Ace the current events test in your next class with Otterbein360’s “OtterBrief.” Stay tuned every Monday as we bring you the news you need to know. On campus, across the nation and around the world, the OtterBrief will keep you informed.
OtterBrief: August 24, 2015
In case you missed it:
US :
- The DOW plummets 1000 points after opening on Monday but climbs back nearly 400 points by the afternoon. Experts say this latest wave of selling could be brought on by Chinese stock market performance and a lack of confidence in the Chinese government to manage its economy.
- Pokemon Championships threatened in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend as two men arrested and held on gun charges. Information gathered on Facebook allegedly indicated that the two men, 18 and 27, planned to enter the event with weapons.
- Elon Musk recently unveiled an in-home modular battery called the Power Wall that can store 10 kilowatt-hours of power and only costs $3,000. Experts are touting this as a major step toward home energy independence.
- A Reporter and Cameraman at WDBJ7 in Virginia were shot to death Wednesday on live television. The gunman also shot an interviewee who was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. The gunman fled the scene but was soon revealed as former newstation employee Vester Lee Flannagan II. He was found dead, apparently of suicide.
World:
- A massive explosion rocked the port city of Tianjin, China, killing more than 80 and injuring hundreds. The shock wave from the blast shattered windows and set fire to vehicles and was felt for miles. The explosion left a large crater where a chemicals warehouse used to be.
- ISIS/ISIL or the Islamic State destroyed yet another historic site, this time a nearly 2,000 year old temple in Palmyra , Syria. This latest event comes on the heels of a report that Khaled al-As'ad, 82, the former general manager of antiquities in Palmyra was publicly beheaded.
- Two U.S. soldiers on a train from Amsterdam to Paris led passengers to subdue a gunman who was loading a rifle in the back of the train. The soldiers, along with another American, were honored with France's Legion of Honor Medal.
Coming up:
US:
- With the most expensive Presidential race in history already underway, Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders is trying to show by action that Super PAC's are not required to be competitive on the campaign trail.
-For only the second time in US history there seems to be a strong possibility that presidential approved foreign policy may not be approved by Congress, even after a veto. The controversial Iran nuclear deal is drawing such outspoken opposition that some think Congress could round up the two-thirds vote required to override, even as the world awaits approval by the deal of the international organization that crafted it. An organization of which the US is only one member.
World:
-Benedict Cumberbatch is Hamlet, and while the world is figuring out if they love it or hate it, the show is sold out for its foreseeable run time.
-Peace talks continue between North and South Korea after they traded missile strikes for the past few days. However, while this is one of the first times recently where South Korea has been goaded to aggression, this represents only one more in a long line of instances where North Korea initiated violence, only to be left off with some harsh words and an enhanced reputation for being a dangerous and radical power in the region.
Otterbein:
- Otterbein students may now download Microsoft Office 365, the online cloud-based suite that includes online versions of Word, Excel and OneNote.
- Otterbein student government meetings will take place this semester on Aug 27, Sep 10, Oct 22, Nov 5 and Dec 3 at the Roush Board Room (third floor)
In other news:
- Ohio State football makes history as it becomes unanimously ranked number 1 in the country in Division I play.
- Toronto police have revealed two unconfirmed reports of suicide linked to the Ashley Madison hacks. The hacks earlier this week released the personal information of subscribers to the extramarital affair website. Hackers claim that the hack was carried out for the purpose of exposing the website as a scam.
- Emmy nominations for 2015 were announced.
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