Is it getting too close to finals for you to stay up on current events and feverishly check Twitter? Never fear, here’s the Cliffsnotes version of this week’s top headlines from around the web.
The Oscars were criticized for being excessively white. The host of Sunday’s awards show Neil Patrick Harris joked, “Today we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest. Sorry, brightest.”
The popular hashtag #OscarsSoWhite was widely used to discuss everything, from the Selma Oscar snubs to Sean Penn’s green card remarks about Birdman’s Oscar winning director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu.
This year’s Oscar nominees are so white, they just became the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination. #fallonmono #OscarsSoWhite
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) January 16, 2015
President Obama vetoed the proposed Keystone Pipeline Tuesday. The bill would extend the existing oil pipeline in Canada to Texas. Proponents generally say that the pipeline would create jobs:
.@SenateMajLdr McConnell’s statement on the President’s veto of thousands of American jobs is here: http://t.co/iqO17vwGtc #KeystoneXL
— Sen. McConnell Press (@McConnellPress) February 24, 2015
While critics of the pipeline focused on the environmental risks:
Thank you @BarackObama for vetoing the #KeystoneXL tar sands pipeline and protecting our environment! pic.twitter.com/p8I4L724Fd
— Billie Joe Armstrong (@BJAofficial) February 26, 2015
The US Department of Justice will not bring charges against George Zimmerman for shooting Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year old. Martin’s parents voiced their disappointment with the conclusion of the civil rights investigation into their son’s 2012 death. “This is very painful for them; they are heartbroken,” an attorney for the Martin family said. “But they have renewed energy to say that we are going to fight harder to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anybody else’s child.”
Statement from Trayvon Martin’s parents regarding today’s announcement by the Dept. of Justice pic.twitter.com/sT08VBfA6s
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) February 24, 2015
After seven seasons, Amy Poehler and company aired the final episode of Parks and Recreation on NBC. We won’t spoil anything from the hour-long finale except to say Pawnee forever.
#ParksFarewell pic.twitter.com/7SJmCh0lzH
— Parks and Recreation (@parksandrecnbc) February 25, 2015
The show also paid tribute to Harris Wittels, the comedian, writer and producer who played one of Pawnee’s finest animal control officers. Wittels struggled with addiction and died of a suspected heroin overdose last Thursday in Los Angeles.
The writers watching the finale of #ParksandRec. Thank you for everything, everyone. We love you, Harris. pic.twitter.com/ToNfehroUj
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) February 25, 2015
