What Happened Was...

A lightning fast comprehensive recap of the week's biggest events for April 15th-21st, 2024.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives waive Ukrainian flags in celebration of the passage of an aid package to the war-torn country on April 20, 2024 on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC. (Photo by video screen grab)

This week I made a big decision to make all of my posts here on SHERO free and available for everyone. My goal is to grow SHERO into a place where anyone can go to check in on what they may have missed, or what they need to know. I want this newsletter to be a first stop for everyone who needs answers they can trust. We can grow now if we work together — your involvement in helping to provide independent journalism for everyone is essential.

I’d like to welcome everyone to my Sunday Recap, which was previously behind a paywall, but will now be free to everyone. This is where you can quickly check-in to review the week with a minimal time commitment, and make sure you did not miss anything. I also provide several links to more detail on each issue from credible and free sources if you want to dive deeper on any issue. SHERO on Sunday is the place to get caught up with all of the major events of the week before we are on to next week. Welcome!

Quick reminder: this kind of newsletter model, which will now provide free, reliable independent journalism that connects the political and legal dots to everyone, only works if subscribers who can afford to support our work with paid subscriptions. Consider upgrading your weekend by investing in SHERO today.

Gun Violence This Week

There were 11 separate mass shooting incidents in the United States this past week, where seven people were killed and 58 were injured. 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, April 14, 2024: Hopkinsville, Kentucky

2. Sunday, April 14, 2024: Dallas, Texas

3. Sunday, April 14, 2024: New Orleans, Louisiana

4. Sunday, April 14, 2024: Nashville, Tennessee

5. Sunday, April 14, 2024: Richmond, Virginia

6. Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Clinton, North Carolina

7. Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Bronx, New York

8. Thursday, April 18, 2024: Thibodaux, Louisiana

9. Friday, April 19, 2024: Greenbelt, Maryland

10. Friday, April 19, 2024: Washington, DC

11. Saturday, April 20, 2024: Memphis, Tennessee

• House Ethics Committee investigators made inquiries this week to find out whether Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) attended parties in Florida with an underage girl and took illicit drugs, including MDMA and cocaine.

• In a letter received by Republican digital vendors this week, the Trump campaign asked for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5% of the proceeds to the campaign.

• Donald Trump’s criminal trial involving 34 counts of falsifying business records, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison in the State of New York, began on Monday, as the jury selection process continued all week.

• On Monday, the US House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families & Workers Act of 2024, aimed at expanding the Child Tax Credit to lift 400,000 children out of poverty and bolster the economy.

• Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights launched an initiative on Tuesday to place a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on the ballot in the Montana General Election this November.

  

• During a US Senate hearing on Tuesday, Senator Jon Ossoff (D) confronted Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, demanding that he fix the significant mail delivery issues in Atlanta within weeks, as only 36% of mail is being delivered on time there.

• The US Senate quickly dispensed with the two impeachment charges against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, convening a short-lived trial on Wednesday that brought an end to a months-long effort to punish the secretary for his handling of the southern border.

• The Arizona Legislature devolved into shouts of "Shame! Shame!" on Wednesday as Republican lawmakers quickly shut down discussion on a proposed repeal of the state's newly revived 1864 law that criminalizes abortion throughout pregnancy unless a woman's life is at risk.

• Sam Salehpour, an engineer at Boeing, told a Senate Committee on Wednesday that the aircraft company is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart.

• Two of the seven jurors chosen Tuesday for Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial were abruptly excused Thursday after questions arose about the impartiality of one and the truthfulness of another.

• On Thursday, President Biden announced new sanctions on Iran targeting its missile and drone program after Iran’s attack on Israel, saying he and fellow leaders of the Group of Seven are committed to collectively ramping up economic pressure on Iran.

• The United States vetoed a widely backed United Nations resolution on Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

• On Thursday, 12 jurors and six alternates were formally seated on the jury for the Trump criminal trial, with opening statements scheduled to start on Monday. Judge Merchan will also conduct a hearing to address allegations that Trump violated the gag order.

• Members of the Kennedy family appeared en masse to endorse President Biden at a campaign event in Philadelphia on Thursday, to help stave off the risk of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s third-party challenge.

• Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented assault.

• New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a 26-page motion on Friday, asking Judge Engoron to void Donald Trump's bond in his civil fraud case on the basis that Knight Specialty cannot actually secure the $175 million bond. A hearing on the matter will take place Monday.

• A man who set himself on fire and who burned for two minutes on Friday outside the courthouse where Donald Trump's hush money trial is taking place, has died, New York City police confirmed early Saturday.

• The House approved a $95 billion in foreign aid package on Saturday that consists of four bills that were voted on separately and will be combined into one before being sent to the Senate. The first three bills include $60.8 billion to help Ukraine in its war with Russia; $26.4 billion to support Israel, including humanitarian aid for Gaza; and $8.1 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.

  The fourth bill would allow the sale of frozen assets of Russian oligarchs to help fund future aid to Ukraine, potentially force the sale of TikTok and authorize stricter sanctions on Russia, China and Iran.

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Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

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