Collapse Talk

Air defenses are alarmed by a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that drifted over the mainland US and was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina. Although claimed to be a weather balloon questions are raised over the possibility of future incursions. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set a new record for the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight. Factors leading to this decision include the escalating Russo-Ukrainian war, worsening climate crises, and biothreats such as Covid-19 and the avian flu infecting multiple mammal species.

Reflection on events throughout the year and personal plans.

Midterm elections yield disappointing results for the GOP as they gain a slim majority in the House. Prompting divisions over strategy, and the question of who will be the party's next nominee, the former President Donald Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates as debris from a suspected Ukrainian interceptor strikes a village in Poland briefly alarming the world as the possibility of nuclear has never been higher.

Hurricane Ian devastates Florida as a category 4 storm, proving to be the deadliest storm to land in the state since Hurricane Andrew. Puerto Rico has also faced devastation in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, still having not fully recovered from Hurricane Maria five years prior which killed 3,000. After questionable referendum results, Putin proclaimed the occupied territories in Ukraine to be annexed into Russian territory. The stage for a nuclear confrontation has never been higher.

The passing of Queen Elizabeth marks a new chapter for the UK as an economic crisis is beginning to grip the country. The ascension of King Charles III is marked by protests and increased sentiments of republicanism, but the road ahead for the UK and the monarchy remains uncertain. The EU proposes measures to address the energy crisis as prices pinch consumers. Dramatic events unfold in the Russo-Ukrainian War as a Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv caught RU forces off-guard with significant gains.

The MAGA movement has voiced its outrage after the FBI served a search warrant concerning classified documents in possession of former President Trump. Calls for violence have also surfaced threatening political violence and civil war. The war in Ukraine reached the 6-month mark, yet the fear of further strikes from Russia looms in the wake of the assassination of ultranationalist Dugina and the anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

Tensions have reached an unprecedented level as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a visit to Taiwan despite warnings from mainland China. The visit has prompted live-fire military exercises that act as a rehearsal for a blockade and potential invasion of the island. The US continues to escalate further tensions with plans to sail a carrier strike group through the strait of Taiwan, an unprecedented provocation. The Gaza-Israel conflict reaches another flashpoint after the arrest and assassination of Palestinian resistance leaders. The West continues to send billions of dollars in weapons with little oversight, some estimates suggest that about a third of the intended weapons reach the frontlines.

Damning new evidence has been leaked of the incompetent response from the police during the Uvalde massacre, images appear to show officers checking their phones and using hand sanitizer while children were being massacred. The Texas state Republican party platforms the idea of a referendum vote for secession in 2023, further signaling the radicalization of the GOP by far-right extremists. Texas, meanwhile, also experiences record heat and drought as the power grid system struggles to meet the demand of a rapidly growing population with outdated infrastructure. Political unrest grows in Europe and the Global South as working people are left to dry by the Neoliberal establishment, often getting radicalized by the right.

The overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court has signaled a new era for American politics, with one decision women's bodily autonomy has been left to the mercy of state legislatures. The first tangible steps of Christian fascism as the lines between church and state become blurred due to the biases of conservative Supreme Court Justices. Concerns as to which direction the Court will decide as midterm elections could determine the majorities in Congress, and the future of rights such as birth control and same-sex marriage.