The Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are less than a month away. Brazil does not seem ready.
There's a political crisis, centering on the impeachment of Brazil's president. There's a public health emergency, sparked by the Zika virus. There's an epidemic of crime. (The New York Times notes that by one measure, "in Rio a woman is more than 10 times more likely to be raped than catch Zika," while "men are more likely to be shot to death.") And many Olympic facilities are still under construction.
How on earth did we get here? Let's have a look back at two years of terrible headlines.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
1. Preparations for Rio Olympics 'the worst,' committee official says [The New York Times, April 29, 2014]
2. 37 tons of dead fish removed from Rio Olympic rowing venue [The Associated Press, April 16, 2015]
3. 'Raw sewage' water threatens Rio's 2016 Olympics [The Week, July 30, 2015]
4. 13 U.S. rowers fall ill at 2016 Olympics site [The Associated Press, Aug. 10, 2015]
5. Swimming federation demands virus testing in Rio Olympic water [Sports Illustrated, Sept. 17, 2015]
6. Rio Olympics cutting costs with Brazil deep in recession [The Associated Press, Oct. 6, 2015]
7. Rio 2016: 'Chance of infection very likely' after tests show extent of pollution [The Associated Press, Dec. 2, 2015]
8. Rio Olympics linked to widespread human rights violations, report reveals [The Guardian, Dec. 8, 2015]
9. Brazil attorney general: Bribes connected to 2016 Rio Olympics [Sports Illustrated, Dec. 22, 2015]
10. Rio de Janeiro declares health system emergency as Olympics loom [Reuters, Dec. 24, 2015]
11. Rio fights dengue fever explosion ahead of Olympics [AFP, Dec. 30, 2015]
12. Olympic host state faces financial crisis as games approach [Time, Jan. 8, 2016]
13. Funding problems hit plan to clean Rio's polluted waterways ahead of Olympics [The Guardian, Feb. 1, 2016]
14. Kenya could pull out of Rio Olympics due to Zika concerns [Reuters, Feb. 9, 2016]
15. Rio Olympics to charge teams for mosquito screens amid Zika outbreak [Reuters, March 1, 2016]
16. Less than half the tickets sold so far for Rio Olympics [The Associated Press, March 2, 2016]
17. Brazil sports minister pushed out five months before Olympics [Reuters, March 23, 2016]
18. Brazil's economic and political crisis has relegated Rio de Janeiro's Olympic preparations to an afterthought [The Associated Press, March 23, 2016]
19. The Rio Olympics could be the next victim of Brazil's corruption scandal [Time, March 24, 2016]
20. Over 4,000 families in Rio have been evicted ahead of Olympics [The Huffington Post, March 29, 2016]
21. Rio 2016: Security chief for Olympic Games quits as corruption concerns mount [The Independent, April 1, 2016]
22. Olympic officials are worried about athletes' safety outside the Olympic Village in Rio [The Associated Press, April 25, 2016]
23. Rio auditor says 11 workers killed during Olympic construction [ESPN, April 26, 2016]
24. Rio sees a 'surge' in police killings ahead of the Summer Olympics [Think Progress, April 27, 2016]
25. South Korea will wear 'anti-Zika' uniforms to the Rio Olympics [Fox Sports, April 29, 2016]
26. Rio 2016 Olympics could lead to worldwide Zika outbreak, expert warns [The Associated Press, May 12, 2016]
27. Health expert recommends moving Rio Olympics due to Zika virus threat [The Verge, May 13, 2016]
28. Spanish Olympic gold medalist robbed while walking to breakfast in Rio [The Washington Post, May 24, 2016]
29. The Olympics are 2 months away, and Rio has a huge police-brutality problem [Business Insider, May 26, 2016]
30. Zika virus: Expectant mothers advised to avoid Rio Olympics [Press Association, May 29, 2016]
31. Violence flares in Rio's slums just months before Summer Olympics [PBS, May 31, 2016]
32. Trash creates obstacles for Rio 2016 Olympic sailors [CNN, June 2, 2016]
33. Zika worries prompt U.S. cyclist to pull out of Rio contention [NPR, June 2, 2016]
34. This Olympic athlete is freezing his sperm ahead of the Rio Games because of Zika virus [The Week, June 8, 2016]
35. Studies find 'super bacteria' in Rio's Olympic venues, top beaches [Reuters, June 11, 2016]
36. Rio's governor declares 'state of calamity' ahead of Olympic Games [NPR, June 18, 2016]
37. Pleading poverty, Rio governor seeks aid for Olympics [The New York Times, June 18, 2016]
38. Rio security fears heightened as Australian paralympian is robbed at gunpoint [Time, June 21, 2016]
39. Jaguar shot dead after escape during Olympic torch event [CNN, June 22, 2016]
40. Golfer Rory McIlroy drops out of Rio Olympics over Zika concerns [The Associated Press, June 22, 2016]
41. Rio drug-testing lab is suspended by antidoping regulator [The New York Times, June 24, 2016]
42. Jason Day, world's top golfer, pulls out of Olympics over Zika fears [The New York Times, June 28, 2016]
43. Rio de Janeiro's acting governor: Olympics could be a 'big failure' [CNN, June 28, 2016]
44. 'Welcome to hell': One month from Olympics, cash-strapped Rio police warn tourists aren't safe [The Telegraph, June 29, 2016]
45. Human body parts wash up on shore of Rio's Olympic beach [The Associated Press, June 30, 2016]
Then again, the CEO of the Summer Games insists that "Rio is ready," so everything will probably be fine.
Kelly Cates to present Match of the Day
Eclipses 'on demand' mark a new era in solar physics
Sudoku hard: December 16, 2024
Why Assad fell so fast
Romania's election rerun
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Cuba's energy crisis
