Isis

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was originally founded by members of al Qaeda in 2006, but al Qaeda renounced ties to ISIS in February after constant fighting between leaders.

Since then, the terror group has risen to power, according to CNN. ISIS posted videos onto YouTube in which they beheaded James Foley and Steven Sotloff, American journalists who were captured, as well as British aid worker David Haines, also according to CNN.

In an interview with The New Yorker, President Barack Obama likened ISIS to a “jayvee” basketball team. Between then and now, ISIS has killed almost 2,000 Iraqis in June alone, and now has two billion dollars in assets and cash according to The Huffington Post.

Back on Aug. 14, a pro-ISIS Twitter handle tweeted a picture of an ISIS flag in front of the White House saying, “#AmessagefromISIStoUS We are in your state We are in your Cities We are in your streets You are our goals anywhere.” However, there are some doubts as to the authenticity of the picture, according to ABC News.

On Aug. 28 at a press conference, Obama admitted that, “We don’t have a strategy [to deal with ISIS] yet,” according to The Washington Times. And a few days after those remarks, King Abdullah ibn Abdilazīz of Saudi Arabia warned that ISIS could reach American land in two months if “neglected,” according to The New York Daily News.

This past week Obama announced a plan that centers around increasing support for Syrian rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad and the usage of air strikes in Syria to combat ISIS, according to CNN.

Ferguson

After robbing a convenience store, unarmed black teen Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri. on Aug. 9 by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, according to USA Today.

Wilson responded to the call regarding the robbery and reportedly shot Brown at least six times according to The New York Times.

In the days after the shooting, protests erupted in Ferguson, as stores were looted and stores and cars were vandalized, causing police to use tear gas and rubber bullets, according to USA Today.

The National Guard was deployed and NBC News reported that almost 80 protesters were arrested in one night alone.

Attorney General Eric Holder launched a US Justice Department investigation into Brown’s death, according to CNN.

If Wilson is charged, the Brown family’s case may hit a serious snag. Lead witness Dorian Johnson has already had his credibility diminished as he claimed that Brown was shot in the back, something a federal autopsy found to be untrue.

Ebola

As of Sept. 4, almost 2,000 people in Western Africa have died of Ebola, a disease with a fatality rate of 90 percent, according to The World Health Organization (WHO). The current Ebola outbreak has infected 3,500 people, among several Americans. Medical missionaries Nancy Writebol and Kent Brantly were flown from Liberia to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, and were released upon recovery, while aid worker Rick Sacra is reportedly steadily improving at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha according to NBC. As of print time, the US Agency for International Development had given $100 million to fight the disease according to BBC.