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: MELISSA FISHMAN & REYNA IWAMOTO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & MANAGING EDITOR
Lamelo Ball Launches Scholarship for ROC Nation School
Charlotte Hornets star and 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year Lamelo Ball has announced a partnership with rapper Jay-Z to offer one lucky student a four-year scholarship to the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports, and Entertainment at Long Island University. The Roc Nation School, just recently opened at LIU, is looking for ways to offer students financial aid. This scholarship will be given to a student majoring in Sports Management or Sports Communication & Marketing at the school. "I want to encourage the next generation of sports executives and leaders to follow their dreams just like I did to make it to the NBA," Ball told TMZ Sports. Students eligible for the scholarship can apply here by December 1.
Britney Spears is Free From Her Father's Conservatorship
According to a judge’s ruling on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, Britney Spears is free from living under her father, Jamie Spears’ legal conservatorship. Since 2008, this conservatorship has controlled almost every aspect of Spears’ life, with all decisions regarding personal, medical and financial affairs controlled by her father. Fans of the popstar, taking notice of these conservatorship terms, began the #FreeBritney movement that gained much popularity in 2019, as fans and other celebrity friends of the singer spoke out in support of her autonomy.
India Reports Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Deaths
India, a country ravaged by COVID-19 a few months ago, is now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the lowest amount of deaths reported since May of this year. According to data from The New York Times, 234 news deaths were reported on Oct. 1 compared to 4,454 on May 23. This decrease in deaths follows a time when 1 in every 40 residents of the country have contracted the virus with 1 in more than 3,000 people having died from it.
Olympic Swimmer Klete Keller Pleads Guilty to Capitol Riot
Klete Keller, a three-time Olympic swimmer, has pleaded guilty to participating in the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6 in order to overthrow the certification of the Electoral College’s votes in the 2020 presidential election. Keller, along with a group of more than 600 people, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to obstruct legal proceedings that would certify Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. A date has not been set for his sentencing, but the charges could hold him for up to 20 years in a federal prison.
Health Workers Once Hailed as Heroes Now Face Threats in Public
Healthcare workers, the frontline heroes of the pandemic, are now facing a serious bout of hostility and violence. Those once heralded as “heroes” are facing threats from patients and passersby alike for encouraging COVID-19 safety precautions such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccinations. Many have received panic buttons to be used in hospitals in order to get faster and more efficient access to security personnel. This comes after more than a year and a half of the pandemic when violence towards medical workers has tripled, according to 13 News Now.