NEWS | 05
LADUEPUBLICATIONS.COM | 08.23.21
THE SUMMER SCOOP
Panorama recounts the biggest stories of summer 2021 RHEA PATNEY editor-in-chief
CONDO COLLAPSE
2021
LIVE
BREAKING NEWS
Stories as of Aug. 10
Originally surfacing in India, the delta variant of COVID-19 quickly spread across the U.S. and is now the dominant variant in the country. The CDC has deemed the variant up to 60% more contagious than the original COVID-19 strain. In response, St. Louis County reinstated an indoor mask mandate for all individuals at the end of July. However, the controversial mandate is now on hold after legal challenges.
TOKYO OLYMPICS The 2020 Tokyo Olympics finally materialized after a year-long delay. Although no spectators were allowed at any competitions, the U.S. brought home 113 medals, including Caeleb Dressel’s five gold medals in swimming. Additionally, gymnast Simone Biles sparked heavy controversy when she withdrew from five final competitions due to mental health concerns. However, many praise her for shining a light on prioritizing well-being, especially amongst the top athletes in the world.
illustration by | RYAN TUNG
DELTA VARIANT
Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condominium in the Miami suburb of Surfside, Florida, partially collapsed June 24, killing 98 people. Authorities discovered the building’s concrete and steel supports had been corroded, likely caused by saltwater flooding. A former employee claimed that the building flooded with up to two feet of seawater every month. The issue was first reported in 2018.
OLYMPIC TRIALS
The 2020 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team Trials were held June 24-27 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. After four days of competition, the Tokyo 2020 U.S. Gymnastics Teams were selected, including six women and five men for the artistic team. The final day of competition had an average of 5.287 million television viewers, topping the average viewership of every other Olympic Trials competition. Over 20,000 people attended the event in person.
GULF FIRES
Flames appeared on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico July 2. The so-called “eye of fire,” fueled by a leaking underwater pipeline owned by Mexico’s Pemex petroleum company, began at 5:15 a.m. and raged for five hours. Pemex claimed that a lightning storm ignited the gas leak and that they took immediate action to contain the disaster. Environmental damage claims are now being investigated.
