The Trump campaign criticized the Commission on Presidential Debate’s decision not to change the debate schedule on Tuesday. They said it was not right because many people would have already voted before the debates started. They want the debates to happen sooner so voters can hear from both candidates before voting starts.
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, Trump campaign spokespeople, said, “We are committed to making this happen with or without the Presidential Debate Commission.” They want to invite every TV network in America to host a debate and want Joe Biden’s team to work with them to set it up soon.
The campaign shared a Fox News report where the commission said they’re sticking to the current schedule. Biden said he’s willing to debate Trump now that both are the presumptive nominees of their parties. While Biden hasn’t talked much about debates, Trump has been pushing for them.
Former President Trump
Trump said he’s ready to debate Biden anywhere, anytime, and anyplace. The first presidential debate is scheduled for September 16 at Texas State University. Then, there’s a vice presidential debate on September 25 at Lafayette College. Two more presidential debates are set for October in Virginia and Utah.
During the Republican primary debates, Trump didn’t take part because he was leading in the polls. Now, he’s facing legal trouble in New York over a payment made during the 2016 election.
British singer FKA Twigs told the Senate about creating her own deepfake version of herself. She wrote to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, saying she made this deepfake over the last year.
She plans to use it to connect with her fans online while she focuses on making art. This deepfake version of herself can talk in her voice in different languages, like French, Korean, and Japanese. She shared this during the hearing, saying it helps her explain her upcoming album in detail.
The hearing, called “Protecting Americans from Unauthorized Digital Replicas,” talked about the effects of digital copies online. Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, asked for more rules on deepfakes during her testimony.
British singer FKA Twigs (Credits: The Hollywood Reporter)
She explained how songs are online with her and other artists that she didn’t make, which makes her feel exposed. If there aren’t laws to protect artists, fans might lose trust in the people they follow.
Twigs found it strange that she had to explain why artists need more protection from deepfakes. She said her art, her identity, and her brand belong to her. She also submitted a written statement before the hearing, talking about how she made a deepfake version of herself. She said it’s okay when artists use these technologies, but it’s wrong when others use it without their permission for their own benefit.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama surprised high school students from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to celebrate College Signing Day and their choice to go to college.
She said, “Look, on a day when so much is about looking ahead, I just want to take a little moment to look back with you all. Because I know it has been a long, hard road for all of you to make it to this day… and [there] has been nothing normal about this journey, especially that your class has been through.”
Obama spoke at Capital One Arena on Tuesday. She praised the students for staying in school during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged them to sign up for FAFSA, the federal student aid form.
Despite missing out on regular high school experiences and having classes online, the students persevered and are now ready to graduate, she said.
“Now, I know that even on a day like this… maybe some of you are feeling some trepidation, some nerves about what’s to come… especially if you are a first-generation college student like I was,” Obama said.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama
She shared how she felt doubtful before going to college but wanted to talk to students to encourage them. This year is the tenth anniversary of Obama’s Reach Higher program.
“My goal then was to make sure that every student realized the importance of getting their education beyond high school and to ensure that everyone had the resources, information, and the tools to make that happen,” she said.
“But, more importantly, I wanted students to know that higher education wasn’t just for the privileged few, for the kids with connections and money who were expected to fill those seats on college campuses.”
Obama announced that Reach Higher was teaming up with Common App, an undergraduate college admission application that lets students apply to over 1,000 schools.
The event was organized by the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP) and brought 2,500 students to celebrate their achievements. Obama was joined by DC-CAP President Eric Waldo, DC-CAP Board Chairman Ted Leonsis, and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“You’ve got a community of people around you, including me and Barack, who is sending his love to you all too,” Obama told the students. “We are rooting for your every step of the way.”
New York state Senator Timothy Kennedy, a Democrat, has won the special election to take the place of retired Democratic Representative Brian Higgins in Congress. Decision Desk HQ projected his victory.
Kennedy defeated Republican Gary Dickson in New York’s 26th Congressional District. This district was expected to remain Democratic, but the race was closely watched as the GOP holds a small majority.
Both Kennedy and Dickson were chosen by local party leaders as their party’s candidates for the special election. Kennedy will serve the remainder of Higgins’s term.
