Inching further towards the mid-way point of the year, 2022 has been full of a surplus of notable events. From the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation upon the Supreme Court, let’s evaluate the top stories of May 2022.
New Mexico Endures Wildfires
Two Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fires reportedly united, impacting Northern New Mexico. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze, but the force of the combined fire swiftly surpassed professionals forecasting. No one has been hurt or killed by the fires, but two deaths did occur from a previous wildfire during the month of April.
Mississippi Mudbug Festival Shooting
Several gunmen opened fire at the Mudbug Festival in Jackson, Mississippi leaving one person killed and five injured. The individual that was killed is presumed to be one of the shooters, shot in response to the shooting by law enforcement.
Regarding the tragedy, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones stated the following, “It’s very devastating and very tragic, […] This is what’s to be considered a very family-oriented event, where families come to enjoy entertainment and food. You have individuals with no regards for the lives and safety of those attending the event. I think that is a very cowardly and selfish act to involve so many innocent people that are here to have fun and enjoy themselves.”
Nancy Pelosi Visits Kyiv, Ukraine
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi paid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a visit, which was entirely unannounced. Pelosi is the highest ranked US official to have visited the country since the Russia’s invasion in February.
Leading an official congressional delegation at the country’s capital in Kyiv, Pelosi aimed to carry the message that the US stands with Ukraine. Pelosi pronounced, ““We are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom, that we’re on a frontier for freedom and that your fight is a fight for everyone. And so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done.”
Tennessee Halts Executions
Following a missed protocol procedure leading to the lethal injection of Oscar Smith, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has stopped all executions through the end of the year. Reportedly, the state had tested their lethal injection drugs for potency and sterility, but not endotoxins, which breaches procedure.
The Met Gala
The Met Gala returned to its conventional pattern of being held on the first Monday of May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Renowned as the most prestigious night in fashion, the extravaganza followed the theme of “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” which came after 2021’s “In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion.”
Built as a charity event to raise funds for the Met’s Costume Institute, the gala is a staple for fashion lovers around the world. The event is renowned for its esteemed guestlist of fashion moguls, celebrities and artists. Attendees for the night included the likes of Blake Lively, Normani and Billie Eilish wearing designers such as Gucci, Versace and Chanel.
CNBC Sustainable Future w/ Matt Damon and Gary White
Tania Bryer chats with Matt Damon and Gary White about their nonprofit organization, Water.org, in a special CNBC interview. Water.org aims to provide access to water and sanitation to those who need it. Tania chats with both Matt and Gary about their brand-new book The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge, and the influences behind the piece.
Supreme Court Leaked Decision Chooses to Overturn Abortion Rights
May 2, POLITICO published the first draft majority opinion of the Supreme Court that reveals a reversal of the monumental Roe v. Wade 1973 decision. Overturning the landmark ruling would place verdicts about abortion into the hands of state representatives. A decision involving the court has never been exposed while a case in still unresolved, especially one of such magnitude.
Regarding the judgment to override the original Roe v. Wade decision, Justice Samuel Alito stated the following in the leaked draft, “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”
European Union Plans Russian Oil Ban
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a potential ban on oil from Russia to increase pressure on the country amidst their invasion of Ukraine. European Union (EU) countries have arranged preparations to veto Russian coal imports, as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia have already expelled Russian imports.
Dave Chappelle Harassed During Hollywood Bowl
A man ran up on stage towards Dave Chappelle while he was performing a comedy routine at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The man, named Isaiah Lee, was charged with a felony assault with a deadly weapon. Lee had a fake gun that would expel a knife blade but did not harm Chappelle.
Lionsgate Announces Hunger Games Prequel Movie
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, a Hunger Games prequel novel, is set to obtain its own brand-new film debuting on the big screen on November 17, 2023. The story follows the story of President Coriolanus Snow in his younger years prior to becoming such a staple in the modern narrative.
Amber Heard Testifies in Defamation Trial
The defamation suit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began on April 11 and continued prominently into the month of May. Approaching the fourth week of the trial, the jury heard from Depp regarding his recollection of their marriage, and on May 4 Heard began her own testimony. The case is set to be concluded on May 19.
