By Elizabeth Cohn and Atish De

Wildfires Break out in Arizona

On May 29th, a wildfire started in rural Arizona that in the last two weeks has spread over six counties, displacing nearly 6,000 people. The fire, which is almost 200 square miles larger than all of New York City, is currently 5% contained by firefighters, who as of this writing have been unable to quench the whole fire because of its enormity. In addition to its immediate damage, the fire has also caused many problems in the region due to widespread smoke plumes.. Air quality has been severely hampered in the last few days after the smoke spread all the way to the Great Lakes.

Anthony Weiner Involved in Scandal

Anthony Weiner has been involved in an enormous media frenzy following revelations that the five-term Democratic Congressman sent explicit text messages to numerous women over a three-year period. After initial reports and photos by a conservative blogger, Weiner and his representatives originally denied that Weiner had sent the photograph, instead insinuating that he had been hacked, perhaps by a political opponent. However, after more photos were leaked, he admitted that he had taken and sent the photos himself. His actions drew fierce criticism and calls for resignation from leading members of both parties. Although he has taken a two week leave of absence, he has not made any indication that he will resign.

Syrian Government Cracks Down on Protestors

In one of the most intense uprisings this year, the Syrian government has become more and more violent in their attempt to quell revolts that have wracked Syria since mid-March. As conflicts become more and more violent, the government has sent in snipers and tanks to keep people off the streets, while in the most rebellious cities, water and electricity have been shut off and the military has been confiscating food. So far as many as 1,300 civilians have been killed in their fight to overthrow the current Syrian government, which has been rife with corruption, unemployment, and many other troubles. The government continues to use deadly force against protestors who they say are being abetted by Islamist organizations and have caused the death of hundreds of Syrian security forces. Many, such as U.N. Security General Ban Ki-moon, have condemned the government’s violence.

Casey Anthony Trial Continues

For the past month, Florida mother Casey Anthony has been on trial, accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee three years ago. Casey Anthony’s life is truly on the line as she faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. The prosecution is saying that Casey murdered her daughter on July 16, 2008 by wrapping her face in duct tape and smothering her, and then proceeded not to tell anyone her daughter was “missing” for a month, a time which she allegedly filled with partying, drinking and irresponsibility. The defense states that Caylee tragically drowned in her grandfather’s swimming pool and the death was never reported. Forensic evidence, such as the pattern on the duct tape and the smell in Casey’s car is being presented to the jury and the trial is expected to last until nearly the end of this month.

Tony Awards Recap

Sunday night, Broadway’s brightest came out in full force to celebrate this year’s Tony Awards. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and with performances by the casts of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Anything Goes, The Scottsboro Boys and the biggest winner of the night, The Book of Mormon, the Tony Awards were a big hit. Book of Mormon(a musical created by the men behind South Park that examines the Mormon religion) swept the Tony’s, collecting nine awards by the end of the night, including best musical. Other plays such as War Horse, A Normal Heart and Catch Me If You Can also walked away with Tony Awards held high. It looks like a great year for Broadway and many individuals are looking forward to it already.

Online McDonald’s Hoax Causes a Stir

Everyone in this country knows that racial discrimination is illegal today. However, that didn’t stop one online practical jokester from posting a picture of a doctored McDonald’s sign stating that African American customers will be charged an additional $1.50 "as an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies.” The African American community was outraged in response to this picture and their response caused McDonald’s to tweet "That pic is a senseless & ignorant hoax. McD's values ALL our customers. Diversity runs deep in our culture on both sides of the counter.”