The Roar keeps you updated with local news, recent events and interesting stories ― everything you need to know for this week.
1. Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston has declared a state of emergency in response to severe flooding in the Houston area. Some areas have received up to 16 inches of rain.
2. On Saturday night, a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit Ecuador, reportedly killing 350 people. Also on Saturday, an earthquake hit Japan following a severe earthquake on Thursday, both in the Kyushu Prefecture.
3. The 100th Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Monday, lauding major publications such as the AP and the New York Times as well as the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton.
4. The Brazilian Congress has voted to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, who is accused of hiding a budgetary deficit in order to be re-elected. Rousseff could be temporarily removed from office as early as May if the country’s Senate votes against her.
5. Pope Francis, after visiting the Greek island of Lesbos, is bringing 12 Syrian refugees, including six children, back to the Vatican with him.
6. Seniors Stephanie Palazzolo and Annie Zhang won a Tops In Texas award at the ILPC convention held in Austin this weekend for their in-depth news feature covering sexual assault.
7. Chilifest, a College Station nonprofit music festival, was held this Saturday at the Starlight Ballroom with an approximate attendance of 32,000 people.
8. The Lady Tigers Track Team won the District 18-5A meet on Saturday, handily winning with track stars Rachel Bernardo, Jasmyn Steels and Alexis Oaks.
9. According to the UN, there have been 345 human rights violations in the nation of Burundi since the start of 2016. The crackdown follows President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a questionably-legal third term, as he presently controls the army and the militia of the youth wing of the party, the Imbonerakure.
10. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have issued a video apology to the nation of Australia after illegally bringing their two dogs to Austrailia last year without declaring them. Heard was fined 1,000 Australian dollars and has returned to California.