Higgins left Congress in February after nearly 20 years, citing dysfunction and slow progress in Washington. He now leads Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. He was one of many lawmakers who decided not to seek reelection due to frustration with chaos in Capitol Hill.
Timothee Kennedy (Credits: Spectrum News)
The district includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Kennedy pushed for gun safety laws in the New York state Senate following a mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022.
Dickson, the Republican candidate, was the first Republican town supervisor in West Seneca in many years.
Kennedy will hold Higgins’s seat for the rest of the year. He is also running for a full term in the House in the November elections, according to the New York State Board of Elections.
The special election took place while former President Trump is on trial in Manhattan. Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to a payment during the 2016 election.
Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee said that the U.S. government should cancel the visas of international students who support Hamas and send them back to their countries as protests continue at colleges all over the country.
She mentioned on to the media , “If they’re foreign students and they’re out protesting, shouting ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ and … being Hamas sympathizers, I would pull their visa and deport them.”
Blackburn also suggested that if these students are from the U.S. and have federal student loans, their loans should be canceled because taxpayer money funds them.
Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee
Her comments come after students at Columbia University took control of a university building. They blocked entrances and hung a Palestinian flag from a window at Hamilton Hall. The protests have spread to many other college campuses, with over 1,000 people arrested.
Although many student protesters call for their schools to stop supporting Israel and to seek a cease-fire, some incidents have raised concerns. Columbia University banned a student protest leader who said, “Zionists don’t deserve to live.” Another protest organizer, Khymani James, apologized for saying earlier this year that people should be grateful he doesn’t go around “murdering Zionists.”
Blackburn emphasized that if people openly declare support for Hamas, they should be put on the terrorist watch list and not allowed to fly. She stated, “You cannot sit by and just let this activity continue and have Jewish students put in harm’s way.”
President Biden’s campaign criticized former President Trump after he stated his intention to eliminate the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR).
The OPPR was created in 2022 due to government failures in responding to the COVID pandemic. Trump mentioned in a TIME interview that he doesn’t believe the office is necessary, calling it “a way of giving out pork.” He expressed doubts about its effectiveness, saying it’s an expensive solution that won’t work.
Biden’s campaign strongly opposed Trump’s idea, citing his handling of the COVID pandemic in 2020 as inadequate and lacking a clear plan. Campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz emphasized the devastating impact of Trump’s response, including economic turmoil, school closures, and unnecessary loss of lives.
President Biden
Munoz, who previously served as a White House spokesman on COVID, stressed that returning to Trump’s approach is not an option.
Trump’s decision to disband the OPPR follows the elimination of a similar pandemic preparedness task force in 2018. The National Security Council’s Global Health Security and Biodefense unit was dissolved during a reorganization, leading to staff departures or absorption into other units.
Established after the Ebola outbreak in 2015, the unit aimed to develop response plans and logistical preparations for domestic health crises. Biden’s successor office, the OPPR, has already been involved in addressing a bird flu outbreak among American livestock this year.
On Tuesday evening, hundreds of New York Police Department officers, some carrying batons and wearing riot gear, entered Columbia University’s campus. This happened while student protesters were occupying a campus building to protest the Israel-Hamas war.
The students had barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall earlier that day, after more than a week of protesting outside on the campus grounds.
The police entered the building through a second-floor window around 9:30 p.m., after Columbia University told students to stay indoors and the NYPD demanded they stay in their dorms.
Columbia University said they called the NYPD to “restore safety and order” to the campus after the protests escalated.
The tensions at Columbia had been building for days, with the campus being the first of many across the country to protest the Biden administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. The students demanded a cease-fire, an end to military aid to Israel, and for the university to divest from Israeli interests.
A spokesperson for Columbia University said they believed the protesters in Hamilton Hall were not students at the university. The campus had been closed to people without school IDs for almost two weeks.
Police enters Columbia University (Credits: Sky News)
During a press conference earlier that day, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the protests had been “co-opted” and urged the demonstrators to stop before things got worse.
The NYPD deputy commissioner said the protesters inside Hamilton Hall could face charges of burglary, criminal mischief, and trespassing, while those outside could face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges.
Dozens of protesters were arrested that evening, with videos showing them being led away in zip ties. The NYPD cleared Hamilton Hall of protesters just before 11 p.m.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the mayor and Columbia University for their response and the police action.
