1. Academy Awards nominations lack diversity for second consecutive year

The nominations for the Academy Awards were announced on Thursday and received immediate backlash for their lack of diversity. Of the 20 nominees for acting awards, none were minority actors. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee have both stated they will boycott the ceremony in protest. The last two consecutive years in which no black actors were nominated for the awards were 1997 and 1998.

More: Oscar boycott

 

2. Glenn Frey, David Bowie and Alan Rickman die

David Bowie, songwriter and music superstar, died Jan. 10 after battling cancer for 18 months. He had kept his illness largely quiet and even released an album, “Blackstar,” two days before his death on his 69th birthday. The album is now No. 1 on the Billboard charts, a first for the U.K. musician.

Alan Rickman, who is well known for playing Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” franchise and Hans Gruber in “Die Hard,” died at age 69 on Thursday. His publicist said the cause was cancer.

On Monday, Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey died at age 67 from complications of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia. The Eagles sold more records than any other band of the 1970s, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website.

More: David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey

 

3. Marine helicopter crash

Two CH-53E helicopters carrying 12 U.S. Marines collided off the coast of Hawaii on Thursday. The incident was called into the Coast Guard at 11:30 p.m., kicking off a search for the missing aircrew members that is still underway. High surf in the area has made the search difficult. So far, four of the helicopters’ life rafts have been found, as well as small debris, but the missing Marines have not been located. The names of the crewmen were released on Tuesday. The Marines were all with the with the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, also known as Pegasus.

More: Helicopter crash

 

4. Sanctions lifted and prisoners freed in Iran

Officials in Tehran and Washington, D.C. were in close contact Saturday as several political negotiations came to fruition. First, five American prisoners in Iran were released in exchange for seven Iranian detainees being held by the U.S. Then, the U.S. and the European Union lifted sanctions on Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency announced the country had complied with the demands of the Iran Nuclear Deal. Both exchanges were hailed by White House officials as indicators of stronger relations with Iran, although some have criticized these deals as being too lenient with a long-standing adversary.

More: Prisoners exchanged and Sanctions lifted

 

5. At least 20 killed in Al Qaeda attack

A hotel popular with Westerners was attacked in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on Friday night. The Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack, which left at least 30 dead. A recent wave of armed militants carrying out attacks against civilians has raised concerns about safety in major cities around the globe. Other attacks took place in Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia and Iraq.

More: Burkina Faso attacks

 

6. Walmart to close stores

Another struggling brick-and-mortar retail store announced it would be closing stores around the globe on Friday. Walmart said it would be closing 269 stores — 154 in the U.S. and 115 elsewhere — as well as all Walmart Express stores. This comes as retail giants Macy’s and J.C. Penney are also announcing closings. The chains have been struggling against online retailers, namely Amazon, which has been dominating the market. About 16,000 employees will be losing their jobs, Walmart said.

More: Walmart closing stores

 

7. Stocks slide from China, oil

Stocks on the U.S. market have been sliding recently as a result of China’s slowing growth rate. The slowdown of the world’s second-largest economy has been making investors nervous. The Federal Reserve’s increase of the interest rate, which makes it harder for U.S. corporations to compete on the global market, has also caused anxiety. In addition, oil prices are plummeting, with Brent crude, an international benchmark, at $28.46 a barrel in New York at Tuesday’s close.

More: Stocks slide as China slows

 

8. Al Jazeera America to shut down

The cable news channel announced on Wednesday that it would be shutting down its U.S. operations come April. After opening to fanfare in 2013, the channel won numerous awards for its investigative journalism. However, the board decided its business model was not successful enough to justify keeping it on the air. The branch leans heavily on Qatar, the nation that owns Al Jazeera and has had to face plummeting oil and natural gas prices. The newsroom also faced complaints of sexism and anti-Semitism, which resulted in public turmoil.

More: Al Jazeera America to shut its doors

 

9. State of the Union address

On Jan. 12, President Barack Obama addressed a divided country in his final State of the Union address. He discussed broad topics such as health care and gun violence, rather than singular policies. He suggested making community college free for all Americans and made a dig at U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-T.X.) when he said carpet bombing the Islamic State was not a viable strategy. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley responded on behalf of the Republican Party after the address. She said Obama has failed to live up to all of his promises, but then also recognized the Republican’s role in creating a “broken” government.

More: State of the Union

 

10. Rams return to Los Angeles

After two decades in St. Louis, the Rams will be returning to Los Angeles, bringing the NFL back to the nation’s second-largest television market. NFL team owners announced the move on Jan. 12 after a 30-2 vote. A $3 billion stadium will be built in Inglewood, California for the team. The San Diego Chargers have the option of joining the Rams in the stadium next season, but if that falls through the Oakland Raiders have the ability to take the Chargers’ place. The Rams will also have to pay a $650 million relocation fee to the league.

More: Rams move back to L.A.

Published on January 19, 2016 at 8:41 pm

Contact Delaney: dovanwey@syr.edu