5 stories you need to read this week [3/24]
From a mass shooting in Russia rocking the nation, to the U.S. House banning funding for a UN agency that feeds Palestinians, here are five vital stories you need to read this week.
Shooting at Moscow concert venue leaves over 130 dead
More than 130 people are dead in Moscow, Russia after multiple gunmen wearing tactical gear and carrying automatic weapons opened fire inside the Crocus City Hall theater. Gruesome videos circulating on social media show attackers firing on defenseless people crouched on the ground. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, but there is no clear-cut evidence to back their claim. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that 11 people have been arrested and accused the attackers of trying to go into Ukraine in an attempt to flee.
Context: ISIS has committed or tried to commit multiple terrorist attacks in Russia over the past decade and U.S. officials warned Moscow before the attack that ISIS militants were targeting Russia.
Flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard is on the table: Ron DeSantis
Last Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested he could sponsor a new wave of migrant flights to transport Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Florida has one of the largest Haitian populations in the country and is seeing a rise in migrants from Haiti amidst the chaos unfolding on the island nation.
“We do have our transport program also that’s going to be operational,” the Republican governor said on a podcast hosted by conservative radio host Dana Loesch. “Haitians land in the Florida Keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard.”
Congress approves a bill that would ban UNRWA funding
Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the U.S. Congress approved a provision in their 1.2 trillion dollar spending bill that would ban funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) through 2025. U.S. and Israeli officials claim that 12 of the agency’s 13,000 employers participated in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. The UN, which is investigating the matter, said Israel has yet to supply evidence to back up this claim. The bill also contains a provision that would limit aid to the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute (AAI), called the passage of the bill “an incredible moral failure.”
Mississippi ‘Goon Squad’ deputies get yearslong sentences for racist torture of 2 Black men
6 former Mississippi police officers known as the “Goon Squad” have been sentenced to life in prison for torturing two Black men. The incident happened on Jan. 24, 2023, when someone made a racist call complaining about two Black men staying at home with a white woman in Braxton, Mississippi.
“Once inside, the officers mocked the victims with racial slurs and shocked them with stun guns,” explains CBS News in a video. “They handcuffed them and poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup over their faces. Dedmon and Opdyke [Two of the officers] assaulted them with a sex toy. They forced them to strip naked and shower together to conceal the mess, and Hartfield guarded the bathroom door to make sure the men didn't escape.”
Meta limits political content
Instagram has proactively stopped recommending political content posted on accounts that users don’t choose to follow. Although users can manually turn off this mode critics say it dwindles the use of social media as a means of education and promotion of social causes—especially during an election year.
Learn how to keep political content on your feed.
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