Written by Elizabeth Palmer-HallJune 5, 2020June 25, 2020

When This Woman Speaks: What’s Been Happening In the Year 2020 So Far?

For the record, 2019 had not been the greatest year, but many were hopeful that 2020 would be better. –Anonymous

Well judging by the social media posts, memes and just regular run of the mill conversations, 2020 has been quite the year so far. Plenty has happened and we are just halfway through.

I have decided to recap 2020 so far by highlighting some of the major events, stories and trends up to this point. Most Americans will agree that this year has not been the best as of yet. It is just June 5, and we have already gone through a lot as a nation. Let me rephrase that statement, we have gone through a lot as a world.

We have lost people like the legendary, Kobe Bryant and more. COVID-19 has changed everything and the drama and tragedy surrounding the pandemic has been the single most pressing issue of 2020 thus far, and that will not change anytime soon. 2020 has been so far, full of death, as millions are affected by COVID-19 world-wide. So rather than dedicate a single section and only talking about there, I have included information on how the virus has affected us this year all throughout the sections of the article.

I included some projections for the month of June because June has yet to be determined. We will have to see how the rest of the year turns out. I will be sure to do a year review so we can see what other outrageous things will go on. Well there is a tremendous amount of things for me to cover so let me get started.

JANUARY 2020

The new year starts and while there is talk of a new coronavirus strain in China, we have yet to really panic in the United States. Starting about January, there was news of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan a city in China that were reported to the World Health Organization. Chinese authorities were also reporting the cause to be a new or novel strain of coronavirus called, “COVID-19”. But it’s still early and the pandemic has yet to reach greater proportions.

World new outlets had been reporting on Covid-19 since the very end of 2019 but it wasn’t until January 7, 2020 Ohio claimed to have the first patient infected with COVID-19 a strain of coronavirus. This prompted the CDC to issue its first public alert on January 8, 2020. On January 21, 2020 it is being reported that a man who had returned from Wuhan, China was in a hospital in the state of Washington.

It is around this time it is also being reported there is a nationwide shortage of COVID-19 test kits.

On January 29,2020 it has been reported by the New York Times that President Trump had knowledge of the not only the deadly damage that COVID-19 was causing worldwide but the devastating financial damage it was causing as well. On January 30, the World Health Organization issued a warning for all countries concerning COVID-19. On January 31, Present Trump’s Administration declared COVID-19 a public health emergency and instituted traveling restrictions.

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT DELIVERED TO SENATE JANUARY 15

After all the hoop de la about impeachment that haunted him in 2019, I personally am surprised President Trump did survive to still be the U.S. President in 2020 but we all know he did. He continued to be controversial at the start of the year. On January 15, 2020 the House of Representatives delivered the articles of impeachment of President Donald J. Trump to the United States Senate. Were you shocked?

We all saw it coming after months of speculation and accusations of wrong doing being featured in the media. Trump was now going to trial and we would now wait to see how the impeachment process would unfold for him. As of today he is still President and that was definitely the case in January 2020.

KOBE & GIANNA BRYANT DIE JANUARY 26

January goes along until the death of a basketball star occurs and the world stops to pay tribute to the Black Mamba.

When my son ran in the living room and announced that Kobe Bryant had died I like many thought that it was a hoax. So in curiosity I went on the Internet just knowing that it was fake news.

But, it was not. Kobe Bryant perished in a fatal helicopter crash along with eight other occupants including his 13 year old daughter, Gianna.

I went on my computer and accessed the Internet. I went to page after page and it didn’t take long for me to come to the realization that the news my son was telling me was real. It wasn’t a celebrity death hoax. Kobe Bryant really was gone. And so I began going to the stages of grief. Even though I never met him in person, I am the biggest Kobe Bryant fan. So, I was devastated.

I was touched but in shock at first and, when reports that his daughter died that day too, that’s when I lost it. The tears started falling and eventually I started bawling. It was so sad.

Anybody who knows me knows I am a fanatic of the Los Angeles Lakers. I had a lot of respect for Kobe Bryant. I felt like I lost a friend. I watched him grow, and his games improve while his life unfolded before my eyes.

And when he started grooming his daughter to be a basketball star, I knew we were going to see her turn out to be phenomenal.

