Engulfed

Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was in serious condition after police officers responding to a “domestic incident” on Aug. 23 in Kenosha, Wis., appeared to shoot him in the back seven times, according to a video posted on social media. The video shows Blake going around the car as three officers shout and point weapons at him and then opening the driver’s side door of an SUV. As Blake leans inside the SUV, one officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire.

The incident prompted multiple nights of violent protests in Kenosha, as rioters threw bottles at police, ignited fireworks, and set buildings and businesses on fire. Gov. Tony Evers deployed 125 members of the Wisconsin National Guard to the city in an attempt to quell the violence.

Released

Florida officials have approved the release of 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys. The mosquitoes are part of a yearslong project, run by the company Oxitec, that aims to reduce the mosquito population. The insects, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, are invasive in southern Florida. The females are known to spread deadly diseases, such as Zika and dengue, to humans. The genetically modified insects are all male. They carry a gene that, if passed on to wild female insects, will kill off any female offspring before they mature to biting age. Environmentalist groups have denounced the plan as risky, but Oxitec insists there will be no negative effects. According to the group’s website, researchers have carried out successful trials in Brazil.

Died

Marvin Creamer, the first recorded person to circumnavigate the globe without navigational instruments, died on Aug. 12 at age 104. Creamer, born in New Jersey, set sail on Dec. 21, 1982, in a cutter with a small crew. They would spend a year at sea, braving storms, fog, and whales, rounding the terrifying Cape Horn blind. Creamer navigated by observation, watching the direction of the wind, the colors of the waves, and the moisture in the air. The crew was in the Atlantic when they found a housefly on board and realized they were near land. Four days later, they landed in New Jersey, ending their historic voyage. Creamer continued to sail into his 90s.

Died

Ben Cross, star of film Chariots of Fire, died on Aug. 18 at age 72. The actor, born in London, England, was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He began his career on the stage before landing his first movie role in A Bridge Too Far. However, it was his role as Harold Abrahams in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire that would launch his career. Cross, playing a Jewish athlete fighting to overcome prejudice, co-starred with Ian Charleson, as Eric Liddell, in this retelling of the 1924 Olympic Games. He played Spock’s father in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek.