What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for December 4 - 10, 2023

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who announced he will resign this term, speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/ viaGetty 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; Bluesky; Spoutible; and Post News feeds for more detail on other topics that I don’t mention below.

Gun Violence This Week

There were eight separate mass shooting incidents in the United States this past week, where 26 people were killed and 14 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, December 3, 2023: Vancouver, Washington

2. Sunday, December 3, 2023: Houston, Texas

3. Sunday, December 3, 2023: Dallas, Texas

4. Monday, December 4, 2023: Lugoff, South Carolina

5. Tuesday, December 5, 2023: Austin, Texas

6. Wednesday, December 6, 2023: Peyton, Colorado

7. Wednesday, December 6, 2023: Las Vegas, Nevada

8. Saturday, December 9, 2023: Atlanta, Georgia

• Scientists from the European Union at the COP28 summit said that 2023 would be the warmest year on record, as global mean temperatures for the first 11 months of the year hit their highest level on record.

• Facing a soaring death toll from Israel's renewed offensive in southern Gaza, the Biden administration is trying to pressure Israel to minimize civilian deaths by threatening to restrict military aid.

• Hacked police files show US law enforcement agencies for decades received analysis of incidents in the Israel-Palestine conflict directly from the Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli think tanks.