Wish you could learn about the major happenings this week? Our weekly recaps are intended to give readers a brief overview of what they might have missed.

Lunar New Year:
Lunar New Year took place on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Through the efforts of the Asian Pacific American Club (APAC), Lunar New Year was declared a Category I holiday in 2020, so students and staff had the day off from school on Tuesday, Feb. 1 to celebrate. This year is the Year of the Tiger and, according to scholar Jonathan H.X. Lee, “the tiger embodies courage and bravery, so the new year could symbolize resilience and strength – even in times of struggle.”

Snow day/ice storm:
On Friday, Feb. 4, schools were closed due to the icy weather from the winter storm. Temperatures dropped sharply, causing rainfall to turn into ice and making the roads dangerous. This meant a three-day week and a three-day weekend for students and staff!

Public Library reopens:
On Jan. 18, the Brookline Public Library shifted to a contactless pickup model, meaning patrons were not able to browse or study inside the library because of staff absences from COVID-19. Fear not because on Monday, Jan. 31, all branches of the library reopened due to reduced staff absences!

“Legally Blonde” Musical:
Thursday, Feb. 3 marked the start of performances of “Legally Blonde,” by the Brookline High School Performing Arts Department. These productions are scheduled to also run on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 so make sure to purchase tickets to watch talented high school students share their gift.

Travis McMichael withdraws hate crime guilty plea in Arbery murder:
Travis McMichael, who was one of three convicted of murder for shooting Ahmaud Arbery, withdrew his prior guilty plea on a federal hate crime charge. This means that he will stand trial for the second time. Arbery’s murder has become part of a larger national conversation over police brutality and racial injustices.

Brady announces retirement:
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL) via an Instagram post. This announcement followed prior speculation that he was retiring. Brady said after many years devoting his life to the sport, he is ready to spend his time and energy elsewhere.

“I have always believed the sport of football is an ‘all-in’ proposition-if a 100% competitive commitment isn’t there, you won’t succeed, and success is what I love so much about our game,” Brady wrote. “There is a physical, mental and emotional challenge EVERY single day that has allowed me to maximize my highest potential. And I have tried my very best these past 22 years. There are no shortcuts to success on the field or in life.”

Groundhog Day:
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the world’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, made his appearance as fans gathered at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. He predicted six more weeks of winter, so make sure you don’t put away your winter coats just yet.

US raid kills ISIS leader:
On Thursday, Feb. 3, U.S. President Joe Biden detailed a U.S. overnight raid in Syria. He said the U.S. military forces killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, also known as Haji Abdullah, the leader of the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“Last night, operating on my orders, the United States military forces successfully removed in a major terrorist threat to the world, the global leader of ISIS, known as Haji Abdullah. He took over as leader of ISIS in 2019 after the United States counterterrorism operation killed Al Bhaghdadi,” Biden said. “Thanks to the bravery of our troops, this horrible terrorist leader is no more.”

Partygate:
On Monday, Jan. 31st, Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the U.K., issued a statement in the House of Commons in regards to a recent scandal regarding the surfacing of evidence that Johnson threw and attended many parties during the COVID-19 lockdown. Directly following the statement, Johnson was taken to task by Keir Starmer, leader of the U.K. Labor Party.

Following Johnson’s statement, there has been increased pressure for him to step down from his position, and Starmer said his behavior has been disrespectful.

“His desperate denials since he was exposed have only made matters worse. Rather than come clean every step of the way, he has insulted the public’s intelligence,” Starmer said.
Four of Johnson’s aides have stepped down over the course of this scandal.