OCTOBER 2019 NEWS RECAP

LOCAL NEWS: 

Minuteman Tech unveils new building

Minuteman Career and Technical High School celebrated its new building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, State Senator Cindy Freidman, State Representative Michelle Ciccolo, and Superintendent Ed Bouqillon gave speeches. The new space is about 257,000 square feet, has a capacity of 628 students, and cost around $145 million to construct.

MA State House takes on Student Opportunity Act

The Massachusetts State Senate passed a $1.5 billion education funding bill this month. It passed through the Senate unanimously with a 39-0 vote and will now be voted upon in the House. Under the Student Opportunity Act, the most funding would go to districts in Massachusetts with high populations of low-income and English-language learning students. State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) said to MassLive, “This bill stands as our commitment that, in Massachusetts, zip code must not be destiny.”

Massachusetts Federal Court rules on Harvard affirmative action case

The lawsuit claiming that Harvard intentionally discriminates against Asian-American applicants was rejected by federal judge Allison D. Burroughs on the first of October. The verdict will likely be challenged, and many believe it will eventually make its way to the Supreme Court. Proponents of ending affirmative action were attempting to overturn a Supreme Court precedent that allows for race to be a factor in admissions, but does not allow universities to use race-based quotas. Judge Burroughs said that the university met constitutional standards for race in the college admissions process. “Diversity,” she wrote in her decision, “will foster tolerance, acceptance and understanding that will ultimately make race-conscious admissions obsolete.” 

BIG HEADLINES:

Formal Impeachment Process Begins

The House of Representatives voted on Halloween Day to set formal rules and finalize the impeachment inquiries into President Donald Trump. The final vote was 232 to 196, with two House Democrats and all Republicans voting against the inquiry. According to Politico, before presiding over the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that “what is at stake, in all of this, is nothing less than our democracy. 

California Democrat Rep. Katie Hill resigns following scandal

Rep. Katie Hill announced her resignation after Daily Mail published nude pictures of her (which has been derided as “revenge porn”) following allegations of an extra-marital relationship with a female campaign staffer, Morgan Desjardines, and male legislative aide, Graham Kelly. Hill admits to the relationship with the female campaign staffer, however, she denies the relationship with the legislative aide and alleges that it is a libelous accusation falsified by her abusive ex-husband. The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into her wrongdoings and Hill is fully cooperating.

SCOTUS receives Louisiana abortion case

The Supreme Court announced that it will review a new case regarding  Lousiana’s new abortion restrictions and its “Unsafe Abortion Protection Act,” which requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The court will likely hear the case in early 2020, and come to a verdict sometime next summer. With the new conservative court, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationally, could be overturned. No statewide abortion bans have yet taken effect. 

SCOTUS receives LGBTQ workplace discrimination cases

On October 8th, the Supreme Court heard three cases concerning workplace discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals. The cases question whether the existing ban on sex discrimination in employment applies to gender identity or sexual orientation. If the Supreme Court concludes that it is lawful to discriminate against gay or trans workers, it could overturn broader laws regarding discrimination.

Former police officer convicted for Botham Jean’s murder

Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, was convicted of murder for fatally shooting her unarmed neighbor, Botham Jean, in his apartment in September of 2018. On October 2nd of this year, she was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was revealed during the sentencing hearing that Guyger sent various racist texts and social media posts. Even so, Brandt Jean, Botham’s brother, forgave Guyger and embraced her in court, saying “I personally want the best for you because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want you do to—to give your life your Christ.”

Key witness in Guyger murder trial found murdered in home

Joshua Brown, who served as a key witness in the murder trial of police officer Amber Guyger, was found dead ten days after the verdict. After an investigation, Dallas PD made two arrests and declared it a “drug deal gone wrong,” although many have been quick to point out the ways in which Brown’s murder did not read like a drug deal altercation. According to CNN, sources close to the victim say Brown lived in “constant fear of gun violence.” His family is calling for an independent probe into his shooting. 

Pro-democracy protests continue to escalate in Hong Kong 

Protests are raging throughout Hong Kong, with protestors resorting to violent practices of hurling petrol bombs at police, who generally respond with tear gas, rubber bullets, and baton charges. A recent demonstration was held in Tsim Sha Tsui, a luxury shopping district. During this demonstration, a water cannon truck sought to chase down protestors. The protests started in June during proposals by the Hong Kong administration to allow extradition to mainland China. Although this bill was suspended recently, protestors now demand full democracy for Hong Kong. 

