Thursday, June 26

At least 16 people have been killed as massive anti-government protests take place all over Kenya, specifically in the capital city of Nairobi.

The protests took place on the one-year anniversary of last year's demonstrations, which were against a proposed finance bill that faced major backlash from the Kenyan population. Kenyan President William Ruto proposed a finance bill that included tax increases on various goods, which would place more stress on the Kenyan people, who have already been struggling with cost of living prices over the past few years. Read more on the initial protests against the tax hike here.

Ruto then authorized police to use lethal force, which ended in the deaths of multiple people as authorities released tear gas and fired bullets into crowds of people. Ruto quickly withdrew the bill after the incidents, but calls for him to step down have persisted over the past year.

Now, the demonstrations have expanded to include cost of living prices, police brutality, and general protests against Ruto and his government, but the violence has continued. This year's protests have killed a total of 16 people already, most of which were due to actions by local police. According to reports, several of them were shot dead, angering citizens further. Hundreds of others have been injured, as protestors have been hit by waves of tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and even real bullets.

Dozens of people have also been arrested for excessive violence, as some protestors have attacked police with their own weapons.

Fact of the Day (BBC): Your brain burns 400-500 calories a day. That’s about a fifth of your total energy requirements. Most of this is concerned with the largely automatic process of controlling your muscles and processing sensory input, although some studies show solving tricky problems increases your brain's metabolic requirements too.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): One must pass through the circumference of time before arriving at the center of opportunity. (Baltasar Gracián)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flotsam (noun, FLAHT-sam) - Flotsam refers to the floating pieces that remain after a shipwreck, or more broadly to any floating debris or wreckage. It is also used figuratively to refer to miscellaneous or unimportant material, often in the phrase "flotsam and jetsam."

In a Sentence: Driftwood and other flotsam washed onto the beach.