Animal-to-Human Heart Transplant Revelation
In January of 2022, David Bennett, 57, underwent a final resort surgery to save his life through use of a pig’s organ. Bennett underwent a heart transplant and was doing well for about two months following the procedure, until he suddenly passed away. Now, University of Maryland doctors have found that within the pig heart there was viral DNA carrying porcine cytomegalovirus. It is uncertain if the virus contributed to the death of Bennett, but this finding raises ongoing questions about animal-to-human transplants.
Kevin Samuels Passes Away
57-year-old YouTuber Kevin Samuels has passed away due to unknown reasons. He was reportedly found unresponsive in his Atlanta apartment on May 5. Samuels was known more his conservative relationship advice approach.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Tease Potential Engagement
A$AP Rocky released the music video for his track “D.M.B.,” which portrays the love story between himself and superstar Rihanna. At the end of the video, Rocky sports a grill that says, “Marry me?” with Rihanna, too, wearing a matching grill that states out, “I do.”
The video broke the internet, with everyone and their mother speculating a possible engagement between the two. It has not been confirmed, nor denied, that Rihanna and Rocky are engaged, but the duo is expecting their first child together.
Menstrual Pain May Prevent Many Women From Working, Spain
Half of women experience painful periods at least once every six months. Some of the symptoms they may have are nausea, fainting, and vomiting. The country’s policymakers will implement a three-day sick leave for severe menstrual pain, which affects most women who experience their period. According to a scientific study, 84.1% of women report have very considerable menstrual pain, which can prevent them from carrying out their activities and therefore they could be absent from work.
Mercedes-Benz India has Launched the New Generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class
On May 10, 2022, one of the most anticipated releases of Mercedes-Benz was launched. The German car manufacturer
has launched the new C-Class in three different versions: The C 200 with petrol engine is priced at $71,089.26 (Rs 55 lakh – Indian Currency) meanwhile, the C 220d and 330d with diesel engine are priced at 72,390 $.64 (Rs 56 lakh) and $78,854.09 (Rs 61 lakh), respectively. Mercedes-Benz claimed that it received more than 1,000 pre-launch reservations for the fifth-generation C-Class.
Lacrosse Team Files Racial Discrimination Claim by Sheriff’s Deputies
There is huge outrage over a traffic stop in Georgia. Last month, US authorities searched and detained a bus carrying the Lacrosse team belonging to Delaware State University, a historically black institution. The team specifically complains about racial profiling by sheriff’s deputies. On the contrary, the agents maintain the version that they stopped the driver for driving in the wrong lane. But after the bus stopped, officers searched the students’ belongings for any type of drug-like chemical. Instead, the team maintains that those searches were conducted on racial grounds.
Student Saniya Craft recorded parts of the trip on her device, thinking it would be part of her blog about her lacrosse team. However, she did not expect that she would end up storing evidence of what she believes to be racial profiling by sheriff’s deputies. Authorities consider it appropriate to open a federal investigation into the incident that occurred to the Delaware State University lacrosse team in Georgia.
Obama vs Monkey
According to Fox News affiliate in Detroit, Michigan school assignment uses picture of former President Barack Obama, comparing him to monkeys.
Rupaul’s Dragcon
May 13, 14 and 15 were jam-packed with Rupaul’s Drag Race fun at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Rupaul’s Dragcon is a convention-like event held annually to celebrate the queens of the franchise, as well as time to indulge in the rich queer culture created by the phenomenon.
Arriving amongst the Pretty Little Thing pink carpet, fans cheered on beloved queens from the franchise as they sashayed away. Amongst attendees included OG Drag Race royalty Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon, to crowned queens from recent seasons like Symone and Willow Pill.
At the event, guests were invited to meet queens at their booths for a purchase of merch. Surrounded amongst the booths, too, included vendors from other renowned LGBTQ+ businesses and allies. Exclusively filmed at the event was TS Madison’s all-new show coming to WOW Presents Plus, Bring Back My Girls. Recent season queens met up to discuss their time on the show in a reunion-style format.
Other experiences at Dragcon included panels where fans got to hear from some of their most beloved fans, like the All-Stars 7 all-winners panel to honor the latest season. Performances were given amongst the House of Love main stage, including DJ sets by Rupaul themselves, Alaska singing tracks from her latest album and two thirds of the beloved UK Frock Destroyers.
Rihanna Gives Birth to Baby Boy
Rihanna reportedly gave birth first to her first child with A$AP Rocky on May 13. The arrival of the baby boy has not been confirmed by both parents yet.
