Tropical Storm Hilary left thousands without power in California, and Russia’s lunar mission ended with a crash. These stories and more highlight The Rundown for Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.
Tropical Storm Hilary hits southern California
The first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years brought heavy rains to the region, with forecasters telling residents to brace for more flash flooding and mudslides. More than 7 million people were placed under a flash flood warning through the morning of Monday, Aug. 21, as Tropical Storm Hilary, once a category four hurricane, flooded roadways and left thousands without power. The storm was blamed for at least one death in Mexico.
Hilary triggered California’s first ever tropical storm warning. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) declared a state emergency on Saturday, Aug. 19 for much of the area.
Schools were closed Monday for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the nation.
Just as the tropical storm came ashore on Sunday, Aug. 20, Southern California was hit with a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. Los Angeles Police Chief Kristin Crowley gave an update on the earthquake’s effects.
“As many of you are aware, in addition to our storm, we have experienced an earthquake at 2:41 pm centered in the city of Ojai in Ventura County,” Crowley said. “Our fire department did initiate our earthquake mode which prompts all of our fire station resources to conduct a survey by land, air and sea, in which they will look at their individual districts to identify any potential threats or infrastructure issues. As of now, we have received no reports of any significant damage.”
The devastation in California from Tropical Storm Hilary came as the recovery efforts continue in Maui from the historic wildfires that have killed over 100 people. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were set to visit the fire-ravaged island Monday to survey the damage and meet with survivors and first responders.
Trump reportedly to participate in interview instead of debate
Seven contenders are expected to take part in the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday, Aug. 23. However, the party’s frontrunner will be missing from center stage. Former President Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social on Aug. 20 that he is skipping the debate.
Those familiar with the matter say a pre-recorded interview between Trump and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson will be released on debate night in lieu of him appearing at the debate. The former president has a healthy lead over his contenders, with a new CBS poll finding more than 60% of Republicans pledging their support. The next closest contender is Gov. Ron DeSantis at 16%.
The CBS poll also asked voters what they want to hear from other GOP candidates during the debate. More than 90% of likely Republican voters said they do not want to hear the candidates criticize Trump, instead wanting the candidates to focus on a case for themselves.
North Korea fires missiles in response to U.S./South Korea military drills
North Korea tested a series of cruise missiles to display its capabilities to defend itself from the sea and carry out an “attack mission” against South Korea in an actual war. The North’s missile launches by ship Monday were largely seen as retaliation, as the United States and South Korea began conducting its annual joint military drills.
South Korea said 2023’s demonstrations would be held on the largest scale ever. Tens of thousands of U.S. troops were set to assist tens of thousands of South Korean troops in a display of defense against any nuclear or missile threat from the North.
Russia rocket crashes into moon; India to attempt landing
Russia’s first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years ended after the rocket crashed into the moon while attempting a historic landing this past weekend. The launch from was highly anticipated, as Russia races with India to become the first nation to land a rover on the south pole of the moon.
Russian officials said there was an abnormal situation that occurred as the rocket prepared to enter a pre-landing orbit that caused the space craft to lose communication with its home base. India is projected to make the same landing attempt on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
Canada asks Meta to reinstate news access during wildfires
The dispute between Meta and Canada that led to the tech giant disabling domestic news access on its platforms has impacted Canadian communities ravaged by wildfires. Residents who used to get news, alerts and information from Facebook or Instagram no longer had access as historic wildfires swept through.
The Canadian government demanded Meta lift its access ban in the country, saying the social media platforms were needed to help provide vital information to people threatened by fast-moving fires. Meta reinstated limited access, with users once again able to use the safety check feature to mark themselves as safe in the wake of a natural disaster. Users can also access official government agency pages for the latest emergency updates on evacuations and wildfire containment.
Meta released a statement standing by its decision to disable access to its social media platforms in response to a law Canada passed that requires social media companies to pay for news content shared on its sites. Meta said being forced to pay for content is not sustainable for its business.
Spain wins Women’s World Cup for the first time
A new champion has been crowned as Spain won its first Women’s World Cup title Sunday. Spain defeated England in the final, 1-nil.
The victory came at a tumultuous time for a Spanish team that saw 15 players step away in 2022 after calling for a more professional environment. Three of those players returned to play in the World Cup.
It was also a range of emotions for 23-year-old Olga Carmona, who scored the winning goal for Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed the star player learned of her father’s passing just after the match.
“I know you have given me the strength to achieve something unique,” Carmona said on social media. “I know you have been watching me tonight and that you are proud of me. Rest in peace, dad.”
Carmona also scored in semifinals, becoming the first player since the U.S.’ Carli Lloyd to score in a World Cup semifinal and final.
