Thousands of people gathered in El Paso, Texas, on Monday night for two very different rallies.
On one side of the street, President Trump touted the southern border wall he's been promising for years, claiming that miles upon miles have already been built. On the other side, former Democratic congressman Beto O'Rourke, an El Paso native, held a rally with community leaders protesting Trump's stance on immigration and the wall. Both rallies were attended by thousands of people, although Trump inflated the numbers at his, claiming that the El Paso County Coliseum holds 8,000 but the El Paso Fire Department let 10,000 people in; the department told the El Paso Times the maximum capacity is 6,500 people, and they didn't sacrifice safety by letting any more people inside.
At the Trump rally, the crowd started chanting the familiar refrain "Build the wall," but Trump encouraged them to try out a new slogan. "You really mean finish that wall because we've built a lot of it," he said. Trump also said the government shutdown was important because it brought attention to what is happening along the southern border, and he declared that "walls save lives," adding he loves living behind one "because I want to be safe and I want to make America safe, if you don't mind."
O'Rourke said El Paso is one of the "safest cities in the United States of America ... safe, not because of walls, but in spite of walls." He criticized the government for detaining migrant children, and spoke about the need for respect. "We, together, are making a stand for the truth against lies and hate and intolerance," he said. "We are gonna show the country who we are." Catherine Garcia
This year's flu season is shaping up to be record-breaking in duration, despite a sharp decrease in the number of flu-related deaths from last year, reports The Associated Press.
A surprise second wave has drawn this year's season out to 21 weeks and counting, making it the longest in a decade and one of the longest seasons since the government started tracking seasons 20 years ago.
Despite the longer season, the number of deaths has significantly dipped from last year. An estimated 35,000-50,000 Americans have died from issues related to the disease in 2018-19, compared to 80,000 in 2017-18, per AP. Last year's season lasted 19 weeks and was the deadliest in 40 years.
Although an unpredictable virus, representative for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Lynnette Brammer says this year's flu season should be nearing its end, per AP. Marianne Dodson
A federal judge ruled on Friday that residents of Flint, Michigan, can move forward with a lawsuit against the federal government regarding the city's lack of clean drinking water, reports The Associated Press.
The government is not immune from legal action, ruled Judge Linda Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She didn't rule that the government was negligent in 2014 when Flint's drinking water first became contaminated with lead, but said the Environmental Protection Agency could be sued by residents who have criticized the slow response to the crisis.
EPA employees knew lead was leaching from old pipes, said Parker, per The Hill, and the "lies went on for months while the people of Flint continued to be poisoned." Summer Meza
Academy-award winning actress Emma Thompson joined climate change activists in London on Friday to cap off a week full of protests against British inaction on climate change, reports Reuters.
Thompson joined the group Extinction Rebellion, which has been leading protests throughout the week, resulting in traffic disruptions and the arrest of more than 570 people, per Reuters.
The group has called for nonviolent civil disobedience in an attempt to persuade lawmakers to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025, reports Reuters.
The actress said she was inspired to partake in the protests after seeing activists across the country this week. Thompson took time at the protest to read poetry celebrating the beauty of the earth.
"This is the most pressing and urgent problem of our time, in the history of the human race," Thompson said. "I have seen the evidence for myself and I really care about my children and grandchildren enough to want to be here today to stand with the next generation." Marianne Dodson
The three beehives that inhabit Notre Dame remain abuzz after this week's devastating fire that sent much of the famous cathedral up in flames.
The hives were untouched by the blaze, CNN reports, since they are located nearly 30 meters below the roof where the fire spread. Each hive houses around 60,000 bees.
Had the beehives been closer to the fire and reached higher temperatures, the bees would likely have died due to melting wax, beekeeper Nicolas Geant told CNN. But because bees don't have human-like lungs, the smoke itself was not enough to cause them to perish, says Geant.
Geant told CNN he couldn't confirm with absolute certainty if all the bees had survived, but he's optimistic since the hives themselves did not burn and bees have been seen flying in and out.
"I was incredibly sad about Notre Dame because it's such a beautiful building, and as a Catholic it means a lot to me. But to hear there is life when it comes to the bees, that's just wonderful. I was overjoyed," Geant said. "Thank goodness the flames didn't touch them. It's a miracle!" Marianne Dodson