Domestic
Tuesday, millions of Americans made their voices heard on the ballot in issues ranging from who owns the keys to governor’s mansions, which ideology maintains a strong balance on a court, which social issues matter most right now and much more. In deep-red Kentucky and Mississippi, voters awarded Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Gov. Tate Reeves respectively four more years, defeating their opponents, Daniel Cameron and Brandon Presley. In Virginia, Democrats flipped the state House while retaining their majority in the state Senate. In Pennsylvania, Democrat Dan McCaffery won an open seat on the State Supreme Court, putting the balance of power 5-2, with five liberals and two conservatives. And in Ohio, voters enshrined the right to abortion into the state’s Constitution and legalized recreational marijuana after passing Ballot issues one and two. There were also many other elections both statewide and local.
In a tense New York courtroom that saw emotions run high, a defiant Donald Trump testified for roughly four hours Monday in the New York attorney general’s $250 million civil fraud case, which accuses the former president, his sons and his namesake company of improperly inflating assets in order to secure favorable loan terms. At times, Trump punctuated his responses with sudden outbursts targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom he called a “political hack,” and the trial judge overseeing the case, Judge Arthur Engoron, who shouted in exasperation during several exchanges. Regarding Trump’s statements of financial condition, the documents at the center of the case that the New York AG alleges contained fraudulent valuations, Trump testified that he had a limited role in crafting the documents. He claims that he mostly tasked their preparation to then-Trump Organization executives Jeffrey McConney and Allen Weisselberg, who were vetted by accountants. Other witnesses include Trump’s children, Ivanka, Eric and Don Jr., who also testified this week, after which the prosecution will rest and hand the case over to the defense.
International
South Korea is ramping up pest control measures and inspections to prevent the spread of bedbugs after reports of suspected infestations at some saunas and residential facilities, officials said Wednesday. The small, flat oval insects have caused a panic in France, where reports of outbreaks on trains and in movie theaters have raised worries about the impact on tourism and the Paris Olympics, which start in less than a year. Britain, too, has seen a jump in enquiries about the pests. In South Korea, about 30 cases of suspected infestations have been reported nationwide, including at a traditional Korean spa called a “jjimjilbang” in Incheon, west of Seoul, and a college dorm in the southeastern city of Daegu, officials said. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s office launched a four-week campaign with inspections of public facilities and pest control measures.
India’s capital, New Delhi, was blanketed by a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday, and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the worst level for any major city in the world. A combination of lower temperatures, still wind and crop stubble burning in neighboring farm states has caused a spike in air pollutants, officials said. Many of the capital’s 20 million residents complained of irritation in the eyes and itchy throats, with the air turning a dense gray as the AQI hovered around 480 at some monitoring stations. An AQI of 0-50 is considered good, while anything between 400 and 500 affects healthy people and is a danger to those with existing diseases.
