First Black Lesbian in the Senate

On October 3rd, the world of politics was taking a step in a different direction. As Laphonza Butler was sworn in by vice president, Kamala Harris, history was being made as she is now the first black lesbian to fill in a seat. Looking at Butler’s past, she was already quite influential as president of abortion rights organization, EMILY’S list. As she takes her seat in the Senate, she will be the first to openly represent the LGBTQ+ community in the California Senate (HRC). Being only the third Black and LGBTQ+ woman to ever serve in the Senate, the implications of her appointment are undeniable. Promising to use her voice and uplift the others around her, Butler plans to support the current progressive majority in maintaining its advantage in the Senate. 

Bed Bugs Take Over Paris

Paris Fashion Week, summer tourism, and the universally recognized allure of traveling to Paris has always brought many different types of crowds to the city of love. Unbeknownst to them, bed bugs were attaching themselves to these very travelers. Bed bugs are known to go where humans go. Whether that be home or any other place in the world, they stray not far behind travelers. This current infestation came into season with the annual boom of visitors in Paris. These creatures are reportedly starting to take over cinemas, metros, and have been caught traveling back home with tourists in their suitcases. With this extreme take over of pests, there is speculation whether Parisian government officials will step in or not (CN TRAVELLER). Concerns for the situation increase as many wonder whether the city will be in proper condition before the Paris Olympics and Paralympics less than a year away.

The Story Continues for Trump’s Civil Trial

Charges for conspiracy, insurance fraud, and falsifying business records finally forced former President Donald Trump to appear before a judge. October 2nd commenced the civil trial to determine the extent of any criminal activity in the White House and his estate in Mar-a-lago. Going into the trial, the overall atmosphere was fairly incompliant on the President’s part. Trump called the trial a ‘witch hunt’ and posted social media attacks of the court staff, sabotaging the integrity of the courtroom (ABC NEWS). Top headlines from the trial reveal that Trump did have a final say in the destruction of financial documents and finance of malicious activities. As more of his former associates come forward, it has become apparent that Trump had full control over, not only his own, but the Trump Organization’s financial statements as well. Such associates include his accountants, in which Harris, one of the many who was called to the stand, testified that the former president’s sons were heavily involved as well. In response, Trump and his co-defendants have appealed the pre-trial ruling that Trump and his sons committed fraud in business dealings. With more evidence rolling in, the case is beginning to appear more and more difficult for Trump’s legal team.

Nobel Prize Winners

The world changes and evolves every day with more innovations, words, and stories being shared. A large portion of this can be credited to the contributions from 2023’s nobel prize winners. When COVID-19 made the world a dark place, two individuals stepped in to let the light back in with their work. The award for medicine was awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for the development of effective COVID-19 vaccines (New York Times). In the same relative category, the awards for chemistry and physics were awarded to those who modernized the science world with their minds. For chemistry, Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov were given the honor of the award for their work in the discovery of quantum dots. Same for physics, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier are 3 scientists acknowledged for their inspiring work on electrons. Literature is a form of art that allows any person to empower through stories. The award given for literature acknowledges Norwegian author Jon Fosse which just that. With his innovative plays and prose, he was said to ‘give voice to the unsayable’ (New York Times). For peace work and economic science, two revolutionary women were seen for their brave work and breaking down of barriers. Jailed Iranian activist, Narges Mohammadi, was acknowledged for the peace work award for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Following not too far behind, Claudia Goldin, was graced with the economic science award for her research that revealed reasons for differences in labor participation and earnings for women.