What Happened in September 2023?

The Biggest News Stories of September, 2023

Writers Guild Strike Ends with a Guarantee ChatGPT Won’t Be Used Against Them

Hollywood writers, on strike since May, reached an agreement that would let them use generative AI like ChatGPT, but it couldn’t be used against them. Specifically, ChatGPT can’t be used to write scripts for TV and movies, and it can’t be used to rewrite the writers’ works which would reduce their share of the credit, compensation, and residuals. The contract also stipulates that the scripts writers produced won’t be fed back into the training models of AI bots. While humans in professions easily outsourced by AI are worried for their jobs, the writers have successfully negotiated guardrails that guarantee their livelihoods, at least for now.

Donald Trump Faces 91 Criminal Charges and Civil Suits Including Rape and a Fraud Trial

Donald Trump currently faces the following criminal and civil charges:

Criminal

• New York: 34 felony counts of violating a New York law on corporate record-keeping, in connection with hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.
• Florida: 40 felony counts for hoarding classified documents and impeding efforts to retrieve them.
• Georgia: 13 felony counts related to accusations that he illegally sought to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in the state.
• District of Columbia: 4 felony counts of obstruction of an official proceeding, in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Civil Suits

• New York: A civil lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll, a journalist who alleges that Trump raped her in the 1990s.
• New York: A civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging that Trump and his organization engaged in fraudulent business practices.
• Washington, D.C.: A civil lawsuit filed by a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers who were injured in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, alleging that Trump and his allies conspired to incite the attack.

But despite his legal problems, and the fact that he skipped the primary debates, he still leads the polls as the leading Republican candidate for President.

Government Shutdown Averted with Only Hours To Spare

By passing a continuing resolution to fund the government for 45 more days, Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown. The measure included spending cuts demanded by Republicans, disaster aid, but a freeze on aid to Ukraine. The last-minute compromise to get Democrat’s votes was a reversal by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, who earlier made a commitment to funding the government through 12 individual appropriations bills rather than a single legislative vehicle. McCarthy tried, but could not get the bills passed with only Republican support, due to resistance from hard-line, MAGA representatives. The continuing resolution got all but one Democrat’s votes in the House, and was passed by the Senate soon afterward. The compromise with Democrats kept the government working, but led to the demise of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

Apple Launched the iPhone 15 and a iCloud Subscription Service

The iPhone 15 was launched on September 7, 2023. The phone features a number of improvements over its predecessor, the iPhone 14. The iPhone 15 features a 48MP camera with a 2x Telephoto option, a groundbreaking 3nm A17 Bionic chip, and a USB-C port. It introduces a Dynamic Island design and a lighter, stronger titanium build.

But only a few days after introducing the new version, users reported the phones were overheating. Apple identified a few conditions that can cause the iPhone to run hotter than expected, including a software bug in iOS 17 and some recent updates to third-party apps.

And due to the iPhone 15 Pro’s advanced photo and video capabilities, Apple launched a new iCloud subscription service needed to store the data. Apple One bundles up to six Apple subscriptions including Apple Music and Apple TV+ for one lower monthly price, including up to 2TB of iCloud+ storage.

Five-foot Tall Brazilian Rambo Escapes Prison and Eludes Police in the Pennsylvania Woods

Danelo Cavalcante escaped a prison about 50 miles west of Philadelphia by bridging a five-foot gap between walls and using his hands and feet to walk up horizontally. He then navigated through razor wire and jumped off a roof to escape. During his two weeks on the run, doorbell cameras caught Cavalcante invading homes, he managed to slip through police search perimeters, stole a van, changed his appearance, showed up at the doorsteps of people he knew years ago, and stole a firearm. Doorbell cameras spotting him breaking into homes to steal food, clothes, but he eluded a search by hundreds of law enforcement officers for two weeks before being captured. He was in prison for stabbing his Pennsylvania ex-girlfriend dozens of times in front of her children because she threatened to turn him in for a murder he committed in Brazil.

The Country Follows Televised Impeachment Trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, was impeached on 16 charges, including bribery, abuse of office, and obstruction of justice. The state Senate trial was televised and closely watched by legal experts and political junkies across the country.