The Columbia chapter of the American Association of University Professors also criticized the police presence, saying it put everyone on campus at risk.
WKCR radio at Columbia reported that the NYPD would stay on campus until May 17, according to an email sent to students. This police response is planned to continue beyond the university’s graduation next month.
Police enters Columbia University (Credits: Irish Examiner)
The police action against the protesters happened exactly 58 years after Columbia called in the NYPD to break up a similar protest in Hamilton Hall against the Vietnam War. The university has since said that calling the police was a mistake.
Faculty at Barnard College voted no confidence in the college president on the same day, citing the school’s response to the protests.
Columbia University has been in the spotlight for the protests, with visits from politicians and calls for the university president to resign if the protests continue.
Over a thousand students nationwide have been arrested at similar protests, some of which turned violent.
Former President Trump said that the pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University had “paid agitators” involved. He made these claims during a Fox News interview while the New York Police Department officers were clearing out the protest encampments at the university.
During the interview with Sean Hannity, Trump said, “I really think you have a lot of paid agitators, professional agitators in here too, and I see it all over.” He pointed out that the signs carried by protesters looked identical, suggesting they were made by the same printer and possibly funded by someone else.
Trump expressed concern that these actions were harmful to both the world and the country.
However, there is no evidence to support Trump’s claims that any protester at Columbia University or in the nationwide pro-Palestine protests is being paid or not genuine.
Donald Trump (Credits: Britannica)
The police’s response at Columbia University came after tensions had been rising for days. The protests were part of a larger movement against the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Students demanded a cease-fire, an end to military aid to Israel, and divestment from Israeli interests by their colleges and universities.
Columbia University has been a focal point of these protests, with visits from political figures and calls for the university president to resign if the protests continue.
Both Trump and President Biden have spoken out against the protests. Trump called them “a sad thing to see” and criticized Biden’s response. He urged action to combat antisemitism and called on Biden to take a stronger stance.
The protests have led to numerous arrests nationwide, with some demonstrations turning violent.
U.S. consumer confidence has dwindled for the third consecutive month, reflecting ongoing apprehensions about short-term financial prospects amidst sustained inflation and elevated interest rates.
According to the Conference Board, a prominent business research organization, the consumer confidence index dropped to 97 in April from 103.1 in March. This index gauges both the current economic conditions as well as the outlook for the upcoming six months.
Notably, the index assessing Americans’ short-term expectations regarding income, business, and job market prospects plummeted to 66.4 from 74 in the previous month, marking its lowest level since July 2022. A reading below 80 often signals an impending recession.
Respondents in the Conference Board’s survey expressed persistent concerns about soaring prices, especially regarding essentials like food and fuel. While expectations of a recession edged up in April, they remain below their peak in May 2023.
Representative image of recession. (Credit: Getty)
The decline in consumer confidence was widespread across all age and income brackets, except for individuals earning annual salaries between $25,000 and $49,999.
Additionally, intentions to purchase a home or significant appliances, as well as plans for vacations, saw a decline.
Despite these concerns, most economic indicators suggest that the U.S. economy maintains its robustness by historical standards, although there are indications of a possible slowdown.
The economy notably slowed down to a 1.6% annual pace in the first quarter, attributed partly to high-interest rates. However, consumer spending remained resilient, a crucial driver of economic growth.
A factory worker assembles a cabinet drawer at the Colonial House Furniture Inc. wood shop in Auburn, Kentucky, U.S. (Credit: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)
Recent data from the Commerce Department revealed that retail sales surged 0.7% in March, nearly double the economists’ forecast, following a 0.9% increase in February.
Similarly, the labor market continues to exhibit strength, with U.S. employers adding 303,000 jobs in March, driving the unemployment rate down to 3.8%. This marked the 26th consecutive month with unemployment below 4%, the longest such streak since the 1960s.
Looking ahead, economists anticipate a solid addition of 230,000 jobs in the April jobs report scheduled for release on Friday, further underscoring the resilience of the U.S. economy amidst inflationary pressures and other challenges.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) didn’t show up for the county’s first Democratic Party debate on Sunday. Her challenger, attorney Christian Wise Smith, stood alone on the stage. The moderator said Willis chose not to come, so there was an empty podium for her.
