TripAdvisor to flag hotels with sexual assault reports
According to BBC News, TripAdvisor, a leading travel website, has announced that they will begin flagging hotels whose former guests have reported sexual assaults with warning badges on the company’s website. The announcement follows allegations that the website had been removing reviews describing sexual assaults involving three resort hotels in the Playa del Carmen region of Mexico. TripAdvisor’s spokesman Kevin Carter stated that the warning badges would be in effect for three months, but if newer reports were filed, they may remain for longer periods of time. Carter also added that “these badges are intended to be informative, not punitive.”
Investigators search for answers following Texas church shooting, parishioners mourn
On Nov. 5, Devin Kelley entered the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and fatally shot 26 congregants and wounded 20. According to CNN, in a search for answers as to the gunman’s motive, former co-worker Jessica Edwards alleged that Kelley told her that he’d been buying animals on Craigslist for target practice. In an interview with Inside Edition, Kelley’s ex-wife, Tessa Brennaman, stated that he once threatened to kill her family and fractured her son’s skull in 2012. On Nov. 11, a funeral and military-memorial service were held outside the Sutherland Springs community center honoring the slain. According to NBC News, the church’s pastor, Frank Pomeroy who lost his 14-year-old daughter in the shooting, said that it would be “too stark a memory” to resume service in the building, implying that the church would be torn down.
Martial arts school in Democratic Republic of Congo teaches women to protect themselves
A martial arts school located in the eastern city of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo has begun teaching women, including survivors of sexual assault, how to protect themselves against attacks. Al Jazeera reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo currently has one of the highest rates of sexual assault and rape in the world.
Former Trump aide admits to lying to FBI out of loyalty to president
Trump’s foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to misleading FBI agents regarding Trump’s Russian ties. According to federal court filings, Papadopoulos admitted to lying about the timing of certain contacts between Trump and Russian officials out of loyalty to the president, reported ABC News. Trump has publicly denied any contact with Russian officials during his campaign.
Louis C.K., Steven Segal and Kevin Spacey face sexual assault allegations
According to Deutsche Welle news, comedian Louis C.K. and actor Steven Segal are among the latest celebrities to have been accused of sexual assault. Five individuals have accused C.K. of sexual misconduct between the 1990s and 2005, according to a report published by The New York Times on Nov. 9. The comedian has since confirmed the allegations saying “the stories are true.” The New York premiere of his latest movie, “I Love You Daddy,” was also canceled. Three actresses, including wife of Ellen DeGeneres and “Arrested Development” star Portia de Rossi, have accused Segal of sexual misconduct. Netflix has pulled Kevin Spacey from its original show “House of Cards” following the allegations against him. Additionally, according to BBC News, director Ridley Scott has announced that scenes which the actor shot in the upcoming movie “All the Money in the World” about late oil tycoon Jen Paul Getty will be reshot to exclude the actor.
China’s Singles Day shopping spree breaks records
In a report by e-commerce giant Alibaba, sales rose to $1.5 billion in the first three minutes of China’s Singles Day shopping spree on Nov. 11. According to USA Today, the annual 24-hour spree, which began in 2009 as a celebration for “lonely hearts,” is now indulged by the general population.
