News roundup: July 11 – Aug. 7
Texas:
Shiloh Treatment Center: United States District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement to relocate immigrant children from the Shiloh Treatment Center July 30. The order affects 25 immigrant children held at Shiloh. The treatment center is accused of forcefully drugging immigrant children, and that the conditions at Shiloh are in violation of the Flores agreement, a 1997 settlement that determined appropriate detainment and treatment of immigrant children. The Flores agreement requires the government to release children from immigration detention centers into the custody of their parents, adult relatives or other licensed programs. The agreement also requires immigration detention centers to give minors a certain quality of life: food, drinking water, medical assistance as needed, toilets, sinks, temperature control and separation from unrelated adults.
Cardiologist murdered: Dr. Mark Hausknecht, former cardiologist to former President George H.W. Bush, was killed in a drive-by bicycle shooting July 20. Former constable deputy Joseph Pappas was charged Aug. 1 with the murder. Police believe Pappas may have shot Hausknecht due to a two-decade-old grudge Pappas held against the doctor following the death of his mother in 1997. Police found Pappas Aug. 2 wearing body armor and wielding a .22-caliber snub-nosed revolver. Pappas shot himself in the head shortly after. Inside Pappas’ home, police found more ammunition, a “Last Will and Testament,” and evidence of a planned standoff with police.
Pipeline explosion: Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire and several natural gas pipeline explosions in Midland County Aug. 1. The explosions injured seven and shut down five pipelines before being extinguished. Five workers and two firefighters with critical injuries were treated for burns. Bud Taylor, an employee of Navitas Midstream Partners and present at the explosions, died from his injuries. Midland County is located in the Permian Basin, the largest oil field in the United States.
Suspected serial killer caught: Jose Gilberto Rodriguez was taken into custody July 17 following a 15-minute car chase with police. Rodriguez is suspected of two mattress store murders, the killing of a suburban Houston woman and other unsolved crimes in the Houston area. Rodriguez was spotted driving a dark gray Nissan Sentra that had been previously reported stolen. Rodriguez was charged with capital murder Aug 3.
United States:
Paul Manafort: The trial of President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort began July 31. The trial is the first major legal proceeding in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Manafort is charged with 18 violations of tax and banking laws, as well as hiding millions of dollars he made from lobbying for Ukrainian politicians in foreign banks. Manafort also allegedly received loans from the Federal Savings Bank in return for one of the bank’s executives seeking a position in the Trump campaign and administration. Manafort, if found guilty, could face a maximum sentence of 305 years in prison.
National Defense Authorization Act: The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019 was enacted Aug. 1. The act was passed with a majority vote of 87 yeas, ten nays and three abstentions. The act, enacted ahead of a still-pending budget bill, was the earliest NDAA sent to a president for his signature in more than two decades. The new NDAA shows Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ pivot away from prolonged battles with insurgencies and global terrorism to what Mattis says should be the Pentagon’s priority: Russia and China. The bill allocates $716 billion in authorized spending, $16 billion more than what was approved for fiscal year 2018.
NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the names of nine astronauts to be the first in history to travel to orbit in private space taxis next year. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner are both scheduled to launch in 2019 with the nine astronauts on board. Since 2011, when NASA retired its space shuttles, NASA has been paying for seats on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to taxi astronauts to the International Space Station.
International:
Bangladesh: Protests erupted after two teenagers were killed in a bus collision July 29. In response, thousands of students took to the street to protest road safety and government corruption. The students stopped traffic at major intersections, checking driver licenses to see if bus drivers were certified to drive. Reports indicate about 40 students have been injured during the protests as of Aug. 5. The Bangladesh government blocked mobile internet access for about 24 hours in response to the protests, now entering their seventh day. Pro-government groups began counter-protesting students and journalists, with several journalists being beaten while covering the protests, including a photojournalist for the Associated Press. Armed counter protesters also attacked a US ambassador’s convoy Aug. 4.
Helsinki Summit: United States President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland July 16. No official minutes from the meeting have been released, although it is reported that the two discussed Russian sanctions, the annexation of Crimea, resolving the Syrian civil war, nuclear armament between the US and Russia, and gas pipeline disputes with Ukraine. In a press conference held following the meeting, Trump and Putin discussed alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. Both denied Russia’s involvement, to the antithesis of the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions. President Trump backtracked comments made and interpretations of the meeting July 17, claiming he misspoke regarding Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election interference.
Iran / European Union: European foreign affairs chiefs announced and put into effect a blocking statute Aug. 7. The statute is intended to protect European firms connected to Iran from US sanctions. “The European Union’s updated Blocking Statute enters into force on 7 August to protect EU companies doing legitimate business with Iran from the impact of US extra-territorial sanctions,” said EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini in a joint statement with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The European Union maintains that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement, is crucial for global security and that Iran is meeting its goals. The European Union is the second largest trading partner with Iran, following China, with almost €10 billion in trade in 2017.
Nicaragua: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that 23,000 Nicaraguans have applied for asylum in Costa Rica. Civil unrest has led to an exodus that began in mid-April. At least 317 people have died in protests against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The Nicaraguan government has labeled protesters and refugees fleeing the country as terrorists. While some of the refugees are students and general civilians, many are former Sandinista or Contra soldiers willing to return to overthrow Ortega. President Ortega’s term is set to end in 2021.
On the bright side:
Star Trek: Sir Patrick Stewart announced he would be reprising his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a new untitled Star Trek series. Stewart made the announcement as a surprise special guest at Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. Stewart has not played Picard since Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in 2002.
Also published on Medium.
