Happy Friday, Panthers! Congratulations to girls golf, boys and girls track, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, and girls tennis for winning region championships this year. After cheering on your favorite Panther spring sports team still playing in the postseason, make sure to check out this week’s KICs. This week includes USA Today recognizing the top 10 largest cities by area, the United Methodists changing anti-LGBTQIA+ policies, a fatal car crash revealing previous mental health issues, suicide intervention training coming to Peachtree City, and DACA recipients becoming eligible for federal healthcare.
World – USA Today recognizes top 10 largest cities by area
The United Nations estimates that on November 15, 2022, the planet’s population will have reached eight billion. Compared to the 2.5 billion people in 1950, there has been a sharp rise. However, the United Nations estimates the growth rate to be slower.
Since every nation has a different definition of a city, it is challenging to establish a common measurement for the biggest city by area. Cities and regions are combined and measured using urban areas. The top ten largest by area are not individual cities but rather collections of cities within a certain radius.
The top 10 largest cities regarding square miles according to the World Population Review include New York-Newark, Boston-Providence, Tokyo-Yokohama, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Moscow, Washington-Baltimore, Philadelphia and Dallas-Fort Worth.
National – United Methodists begin to change anti-LGBTQIA+ policies
The United Methodist sect of Christianity’s delegates voted without a debate to reverse several of their Anti-LGBTQIA+ policies. Their long-standing bans and policies involving homosexuals in their ministry are now being revoked.
They voted to do away with penalties for conducting same sex marriages as well as their bans on considering LGBTQIA+ candidates for ministry. They have also decided to begin funding LGBTQIA+ friendly ministries. The sect is beginning to accept their gay members, and banned Methodist churches from rejecting any member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Although the church is moving in the more progressive direction, there are still bans on allowing self-avowed practicing homosexuals into the ministry. The delegates are voting again this week to decide if their other policies will continue.
State – Woman defending her mental health after car crash
Michelle Wierson was speeding while driving in Dekalb County, trying to get to her daughter. While Wierson was driving, she collided with a Toyota car that had a five-year-old boy in it.
The boy, Miles Jennes, was riding in the back seat of the car. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and a severed spine. Miles died in the hospital just a few days after being admitted.
Six years later, Wierson is in the courtroom for a trial. She states she was in a bad mental state at the time of the crash back in September of 2018. Judges are deciding whether or not to proceed with the defense trial.
Local – Suicide intervention training coming to Peachtree City
On April 30, a founder of the Armed Force Mission announced that a suicide intervention workshop will be held in Peachtree City. The training will be provided by Lou Koon, an Army Chaplain and the founder of the mission.
Lou has conducted more than 2,000 successful suicide interventions, and armed more than 27,000 individuals with skills that can save lives at training events nationwide. The event will also be hosted by The Women at the WELL.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 15 at Evergreen Church in Peachtree City. Registration is $35, which includes lunch. All are welcome.
Politics – Under Biden’s new rule DACA recipients now eligible for federal healthcare
For the first time since the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, over 100,000 young immigrants are finally being covered by federal healthcare. The Biden administration will soon announce a rule allowing DACA recipients eligible for a qualified health plan.
An estimated number of 580,000 young adults currently working or studying in the U.S. without official immigration documents need not fear being deported thanks to the DACA program. These people have access to better paying jobs and better educational opportunities following implementation of the program in 2012. Despite pumping billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, they have been barred from gaining federal health insurance.
With the implementation of this new rule, the definition of “lawful presence” has been expanded to include DACA recipients. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services have estimated about 100,000 DACA residents who had previously been unable to ascertain health insurance will now be able to gain access to affordable insurance.