Kobe Bryant is hands down in an elite class of athletes that when they compete they get the highest of accolades.

I feel cheated. We used to watch Bryant give something his all consistently and that was something to see.

His daughter was about to give us what real basketball fans are is missing. Gianna Bryant was 13 years old and an extremely talented basketball player as well. She attended Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, California. She played basketball for the Mamba Sports Academy and was planning to play for the WNBA.

Gianna was just on this earth just for a flash and her accomplishments and drive were exciting to watch in anticipation for the greatness to come. After watching her father go to the epic heights we watched him soar to it seemed that Gianna was destined to astonish basketball fans.

Rest with the other angels young Gianna. Kobe Bryant was one of the best to ever touch the basketball and there will never be another on like him. Rest in Power Black Mamba.

FEBRUARY 2020

In the month of February, panic is starting to grow because there are more reports coming out of China about illnesses created by COVID-19.

One of the issues being reported in February2020 is the hoarding of essential household items like toilet paper and household cleaners. Reports of shortages of essential protective items such as latex gloves, gowns and face masks, did nothing to calm the American public. On February 6, 2020 a fifty seven year old, California woman named Patricia Dowd died from the COVID-19 infection.

We still see holidays being celebrated in a more normal way at this time of 2020. At this point it helped that the most celebrated holiday in February is Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day in 2020 was widely unaffected by social distancing.

SNOOP VS. GAYLE KING FEBRUARY 5

February would prove to be an interesting month as the death of Kobe Bryant continues to be a sore subject for many Americans. The emotions to the loss of Kobe Bryant were still fresh when a battle began to brew that surprisingly was in his name.

February 5, 2020 CBS released a clip of an interview that Gayle King had with Lisa Leslie of WNBA fame. In the clip, King asked Leslie about the rape allegations that dogged Bryant in life. King brought up the2002 rape allegations that she alleged that were being spoken about the allegations possibly complicating the legacy of Kobe Bryant.

Leslie, who is also a close friend of Bryant, responded that she knew Kobe and she did not believe the allegations. “That’s just not the person I know.” To which King responded, “But Lisa you wouldn’t see it though, as his friend you wouldn’t see it”.

The Backlash

The fallout was swift and brutal. Social media was set ablaze with fallout of immense proportion. Several celebrities spoke out in protest of King’s bringing up the decades old charges that Bryant was not convicted of. Boosie Badd Ass responded in a negative way towards King, asking, Gayle King, why the f*** would you ask some s*** like that?” Boosie states in a rant on a live rant on social media platforms. “Why would you do that to yo people?” he spewed.

In response to the King and Leslie clip, Snoop Dogg went into a tirade and ranted on social media in defense of his close friend, Kobe Bryant. His rant was filled with expletives and stunning insults. I almost felt bad. Almost.

Kobe Bryant was never convicted of any crime connected to the allegation and has been fairly drama free since. So many wondered why the subject was being brought up about something that happened so long ago.

And why, so soon after the man died. Kobe Bryant had yet to be laid to rest at the time the controversial clip was released. Emotions were raw and real. The public was grieving the lost of a beloved and accomplished basketball star. Why did it get brought back up at all? Especially since Kobe Bryant is no longer here to respond.

Gayle King Responds

In the thick of the backlash, after seeing the comments on social media a very upset King for the first time took to her Instagram live and released a video where she stated she understood why the backlash was occurring based on what parts of the interview were released she would be upset seeing it too due to the clip eing taken out of context.

She blamed her network, CBS for releasing only part of a longer interview. She said she was only informed of the release after it was released and was caught off guard by the scrutiny. She wanted the public to understand she was upset by the clip as well and she felt she was professional in the interview and she included plenty positive parts of Kobe Bryant’s life.

She felt the network released the clip only to be “salacious. She too, according to King, was mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant and did not mean to be disrespectful to his legacy.

Snoop Apologizes

On February 12, 2020, Snoop took to social media to apologize to Gayle King after public backlash and a talk with his mother. A lot of people thought he went too far in his rant towards Gayle King.

At first Snoop doubled down but then he decided to issue the apology on the twelfth. In his tapped apology he states that two wrongs don’t make no right and when you’re wrong you got to fix it.” The apology included him apologizing to her for tearing her down and he believed he overacted.

