Colbert to replace Letterman on Late Show
On Thursday last week, CBS announced that Steven Colbert, host of The Colbert Report will replace David Letterman as host of the Late Show sometime next year. Colbert, whose contract with Comedy Central expires at the end of the year, has signed a five-year deal to host the Late Show. Letterman has expressed content with the choice of his successor. CBS has announced that Colbert will be a guest on the Late Show next Tuesday.
Kathleen Sebelius resigns following ACA rollout
Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, resigned last week. Sebelius weathered a lot of scrutiny for the shaky rollout of the Affordable Care Act website. Her resignation was leaked hours before 7.5 million Americans signed up for health insurance though healthcare.gov. Many pundits and commentators view her resignation as an attempt by the Obama administration to distance itself from the early failures of the Affordable Care Act website. Sebelius’ successor is expected to be Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the chief of the Office of Management and Budget.
Over 100 missing as South Korean ferry sinks
Two people have been reported dead and 104 remain missing after a ferry carrying 476 individuals capsized and began to sink off the southwest coast of South Korea on Wednesday. Rescue boats and helicopters came quickly to the scene to rescue the passengers, most of which were high school students. South Korean authorities initially claimed to have saved 386 passengers so far, though they quickly retracted those numbers, while the cause of the incident remains unclear.
2014 Pulitzer Prize winners include coverage of Boston bombings and NSA
The 2014 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced Monday. The winners for Public Service in Journalism were The Washington Post and the Guardian U.S. for coverage of the NSA and the Edward Snowden leaks. In the Breaking News category, The Boston Globe won for coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the manhunt for the bombers. Edward Snowden issued a statement that said, “Today’s decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation.”
Ukraine fights against eastern uprising
The Ukraine military on Tuesday began an “anti-terrorist operation” in the eastern region of the country with the intention of countering militants who have stormed official buildings in at least 10 eastern cities. Russian President Vladimir Putin has renewed his warning that Ukraine’s actions are pushing it towards a civil war. Ukraine has claimed that the insurgents are paid operatives from Russia that the insurgents are paid operatives from Russia. These insurgents demand broader autonomy and closer ties with Russia. The military began its campaign to regain control of an airport in Kramatorsk.
The week ahead: eastern Ukraine fighting, Afghan presidential election voter fraud
Afghanistan’s presidential election last Saturday may have suffered a significant degree of voter fraud. Some are speculating it could change the outcome of the elections. This signals a shift from what was lauded as a relatively successful election for the country. Reports of fraud continue to rise. However, not all the votes have been counted and official data on fraud is incomplete at this time.
Ukraine’s turmoil continues as conflicts in the East escalate. The coming days will test the “anti-terrorist operation” of the Ukrainian military and show whether Putin was correct in his prediction of a civil war.