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— What Simone Biles spent the most on for her destination wedding. Budding romances aren't cheap.

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Texas

The Story

Texas is mourning after two tragedies.

I'm listening.

On Saturday, a 33-year-old gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen, killing eight people and wounding at least seven others. Authorities said a police officer — who was already at the Allen Premium Outlets — tracked down the shooter and killed him. The victims' ages ranged from 5 to 61 years old. Officials said the gunman used an AR-15-style rifle to carry out the attack. Now, investigators are looking into whether he was motivated by white supremacist ideology. Federal authorities are also investigating if the shooting could have been an act of domestic terrorism.

What are people saying?

The shooting has, once again, put a spotlight on gun reform. President Biden urged Congress to pass gun control legislation, saying he would "sign it immediately." Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said it was important to address the "root cause" behind the increasing "anger and violence," which he identified as "mental health problems." He also said the state's working on measures "to get guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals." Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other Republican lawmakers received criticism for offering prayers rather than advocating for gun control laws. It's not the only tragedy communities are reeling from.

Go on.

Yesterday, a driver killed eight people and injured nearly a dozen others after hitting them at a bus stop in the border city of Brownsville. The majority of the victims are believed to be Venezuelan immigrants who were waiting across the street from a migrant shelter. Brownsville Police said the driver, identified as Hispanic, has been charged with reckless driving and "more than likely" will face additional charges. Officials are investigating if the collision was intentional and looking into whether the driver was intoxicated.

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These tragedies have left communities shaken. Now, as many look for answers in Brownsville, others are continuing to call on lawmakers to tighten gun laws amid another mass shooting.

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What's trying to move forward…

California. Over the weekend, the state's Reparations Task Force voted to recommend that CA apologize for slavery and potentially give billions of dollars in payments to Black residents. In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed legislation creating the country's first state task force on reparations. Since then, the nine-member committee has been working on a plan to compensate descendants of free and enslaved Black people for the state's history of voting, housing, policing, and education disparities. Now, the task force wants CA to issue a formal apology to those affected and create a new agency to calculate reparations with "cash or its equivalent" for eligible residents. It's up to lawmakers to decide whether to take up the recommendations and create legislation to move forward. One hurdle: Some say the state can't afford to issue reparations that could total more than $500 billion.

What's got people concerned...

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Over the weekend, the UN's nuclear watchdog said the area near the plant is "becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous." The warning comes as Ukrainian officials say that Russia has been evacuating residents near the plant — hinting that fighting could be escalating in the area. Zaporizhzhia is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and has been under Russian control for over a year. None of the plant's reactors are running, but it's still loaded with material that could cause a radiation disaster. Now, the UN's nuclear watchdog is calling on Ukraine and Russia to create a security zone to prevent any chances of a radiation leak, or risk a "severe nuclear accident."

What's seeing changes...

The Arab League. Yesterday, the organization of Middle Eastern and African countries said it's welcoming Syria back into the group. In 2011, the league suspended Syria in a move to condemn President Bashar al-Assad's regime and Syria's civil war. Now, the league wants to normalize ties with Syria after finding that isolating the country isn't working in the org's best interest. US officials maintained they wouldn't follow in the league's steps.

State of Women

The pandemic made a lot of things clear: one being that the bulk of care work still falls to women. In our State of Women report, 79% of millennial women said they were concerned about the unpaid domestic labor that 76% said still falls largely to women.

The good news? Women are taking action — by prioritizing themselves, their careers, their relationships, and each other. We know because we asked. Check out what Skimm'rs had to say here.

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Skimm'rs

We like to celebrate the wins, big and small. Let us know how your friends, neighbors, coworkers (and yes, even you) are making career moves, checking off goals, or making an impact in the community.

Stars align…Chelsea P (CT). She started her own astrology business to offer an open and non-judgmental space for those who want to have more tools in their lives.

(Some) Birthdays…Abby Zittoun (CT), Allison Maola (PA), Mike Magee (IL), Amanda Mazzenga (WA), Cristina Allegretti (NY), Julie Mikkelson (Il), Laura Amico (NY), Madeline Erker (NE), Mary Myers (WA), Rachel Swartz (VA), Sheri Saari (HI), Verica Nakeva (NJ)

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