A great deal happened over the summer that MDO did not get the chance to report on. If you’re in need of a brief review, check out our summery below. Click the links to learn more about this wide range of stories.
Almost everyone has donated or been doused, some even both. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge struck the hot summer months hard and was a chilling fundraiser that raised over $108 million dollars.
http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html
Robin Thicke’s new album, “Paula,” sold only 530 copies in the first week of his release. Listeners found the lyrics about his recently divorced wife more disturbing than those of his hit “Blurred Lines.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2014/07/14/the-shocking-downfall-of-robin-thicke/
Following the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by police, the town of Ferguson, Missouri erupted into tumultuous protest over racial profiling and police brutality. The police force is now under federal investigation, though no charges have been pressed on the officer responsible for the shooting. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html?_r=0
Another Malaysian airplane crash occurred July 17. The plane, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is said to have been shot down by pro-Russian rebels over Ukraine. All 298 passengers were killed in the crash. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28357880
On August 11th, Robin Williams passed on to another life but he remains with us in spirit. Williams touched many with his comical approaches of numerous characters he portrayed over his career as an actor and comedian. To learn more about the death of true comedic legend, visit http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/11/showbiz/robin-williams-dead/
After nine years together, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie married on August 23. The couple’s six kids were very involved in the ceremony, contributing to the vows, cake, and the dress.
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-married-sweetest-details-wedding/story?id=25227959
Seth Meyers hosted sixty-sixth Emmy’s Awards on Monday, August 25. Many of the winners were shocked and overjoyed to win their first Emmy, including the winners from Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. Other seasoned winners, such as Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Louis CK (Louis), and Modern Family, took home well-deserved wins. All-around, the nominees this year were phenomenal.
http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners
Naked photos of about 20 celebrity women were leaked this summer. The photos, originally published on 4chan, have sparked debate, as some believe that the women are partially responsible for taking the photos in the first place while others denounce this belief as a form of victim shaming.
http://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/why-leaked-nude-photos-are-another-frontier-for-feminists/
Gaza has been in a lot of turmoil over the past months. Recently a ceasefire was negotiated between Hamas and the Israelis with the help of Egypt. People in Gaza are returning to their homes only to find out that their houses have been demolished, leaving a great deal of debris.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-hamas-fatah-.html?_r=0
In the world of beach fashion, flash tats are the new fad for teens. Now you can express yourself temporarily with these new chic tattoos!
http://www.refinery29.com/flash-tattoos
A team of British-backed men has been investigating ISIS for various war crimes since January and has recently been furthering their investigation. Operatives in Syria are also collecting evidence in the effort to help prosecute the group’s militant leaders, who ordered the execution of two American journalists within the last month.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/probe-into-war-crimes-targets-islamic-state-militants-1409864371
Approximately 4,000 people in West Africa have contracted Ebola since last December, making it the most dangerous outbreak in the 40 year history of the disease. The disease is expanding exponentially, even infecting healthcare workers sent to the region to control the epidemic, making it very hard to contain and cure.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/08/ebola-africa-outbreak-treatment/15312883/
These past two weeks in Queens, New York have been filled with surprises and “Cinderella” stories for many in the US Open, including both Men finalists. With two tough battles in championship matches on September 6 and 7, the US Open welcomes back 6-time champion Serena Williams as the woman’s finalist, and first timer Marin Cilic as the male finalist.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2189780-us-open-tennis-2014-latest-predictions-for-men-and-womens-finals
Scientists from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois are now questioning if the universe might be a two dimensional hologram rather than the three dimensional universe we commonly think we live in. The Holometer Experiment hopes to test this hypothesis which would change previously accepted ideas about our universe drastically.
http://www.space.com/26969-universe-2d-hologram-holometer-experiment.html
We hope you enjoyed your summer – get ready for a great year of stories!