200 people trapped in wildfire
Last Saturday, 200 people were rescued after being trapped by a wildfire in a reservoir at the Sierra National Forest in California, according to The New York Times. The fire started on Friday and consumed more than 45,000 acres of forest. Of the 200 people rescued, 20 were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for their injuries. The current state of their injuries are not yet available to the public. This wildfire came only a month after California was hit by a series of devastating wildfires, including the second and third largest fires in the state’s history.
Boats sink during Trump Parade
Five boats capsized in Lake Travis in Texas last Saturday during a nautical parade in support of President Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press. During the parade, the lake was filled with hundreds of tightly packed boats, resulting in unusually large waves for the area. There were no reported injuries as a result of the boats sinking, but three of the five boats were towed to shore, while the other two currently remain at the bottom of the lake.
Portland shooting suspect killed during arrest
Last Thursday, Portland officers shot and killed Michael Forest Reinoehl in an arrest attempt at his apartment, according to The New York Times. Reinoehl was the prime suspect of the shooting of a right-wing activist at a pro-Trump rally on Aug. 29. Initial reports of the arrest claim that Reinoehl produced a firearm and threatened the lives of law enforcement officers. As the officers went in to apprehend Reinoehl, gunfire ensued. Lieutenant Brady of the Portland Police said that they are unable to confirm if Reinoehl fired any shots. Reinoehl received the arrest warrant quickly after he had admitted on camera to the recent shooting.
Unemployment rate falls
According to the Associated Press, U.S. unemployment dropped from 10.2% in August to 8.4% as of early September. It is estimated that half of the 22 million jobs that were lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been recovered. Based on evidence from the past year, economists believe that unemployment rates will continue to be sluggish and uneven, and based on the rate from August to September, economists predict that the unemployment rate will be as low as nearly 7% by early November.
Father of the “99%” dies
Last Thursday, David Graeber, an author, activist and anthropologist, died at the age of 59, according to CNN. Graeber was known for being a leading figure of the Occupy Wall Street movement and other “anti-capitalist” movements. Graeber started getting involved in alter-globalization movements, social movements that support global cooperation, in the early 2000s, where he was credited as the creator of the phrase: “We are the 99%.” While it has since been confirmed that Graeber did not create the phrase, he did have a heavy hand in its popularization.
