Each week, NBN Politics recaps the top five news stories from the past week and brings you a look at the week ahead. Welcome to the Fast Five.
Donald Sterling banned for life from NBA
Following the release of tapes by TMZ in which Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling issues racist remarks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has banned Sterling for life from the NBA and fined him $2.5 million. The Clippers' players and coach issued statements about their own disappointments with Sterling while many of the Clippers’ sponsors began to rescind their sponsorships after the tapes were released. Silver has said he plans to immediately try to convince Sterling to sell the Clippers. The fate of the Clippers is yet to be determined, though several potential buyers, including media mogul David Geffen, have expressed interest in buying the team.
Obama issues presses for colleges to reduce sexual assaults
The White House issued guidelines on Monday that it plans to enact to reduce the number of sexual assaults that happen on college campuses. The administration also opened a website, notalone.gov, to track enforcement and provide access to information related to sexual assault. The move puts pressure on colleges and universities to address the sexual assault problem on campus and to provide victims with the support they need.
Death toll rising as tornadoes ravage the south
As of Tuesday, 35 people across the southern states have been confirmed dead following as a storm system that created tornadoes moves across the South. Arkansas and Mississippi have been the heaviest hit states with 27 deaths confirmed and over 200 injured. Deaths have also been reported in Oklahoma, Iowa, Alabama and Tennessee. Makeshift shelters have been set up for displaced families, as efforts to rescue people and clean up battered towns have begun.
Gunman injures 6 at Georgia FedEx facility, kills self
A 19-year-old FedEx employee armed with a shotgun shot and injured six people at a FedEx facility in a suburb of Atlanta early Tuesday before killing himself. Three of the people shot were listed in critical condition and two were rushed into surgery. The shooter has been described as being heavily armed as if “heading into war.” Police continue to search the FedEx building as well as the shooter’s car and home to make sure no secondary devices were planted.
South Korean Prime Minister resigns over ferry response
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won announced his resignation on Sunday over the botched government response to a ferry’s sinking that left nearly 200 dead. Executive power resides mostly with South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, making Hong-won’s resignation mostly symbolic. The resignation came after many people, especially the victims' relatives, expressed that the government did not do enough to rescue or protect those on board the ferry.
The week ahead: Death row in limbo
Following a disastrously botched execution, in which a death row inmate was not fully sedated and one of his blood vessels "exploded", according to the state's Director of Corrections, Oklahoma has postponed a second planned execution. The inmate, Clayton Lockett, was effectively a test subject for a new lethal cocktail, as pharmaceutical companies have stopped manufacturing drugs traditionally used in executions to distance themselves from the issue. The botched execution, which caused Lockett to die of a heart attack 43 minutes after the first injection, has prompted criticism from a variety of sources, including the White House.