Politics:
The Good: Students Begin Their Own Campaigns
Amid the Parkland crisis that rattled the nation February 14th, it is the next generation taking action to voice their discord. On Monday February 19th, students from the Washington D.C. area protested outside of the White House and called for action from President Trump and lawmakers to reconsider their stance on assault weapons. The group calls themselves “Teens For Gun Control” and is mostly made up of students not yet eligible to vote due to their age. Eleanor Nuechterlein and her friend Whitney Bowen both 16 formed the group to support students around the country that have been victims of school shootings. 17 students laid flat on the ground for 3 minutes illustrating the lives taken by Nikolas Cruz and the amount of time it takes to purchase a gun. A Virginia congressmen Don Beyer joined the protest and made several comments in support of the movement: “When I was growing up, sometimes we had to hide under our desk in case there was a nuclear attack, but these guys have to hide under their desks all the time — school shooting after school shooting,”
In addition to “Teens For Gun Control”, the survivors of the Parkland shooting are also organizing their own protests using social media to draw awareness coining the slogan #NeverAgain.
The Bad: Florida Legislature Decline Vote On Weapons Ban
With the survivors of the Parkland shooting en route to the Capitol, the Florida state legislature opened it’s Tuesday session with a prayer for the victims of the recent school shooting and then voted 36-71 against banning AR-15’s and other assault weapons. House Rep. Kionne McGhee of Miami requested that the bill HB-219 (which would ban the purchase of assault rifles) be heard and voted on. With republicans dominating the room, the bill failed to pass and left survivors of the attack swimming in a pool on anger, disappointment, and shock. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Carlos Guillermo from Orlando who expressed his disapproval on Twitter: “17 pp in Parkland were just murdered w/an AR-15, + the FL House just passed @RossSpano’s HR 157 declaring PORN as a public health risk. No, GUN VIOLENCE is a public health crisis + Spano blocked HB 219 banning assault weapons in his committee for 2 yrs,”
Entertainment:
The Good: Black Panther Breaks Box Office Records
This past weekend “Black Panther” premiered in theaters and has since broken several Hollywood records including the most pre-sale tickets sold of any movie. The film has received praise all across the industry with rappers, singers and even influential giants like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey calling for everyone to support the film directed by Ryan Coogler. Several other celebrities such as T.I., & Travis Scott rented out entire theaters sending local school children to see the film. So far the film has grossed $426.6 million, recouping it’s 200 million dollar budget. Although speculators assumed the film would do poorly overseas due to its predominantly black cast, already the film has taken in over $140 million dollars making up over 40% of its total sales so far.
The Bad: Fergie Dragged For Rendition Of National Anthem
This past weekend marked the 67th edition of the NBA’s All Star Weekend showcase which included dozens of athletes and celebrities. As the game kicked off, Fergie joined the list of singers who’ve tried their own versions of the Star Spangled Banner and unfortunately it wasn’t accepted very well. With the low rumble of laughter continuing into the world of social media, endless memes and comments about the performance forced Fergie to respond with an apology. “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA. I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
World:
The Good: American Airlines Employee Saves 2 Would Be Slaves
Two young girls 15 & 17 approached Denice Miracle’s ticket counter at the American Airlines booth in California looking to board a flight to New York. Denice noticed the girls seemed to be clueless about their travel plans and relied on someone whom they were texting for simple answers. To make matters worse, they had no identification and only had one way tickets. After calling the sheriff’s department, the two teens admitted to speaking with a man on Instagram named “Drey” who offered them $2000 to produce a music video. Authorities believe Denice’s quick thinking and scrutiny may have saved the two from a human trafficking plot. Authorities tried to reach “Drey” moments later and discovered he had already deleted all his social media profiles. American Airlines issued a statement regarding Denice’s actions: “She (Denice Miracle) is a testament to the critical role our frontline team members play each and every day in the operation and the lives of each person they come in contact with.”
The Bad: Syrian Conflict Claims More Lives
For the majority of the past decade, the Syrian people have been subject to war, unfettered violence and an unstable government. With rebels attempting to topple the President Bashar Assad, the government laid waste to the city of Ghouta with one of the worst attacks since the onset of the civil war killing nearly 200 civilians, many of whom were children. With Russian backing, the shelling continued for 48 hours with survivors desperately searching for lost loved ones and shelter from the next wave of bombings. With food and medical aid cut off, the government says it is preparing a final onslaught that they predict will crush rebel activity permanently.
Hilarity:
Black Panther Cast Not The Only Ones In Costume
When your bread is low, you have to get creative. That’s exactly what two teens did this weekend who attempted to get into “Black Panther” for a discounted price. Standing on the shoulder of his accomplice, the teens covered themselves with a trench coat and amused fellow movie goers but were ultimately denied entry.
Car Snitches On Woman
As the surge of artificial intelligence continues, its role in solving crimes is already being used by authorities. Cathy Bernstein, 57 of Florida was driving her Ford Focus when she hit another motorist and quickly left the scene. Thinking she had gotten away, she failed to realize the car she was driving had already reported the crash to police who then called Bernstein. She denied being in an accident and said someone had pulled out in front of her. The operator became suspicious and dispatched officers who had been investigating a recent hit and run to her home. After seeing the damage officers questioned Bernstein who eventually confessed and was arrested.
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