Illustration by Jeffrey VosslerLittle Tybee is Burnt Out
At 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 17, Little Tybee was burnt out from a fire that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources says started on Tuesday. Skip Sass, Tybee Island Fire Chief, says campers or a lightning strike were most likely the cause for the fire. Georgia Forestry performed a back-burn on Wednesday to tame the flames but the island became engulfed and was singed with serious damage.
Second Federal Appeals Court Says Marriage Laws against Gays are Unconstitutional
The federal appeals court in Manhattan declared on Thursday that the Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against same-sex married couples when defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This decision is the first that has brought the issue of sexual orientation to the constitutional level. The Supreme Court will be able to take up the issue as soon as the current term.
Google’s Shares Plummets as Earnings are Released Early
When Google mistakenly filed their earnings report to the Securities and Exchange Commission hours earlier than planned, the third-quarter profits were surprisingly disappointing. Google stock took a turn for the worse almost immediately after the report was released, more than nine percent ($68 a share). The day ended with stock down by eight percent. Google filed an amended earnings report with the S.E.C. later in the day.