Ellen Degeneres criticized for friendship with George W. Bush, defends herself

Ellen Degeneres was spotted with former President George W. Bush at a baseball game earlier in October. Many took to Twitter to show their surprise that Ellen, a “Hollywood Liberal” and active proponent of gay rights, would sit next to a famously conservative public figure—however, Ellen has responded by mentioning that she is friends with “a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that [she has]” and that it is important to show kindness. 

#NationalPeriodDay rallies for period poverty awareness

October 19th was the first #NationalPeriodDay, which aims to increase accessibility for period products as low-income people who menstruate struggle to afford them. Currently, thirty five US states have sales tax on period products, and consider them as nonessential items. Rallies took at many locations across the US.

Facebook CEO questioned in Congress

Mark Zuckerberg was the subject of a Congressional hearing in front of the House Financial Services Committee regarding Libra, Facebook’s new cryptocurrency. Lawmakers during this time took the opportunity to criticise the CEO for Facebook’s past mishaps, ranging from the Cambridge Analytica scandal of last year to Zuckerberg’s refusal to ban false political ads from the platform. During the six hour long hearing, Zuckerberg engaged in a back-and-forth with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC cross-examined Zuckerberg on a multitude of issues, including political ads and the CEO’s relation to far-right figures. 

Congressmen Elijah Cummings and John Conyers Jr. pass away

This month, two notable congressmen passed away. Early morning on October 17th, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD17) died at the age of 68. He was a powerful figure in the House, a decades-long civil rights advocate, and a leading voice on the impeachment probe. His funeral service in his hometown of Baltimore was attended by prominent figures like former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. More than a week later, Rep. John Conyers Jr. passed away at the age of 90. He was the sixth longest serving member and the longest serving African-American in Congressional history, serving from 1965 to 2017 as the representative of Michigan’s 1st, 13th and 14th districts over the course of his long career. (He resigned in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct). Conyers founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 and was prolific in fighting for civil rights. 

Fires are scorching California once again

California is once again being plagued by wildfires believed to have caused by strong, dry winds. They have caused up to 2.7 million people to lose power. One of the biggest threats has been the Kincade fire in the wine valleys north of San Francisco, burning more than 77,000 acres, approximately 117 square miles of charred land. These fires come after the devastating fire season of 2018 which ravaged the forests of California in one of the most devastating disasters the U.S had ever seen.

Leader of ISIS dead

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, died in Syria on October 26th. It was reported that Delta Force, a special operations of the Army, conducted a raid through Russian and Turkish airspace into the Idlib province of Syria, which was rebel-held at the time, in an attempt to capture al-Baghdadi. President Donald Trump and officials state that al-Baghdadi was cornered in a tunnel by the canines from the U.S forces before detonating an explosive suicide-vest. He had two of his children at the time of the fatal explosion. Al-Baghdadi was buried at sea and given Islamic rites, according to anonymous U.S officials. Trump prefaced the big announcement by tweeting late last weekend that “something very big has just happened!”

POLITICS:

Impeachment Recap

In mid-September, a whistleblower leaked that President Donald Trump engaged in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where Trump asked Zelensky to investigate the Bidens and 2016 election tampering in exchange for foreign aid from the U.S. After the details were published in a Washington Post report later that month, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 12) initiated an impeachment inquiry against Trump. Just a day later, the White House released a seemingly incomplete transcript of the notable phone call which showed Trump’s request of an investigation into the Bidens which brought an argument over the semantics of a “quid pro quo.” Since then, a Twitter frenzy has broken out and tensions between Congressional Democrats and the White House continue to rise, all while the 2020 Presidential elections loom over the horizon.

Text message exchanges between American and Ukrainian officials

Earlier this month, Democratic Congressmen Eliot Engel, Adam Schiff, and Elijah Cummings released a report containing text messages appearing to be between Ukrainian and U.S. government officials. The content of the messages seems to imply that Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that if Ukraine wanted to receive benefits from the U.S, such as military aid and a visit to the White House, Ukraine would have to investigate the Russian election investigation and the Bidens—a quid pro quo. 

