The painful rout of Brazil’s soccer team by Germany may be a metaphor for the deeper political losses that Brazil has experienced in the past year. Last summer students were marching down the streets of major cities like Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Sao Paulo protesting higher transport costs.These demonstrations, coupled with public outcries about the cost of hosting a World Cup and an Olympics in 2016 marked a turning point in the Brazilian success story. 

Opening its arms to the summer season and warmer weather, the eclectic Fremont Arts Council in the Seattle neighborhood of Fremont hosts its annual Summer Solstice Parade and Festival in mid-June. Originally designed as an event to bring the community together through arts and creativity, the festival and parade have since become some of the premiere summer events in the entire city of Seattle, drawing thousands of tourists and natives alike. Infamously known in the city for its flood of nude bicyclists in highly creative body paint, the event  has become somewhat of a cherished tradition.