The apology seems fairly sincere especially since he in my opinion could have kept the beef going. He was wrong and he apologized. The situation has since seemingly has been resolved, but we have not heard the last of Snoop and there will be more on him later in this article.

I included this battle between these two because they are literally legends in their own arenas. It is unfortunate that it had to come to such negativity. It was surprising to see who supported who in the controversy as well.

Here is a good YouTube video about the controversy from the YouTube channel Lovelyti TV:

(Posted on YouTube by Lovelyti TV subscribe to her channel. Let’s get her to a million!)

JA’NET DUBOIS DIES FEBRUARY 17

Ja’Net DuBois died February 17, 2020 of cardiac arrest at her home in Glendale California. She was eternally beautiful and multitalented with many accomplishments as an actress. DuBois was most known for playing the iconic slick talking neighbor to the Evans family, Wilona Woods, on the hit show “Good Times”. Her career spanned a few decades with her starting to entertain in the 60’s and continuing to act in the 2010’s. She will be greatly missed. Rest in Power Ja’Net DuBois.

THE KILLING OF POP SMOKE FEBRUARY 19

On February 19, 2020 twenty year old rapper Pop Smoke, who was born, Bashar Barakah Jackson, died from a gunshot to the torso after a home invasion in a home being rented in California. I included his death in this article because he was such a young rapper who was respected by a number of his peers. We were robbed because we only got a glance at his greatness. Rest in Power Pop Smoke.

Here is a video where the LAPD held a press briefing on the incident:

(Posted on YouTube by Eyewitness News ABC7NY)

THE KILLING OF AHMAUD ARBERY FEBRUARY 23

On February 23, 2020 a father Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael spot a man that they see running and jump in a pickup truck to chase down and confront 25 year old Ahmaud Arbery who was jogging in a Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood named Satilla Shores.

A confrontation was recorded by a neighbor who was following in a separate vehicle. The confrontation leads to Arbery and Travis McMichael struggling with a shot gun. Arbery ends up shot three times and dies as the result. There was and has been controversy over the killing Arbery is a Black man and the two McMichael’s are White.

There was and has been controversy over the killing Arbery is a Black man and the two McMichael’s are White. A video of the shooting went viral and the public became outraged that the McMichael’s had not been arrested. The two were eventually arrested seventy four days later in May, under immense public pressure.

MARCH 2020

By March, social distancing is now in place so St. Patrick’s Day in 2020 is different than usual. Gone are the parades and those big celebrations are starting to be stopped by the panic of the spreading of COVID-19. The Presidential Primaries still took place in March, although we have yet to discover if we will see changes to the voting process due to the pandemic. March is full of surprises.

By March 2020, the whole world has been changed by COVID-19 as people are sheltering in place. America is feeling the pressure as across the country employees stay home for weeks.

March 2, 2020 the cases of coronavirus in the United States reach 100 cases. Towards the middle of the month on March 15, the CDC issued guidance recommending against gatherings of 50 or more people for an eight week period. Individual states started instituting social distancing policies of their own.

March 16, 2020 social distancing as we know it became commonplace as President Trump issued the guidelines we are now familiar with. Though it was happening before, March is the month that people are now being urged by government to limit social gatherings to ten people or less.

Face masks and coverings are now commonly seen or required to enter into stores and public places. You are no longer able to grab a quick bite after work with friends or sit in establishments with your family. Many restaurants have changed to only offer drive thru or carry out only. Most retail stores have adjusted their store policies to accommodate customer service during the pandemic.

By March we are overwhelmed with all the news about COVID-19 because it is everywhere you look. By now a slew of celebrities are reporting they have be either diagnosed with coronavirus or are in some way impacted by the pandemic. We all are in the same boat. We all are exhausted with staying indoors and socially distancing.

HARVEY WEINSTEIN IS SENTENCED TO 23 YEARS MARCH 11

After years of waiting for karma to hit, Harvey Weinstein finally has the other shoe drop on him when he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. It was the fateful end to the momentum garnered against Weinstein who became sort of a “poster boy” for the “Me Too” movement. Weinstein is still is going to trial in Los Angeles for more crimes later.

