Outside Iona
February 20, 2020
The Oscars 2020: 92ndAcademy Awards.
The Oscars awarded many deserving films this year including “Parasite,” the first non-English film to ever win Best Picture. The film is a satire that portrays class welfare, which is why, according to critics, that it resonated with individuals outside of South Korea. Other films also shared the spotlight such as “Joker” and “Judy,” with respective headliners Joaquin Phoenix and Renée Zellweger winning best actor and best actress, as well as Brad Pitt winning best supporting actor for his role in “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.” Some of the wining actors used their platform to spread awareness to important causes, including Phoenix whose speech was about no individual being above anyone or anything. The award show also consisted of memorable musical performances, such as Billie Eilish debuting the brand new “James Bond” theme song and Eminem’s surprise performance after seventeen years.
Information from BBC News, Fox News, & AP News.
Trump is Acquitted.
The historic impeachment trial has come to an end after the Senate acquitted Trump on both charges against him, allowing him to stay in office. Two articles were voted on: Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. At least 67 senators must vote not guilty to meet the threshold required to convict and remove the president from office. Out of 100 senators, 48 voted guilty on Abuse of Power and 47 voted guilty on Obstruction of Congress. Utah senator and former presidential candidate was the only Republican who crossed party lines and voted to remove the president from office. Trump acknowledged his acquittal at a White House event, calling democratic leaders “vicious and mean.”
“This is a day of celebration because we went through hell,” Trump said. He stated that the entire impeachment process was just a part of the scrutiny he has been facing since he announced his running for presidency in 2015.
Information from CNN, the Washington Post, and NY Times.
Democratic Debate
The eighth democratic debate was declared the fiercest one to date, with many of the candidates attacking one another. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were criticized the most – Sanders for being too left and Buttigieg for being too inexperienced. Amy Klobuchar was praised for depicting herself as a “political newcomer.” The debate also heavily discussed race which was met with negative commentary as the stage consisted of mostly white candidates. After the latest poll, Sanders and Buttigieg have taken the lead.
Information from The Guardian and RNZ News.
Sources:
Topic 1
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/eminem-why-performed-2020-oscars
https://apnews.com/75ca3451d6974bfa1228025fa4790be2
https://apnews.com/ff5ce0896b71f1d8683a0d2fc2b2c4d7
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51440241
Topic 2
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/trump-acquitted-impeachment.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/impeachment-vote.html?auth=login-email&login=email
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-acquitted-02-06-20/index.html
Topic 3
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/407416/what-happened-in-the-democratic-debate
