THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 20-27, 2015

IT'S MIXED RACE/DIVERSITY DAY IN BRAZIL.

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY IN DJIBOUTI.

IT'S ARMED FORCES DAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

JULY 2015 WILL FEATURE A BLUE MOON!

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*Two new cases of Ebola have been confirmed in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
*The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak continues to plague South Korea.
*South Sudan has officially declared a cholera outbreak within the country.
*Pakistan is suffering a record heat wave, with over 1500 known deaths.
*Tonga has begun the 11 day coronation ceremony for King Tupou VI.
*Greece will hold a formal vote on a potential economic bailout deal July 5th.
*Wikileaks claims that the United States spied on France between 2006-2012.
*Simon Špilak won the 2015 Tour de Suisse in cycling.
*Scientists believe they have found evidence of a turtle ancestor existing over 240 million years ago.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*The first known use of a female suicide bomber by Boko Haram has been confirmed.
*ISIS/ISIL claims to be destroying the ancient city of Palmyra.
*Boko Haram attacked villages in Borno, Nigeria; leaving over 40 dead.
*ISIS/ISIL forces either led or are suspected of 5 different attacks across the Middle East June 26th.

PASSING PARADE...
*Actor/playwright/artist/poet Remo Remotti is no longer with us.
*Actor Tony Longo (too numerous to mention) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Composer James Horner (Titanic, Apollo 13) has passed away.
*Artist Don Featherstone, who created the plastic pink flamingo, is gone.

*Actress Laura Antonelli (Till Marriage Do Us Part, The Innocent) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Actor Dick Van Patten (Eight Is Enough, Spaceballs) has passed away.
*Actor Patrick Macnee (BBC's The Avengers) is no longer with us.
*Jazz musician Gunther Schuller has passed.

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

*Republicans are reeling after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of The Affordable Health Care Act (aka "Obama Care") in the second lawsuit against the measure; and then the next day declared same gender marriages constitutional.
*HOWEVER... the Republican Party has sworn to continue the fight against both measures, claiming that the GOP will "deliver the health care system that Americans truly need"; while some members went as far to suggest that the Court ruling on marriages should be ignored because "religious liberty" takes precedent over any law.
*While Congress has yet to successfully pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Senate has approved a motion to give President Barack Obama the authority to negotiate with the Asian-Pacific nations involved, and has received "fast track" authority from the House of Representatives.
*Louisiana Governor and new Republican Presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal's views on science, and the effects his opinions have on state laws, is being questioned.
ELSEWHERE...
*In the wake of the South Carolina tragedy, many are removing the Confederate flag they once proudly displayed; although political pundits are pointing out that debate over the Civil War emblem is distracting from the more pressing issue of gun control reform.
*Mylan, a Pittsburgh based pharmaceutical company, who bought a smaller firm in the Netherlands and transferred their corporate citizenship there to avoid paying American taxes, is now seeking help from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid being bought by an Israeli drug company.
*Jordan Spieth won the 2015 US Open of professional golf.
*The National Hockey League has formally started procedures to see if they can add additional teams.

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