Buzz
Staying on top of the news can be a real challenge. To make it easier for you, we've curated the most crucial, surprising, or simply jaw-dropping stories from each week.
This week, the major headline centered around the ongoing fallout from what seems to be a Russian assassination attempt in Britain last Sunday. While London issued threats, Moscow remained defiant, suggesting we might be on the brink of a new and volatile Cold War (or even something more intense). We'll break down the possible consequences below, along with a look at the rest of the week’s news, which was considerably less dramatic.
10. Russia and the UK Stand Ready for Confrontation
Novichok. That’s the name of the lethal nerve agent that was used against former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia last Sunday. This marks the first nerve gas attack in Europe since World War II. The assault occurred in a quiet region of Britain’s West Country, leaving both victims in critical condition in the hospital, along with a police officer who was injured while assisting them.
Novichok was developed by the Soviet Union and later passed on to Russia. The fact that it was used in the UK attack is disastrous for Moscow, even if the Kremlin had claimed the nerve agent was stolen. Instead, Russian diplomats in Britain responded with a mix of dismissive denials and sarcastic tweets. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government concluded that Vladimir Putin must be held responsible.
London has now expelled 23 Russian diplomats, and the situation seems poised to escalate into a significant international crisis. Moscow has vowed to retaliate, with the Russian ambassador to the UN even accusing British spies of orchestrating the poisoning. There’s a very real chance that this could spiral out of control, and we may be witnessing the return of the Cold War era.
9. London Launched an Investigation Into 14 Deaths Tied to Russia
Amid growing concerns over troubling events, British Home Secretary Amber Rudd revealed this week that an inquiry has been launched into the previously closed cases of 14 individuals who died in the UK, all of whom had connections to Russia. Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair raised alarms on Tuesday, suggesting that the Kremlin may have been systematically eliminating dissidents and anti-Putin exiles on British soil.
Among those likely to be investigated are Boris Berezovsky, a prominent critic of Putin and ally of poisoned defector Alexander Litvinenko, who was found hanged under suspicious circumstances in 2013. He could be joined by Nikolai Glushkov, whose death on Monday is already under investigation by UK counterterrorism officials. If it is revealed that the Kremlin has been targeting exiles with impunity, the situation could escalate quickly.
The UK is part of NATO. According to Article 5 of the defense treaty, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. If the UK invokes Article 5 in response to Russian aggression, it would obligate nations such as France, the US, Germany, and Canada to intervene.
8. US Secretary of State Was Dismissed
As London faced turmoil, Washington descended further into its typical chaos with the loss of another senior official. On Tuesday, President Trump dismissed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via a tweet, appointing CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his replacement. Tillerson now joins the growing list of secretaries of state who barely made it through a year in office.
Tillerson’s ousting came shortly after he condemned Russia for the UK nerve gas attack, but it’s unlikely the two events were connected (despite what the media might suggest). Tillerson had been clashing with Trump for months, with both displaying open disdain for each other. His replacement, Pompeo, is also no friend to Putin, having labeled Russia a 'major threat' to the US. Not exactly the words of a Kremlin ally.
Tillerson’s tenure at the State Department was nothing short of a failure. He has little to show for his time, aside from overseeing a steep decline in morale. Whether Pompeo—a well-known hawk on foreign policy—can turn things around remains to be seen.
7. We Lost the Greatest Mind of Our Generation
It’s a testament to the extraordinary resilience of Stephen Hawking that we aren’t writing this obituary 50 years ago. Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at a young age, he was given only a few years to live. Yet this week, over half a century later, he passed away, having forever changed the field of physics. To call him a hero would barely scratch the surface.
Hawking’s accomplishments were nothing short of extraordinary. After losing the use of his hands, he reportedly developed an unparalleled ability to visualize complex topological structures in his mind to solve equations. He revolutionized our understanding of black holes and the formation of galaxies.
He was one of the pioneers in linking Einstein’s theories with quantum physics, offering us a radically new perspective on the universe. And, of course, he absolutely nailed every pop culture cameo he made—from The Simpsons to The Big Bang Theory.
Hawking’s death marks the loss of one of the greatest minds humanity has ever known. Suddenly, the universe feels a little smaller.
6. A New Unabomber May Have Emerged in Texas
For two decades, Ted Kaczynski instilled terror across America with his series of parcel bombings, resulting in three deaths and 23 injuries. Now, nearly 20 years after the Unabomber was imprisoned, a similar figure may have emerged in Austin. This week, two parcel bombs detonated at homes in the city, killing a teenager and injuring two women. These attacks followed a similar bombing on March 2 that claimed a man’s life.
The identities of the victims have led some to speculate that the bombings could be part of a serial hate crime. Both of the deceased and one of the injured were African-American, while the other injured victim was Latina. Currently, Austin police are being very cautious about drawing a direct connection between the incidents.
Nonetheless, the evidence is already mounting. All three bombs were hand-delivered at night and left outside the victims’ doors. Experts have noted that the bombs shared strikingly similar designs.
If this turns out to be a case of domestic terrorism, it may take some time before a suspect is apprehended. Kaczynski evaded capture for nearly 20 years.
5. A Former Guerrilla Now Runs for President of Colombia’s Left
In the 1980s, M-19 was Colombia’s second largest rebel group, just behind FARC. They were infamous for their involvement in the Palace of Justice siege, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths. Allegedly linked to Pablo Escobar, they were responsible for kidnappings, murders, and robberies. This week, one of their former leaders became the front-runner in Colombia’s presidential race.
Gustavo Petro was deeply involved with M-19, rising to a leadership role in the central region. He was in prison during the Palace of Justice siege but played a key role in advocating for the group’s disarmament. However, there have long been accusations of his involvement in shady crimes and what amounted to terrorism.
