This week: Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted, problems for astronauts aboard the International Space Station, the infrastructure bill signed and Kamala Harris became the first woman to hold Presidential power.
Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted on all charges
In August 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse went to Kenosha, Wisconsin with his AR-15 during protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black resident, by a white police officer. Rittenhouse fatally shot two men and wounded another during the protests.
His trial was ongoing for two weeks and a verdict was reached on Nov. 19. The jury found him not guilty on all five charges including two counts of intentional homicide, two counts of recklessly endangering safety and reckless homicide.
The arguments in court centered around what qualifies as an act of self-defense. Rittenhouse claimed he feared for his life when he shot the men, a claim the prosecution struggled to refute.
Many conservatives around the country celebrated the verdict as a win for self-defense laws, and many liberals decried it as a failure of the criminal justice system.
For more details, see below:
Kyle Rittenhouse Acquitted on All Counts
Russia Anti-Satellite test endangers astronauts aboard the ISS
Russia shot down one of its own satellites in an Anti-Satellite test which created a large field of debris in low-Earth orbit on Monday, Nov. 15.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to leave the station and shelter in a spacecraft when they learned of the debris field coming their way which consisted of 1,500 pieces of trackable debris. The crew aboard the ISS currently consists of four U.S. astronauts, a German astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts.
The ISS continues to pass through the debris cluster, but the astronauts were allowed to return to the research lab with additional safety precautions as NASA continues to monitor the debris.
Russia shot down its satellite to test its ASAT capabilities, military technology that would allow them to shoot down an enemy’s satellite. Other countries have performed these tests before but the timing and location of the test has been condemned by many as “reckless and irresponsible,” as reported by Reuters.
For more details, see below:
Russian anti-satellite missile test endangers space station crew – NASA
Biden signs bipartisan infrastructure bill
President Joe Biden signed the over $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law on Nov. 15. The bill will invest $550 billion into transportation, broadband and utilities.
$110 billion will go into roads and bridges, $66 billion into freight and passenger rail systems and $39 billion into public transit. $65 billion will go toward expanding broadband so more Americans can get internet access and $55 billion into improving water systems.
President Biden celebrated the bipartisan bill’s passing as both Republicans and Democrats in Congress worked to write and pass it.
The president also mentioned the additional $1.75 trillion bill his administration is working to pass investing in the social safety net and climate policy.
“Together with the infrastructure bill, millions of lives will be changed for the better,” he said, as reported by CNBC.
For more details, see below:
Kamala Harris first woman to hold presidential power
On Friday, Nov. 19, President Joe Biden temporarily transferred presidential power to Vice President Kamala Harris while he had a routine colonoscopy. She became the first woman to hold that power during the 85 minutes he was under anesthesia.
It is routine for a president to transfer presidential powers while undergoing medical procedures which President Biden did by sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the president pro tempore of the Senate, Senator Patrick Leahy.
To transfer power back, another letter was sent once he woke from the procedure.
For more details, see below:
For 85 minutes, Kamala Harris became the first woman with presidential power
Article by Mckayla Olsen
mckayla.olsen@gmail.com
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
