MONDAY IS FEBRUARY 29th. LEAP YEAR DAY, ALSO KNOWN AS SADIE HAWKINS' DAY, WHERE IT IS "SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE" FOR A WOMAN TO ASK A MAN OUT ON A DATE OR PROPOSE TO HIM.
MARCH 3rd MARKS THE 85th ANNIVERSARY OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER OFFICIALLY BECOMING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR THE UNITED STATES.
AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*A truce has been brokered in the Syrian Civil War, scheduled to take effect February 27th.
*Bolivian voters have decided three terms is enough for their country's President. No one in that position is eligible to seek a fourth.
*Although Yoweri Museveni won a fifth term as President of Uganda, neutral International observers have called the election "flawed".
*Despite civilian protests, local Parliament officials have elected Hashim Thaçi as President of Kosovo.
*
Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi has announced he has no problem if oil prices slip to $20 a barrel.
*As part of the church's "Holy Year of Mercy" Pope Francis has requested an International ban on the death penalty.
*United States President Barack Obama hopes to have the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba closed by the end of his final term in office.
*This past week, the Philippines celebrated the 30th anniversary of dictator Ferdinand Marcos' 21-year reign ending.
TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Two bombs in Homs, Syria have killed over 50 innocent people while wounding over 100 more. ISIS/ISIL forces have claimed responsibility for the act.
*A Taliban suicide bomber has claimed over 20 lives in Parwan, Afghanistan.
*Two ISIS/ISIL suicide bombers attacked a Shiite mosque (a Middle Eastern church) in Baghdad, with over 15 confirmed dead.
PASSING PARADE...
*Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (
Indiana Jones, The Lion In Winter) is no longer with us.
*Actress Betty Jane Watson (Oklahoma!, Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town, The Morey Amsterdam Show) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Country singer/songwriter Sonny James ("Young Love") has passed away.
*Yolande Fox (Miss America 1951) is no longer with us.
*Cartoonist John Caldwell (
Mad!, National Lampoon) has passed away.
*Actor Tony Burton (the
Rocky movies,
The Shining) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Lenny Baker of the 1950's homage group Sha Na Na has passed away.
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*During the February 20th primaries, Hilary Clinton won the Democratic vote in Nevada while Donald Trump won the Republican nod in South Carolina during the dual split party votes.
*Donald Trump later won the Republican half of the Nevada caucuses.
*Republican Presidential hopeful
Ted Cruz is trying to get any judicial decision hearing on whether or not he is actually eligible to run for President (because he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father) dismissed.
*
A recent national editorial poses an interesting question. Is it truly Republicans or the Koch brothers that are trying to keep President Barack Obama from naming Anton Scalia's replacement to the Supreme Court?
*Former Klu Klux Klan "Grand Wizard" (and still presumably a member)
David Duke is urging fellow Klan members to vote for Donald Trump!
*No longer seeking the Republican Presidential nomination,
Jeb Bush has apologized to donors.
*President Barack Obama hopes to have the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba closed by the end of his final term in office.
ELSEWHERE...
*It is now legal for
teenagers in New Mexico to sext (send sexually explicit texts with or without images) each other.
*If
Half Moon Bay, California wants to restore public access to a local beach, they will have to pay a
billionaire $30 million dollars!
*A study by 14 INDEPENDENT research firms conclude and agree that ALL United States forests are at risk of climate change created drought!
*Dow Chemical has agreed to pay $835 million to settle a decade-long, price-fixing, class-action dispute. Pundits suspect the uncertainty about who will replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia's death being the reason why.
*A Missouri state jury has decided that
Johnson and Johnson must pay $72 million dollars in a case concerning cancer versus talcum powder.
*The city of
San Francisco, California owes drivers $6 million dollars!
*Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500.
*The Razzies, celebrating the "worst" in the past year of movies, will be presented February 27th, while the Oscars, honoring the best, will be awarded the next night.
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.