Instead of the debate, Willis co-hosted a “Self Care Fair” in Atlanta. Her campaign said she’s not talking about big cases she’s working on, like the one against Trump, including a trial involving rapper Young Thug.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
During the debate, Smith asked where Willis was and criticized her for not being there for Fulton County. He also talked about her past relationship with a special prosecutor and questioned her spending on the Trump case.
Smith ran against Willis before and lost. They’ll compete in a primary on May 21. Courtney Kramer is the only Republican running.
State police in riot gear removed students protesting at the University of Texas at Austin. The protest started when a pro-Palestinian group tried to set up camp. University President Jay Hartzell took a tough stance, leading to clashes and arrests.
The protesters brought tents to shield from the heat, but police arrived and removed them. Many students resisted, leading to tense confrontations. Despite the chaos, no violence was witnessed.
Gaza Tensions at University of Texas
The university accused the protesters of being prepared for a fight and claimed many were not students. The situation escalated, with the governor saying no encampments would be allowed.
Officers explained to students why they were being arrested, citing the university’s orders to deal with the protest issue. Some students disagreed, saying it was unjust.
By evening, the area was cleared, and protesters stayed to clean up.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein says police hurt her and others at a protest in St. Louis. She claims police pushed them with bikes, causing injuries. More than 80 people, including Stein, were arrested when they didn’t leave after being told.
Stein says police charged her with assaulting an officer, but she denies it. She says her ribs hurt and she might have a fracture.
Many protests at colleges are happening, calling for peace in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Stein’s campaign shared a video of her being taken away by police.
Jill Stein (Credits: Vanity)
She and others were let go from jail early Sunday. The university says the protesters planned to disrupt and set up camp against school rules.
Stein supports the student protesters, saying they risk a lot to demand change. They want the university to cut ties with Boeing.
Columbia University has started to suspend students who refuse to leave the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. This happened after the deadline for them to leave the encampment passed.
Ben Chang, the vice president of communications for Columbia University, said, “We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus.” He added that disciplinary action would be handled by different units within the University.
Earlier, Columbia told students they must disperse from the camp by 2 p.m. and sign a document to follow university rules. Those who didn’t do this started getting suspended by around 5:30 p.m. Monday. They were also declared ineligible to complete the semester or graduate and were restricted from academic, residential, and recreational spaces.
The protests have continued for over a week at Columbia and other college campuses across the country. Demonstrators are demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and a stop to U.S. military aid to Gaza.
Camped Protesters at Columbia University (Credits: UPMatters)
University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony after canceling a pro-Palestinian valedictorian’s speech, which faced criticism.
School administrators are trying to balance free speech rights with protecting Jewish students’ safety. Some protests have been peaceful, but there have been concerns about anti-Semitic rhetoric.
A coalition of over 20 Democratic House members wrote a letter to Columbia University, urging administrators to end the encampment. They expressed disappointment that the university hadn’t disbanded the encampment yet.
However, some Democrats have defended the demonstrations and accused school administrators of violating protesters’ rights.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it onto the ballot in California, according to his campaign on Monday.
Kennedy, along with his running mate Nicole Shanahan, received support from the American Independent Party (AIP) of California, which is in the state with the most votes in the Electoral College. The campaign said they filed the necessary paperwork with California’s secretary of state on Monday.
In a five-minute video, Kennedy mentioned that the AIP was originally associated with segregationist George Wallace from Alabama.
However, he noted that the party has transformed into one that stands for compassion, unity, idealism, and common sense. Kennedy expressed that the party’s new charter allows independent candidates to work towards uniting America without facing barriers from the two-party system.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Credits: ABC News)
Kennedy and Shanahan have qualified for the ballot in three states so far: Utah, Michigan, and now California. They have also gathered enough signatures to be on the ballot in seven other states, including New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Kennedy, who shifted from being a Democrat to an independent last year, aims to be on ballots across the country alongside President Biden and former President Trump. He believes neither of the major party nominees is suitable to continue leading the country.
Although Kennedy’s campaign is striving to collect signatures from all 50 states, experts suggest that securing a few crucial battleground states could significantly influence the election outcome.
