“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine, probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.” -Rob Ford
EXPLAINED
After multiple allegations about his drug and alcohol use, Toronto mayor Rob Ford admitted to a slog of reporters outside of his office that he had indeed smoked crack cocaine. On Nov. 5, he fessed up to the press. His confession was followed by a tumultous barrage of more press conferences and Toronto’s city council battling to remove his mayoral powers.
On Nov. 18 the entire council voted in favor of removing his powers. He will only act as a ceremonial mayor with much of his budget and ability to conduct executive committees cut. The weeks after included Rob Ford sky-rocketing into many morning headlines as well as a couple Saturday Night Live sketches.
“We’ve got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them and that we’re going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this.” -Barack Obama
EXPLAINED
After the roll-out of HealthCare.gov, the United States’ new healthcare marketplace website was wrought with problems and techinical difficulties. Some Americans also realized that they were going to lose their current healthcare plans. Obama apologized to the American people in an interview with NBC News on Novemeber 7. The president expressed that he and his staff are making an effort to fix the issues.
According the Washington Post, an anonymous White House official said that the problem could be fixed with a possible andministrative solution.
Throughout November, Obama’s rating dipped to record lows. From a CBS poll on Novemeber 20, his job rating hit 37 percent. The faulty roll-out of the health care website has been attributed to this recent drop in ratings. Since the roll-out, he’s seen a nine percent drop in approval rating numbers.
“If I owe anyone an aplology, it’s the people who make the bottom half of shirts.” -Miley Cyrus
EXPLAINED
From twerking onstage with a married man to swinging on a wreaking ball wearing only Dr. Marten’s, Miley Cyrus transformation from a teenage Disney star to number one on Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100 list (and all the drama in between) has caused backlash. While hosting SNL, Cyrus showed that she doesn’t take herself too seriously. After she expressed her dislike for shirts that completely cover her, a variety of eyebrow-raising skits followed. At one point, she impersonated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and ended up ripping off the top of her pantsuit. Weather this reinvention is the result of a rebellious stage or this new Miley is here to stay, she has captured some attention.
“Wewere absolutely under false impressions onwhat the video was going to be about.” -Arthur to KCTV5’S Bonyen Lee
EXPLAINED
Two University of Kansas students agreed to let a journalist from Al Jazeera America, a news network, follow them around for a night of partying at the school. According to the students, just wanting to be known as Arthur and Casey, the journalist indicated that the story would be about the nightlife in American colleges. But after the special was released, both students were horrified to see it. According to them, the video seemed to focus more on the issue of sexual assualt and hook up culture at colleges, .
In the video one of the students was quoted as saying, ““I think [the situation] depends on the girl. So she goes home with some guy, she wakes up in the morning, ‘I made a big mistake’ but yet it’s on her, you know?”
The same student later spoke out against his previous comment, apologizing and trying to make known that the comments were taken out of context.
“These veterans here today represent the superheroes of America fighting to give us liberty, freedom and justice.” -Joseph Westphal
EXPLAINED
Brookwood Elementary School students, veterans, parents and teachers crowded into the auxilarary gym to hear from local veteran Sgt. Al Lemieux and the Undersecretary of the U.S. Army Joseph W. Westphal. On Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, the Brookwood Elementary choir students sang in a choir as well as a bell band. Both men spoke about the importance of the protection of freedom by the war veterans.
Westphal’s granchildren attend the elementary school and he is the second-highest ranking civilian in the army. The ceremony was also attended by superindent Jim HInson, as well as other members of the school board.
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