Shark Scoop is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in global, national, and local news, as well as a top headline in entertainment and sports.
By: REYNA IWAMOTO / MANAGING EDITOR
Adams Wins Race for New York City Mayor
On Tuesday, November 3, 2021, NYC mayoral candidate Eric Adams defeated his opponent, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, to become the 110th overall and second Black mayor of New York City. Adams, a Democrat and current Brooklyn Borough President, won the election with 67% of the vote with 65% of the precincts reporting, according to AP, which called the race 11 minutes after the polls closed. At Adams’ victory celebration, he addressed his win, saying, “Today we take off the intramural jersey and we put on one jersey: Team New York.” As he celebrated his victory, Adams made clear that as mayor, some of the immediate tasks he will face includes the consequences of the pandemic, “economic devastation,” and crime.
House Passes $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill
On Friday, November 6, 2021, the House of Representatives passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to rebuild public works, fund new climate initiatives, and expand access to high-speed internet service. The legislation passed in a 228-206 vote, with 13 Republicans supporting it and six Democrats withholding their votes. While the day pitted moderate Democrats against progressives, the passage of this bill placed a larger social policy and climate change bill in limbo — legislation that House Democratic leaders hope to vote on again before Thanksgiving. For President Biden, passage of this bill fulfills a legislative goal he promised from early on in his presidency: the largest single investment of federal resources into infrastructure in more than a decade, including a considerable effort to strengthen country’s response to climate change.
Tens of Thousands Protest for Climate Action
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday November 6, 2021, calling on global leaders to take action to combat climate change. The protest is expected to be the largest event during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, and is taking place alongside many similar events around the world. The protest brought together people from across the globe, with Amazonian youth from Brazil and Ecuador leading the march. Organizers estimated that around 100,000 took part in the event. The first week of COP26 was filled with lofty promises by world leaders to halt deforestation and reduce methane emissions, but the ultimate goal of this conference is to create a detailed agreement to accelerate response to climate change that all 195 of the world’s nations will sign.
Crowd Surge at Music Festival Leaves at Least 8 Dead
On Friday, November 5, 2021, at least eight people were killed and dozens more injured at the Astroworld Festival in Houston, after a large crowd began pushing toward the front of the stage. There were about 50,000 people there on Friday for the sold-out two-day event and following the incident, event organizers canceled the second day of the festival. The crowd surged during Travis Scott's performance, with one concert-goer later saying that once the rapper took the stage, "all hell broke loose." Scott has since addressed the situation, saying he is “absolutely devastated," but controversy has surrounded the artist as many accuse him of being aware of the situation and not stopping his performance. Investigators are still looking into what caused the crowd surge and what prevented people from escaping.
Violent Sex Allegations Made Against Barstool's Dave Portnoy
Three women have come forward, recounting their alleged abusive sexual experiences with Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports. The women, all of whom remained anonymous, described their encounters with Portnoy to Insider. Since the allegations, Portnoy has released a video on Twitter, addressing the Insider piece and denying the claims made by the women. Barstool has since released a statement saying the company is monitoring the situation, but that it is “not in the business of managing our employees’ personal lives” and noted the Insider story “does not involve any workplace behavior.”