Aug. 14 (ZFJ) — July 2023 was the hottest month on record globally, confirmed the Copernicus Climate Change Service on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The monthly average temperature worldwide was 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit), exceeding July 2019’s previous record of 16.63 C (61.93 F) and meeting the Paris Agreement threshold of 1.5 C (2.7 F) warming above preindustrial levels. The 29 days from July 3-31 were the hottest days on record, exceeding the previous daily global mean surface air temperature record of 16.

EDISON, N.J., Aug. 12 (ZFJ) — To celebrate its trademark battle win, Taco Bell will fund Taco Tuesday celebrations in all U.S. states except New Jersey, the company announced on Tuesday, Aug. 8. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Taco Bell, partnering with DoorDash, will spend $5 million to cover orders from participating Mexican food vendors. “Taco Tuesday belongs to all who make, sell, eat, and celebrate tacos, and this Free-For-All will not only thank taco fans who supported the cause, but also spotlight local restaurants and vendors who can now embrace Taco Tuesdays without fear of legal action,” said Taco Bell U.

Aug. 7 (ZFJ) — Robert Bowers, 50, was sentenced to death by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville on Thursday, Aug. 3, for killing 11 congregants, wounding two others, and injuring five police officers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. “I have nothing specific that I care to say to Mr. Bowers,” Colville said, according to The Associated Press. “I am however convinced there is nothing I could say to him that might be meaningful.

Aug. 3 (ZFJ) — Rafaela Vasquez, 49, pled guilty to endangerment on Friday, July 28, for failing to stop a fully self-driving car from hitting and killing a 49-year-old woman. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge David W. Garbarino sentenced her to three years of supervised probation. Her charge will be designated a misdemeanor once she completes her sentence. On March 18, 2018, Vasquez was the backup driver for a test vehicle belonging to Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group (ATG).

EDISON, N.J., July 29 (ZFJ) — Dr. Edward Aldarelli was appointed superintendent of Edison Township Public Schools on Thursday, July 27. The Edison Board of Education voted unanimously for him after four hours of candidate interviewing at a special meeting. “Definitely, no doubt, absolutely yes,” said Board President Shannon Peng, topping off board member Mohin Patel’s “absolutely yes” and Jerry Shi’s “absolutely, absolutely yes.” Aldarelli was “overwhelmed” that the board chose him to lead the district, which has over 16,000 students.

July 25 (ZFJ) — The rapid increase in malicious uses of artificial intelligence has sparked international concern. On July 18, the United Nations Security Council gathered to recognize what AI could bring to the table and what it has already taken away. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres opened the meeting by observing the influence ChatGPT has garnered. ChatGPT, an AI that emulates human interaction, has taken over the internet by storm, infiltrating college applications, political propaganda, jobs, and other areas of daily life.

July 24 (ZFJ) — The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) at the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Base East in Sydney on Saturday, July 22, marking the first time a U.S. ship entered service at a foreign port. It is the second American ship named for Australia’s capital. The first was a Baltimore-heavy class cruiser, renamed in honor of the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, which was lost at the Battle of Savo Island in WWII when defending U.

July 16 (ZFJ) – A Middlesex County man admitted to threatening to attack a synagogue and Jewish people via the internet. 19-year-old Omar Alkattoul pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce on Wednesday, July 12, regarding a crime committed around November 1, 2021. Alkattoul used social media to share a link of his manifesto titled “When Swords Collide.” The document detailed his plans to attack a synagogue.

July 16 (ZFJ) — The World Health Organization’s cancer research agency categorized non-sugar sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (group 2B) based on “limited evidence” for causing cancer in humans on Friday, July 14. A WHO joint panel did not change its acceptable daily limit of 40 mg/kg body weight. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that has been widely used in foods and beverages since the 1980s as an alternative to sugar.

July 12 (ZFJ) — The Food and Drug Administration granted traditional approval to Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) 100 mg/mL intravenous injection on July 6. It is the first Alzheimer’s drug to clear this regulatory hurdle and aims to slow the disease’s progression. “Today’s action is the first verification that a drug targeting the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s disease has shown clinical benefit in this devastating disease,” said Teresa Buracchio, acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.