Gray Area
In the ongoing saga of alleged police brutality, black man Freddie Gray was detained by police and after a short ride to the police station was found with severe spinal cord and neck injuries. Gray later died in the hospital. Gray’s death was ruled a homicide, and six of the police officers involved have been indicted for murder.
Gray’s death has sparked violent protests in Baltimore and other major cities. More than 20 police officers were injured in a clash with rioters and police cars were burned. Widespread looting and violence also caused a Baltimore Orioles game to ban spectators in the stands, an event that has never happened in the history of Major League Baseball.
I spoke to a friend in Baltimore an asked him how he was doing. He said he was fine, but that there had been threats near his school.
“There have been threats of violence around my school, but thankfully nothing ended up happening,” he said. “We are all kind of paranoid though.”
By Ari Sen
First Draft
The NFL draft started yesterday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the first player, Florida State Quarterback Jameis Winston, in the draft. Winston was a controversial first pick because he was accused of sexual assault by Erica Kinsman in a lawsuit after he was cleared by the university. The draft will continue today and tomorrow.
By Ari Sen
Second Act
Yesterday, April 30, was opening night for the new Marvel movie Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is the second film in the Avengers series, with more heroes and a bigger threat. And might I say, seeing the movie so late and only getting about four hours of sleep was totally worth it. While superhero movies tend to be very dull and cliche, Age of Ultron felt fresh and original. It stayed true to the comics, but it also did its own thing which keeps you guessing if you already know the original story. Even if you don’t know much about the Avengers, the movie is still a whole lot of fun. Definitely check it out.
By Joel Fennimore
Earth Shattering
Nepal is devastated this week after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on April 25. The death toll exceeded 6,300 as of Thursday, and the Nepali government expects to find more dead as they clear away debris. The quake also triggered several large avalanches on Mount Everest, putting many spring climbers on the mountain in peril. The avalanche is known to have killed at least 19, making it the deadliest in the mountain’s history.
Besides injuring over 13,000 people, the earthquake has leveled many temples and popular tourist attractions. Cities inside and outside the Kathmandu valley are experiencing intense damages. BBC estimated that as of Thursday, April 30, approximately $415 million is needed for humanitarian relief. Effects of the earthquake were also felt in neighboring India and China.
Papua New Guinea experienced a 6.8 magnitude earthquake today. The epicenter was about 70 miles from the capital of Kokopo. No immediate loss of life was reported.
By Olivia Slagle
Shop Around
The new Asheville Outlets officially open today. As many as 30,000 shopper are expected to visit the outlets over the weekend.
About 4,000 customers were allowed entrance to the outlets last night for a $20 fee that was donated to local charities.
The Asheville Outlets feature stores such as J. Crew Factory, Forever 21, Nike, Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Banana Republic Factory.
By Ari Sen
