Well Panthers, it’s not only the week of Halloween, but it’s homecoming week as well! Starr’s Mill has had a long week with students dressing up from different decades, as tacky tourists, generations, and a multitude of other costumes. The week ends with the homecoming game tonight at 7:30 p.m. versus McIntosh and tomorrow’s homecoming dance. In between the festivities take a moment to read this week’s news, which includes Facebook dominating headlines with lawsuits and changes, the Atlanta Braves playing in the World Series, a hit and run accident, and more COVID-19 news.

October 25 – Facebook under fire

A series of stories published against Facebook has been released, nicknamed the “Facebook Papers.” This analysis of documents aims to propagate the darker side of Facebook that has been exposed recently in the UK parliament by whistleblower Frances Haugen’s legal team. 

Facebook has faced numerous scandals within its lifespan, but what the company is now facing is its biggest one. A collection of 17 separate news agencies have collaborated in forming this collection of documents from various redacted internal company documents, on top of ongoing investigations and criticism the company is receiving worldwide. These papers expose a wide range of problems, from human trafficking to Facebook’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capital protests.  

Facebook is fighting back by claiming these papers are selected to hurt Facebook’s credibility, and are attempting to protect itself from whistleblowers in courts. Despite the headlines, Facebook has reported $9 billion quarterly profit. 

October 26 – Atlanta prepares for the World Series

Cobb County is anticipating hosting up to three games in the World Series starting this Friday. The county has been approved to spend up to $350,000 on needed supplies and equipment for the games. The security measures have been increased to guarantee a safe and comfortable atmosphere for the games.

Braves fans are growing more and more excited thanks to a great start in the series with a 6-2 win against the Astros in the first game. The Braves’ last World Series win was in 1995 against the Cleveland Indians. The stadium attendance is anticipating around 43,000 fans in Truist Park for the future games, along with more people in The Battery. 

The high expected occupancy has caused Cobb County to provide extra safety measures, including the increase in security and statements from the Atlanta Police department to remind people to make smart decisions.

October 27 – Hit and run incident injures teenage cyclist

A teenage cyclist was hit by a car near Highway 34 while cycling on the road. The victim was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital. 

The teenage cyclist was traveling on the road when a sedan, possibly a Toyota Camry rammed into him. The sedan fled the scene and hit another car on its way to the highway which they got onto going north on Baker Road. 

The teenager is in critical condition. Police are still investigating the incident.

October 28 – Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook’s new name

Facebook is revamping to a new parent named Meta. Mark Zuckerberg announced the new name on Thursday, stating he wanted a more clear name to help boost the focus on a new beginning of social media. 

This change will not affect the name of the company’s who are signed under Facebook. Meta is already on its way to owning the top four most popular social media apps in the world. The new name Meta came from “Metaverse.” Metaverse is a shared virtual world environment where people can access a digital space in virtual reality which is more lifelike. Metaverse helps people connect with others when they can’t be together in real life. 

The creation of Meta was Google’s decision back in 2015 to help restructure a new parent name. This changes Google search engines and advertising for projects, businesses, and autonomous vehicles. 

October 29 – Vaccine mandate exemption bill signed into law by Iowa Governor

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a vaccine mandate exemption bill into law, which states that Iowa workers have the freedom to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine and other mandates through medical and religious exemptions.

Numerous other states have resisted efforts to make employee vaccinations mandatory. Iowa is one among the many, including Texas, West Virginia, Montana, and Arkansas.

Additionally, workers fired due to a refusal to get the vaccine will also be able to qualify for unemployment benefits. This law will become effective immediately.