Hope Hicks is leaving the White House
Are they going to keep on replacing whoever’s in charge? If so, who’s next? President Trump’s trusted confidante and White House communications director Hope Hicks has resigned.
Hicks, 29, was one of the few Trump longtime aides to make it to the president’s second year. She played a key role in Trump's 2016 presidential campaign as a close adviser and media liaison, despite having no prior political experience.
The president was reportedly frustrated by her part in the White House's response to the allegations that top aide Rob Porter physically and emotionally abused his ex-wives. Hicks was dating Porter when the allegations became public.
Sources inside and outside the White House say they were shocked by Hicks's departure, and they’re still trying to determine what it will mean for the administration. She was the fourth White House communications director since Trump took office 14 months ago.
Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods raise the age to buy a gun to 21
Two of the largest gun retailers in the US emphasized that they’re taking this step in response to the Florida high school shooting that left 17 people dead.
Dick’s also announced it would stop carrying assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines. Walmart, which stopped selling AR-15–style rifles 15 years ago, announced it would not sell ammunition to anyone under 21.
In a statement, Dick’s gave a nod to the student-led movement for more gun control, saying, “We have heard you. The nation has heard you.”
Trump: “Take the guns first. Go through due process second.”
During a televised White House meeting that left many stunned, President Trump said conservatives are afraid of the National Rifle Association and suggested confiscating guns from people suspected of being dangerous before legal proceedings can take place.
Some of his other ideas: “Gun-free zones” should be abolished, and there should be more guns in the hands of trained people.
On the Florida shooter, Trump said, “I think they should have taken [the guns] away immediately, whether they had the right or not.” The president at times also suggested avoiding or ignoring the constitutional right to due process.
Stoneman Douglas students returned to class for the first time since the shooting
They were greeted by a large number of police officers and well-wishers as they resumed classes. Students wore T-shirts printed with the words "Douglas Strong" and carried flowers as they made their way to school for the first time in two weeks.
Around 150 counselors and more than 40 therapy dogs were there to provide comfort and support to the grieving teens.
The school will hold classes for four hours a day this week — from 7:40 a.m. to 11:40 am. A total of 3,123 students returned to class on Wednesday, which makes it a 95% attendance rate.
The school superintendent said, “It was like a family reunion.”
Teens should be screened for depression every year, experts say
According to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, all adolescents age 12 years and older should be screened annually for depression. “You can’t just look at a child and tell that they’re depressed; that's why we need screenings,” one doctor said.
As many as 2 in 3 teens with depression are not identified by primary care providers, and only 50% of adolescents with depression are diagnosed before they reach adulthood.
Quick catch-up
US Olympics: Scott Blackmun, the leader of the embattled US Olympic Committee, is resigning just days after the 2018 Winter Games over the organization’s handling of abuse allegations against Larry Nassar, the former US gymnastics team doctor.
Premiere delayed: Paramount Network is delaying its premiere of the upcoming show Heathers in light of the Florida school shooting. The show is a new take on the controversial 1988 cult classic — a film that follows two students as they kill all the popular kids in school. Paramount said it stood firmly behind the show, but “we feel the right thing to do is delay the premiere until later this year.”
Abuse in sports: Rick Butler, a well-known youth volleyball coach accused of sexually abusing underage girls in the 1980s, has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging he raped teenagers under his supervision hundreds of times.
Bookmark this: You can now bookmark tweets to read later, and people are really excited. Twitter’s new feature also lets you DM tweets to people, and send a tweet via text message or email. Now you won't be faving things that you don't actually like or DM'ing them to yourself like a weirdo.
What happened after Standing Rock?
Over the course of nine months, thousands gathered near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The images of local government forces — protected by dogs, tanks, and shields while beating Native Americans — quickly became iconic as an intense debate over environmental water rights raged.
Then, last February, the #NoDAPL movement at Standing Rock was forced to disband. Its supporters had failed to stop construction of a controversial oil pipeline that threatened the waters of the Missouri, Mississippi, and Big Sioux rivers. The pipeline also crossed through land sacred to the Lakota people.
Despite this failure, the movement ignited changes that are still in effect and awareness that is creating conversations throughout the country. Read Kate Bubacz’s essay on what follows Standing Rock.
These college girls exchanged nude pics for a puppy, and the internet melted down
A group of college roommates basically caused a meltdown on the internet after they traded a friend’s nude photos for a husky puppy.
Basically, they had wanted a dog for a while. One of the girls saw that a friend was selling nine husky puppies. She asked for the price. Predictably, he shot back, “Send nudes.” Less predictably, a friend of the girls gave her blessing to send her pictures.
The whole story is quite something. The puppy’s cute though.