A Glance Back
aP Poll: Police killings
of blacks Voted top
story of 2014
NEW YORK — The
police killings of unarmed
blacks in Ferguson, Mis-
souri, and elsewhere — and
the investigations and
tumultuous protests they
inspired — was the top
news story of 2014, accord-
ing to The Associated Press’
annual poll of U.S. editors
and news directors.
In a year crowded with
dramatic and often wrench-
ing news developments
around the world, the No.
2 story was the devastating
outbreak of Ebola in West
Africa, followed by the con-
flict in Iraq and Syria fueled
by the brutal actions of
Islamic State militants.
Among the 85 voters cast-
ing ballots, first-place votes
were spread among 15 dif-
ferent stories. The Ferguson
entry received 22 first-place
votes, Ebola 11 and the
Islamic State story 12.
The voting was conducted
before the announcement
that the United States and
Cuba were re-establishing
diplomatic relations and
Sony Pictures’ decision to
withdraw its film “The
Interview” in the wake of
computer hacking and
threats.
Last year’s top story was
the glitch-plagued rollout of
President Barack Obama’s
health care overhaul, fol-
lowed by the Boston
Marathon bombing. The
continuing saga of “Oba-
macare” made this year’s
Top 10 as well, coming in
fifth.
The first AP top-stories
poll was conducted in 1936,
when editors chose the abdi-
cation of Britain’s King
Edward VIII.
Here are 2014’s top 10
stories, in order:
Police Killings
Some witnesses said 18-
year-old Michael Brown
had his hands up in surren-
der, others said he was mak-
ing a charge. But there was
no dispute he was unarmed
and shot dead by a white
police officer in Ferguson.
In New York City, another
unarmed black, Eric Garner,
was killed after a white offi-
cer put him in a chokehold
during an arrest for unau-
thorized cigarette sales.
After grand juries opted not
to indict the officers,
protests erupted across the
country, punctuated by
chants of “Hands up, don’t
shoot” and “I can’t breathe.”
In both cases, federal offi-
cials launched investiga-
tions.
bound for Princeton
PHOTO BY THE SKANNER STAFF
By David Crary
The Associated Press
Ferguson
Protesters gathered in north Portland aug. 14 to protest the shooting of
michael brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man in Ferguson, mo. using
the slogan “hands up Don’t shoot” the protesters briefly stopped traffic at the
intersection of martin luther king Jr. boulevard and alberta street. some
drivers honked in frustration while others got out of their cars and put their
hands up in a show of support.
Ebola Outbreak
The first wave of Ebola
deaths, early in the year,
attracted little notice. By
March, the World Health
Organization was monitor-
ing the outbreak. By mid-
summer, it was the worst
Ebola epidemic on record,
with a death toll now
approaching 7,000, mostly
in Liberia, Sierra Leone and
Guinea. A Liberian man
with the disease died at a
Dallas hospital, followed by
a few other cases involving
U.S. health workers, spark-
ing worries about the readi-
ness of the U.S. health
system.
Islamic State
US Elections
For months, political odd-
smakers sought to calculate
if Republicans had a chance
to gain control of the U.S.
Senate. It turned out there
was no suspense — the
Republicans won 54 of the
Senate’s 100 seats, expand-
ed its already strong majori-
ty in the House of Represen-
tatives, and gained at the
state level, where Republi-
cans now hold 31 governor-
ships.
Obamacare
Millions more Americans
signed up to be covered
under President Barack
Obama’s health care initia-
tive, but controversy about
“Obamacare” raged on.
Criticism from Republicans
in Congress was relentless,
many Republican-governed
states balked at participa-
tion, and opinion polls sug-
gested most Americans
See 2014 on page 4
PHOTO BY HELEN SILVIS
Militant fighters from the
Islamic State group startled
the world with rapid, brutal
seizures of territory in Iraq
and Syria. The U.S. and its
allies responded with air
strikes, hoping that Iraqi
and Kurdish forces on the
ground could retake cap-
tured areas. Revulsion
toward Islamic State inten-
sified as it broadcast videos
of its beheadings of several
Western hostages.
ahmed Gedi, right, and his father Dawood mohamed. a Franklin high
school student, Gedi was one of just two oregon high school students
selected for the prestigious leDa scholars program at Princeton university
this summer. leDa, short for leadership enterprise for a Diverse america,
aims to help gifted students from low-income backgrounds attend top
colleges and universities.
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
seattle Pride
seattle Pride Parade celebrity Grand marshall George takei waves at the crowd that lined 4th avenue for the 40th
annual seattle Pride Parade sunday, June 29 in Downtown seattle. a record crowd estimated at 150,000
attendees made the emerald city ring out with cheers.
December 31, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 3