Dole’s service remembered

Died

Bob Dole, who died Dec. 5 at 98, earned respect as both a tough fighter on the battlefield and a shrewd negotiator in the U.S. Senate. Second Lt. Dole was wounded in battle in the waning days of World War II, losing the use of his right arm and earning two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. After winning a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives in 1950, Dole spent the next 46 years in public service. A pragmatic negotiator well known for his sharp-edged humor, the Republican senator worked with Republicans and Democrats alike in developing tax policy, farm and nutrition programs, and protections for the disabled. He made three unsuccessful attempts at the presidency, losing the last time to Bill Clinton in 1996. Once out of office, Dole pushed for the construction of the World War II Memorial and regularly met with veterans there well into his 90s. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter Robin.

Fired

The meteoric rise of the Cuomo star in 2020 crashed just as quickly in 2021, as brothers Andrew and Chris both flamed out. CNN fired co-anchor Chris Cuomo in early December after reports that he assisted in the defense against the sexual harassment allegations that led his brother Andrew to resign as governor of New York in August. Like his older brother, Chris Cuomo also reportedly had problems with sexual harassment. At least two women accused him of sexual harassment prior to his firing, including his former boss at CNN. Gov. Cuomo faced accusations of sexual harassment by 11 women prior to his resignation.

Charged

Fifteen-year-old Ethan Crumbley, the Oxford, Mich., school shooter, and his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are all incarcerated in the Oakland County Jail but in separate isolation cells. While the parents were quick to secure nationally known defense attorneys for themselves, they left the court to appoint a little-known, local attorney to defend their son. Four students died and seven others were injured when Ethan opened fire on Nov. 30 at Oxford High School, 40 miles north of Detroit, using a pistol his parents bought him as a Christmas present. He has been charged as an adult with two dozen crimes including murder, attempted murder, and terrorism, while his parents are each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors say they didn’t take seriously warnings about their son’s intentions.

Sentenced

A court in Myanmar’s capital city of Naypyitaw found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of inciting dissent and violating coronavirus restrictions in early December and sentenced her to two years in prison. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate was ousted as the civilian leader of Myanmar in a coup by the military in February. She has remained under house arrest since then, but her supporters have discredited the allegations as the military’s effort to keep her out of office. Authorities have detained nearly 10,800 people and killed at least 1,318 others since February.