RationalWiki:What is going on in the world?/July 2020

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July 2020[edit]

23

Due to her repeated violations, Twitter has decided to permanently suspend Irish alt-right personality Gemma O'Doherty

16

Angry that Germany is not spending more of its GDP in NATO, Trump announces plans to withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany with the intention of returning home 6,400 troops while relocating the rest in other nations.

13

Millions of tenants brace for evictions as the four months moratorium expires today at midnight

27

NASA rover launches in mission to search for Martian life

17

Food and customs agencies have warned people not to plant unsolicited mysterious bags of unknown seeds that originally came from China. Such bags have been posted to the USA, Canada and the UK. Chinese authorities have asked the local authorities to work to re-route the packages back to them so investigations can be conducted.

34

Netflix documentary critical of Trump almost blocked by ICE

21

Leaks from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons raise the possibility that the Trump administration bombed Syria under false grounds

21

In a historic move, the Ashville city council approves reparations for black citizens

18

Golden statues memoralizing Trump's most divisive moments have appeared across the District of Columbia

11

Egypt's parliament has authorized the deployment of troops to Libya, a move that raises the stakes in Egypt's proxy war with Turkey

26

Republican Representative Louie Gohmert introduces bill to ban the Democratic Party for past support for slavery

15

German neo-nazis are buying up land in Cape Breton, according to a report

-30

Unfortunately, the third Bill and Ted film will not see theatrical release

21

A 93-year-old former SS concentration camp guard has been convicted for being complicit in the murder of more than 5,000 prisoners. He received only a suspended sentence, due to the fact he was under 18 at the time of the crimes and his current advanced age.

17

Already embroiled in a scandal regarding turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque, Turkey's plans to drill in the East Mediterrean has sparked alarm in Greece

22

Renewable energies provided 40% of European electricity, becoming also the least affected energy source by the pandemic

15

The FBI has found evidence that ties the MRA lawyer who shot the son of a federal judge dead and wounded her husband, to the murder of another MRA lawyer, Marc Angelucci, in California on 11 July.

16

The EU summit ends with a landmark €1.82 trillion budget and recovery deal, with heavy compromise between the frugal northern states and the more spendthrift southern states

18

Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and five others have been arrested by the FBI related to a $60 million bribery scheme relating to Ohio House Bill 6.

11

Thousands protest against Belgium's headscarf ban ruling in higher education institutions

10

Trump admin consults Bush-era lawyer John Yoo who tried to legally justify torture to circumvent Congress through executive orders

26

Trump administration's memo about how to spot a transgender woman has been leaked

30

Surprising nobody, Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Ed Henry (who's already been fired) are named in a lawsuit, alleging sexual misconduct.

22

"Wall of moms" in Portland formed to protect demonstrators from being kidnapped. Update: And now the dads have joined too

26

Son of a federal judge is dead and her husband critically injured after a gunman shoots at her home. UPDATE: The suspected shooter has been found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot. The man has been identified as a lawyer who held Men's rights beliefs and had a lawsuit before the Judge Salas over the all-male draft.

18

Dozens of protestors arrested in Israel against Netanyahu's corruption and handling of the pandemic

18

Monument to Ukranians that served in the SS has been defaced, with the police claiming it's a hate crime against Ukranians

32

Oregon Department of Justice is suing against multiple federal agencies over their conduct in Portland, seeking a restraining order against the unlawful detainments, and opening an criminal investigation into the serious injury of a protester shot in the head with impact munition on 12 July. The ACLU has filed a separate lawsuit against multiple agencies as well.

9

Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli about the conduct of DHS personnel in Portland: "...this is a posture we intend to continue not just in Portland but in any of the facilities that we're responsible for around the country".

15

Rep. John Lewis, lion of the civil rights movement, dies at 80.

9

A heat wave strikes Portugal, with hot and dry weather, sweltering nights and a heightened risk of wildifres

8

SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announces cancer recurrence

22

Feds using unmarked vehicles to unconstitutionally kidnap protesters off the streets of Portland UPDATE: United States Customs and Border Protection has indicated they are behind some of the arrests in Portland. UPDATE 0.5: The FAA has issued an emergency Temporary flight restriction for "Special Security Reasons" in Portland. The restricted airspace height (0' to 1000') suggests it's intended to prohibit drone usage.

