Dispatches

April 20

Up to 900 migrants died when a boat sank while crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy, bringing the number who died trying to reach Europe by sea in April to at least 1,750, a record. The number making such dangerous sea crossings has spiked since last year when 220,000 persons made the journey according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Migrants are fleeing conflicts and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, and tumultuous Libya has become the hub for human smugglers. European authorities are weighing the appropriate response to the crisis, balancing search and rescue operations with a desire to discourage smugglers. Italy ended an aggressive search and rescue program months ago over its expense, but after this incident the European Union boosted funding for rescue operations.

Saudis strike

April 21

Saudi Arabia announced an end to its airstrikes against Yemen, where Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have ousted President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and taken control of significant parts of the country. But days later, the airstrikes resumed as ground fighting continued and negotiations didn’t materialize. A U.S. aircraft carrier and a missile cruiser moved to the Yemeni coast, where seven other U.S. warships are stationed. U.S. officials said the warships are protecting the vital shipping lanes there and preventing Iran from bringing weapons to the rebels.

Rioting in Baltimore

April 27

Rioting that began on April 25 in Baltimore escalated rapidly on April 27 and left destruction in its wake. In the hours following the funeral of Freddie Gray, an African-American Baltimore resident who died in police custody, bands of looters roamed the streets, smashing windows, hurling rocks at police, and torching buildings. By the next morning, 21 police officers were injured (six seriously), 20 businesses and 144 cars had been set on fire, and more than 200 persons had been arrested. President Barack Obama the next day said there was “no excuse” for the violence as he denounced the looters as “thugs” and “criminals”: “They’re not protesting, they’re not making a statement, they’re stealing.”

Supreme Court

April 28

Leading up to gay marriage arguments on April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it would likely legalize gay marriage nationwide through this case, as it repeatedly declined appeals of circuit court rulings that struck down state marriage laws. As proponents gathered outside the court, inside the justices appeared divided, with the cagey Justice Anthony Kennedy holding the key vote. Kennedy and a majority of the other justices expressed reservations about the court changing an institution that had existed for “millennia.” Then again, Kennedy also talked about the “noble purpose” of same-sex couples seeking marriage and their unfulfilled “dignity.” The court focused little on legal precedent and more on what marriage signifies for the state. It will issue a ruling likely near the end of June.

Christians executed

April 19

In another grim video, ISIS militants executed at least 35 Ethiopian Christians in Libya. Terrorists beheaded one group of Christians on a beach, reminiscent of the executions of 21 Egyptian Christians in February, and shot another group in a different location. “We swear to Allah, the one who disgraced you by our hands, you will not have safety, even in your dreams, until you embrace Islam,” the video’s narrator said. An Ethiopian official said the Christians were likely migrants trying to reach Europe.

The Senate acts

April 22

After weeks of gridlock from Senate Democrats and pro-abortion groups, the Senate passed the widely popular Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which increases human trafficking penalties and boosts law enforcement’s tools against traffickers. The bill passed unanimously out of committee, but then Democrats blocked the measure over Hyde Amendment language in the bill, which forbids federal fines paid into a victims’ fund to be used for abortions. Now the money for victims’ medical services will come out of a different federal fund, which already forbids abortion funding except in cases of rape or incest. Senate Republicans had held up Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s confirmation after Democrats blocked the trafficking bill; the confirmation vote went forward once the trafficking bill passed.