It has been widely stated that Weinstein has been the benefactor of special treatment. Some wondered would he ever see justice as other’s such as Bill Cosby, are serving time for past criminal activity. Some of Weinstein’s accusers are very recent. So for many, the drama concerning him is finally nearing an end.

THE KILLING OF BREONNA TAYLOR MARCH 13

26 year old, EMT, Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville Kentucky police officers on March 13, 2020. Taylor was shot eight times when officers Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison and allegedly were serving a warrant to the wrong residence.

The incident in question occurred when the officers forced their way into Taylor’s apartment where she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were sleeping. Because they did not identify themselves, her boyfriend shot at the officers assuming they were intruders. Keep in mind they were not wearing their uniforms.

At the time of this article, June 3, 2020, there has still not been an arrest made on behalf of justice for Breonna Taylor. Would you like information about the petition for justice for Breonna Taylor?

https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor

NETFLIX RELEASES TIGER KING MARCH 20

On March 20 Netflix released a documentary that featured the life and times of an eccentric animal collector named Joe Exotic and the public went wild. It helped that by now everybody is sheltering in place due to the coronavirus.

With so many Americans stuck at home “Netflix and chill” became a necessity as the thirst for entertainment grew. The series was watched by 34.3 million viewers within the first ten days that Netflix released it.

APRIL 2020

Later on in 2020 we move into the month of April and spring is in full swing. But, so is the spread of COVID-19.

April was an out of the ordinary month. Easter 2020 was pretty much kept under stated due to social distancing. Gathering had to be kept to fewer than ten people so those big Easter egg hunts that people usually give for the kiddies were cancelled. I can honestly say that most Americans were showing signs of being increasingly stir-crazy.

By April reports of Africans being mistreated in China were growing and circulating through news outlets. There were many reports that Africans were facing many horrible human rights abuses due to COVID-19 ravishing many parts of the world but especially China.

By now most America wants to go back to normal as the pandemic wears on and normalcy escapes many of us.

People are working from home, waiting on coronavirus stimulus checks, shopping in costumes akin to hazmat suits and social distancing whether they wanted to or not.

We all collectively as a nation want out but there is no end in sight as people continue to be infected with COVID-19.

Our hope are further dashed when it is reported on April 14,2020 that the United States does not have the testing procedures to ease the social distancing measures currently in place as of March 2020.

New protests break out across the country as the “stay at home orders” to fight COVID-19 prolong and more and more people want America to be back open.

By the end of April 2020, in the United States there were 60,966 deaths from the virus and over a million Americans were infected with COVID-19 nationwide. In a country where money is an important component to the government tax season was moved from April to July.

Concerns grew in April about the Americans that are incarcerated are at risk for COVID-19 infection due to them not being able to social distance. Many began to request that local governments release them.

All over the United Sates local governments began releasing non violent or low level prisoners. The reason some prisoners were being released early was due to the spread of COVID-19 in incarcerated populations and the health of the prison personnel.

TEKASHI 6IX9INE RELEASED EARLY DUE TO COVID-19 APRIL 2

One of the more high profiled prisoners released early due to croronavirus was the infamous Tekashi 6ix9ine. Are you familiar with him?

Well you can get familiar with him quickly. I also done an in depth article about him if you need to get to know who he is, and how he rose to fame and the controversy surrounding him as well as some of his well documented antics.

Check out, “Whenthiswomanspeaks about Tekashi 6ix9ine Part 1” (coming June 12, 2020)

Whether you are familiar with him or not, on April 2, 2020, amid concerns he was at a higher risk for getting an illness from COVID-19 strain of coronavirus, Tekashi 6ix9ine was released early from prison into home confinement. How did this come to be?

The previous month Tekashi 6ix9ine whose given name is Daniel Hernandez asked the judge in his case if he could serve out the rest of his sentence at home due to him having asthma. Why is this important? This is an opportunity many did not get afforded to them, R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, and Harvey Weinstein to name a few. But rather than keep a low profile, Tekashi 6ix9ine continued to cause chaos in hip hop circles with his shenanigans. I will speak more on him later on in the article.

Yes, the year is nowhere near over and we have not heard the last of Tekashi 6ix9ine just keep reading on!

