Thousand Oaks part of host town program

Thousand Oaks will be part of a host town program this summer as Special Olympics delegations from “Mongolia, San Marino, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tajikistan plan on visiting,” according to the Ventura County Star.

From July 21-24, coaches and athletes from the touring countries will visit Thousand Oaks and tour the city. Planned events include “a barbecue at Conejo Creek Park North and a dance at the Teen Center,” the Ventura County Star reported.

About 7,000 athletes from more than 170 countries are welcomed to Southern California by the host town program, according to the Ventura County Star.

The Special Olympics is expected to be in Los Angeles from July 25 – Aug. 2, according to the article.

North Korea to attend ‘Victory Day’

North Korea recently accepted Russia’s invitation to attend this year’s Victory Day celebration in Moscow, according to CNN.

However Russia continues to wait on Pyongyang to make the official announcement regarding the May visit, a Russian official said in the article.

Attending the celebration would mark Kim Jong Un’s “first official foreign trip since inheriting the leadership” role, CNN reported.

Victory Day in Russia celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the celebration. This aligns with many other actions of North Korea and Russia developing warmer relations, according to CNN.

Monica Lewinsky speaks in Vancouver

Monica Lewinsky, famous for having an affair with former president Bill Clinton in 1998, delivered a Ted Talk on March 19 in Vancouver, according to The Huffington Post.

“At the age of 22, I fell in love with my boss. At the age of 24, I learned the devastating consequences,” Lewinsky began her speech. Lewinsky has kept a “relatively low profile” after becoming a household name in 1998, according to The Huffington Post.

Her Ted Talk entitled “The Price Of Shame” marks the first time the 41-year-old has spoken out regarding the troubles she faced after the scandal, according to the New York Times.

Lewinsky discussed “the impact the Internet had on her story…and the powerful effect of online harassment,” according to The Huffington Post.

Senator Ted Cruz declares intent to run in the 2016 presidential election

The Washington Post reported that Sen. Ted Cruz declared his intention to run as a 2016 presidential candidate March 16 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Cruz, known as “the combative conservative who has made liberty the clarion call of his politics,” is the first major 2016 candidate to formally pursue a presidential bid, according to The Washington Post.

The “Harvard and Princeton-educated lawyer” was elected to the Senate in 2012 and the Washington Times reported he is best known for supporting the efforts to block Obama’s healthcare law in 2013.

Christopher Otmar
Staff Writer
Published March 25th, 2015