NEWS FROM OKLAHOMA, THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD
Cashion Woman Tased and Arrested After Fleeing Police
Debra Hamil, a 65-yearold woman, was arrested in Cashion after refusing to sign a ticket for a broken taillight and then fleeing police. After a four-minute chase, she stopped and then apparently resisted arrest and assaulted the officers. She was tased and then handcuffed.
State Asks Judge To Deliver $17.2 Billion Verdict In Opioid Suit
The State of Oklahoma made its final filing in the opioid lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, and asked the judge to deliver a record-setting $17.2 billion civil judgment.
“The source of this crisis is the flood of prescription opioids that has inundated Oklahoma for the past two decades,” attorneys for the state wrote in their filing. “It was brought into being by the pharmaceutical industry, including Defendants. The harm it has wrought, and the threat it continues to pose to the health, safety, and welfare of the State, make it the worst nuisance Oklahoma has ever known.”
Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman is expected to deliver his verdict later this month following the final filing and seven weeks of trial.
NEWS FROM OKLAHOMA, THE US, AND AROUND THE WORLD. Chinese Companies Cut Off US Agricultural Purchases
In response to the escalating trade war between the United States and China, Chinese Companies have halted the purchase of agricultural products from American farmers. The cut is a response to the Trump administration’s announcement last week of tariffs on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports, which is set to take effect Sept. 1, 2019.
Trade War, Currency Devaluation Plunge Global Stocks Into Chaos
In response to the Trump administration’s announcement of tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of imports, the Chinese devalued its national currency, the yuan, to fall below its seven-toone ratio versus the dollar. The dramatic devaluation could wreaked havoc in global markets, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to fall 767 points on Monday, Aug. 5, 2019.
Mass Shootings Dominate Weekend Headlines
Two mass shootings claimed the lives of 30 innocents and one shooter during the weekend of Aug. 3 and 4. A white nationalist domestic terrorist killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and another shooter claimed eight victims in Dayton, Ohio, before being gunned down by police.
The El Paso terrorist reportedly posted a manifesto online, decrying “race mixing” and immigration. The motives behind the Ohio attack have yet to be determined by authorities.
Protestors Continue To Disrupt Hong Kong
Protests, which have now continued for nine consecutive weekends in Hong Kong, have disrupted the city’s operations and prompted police to fire tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Hong Kong government officials have issued warnings that continued protests could push the city into a “very dangerous situation.”
The protests began in June in response to a controversial bill which would have allowed Hong Kong citizens to be extradited to mainland China. Since that time, the protestors’ demands have expanded to include demands for universal suffrage.
Scientists Confirm July As Hottest Month On Record
Scientists with the European Union’s Corpernicus Climate Change Programme have confirmed that July 2019 was the hottest month in recorded history, replacing July 2016. The data indicate global temperatures in July were about .56 degrees Celsius warmer than the global average temperature between 1981 and 2010.