• Neil Patrick Harris– According to ABC News, “How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris is set to host the 87th Academy Awards in 2015.

Photo: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NeilPatrickHarrisHWOFSept2011.jpg

• Ebola– According to the Huffington Post, a second nurse taking care of a patient with Ebola contracted the virus at a hospital in Dallas, Texas. Amber Joy Vinson, the second nurse identified, flew across the Midwest by airplane the day before she became ill. Which has increased concern.

• Hong Kong– Protests that started last month have been ramping up in Hong Kong, China. NPR has reported that pro-democracy protesters have taken to the streets where they have been beaten by police. Protesters have created roadblocks surrounding government buildings. In attempt to remove them, police have been using batons, pepper spray, and force.

• Google Nexus– CNET has reported that in competition with Apple, Google has recently released the Nexus 6, the Nexus 9, the Nexus Player, and the latest version of Lollipop. Made by Motorola Mobility, the Nexus 6 is a smartphone with a six-inch display. Manufactured by HTC, the Nexus 9 is an eight-point-nine display tablet. Lastly, the Nexus Player made by Asus is the first device that streams Android TV. All devices are operated by Google’s Android mobile system, Lollipop.

• HBO– Premium cable company, HBO, has announced that they will be launching their own service to stream online videos without cable subscriptions as is reported by Wired.com. The service will come out in the next year.

• Kamara James- US Olympic fencer Kamara James passed away at the age of 29. James competed at the 2004 games in Athens. Little is known about her cause of death in Modesto, California, though she struggled with mental illness. In an article on Thegrio.com, Eric Rosenberg on Fencing.net had said that James was on a “stable drug regimen” and was “looking toward the future”.

• IPad– In an iOS 8 manual, Apple had mistakenly revealed screenshots of the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3. The Wall Street Journal has said that the products were supposed to be revealed at a conference on Thursday. Much remains in question, though it is confirmed from the pictures that the iPad Air’s camera will be more advanced than it previous versions.

• Clowns of America International– According to Salon.com America’s largest clown organization, Clowns of America International, became upset after the nightmarish portrayal of clowns in American Horror Story. The FX series features a serial -killing clown by the name of Twisty that depicts the show’s idea of a scary clown. Glenn Kohlberger, the president of the Clowns of America International, does not want the public to think that this portrayal of clowns is the norm.

Photo: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Horror_Story_Freak_Show.png

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them– Warner Bros.’ CEO and Chairman Kevin Tsujihara revealed at a meeting at Time Warner that “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” by J.K. Rowling will be made into three movies. The three-part series is to be released in 2016, 2018, and 2020. The movies are to be set in the 1920s, seventy years before Harry Potter takes place. Though the productions themselves won’t be closely connected to the Harry Potter movies, David Yates will also be directing them.