The Colorado STEM shooting is way more complicated than people know, but also exactly what you think
The first pair of school shooters since Columbine. The first known trans suspect. The exceptionally rare use of drugs before the rampage. The STEM shooting — in which one person, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, was killed — was different from all the others.
There’s been a national movement in the media, especially after Parkland, to responsibly limit school shooters’ names and images out of concern for glorifying their acts or inspiring copycats. Outlets, including BuzzFeed News, have adopted this approach. But in this case, the suspects’ backstories illustrate the root factors of the violence — and paint a deeper portrait of the country at large.
Trump became the first president to enter North Korea while meeting with Kim Jong Un
The two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the heavily fortified dividing line between North and South Korea established as part of the armistice that halted the Korean War in 1953.
Trump was joined on his trip to the DMZ — which took place after a visit from the commander-in-chief to the US troops stationed in South Korea — by South Korean president Moon Jae-In.
The meeting — the third in-person encounter between Trump and Kim following two summits — had not been part of the president’s original itinerary when he left for Asia earlier in the week, but was hurriedly organized in just over a day following a surprise Trump tweet on Saturday as he was wrapping up his time at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.
Snapshots
The Dalai Lama wants a woman to succeed him, but only if she's hot. The Tibetan religious leader told the BBC that “if female Dalai Lama comes, then she should be more attractive,” otherwise, “people, I think prefer, not see her, that face.” OK.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law making it harder for felons to vote, and immediately got sued. The law kneecapped a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to felons that was overwhelmingly passed by Florida voters. It requires felons to pay all restitution, fines, fees, or outstanding costs associated with their convictions. The suit says this amounts to an unconstitutional poll tax.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Stephanie Beatriz wants to see more bisexual representation on TV. “Being bi, especially, is many little coming-out moments over and over and over again and over again,” she told BuzzFeed News' AM to DM. “And I think those of us who identify as bi would have to do that less if there were more of us represented in the media.”
A new racist campaign against Kamala Harris is taking shape. Not long after Sen. Kamala Harris challenged Joe Biden’s record on race during part two of the first Democratic debate, a barrage of tweets questioned her race and US citizenship. We traced them to Obama birthers and neo-Nazis.
Brooklyn Lindsey is the 11th black transgender woman killed in the US this year
Brooklyn was a girly girl. She loved doing her hair and makeup, and dancing and rapping in front of the mirror. One day, she wanted to be a life coach. She talked about adopting a child once she had her own apartment. She was beloved.
On Tuesday, Lindsey became the 11th known black trans woman to be killed by violence in the US in 2019. There is no suspect information and no arrests have been made in the case.
The Human Rights Campaign has identified 10 other black trans women who have been killed so far this year. They are:
- Dana Martin, 31, Montgomery, Alabama
- Jazzaline Ware, Memphis
- Ashanti Carmon, 27, Prince George’s County, Maryland
- Claire Legato, 21, Cleveland
- Muhlaysia Booker, 23, Dallas
- Michelle “Tamika” Washington, 40, Philadephia
- Paris Cameron, 20, Detroit
- Chynal Lindsey, 26, Dallas
- Chanel Scurlock, 23, Lumberton, North Carolina
- Zoe Spears, 23, Fairmount Heights, Maryland
A vigil and candlelight ceremony was held for Lindsey on Saturday where her body was found. “Not just because she passed away, but because of all the other women who are trans have passed away," Her friend Raven Johnson said. "It’s got to stop.”
This is what pride looks like around the world in 2019
Celebrations of love, resistance and Pride took place around the world in June. Photo essay editor Gabriel Sanchez compiled some of the best photos from around the world. Below are a few of my favorites, and hit up this link to see the rest.
