Nepal Earthquakes

On April 25, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude killed more than 7,000 people near Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. The government has been criticized, being that it had all but disappeared during the situation and had no coordination for the first two days. However, the United States government unloaded a UH-17 helicopter and four Osprey tiltrotor aircrafts to carry supplies from Kathmandu to rural areas, according to The New York Times. The UK has also been contributing with thei Disasters Emergency Committee raising more than $51.7 million through donations and the UK government committing $27.4 million in humanitarian aid. Two weeks later, another major quake hit the town of Namche Bazaar, sending thousands of residents to take refuge in the capital. The most recent quake was felt not only in Nepal, but also India, Tibet, and Bangladesh, according to BBC News. The May 12 earthquake killed at least 65 people in Nepal, 17 people in India, and one person in Tibet — according to CNN.

Baltimore Violence

Riots erupted in Baltimore following the April death of Freddie Gray due to a spinal injury whle being transported in a police van. However, most of the young African Americans in Baltimore would attribute the violence to longstanding frustrations about the police mistreatment of African Americans — according to NBC News. The Gray incident has been ruled a homicide, and police officers involved will receive criminal charges ranging from second-degree murder to false imprisonment, according to International Business Times. The protesters continue to fight for their cause, rallying for the fact that “Black Lives Matter.” In response to the violence seen, programs were set up in May to account for the children who have to deal with the traumatic events they have witnessed. For example, programs such as Head Start and the Promise Heights Project would improve the social skills and behaviors of the children affected, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Gay Marriage in the Supreme Court

Nine justices heard oral arguments April 28 on whether same-sex marriage should be a constitutional right; Ijpe DeKoe and husband Thom Kostura were plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case. The couple were legally married in New York, however, after moving to Tennessee, their marriage was no longer recognized. In 2013, they joined two other couples in a challenge to the state’s ban and now their arguments to the Supreme Court could result in a nationwide marriage-equality decision, according to Time magazine. However, the decision will not be made as easily as some may think. On the week of May 10, Texas lawmakers announced that they would be trying to defy the Supreme Court by passing the HB 4105 bill, which would prohibit local and state governments from recognizing or enforcing same-sex marriages — according to Talking Points Memo.

The Royal Baby

Everyone remembers how hyped up the Dutch and Dutchess’ first baby was, so it was expected for Charlotte Elizabeth Diana to arrive May 2 with 62 London gun salutes. Charlotte is the crash in 1997. In addition to the salutes, soldiers from the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery rode out in a procession from middle name of the Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, Pippa Middleton; Elizabeth is the name of the Queen and the Queen’s mother; and Diana is an homage to Prince William’s mother, who died in a carellington Barracks, according to Business Insider. Charlotte wil
l be fourth in line for the British throne, behind her grandfather Charles, the Prince of Wales, her father Prince William, and her brother Prince George, according to CNN.

In Other News

With summer not only comes warm weather and activities outside, but also the leisure of being able to sit on the couch and
watch television. Popular TV shows “Pretty Little Lars”, “Teen Wolf”, and “Orange is The New Black” will all begin new seasons in June.

“The Avengers: Age of Ultron” hit the
theaters May 1, featuring
superheroes Iron Man,
Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow, most of whom will return to the screens in the next Marvel project: “Captain America: Civil War”