As GC students wave goodbye to the summer of 2023 and return to campus to prepare for another academic year, it seems appropriate to recap the significant events that occurred during the break. This summer unraveled a diverse array of events that turned many heads. From wildfires to Supreme Court rulings, here is a brief look into the most notable events of this past summer.
Titanic Submersible: A Shocking Tragedy
On June 18, an OceanGate submersible attempting to explore the infamous Titanic shipwreck unexpectedly imploded. The vessel went missing around an hour and 45 minutes after its descent, which began at 8 a.m. the day of the incident. Before the implosion, the pressure surrounding the submersible increased rapidly, causing it to plummet towards the bottom of the ocean. Five people were on board when the carrier lost its signal and was unable to communicate with its supporting ship, unfortunately resulting in no survivors. After the submersible had been missing for four days, underwater search vehicles found remaining debris from the vessel. This chilling and unforeseen incident not only shocked the world but also highlighted the possible dangers explorers and scientists may face when dealing with the deep sea. It is still unclear what exactly happened, how it lost contact, or where the submersible was before the implosion in relation to the Titanic.
The Wagner Group Rebellion and the Death of Yevgeny Prigozhin
The leader behind the Wagner Group – a private military company with alleged ties to the Russian government – was presumed dead after a mysterious plane crash near Moscow that occurred on Aug. 23. Russian President Vladmir Putin allied with the Wagner Group and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin during his invasion of Ukraine. However, Prigozhin led a revolt against Russia soon after for reasons of “injustice.” With 10 people on board the plane and no survivors, the crash raised suspicions, given persistent speculation regarding the whereabouts of the Wagner Group’s founder, who had been at the center of a mutiny. This event sparked theories worldwide regarding the cause of the plane crash and potential consequences for their hidden operations.
Supreme Court Ends Affirmative Action
On June 29, the United States Supreme Court decided to end affirmative action within college admissions in a vote of 6-3. Beginning in 1961, this policy intended to promote college opportunities for minority groups within a society to give equal access to everyone. The ruling sent shockwaves through communities, causing people to debate over the policy and its effect on giving equal chances for education. By declaring that race cannot be a deciding factor in college admissions, admissions offices are forced to develop new systems of admitting students that disregard this factor. Statistics show that 74 percent of Americans think race should not be a deciding factor when it comes to public schools admitting students, with most responding that it was unfair to give minority groups “special preferences.” On the opposite hand, some believe that affirmative action not only benefits minority groups, but all races, by enhancing their educational experiences. President Joe Biden stated he strongly disagreed with the court’s ruling and preferred that colleges choose other options leading to diversity instead.
Military Veterans Claim Presence of Non-Human ‘Biologics’ from Spacecraft
In July, three military veterans testified during a Congress hearing claiming that the U.S. government operates a confidential reverse-engineering program with non-human “biologics” from alleged impact areas. A major topic of discussion during the hearing was how the government can improve on reporting UFOs. Despite those who testified, the Pentagon’s inquiries found no evidence of programs related to the reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial objects from the past or present. This highly anticipated hearing had citizens waiting many hours to secure a viewing seat.
Hawaiian Wildfires
On Aug. 8, Hawaii experienced the start of a tragic wildfire that spread rapidly across the island, destroying homes and wildlife. Four fires in total broke out, wrecking over 10.4 square miles of land. Three of the four fires were still causing destruction as of Aug. 27. The cause is still undetermined. However, experts suggest high winds knocked down power lines. A handful of survivors have sued Hawaiian Electric, accusing the company of not using proper equipment that could remain stable during high winds. The wildfires have left at least 96 dead and resulted in over $5.6 billion in damages, becoming the deadliest fire in the U.S. in over a century.
Debt Ceiling Deal
Towards the beginning of the summer, on May 27, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy decided to increase the debt ceiling, better understood as the nation’s borrowing limit. A few weeks later, the U.S. once again met its debt limit, which was, at the time, capped at $31.4 trillion. Lawmakers made the choice on June 3 to suspend the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025, to avoid a debt limit breach, which could result in unemployment and a decrease in the economy’s real GDP. Many citizens are concerned about the results of not dealing with the debt limit until it’s too late; however, politicians hope that this suspension will prevent issues during the 2024 presidential election.
