U.S. Attorney General steps down from office

According to the Los Angeles Times, Eric H. Holder Jr. announced on Thursday, Sept. 25 that he was ending his six-year tenure as attorney general. He was the first African American to hold the position and one of the original members of President Obama’s Cabinet. According to the LA Times the battle for his replacement will lead to a partisan power struggle to extend into the post-election session of Congress. He will be known for defending voting rights and for launching a civil rights investigation in Ferguson, Mo. after the Michael Brown shooting.

34 people injured or hospitalized after protests in Hong Kong escalate

Authorities have released tear gas into crowds in Hong Kong in an effort to suppress pro-democracy protests, according to CNN. Crowds have been assembling for several days chanting for riot police to put down their barriers. According to CNN at least 34 people have been injured and hospitalized. Many of these boycotts appear to be student led as they protest classes and organize sit ins. The government has responded and voiced support for the police’s use of force with a news conference Sunday Sept. 28. Hong Kong’s chief administrator C.Y. Leung said, “The police are determined to handle the situation appropriately in accordance with the law.”

Sunset Strip to reopen after fixing the water main break

On Friday, Sept. 26 at 2:00 pm, a water main break occurred on the pipe in West Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Times.  This sent muddy water down the Sunset Strip prompting it to be closed for repair and clean up. According the LA Times, at the peak of the break 9,600 gallons of water per minute were being spewed and the pipe was turned off at approximately 6:00pm. No injuries were reported and damage was minimal.  According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the pipe with the break was installed in 1916, then cement-lined in 1957. The Strip is expected to be opened Monday, Sept. 29.

Dozens of hikers found dead at the peak of an erupted volcano in Japan

On Sunday, Sept. 28, 31 hikers were found dead at the peak of a volcano in Central Japan, according to the New York Times.  Spokesman for the incident Naofumi Miyairi said rescuers had found the hikers at the top of Mount Ontake, a 10,062-foot volcano that erupted on Saturday. Japanese officials were reluctant to pronounce the victims deceased until confirmed by a doctor, however doctors declared that all 31 of the hikers had died. According to the NY Times it cannot be confirmed that 45 hikers were still missing as stated on local news reports.

California earthquake swarms continue

According to the Los Angeles Times more than 700 earthquakes have been recorded in the Mammoth area since Thursday, Sept. 25 and continue to occur, but have showed signs of slowing down. According to the LA Times the last one to have a magnitude of 3.0 or higher occurred on Friday and the frequencies since then have declined significantly. While earthquake swarms are not uncommon to this region, this swarm was been one of the largest in the past decade. The volcanic region of Mammoth Mountain is one of the most seismically active in the network of 17 volcanoes throughout California.

Meisha Mossayebi

Staff Writer

Published October 1, 2014