What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for July 17th - 23rd, 2023

Border Patrol Agent Brady Waikel rescues a 7-year-old boy from Honduras after he fell out of a makeshift raft crossing the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 10. News surfaced this week that Texas Troopers were allegedly ordered to “push people back into the water,” in the same Texas river. (Photo by Bob Owens/via Getty Images)

Below is a catch-up of the significant events of this past week. You can check in with a minimal time commitment, read about the big stuff, and stay in the know before we’re on to the next. If you want more information on the past week's events, you can scroll through my Twitter feed for more detail on other topics that I don’t mention below.

Gun Violence This Week

There were 13 separate mass shooting incidents in the United States this past week, where 11 people were killed and 51 were injured. My Sunday recap covers this, as well as the week's most critical news. Here at SHERO, we document all mass shooting incidents for the week every Sunday, so please take a moment to review them and remember to keep up the fight for sensible gun reform. 

1. Sunday, July 16, 2023: Chicago, Illinois

2. Sunday, July 16, 2023: Los Angeles, California

3. Sunday, July 16, 2023: Dallas, Texas

4. Monday, July 17, 2023: Columbia, South Carolina

5. Monday, July 17, 2023: Washington, DC

6. Tuesday, July 18, 2023: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

7. Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Houston, Texas

8. Thursday, July 20, 2023: Greensboro, North Carolina

9. Saturday, July 22, 2023: Chicago, Illinois

10. Saturday, July 22, 2023: Glendale, Arizona

11. Saturday, July 22, 2023: Wade, North Carolina

12. Saturday, July 22, 2023: Memphis, Tennessee

13. Saturday, July 22, 2023: Houston, Texas

• Across the planet, animals — and the diseases they carry — are shifting to accommodate the environmental crisis. Ticks, mosquitos, bacteria, algae, and even fungi are on the move, shifting or expanding their historical ranges to adapt for climatic conditions that are changing at an extraordinary pace.

• The United Postal Service (UPS) and the union representing its 340,000 workers have yet to reach a deal ahead of an Aug. 1 strike deadline, but they have agreed to resume negotiations next week, making a postal strike possible.

• New peer-reviewed research has identified 25 kinds of toxic flame retardant in human breast milk in the US, and all samples contained at least some level of the dangerous chemicals, commonly used in plastic, televisions, appliances and electronics.