Shark Scoop - February 20, 2022

Shark Scoop is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in global, national, and local news, as well as a top headline in entertainment and sports.

By: MELISSA FISHMAN / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

[Article originally published February 20, 2022 in Long Island University's student newspaper,?Seawanhaka.?Article Here]

Apple is Rumored to be Announcing New Tech Next Month

Tech lovers everywhere are currently abuzz with the rumors that Apple will be releasing new and updated devices next month at a company event set to take place on March 8. They are said to be a trio of MacBooks of various sizes with an untold amount of new functions and software updates. The items that are said to be a part of the new release have been code-named A2615, A2686, and A2681 to prevent a leak of the news. According to Bloomberg, the next release of new tech from Apple could be one of the largest in its history and expand way beyond the Macbooks to also include new 5G adapted iPhones and iPads with faster processors. Finally, iOS 15.4 is planned to be released at the beginning of next month.

Families of Sandy Hook Elementary Victims Reach Historic $73 Million Settlement

Nearly a decade after the devastating Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the families of nine of the 26 people slain that day have reached a settlement with the manufacturer of the rifle that was used to kill them. The gunmaker, Remington, agreed to pay $73 million to the families of five children and four educators who lost their lives when a gunman stormed the school back in 2012. In addition to the monetary settlement, Remington will also be required to release documents pertaining to the marketing of the rifle which many believe can negatively influence younger audiences.

Polk Awards Announce the Sydney H. Schanberg Prize

LIU is home to the prestigious George Polk Awards, which presents prizes for excellence in the field of journalism. Now, the awards has entered a new chapter in the series’ legacy by distributing the Sydney H. Schanberg Prize. Schanberg, a dedicated reporter who covered the Indian-Pakistan War and the Khmer Rouge, will now have his memory immortalized by a yearly honorarium in the form of $25,000 to be awarded to a journalist for in-depth reporting of political discord. The prize was organized by Schanberg’s widow and fellow journalist, Jane Freiman Schanberg, and the George Polk Awards Committee.

Stranger Things Announces Release Date for Season 4

Fans of the popular sci-fi thriller series, Stranger Things, were delighted to receive the news on Thursday of the show’s fourth season which is set to premiere in two installments: one on May 27 and the second on July 1 on Netflix. The show, which stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown and others, also announced that this will be the second to last installment of the series. However, don’t fret because there is still hope for a continuation of the series after the final fifth season. Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of the show who work as the joint-title Duffer Brothers, wrote in an open letter published on Instagram that there are ‘still more stories to tell’ even after the original plot has ended.

Disney World, Disneyland to Drop Mask Mandate for the Vaccinated

Walt Disney’s famous US-based theme parks, Disney World and Disneyland, will now be allowing fully vaccinated patrons to drop their masks, according to a new statement that was issued on their website this week. The new policy, which went into effect this Thursday, now allows vaccinated patrons to go maskless in most common areas arounds the parks and resorts but still requires face coverings while on property-wide modes of transportation. These changes come at a time when many local and statewide governments are choosing to lighten restrictions as nationwide COVID-19 cases are on a decline.