Thumbs Up To… The state of New York for indicting Donald Trump on Mar. 30. The charges for his indictment are falsification of business records, with some speculation that more involved the Jan. 6 siege of the capitol in 2021. https://theweek.com/todays-big-question/1022418/how-strong-is-alvin-braggs-case-against-trump
Thumbs Up To… Scientists discovering a coral reef thousands of years old off the coast of the Galapagos Islands. This discovery has allowed scientists to catalog and research new species previously undiscovered. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/coral-reef-ecuador-galapagos-scli-intl/index.html
Thumbs Up To… People turn to human composting, a process that converts corpses into rich soil for planting trees, flowers, and vegetables - as a more environmentally-friendly option. This process was created as an alternative to burying someone, as graveyards slowly run out of space. https://theweek.com/climate-change/1022670/turning-bodies-into-soil
Thumbs Up To… Lady GaGa for serving as co-chair of the arts and humanities committee. With this, she and her group will be able to advise the president and others on policies both philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services. https://theweek.com/culture/1022702/lady-gaga-to-serve-as-co-chair-of-bidens-arts-and-humanities-committee
Thumbs Down To… The U.S. has a high maternal mortality rate. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, this mortality rate increased by 40% in 2021 - recording the U.S. as the country with the highest maternal mortality rate amongst the other developed nations. https://theweek.com/health-and-science/1021976/the-worsening-state-of-the-united-states-maternal-healthcare
Thumbs Down To… Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador blaming the U.S. for “spying” and “interference” after American prosecutors pressed charges against 28 members of the Sinaloa Cartel - including the three sons of former drug lord “El Chapo.” The president stated on Monday that the case was built on information retrieved from U.S. agents - saying that “foreign agents are not allowed in Mexico,” and has called the investigation against the cartel as “abusive, arrogant interference that should not be accepted under any circumstances." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mexico-president-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-us-spying-sinaloa-cartel-members-charged/
Thumbs Down To… Florida Governor Ron DeSantis going into a legislative war with Disney Parks. This debate began when the Mouse House spoke out against the governor’s quote-unquote “Don’t Say Gay” law - prompting him to create a new law that allows the state power over Disney’s districts. https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/08/politics/ron-desantis-disney-florida-district-retaliation/index.html
Thumbs Down To… Human life expectancy is declining significantly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dec. 22 announced that life expectancy at birth for the U.S. population decreased from 77 years in 2020 to 76.4 years in 2021 - meaning that death rates will increase substantially.
https://theweek.com/public-health/1016363/americas-declining-life-expectancy-explained