On Sunday, Petro secured a victory in a primary, earning the nomination as the presidential candidate for Colombia’s mainstream left. Unless there’s a surprise outcome, he is expected to face right-wing senator Ivan Duque in July, with Petro being the predicted winner.
Petro’s previous tenure as mayor of Bogota was marred by corruption scandals and a failed recall vote in which he was decisively defeated. How the world will respond if he ascends to the presidency of Colombia remains uncertain.
4. Slovakia Witnessed Its Largest Protests Since The Collapse Of Communism
If you had been in Bratislava last Friday, you would have observed the largest demonstration Slovakia has seen since the end of Communism. More than 50,000 people flooded the streets, calling for an end to government corruption in the wake of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak, allegedly orchestrated by the Italian Mafia. These protests are only the latest in a series of political tremors that have rocked the Slovak government since the tragedy.
Kuciak was killed just before he could publish an article implicating high-ranking government officials in ties to the ‘Ndrangheta. His death marked the first killing of a Slovak journalist since independence, sparking an outpouring of grief across the nation. In response, three government ministers resigned, and police swiftly detained seven Italians named in Kuciak’s article.
However, their release without any charges only fueled public outrage, making an already tense situation worse. Following these mass demonstrations, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak stepped down, and the political future of Prime Minister Robert Fico is now uncertain.
Will the anger be enough to ensure Kuciak’s killers are held accountable? Only time will tell.
3. Pennsylvania’s Special Election Came Down To The Wire
Twenty points. That was the margin by which Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional district in 2016. This week’s special election saw GOP candidate Rick Saccone attempt to replicate that victory.
He described himself as 'Trump before Trump,' tapping into the same talking points that resonated in Pennsylvania back in 2016. He was running in a district that had been a solid Republican stronghold since the early 2000s, no less.
However, a decisive victory was not in the cards for Saccone. As of this writing, the race remains too close to call, with Democratic candidate Conor Lamb leading by more than 600 votes. Multiple networks have already declared a Democratic victory in the race.
As noted by FiveThirtyEight, even if Saccone manages to pull off a narrow win, it still raises alarms for his party. Democrats have outperformed expectations in every special election this cycle by an average of 17 points. If this trend holds through the November midterms, it could spell major trouble for the Republicans.
However, this may not be the case. Like Doug Jones in Alabama, Lamb ran on a centrist platform, abandoning traditional Democratic talking points for a more moderate stance. Rather than representing his party, Lamb positioned himself as the candidate for the people of his district: pro-gun, pro-tariff, pro-union, pro-religion, and anti-abortion (although he emphasized that he would not legislate based on his views), opposed to Nancy Pelosi, against cuts to Social Security and Medicare, in favor of Dreamers, and supportive of border security.
Being a newcomer, Lamb didn’t have a voting record for his opponents to attack. He was also smart enough to avoid national media interviews, consistently emphasizing his willingness to work across party lines to get legislation passed. He stayed away from anti-Trump rhetoric and refused to align with liberal Democratic PACs.
In the meantime, Republican groups supporting Saccone flooded the district’s airwaves with ads linking Lamb to Nancy Pelosi. However, the people in the 18th district aren’t particularly concerned with Pelosi. The ads seldom mentioned Saccone, and as a result, they helped raise Lamb's profile by giving him free name recognition. (It’s worth noting that Lamb comes from a local political family, with his uncle Michael Lamb serving as Pittsburgh’s city controller.)
Interestingly, there are more registered Democrats than Republicans in the 18th district. However, during the 2016 presidential election, there was strong anti-Hillary sentiment, not coming from Russia, but from local Democrats—including liberal ones. It was the voters, not the politicians, who weren’t listening… until Conor Lamb came along.
Ultimately, Lamb is expected to lose the seat in about six months due to Pennsylvania’s redistricting. The 18th Congressional district is likely to vanish, and many pundits believe Saccone will probably secure a victory in his new district. Lamb will face more competition in his. For now, Lamb can enjoy the near-win or the imminent victory, but it raises an important question: Does his surprise win signal trouble for the GOP… or does it mean nothing at all?
2. Africa May Be About To Lose Its Only Female Leader
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the president of Mauritius, is currently the only female head of state in all of Africa. However, this could soon change, and not because of a charismatic female candidate emerging in an election.
Last week, Gurib-Fakim’s administration was thrust into a corruption scandal involving the misuse of charity funds for personal purchases. On Monday, it was announced that she would resign, marking the end of Africa's last female leader's term.
But was it truly the end? On Wednesday, Gurib-Fakim made a public appearance and declared that she would not resign, instead vowing to fight the allegations leveled against her.
What happens next remains uncertain. Gurib-Fakim enjoys a decent level of popularity and international acclaim, but she is also linked to the allegedly corrupt Angolan businessman Alvaro Sobrinho, and accusations suggest she used her position to assist him in evading fraud charges.
1. The Senate voted to partially repeal the Dodd-Frank Act, a significant regulation introduced in the wake of the financial crisis.
As the effects of the 2008 financial crisis continue to diminish, there have been gradual shifts worldwide to loosen some of the stringent banking regulations that were put in place afterward. A major development occurred this week when the US Senate voted to partially dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act.
Implemented in 2010 to prevent another financial disaster, the Dodd-Frank Act imposed strict financial controls on banks of all sizes. If the bill passes in the House, it would ease many of these controls for smaller community banks and lenders.
Proponents of the repeal argue that the act has hindered growth by burdening small and medium-sized lenders with excessive regulations. Detractors contend that the Dodd-Frank Act has provided consumers with better protections and strengthened the overall financial system.
If the bill clears the House, it will send a powerful message that policymakers believe the financial crisis era is behind us.
