Welcome back, Panthers! With all the changes developing on Panther Path, it is good to be back. With all of these developments, KICs is staying consistent, giving you current events each week. This week we have Southport mourning a great loss, summer heat being at an all-time high,an investigation on abuse in a prison, a Peachtree City man committing identity theft, and Vice President Kamala Harris discussing tax cuts for the middle and the lower class.
World – Southport community mourns, protests after great loss
After violence struck this past Sunday, the community of Southport, England, gathered to mourn the death of three young girls. The main suspect, a Muslim immigrant, supposedly stabbed the three girls in their dance class.
The first of three funerals was held this Sunday. Mourners gathered around St. Patrick’s Catholic Church to show respect and condolences. Pink ribbons and balloons lined the street for Alice da Silva Aguia and the things she once loved.
Far-right activists spread rumors that the girls were dancing at a Taylor Swift themed dance class when the incident occured. However, these rumors have since been denied. Social media activists continue to fuel the spread of misinformation.
National – Summer heat at an all-time high
Climate change has caused a high increase in temperature, especially in highly populated cities of 250 million or more. Many cities have experienced the “urban heat island effect” which can make cities feel over 20 degrees hotter. Many cities have experienced common heats over 95 degrees.
In the past 50 years, there have been exponential leaps from 1,067 to 1,857 in the 50 most populated cities. Along with small increases in temperature, there are also increased percentages of humidity, which causes higher chances of heat stroke. Two states that have gotten a major impact of heat rising are Arizona and Texas. Texas especially has had an increase of extreme heat in 2023 of 1,276%. Arizona has averaged 158 days of extreme heat in 2023.
Along with the hotter days, summer has also become longer on average. From the years of 1974 to 1983, summer lasted from June 22 to September 4, but the span of summer has recently been starting a week earlier and ending a week earlier. The problem of heat is becoming a wider issue with the extra heat that requires more fossil fuels and the necessity for air conditioning will become more of a luxury.
State – Investigation uncovers abuse of pregnant women in prison
A lady by the name of Jessica “Drew” Umbreger told Georgia her story about her pregnancy experience at Helms Facility in Atlanta, and the neglect she had to endure. Throughout her pregnancy, Drew was faced with unfair treatment, improper medical advice, as well the humiliation of staff that her and her family are still trying to relieve from.
Numerous attempts were made by the prisoner in efforts for proper nourishment and medical care. When doing so, staff of the facility remained frivolous and oftentimes made immature statements regarding food for their own general amusement. Umberg also mentioned that she was chastened by an officer that did not leave when asked, continuing the mistreatment.
When giving birth was not the issue, the mistreatment lingered and remained steadfast. Her children were thrown into foster homes and were frequently ill-treated not having access to move freely, in addition to not having the availability of fresh food. Umberger mentioned that even though her sentence was long overdue, she and her kids still have to deal with the trauma of what they all went through as a family.
Local – Peachtree City man indicted for identity theft and relief funds
Micheal Brandy, a man from Peachtree City, was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last week. He is also accused of stealing COVID-19 relief funds and submitting fraudulent federal tax refunds using the stolen identities of multiple individuals.
The indictment alleges that Brandy submitted multiple fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Payment Protection Program (PPP) applications to authorized lenders. These reports are believed to have contained false information about gross revenues and fake employees, seeking over $1.9 million in funding. He received over $330,000 from the loans, and has reportedly used individuals’ social security numbers to apply for federal tax refunds.
Brandy was arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Christopher C. Bly following his indictment by a federal grand jury on July 23, 2024. The case is also still being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Politics – Harris suggest new idea to cut taxes for middle-class and lower-class Americans
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her new plan to cut taxes for middle-class and lower-income families in America. The plan is being announced with her new economic policy rollout. This plan would help over 100 million Americans who are struggling with taxes.
Most of the plan is an extension of the temporary measures that President Joe Biden enacted in his first two years of presidency. This proposal would restore the American Rescue Plans and would expand the child tax credit up to $3,600, from $2,000 and would be asked to make permanent. This proposal would also add a child tax credit of up to $6,000 for children within their first year of life. The policy would revive a policy from 2021 where they would expand earned income tax credit. She is also looking into lowering housing costs.
As of right now Harris’s plan does not say how long the acts would be in effect. It also does not state how much these plans will cost but it is expected to be pricey. Harris is expected to officially announce all of the plans in detail at her Friday speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.