Current Events Cheat Sheet: RIP Amy Winehouse

At least 93 people were killed in Norway on Friday, when a man detonated a bomb in the country’s capital and later opened fire on young people at a retreat.  The 32-year-old who is currently considered responsible, Anders Behring Breivik, was hoping to incite an Anti-Muslim revolution with the attacks. In a document Breivik posted online, he wrote that the massacre was ‘the ultimate love gift’ to his country and ranted against the ‘indigenous Europeans’ who were open to the Muslim immigrants in Norway. He also posted a video on YouTube with a similarly heinous message. The bomb was set off at government headquarters connected to the left-leaning Labor Party, and the youth retreat was a political gathering related to the more liberal party as well. Norway, where most police don’t even carry a gun while on duty and the Nobel Peace Prize was born, is- unsurprisingly- reeling from the events.

By Avery

It was really hot this week. As if you didn’t know that when you stepped outside, and then realized it was far too freakin’ hot and went back indoors to the AC. If it makes you feel any better, it really was really hot- one of the largest heat waves of the decade, according to some meteorologists. At least 22 people died from the heat, and about 1,000 record highs were set across the country. In Minnesota, for instance, the heat index reached 134, surpassing the previous 1966 record by ten whole degrees. Weather doesn’t make for the most exciting news, but it does give journalism freedom to come up with some unique headlines. Here are some of the gems the over-heated reporters came up with: “Feelin’ hot, hot, hot” from The Suffolk News Herald, “When Mr. Heat Comes to Washington,” from Forbes, and “The Agony of the Heat,” from NPR. Thankfully, temps should be cooling down, so our makeup won’t be dripping down our face and journalists won’t have to come up with anymore, ahem, ”clever” headlines.

Singer Amy Winehouse was found dead on Saturday in her London apartment. It was well-known that Winehouse struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, but as of yet, the death is considered “unexplained.” Winehouse was super-talented; she wrote and sang her uniquely soulful hits including “Rehab,” which hit the top ten back in 2007. The album that song came from, “Back to Black,” won her five Grammys. She’s been relatively out of the spotlight for the past few years, attempting to recover from her addictions. Her death came less than two months after the end of her latest stint in rehab.

 On Monday, 40-year-old mega-bookstore chain Borders announced that its remaining 300 stores will close. “The truth is that Borders has been facing headwinds for quite some time, including a rapidly changing book industry, eReader revolution, and turbulent economy,” president Mike Edwards wrote to his employees. “We put in a valiant fight, but regrettably, in the end we weren’t able to overcome these external forces.” 10,700 employees will reportedly lose their jobs, during a time when job-hunting is already notoriously challenging. What will be Barnes & Noble’s fate? No one is sure yet, but lets hope at least some bookstores stick around. Where else will I read my free magazines?

Pic o’ the week:

Joel Saget / AFP / Getty Images.                      

Bicylclists competing in the 2011 Tour de France rode towards the Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris yesterday in the last stretch of the race. Cadell Evans of Australia won the tour, which ended Sunday, and he was the first Aussie to do so. Congrats Cadell!