Two executions scheduled in Texas
This week, two men are scheduled to be executed in Texas, making them the ninth and tenth executions of the year for the state. With six more executions scheduled, 2018 will have a total of 16 executions — an increase from the previous two years, which saw seven death sentences each.Troy Clark’s execution is set for Wednesday, Sept. 26, after a long investigation into his murder of Christina Muse. Reportedly, Clark’s girlfriend Tory Bush testified against Clark, but switched her testimony to say she was behind Muse’s death. However, Clark told the jury to give him the death penalty and continued to show no remorse, resulting in a conviction. The other individual scheduled to undergo execution is Daniel Acker, convicted in 2000 for the murder of his girlfriend.
Third woman accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault
This Wednesday, a third woman has come forward with sexual assault accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Julie Swetnick, who also attended Gaithersburg High School, said that in 1982 she was the victim of a gang rape by Kavanaugh and others at a house party. This accusation has followed one by Deborah Ramirez, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a party at Yale University during the 1983-1984 school year. The first woman to bring forth allegations against Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, is scheduled to testify at a hearing on Thursday. Ford has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers, and has asked for an FBI investigation into claim. Ramirez has similarly requested an investigation into her own accusations.
Trump has accused China of meddling in U.S. midterm elections
At the United Nations Security Council meeting this Wednesday, President Donald Trump accused China of interference in the midterm elections. Reportedly, there was no evidence to back Trump’s claim, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi denied the allegations, saying China refuses to interfere in the domestic politics of other nations. Trump may have been referring to the increased tariffs by China on U.S. goods produced in republican strongholds, but the President did not specify. This follows Trump’s speech at the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, where he spoke negatively of China but not its leader, Xi Jinping.
