The Breakdown: Surge in Violence Against Trans Women

Getty Images: Drew Angerer / Staff

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The One Big Thing

Two Trans Women Killed In The Same Maryland Neighborhood

Last Thursday, a Black transgender woman was killed in a Maryland neighborhood where another Black transgender woman was killed in March of this year. Zoe Spears, 23, was declared dead at the scene of the crime after being shot multiple times. As Buzzfeed News reports, “she is at least the 10th trans woman to be killed in the United States this year.” These deaths are part of a larger crisis facing black transgender women who are being murdered at extremely high rates. “According to available tracking, fatal anti-transgender violence in the U.S. is on the rise, and most victims were black transgender women,” said AMA Board member S. Bobby Mukkamala in a statement from the association

(Pop) Culture Shock

Nas and Will Smith Invest in Financial Literacy App

Nas and Will Smith recently became investors in Step, a startup developing an app that would give young people access to bank accounts with no minimum balance, no fees, and advice on how to manage their money. Sherri Haymond, a VP at Mastercard, praised the app’s development saying, “Step has taken a thoughtful approach to developing an offering for teens and families that provides that first step in educating and acclimating today’s youth to help them gain confidence and awareness around their finances.” This app is coming at a time where young people are more stressed out than ever by money and financial literacy is overwhelmingly not taught in schools.

Take Action: While we wait for the app to be released, read this guide on how to manage your finances!

The Good News Is...

More Than 600 Divers Set World Record For Largest Ocean Floor Clean-Up

On Saturday, a team of 633 divers broke the world record for the largest underwater cleanup -- the previous record was set by 614 divers in the Red Sea in 2015. At the Florida beach, the team collected more than 1,500 pounds of trash. The area that the divers cleaned contains an abundance of marine life that will benefit for years as a result of citizen action to keep our oceans clean. This is especially exciting given the fact that about 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually — equivalent to the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

That's What She Said

“NOW U DON’T GET TO TAKE ANOTHER THING FROM ME. I can sleep tonight better knowing I took my power back.”

-Bella Thorne after responding to her nude photo hack by posting the photos to Twitter.

Quick Hitters

Why aren’t more people talking about… the Phoenix cops who pulled their guns out and threatened the parents of a 4-year-old who took a doll from a dollar store?

Meanwhile, in South America... a massive blackout left tens of millions of people without electricity in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after an “unprecedented” electrical failure.

My hero today is… 19-year-old Lucas Silverio who died after saving a young girl from an apartment fire in the Bronx.

Today in viral cuteness… this guy who offered “Free Dad Hugs” at Pittsburgh Pride to people who needed them.

I’m obsessed with… Chernobyl, a new drama on HBO. Honestly could not fall asleep on Saturday until I finished all 8 hours of it. It’s SO. GOOD.