THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 15-21, 2012

April 22 is EARTH DAY!

Amongst the events happening around the world this past week…

*North Korea has rejected any offers of food aid that involve giving up its nuclear weapons program.

*Jim Yong Kim has been elected president of the World Bank.

*The member countries of the G-20 have united to pledge an additional $430 Billion US Dollars to the International Monetary Fund.

*Some members of the Secret Service are being investigated for associating with prostitutes in Columbia. While such services are legally available in that country, the agents involved had other duties they should have been attending to at the time, like protecting the President of the United States!

*Civil unrest continues in Syria, Bahraini, Yemen, and along the Sudan-South Sudan border.

IN AMERICAN POLITICS:

*Although he is no longer officially in the race, Rick Santorum is still making news within the Republican Presidential Nomination contest. Pre-planned letters criticizing Mitt Romney in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary were never cancelled and sent to potential voters, and the former candidate himself as yet to endorse one of his opponents. Some analysts feel Santorum might find some success as a “non” candidate, since his name is still on many of the remaining primaries’ ballots.

*Meanwhile, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, reporters overheard hopeful Mitt Romney talking to Florida supporters in a private meeting. When asked about his budget balancing plans, the GOP front runner said he might eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and make the Department of Education “a heck of a lot smaller”. But whatever his final decisions on the matter, Romney also told the gathered supporters that he would not reveal his plans to voters until AFTER he won the election.

*THE 2012 PULITIZER PRIZE WINNERS INCLUDE:

*Journalism: Philadelphia Inquirer (Public Service), Tuscaloosa Alabama News’ staff (Breaking News), Craig F. Walker of the Denver Post (photography)

*Letters and Drama: Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith (poetry), Water By the Spoonful by

Quiara Algeria Hudes (drama)

*Music: Silent Night, An Opera In Two Acts by Kevin Puts

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

*Sadly, “America’s Oldest Teenager” Dick Clark passed away this week at the age of 82.

*Levon Helm of The Band (The Weight, Up on Cripple Creek) unfortunately lost his battle with cancer on Thursday.

*His publicist waited until after the funeral service to announce that actor Jonathan Frid, best known or type casted (depending upon your opinion) as Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows passed away on April 13 from complications after a fall. His last professional appearance will be a cameo in the upcoming Dark Shadows movie with Johnny Depp in Frid's role.

IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL:

*In a game especially scheduled to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park’s grand opening, the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees 6-2.

*Phillip Humber of the Chicago pitched a perfect game (no hits, no walks) against the Seattle Mariners Saturday. It is only the 21^st game in professional baseball history and the third in team history.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.