32

Leaked documents show that the police knew that far-right extremists were the real threat at the George Floyd's protests, not "antifa"

33

Pakistan meets UN's climate change goal a decade ahead of deadline

31

An entire softball team quits after their general manager attempts to use them in a racist, pro-Trump propaganda stunt in Twitter

17

Protests in Russia against the referendum's results, with the police detaining over 140 anti-Putin protestors in Moscow

23

In a unanimous vote, the city government of Asheville, NC has announced slavery reparations for Black residents

14

Centrist zionist (Original phrasing: Fascist adjacent) Bari Weiss leaves NYT

22

The National Archives in Canberra has been forced to by court to reveal the Palace Letters, these are letters linking the Queen, the Governor-General and the Government of the day during the 1975 constitutional crisis. So far, it has been revealed that the Governor-General has over-reached his authority over the government by dismissing it and the Queen was only lightly informed about the situation.

10

Federal government carries out first execution in 17 years

28

Outrage as Trump's use of federal officers to suppress protests compared to "occupying army," one officer reportedly shot a peaceful protester in the face

20

Gig workers on Target's delivery app Shipt will go on strike in July 15 to protest the implementation of an algorithm-based pay model that slashes wages by 30% in cities where it was tested

17

32% of US households missed paying their rent or mortage, the fourth month in a row

34

Sudan relaxes some of its 30 years old Islamist laws. These new reforms will allow non-Muslims to drink alcohol, and scraps apostasy laws and public floggings.

23

The United States and Israel destroy an Iranian nuclear plant, increasing tensions

9

A recent poll by YouGov has put support for an Australian to be the country’s head of state instead of being under the British royal family at 62% against 38%, an all-time high.

13

Trump has put in an extradition request for Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer who wrote the Russia report, alleging collusion between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russia.

21

Since May 25, at least 68 people have driven their cars into Black Lives Matters protestors

12

Black Lives Matter protestors face rare leak charge as prosecutors accuse them of stealing confidential police documents

1

The Supreme Court rules that the government can't set employment decisions for religious schools

31

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court rules that half of Oklahoma is Native American land

13

Faithful execution ftw! Trump commutes Roger Stone's prison sentence days before it was due to start.

21

Majority of women support trans people's right to self-identify, according to a new poll

38

In a pair of 7-2 opinions, SCOTUS rejects Trump's batshit claims of absolute immunity, but punts the fight over his tax returns back down to the lower courts.

32

Group of armed black protestors march on Confederate monument

28

Genomic study suggests that Polynesian sailors made contact with the indigenous peoples of South America long before the arrival of the European explorers

12

London's The Daily Telegraph has reported that Arron Banks’s outfit Leave.EU is trying to use its disinformation assistance by advising populist Winston Peters and his party New Zealand First in the upcoming general election later this year.

22

Utter shitshow in small Ohio village as hundreds of armed extremists lay siege to a small BLM demonstration

48

The Human Rights Council released a damning report (which you can read here) that shows that, contrary to mainstream wisdom, global poverty has continued to rise over the last decade thanks to tax cuts for billionaires, destruction of social safety nets and that over half of the world's population does not enjoy minimal protections against sickness, disability, unemployment or old age

19

Severe drought prompts water rationing in Puerto Rico

33

Conservatives are flocking to a new "free speech" social media app that bans liberal users

15

A member of the Canadian Army Reserves' Canadian Rangers drove his personal vehicle through the gates at Rideau Hall, the residence of Governor General Julie Payette and PM Justin Trudeau, armed with 'several weapons'. He is currently in custody on 22 charges.

15

Hong Kong police arrest more than 300 protestors under China's new security law

20

Historian and TV presenter David Starkey says, "Slavery was not genocide otherwise there wouldn't be so many damn blacks in Africa or Britain, would there?" His college at Cambridge University has accepted his resignation.

18

Tories' austerity measures have killed a quarter of a million people over a decade

19

Hundreds of brands are boycotting Facebook for a month, though the network's greatest advertisers are quietly not participating

17

It has been revealed that around twenty years ago New Zealand’s intelligence services broke into the embassies of India and Iran in Wellington on behalf of MI6 and the CIA to photograph code books, plant bugs and steal communications.

15

Despite the U.S. being in the worst recession since the Great Depression, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos’ personal wealth is now over $171 billion due to rising sales and corporate share price.

18

Pharmaceutical industry group sues to stop Minnesota's new insulin affordability program

7

"Iconic" crime figures were among 746 arrests after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded. More than two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns and £54m in suspect cash have been seized, says the UK's National Crime Agency.

7

At least 23 people have been arrested when the police storm the "Autonomous Zone" after Mayor Jenny Durkan gives an executive order to clear the protest zone

11