At least 50 dead in Orlando shooting (World)

ORLANDO, Fla.

CNN reports that as many as 50 people are dead, and at least 50 more are injured, after a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub.

According to CBS News, the shooting took place early Sunday morning at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

ABC News reports that the suspected gunman is 29-year-old St. Lucie resident, Omar Mateen, also deceased.

Associated Press ranks it as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S history.

According to CNN, the investigation of the shooting, and the alleged shooter, is still very much underway. CBS News reports the suspect allegedly made an allegiance to ISIS prior to the incident.

ABC News reports President Obama called the incident “an act of terror” when addressed the nation Sunday, June 12.

Reasoning:

This was the selection for top world story of the week because even though it is still a fairly new story, it is incredibly relevant to everyone’s daily lives. It’s a very newsworthy story based on timeliness, and the number of people it impacts, as well as future events. The story comes in a string of mass shootings, and will undoubtedly have an impact on this election year. As well as the possible ramifications the story has based off of the alleged shooters’ possible connections to foreign terror groups. Also, there are several upcoming high profile events that will certainly be on high alert following this incident. It has become instantly an infamous story because of the record-breaking death toll. There will be many follow up stories, and continuous updates as victims are identified, and motives are determined. Everyone will want to know. Even though it happened on American soil, I classify it as a world news story because it will surely impact people all over the world in many ways.

Outrage over Stanford sexual-assault sentencing (National)

STANFORD, Cal.

TIME Magazine reports that outrage has erupted over social media since the sentencing of Stanford University star swimmer, Brock Turner. 20-year-old Turner, was convicted on three sexual offense charges, and sentenced to six-months in county jail.  

CNN obtained court documents that say police discovered Turner sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on January 18^th. He was arrested after trying to flee the scene.

According to TIME, Judge Aaron Persky’s ruling has come under fire on social media, believing it not a severe enough punishment. TIME also reports that online petitions to recall Judge Persky have collected over 500,000 signatures. Hashtags such as “#brockturner” and “#Stanfordrapevictim” have also been trending.

The 23-year-old victim read a 12-page account of how the incident has impacted her life. CNN reports the letter has been viewed over 13 million times on Buzzfeed alone.

Reasoning:

I chose this story because by now it has become ubiquitous, and everyone is aware of it. It is also very newsworthy because of the activism that has erupted for safety on college campuses, which is something that impacts students, parents, professors, alumni etc. The story has also gained prominence due to how many have shared in on social media and has been included in national conversations about racism, feminism, and rape culture. It became even more newsworthy on social media, which sort of showed it’s new found power when it comes to journalism, and how the public is getting their news. It’s also very interesting because it comes soon after semester has ended, and also just before the summer Olympics. The latter is another factor that adds into the public’s intrigue because Turner was a prospective Olympian at one time.

2 dead, 1 injured in Hobart stabbing (Local)

HOBART, Wis.

Fox 11 News reports that two women are dead after reportedly being stabbed to death. One man was also taken to the hospital with multiple stab wounds. 

According to WBAY, 26-year-old Jacob Cayer is in police custody for allegedly breaking into the home of his former girlfriend, 25-year-old Sabrina Teague, and allegedly stabbing her and her mother, 63-year-old Heesun Teague, to death.

WBAY also reports that Joel Kennedy was discovered by police with stab wounds to the chest and arms, he is expected to make a full recovery.

According to Fox 11 News, police were called to the Hobart residence on Tuesday, June 7^th on a weapons complaint. Police found Sabrina stabbed to death outside the home. Inside, they discovered her mother, also dead, and Kennedy wounded.

Cayer was arrested by police when discovered hiding in the woods behind the house. According to WFRV he is now being accused of 1^st degree murder, and being held on $5 million bond. At the time of arrest, the suspect was on probation from a domestic abuse charge.