Currently, Kennedy is polling ahead of other third-party candidates. However, his numbers against Biden and Trump have declined in recent polling data. As of Monday, Kennedy had approximately 8.5 percent of the vote, with Trump leading at just over 42 percent and Biden at nearly 41 percent.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt stated that he won’t allow “hate speech” from protesters supporting Palestine in Oklahoma. He said he would expel those who support Hamas from state colleges.
Stitt was questioned about the arrests of pro-Palestine protesters at universities nationwide and their criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza after Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7.
Stitt told Fox News that he believes it’s only a small group of people who are very vocal. He hopes young people will see footage of the terrorist attack to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (Credits: Oklahoma Watch)
Stitt strongly opposes those who support Hamas and says they should be expelled from universities. He calls their actions “hate speech” and believes everyone who stands for what’s right should oppose them.
Pro-Palestinian protests have happened on campuses across the country, with some students setting up camps. They demand an end to military support for Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza.
After his appearance on Fox News, Stitt emphasized his stance against “hate speech.” He posted on social media that supporting terrorist groups like Hamas is unacceptable. Stitt previously signed a bill in 2022 to create the “Oklahoma Free Speech Committee,” which monitors free speech at the state’s colleges.
An anonymous Jewish student is suing Columbia University. They say the university didn’t keep them safe during protests about Palestine. The student claims that since the protests started, they and other Jewish students have felt unsafe. They say they’ve been harassed and even hurt.
The lawsuit says there’s been a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on campus for over a week. It claims that Jewish students have been targeted with hateful language and even physical violence. The lawsuit mentions signs with slogans like “Death to the Jews” and “Long live Hamas.”
The lawsuit also criticizes the university for switching to online classes. It says this move made it harder for Jewish students to feel connected to their school and classmates.
Columbia University Protests (Credits: TSWJ)
While the lawsuit recognizes the right to protest peacefully, it says some protesters crossed a line. It accuses them of inciting violence against Jewish students.
Columbia University hasn’t commented on the lawsuit. But Jay Edelson, who represents the students in the lawsuit, says Columbia has let Jewish students feel threatened on campus. He says the university should protect all students, no matter their background.
Meanwhile, Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, acknowledges that the protests have affected Jewish students. She promises to make the campus safe for everyone.
The lawsuit asks the court to make Columbia enforce its rules to protect students. It also wants the court to order Columbia to let students finish the semester safely.
This lawsuit comes as the university starts to punish students who won’t leave the protest camp.
Changpeng Zhao, the person who started Binance, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange globally, will learn his punishment on Tuesday in a Seattle court. American prosecutors want him to spend three years in prison for letting lots of money laundering happen on his platform.
Zhao admitted he was guilty and gave up his position as Binance CEO in November. His company also agreed to pay $4.3 billion to settle the claims. U.S. officials say Zhao knew about illegal activities like child sex abuse, drug dealing, and terrorism funding but chose to ignore them.
“He decided breaking U.S. laws was the best way to grow his company and make money,” said the Justice Department in a statement.
Zhao’s lawyers argue he shouldn’t go to prison, pointing out that he flew from the United Arab Emirates to the U.S. to admit his guilt, even though there’s no extradition deal between the two countries. They also mention that no one has been jailed for similar crimes before.
Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 16, 2022. (Credit: Benoit Tessier /Reuters)
“I want to own up to my mistakes and move on,” Zhao said during his guilty plea. “I want to return. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today.”
However, prosecutors argue that Zhao’s actions were much worse than others who broke the law. They’re asking for a three-year jail term, which is twice the usual punishment.
Binance allowed over 1.5 million trades of virtual currency worth nearly $900 million, breaking U.S. sanctions, including deals with groups like Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, al-Qaeda, and Iran.
Zhao knew Binance had to follow anti-money laundering rules but told the company to hide customers’ locations in the U.S. to avoid obeying the law, according to prosecutors.
Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. (Credit: FTX)
The cryptocurrency industry has seen many scandals and market crashes. Recently, Nigeria has accused Binance and two executives of money laundering and tax evasion.
Zhao was once a rival to Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, the second-biggest crypto exchange before it collapsed in 2022.
Bankman-Fried was found guilty of fraud in November and got a 25-year prison sentence for stealing at least $10 billion from customers and investors.
Zhao and Bankman-Fried used to be friendly competitors, with Binance even investing in FTX when it started in 2019. But their relationship soured, leading Zhao to sell all his cryptocurrency investments in FTX in early November 2022. FTX filed for bankruptcy a week later.
