News Brief: August 21-25

International:

A private jet crashed just shy of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board. Yevgeny Prigozhin, a mercenary leader who led an armed rebellion against Russia, is said to have been on the plane.

Although his presence has not been confirmed with certainty, Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, said he was on the plane. Suspicions have aroused due to Prigozhin’s recent dismissal from his position as an air force commander.  

“Multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels,” Keir Giles, Russia expert, said. 

The plane lost a wing and had an explosion mid-flight according to videos obtained by the Associated Press. Russia’s Investigative Committee is still evaluating the cause and details of the crash. 

National:

The Republican Primary Debate took place on Wednesday night with 8 candidates. Donald Trump was not present at the debate, but he did an exclusive with Tucker Carlson instead. 

The candidates were asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump as the nominee. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the only one who did not raise his hand. However, Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor, said he wasn’t trying to raise his hand. 

Though support was declared for Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, delivered some criticism towards him. DeSantis condemned Trump’s choice to shut down the nation during COVID and Haley said Trump was the most disliked politician in America and an election could not be won with him. 

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott addressed the high inflation rates under the Biden administration and criticized government overspending. He did concede that the federal spending for COVID relief was necessary because it was an emergency situation. 

First time runner Vivek Ramaswamy took jabs from his competitors all night long for his lack of experience. 

“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey, said in reference to Ramaswamy. 

Former Vice President Pence, who leaned on his experience as vice president for support during the debate, also made a jab at the 38 year old businessman. 

“Now is not the time for on-the-job training,” Pence said. “We don’t need to bring in a rookie. We don’t need to bring in people with no experience.”

Ramaswamy advocated for U.S. funds to be spent domestically instead of funding Ukraine. Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, clashed with Ramaswamy for his lack of knowledge in relation to international policy. 

Haley and Ramaswamy disagreed on climate change as well. Haley called on China and India to lower their emissions while Ramaswamy called climate change a “hoax.” 

The candidates spoke on abortion, all claiming to be pro-life, but debated the government’s involvement in the choice. Haley and Pence clashed on their views of abortion at a federal level.

“I’m unapologetically pro-life, not because the Republican party tells me to be, but because my husband was adopted,” Haley said. 

Haley called for consensus at a federal level when addressing abortion, which brought her a rebuttal from Pence. 

“Consensus is the opposite of leadership,” Pence said. “Abortion is not a state’s-only issue, it’s a moral issue.” 

They spent time discussing Jan. 6, specifically Pence’s actions surrounding the day, but DeSantis redirected the conversation instead of directly supporting Pence like the other candidates. 

“It’s not about Jan. 6, 2021, it’s about Jan. 20, 2025, when the president is going to take office,” DeSantis said.

Local:

The Oklahoma City Zoo welcomed a rare clouded leopard kitten. The zoo announced the male kitten was born July 18, 2023, on social media this week. Rukai, the mother, gave birth after a 90 day gestation period. 

This kitten is the first of his endangered species to be born this year. As he grows, he will go on to be an ambassador for an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facility. 

The OKC Zoo works closely with AZA and the Species Survival Plan® (SSP) in an effort to preserve clouded leopards and help them reproduce. Caretakers at the zoo have confirmed the kitten’s health and said he is “doing everything a newborn should be doing – eating, sleeping and growing.” 

He is being cared for 24/7 to ensure he grows into adulthood and thrives.