.
On Thursday, the crisis officially began. Three ministers, including the Brexit secretary, resigned from the government, causing the pound to drop. As of now, it’s unclear what will happen next. May might manage to stabilize her faltering government, or it could all fall apart. The outcome will soon be revealed.
