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Culture > News

HC Wake-Up Call: Biden Slips Up on 2020 Run, Teen Eggs Australian Senator Who Blamed Muslims for Mosque Attack & April the Giraffe Gives Birth

Emily Veith

Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.

But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)

Biden Slips Up in Speech, Nearly Announces 2020 Presidential Run

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been taking his time with his decision to run for president. But as he inches closer to his decision, he had a crowd on the edge of their seats Saturday when he slipped up in a speech and almost made a 2020 presidential run official.

At a Democratic Party fundraiser in Dover, Delaware, Saturday, Biden said he is “told I get criticized by the New Left,” referring to reservation some progressives have about his record and political approach, The Huffington Post reports.

“I have the most progressive record of anybody running…” Biden said, stumbling over his sentence, and coming close — if only by accident — to announcing his presidential bid.

He quickly corrected himself, however, saying, “I didn’t mean it. I mean, of anyone who would run. Of anybody who would run.”

It might have been a slight misstep, but the crowd embraced it.

“We have to bring this country back together again,” he continued after laughing off his mistake. “I believe we’re at an inflection point. The election in 2020, without hyperbole, is going to be the most important election this country has undergone in over 100 years.”

“Our politics has become so mean, so petty, so vicious, that we can’t govern ourselves and in many cases even talk to one another, and it can’t go on like this, folks,” Biden said, adding that it was imperative to remove the viciousness from politics and return to a gentler discourse, CBS reports.

But that didn’t stop Biden from taking sharp aim at President Donald Trump, saying that his administration poses a risk to the U.S.

Biden’s words left party members convinced that he will be running for president.

According to HuffPost, Biden dropped a hint last week during a speech at a firefighters convention, where he thanked union members for their enthusiasm and told them to “save it a little longer” since “I might need it in a few weeks.”

Teen Eggs Australian Senator Who Blamed Muslims for New Zealand Mosque Attack

A teen protestor, who is now being dubbed “Egg Boy,” egged an Australian politician after the senator blamed Muslims for the horrific attack on two New Zealand mosques that killed 50 people.

According to The Huffington Post, the 17-year-old protestor smashed an egg on the back of head of Queensland Senator Fraser Anning, who was speaking to the press on camera in Melbourne Saturday.

In response to being hit by the egg, Anning turned and struck the teen in the face.

The teen was then apprehended by supporters of Anning, who beat him and held him in a choke hold until the police arrived, Buzzfeed News reports.

Police detained the teen, but released him without charges. Victoria police said in a statement that the incident is still under investigation, and they would be looking into the actions of Anning, the teen and others.

Video footage of the egg incident went viral Saturday, and people from around the world thanked the teen for standing up to Anning’s Islamophobia and racism.

After the mosque attacks, Anning released an offensive statement, blaming the shootings on the “increasing Muslim presence” in Australia and New Zealand, Buzzfeed News reports.

“Muslims may have been the victims today, usually they are the perpetrators,” he said in his statement.

The senator’s statement was heavily criticized, with Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, calling the statement “disgusting.”

“Those views have no place in Australia, let alone the Australian parliament,” Morrison said.

Morrison announced that Parliament would pass a motion next month censuring Anning for his statements.

“I would normally not want to give this any oxygen, but I want to absolutely and completely denounce the statements made by Senator Anning,” the prime minister said.

While a a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the teen protestor pay for legal fees and to buy “more eggs,” he did seem to have second thoughts about his political statement.

“Don’t egg a politician,” he warned in a selfie video. “You’ll be tackled by 30 brogans at the same time. I learned the hard way.”

April the Giraffe Gives Birth to a Baby Boy

Fans of April the Giraffe can celebrate because the well-known giraffe welcomed a baby boy Saturday.

“Welcome to the world little one!” Animal Adventure Park in New York said in a post on Facebook.

Image via Animal Adventure Park

Park officials reported more than 300,000 watched live as April gave birth to her calf at around 12:45 p.m.

According to The Associated Press, the newborn giraffe was on its feet by 1:27 p.m., and nursing by 1:51 p.m., with officials adding the mom and baby “bonded quickly.”

“Success! With an average 15-month gestation, we are thankful to have a healthy calf on the ground, nursing and bonding with mom,” animal park owner Jordan Patch said. “With wild giraffe numbers plummeting annually, every calf born counts.”

In 2017, April drew more than 232 million YouTube live views during a seven-week period before she gave birth to Tajiri, the newborn calf’s older brother, Fox News reports.

This is April’s fifth calf and the second for her and Oliver, the dad of Tajiri and the newborn.

Even more exciting, fans will be able to help name the newborn giraffe in an upcoming contest. And, park officials said you’ll be able to see the little one face-to-face when Animal Adventure Park opens for the season on May 1.

What to look out for…

These absolutely beautiful and breathtaking pictures of the 2019 Super Bloom in California will make you want to book a flight to SoCal ASAP. 

Emily has also authored political articles for Restless Magazine and numerous inspirational and empowering pieces for Project Wednesday. When she isn't writing, she can be found flying off to her next adventure, attempting new recipes, listening to one of her infinite playlists on Spotify, or cuddling with her dogs. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @emilycveith.