26 killed in deadliest shooting in Texas history  

A small town called Sutherland Springs made history on Sunday when it became the location of Texas’ worst ever mass shooting. Gunman Devin Patrick Kelley exited his vehicle armed around 11:30 a.m. and began firing as he entered First Baptist Church, where a service was in session. CNN reported that Kelley continued firing upon entering, killing 26 of the town’s couple hundred people, and injuring 20 others before he was confronted by two local residents, one armed, in a high-speed car chase. After an exchange of gunfire, Kelley reportedly dropped his firearm and drove into nearby Guadalupe County, where he was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds. An investigation into Kelley revealed his actions may have been committed with purposeful intent, as he was “obsessed with a domestic dispute” and had “sent threatening text messages to his mother-in-law as recently as Sunday morning,” according to CNN. As the investigation continues, the gun debate in the United States intensifies, with President Trump stating that this “isn’t a guns situation,” and others arguing the opposite.

November election day

Voters in multiple states across the country cast ballots last Tuesday for gubernatorial, mayoral, congressional, and district-wide elections. In Virginia and New Jersey, both Democratic candidates Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia and Phil Murphy of New Jersey defeated Republican candidates Ed Gillespie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in the race for governorship, respectively. In New York City, Bill De Blasio (D) won a second term as mayor, whereas in Provo, Utah, mayor John Curtis (R) won a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who resigned earlier this year, in Utah’s Third Congressional District. The last notable race took place in Philadelphia, where Larry Kasner (D) won an election to replace Seth Williams (D) as the next district attorney. Overall, this year’s election day proved to be a larger success for the Democrats than the Republicans, as most of the major races resulted in victories for the Democratic Party.

Trump visits China

President Donald Trump is currently in Vietnam on an 11-day, five-nation trip to the Asia-Pacific region. Before Vietnam, the president visited Japan, South Korea, and China, and will conclude his first visit to the region since taking office in the Philippines. Not only is this President Trump’s longest trip overseas thus far, but it is also the longest visit a U.S. president has paid to Asia since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush visited the region. Two major objectives of the trip included trade and putting pressure on North Korea to abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile programs, CNN reported. The president was accompanied by a team of nearly 30 CEOs from large-scale American companies, who have assisted throughout the trip in the completion of 37 major deals between U.S. and Chinese companies totaling over $250 billion, according to the Department of Commerce.