#1: Jayland Walker:
The 25-year-old black man who was killed by police gunfire in Akron, Ohio last month, was determined in an autopsy report to have been shot more than 40 times. The report counted 41 entry wounds and five wounds from bullets that grazed the victim. The lawyer for the Walker family said that the autopsy findings confirm that the unarmed Walker, “came to a brutal, senseless death” on June 27, following a foot chase after an attempted traffic stop.
Walker’s funeral was held on Wednesday, after weeks of protests were held across the nation.
#2: Secret Service Texts:
A watchdog is saying that US Secret Service members erased text messages from between January 5-6, 2021, after the Department of Homeland Security requested them. The Department’s Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, wrote a letter to the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees, in which he said that his office had been informed by the Secret Service that the texts were legitimately erased, which raises suspicions because the wiping of the phones happened after the department requested the communications. US Secret Service spokesperson Steve Kopek denies any wrongdoing on the part of the Secret Service.
#3: Flight Shortages:
Shortages of pilots, rising fuel prices, inflation and contracts with existing pilots are creating difficulties for the airline industry, and they are cutting back on services at a time when consumers are demanding more flights and more reliable service. It’s a Catch-22. More flights mean more cancellations and delays. American Airlines, Delta and United are eliminating service to smaller airports in several cities, for at least the summer. Airlines say they don’t have enough pilots to fly the planes, and even if they did, it’s no longer profitable to do so. To compensate for the shortage of services to smaller communities, many US cities are being served under a federally subsidized program called Essential Air Services, guaranteeing small airports a minimal amount of air service.
#4: China’s Sluggish Economy:
China is suffering from huge numbers of unemployed, a housing market crisis, and decreased consumer spending, due to COVID lockdowns and mass quarantines. Economically, China has gone through one of the worst financial quarters in several years, which threatens the global economy as well. It’s been a battle between the zero-COVID policy and economic growth. Statistics show China went through economic ups and downs in 2020, but recovered. The outlook for 2022 is not as optimistic.
#5: New York City Stinks:
NYC Mayor Eric Adams complained Friday about New Yorkers’ odor complaints that are hitting the roof. He said it’s not the smell of dirty streets. It’s the smell of marijuana almost everywhere you go.
“The No. 1 thing I smell right now is pot. It’s like everybody’s smoking a joint now,” Adams said with a chuckle.
People are complaining about smells in the city, which normally include the odor of garbage, urine and automobile fumes in the summer. 311 call data show that outdoor odor complaints are at an all-time high, rising over 50% to 5,746 as of June 30, compared to the same time period in 2021.
