America has been through a week of violence, heartache, confusion and sorrow after a devastating attack at Pulse night club in Orlando, Florida that targeted members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Anyone who has been on social media in the past week has seen hundreds of articles, new developments, released interviews, a lot of dialogue and more on their news feeds. It has been devastating on America and the city of Orlando and puts us at a loss for words. Across the rest of America and the world, there have been some good, and some equally terrifying, acts of violence. Here is what you missed.
1. Large scale floods in Ghana
As of June 13th, the death toll has risen to eight. It is feared that a toddler may have been killed in the disaster. According to "Ghana Web," “While some of the victims died after a building caved in on them, as a result of the torrential rains…others were electrocuted or simply battered to death by the flood waters.”
2. ISIS-inspired killer streams murder of French Police Officer live on Facebook
Larossi Abballa, 25, brutally stabbed a police officer and his partner over and over again. The incident was streamed on social media as he continued to kill the officers until he was killed by police. Abballa had a list of names for future attacks that has not yet been released. French president stated that “France is confronted by an extremely high terrorist threat”. Sources say that Abballa said in the video “the European Championship soccer tournament currently hosted by France will be a graveyard”. The video has since been taken down, but an edited version has been released by the Amaq news agency.
3. As of June 14th, three Venezuela citizens have been killed during protests in opposition to the position of President Nicolas Madura and whether he should remain in power or not.
4. NASA scientists discovered rare double-star planet 3,700 light years from Earth.
5. Lowe’s hired a man with a support dog.
After a brain injury, Owen Lima found, left, a need for a support dog. Due to his furry friend that he takes everywhere, he was having difficulty finding a job. A Lowes store in Canada gave them both a position at the store and even fitted the dog with his own vest as well. Read more here.
6. Microsoft bought LinkedIn and Apple is bringing ApplePay to the computer.
7. A 9-year-old girl in New Mexico raised over $500 for her little brother’s heart surgery in July.
Addison Witulski held a Lemonade stand to help her little brother. Hundreds stopped by to buy cups of lemonade for $0.25 each and raised $568.10!
8. Adam Levine will pay for Christina Grimmie’s funeral.
Orlando had a hard week including the shooting of Christina Grimmie who found fame on The Voice after a successful youtube channel. At a concert while meeting fans, a man shot her and was taken down by Christina’s brother who is now called a hero. Levine has offered to pay for her funeral expenses. Additionally, her manager Brian Teefey raised nearly $187,000 on a GoFundMe page to also help with expenses.
9. The United States Senate voted to include women in the draft.
In a historic bill passed through Senate this week, women will be required to register for the draft. It is currently restricted to women and is a requirement for men once they turn the age of 18. The House of Representatives have passed a similar bill but without a female draft registration clause. This is a developing story.
There is a lot that goes under the radar of many news companies, but that doesn't mean that there is nothing going on. The world is hurting. Lives are being changed everyday. Join me in praying for all people and let's do our part to bring a little bit more sunshine in the world. This week, I challenge us all to volunteer at a local non-profit, donate to a GoFundMe campaign that you relate to, smile at a stranger, hold the door open for someone, let the other car go before you and leave a generous tip before leaving your favorite restaurant What do you do to make the world a better place? Share your ideas in the comments below!
