1) Jury Selection Begins for Boston Marathon Bombing Trial- January 5th

The jury selection began for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial in Boston, Mass. There are 1,200 individuals in the jury pool. To be chosen, jury members have to be willing to impose the death penalty if Tsarnaev is convicted.

2) Supreme Court Declines to Hear Louisiana Same-Sex Marriage Case- January 12th

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge to Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriage. The court declined to hear the case while deciding whether or not to look at the issue of same-sex marriage again. There are four other cases concerning same-sex marriage that will be consolidated and heard in April. The following ruling, to be issued in June, will determine if the 14 remaining state bans are struck down. Currently, same-sex marriage is legal in 37 states.

3) The Final Season of “Parks And Recreation” Begins – January 13th

The final season of this beloved series began on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Fans are gearing up to say goodbye to Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson, Andy and April Dwyer, Donna Noble, Jerry/Larry/Gary Gergich, Tom Haverford, and the rest of the of the hilarious cast. The series finale comes after 7 seasons.

4) Measles Cases Spread in the United States- January 21st

A measles outbreak is spreading from California into other states. According to health officials, 59 cases have been diagnosed in California. So far, eight more people have been diagnosed in Utah, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Mexico. The outbreak was traced back to Disneyland, where it began in mid-December.  The outbreak is increasing the debate over vaccinations.

5) Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Dies – January 21st

King Abdullah died on January 21, 2015. He was believed to be 90 years old. His half-brother, Crown Prince Salman, will assume the throne. Salman says he plans to continue with his predecessor’s diplomatic and economic policies.