By: Kai Sinclair, Asst. News Editor (@kai_sinclair)
Twenty one people are dead and over 500 are missing as the historic wildfires in California’s wine country continue to batter the state. Almost two dozen fires have been burning since Sunday, prompting officials in northern california counties to order mandatory evacuations of 20,000 people. According to forestry officials, most fires are started by humans in some way, but these blazes have been especially devastating due to high winds, dry weather conditions, and dried out vegetation. This is California’s deadliest wildfire in 14 years, and the death toll is expected to rise.
The 2017 Major League Baseball Playoffs began last week, kicking off the three and a half week race to the World Series title. The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks clinched spots in their divisions’ series after emerging victorious from their respective must-win wild card games. The Yankees went on to beat the Cleveland Indians in a five-game series, while the Boston Red Sox played, and were eliminated, by the Houston Astros in four games.The Los Angeles Dodgers ended the Diamondbacks’ run three games, while the reigning champions, the Chicago Cubs, played four games against Washington D.C.’s Nationals, with their fifth taking place on Thursday. The American and National League champions will be decided by Oct. 21 and 22 respectively, and on Nov. 1, the 2017 MLB season will end and a World Series Champion will be named.
Multiple reports of sexual harassment surfaced against profound Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, following an article published by the The New York Times last Thursday. According to the article, Weinstein had been paying off women her sexually harassed in exchange for their silence for three decades. A list of more than a dozen women, including actresses like Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne, accused the producer of sexual harassment, ranging from unwanted advances in hotel rooms to forced sex. On Sunday, The Weinstein Company fired Weinstein, which he co-founded, and his wife, Georgina Chapman, announced on Tuesday that she plans to leave him. Weinstein said on Wednesday that he’s seeking counseling.
ESPN suspended host Jemele Hill for two weeks for a second violation of the company’s social media guidelines, the network announced on Monday. She took to social media in response to Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones’, decision to bench any player who “disrespects the flag.” Hill tweeted on Monday, “Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott… But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.” The company said in a statement that all ESPN employees were reminded that their personal tweets may be misconstrued as beliefs of the network following her criticisms of President Donald Trump last month. Those, “actions could have consequences. Hence this decision,” the statement said.
