News Summary for Aug. 15, 2017 - a podcast by BNO News

Two days after violent protests rocked Charlottesville, Virginia, President Donald Trump was embroiled in renewed controversy on Tuesday as he tried to explain why it took him so long to condemn the white nationalist group behind a rally that left 1 dead and dozens injured. Speaking at a news conference at Trump Tower in New York, the president said he was waiting on all the facts but emphasized that both white supremacists and counter-protesters were to blame for violence.
A 22-year-old student in North Carolina has been arrested for her role in Monday’s toppling of a nearly century-old statue of a Confederate soldier. The woman, Takiya Thompson, believes she did the right thing and said she was tired of white supremacy “keeping its foot on [her] neck and the necks of people who look like [her].” Durham county authorities said they were still working to identify others who were involved.
People who were up late at night in the U.S. territory of Guam were startled early Tuesday when a Civil Danger Warning appeared on their TV screens. It’s the type of alert which would be issued in the event of a North Korean missile attack, but no missiles had been launched. Local officials said an unauthorized employee at a radio station caused the activation, but it’s not believed to have been intentional. Local police were flooded with calls from concerned residents who were looking for more information.
A 200-year-old tree fell onto a crowd at a religious festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira, killing at least 13 people and injuring nearly 50 others. Several foreigners were reported to be among those injured. The island has declared 3 days of mourning.
Up to 3 suicide bombers have attacked a market outside a refugee camp in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 27 people and injuring more than 80 others. Observers said the attack was likely carried out by Boko Haram, which joined ISIS in 2015.
Sierra Leone’s president has appealed for urgent help as rescue operations are continuing to find hundreds of people who are missing after Monday’s mudslides and floods in the capital of Freetown. More than 400 bodies have been recovered so far, including 109 children, but the death toll is certain to rise. It’s unclear how many people remain missing but more than 3,000 people have lost their homes.

James Valles reporting (BNO News)

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