What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for November 13th-19th, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with US President Joe Biden at Filoli Estate in California, on Nov. 15, 2023. (Photo by Ding Lin/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Happy Thanksgiving week! I will be hosting a “Very Vanderpool Thanksgiving” this year, so SHERO will be taking the week off to celebrate and get in some good family time. We will be back in full force next week. Everyone at SHERO wishes all of you a wonderful holiday full of grateful thanks.

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 six separate mass shooting incidents in the United States this past week, where six people were killed and 22 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, November 12, 2023: Pearland, Texas

2. Sunday, November 12, 2023: Puyallup, Washington

3. Tuesday, November 14, 2023: Springfield, Massachusetts

4. Thursday, November 16, 2023: Willoughby, Ohio

5. Saturday, November 18, 2023: Spring Valley, California

6. Saturday, November 18, 2023: Little Rock, Arkansas

• In a Veterans Day speech in New Hampshire, Donald Trump prompted backlash for comparing his political enemies to “vermin” who needed to be exposed, with critics drawing comparisons to dictators from decades ago.

• A new analysis of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data finds that US industry has disposed of at least 60 million pounds of PFAS “forever chemical” waste over the last five years, utilizing a process that likely pollutes the environment around disposal sites.

• At least 15 native Pacific Northwest tree species have experienced growth declines and die-offs in recent years, 10 of which have been linked to drought and warming temperatures, according to recent studies and reports.

• As part of her plea deal with Georgia prosecutors, former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis confirmed that one of the former president’s top aides told her in December 2020 that Trump was “not going to leave” the White House “under any circumstances.”