The charges stem from allegations that Paxton used his office to help a friend and campaign donor, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was under federal investigation for fraud. He’s also accused of defrauding investors in a company he founded, and failing to register as a securities dealer for accepting the investments.

Finally, Ken Paxton’s extramarital affair is one of the allegations that led to his impeachment. In September 2018, Paxton reportedly confessed to his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, about an affair. His wife filed for divorce, and has been barred from voting in his impeachment trial.

A majority of Senators voted not guilty on all charges – far less than the two-thirds vote required for impeachment. They also voted to dismiss four more charges that were not heard during the trial. However, Paxton is still facing multiple state criminal fraud indictments, a whistleblower lawsuit, an FBI investigation, and a state bar disciplinary case.

UAW Takes On GM, Ford, and Stellantis: A Landmark Strike Over Wages, Benefits, and the Future of Auto Labor

President Joe Biden joined the picket line as United Auto Workers (UAW) went on strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis*. On September 15, 2023, after contract negotiations failed to reach an agreement, more than 13,000 workers This is the first time in the union’s 88-year history that it has struck the big-three automakers at once. While the automakers offered a 20% wage increase over four years and continuation of health benefits for retirees, the UAW wants much more, including:

• A 40% wage increase over four years, or a 36% wage increase over four years with an additional 4% lump sum payment in the first year.
• An end to two-tier wage system, which pays newer workers less than more experienced workers.
• Restoration of pensions for new hires, who now receive only 401(k)-style retirement plans.
• A 32-hour workweek with 40 hours of pay.
• Increased health care benefits, including dental and vision coverage.
• More job security, including guarantees against plant closures and layoffs.
• A commitment to electric vehicle production and job training for workers in this area.

(*Stellantis is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed from the merger of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. Stellantis is the fourth largest automaker by sales behind Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and Hyundai Motor Group, and owns a portfolio of 14 iconic automotive brands, including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall. The company also has a number of mobility brands, including Free2Move and Moove.)

Climate Change News from September, 2023

Drought Drains Mississippi River, Saltwater Intrusion Threatens New Orleans Drinking Water Supply

Historically record low water levels in the lower Mississippi river have allowed salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to seep upriver, impacting drinking and irrigation water supplies for delta communities, and threatening drinking water for New Orleans. The salt water is denser than freshwater, so it hugs the river bottom. The Corps of Engineers is increasing the height of an underwater sill to slow the intrusion, but unless rains raise the river level the efforts will only buy time until the salt water reaches New Orleans. Affected communities have built new pipelines to bring in water from other sources.

International News of September 2023

War Drum-beating Republicans Want to Invade Mexico to Take On the Cartels

Marjorie Taylor Green said she is “drafting a Declaration of War against the Mexican cartels”. She said she didn’t want to target the Mexican government or people; just the cartels who are responsible for 300 Americans dying every single day from fentanyl, and the multibillion-dollar human trafficking and drug trafficking industry that directly affects the United States of America.

Collectively, the cartels employ 175,000 people, making cartels Mexico’s fifth largest employer. And since 2020, 200,000 Americans have died from synthetic opioids, most of which are made in Mexico with chemicals from China.

Florida Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is commited to sending U.S. Special Forces into Mexico to combat the drug cartels, deploying the U.S. military to stop the invasion of illegal immigrants, and using drone strikes inside Mexico.

Presidential candidates former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have also said that if they are elected to the Oval Office, they too would deploy U.S. special forces to combat the cartels.

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

September marks a year and a half since Russia invaded Ukraine, with millions of people displaced and thousands killed. The United Nations estimates that over 12 million people have fled their homes since the start of the war, including over 5 million who have left Ukraine altogether. Fighting continued in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which has been occupied by Russian-backed breakaway republics since 2014. Ukraine intensified its efforts in southern Ukraine, with little territory gained.

