Here's what you may have missed this week.
Mobolade Ajomale Is First Art U Olympian, Academy of Art University
After a historic freshman season with Academy of Art University track & field, Mobolade Ajomale now finds himself among the members of Team Canada in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games. Set to compete in the 4x100m relay [airing Friday, Aug. 19 at 6:35pm] following his personal record in the 100m dash at the Canadian Championships, Ajomale has embraced this special opportunity to challenge the world's elite. Read more.
Actress/activist Ashley Judd speaks at a press conference held to announce her appointment as The UN Population Fund's (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador at United Nations on March 15, 2016 in New York City. (Courtesy of SF Gate)
Ashley Judd to Earn Ph.D. at UC Berkeley Beginning This Fall,SF Gate
Actress Ashley Judd will soon be a Cal bear. The "Divergent" and "Double Jeopardy" star told fans in a Facebook Live video posted on Monday that she was accepted and would be enrolling in UC Berkeley's Ph.D. program in Public Policy this fall. Judd is already well-versed in public policy and has spent significant time on humanitarian efforts abroad. Besides earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky and a master's degree from Harvard (where she majored in public administration with a concentration on gender equality), Judd has also worked with causes supporting the defense of wildlife and anti-violence campaigns in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has even dabbled in politics, briefly entertaining a Senate run in her childhood home of Kentucky.Read more.
Univision is Buying Gawker Media for $135 Million, Recode
Univision has won the auction for Gawker Media. The TV network and digital publisher has agreed to pay $135 million for the bankrupt blog network, according to a person familiar with the deal. Univision's offer will encompass all seven of Gawker Media's sites, including Gawker.com. Ziff Davis and Univision were the only two bidders for Gawker, which filed for bankruptcy after Hulk Hogan and Peter Thiel won a $140 million judgment in a privacy case. Ziff Davis had originally offered $90 million for Gawker Media. Read more.
Nick Denton, founder of Gawker, at a courthouse in St. Petersburg, Fla., in March.(Photo by Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times, via Associated Press)
Peter Thiel: The Online Privacy Debate Won't End With Gawker,NY Times
Last month, I spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland because I believe our country is on the wrong track, and we need to solve real problems instead of fighting fake culture wars. I'm glad that an arena full of Republicans stood up to applaud when I said I was proud to be gay, because gay pride shouldn't be a partisan issue. All people deserve respect, and nobody's sexuality should be made a public fixation.Read more.
Watch Buddhist Monks Create a Sand Mandala at Google's S.F. Office, SF Curbed
Frank Underwood references aside, check out the colorful sand mandala underway at Google's Spear Street offices in San Francisco. Buddhist monks began creating it on Monday. Soon after it's done, the mandala will be ceremoniously destroyed. Per Buddhist tradition, mandalas are created using fine grains of dyed sand, which are then vibrated out onto an intricate geometric pattern. They are especially meditative for those who are creating the pieces. Read more.
