News Of The Week Roundup: Week 43, 2021

Happy Halloween! It seemed like another busy week of news, but I feel like I'm living Groundhog Day again. Both Eric and I could not keep track of what day it was all last week. We both took Friday off after feeling just... fried. Working a lot coupled with an endless home improvement project and the changing season meaning cold and rainy weather has just left the both of us feeling blah. I also have had some really terrible insomnia, which is pretty rare for me. I can typically sleep like a champ but I swear I've been up all hours the past few days. Eventually that starts to make you feel nuts.

The FRIENDS reunion a few months ago was a big deal for me. James Michael Tyler played Central Perk manager Gunther on the show. Tyler participated in the reunion but was not on set with the rest of the cast. It came out later that he was suffering from cancer and pretty sick. He died a few days ago.

James Michael Tyler, best known for playing Gunther on "Friends," has died. He was 59.https://t.co/HoH18PerAK

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) October 24, 2021

Some kook decided to assault an American Airlines flight attendant. The employee suffered a broken nose and now the FBI is investigating. I swear I have no desire to fly right now - or anytime soon. For me to say that is a big deal. I am someone who actively collects airline miles and points. I typically take a few vacations each year and I always fly. I just do not have the appetite for it right now.

JUST IN: American Airlines says a coast-to-coast flight just diverted to Denver after a passenger *physically assaulted* a flight attendant. Police met flight 976 at the gate, then "removed and apprehended the passenger."

— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) October 28, 2021

JUST IN: A source familiar with the details of the American Airlines flight attendant assault tells me “the attack was unprovoked.” The passenger went to the back of the plane and punched the flight attendant twice in the face and broke her nose.

— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) October 28, 2021

The company Facebook is rebranding as Meta but the social network will still be "Facebook." I swear, the memes write themselves sometimes.

Breaking News: Facebook will change its corporate name to Meta, with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp remaining under the Meta umbrella. With his company under fire for a host of issues, Mark Zuckerberg said the change was part of a bet on the "metaverse." https://t.co/lFQmkKerMf

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 28, 2021

Climate change is still a thing... and only getting worse. The amount of extreme weather events this year alone is pretty sobering. Some photos:

Climate change in 2021 has reshaped life on Earth. @AP photos show the changed landscapes and devastation deadly floods, fires, heat waves and storms have caused in communities worldwide. https://t.co/xG15QarLDN

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 30, 2021

The pandemic is still a thing, too. COVID-19 keeps claiming lives, although new daily cases are finally dropping in America.

BREAKING: Deaths from COVID-19 pandemic reach 5 million

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) October 30, 2021

U.S. COVID update:

- New cases: 90,296
- Average: 72,070 (+220)
- In hospital: 48,567 (-525)
- In ICU: 13,297 (-131)
- New deaths: 2,061
- Average: (-21)

More data: https://t.co/YDZSbYO7l7

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) October 30, 2021

And I leave you with this breaking news: the upcoming KISS residency in Las Vegas is now canceled. Apparently tickets sales just were not good. Something was definitely off because you know Gene Simmons never turns down money.

KISS's Las Vegas Residency Has Been Canceled https://t.co/3pJtdHAfr9 pic.twitter.com/rVfPeH8oC8

— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) October 30, 2021