April was the month the world realized the Russo-Ukrainian War would not be short-lived. Following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kyiv region, the discovery of the Bucha massacre led to a massive wave of international sanctions and the suspension of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council .
: On April 7, Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first Black woman confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones admitted on the witness stand that the Sandy Hook massacre was "100% real".
The Biden administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. Focus Area April 2022 Status August 4, 2022 Status Ukraine Conflict Focus on Kyiv withdrawal & Bucha Focus on the Battle of Donbas & grain exports U.S. Politics SCOTUS confirmation of KBJ Debate over the Inflation Reduction Act & Abortion Travel Asia Relations Cyberattacks & soft diplomacy Largest-ever Chinese military drills around Taiwan Public Health China Zero-COVID lockdowns Monkeypox declared a U.S. Public Health Emergency
: Global inflation reached 8.5% , the highest since 1981, signaling the "commodity shock" that would dominate the summer. The Bridge to August 4, 2022
: On August 4, 2022, China launched unprecedented live-fire military drills encircling Taiwan in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.