Supreme Court Rejects Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Biden’s suggestion of gifting up to $20,000 in relief to millions of citizens struggling with student loan debt. Republican-majority states claim the program is an unlawful endeavor to expunge around $430 billion in federal student loan debt, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a distraction. The program, if enacted, would have helped borrowers who make less than $125,000 a year. However, the court’s ruling means citizens targeted by Biden’s program will not receive benefits.
Twitter Becomes “X”
Twitter owner Elon Musk has rebranded the memorable bird logo as X, shortly after buying the platform in October 2022. On July 24, he announced his plans to rebrand the app, and soon after, users began updating their apps and noticing the changed name and logo. This change sparked many conversations on the platform, with some users unhappy with the loss of the blue bird logo. Musk stated in a tweet that the ‘X’ represents “imperfections” that make each person unique. Twitter’s blue bird has been globally recognized for over a decade and even had a name: Larry. Some suggest the rebranding could be a cause of the app being on the edge of bankruptcy because of loss in ad revenue in an attempt to draw new users to the app.
Writers Guild of America Strike
On May 2, the Writers Guild of America, or WGA went on strike as a result of disagreements with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP, Hollywood’s largest film and television studio representative. The WGA urged the AMPTP to reconstruct the unfair labor contracts, and if an agreement could not be met by May 1, they threatened to enact a strike. The strike began a day later after the AMPTP was non-responsive, consisting of over 11,000 screenwriters storming the streets of Hollywood to protest. The strike threatens new seasons of popular shows watched all over, such as “Euphoria,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Stranger Things” and “Cobra Kai,” due to the lack of screenwriters.
U.S. Women’s FIFA World Cup 2023
The U.S. Women’s FIFA World Cup kicked off on July 20 of this summer, ending exactly a month later, on Aug. 20. The United States Women’s National Team was hoping for a third consecutive world title win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year. However, they were unsuccessful against their final opponent, Portugal. Julie Ertz, US women’s soccer star and two-time World Cup winner, announced her retirement after this year’s tournament. Spain’s team was declared the final winner of the tournament after beating England 1-0. In the midst of their on-field celebration, Jorge Vilda, coach of the Spanish team since 2015, was spotted kissing a player without her consent. He was later fired from his position as head coach, controversially stating he thought the decision was “unfair.” In addition, 15 players stepped off the team around a year ago, demanding that Vilda respect their mental health and maintain a more professional environment for all. Only three of the 15 returned to the team for the World Cup.
Hunter Biden Pleads Guilty on Tax Evasion Charges
Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, pled guilty to two charges of misdemeanor tax evasion on June 20. Allegedly, Biden secretly avoided paying over $100,000 in federal income taxes from 2017 to 2018 while also possessing a gun and using illegal substances. Biden entered a diversion agreement on a firearm possession charge in addition to pleading guilty to tax evasion. This means Biden could complete a set program to possibly avoid the U.S. criminal justice system regarding his firearm and illegal drug use. His attorney, Chris Clark, states Biden is looking forward to continuing his recovery and moving on from his mistakes.
August’s COVID-19 Surge
Many are worrying about rising COVID cases and hospitalizations across the U.S. A Kentucky school district canceled in-person classes after many of its students contracted COVID less than two weeks into the school year, and cases in New York have been slowly rising since July. First Lady Jill Biden contracted COVID within the past week, experiencing mild symptoms. The CDC recorded 12,613 hospitalizations the week of Aug. 12, when only 10,370 were hospitalized the previous week. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, hopes to approve a new booster vaccine as soon as possible to keep citizens healthy. Experts blame the newest variant of COVID, EG.5, for the spike this summer. However, they are urging citizens not to panic and sharing how to protect themselves and others from contracting it.
