Buzz
Staying on top of the news is no easy feat. It’s so challenging, in fact, that we’ve decided to make it easier for you by gathering the most impactful, bizarre, or just plain astonishing headlines each week.
The first full week of June kicked off with a bang. On Sunday, a volcano erupted in Guatemala, devastating entire villages under a storm of fiery ash. We’ll delve into this catastrophe below. Additionally, we’ll spotlight nine other stories that are definitely worth your attention this week—from political turmoil in Europe and Africa to a newly minted billionaire planning to challenge President Trump.
10. Guatemala’s Volcanic Eruption Devastated Entire Communities
On Sunday, Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted in a violent surge of scalding ash and flying debris. There was little indication of the impending disaster, and many of the tiny villages nestled on the mountainside were obliterated in mere moments. Before the authorities in Guatemala City could begin addressing the situation, reports of a devastating death toll were already being broadcast worldwide.
As of this moment, nearly 100 lives have been confirmed lost, with nearly 200 more still unaccounted for. Search efforts for survivors have been repeatedly halted as the still-active volcano continues to erupt. At this point, it appears unlikely that any of the missing will be found alive. Tragically, the final death toll is expected to surpass 200.
In Guatemala, responsibility has already been placed on the country’s civil emergency authority, which continued reassuring residents that evacuation wasn’t necessary just hours before the eruption.
9. Arizona Uncovered A Disturbing Serial Killer Case
Last week, Arizona’s top news story was the apparent emergence of a serial killer. In a span of just a few days, six individuals were shot dead, one of whom was a well-known court psychiatrist.
The plot took a darker turn on Monday. Authorities traced the killings to Dwight Lamon Jones, who took his own life just as the police were closing in. It wasn’t until after his death that investigators discovered all of his victims were linked together.
Years earlier, Jones had been part of a divorce proceeding that didn’t exactly go in his favor. It has since become clear that at least four of his six victims were connected to that case, including attorneys representing his ex-wife and the court psychiatrist who assessed him. Rather than being just another serial killer, it seems that Jones’s killing spree was fueled by a desire for revenge.
8. The Trade Wars Kicked Off
No one expected him to go through with it. Last Friday, President Trump allowed new tariffs on steel imports to take effect. However, the countries hit by these tariffs weren’t China or other adversarial states. Instead, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union (including Britain) were all targeted by the new steel tariffs. Unsurprisingly, they were not pleased.
The White House has labeled Canada and Europe’s low-cost steel as a national security threat. Trump has consistently argued that the current global system of tariffs and trade policies is biased against the United States, and that he seeks fair free trade. In numerous instances, other nations impose significantly higher import barriers on US goods than the US does on theirs.
In response to the new tariffs, the Canadian government, led by Trudeau, has expressed fury, claiming that the US is violating international trade law. Both Europe and Mexico have taken more direct measures. Brussels is preparing to impose large new tariffs on US goods starting in July, while Mexico has already launched retaliatory actions against American farmers.
In short, the trade wars are officially underway. Which industries will benefit and which ones will be severely impacted remains to be seen. However, there’s also a chance that the feuding nations will come to the negotiation table and work out a deal that’s more equitable for everyone involved.
7. The Koch Brothers Revealed A Multimillion-Dollar Strategy To Challenge President Trump
This move is sure to raise some eyebrows in certain circles. After President Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and the EU, billionaire Koch brothers made their move on Monday with a proposal to invest millions in fighting back against the president’s decision. This plan could put the White House at odds with one of the GOP’s most powerful networks.
The Koch brothers are strong advocates of free trade. However, their ties to the Republican Party have typically kept them from criticizing the president, even during his protectionist moments. It seems, though, that Trump’s steel tariffs were a step too far. The brothers’ influential political network is now targeting Republican lawmakers who support the president’s position.
The Koch brothers are well-known for backing causes that align with their business interests. However, their actions have occasionally sparked controversy. Critics, fairly or not, have accused them of engaging in political and business activities that harm minorities and immigrants, while funding initiatives for their causes and running misleading PR and educational campaigns.
It remains uncertain whether this latest initiative by the Koch brothers will fall under the same category that has previously drawn criticism. In other words, will their stance on tariffs be framed as something that helps minorities and immigrants, despite potentially harming workers from these groups while ultimately benefiting the Koch brothers’ business interests? We’ll have to wait and see if the critics take aim at the billionaires once more.
The brothers also made their disdain for Trump clear during the 2016 presidential election. Charles Koch described the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as deciding between cancer or a heart attack. So, the situation is a bit more nuanced than it might initially seem.
Still, this story marks yet another chapter in the decline of libertarianism within the GOP. With Paul Ryan departing and tariffs on the rise, it’s starting to seem like libertarian lawmakers might soon find themselves sidelined.
6. A Major Soccer Corruption Scandal Erupted in West Africa
These days, the terms “FIFA” and “scandal” seem almost inseparable. Even so, the magnitude of corruption revealed in West African soccer this week was still staggering. On Wednesday, a two-year-long undercover documentary was shown for the first time in Ghana, exposing over 100 mostly West African referees accepting bribes worth hundreds of dollars before international matches.
The most notable case involved a famous referee from Kenya who was set to work at the World Cup in Russia this year. But for Ghanaians, the real shock was probably the image of the head of Ghanaian soccer gleefully stuffing over $65,000 in cash into his pocket on camera, only to later suggest that even the president of Ghana would require a bribe too.