MÅNESKIN Performs on The Tonight Show
Celebrating the release of their latest song “SUPERMODEL,” produced by Max Martin, MÅNESKIN took to The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon to perform the hit. Watch HERE. Their LOUD KIDS WORLD TOUR is set to commence this fall, with a range of performances across North America.
Pete Davidson Leaves Saturday Night Live
After an eight-year run with the popular late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL), Pete Davidson departures from the phenomenon. A staple amongst the cast, during Davidson’s final goodbye, he recalled how SNL founder Lorne Michaels didn’t think he was the best fir for the show, but decided to take a risk on him.
About his time with SNL, Davidson stated the following, “I never imagined this would be my life, […] I was just a skinny kid that no one knew which race I was. And now everyone knows I’m White because I became hugely successful while barely showing up to work. Look at me now, I’m aging like an old banana.”
Robb Elementary School Shooting
Tuesday May 24 Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21. Of the killed, 19 were children and two teachers. Ramos, too, shot his grandmother before attacking the elementary school.
The killer took to Instagram two days prior to the massacre posting images of his two AR-15-style rifles. He communicated with a 15-year-old girl from Germany during the course of the attack. He told the girl how he had “just shot my grandma in her head,” and was planning to “go shoot up a(n) elementary school rn (right now).”
May 24 will be remembered as the deadliest mass shooting since Sandy Hook, the 30th so far this year. The shooting makes number 213 for the country in 2022, which surpasses the number of days so far in the year. The travesty has sparked up continuing debates about gun violence in the United States.
Kate Moss testifies in aid of Johnny Depp, Virginia
The trial of the actor and his ex, Amber Head, has become a social phenomenon and the most watched on American television. Lies, abuse and millionaire agreements, the key points of the trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Heard tearfully recounts alleged domestic abuse in her relationship with Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp and Kate Moss had a strong romance during the 1990s that ended when he met Vanessa Paradis, who would later become his wife and mother of his children. Despite the breakup, the friendship remains and the British model has decided to testify in favor of the actor in the defamation trial that Depp maintains against his second wife, Amber Heard. The trial began last Monday, April 11, and is expected to last around six weeks. Depp demands 50 million dollars as compensation for damages, while Heard has filed a counterclaim, asking for double: 100 million dollars.
Volodymyr Zelensky Made a Special Appearance at Cannes Film Festival 2022, France
The 75th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival kicked off on the night of the 17th on the French Riviera, thus recovering its usual dates after the pandemic. The Cannes Festival is the most famous film, mediatic and cultural event in the world, being an essential meeting for film producing countries since its creation in 1946.
In its inaugural gala, the Grand Theater Lumière stood up after the irruption of the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, who, quoting Chaplin, asked that the cinema not be silent: “We need a new Chaplin who shows that, in our time, the cinema is not silent” in the face of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.With an emotional appearance, he returned to vindicate the feeling of the public by referring to the film “The Great Dictator“. The dictators are free, only they, but they enslave the people. Let’s fight now to make what was promised come true. Let us all fight to liberate the world. Tear down national barriers, eliminate ambition, hatred and intolerance”, declared the president, drawing applause from all those present.
Actor Ray Liotta Passes Away
At the age of 67, Ray Liotta suddenly passed away. While filming the upcoming film Dangerous Waters, Liotta died in his hotel room in the Dominican Republic beside his fiancé Jacy Nittolo.
Camila Cabello shines in her performance during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Champions Final, France
The Cuban sang the greatest hits of her musical career live in Paris. Camila Cabello will always remember her performance at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Champions League final at Saint-Denis stadium. Not only because she managed to shine live with a staging full of Latin sounds and bright colors, but also because it was one of the most disorganized matches that be remembered.
The Cuban singer made a great presentation in which she highlighted her colorful dance team and her commitment to the great successes that have marked her musical career. With her own stamp, she was singing the notes of Señorita, Havana, Bam bam to close with Don’t go yet.
Mona Lisa painting attacked in the Louvre Museum, France
The attack on Leonardo Da Vinci‘s most famous work has had no regrettable consequences, since the painting is luckily protected by glass. The author was a man dressed as an old woman who threw a cake at the Mona Lisa painting. Museum Police have acted quickly, immediately expelling the attacker of the museum.
The visitor who tried to damage the painting was in a wheelchair, with his face painted and covered with a hat and a blanket so as not to be identified. His goal was to take a photo of the work between the cord and the painting, a space reserved for disabled people. Click HERE to watch the video.