TRUMP SUPPORTERS CORONAVIRUS PROTESTS APRIL 15

There is much talk about the coronavirus stimulus checks and millions await their share. As the world grows weary of the pandemic, Trump supporters take to the streets in protest of a range of issues. More than anything I believe the protesters showed just how stir crazy many Americans had become at this point.

Starting around the 15th of the months we see rallies start to form in different states.

Here is one where that took place in Lansing, Michigan:

(Posted on YouTube by WOOD TV8)

MAY 2020

As we start the month of May we are to witness several social distancing fails and witness the rise in cases of COVID-19. Mother’s Day 2020 celebrations are creative none the less as we continue to be constrained by the pandemic. There are several developments that unfold in May and some devastating losses.

ARREST IN ARBERY KILLING MAY 7

Every since it had been reported that the White father and son duo with the help of their neighbor, William Bryan Jr., chased down the Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery and had not suffered any consequence, the public had been hammering for Justice.

On May 7, 2002 Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael were arrested on charges connected to the killing.

ANDRE HARRELL DIES MAY 7

Also on that day, the legendary Andre Harrell dies from “heart problems” he has apparently been suffering from. Harrell, who was only 59 years old, was directly responsible for many careers including, Mary J. Blige and Sean “Puffy” Combs. Rest in Power, Andre Harrell.

ROY HORN DIES DUE TO CORONOVIRUS MAY 8

The next day Roy Horn of “Siegfried and Roy” fame died due to complications due to an illness he caught from COVID-19. Roy Horn was a legend in the world of magic as a form of entertainment, and he will be greatly missed. Rest in Magic, Roy Horn.

TEKASHI6IX9INE VS SNOOP DOGG MAY 8

Now remember earlier in the article I said that I would get back to talking about two people, Tekashi 6ix9ine and Snoop Dogg? Well May 8th we see a beef start brewing. Over that weekend 69 ends up getting into it with of all people, Snoop Dogg. What?!

I get it. Normally I would not think that the two names would go together. But somehow these two found a way to beef with each other. How did it start? Fresh out of Prison and hungry for another hit, on May 8, 2020 Tekashi 6ix9ine released a single “Gooba”.

The song debut on the twenty four year olds birthday albeit amid a bunch of scrutiny by other rappers and others. 69’s song broke all kinds of records when it was released and everyone seemed to be talking about the song and Tekashi 6ix9ine all over social media platforms. “Gooba” had 43.5 million views on YouTube alone, the first day it was released. The song and the video come out and it seems to everybody that 69 is now where near as repentant as they feel he should be.

Instead of shying away from being called a “snitch” 69 has fully embraced the title and is as popular as before he went to prison. Go figure? Rapper, Lil Durk dropped music at around the same time and it was not received well I believe it was due to the controversy. (Go check out Lil Durk’s new music and leave me a comment if you think it’s good….)

Snoop Dogg made a comment calling out everyone for promoting “Gooba” and making “snitching” acceptable when it never was before. Tekashi hit back with his own brand of trolling, him watching a video that insinuates Snoop is an informant, and it went on all of that weekend .The two went back and forth.

Snoop created a trailer for a movie depicting 69 as an industry plant and police informant. The two traded insults on, and on, and on it went. 69 went on social media and repeatedly posted comments that Snoop was the real “snitch”. Did any of you catch the back and forth and how far it went? And it went far with 69 even telling Snoop to apologize to his wife for cheating on her. Omg.

LITTLE RICHARD DIES MAY 9

The next day Rock and Roll legend Little Richard died from a cause relating to bone cancer at the ripe old age of 87. Born as Richard Wayne Penniman, performing under the name Little Richard he gave the world such notable hits as “Tutti-Frutti” and much more. Many regard him as one of the founder’s of Rock and Roll, as we know it. Rest in Peace, Little Richard.

BETTY WRIGHT DIES MAY 10

The very next day we lost another great singer in the renowned singer Betty Wright who died at age 66 from cancer. She was known for her numerous hit such as, “Clean up Woman” and, “After the Pain”. She has a career that spans several decades and has worked with many artists. One of my favorite songs was one she did with Lil Wayne called “Playing with Fire”. Rest in Love, Betty Wright.

