Seventy years ago today, 33-year-old Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who had been rejected from the Army because of poor eyesight, took a photograph that would ultimately become one of the most recognizable and reproduced images in history. In it, U.S. Marines and a Navy corpsman raise a flag atop Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima. Strategically located 660 miles from Tokyo, the Pacific island became the site of one of the bloodiest, most famous battles of World War II against Japan.
2. Stars take political stands on the Oscar stage
Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and his film Birdman won most of the top awards at the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday including best picture, but the spotlight shone brightest on the issues of racial and gender inequality. Patricia Arquette, whose portrayal of a struggling single mom in Boyhood garnered her the trophy for supporting actress ended her acceptance speech saying, "It`s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women." When Common and John Legend won the award for best original song for Glory, written for the civil-rights drama Selma, Legend said the song is a musical symbol to the continued racial struggles in America. And on the usually apolitical red carpet, the #AskHerMore campaign, implored reporters to ask actresses questions about more than their wardrobe.
3. Home care workers rally for higher wages
Home care workers are joining a nationwide movement to raise the wages of low-paid Americans with meetings and rallies in more than 20 cities the next two weeks. The campaign, which kicks off Monday in Carson City, Nev., was inspired by protests by fast-food and retail workers during the past two years that helped spark minimum-wage hikes in many states and prompted Walmart to boost its pay floor last week. Home care aides joined some of those rallies, but this is their first independent push.
4. Greece to propose reform measures
Greece will propose modified reform measures today, after the country and its European creditors agreed Friday to a four-month extension on the country`s bailout. The deal, hammered out in talks in Brussels, hinges on Greece proposing reform measures by today and the country`s creditors accepting the plan. Until then, Greece, beset by 25% unemployment and a shrinking economy, won`t receive the next installment of its 240 billion euro ($273 billion) rescue package that has kept the country afloat since it nearly went bankrupt in 2010.
5. Little Caesars rolls out bacon-wrapped-crust pizza
Little Caesars has devised a brand new place to feed the public`s obsession with bacon: wrapped around the pizza crust. More specifically, 3 1/2 feet of bacon wrapped around the pizza crust. The innovative budget pizza chain is rolling out the Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep! Deep! Dish Pizza today. At $12, the limited-time offer will be one of Little Caesars` priciest pizzas. "Every time you take a bite out of the crust, you`ll get bacon," says David Scrivano, CEO at Little Caesars. The pizza also comes with pepperoni and has bacon sprinkled on top. The promotion replaces the chain`s Soft Pretzel Crust Pizza.
