1. Vanessa Bryant - In the top spot is the justice that Vanessa Bryant got for the despicable acts by some officials who thought it was cool to take photos of the bodies of Kobe and GiGi Bryant. Sick people in this world.
Though...instead of the individuals who will suffer and have to pay $16 million, it is the state of California. Because, of course.
2. Madam CJ Walker Barbie - Mattell is now making a Madam C.J. Walker doll and that's pretty cool. Good to see a diverse set of women getting dolls that can inspire other girls to learn about their contributions to history and women's empowerment.
3. Mack Rutherford - This dude is seventeen - SEVENTEEN! - and just became the youngest pilot to fly around the world. That's just crazy.
3 Down
1. Continued Extreme Weather - A new week, and the extreme weather continues. In some areas, it's droughts and dry weather, in other places it's wildfires, and in others, it's a crazy amount of waterfall that is flooding regions in unseen ways. Oh so concerning...
2. Duke Volleyball Player at BYU - I love when some try to say college sports is "the way sports should be" and then we get stories like this where a teenage girl is called a nigger. I appreciated the sentiments from the BYU Athletic Director, Tom Holmore to follow, but he never addressed the root of the event - racism. Just my two cents.
3. Con Ed - Not only is Con Ed ridiculously charging New Yorkers...welp, but now we learn they also dump hot, dirty water into the Hudson River. Cool, cool.
Interesting
1. Student Loan Forgiveness - Ah yes, the most controversial story all week. I'll keep it short and say this, why are we so bothered when individuals get such breaks, but not the rich?
Cover Photo
A woman shows her ink-marked finger after voting in the general election in Luanda, Angola. Wednesday's poll was expected to be the country's most closely fought election since independence in 1975.
Ampe Rogerio / EPA-EFE