Investigations have now been launched into many of the individuals caught on film, though the journalist behind the documentary is also facing accusations of using enticement and entrapment to lure his subjects into compromising situations.
5. Mass Protests Brought Jordan to a Standstill and Led to the Prime Minister’s Ouster
It seems 2018 might be remembered as the year of people power. Just a month after mass protests in Armenia led to the downfall of the government, a new wave of protests in Jordan has already forced the resignation of the prime minister.
Last Wednesday, a series of economic reforms implemented by the IMF sparked protests in Amman. By Sunday, these protests had turned into a furious outcry against a government that has failed to improve living standards. On Monday, King Abdullah ordered Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki to step down.
Since then, the protests have only grown larger. On Wednesday, a general strike crippled the country’s infrastructure. Protest leaders and trade unions have made it clear that they intend to keep up the pressure until the entire government is ousted.
Interestingly, Jordan isn’t the only nation caught in the grip of protests. Its neighbor, Georgia, is also dealing with a growing street movement. This one is focused on battling elite influence over the court system and could potentially topple the government there as well.
4. The Spanish Government Crumbled
If you've been out of the loop on Spanish politics, you're in for a shock. Madrid just went through the wildest week in recent memory.
Last Friday, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) joined forces with right-wing populists Ciudadanos to call for a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The combined effort led to the downfall of Rajoy’s government after 29 officials from his People’s Party (PP) were convicted of corruption.
The unexpected fall of Rajoy was supposed to trigger snap elections, a clear win for Ciudadanos, and a new populist government in Europe. However, the situation took an even stranger turn.
The prospect of a nationalist Ciudadanos-led government caused alarm among the Basque and Catalan parties, who feared losing their autonomy. In response, they unexpectedly sided with PSOE. Soon, other center-left and left-wing populist parties followed suit. Before anyone could fully grasp the shift, PSOE had enough support to form a government without the need for new elections.
And so it happened. Spain is now under the leadership of Pedro Sanchez, who has already introduced a cabinet with a notable female presence and announced plans to tackle climate change. What the public thinks of these moves, however, remains uncertain. This marks the first time in Spanish history that a Prime Minister has assumed office mid-term through parliamentary maneuvers rather than an election.
3. Iran Set To Resume Uranium Enrichment
Last month, President Trump made the dramatic decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, deeming it fundamentally flawed. European nations, who consider the deal vital in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, rushed to salvage it. However, they may have been too late. This week, Iran declared that it would resume uranium enrichment if the remaining parts of the agreement collapse.
As noted in previous columns, the nuclear agreement wasn’t intended to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions entirely. Rather, it aimed to extend Iran’s breakout time—the period needed to gather materials for a nuclear weapon—from a few months to at least a year.
The US and its allies had hoped that the nuclear deal with Iran would slow their progress for at least 10 years, though they could never be entirely certain. The deal had its own set of glaring flaws, such as Iran’s refusal to allow inspections of its military sites.
Back in 1994, former US President Bill Clinton reached a nuclear agreement with North Korea using an executive agreement. Ultimately, that didn’t prevent a looming nuclear crisis with North Korea. President Trump is currently grappling with a similar situation. Looking at the long term, would President Obama’s executive agreement with Iran have been more successful than Clinton’s with North Korea?
It’s hard to say. For now, Iran is technically still in compliance with the deal, though they’re dangerously close to breaching it, implying that some factions within Iran may actually be hoping for the agreement’s collapse. Should that occur, it’s likely that Iran would rush to develop a bomb, potentially triggering a war with Israel or the US before it could be achieved.
Despite this, European powers have not given up hope. It’s possible that the deal could survive, even as US sanctions are reinstated. We’ll have to wait and see.
2. Ethiopia Extended A Peace Offering To Its Longtime Rival
In 1993, the province of Eritrea voted to separate from Ethiopia, and the split occurred without much conflict. However, over the next few years, nationalistic sentiments in both countries fueled animosity, eventually culminating in a bloody war sparked by a border dispute over the town of Badme.
Between 1998 and 2000, approximately 70,000 lives were lost. When peace was finally reached, Eritrea began forcibly recruiting people into its army, essentially turning them into slaves—a practice still ongoing. Meanwhile, Ethiopia failed to implement the findings of a boundary commission that was crucial to the peace settlement. The two nations have since been primed for violent confrontation.
That is, until recently. On Tuesday, Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced that the government would abide by the commission’s recommendations, thus conceding Badme to Eritrea. His hope seems to be that this gesture will halt the fighting and allow Ethiopia to build stronger economic ties with its neighbor. As of now, Eritrea has not yet issued a response.
1. Paul Manafort Was Charged With Witness Tampering
Just last week, Paul Manafort found himself already entangled in a mess of his own creation. As part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 election, it came to light that the former Trump aide had been illegally acting as a foreign agent for Ukraine’s pre-revolution government. This Monday, Manafort got even further mired in trouble as Mueller formally charged him with attempting to tamper with witnesses.
To clarify, Manafort’s offenses have no connection to the president, Manafort’s time with the Trump campaign, or the investigations into supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election. (Mueller had full discretion to pursue any other crimes that came to his attention.) It seems that in Manafort, Mueller uncovered a man who had a penchant for “crime” as his preferred way of life.
Manafort now faces accusations of reaching out to witnesses following his February indictment, attempting to pressure them into altering their testimonies. He remains under house arrest, with some reports indicating that he could soon be transferred to jail before the end of the week.
