News Wrap Up

A lot is happening in our world right now! Make sure you stay informed by reading about four of the top news stories from the past week.

Pressure mounts on New York governor Andrew Cuomo after sexual harassment allegations. Ever since the beginning of March, sexual harassment allegations have begun to pour in against Gov. Cuomo. According to the Associated Press, five women have come out against the Governor, and they each have accused him of touching them inappropriately. The allegations appeared on the heels of the FBI announcing that they would be investigating nursing home deaths in the state of New York after evidence emerged that the Cuomo administration attempted to hide the numbers. As a result of the situation, fellow Democrats in the House and his state have been calling for the Governor to resign. As of yet, he has refused.  

The city of Austin, Texas, issued a murder warrant for police officer Christopher Taylor. On Wednesday, the city issued a warrant for the arrest of Officer Christopher Taylor for the murder of Michael Ramos. Footage released by the Austin PD, Officer Taylor is seen firing three shots that fatally struck Ramos in the back as he attempted to flee the scene in his vehicle. On Thursday, Taylor turned himself in to the Travis County Jail and is currently awaiting trial.

Death toll mounts as Myanmar protests rage across the wayward nation. As we approach the third month following the overthrow of the democratically-elected government of Myanmar, protests continue to rock the country. In an effort to suppress public unrest, the police have resulted in brutal crackdown measures up to and including torture and lethal force. Video shows police brutally beating, arresting, and even executing defenseless citizens. Authorities worldwide have condemned the violence, along with a human rights investigation launched by the U.N. into police activity. An exiled civilian government leader, Mahn Win Khaing Than, as reported by Reuters, said, 

“[the coup] is the darkest moment of the nation and the moment that the dawn is close … [the civilian government will] attempt to legislate the required laws so that the people have the right to defend themselves.” 

For further information on Myanmar, click here.

Migrants continue to flood the southern border. As time has progressed, more and more people continue to arrive at the southern border. According to the Hill, of the 100,000 migrants that CBP has encountered attempting to cross the border, almost 10,000 are unaccompanied minors, a massive increase from the previous year. The GOP has widely panned Biden’s border policy, and as a result, has called for immediate House oversight hearings. Meanwhile, Democrats support Biden’s handling of the border and immigration policy and dismissing GOP concerns. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) has said regarding the border crisis,

 “Republican politicians are fear-mongering and scapegoating children and families seeking asylum to distract from their lack of any governing agenda to help the American people … This is a deep humanitarian situation that demands a dignified response, not dangerous rhetoric.” 

As migrants continue to stream across the border, time will tell how the Biden administration reacts to the mounting pressure.