THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 14-20, 2015

JUNE 20th IS: WORLD REFUGEE DAY, INTERNATIONAL SURFING DAY, CHINA'S ANNUAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL, ARGENTINA'S FLAG DAY, AND NATIONAL ANTI-FAMINE DAY IN IRELAND.

JUNE 21st IS FATHERS' DAY IN AMERICA & OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*Although a rough draft was somehow leaked prematurely, Pope Francis this week released the Papal Encyclical (letter) Laudato si' (Praise Be To You) featuring the position that climate change IS man made and unnatural in nature, while calling for action to correct the problems and improve the environment.
*The International Criminal Court investigating the war in Darfur has yet to locate Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, who has already fled the country.
*The MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak continues in South Korea, with 164 confirmed cases and 24 dead.
*Japan will soon lower its voting age from 20 to 18.
*The United Nations has revealed that North Korea is fighting its worst water drought in 100 years.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*A combined effort between Kurdish YPG forces and the Free Syria Army has resulted in capturing the ISIS/ISIL stronghold at Tell Abyad and freeing the town.
*A Boko Haram suicide squad attacked police headquarters and training centers in N'Djamena, Chad; with 23 dead and over 100 injured. Meanwhile, an attack on two villages in Niger has left 38 dead.

PASSING PARADE...
*The victims of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting: DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, State Senator Clementa Pinchkey, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson.
*Author Hilary Masters (The Common Pasture, Elegy for Sam Emerson) is no longer with us.
*Blaze Starr, noted burlesque performer, has taken her final bow on life's stage.
*Sam McClain, noted soul/blues singer, has passed away.
*Jack Rollins, film producer (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Midnight in Paris) is gone.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...

*The Food and Drug Administration has mandated that all artificial trans fatty acids be removed from food by 2018.
*Jeb Bush has officially declared his campaign to become the 2016 Republican Presidential nominee, now that he has legally raised all the campaign money he could as a private citizen before entering the race.
*It should come as no surprise to anyone that Donald Trump has announced his hopes to become the 2016 Republican Presidential nominee, but his campaign has already received some bad publicity between the accusation that actors were hired to fill out the crowd at the initial announcement and the fact that Neil Young has told Trump he cannot use any of Young's music, since Neil is a Democrat supporting Bernie Sanders. Trump has since denied the actors' claim, and said his campaign had licensed the music rights, but will not be using any more Neil Young tunes.
*Hawaii will raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 effective January 1, 2016.
*Alexander Hamilton will be replaced on the $10 bill by a woman, although who will have that honor hasn't been decided yet.
*Texas Governor George Abbot, still concerned about a potential hostile takeover of his state by American authorities, has decided to pull all Texas funds out of federal banks and redeposit it within a Texas state bank.
ELSEWHERE...
*A lone gunman opened fire in front of a Charleston, South Carolina church; killing 9 people (including a state Senator). Authorities have already declared it a racist hate crime, with the shooter in custody. While those who have lost loved ones mourn, the ongoing gun control debate between the National Rifle Association and citizens concerned about senseless violence like this flares up once more.
*Rachael Dolezal is no longer president of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People after it was discovered she is actually white and not African American.
*The GAP, Inc. has announced the closing of 175 stores and the elimination of 250 corporate jobs as part of a financial restructuring plan.
*Office Depot (after already buying Office Max) has tentatively agreed to be purchased by Staples.
*Every Target Department store pharmacy will soon become part of CVS Health.
*NBC has confirmed that Brian Williams will return to active duty at some point this fall. While his specific role has yet to be decided, it will not be as an anchorman.
*The Golden State Warriors have defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 2 to win the 2015 National Basketball Association Finals.
*The Chicago Blackhawks have defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4 games to 2 to win the 2015 Stanley Cup title of professional ice hockey.

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.