Newsmakers: Too hot for the World Cup and a 17-year-old politician

Robert Buckingham

The tenured professor at the University of Saskatchewan found himself out of a job after he publicly criticized the school for its budget cutting. After much public outcry over the sight of a professor appearing to be fired for speaking his mind, the school quickly reversed course and reinstated his tenure. Even the school’s provost, Brett Fairbairn—who signed Buckingham’s termination letter—resigned. But not all is well for Buckingham: He won’t be allowed to go back to his job as a department head. And having tenure, it turns out, doesn’t actually protect you from being fired.

Cally Guasti

The New York social worker and her two roommates, Lara Russo and Reese Werkhoven, didn’t think much of the old couch they bought from the Salvation Army for $55—until they found more than $40,000 in cash hidden inside its cushions. It turned out the money had been stashed there by a 91-year-old widow who didn’t trust banks, and whose family had unwittingly given the couch away while she was in the hospital. The roommates quickly returned the money. “I think, if any of us had used it, it would have felt really wrong,” Guasti said.

Sepp Blatter

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association elected to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar—a country with unbearably hot summers that make it impossible to play soccer. Did they think this through? No, apparently, they did not, admitted Blatter, FIFA’s own president. “Of course, it was a mistake,” he said in a TV interview, adding that the committee chose to ignore reports that the country was too hot, and picked Qatar anyway due to “political considerations.” Cooler heads prevailed, though, and the World Cup will likely be rescheduled for more climate-friendly months.

Saira Blair

Who says young people aren’t interested in politics? Blair is only 17 and she’s already won a primary in West Virginia. The young conservative “pro-life, pro-family, pro-marriage” candidate unseated an aged incumbent in the Republican primary for the state House of Delegates; by the time the election is held in November, she’ll be 18, the minimum age for serving in the state legislature. Blair, whose father is a state senator, says she’s not too young for the job because, “I don’t think it’s rocket science, by any means.”

Solange Knowles and Jay-Z

Remember that video of Beyoncé’s sister Solange kicking her brother-in-law in the elevator (among other places)? Well, the family wants you to forget it, because everything is fine. An official statement from the three celebrities says that “Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred,” and now they will move forward “as a united family.” The statement also said in no uncertain terms that any reports of Solange being drunk at New York’s Standard Hotel “are simply false,” so, obviously, no one will ever speculate about that again.