Local news:
Midterm elections were on November 8, 2022. Regarding the state of Virginia, there were record-high numbers in voting compared to midterm elections in previous years. Virginians had the option to vote early in person by Nov. 5. and could mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 8.
799,099 people in Virginia voted early. This value is nearly double than the number of early voters in the midterm elections of 2018. Although there isn’t a clear depiction of why the spike in votes has occurred, there are many plausible assumptions.
People may have had a greater drive to vote, a stronger reason to be involved politically, or even people could have taken advantage of the extensive length of the early voting period. There were many pressing topics like social security, medicare, and women’s rights surrounding the midterm elections. A very prevalent reason to get out there and vote.
National news:
She Said is a movie coming out next week about the two women journalists from The New York Times and the many women who exposed Harvey Weinstein’s deep history of being an infamous Hollywood creep over three decades without consequences.
Exposing Harvey lead to the ignition of the #METOO movement and a new wave of feminism in Hollywood as well as the country. Sexual assault in Hollywood dating years back was exposed as actresses were enduring abuse for the sake of saving their careers.
These women powered through a high-stakes and nerve-wracking investigation leading to many actresses speaking on their experience with sexual assault in Hollywood. Eventually, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison, a big win for the feminist community.
Watch the official trailer here.
International news:
Maxine Angel Opoku is an influential musician from Ghana. She is the only openly transgender artist in the entire country. At the start of her career, she focused on topics of love, relationships, and self-confidence in her music. However, in August 2021, a bill was proposed to imprison people who identify as transgender.
Swiftly, Maxine Opoku made a shift in her music and her art to a place of advocacy. In doing so, her fame grew and music became her tool to combat political and social injustice of marginalized groups. Her song “Kill the Bill” voiced disappointment and targeted the harsh politicians going against the Transgender community.
Additionally, she made a song titled “Wo Fie” (in your home) which spoke about being unapologetically her own person and that LGBTQ people are part of families, communities, and life. The current bill being talked about would push friends and neighbors to report loved ones for being themselves. It prevents the people of Ghana from openly living and being safe from harm in their own country.
Ghana has an emerging hostility toward the LGBTQ community and Maxine Angel Opoku continues to speak up in advocacy.
Check out her song “Wo Fie“.
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