News Summer Timeline

June 3: The active Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala had a series of eruptions which caused an unconfirmed number of deaths (reports vary between 65 victims to almost 3000), with many missing or injured. Ash continues to be emitted from the volcano and several relief organizations have promised to help the citizens through 2019. Guatemala’s disaster relief agency reports that over 1.7 million have been...

  June 12: In a historic first ever meeting between the president of the United States and the Leader of North Korea, President Trump and Kim Jong-un met after months of rising tension to discuss denuclearization and peace between North Korea and the U.S.

June 19: The U.S. withdraws from the United Nations Human Rights Council because it had become “a protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias,” according to U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley. However, critics say that the motive for this move was more likely based on bias towards Israel than anything else.

On Jul. 2, an all boys soccer team from Thailand was found stuck in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system.. The rescue mission became an international effort with experts and military from several countries, including the U.S., pitching in. By Jul. 18, all 13 people had been rescued and released from the hospital.

July 9: After the retirement of Justice Kennedy, Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh, a judge who has previously worked under both Justice Kennedy and George W. Bush, to take Kennedy’s seat. Since then, sexual abuse allegations have been raised against Kavanaugh by multiple alleged victims.

July 15: France’s national soccer team, coached by Didier Deschamp, won the World Cup for the second time ever in the final against Croatia; key players include Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

July 31: Californian, 10, Clark Kent Apuada (aptly called Superman by those who know him) beats Michael Phelps’ 1995 100-meter-butterfly record by over a full second. The talented young athlete was acknowledged by Phelps himself through Twitter, who offered congratulations and encouragement to Apuada.

August 2: Apple becomes the first public trillion-dollar company as it’s shares hit $207.05. According to The Guardian, “It means Apple’s stock market value is more than a third the size of the UK economy and larger than the economies of Turkey and Switzerland”

August 25: The Arizona senator, Vietnam War veteran, and 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain loses his battle to brain cancer. McCain was known to the media as “The Maverick” due to his willingness to disagree with his party on certain issues. He is laid to rest in the United States Naval Academy Cemetery.

August 26: A shooting occurred at a Madden 19 video game tournament in Jacksonville, FL. Shortly after noon, the gunman opened fire, and police say that he was targeting other competitors. The gunman and three others died, with others being injured.

All throughout August: Caused by unusually high amounts of rainfall during the monsoon season, the state of Kerala experienced the worst flooding that it has ever dealt with in almost a century. The flooding caused 34 of the 55 dams in the state to be opened. Hundreds were killed, and at least 1 million people were evacuated. Kerala is still in the process of flood relief efforts.