Well, Panthers, we made it through another week without completely giving up on education and tossing our AMSCOs into the blazing fireplace. Relatable situation, right? But no matter how challenging classes are right now, know that the semester only hasー wellー maybe we have a little while, but we can do this. So while you stave off the desire to burn all your educational material that you do not understand anyway, read these KICs. This week we have devastating earthquakes in the Middle East, a manhunt for a 15-year-old, a PTC-based organization acquiring a Texas-based organization, the identification of a ‘90s cold case suspect, and bipartisan unity caused by aggravating Chinese activity.

February 6 – Earthquakes rattle Turkey and Syria

Over 1,000 people have died in Turkey and 780 in Syria have died from the recent earthquakes in the region, with at least 5,385 more people injured in Turkey and 2,000 in Syria. Many victims from Syria are in the northern Syrian war-torn environment.

Multiple buildings have collapsed and emergency service teams have been stationed to search for survivors. The search is even harder because rescuers are looking for people under piles of rubbish in freezing and snowy conditions. 

Buildings four and five stories tall have toppled over on roads and made piles of debris. The disaster has resulted in schools in surrounding cities postponing classes for at least a week. Turkey is one of the most active earthquake zones today, affecting surrounding areas.

February 7- Manhunt underway for 15-year-old after deadly shooting

After a fight between juveniles led to shots being fired Monday evening, one person died and another was injured in a southwest Atlanta neighborhood. Police confirmed that a group of juveniles were arguing when shots rang out in the street.

Investigators spent Monday night searching the neighborhood to find the shooter. Officers found a 25-year-old man dead on the scene and a 40-year-old woman in critical condition. The woman was rushed to the hospital where she is now stable. The identity of the victims has not been revealed.

The police have identified a 15-year-old to be the shooter, and were in a standoff in front of the home where they thought he was located, but found out that the house was empty around 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Police are still searching for the suspect.

February 8 – Wencor Group announces acquisition of Aero-Glen International

The Wencor Group, based out of Peachtree City, is a leading provider of the aerospace and defense markets. They have acquired a lead supplier for hardware and other services, Aero-Glen International. 

Aero-Glen International is based in Texas that offers its services and creates solutions for defensive issues in the sky. They make aerospace fasteners, fittings, machined parts, and other specialized hardware. The company ships all over the world hence the “International” part of their name. Wencor works in the same category, but on different playing fields. They do repairs and designs of aircraft, increasing their reliability and lowering costs. 

The two companies combining efforts into a joint operation has huge benefits to the already large amount of money Georgia drags in from exports. This also makes for a much more successful and proficient business model. 

February 9 – Suspect in two ‘90s cold cases identified by Las Vegas police

On Monday, police identified Eddie George Snowden, a man who would be 86 today, as a suspect for 1990s cold cases. Recent DNA technological advancements linked Snowden to the two murders.

Eddie Snowden was a suspect in the murders of Lori Ann Perera and Pearl Wilson Ingram. Perera’s body was found on December 11, 1992, in a desert area near a retail store, and her cause of death was marked as asphyxia. Ingram’s body was found in a garbage receptacle behind a grocery store on the same street on January 11, 1994.

Although both cases were thoroughly investigated, detectives were unable to find out who killed both women. But using renewed DNA technology, Snowden’s DNA matched both cases on June 30, 2022. Snowden died in February 2017, and police report that no arrest will be made in these cases.

February 10 – Chinese spy balloon flight across North America failed but caused bipartisan unity

After the events of the Chinese spy balloon flight, political parties in Washington have forged a sort of unity in condemning China. This coming together of the parties will strain the already tense relations in the Pacific Region and Beijing. This unity can be seen in the House where they had a margin of 419-0 to condemn China.

Even though there is unity, there is rising anger over how the flight was not intercepted before it entered the continent. Also, there are many questions on the implications of the breach of U.S. airspace. It is theorized they shot the balloon down after letting it roam across the United States in order to increase anti-China sentiment.

China’s balloon espionage program has caused the U.S. to endanger their most important diplomatic relationship. Republican efforts to balance the situation for political gain within the U.S. may lead to the break of this aforementioned unity. There are also worries of the escalation leading to a cold war.