Meanwhile in the US House of Representatives, a bipartisan effort to ban the transfer of cluster bombs to the Ukraine and all other countries stalled. More than 100 countries, including Ukraine, agreed to not use cluster bombs. However, Russia is not a signatory to that agreement, and has used cluster bombs on Ukrainian civilians. Some members of Congress think providing cluster munitions, which was authorized by President Biden, provides an important Ukrainian defense. Others argue that cluster bombs, many of which remain undetonated, kill and maim too many civilians. Still more oppose additional funding of the war in Ukraine lest it involve the US in direct conflict with Russia.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Meets with Vladimir Putin

Kim Jong Un traveled by train to Russia’s newest cosmodrome to meet with Putin for talks about trading North Korean artillery munitions for Russia’s help with its ballistic missile and space program. North Korea has failed four times to launch satellites into orbit, and has thus far only tested short and medium-range ballistic missiles. Russia’s stock of artillery shells has been depleted after 18 months of war in Ukraine. Kim Jong Un toasted the countries’ friendship and Russia’s eventual victory over “the great evil”, referring to the US who is supporting Ukraine and isolating North Korea through sanctions.

US Politics and Culture War

New Texas Laws Target Transgenders, Drag Queens and District Attorneys

On September 1, new Texas laws passed by the state’s Republican majority went into effect, many over objections they restrict Consitutional rights. A new law targets district attorneys who fail to prosecute some crimes, specifically the abortion ban, voting restrictions, and marijuana possession. One new law prohibits transgender athletes from competing on college teams that match their gender identity. The law extends to colleges an existing restriction on K-12 athletes that requires students to play on a team that matches their sex assigned at birth. Another law prohibits transgender youth from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy. A new law prohibiting drag queens from performing in front of minors while wearing fake boobs and dancing suggestively was struck down within the month.

Republicans Launch an Impeachment Inquiry into President Biden

House Republicans are launching an impeachment inquiry into President Biden for two main reasons:

1. Allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption related to his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Republicans have accused President Biden of using his position to benefit his son, such as by pressuring Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating a company on which Hunter Biden sat on the board. Some of the accusations stem from emails recovered from Hunter Biden’s laptop, which was reportedly abandoned and then turned over to the FBI by the computer repairman. However, there is no evidence to support these claims, and investigations by the Justice Department and the Senate have found no wrongdoing on President Biden’s part.
2. Political point-scoring. House Republicans are facing a difficult midterm election in November, and they are hoping that by launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden, they can energize their base and win control of the House. Additionally, some Republicans believe that by impeaching Biden, they can weaken him as a potential opponent in the 2024 presidential election.

There is no evidence of any impeachable offenses committed by President Biden – the impeachment inquiry is being launched solely on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations and political opportunism.

Hunter Biden Faces Felonies

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden is facing three felony charges related to his possession of a firearm in 2018:

• Two counts of making false statements on a federal firearms form.
• One count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

The charges allege that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearms form when he purchased a gun by falsely stating that he was not an unlawful user of drugs. He is also charged with possessing a firearm while being an unlawful drug user. Hunter has admitted he was addicted to crack cocaine during the time he purchased a 38 special revolver.

New Mexico Governor’s Ban on Carrying Guns in Albuquerque Quickly Overruled

Following a rash of gun violence in Albuquerque including a drive-by shooting that killed a 5-year-old girl and a shooting near baseball stadium that left an 11-year-old boy dead, the Democrat Governor banned carrying guns in Bernalillo county for 30 days as a public health measure. However, the county Sheriff, also a Democrat, said he would not enforce the measure because it wouldn’t curb gun violence and only punished law-abiding citizens. Only days later a judged suspended enforcement of the measure, claiming it was unconstitutional.

Connecticut and Other States Pass Gun Restrictions, Expecting Some Will Be Overturned

Connecticut, shocked by the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting that killed more than two dozen kids and teachers, passed strict laws banning the open carrying of firearms and prohibits the sale of more than three handguns within 30 days to any one person, with some exceptions for instructors and others.

Besides Connecticut, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, other politically liberal-leaning states including California, Washington, Colorado and Maryland also have passed gun laws this year that face legal challenges. They come in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court last year expanding gun rights.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed nearly two dozen gun control measures, including laws banning firearms being carried in most public places while doubling taxes on guns and ammunition sold in the state. He acknowledged some might not survive a legal challenge. Last week, a federal judge struck down a California law banning guns with detachable magazines that carry more than 10 rounds.

