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  • Writer's pictureBreanna Crossman
    • Jan 29, 2023
    • 2 min read

Weekly News Blast 1/15-1/22

A summary of notable events from this week.



Monterey Park Shooting Leaves 11 dead, more injured


On January 22, 72-year-old Huu Can Tran killed 11 and injured more at a Los Angeles dance hall, inciting new fears about mass shootings and anti-Asian violence. The shooting occurred during Lunar New Year celebrations and was the nation’s fifth mass shooting this month. Tran used a high-capacity magazine pistol according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Following the shooting at the ballroom dance venue, the shooter attempted to carry out another at a separate club. Bystanders were able to wrestle the firearm away from the shooter before the incident, and Tran fled the scene. Tran was later found dead in his van with a self-inflicted gun wound.

In a statement on Sunday, President Biden said, “While there is still much we don’t know about the motive of this senseless attack, we do know that many families are grieving tonight, or praying that their loved one will recover from their wounds”. California Governor Gavin Newsom visited Monterey Park after the shooting, iterating the need for national gun reform and praising the resilience of the Monterey Park community.

Classified Documents Found at President Biden’s Home


The FBI discovered classified documents in President Biden’s Wilmington home this Friday, the fourth occurrence of classified documents being found in Biden’s private home since November. Biden’s personal lawyer Bob Bauer stated that the Department of Justice discovered “six items consisting of documents with classification markings and surrounding material” during the consensual, 13-hour search.


President Biden has stated that he has “no regrets” and does not believe the investigation will lead anywhere. Several critics have drawn a comparison to former President Trump’s current investigation by the Department of Justice following the discovery of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Biden’s White House lawyer said in a statement, ‘Since the beginning, the President has been committed to handling this responsibly because he takes this seriously”. The nature of the documents discovered in Biden’s home remains unknown.


Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Blocks AP African American History course in Florida


This week, Florida banned the instruction of a new AP class, AP African American History, from being taught across high schools. The Florida Department of Education informed the College Board that the class would not be included in the state’s course directory, saying it is not “historically accurate”. The FDOE also listed several proposed readings in the curriculum as inappropriate.

The controversial decision comes months after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation restricting discussion of race and systemic inequalities in schools and the workplace. The bill has been called the STOP Woke Act by its sponsors. Some see the blockage of the AP African American History course as a continuation of DeSantis’s intervention in education and race.

DeSantis said that the AP course is “somebody pushing an agenda on our kids” and stated, “who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? When you try to use black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying



 


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