Trump asks China to dig up dirt on Bidens

President Donald Trump publicly declared from the South Lawn this month that “China should start an investigation into the Bidens” as a result of Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, targeting Hunter Biden’s business dealings with China. A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreigh Affairs, Geng Shuang, rejected the claim that the Chinese Government lended Hunter Biden $1.5 billion. Vice President Mike Pence voiced his support for Trump, but Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) did not have the same sentiment in a Face the Nation interview, where he derided foreign interference in American elections.

Mike Pompeo’s involvement in July 25th Ukraine call

According to a senior official of the State Department, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was one of the people listening to President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Pompeo later admitted to the claim at a news conference in Rome with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio. 

Trump on Twitter: #StopTheCoup

Trump started the hashtag, “#StopTheCoup,” referring to the call for impeachment. The Twitter masses immediately responded by criticizing Trump for referring to a Constitutional process as a coup.

American stance on impeachment

According to a FiveThirtyEight poll, 49.4% of Americans support impeachment of President Donald Trump while 43.7% do not support impeachment. The impeachment now appears to be a partisan issue since 84.6% of Democrats support impeachment, while 87.7% of Republicans do not. As surveyed by the New York Times, 227 House Democrats, one Independent and zero Republicans support an impeachment inquiry. 

Trump’s proclamation on immigration 

President Donald Trump announced that immigrants applying for a visa must prove they are able to  obtain health insurance within thirty days of entry, or else their visa will be denied, which will take effect on November 3rd of this year. Trump cited the same piece of legislation that he used in the 2017 Muslim travel ban.

Alleged meltdowns in the White House

During a closed door meeting at the White House, tensions reached a peak, causing Democratic leaders walked out. It is reported that Democrat leaders walked out after President Donald Trump had a “meltdown." This came after 129 Republican policymakers supported a resolution that opposed Trump’s withdrawal of U.S troops from Syria in a 354 to 60 vote. Nancy Pelosi tweeted that Trump was “unhinged” during the meeting. Trump later responded in his own Tweet of a photo captioned “Nervous Nancy’s unhinged meltdown." The photo showed the Speaker, the only woman in the room, shaking her finger at Trump. Relations between Congressional Democrats and the executive branch have taken a sharp dip as the Democrats continue their impeachment inquiry. 

LOOKING TOWARDS 2020:

Bernie Sanders suffers heart attack on campaign trail

Sen. Bernie Sanders has canceled all campaign events after an unexpected heart surgery for a minor heart attack. Sanders said that he is recovering well and is looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail. He seemed well during the October 15th debates. Sanders has stated that he intends to release his medical records.

Sanders holds “Bernie’s Back” rally in Queens, welcomes Rep. Ocasio-Cortez

After recovering from a heart attack, Senator Bernie Sanders returned to his campaign by holding a rally in Queens, New York. During the rally, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez officially endorsed Bernie Sanders to an audience of 26,000. Days before, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib announced their support for Sanders.

Hillary Clinton criticizes Tulsi Gabbard over Russian ties

Hillary Clinton recently derided presidential candidate and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as “the favorite of the Russians.” The Russian government allegedly mobilized social-media bots to defend Gabbard, as well as 2016 candidate Jill Stein. Gabbard struck back, calling Clinton “the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of rot” in a Tweet on October 19th.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren surges in polls, becomes the frontrunner to beat

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released October 14th, Senator Warren is narrowly ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary elections. In another Quinnipac poll released August 9th, 21% percent of respondents said she was the candidate with the best chance of beating President Trump. In New Hampshire and Iowa, Warren is leading the polls with 25% support in both states. 

Candidates release third quarter fundraising amounts

Many Democratic candidates have released their quarter fundraising totals. The candidates who raised the most money were Sen. Bernie Sanders at 25.3 million, Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 24.6 million, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 19.1 million, and Vice President Joe Biden at 15.2 million. Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang is also gaining momentum, jumping from 2.8 million from the second quarter to 10 million in the third quarter with 300,000 donors. Politico recently broke that Sen. Kamala Harris is scaling down her operations due to a lack of funds. 

