Illustration by Berke Yazicioglu
Police Payout
Six months after a Chicago Police Officer shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in the head, arm, neck, chest, and right leg, the city has offered a $5 million settlement to the young man’s family. According to the Fraternal Order of Police, McDonald was found with a knife in the neighborhood of Archer Heights when police were responding to multiple car break-ins. Two squad cars surrounded the young man, who then damaged one squad car’s windshield and front tires. The officer who supposedly shot McDonald has been placed on paid desk duty according to the Chicago Tribune. Critics of the report filed by police question why only one officer was placed on desk duty when McDonald was shot from various directions. Further, why the Chicago Police Department won’t release the video taken by a police car dashcam. An investigation is currently being conducted by the Independent Police Review Authority.
Too Many Bees
Early one Friday morning, a semi-truck rolled off of the road spilling a load of 14 million honeybees onto Interstate 405 near Lynwood, Washington. The Seattle Times reported that firefighters were instructed to spray the hives with a mixture of foam and water, resulting in clumps of dead bees littering the interstate. The shipment of honeybees from
Sunnyside, Yakima County, were to be used for pollination at a Blueberry farm in Whatcom County. The total value of the bees were $92,000.
Edward Snowden Bust
A group of ten anonymous artists created a 4 foot, 100 pound bust of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The bust was placed on top of a war memorial dedicated to Prison Ship Martyrs of the revolutionary war near the Brooklyn Navy yard. The bust was fused onto the column early this April. Though the sculpture was removed and confiscated by city officials, galleries across New York have shown interest in putting it on display for the public to see. After the bust was removed, the artists projected an image of Snowden onto the memorial.
71 Year-Old Reporter Sentenced
71-year-old Chinese reporter Gao Yu will likely be facing her third time behind bars. She was arrested earlier this year and charged with distributing state secrets to foreign media outlets. She is accused of leaking “Document no. 9”, an offensive against liberal political ideas and values drafted by the Chinese government, according to the New York Times. Gao Yu has appealed against the seven-year sentence. She denies sending “Document no.9” to the Mirror Media Group, a claim supported by the founder of the group. According to her lawyer, the prosecution evidence that Gao Yu ever shared or even possessed the document. The verdict was based on a confession made by Gao Yu, which she apparently made under pressure.
Marilyn Manson Goes to Denny’s
Like any celebrity, Marilyn Manson went to the chain restaurant Denny’s at 2:30 a.m. after a concert he held in Lethbridge, Alberta. Shortly after he started signing autographs, he was punched in the face by a man in the chain-diner. TMZ reported that Manson called the man’s girlfriend a bitch, provoking the conflict. Manson denied these accusations. A witness reported to the Calgary Sun that the man’s punch was a sucker-punch.