Billie Eilish, the renowned singer behind “What Was I Made For,” has plans for an extensive 81-date world tour set to kick off later this year.
The tour, named after her upcoming album “Hit Me Hard And Soft,” will traverse North America, Australia, and Europe, starting in September. Notably, Eilish has pledged to make this tour her most sustainable yet, teaming up with an environmental group to organize eco-conscious initiatives.
Billie Eilish gearing up to take her electrifying sound to 81 cities worldwide on her upcoming tour!. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Tickets for the tour will go on sale on May 3rd, with the Canadian leg beginning on September 29th before moving on to the US in October. Eilish will then make her way to Australia in February, followed by Europe in April. Among the 12 UK dates, fans can expect performances in Glasgow, London, and Manchester.
Eilish’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond her tour. For her previous tour, “Happier Than Ever,” she partnered with Reverb, a non-profit organization promoting sustainability in the music industry, striving to make the tour “climate positive.”
Billie Eilish’s dedication to sustainability shines as she partners with Reverb to make her ‘Happier Than Ever’ tour not just about music, but about making a positive impact on our planet.(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Spotify)
With “Hit Me Hard And Soft,” scheduled for release on May 17th, Eilish aims to minimize the environmental impact of physical copies. This includes using recycled vinyl for the album and packaging materials, aligning with her long-standing advocacy for environmental causes.
In a departure from convention, Eilish has opted not to release any singles in advance, expressing her desire for fans to experience the album in its entirety. With her innovative approach to sustainability and her dedication to delivering impactful music experiences, Billie Eilish continues to inspire audiences worldwide.
About 50 individuals have lost their lives in Kenya after a dam overflowed its banks following intense rainfall and flooding, as reported by a Red Cross official.
In villages close to Mai Mahiu, approximately 60km (37 miles) from Nairobi, residents were swept away in their sleep by the deluge. Rescue operations are underway to extricate people from the mud, with concerns mounting over the potential rise in casualties.
The disaster raises the total death toll over the March-May wet season in Kenya to more than 120 as heavier than usual rainfall pounds East Africa, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern. (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP)
The past month has witnessed more than 100 fatalities due to floods wreaking havoc in various parts of Kenya. The catastrophe unfolded when a burst dam upriver in the Mai Mahiu area unleashed a torrent of water, awakening locals to the harrowing sound in the early hours of Monday.
Residents recounted a night of frantic endeavors to rescue those trapped in the raging floodwaters and free them from the clinging mud.
Residents are seen after heavy rains as they try to evacuate the area with their important belongings in Nairobi, Kenya on April 26, 2024. (Photo by Gerald Anderson/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Kenya Red Cross has mobilized search and rescue missions, with emergency response manager Anthony Muchiri describing the situation as the most severe he has encountered in his career. Homes and their foundations were not only swept away, but lives were also tragically lost.
Among the recovered bodies, 17 were children, according to police commander Stephen Kirui.
The villages of Kamuchiri and Kianugu bore the brunt of the disaster. Witnesses described the rapid onslaught of water from the Old Kijabe Dam, washing away numerous residences and vehicles, and leaving devastation unprecedented in the area.
Residents are seen in a flooded street of Mathare neighborhood after heavy rains as they try to evacuate the area with their important belongings in Nairobi, Kenya on April 25, 2024. (Photo by Gerald Anderson/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Residents like Peter Muhoho shared accounts of neighbors being swept away, recounting the tragic loss of lives and possessions amidst the chaos.
The aftermath left many displaced, uncertain of where they would find shelter for the night, while others attempted to salvage what little they could from the mud-soaked ruins of their homes.
At least 45 people died when a dam burst its banks near a town in Kenya’s Rift Valley, police said on April 29, 2024. (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP)
With forecasts predicting further rainfall, the government has postponed the reopening of schools across Kenya, as more than 130,000 individuals remain displaced, seeking refuge in schools.
Neighboring Tanzania and Burundi have also been pummeled by heavy rains, resulting in significant casualties and displacement.
The convergence of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño weather patterns has exacerbated the situation, leading to extreme rainfall in East Africa, reminiscent of historical flooding disasters in the region.
