This has been a very stressful week for many. Last Saturday, some Panthers took the SAT, and this Tuesday, others took the PSAT. Busy, busy week for all the standardized testing fans out there. While you are wondering about your scores, check out this week’s KICs. This week we have a bombing in a Pakistan airport, an NAACP forum, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ criticism of Donald Trump’s storm response.
World – Two Chinese nationals killed in bombing of Pakistan airport
On Sunday, in a suspected suicide bombing, two Chinese nationalists died. The Chinese embassy believes the bombing was a terrorist attack targeting engineers working in the Sindh province.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has taken credit for the bombing claiming they had purposefully targeted high level Chinese engineers and investors. The BLA in the past has been focused on Chinese workers claiming they have not been receiving the fair wealth of the trades. The Pakistani government has expressed sympathy for China and its people and declared it is working closely with the Chinese government to find the perpetrators.
A statement from the Sindh’s Minister Office says the bombing came from a tanker truck which exploded on the airport road. The airport is operational, but with heightened security, especially as Pakistan prepares to host the leaders’ summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Local – Forum addresses gun safety, diversity, and newcomers
The Fayette County chapter of NAACP invited challengers Dr. Lydia Powell and Kim Cox-Owens, alongside incumbents Randy Hough, Scott Hollowell, and Brian Anderson to participate in an open forum, allowing attendees and community members to hear from candidates for the board of education and country commission, who will be on the upcoming ballot. They had invited Candidate Catherine Remkes, but she could not attend due to a schedule conflict.
The five panelists were asked five questions by community members. One question, asked by a 14-year-old high school student from Whitewater, pertained to school safety. Anderson’s response was about how there is not a singular answer to solve that problem, but those who participated were being held accountable, while Cox-Owens mentioned communication and how they need to find solutions because school violence can happen in Fayette County schools. Another question was about diversity in school districts. Powell mentioned changing the recruitment process to promote diversity while Cox-Owen’s viewpoint spanned beyond generations, thinking of the county as a “cultural melting pot” and how Generation Z wanted to raise students around diversity.
The panelist then talked about how to make Fayette County more attractive to young families. After they closed the forum, the candidates gave more direct information on the topics before they left.
Politics – Harris calls for dignity after Trump’s criticism of the federal storm response.
Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House criticized Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton at a rally just outside of Phoenix. She suggested that he was wrongly trying to turn the deadly storms to his political advantage.
On Thursday night, Harris attended a small town hall rally and was asked about the complaints that the federal officials had botched recovery efforts. These complaints came after former president Trump spoke at the Detroit Economic Club, offering sympathy, but suggested that the Biden administration’s response had been lacking. Biden later slammed Trump at a briefing held in the White House Situation Room for spreading misinformation.
Harris called for dignity in leadership and that it is what people deserve. On the topic of the misinformation, she stated that it is not time for people to play politics, and that his response lacks empathy for the damage that the storms have caused.