On Sunday May 9, 2021, 13-year-old Trystin Bailey was killed by 14-year-old classmate Aiden Fucci in a wooded area near her home in St. Johns county, Florida. After an hours-long search, the police had located her body and announced on Tuesday, May 11 that the teenager had been stabbed to death. Aiden Fucci, who was previously charged with second-degree murder, has now been indicted as an adult on a first-degree murder charge by St. John’s County Grand Jury. According to the 7th Judicial Circuit State Attorney R.J.

After 15 long months of battling the COVID-19 crisis, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced on May 24, 2021 that the statewide indoor mask mandate and requirement for maintaining six feet of social distancing in indoor and outdoor settings would be lifted on May 28. The Governor also signed Executive Order No. 241 on May 17, which eliminates the requirement of masks in public outdoor spaces. These new executive orders come into effect, as more and more New Jerseyans have gotten vaccinated and the number of COVID-19 cases has continued to decline.

Opening a yearbook is usually a moment of excitement for most students, however for one of Florida’s 1,485 public high schools, 80 students were shocked to see that their portraits had been altered to cover their chests and shoulders. All of the students were female and none were consulted by the school administration in regards to the edits.

As college students return for the fall semester, many universities have required students to get vaccinated due to the ongoing pandemic. Currently, the United States reports 32,713,675 COVID-19 cases and 581,056 deaths.

Since the 2020 Presidential Inauguration, President Biden has made progress throughout his first 100 days in office. From tackling climate change, to establishing the American Rescue Plan, to working on gun reform, the President has made fruitful efforts to restore the nation and unite Americans.

Since coronavirus has first invaded the country, there have been 562,007 deaths and there are 31,292,106 cases currently. As the year has progressed, the number of COVID-19 infections continues to increase and burden daily lives. As scientists have worked to develop effective vaccines, a new vaccine, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has since been developed and has proven to be 62% effective.

Over the last four months, Americans have seen a significant rise in the number of mass shootings across the country. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 133 mass shootings in the United States since January, 2021.

Throughout the last 11 months, Americans have been faced with multiple challenges: unemployment, the spread of COVID-19, and an unforgettable presidential election. Millions of Americans have lost their lives, jobs, and businesses this year. However, due to the significant unemployment rate, the House of Representatives will pass a new Coronavirus relief bill in the coming weeks. The bill will be passed as House Democrats prepare to implement President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal next week, which will increase the minimum wage to $15.

On January 29, 2021, Johnson and Johnson unveiled their new COVID-19 vaccine that has proven to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial. 

On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala Harris were sworn into office and officially became the 46th President and 49th Vice President of the United States. Throughout the Inauguration, millions of Americans watched as President Biden delivered his Inaugural Address, prominent musicians performed, and politicians congratulated the president.