Shark Scoop is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in global, national, and local news, as well as a top headline in entertainment and sports.
By: JULIA ZEBAK / STAFF WRITER
George Floyd Sculpture Defaced After Less Than 48 Hours
On Friday, October 1, 2021, Terrence Floyd, brother to George Floyd, gave a speech in Union Square Park preceding the unveiling of three Black Lives Matter advocacy statues. The statues each stand approximately six feet tall and feature the heads of George Floyd, John Lewis, and Breonna Taylor. These statues were made by artist Chris Carnabuci who stated that the exhibit “aimed to inspire civil discourse and provide a space where different opinions could be heard.” The statues are a part of an installment called #SeeInJustice. Around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday a man splashed George Floyd’s statue with gray paint. The other two statues were not impacted. Earlier this summer the installment was featured on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn where, less than a week after its unveiling, were also defaced with the logo of a white supremacy group. In both instances, the vandalism was removed within a short period of time so that the works could continue to be appreciated by those who view them. QR codes will soon be available at the base of each sculpture to donate to three causes: We Are Floyd, the Breonna Taylor Foundation and the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation.
Olympian Elinor Barker Announces Pregnancy After Battle with Endometriosis
This week Olympic medalist Elinor Barker announced that she was pregnant with her first child at the time she won her medal during this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The 27 year old five time world champion announced her pregnancy on Instagram through a post with her husband. This came as a shock to Barker who suffers from endometriosis, a condition that makes getting pregnant difficult. A second shock was that she learnt of her pregnancy while in Tokyo days before her race. In the comment of her instagram announcement she spoke of fellow athletes Lizzie Deigan, Laura Kenny and Sarah Storey; all of whom are athletes who continued to compete after having children. Barker went on to say, “I’d always been in awe of what they’ve each achieved since becoming parents, but only recently have I fully understood the full power of what each of them has done.”
Airlines Struggle to Rebook Cancelled Flights During Holiday Weekend
Passengers on airlines across America are struggling with mass flight cancellations during the Indigenous People's Day weekend. According to the flight tracking app Flight Aware, as of 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 10, Southwest Airlines had cancelled over a thousand flights on Sunday alone, while American Airlines had cancelled 63 and Spirit Airlines had cancelled 32 according to the popular flight tracking app Flight Aware. Reasons for cancellations have been quoted as weather and air traffic control issues. These delays will likely cause a backlog of travel throughout the coming few days as the federal holiday weekend comes to a close.
Netflix’s “Maid” Sheds Light on Seeking Government Assistance
Netflix’s new hit series Maid is based on the book by Stephanie Land ‘Maid: Hard Word, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive’ and has been acclaimed for its accurate, and difficult to watch, depiction of the struggle faced by not only those already in the welfare system, but those trying to get a place in the system. The show features Alex, played by Margaret Qualley, a woman in her mid-twenties who leaves a violent and emotionally abusive relationship to attempt to create a better life for herself and her daughter. The show also brings awareness to domestic abuse and the struggles it takes to remove oneself from an abusive situation. This story has also attracted the attention of not only The Washington Post and the New York Times but also former President Barack Obama, who featured Land’s novel on his 2019 summer reading list.
Brooklyn Nets Defeat Milwaukee Bucks
In their second preseason game of the year the Brooklyn Nets successfully defeated the reigning NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in a close game of 119 to 115. The Nets will play the Bucks four times during the regular season. The return of a more normal, in-person attendance at home games has brought a revival of energy as fans were able to chant and show their pride for their team’s performance.
Comments