Five years after the devastating fire that destroyed most of the cathedral, Notre Dame reopened. On the evening of April 15th, 2019, the beloved 12th-century Gothic cathedral was set on fire, burning for multiple hours into the next day. The fire destroyed cherished architecture and art inside and out, including the beautiful gargoyles. Luckily no one was injured and all Catholic art was rescued. Friends of Notre Dame de Paris raised $10.6 million in 2019 from more than 10,500 donors in the US and in more than 50 countries outside France. The grand opening happened on December 9th and world leaders worldwide showed up to support Paris.
Wildfires continue to devastate California. What do you need to know?
- The fires have displaced millions of people and have killed 16 people but the number continues to rise.
- In total, nearly 40,000 acres have been decimated, with the Palisades and Eaton fires driving the destruction (NPR).
- At least 153,000 people have had to evacuate and about 166,000 people are under evacuation warnings as of Friday 1/10.
- Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said detectives are continuing to investigate the possible causes (NPR).
- The largest fire, in the Palisades, has now burnt through more than 23,000 acres although thousands of firefighters have made some progress in containing about 11% of it.
- Santa Ana winds have played a big role in spreading the fires.
The cost of reconstruction could be anywhere up to $50 billion. If you are looking to help here are links: Wildfire Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen (helping provide meals for those who have been displaced), LA Food Bank, Save the Children (providing critical supplies), Mutual Aid LA Network, and so many more.
At 10:57 on December 16th a 2nd grader from Abundant Life Crisitian School in Madison, WI called 911 alerting them to a shooter inside the building. A teenager and a teacher from the school were killed on sighte while 6 others were injured, one of which are in critial condition and the other passed away due to injuries. The shooter is a 16-year-old girl who attended the school.
As the 91st Legislative Assembly, Governor Kim Reynolds, laid out her plan for this year. She highlighted tax cuts, raising the minimum wage, healthcare for college kids, and the dreaded idea of banning phones in the classroom. Several school districts have banned phones. Reynolds stated, “That’s why I’m proposing legislation that requires schools to keep instructional time free from digital distractions, at a minimum.” This will most like receive bipartisan support and pass.
Legislature also talked about expanding childcare, lowering property tax, reducing unemployment insurance payments, loan repayment, and much more.
On Sunday December 29th, a plane in Bangkok, South Korea crashed on the run way, killing 179 people and leaving the other 2 injured. So far 174 have been identified but five still have not due to “DNA inconsistencies”. Five of the people who died were children under the age of 10. The youngest passenger was a three-year-old boy and the oldest was 78. The plane crashed after it sped down the runway, with smoke coming from its belly, before it crashed into what appeared to be a barrier and burst into flames. South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operations that was done on January 3rd.
