What happened this week? (2/20-2/26)
Though this week was generally uneventful on the high school level as students and staff enjoyed February break, there were numerous events nationally and globally including a Russian attack on Ukraine and a settlement deal closing the gender pay gap in U.S. soccer.
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.
U.S. Open qualifications:
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced that entry applications are available for the 122nd U.S. Open Championship. The Open is slated to take place from June 16 to June 19 at The Country Club (TCC) in Brookline.
Snowstorm:
On Friday, Feb. 25, roughly one foot of snow fell in Brookline. Many local businesses were closed for safety. Sadly, the storm couldn’t wait a few more days to give students and staff a true snow day with school closures.
Russia and Ukraine:
On Thursday, Feb. 24, Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine. Russian president Vladimir Putin set aside international sanctions and warned other countries that interfering will lead to “consequences you have never seen.” U.S. president Joe Biden pledged new sanctions intended to punish Russia for this act of aggression that many countries anticipated but could not prevent through diplomacy.
Putin continued to justify his attack and claimed it was necessary to protect Russians in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to “demilitarize and denazify” the country. He further accused the U.S. and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of its eastern expansion towards the Russian border.
U.S. Soccer equalizes pay for women’s team:
The six-year-long battle for equal pay for the U.S. women’s soccer team concluded on Tuesday, Feb. 22 in a settlement that included a large payment to players and a promise to equalize pay between the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams.
Ketanji Brown Jackson nominated for Supreme Court:
Biden selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court, as his administration announced Friday, Feb. 25. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. This nomination follows Biden’s vow to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court in his replacement for the retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer.
MLB:
Major League Baseball (MLB) set a deadline of Monday, Feb. 28 to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). If a deal is not met by Feb. 28, the MLB will cancel the regular season. The MLBPA and the league are in the midst of daily negotiations meetings in Jupiter, Florida.
