58th annual Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift became the first woman to win Album of the Year twice at Monday night’s Grammy Awards. Kendrick Lamar took home five awards, including Best Rap Album, and delivered a standout performance of a medley of his songs “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright,” according to The New York Times.

Although Swift was nominated for all major categories, Mark Ronson won Record of the Year and Ed Sheeran won Song of the Year. The night also included many tributes to musicians, including David Bowie, Glenn Frey, B.B. King and Lionel Richie.

More: Youth shine at Grammy Awards

 

Supreme Court Justice dies

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at age 79 on Saturday at a resort in Texas. Texas television station WFAA reported that Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara said Scalia died of a heart attack, but Guevara rebutted that report in an interview with The Washington Post.

Immediately following Scalia’s death, Democrats and Republicans began to debate how his successor will be chosen. President Barack Obama has said he will move forward with naming a nominee, but numerous Senate Republicans have said they will block any nominations until after the presidential election.

More: Justice Antonin Scalia dies, Contention over Scalia’s successor

 

Contentious Republican debate

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush came out swinging at Saturday’s GOP debate. He called out Donald Trump for insulting his family, which many are saying was a necessary move in South Carolina — a state he cannot afford to perform poorly in. Bush’s super PAC, Right to Rise, has focused heavily on the state, where he has many supporters, according to The New York Times.

The candidates were in general agreement, though, that the Senate should try to block any nominee Obama names for the Supreme Court. They did acknowledge that they would try to nominate someone if they were president.

More: Saturday’s GOP debate

 

Confidence in currency falls in China

As China’s economy continues to stumble, some wealthy citizens are trying to get their money out of the country. The legal limit for sending money out of the country there is $50,000 per person, so people are asking friends and family to help, according to The New York Times.

This process is called Smurfing, and resulted in nearly $1 trillion being transferred by individuals and companies last year. Some experts say this outward flow of money will put pressure on the Chinese currency — the renminbi — and will further burden China’s economy.

 

More: China’s currency flow

 

First lifetime ban for doping in MLB

New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia became the first player in Major League Baseball to be punished with a lifetime ban from the league for doping. The relief pitcher tested positive for performance enhancing drugs three times. The minimum length of the ban is two years, but Mejia can appeal the decision after one year, according to The New York Times.

The drugs found in Mejia’s system were anabolic steroids, a drug that is relatively easy to find in a urine test, and boldenone, which is often associated with horse racing.

 

More: Jenrry Mejia banned for life from MLB

 

Ceasefire proposed in Syria

The ceasefire in Syria that the United States and Russia proposed on Thursday has been met with skepticism. The truce was made in order to lift blockades throughout the country so that humanitarian aid could get in. Under the agreement, bombing against the Islamic State will continue, according to The New York Times.

Locals have said that the decision will likely have little impact on the actual happenings in Syria and that more needs to be done to end the fighting.

 

More: Ceasefire in Syria

 

Gravitational waves detected

Scientists announced Thursday that they had found evidence proving Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. This evidence came in the form of gravitational waves, which were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) project. Three Syracuse University professors were part of the team that detected the waves.

The waves indicated that gravity is a shift in space-time, which Einstein had long theorized. Scientists say this discovery will lead to many more.

 

More: Gravitational waves detected, SU professors aid discovery

 

Oregon standoff ends

The armed standoff on a wildlife preserve in Oregon ended Thursday after the last holdout surrendered. Four people remained at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday morning, and three quickly left after negotiators began speaking with them.

David Fry kept the negotiations going for another hour and 15 minutes and discussed many topics, including his suicidal thoughts and drone strikes, according to The New York Times. The standoff had lasted for 40 days.

More: Oregon protestors surrender

 

More Republicans drop out

After Trump won the New Hampshire Republican primary, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Chairwoman of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina dropped out of the presidential race on Wednesday. Christie came in sixth in the primary, while Fiorina won just 4 percent of the vote.

Both Christie and Fiorina had rocky campaigns, with Christie accused of abandoning New Jersey for the race and Fiorina making disputed claims about videos of Planned Parenthood.

More: Christie drops out, Fiorina suspends campaign

Published on February 16, 2016 at 10:03 pm

Contact Delaney: dovanwey@syr.edu