So if you're a human living in the present 21st century and own a smartphone or really any other tech device, you probably heard about the huge James Charles-Tati Westbrook YouTuber drama that happened recently. Unfortunately, people still seem to be obsessing over it, and it's become all some people can talk about!
This started to bug me when I realized that I was getting sucked into it all and becoming obsessed with tea that doesn't remotely involve me or anyone I know personally. Now, don't get me wrong, it's really fun to hear about all the drama of celebrities and their complicated lives, but at a certain point, it becomes too much. So I turned off my post notifications, put away my phone, and opened up my laptop to see what had been going on in the world for the past few weeks that I should know about.
I was really upset when I realized how many very important things had been going on globally, and I had been blissfully ignorant as I sat on my living room couch and watched Jeffree and Tati spill tea as I ate my weight in chips and guac. For anyone who's just like me, let's recap, shall we?
Before we do that though, I want to preface it by saying this: because we now consume all of our news and information from our phones and computers, it's so easy to tune out and be selective about what you read, what you don't, and when you want to be online or not. It's all at the touch of a power button. And because we have that, we can choose whether or not we want to participate in politics or in social media and how involved we want to be!
Now, on to the news!
1. Sudan massacre
In April, Sudan's leader, Omar al-Bashir was removed from the government after coming to power from a military coup that took place during a civil war in Sudan. Since his removal, protesters that were against Bashir being in power have continued to work to ensure that a new military-controlled government was not put into place, which would mean a repeat of what happened during Bashir's rule. These activists also say that the military groups that would want to take control of Sudan's government were very close to Omar al-Bashir or share his ideologies. Earlier this month, these protesters were fought by paramilitary groups at a protest camp in the city of Khartoum, where there are reportedly more than 70 cases of rape, 100 deaths, and at least 700 injuries as a result of this.
2. Oil tanker attacked on the gulf of Oman
Last Thursday two oil tankers were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman from attacks by Iran. This caused a lot of security concerns and potential conflict with Iran's military. After some investigation, American intelligence agencies found that Iran was behind the bombing of both ships.
3. Ecuador legalized same-sex marriage
Just last week, Ecuador's high court finally ruled to legalize same-sex marriage! This is a huge milestone for LGBTQ+ community, especially in a Catholic country. The judges in Costa Rica's constitutional court voted five to four to change this law, and they now have 10 days to notify local government offices of this change. When this is done, same-sex couples will be able to get married right away!
4. Possible genocide in Canada
There has been an update in the case, which has been ongoing since 2016, for the thousands of reportedly killed or missing indigenous women and girls, that say their disappearances or deaths may be part of a "Canadian genocide." CNN got a report with over 1,000 testimonies of these women.
5. 3 years since the shooting at Pulse nightclub
June 12 marked 3 years since the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. A security guard opened fire in the club, killing 49 people and injuring 53 others before being taken down by the police in a 3-hour standoff. Especially since June is pride month, people around the world take the day to mourn and remember the lives lost on that tragic evening. They will not be forgotten!
6. Bomb strikes rural town in Sweden
On the 7th of June, there was an explosion in a small town in Sweden, the source of which is suspected to be a bomb. Several buildings were damaged and at least 20 people were injured by the blast. The local police are still investigating to determine the definite cause of the explosion.
So now that you know about what you've been missing, you can make the choice whether or not you want to tune in to YouTube drama and tune out the rest of the world and what is going on, whether or not it affects you.