News from Space

India’s Lunar Rover Put to Sleep

After two weeks traversing the moon’s south pole and conducting experiements, the lunar rover named Pragyan was put into sleep mode with batteries fully charged, receiver on, and solar panels oriented towards the sun. It’s hoped the rover may be awakened for another mission after the weeks-long lunar night.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsules Delivering Astronauts to the ISS

On September 4 the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endevour splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean just off Jacksonville, FL with an interntational crew that spent six months aboard the International Space Station. The capsule will be refurbished to launch another crew into orbit next February. SpaceX was certified by NASA to carry crew into space, ending the reliance on Russia to do so. In total, 35 Americans have ridden Russian rockets into orbit, with the last launch in 2022.

OSIRIS-REx Returns to Earth Carrying Sample from Asteroid with Help from Queen Guitarist

Launched in 2016, OSIRIS-REx traveled 200 million miles from Earth before landing landing on the surface of a tiny asteroid orbiting a larger asteroid in 2020. Three years later, the capsule containing eight ounces of asteroid dirt landed in the Utah desert, possibly holding clues to the origins of the universe. Brian May, the lead guitarist for the band Queen, who is also a PhD in astrophysics, was instrumental in the mission. He created 3D images of the 4.5 billion-year old asteroid that helped NASA choose a safe landing spot. If NASA launches another such mission, they should name the spacecraft Freddie Mercury.

Advancements in AI During September 2023

The landscape of AI is undergoing rapid transformations, touching everything from copyright law to government use.

• The U.S. Copyright Office ruled that AI-generated art can’t be copyrighted, potentially affecting the film industry’s ability to protect its revenues.
• OpenAI continues to innovate with its ChatGPT technology, which now includes DALL-E 3 for image creation, web browsing capabilities, and voice features.
• Meta’s AI offerings like Llama 2 compete directly with ChatGPT and Bard, while Microsoft’s Copilot extends ChatGPT’s capabilities into the Office suite.
• Advancements in autonomous shipping have been demonstrated by the merchant ship Prism Courage, which successfully navigated a transoceanic trip.
• However, concerns about AI misuse are growing, exemplified by ads for NSFW virtual girlfriend apps on social media, AI-powered porn generators, and a data entry error in a facial recognition system that led to the wrongful detainment of an innocent man in Argentina.
• Silicon Valley leaders recently educated U.S. Senators in a closed-door briefing on the urgent need for AI regulation.
• AI systems that learn from the employees using them combined with worker monitoring software can create custom AI bots that replace the employees who unwittingly trained them.
• Tesla is building a supercomputer to further its AI capabilities, and Amazon is investing in generative AI through its partnership with Anthropic, an OpenAI rival.
• Reactions to ChatGPT by U.S. governments are mixed, ranging from outright bans to incorporation into administrative tasks.

Read more about the advancements in AI and LLM in September 2023.

Catastrophes

6.8 magnitude earthquake leaves Morocco in rubble

More than 3,000 people died while aid was slow arriving due to roads blocked with debris, and the lack of gas for relief vehicles in the Atlas mountain towns worst affected. Also, Morocco said it would only accept aid from “friendly“ countries, indirectly referring to its former colonizer France, and it’s eastern neighbor, Algeria. The quake was the strongest to hit the nation’s center in more than a century, with the epicenter near the popular tourist and economic hub Marrakech.

Libya is hit by devastating floods, killing at least 5,000 and leaving 30,000 homeless

The crisis was caused when a Mediterranean hurricane, aka Medicane, dumped three feet of rain on the arid land of eastern Libya, and was exacerbated by the country’s political instability. Rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of resources, the poor state of infrastructure, blocked roads, and separate governments ruling the east and west sides of the country. The coastal city Derna was hardest hit when flood waters demolished two dams and sent a 60-foot wall of mud and water down from the interior mountains, washing people, houses. and entire buildings out to sea. Dead bodies overwhelmed hospitals as one-quarter of the city was left mired in mud. With more than 30,000 people left homeless and the rest without electricity and drinking water, the entire city was evacuated to make way for rescue operations.