Welcome to Optimize, a weekly update to keep you informed on what has happened during the week. Here are five national/international stories (and one local one) that you should know:
Southwest flight emergency landing
On Tuesday, a Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia after a mid-air engine explosion. One passenger died after being partially pulled out the plane window.
Starbucks addresses racial-bias accusations
After two black men were arrested in a Starbucks for asking to use the store’s restroom and not purchasing anything, Starbucks is planning to shut down 8,000 stores for racial-bias training.
Islandwide power outage in Puerto Rico
Wednesday marked the first day since the hurricane on Sept. 20 that the entire island lost its power because of a bulldozer crashing into a transmission line. The power was returned to most the next morning.
Change in leadership for Cuba
On Thursday, Miguel Diaz-Canel was named Cuba’s newest president. This is a major change from the previous leadership Raul Castro, who was previously in power for more than 60 years.
Oklahoma Wildfires
Regions in Oklahoma have suffered severe wildfires that have now been classified as a “megafire”, or a wildfire that is larger than 100,000 acres. Since April 12, the wildfire has burned more than 260,000 acres, and there have been two casualties.
Local bonus: Free bus fare in honor of Earth Day
On Saturday, Bloomington Transit will allow everyone in Bloomington to ride city buses for free. This is a promotional event for Earth Day, which is the next day.
