Welcome to Did You See This? — The SUNN Post’s biweekly column spotlighting news that students like you (and me!) need to know about. Buckle in for today’s headlines.
The Headline
Two major earthquakes struck Venezuela’s capital city Wednesday night, killing more than 589 people.
The Rundown
The initial impact hit Caracas around 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, rating at a 7.2 on the Richter Scale. 38 seconds later, the ground began shaking again — the second earthquake rated a 7.5, meaning it was nearly twice as intense.
The destruction was immediate. Buildings tumbled to the ground, taking with them human lives and important electricity and communication infrastructure. Assessing the total damage will take time: Widespread outages are inhibiting communication and coordination, and many people are likely still trapped under rubble. President Delcy Rodríguez said Friday morning there are 589 confirmed deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries so far.
Some survivors have been sharing their stories. Young Venezuelans have posted footage of the impact on social media. Alan Chung, a teacher from Caracas, described uncertainty about the fate of his home and his pets in an interview with the BBC: “I have two cats. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to get back to my apartment to see if they are okay… fingers crossed,” he said.
Where to Find More:
The Associated Press and NBC are keeping pages updated with news straight out of Venezuela. You can also find firsthand accounts on social media, under hashtags like “#venezuelaearthquake” or “#venezuelastrong.”
The Headline
As the current session draws to a close, the Supreme Court is releasing a number of high-profile decisions with impacts on young people.
The Rundown
Late June marks the end of the year’s Supreme Court session, meaning the Court is slated to release all remaining decisions for its 2025-2026 term in the coming days. These decisions could have consequences for teens — including some that aren’t immediately obvious.
Already, the justices have announced decisions in a couple cases: In a 6-3 ruling, SCOTUS decided President Trump would be allowed to end the “Temporary Protected Status” program, which has protected a huge number of immigrants, particularly Haitians and Syrians, living and working in the U.S. since 1990. That doesn’t just mean those people may now face deportation — it also risks breaking up families. An estimated 360,000 kids who are U.S. citizens live with a TPS-holder parent. The court also ruled that the Department of Homeland Security can reinstate a policy allowing border patrol agents to turn back asylum seekers at the border. Last time this policy was active, the Trump administration said unaccompanied children would be exempt from the turn-back rule, but that’s not what happened in practice.
Decisions for more cases affecting young people are expected next week. SCOTUS will rule on the legality of Trump’s fight to end birthright citizenship and the rights of transgender athletes in high school and college sports.
Where to Find More:
The New York Times is tracking those decisions live on this page. Once the court’s decisions are announced, you’ll also find detailed documents on the Supreme Court’s website explaining the methodology of the majority and minority decisions.
The Headline
As peeling pieces of the Reflecting Pool’s new blue lining float to the surface, onlookers are cracking jokes and grabbing souvenirs.
The Rundown
President Trump’s vision to make the Washington Monument’s Reflecting Pool great again has backfired. In April, he announced a plan to beautify the D.C. landmark in anticipation of the nation’s 250th birthday this July. He spent over $14 million in taxpayer money getting the project underway — by early June, the pool had been repainted in Trump’s chosen color (“American Flag Blue”) and refilled with water.
But then things turned south: Algae turned the pool a decidedly un-American shade of green, and this week, sections of paint have begun to peel from the pool’s concrete basin, floating to the surface like blue islands in a murky sea. Trump called the peeling paint an act of “vandalism,” but has not provided evidence for the accusation.
Young people wasted no time turning the algae fiasco into a series of trending memes. One meme jokingly calls the Reflecting Pool Trump’s acknowledgement of “AlgaeBTQ+” month — a reference to the fact that June is Pride Month.
Where to Find More:
While some Reflecting Pool visitors have tried to fish out chunks of peeled paint to keep as souvenirs, we can’t recommend this as your next step in exploring this headline. National Guard troops now stationed around the pool will remind you: “Tampering” with the landmark is a felony offense. Instead, this New Yorker piece offers a colorful account of one Senator’s reaction to the pool’s plight — including yelling at ducks.
The Bonuses:
For this edition of the newsletter, I wanted to try something new — listed below are three of my favorite stories I read this week. Less news, more ideas. Call them your weekend reading!
- From NPR: “4 Ways to Design a Dreamy Summer, According to a Happiness Expert”
- From The New Yorker: “The Teen Believers in a Christian America”
- From The New York Times: “A Bold Idea to Make Elite Colleges Affordable”