Reasoning:

I chose this story as the local top story for the week because it seemed incredibly newsworthy for the area. Even considering the last slew of crimes involving homicide, this one stands out because of the brutality of the crime, and the apparent relationship the alleged killer had with the victims. I think it is also very newsworthy because of the populated neighborhood it occurred in, as well as the fact that the initial call to police was allegedly a weapons complaint, and it appears they were not prepared for they found at the residence.

Muhammad Ali Dies at 74 (World)

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

            The three-time world heavyweight champion, and the 20^th century icon, Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 74.

            “The Greatest” died on Friday, June 3^rd at a Phoenix-area hospital. The New York Times reports he died from complications of Parkinson’s disease and septic shock.

            CBS News reports Ali was world renowned for his athletic capabilities and unorthodox boxing style yet was a polarizing figure outside of the ring.

            According to The New York Times, throughout the 1960s and 70s, Ali gained widespread attention for his social, political, and religious beliefs. Conservative establishments saw him as a threat, whereas liberals saw noble cause in his statements.

Several notable accounts include his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War, the changing of his “slave name”, Cassius Clay, and his conversion from Christianity to Islam. All of which were very controversial actions, according to The Times.

An Olympic gold medalist, Ali was banished from the boxing ring at the height of his career for his anti-war activism. The New York Times reports this cost him millions of dollars.

Ali became a popular figurehead for Parkinson’s disease, of which he lived with for over 30 years, according to CBS News.   

The New York Daily News reports his body will be laid to rest in his hometown Louisville, Kentucky.

Reasoning:

There was such worldwide coverage of Mr. Ali’s death this week. This is why I chose this story as the top world story of the week. It’s a newsworthy story on its head because a very famous person, with very a very ubiquitous name and phrase has died. For every national newscast I watched, it was the top story. It’s also newsworthy because his death rehashes a lot of what he historically stood for, much of which was controversial. A lot of us only know Ali as the “saint-like” trembling man who lit the Olympic torch in 1996. I think a lot of us are not fully aware of what a significant and controversial figure he was in the twentieth century, worldwide. So it was those factors that make this the top world story of this week.  

Gorilla Zoo Shooting Sparks National Conversation. (National)

CINCINNATI, Ohio.

            The May 28^th shooting of the Cincinnati Zoo’s 17-year-old silverback gorilla, Harambe, has sparked a national conversation about captivity and whether or not the Zoo’s actions were appropriate.

            According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, a three-year-old boy reportedly crawled through the barrier and fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo over the Memorial Day weekend.

Video footage of the incident obtained by CNN showed the boy being dragged by the silverback, as the crowd panicked. Fearing greater aggression from Harambe, zoo officials decided to shoot and kill the gorilla. Cincinnati Enquirer further reported that the boy was rushed to the hospital where he suffered a concussion and bruising.

CNN reports that controversy over the Zoo’s decision to kill Harambe has sparked a public outcry over the incident as well as conversations about the ethics of captivity. Including the trending topic of “#justiceforHarambe” on social media.

Cincinnati Zoo President, Thane Maynard supported the Dangerous Animal Response Team’s decision in a statement to the press, “It was a tough choice. They made the right choice, because they saved the boy’s life.” (CNN).

The Washington Post reports several prominent zookeepers and primatologists, such as Jack Hanna and Jane Goodall, have commented on the matter both in support and in objection.

According to CNN, local police reportedly launched an investigation into the family of the boy, though charges have not been filed.

Reasoning:

For me, this was the obvious choice for the top national story of the week. Even though the story broke over the Memorial Day weekend, I think it is undeniable how ubiquitous the story has since become over this past week. There’s a lot of elements to decipher based on the rarity of the situation alone, but also from how many legs the story seems to have. The story seems to have branched off into conversations about parenting, entitlement, captivity, conservation, and racism. This was definitely the top story of the week because everyone seems to have an opinion on it, which also shows just how ubiquitous, and newsworthy the story is.