ANOTHER ARREST IN THE ARBERY CASE MAY 21

William Bryan Jr. was arrested on May 21, 2020 for his part in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. He is charged with felony murder as well as attempt to commit false imprisonment, according to CNN. Bryan was the cameraman who obtained the footage of the killing.

THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD MAY 25

On May 25, 2020 police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on the neck of handcuffed George Floyd for approximately eight minutes in Powderhorn, Minneapolis. As a result, Floyd begs for the officer to remove his knee and is repeatedly can be heard on the video saying that he could not breathe. After a few minutes into the video Floyd is nonresponsive but Chauvin does not remove his knee. Floyd is later pronounced dead.

Witnesses record the incident which involved a total of four officers. One applied his knee, one held Floyd’s back, one held Floyd’s legs, and one made sure no one intervened. It is later learned Floyd was being arrested for allegedly trying to pay for purchases at a deli with a counterfeit bill. People driving by took video footage with their phones; witnesses on the ground did as well.

The video of George Floyd and his interaction with the police was documented by a number of videos and a number of angles. When the video began to circulate and go viral on social media, the public was outraged. The phrase, “I Can’t Breathe” began to trend. As more information came out, the public began to speak out against what is widely viewed as the murder of a person based on their ethnicity. All four officers were fired the next day.

Protests& Social Unrest

In response to the killing, all over the country protests against the killing of George Floyd and Black people in general by the police, began, starting with Minnesota. The bus stop by the site of his death became a memorial with people paying tribute to Floyd starting May 26. All over the country rioting and social unrest broke out in response to the killing of George Floyd and Black people in general by the police, began, starting with Minnesota. The 3rd Precinct of the Minneapolis Police was burned and nearby buildings was vandalized.

Looting had begun as some bad elements mixed in with the protesters. Many protests and unrest broke out in hundreds of cities and people even protested in front of Derek Chauvin’s home. As a result of the mayhem at the time of this article 12 major United States cities have curfews.

JUNE 2020

As we move further into summer and the year 2020, I predict June 2020, will be unlike any other. We will continue to be quarantined and sheltered in either by government sanction or otherwise. Some of us were already social distancing before coronovirus and COVID-19 became common phrases and words people commonly utter. We will continue to have to use precautions against COVID-19. I believe more of us will continue to social distance and it is my hopes we will continue to move towards less cases of new infections with COVID-19.

If you are wondering if I have more information about the COVID-19, that may help you in the remaining months of 2020? Check out my article, Combat the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 by Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Clean.

Now I know that everything that has happened this year has not been included, but that is only because there is too much information for me to include everything. Anyone would have to admit this year so far, has been unusual. There is too much information for me to include everything. But I did try to include a lot of COVID-19 news that came out in the months we have had in 2020, previous to June.

I am curious and excited to know how 2020 has been to YOU so far……. Want to engage with this blog? Try leaving an article focused commentary. Here are some questions you can answer or topics you can comment on:

Do you think COVID-19 will continue to be such a major issue for June 2020 or the rest of the year? What are some of your predictions for the month of June? What about for the rest of the year? What was the first day you remember learning about COVID-19? Did you know about the coronavirus in January 2020? Do you think Donald Trump was prepared for the pandemic? Do you think that the House is justified in delivering the articles to impeach Donald Trump? How did the death of Kobe Bryant affect you? Were you surprised Snoop Dogg was at odds with Gayle King, or Tekashi 6ix9ine? Will you be signing the petition for justice for Breonna Taylor? Have you seen the docu-series, “Tiger King?” Were you surprised Bby the release of Tekashi 69? What celebrity deaths of 2020 have affected you the most? Any predictions for the rest of the year?

If I left out anything that you feel should have been integrated into the article, please feel free to leave a comment! What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment and please follow whenthiswomanspeaks.com

Face book@ whenthiswomanspeaks

Instagram @ whenthiswomanspeaks

Resources:

When This Woman Speaks: What’s Been Happening In the Year 2020 So Far?

For the record, 2019 had not been the greatest year, but many were hopeful that 2020 would be better. –Anonymous

Well judging by the social media posts, memes and just regular run of the mill conversations, 2020 has been quite the year so far. Plenty has happened and we are just halfway through.

JANUARY 2020