Media Quiz 4

1. Logoly State Park adds a new all-terrain wheelchair - Logoly State Park, located in Magnolia, Arkansas, has recently obtained an all-terrain wheelchair for parkgoers to use. The wheelchair is there for people who need help traveling on the park's trails. This addition, brought on by Arkansas State Parks, makes the parks more accessible and enjoyable to visitors with mobility challenges. (KTVE)

2. AGFC monitoring avian influenza in Arkansas - The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is currently tracking the avian influenza outbreak during duck season. They warn hunters and wildlife watchers to remain vigilant for and report any sick or dead birds they find. Although avian influenza has a low chance of spreading to humans, it is still best to practice caution. (AGFC)

3. Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok - A ruling has been made in a federal appeals court to uphold a law banning TikTok across the U.S. unless the app is sold. The court believes that TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, is a national security threat. TikTok has until January 19th to be sold to another company or it will face a nationwide ban. (NPR)

4. Amnesty International says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations - The human rights organization, Amnesty International, has made the claim that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a recent report. They state that Israel has launched deadly attacks, destroyed infrastructure, and blocked aid from reaching the people of Gaza. Israel has denied these allegations. (AP News)

5. Timothée Chalamet Shocks the World with His Ball Knowledge - Actor Timothée Chalamet stood in as a guest picker on College Gameday at the SEC Championship in Atlanta and shocked the masses with his vast comprehension of football. He was the only picker to correctly choose Ohio as the winner. Many are surprised at his ability to analyze football players' and teams' statistics. (USA Today)

6. Jacob Elordi shows off his new look, fans shocked - At the International Film Festival in Marrakech, Morocco, Jacob Elordi, a known heartthrob for Gen Z, debuted his beard. Overall, fans are not happy with his new look, and he has been receiving an immense amount of hate across various social media platforms. There are rumors that he may have grown out the facial hair for a new acting role, but nothing has been confirmed. (blue News)

7. NYC Celebrates Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO With Shooter Look-a-Like Contest - Just days after Brian Thompson, the late UnitedHealthcare CEO, was shot in New York City, locals decided to host a look-a-like contest in honor of the shooter. There were eight competitors, and the winner walked away with $50. This contest was partially stirred up by the internet's recent admiration for the shooter's appearance in released surveillance photos and videos. (Vice)

8. Person of the Year 2024: See the Shortlist - It is time for TIME's annual announcement of the Person of the Year. People across social media have been discussing the names that are included on the shortlist, including Kamala Harris, Kate Middleton, Elon Musk, Yulia Navalnaya, Benjamin, Netanyahu, Jerome Powell, Joe Rogan, Claudia Sheinbaum, Donald Trump, and Mark Zuckerberg. The winner will be announced on December 11th. (TIME)

9. Trump says he'll act on the "first day" on Jan. 6 defendants - In an interview with Kristen Waller, Trump stated that he will be taking action immediately on the cases of the Capitol riot defendants. He has not stated what will happen to the rioters, but rather that they will determine each person on a "case-by-case" basis. There are about 1,560 January 6th defendants. (CBS News)

10. Independent drugstore closures threaten to turn communities into "pharmacy deserts" - In the U.S., at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, with almost half of those being independent drugstores. This mass closure is mostly due to a fall in profit margins because of the prices of medications. The National Community Pharmacists Association believes that that number will continue to increase in the coming years. These closures are a huge loss to communities and individuals' healthcare access. (CBS News)

11. Daniel Penny found not guilty in chokehold death of Jordan Neely - In 2023, Daniel Penny was caught on video choking a man named Jordan Neely to death on the subway in New York City. On December 9th, Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide. Many people are divided over this case because of the racial differences between Daniel Penny, a white man, and Jordan Neely, a black man. Some believe that Penny acted ruthlessly in the murder, while others believe that he was acting out of defense for others in the subway station. (NBC News)

12. South Korea's President Yoon is banned from traveling abroad after martial law chaos - An overseas travel ban has been placed on South Korea's President Yoon by the country's Justice Ministry. This ban was imposed in response to an ongoing investigation into allegations made about charges in relation to the president's declaration of martial law this past week. If the allegations are proven to be true, then the president can be questioned and detained by police forces. (AP News)

13. Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease - On a recent episode of the Unashamed with the Robertson Family podcast, son Jase Roberston revealed that his father Phil Robertson has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, among other health issues. The family, who had an extremely popular reality television show from 2012-2017, has stated that they are doing their best to try and keep Phil comfortable while he is dealing with this disease. (E! News)

14. Bella Hadid makes Yellowstone cameo in Western series' latest episode - Supermodel Bella Hadid made an unexpected appearance on the latest episode of Yellowstone. She plays the girlfriend of Travis Wheatley, a character played by the show's creator, Taylor Sheridan. She has a few scenes with one of the show's main characters, Beth Dutton, and they have a series of conversations throughout the episode. (ABC News)

15. Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco Are Engaged - After dating for over a year, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have officially announced that they are engaged through Selena's Instagram account. Gomez has recently been focusing on her flourishing acting career and makeup brand, while Blanco has continued to thrive as a musician and producer. In her announcement post, Selena captions, "forever begins now..." (The Hollywood Reporter)