October Democratic debate highlights

The October Democratic debate featured many progressive-against-moderate clashes. After surging in the polls, Sen. Warren was the most heavily scrutinized on the stage. Former Vice President Joe Biden stayed out of the fray until a quarrel with Sen. Bernie Sanders. In the final moments, the Washington Post broke the news that New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Sanders, as well as Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. 

Conspiracy theory accuses Sen. Warren of an affair

Far-right conspiracy theorist Jacob Wohl claimed that Sen. Warren had an affair with a former 24-year-old Marine. NBC News reporter Ben Collins replied to this accusation on Twitter by jokingly congratulating Elizabeth Warren for “rising so quickly in the polls she forced Jacob Wohl to write erotica about her.” Other journalists have mocked Wohl by calling him “incompetent and stupid.

Controversy Sen. Warren’s pregnancy discrimination

Sen. Warren shared a story of being fired earlier in her career because of her pregnancy, which highlighed broader pregnancy discrimination cases in Corporate America. Warren has urged other women to share their stories of encountering pregnancy discrimination. Despite the Pregnancy Discrimination Act being passed in 1978, discrimination is still common as more women are entering previously male-dominated industries, resulting in the denial of pregnancy accomodations.

Andrew Yang attends a Rich Brian/88 Rising concert

Andrew Yang attended rapper Rich Brian’s first show on the Sailor Tour in NYC. Yang posted an iPhone video on social media of him on stage, giving a seven minute impromptu speech. Later in the month, Yang was trending again for his unprecedented ten hour online question and answer session.

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT:

Duke and Duchess of Sussex sue UK tabloids

On October 4th, Prince Harryand Meghan Markle filed lawsuits against The Sun and The Daily Mail, two of the UK’s largest tabloid publications, over alleged phone hacking, alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement, and violation of the Data Protection Act of 2018. In an exclusive ITV interview, Markle emotionally stated “[n]ot many people have asked if I’m OK,” referencing the media scrutiny she’s been put under ever since her engagement with Prince Harry.

Three men charged in federal court over the drugs in Mac Miller’s 2017 overdose

A grand jury indictment accused three men, Cameron Pettit, Stephen Walter and Ryan Revis, with drug offenses believed to have caused musician Mac Miller’s death in September 2018. All three were already charged with drug-related offenses. On October 11th, Pettit pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles federal court. Each faces a minimum of twenty years in prison. Miller passed away last September at the age of 26 after an overdose.

Kanye West releases album Jesus is King

Kanye West’s new gospel album Jesus is King released midnight October 25th, coinciding with an accompanying IMAX movie. The initial release date was postponed from September 27th. West’s album has been met with mixed critical response. He participated in a “Airport Karaoke” featuring his choir with late-night talk show host James Corden.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott split after two years

Celebrity couple KUWTK star Kylie Jenner and rapper Travis Scott, parted ways in early October, bringing an end to a highly-publicized two year long relationship. Later in the month, Scott released a highly anticipated single, “Highest in the Room.” 

Simone Biles lands two new signature moves

After an outstanding performance at the gymnastics World Championships, Simone Biles now has two signature moves to her name. In order for a gymnast to have a move named after them, they must submit it for consideration and successfully land it at a major competition. The two signature moves are the “Biles” (a double backflip with two twists) and the “Biles II” (a double backflip with three twists). Beyond these achievements, she recently became the most decorated American gymnast.

Frank Ocean’s PrEP+ queer club and new single

Frank Ocean recently held a queer club night called PrEP+ in Brooklyn. The club event was described by Rolling Stones as “an homage to what could have been of the 1980s’ NYC club scene if the drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) had been invented in that era.” A few days later, Ocean released a new single, “DHL” while hosting an episode of his Beats 1 Radio show, blonded. 

WHOLESOME NEWS:

The Obamas celebrate their wedding anniversary

Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama both celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary on Twitter and Instagram in very cute, emotional posts. Barack called Michelle his “favorite person.” 

The Rock Surprised 100-year-old Fan for her Birthday

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surprised a fan on her 100th birthday with a special video message after learning about her birthday on Twitter. In the video message, Johnson sang “Happy Birthday” and said that he was “happy and honored” to send a birthday message to her.

Journalist Ronan Farrow reveals he proposed to boyfriend in draft of his newly published book “Catch and Kill” 

Ronan Farrow, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, proposed marriage through a draft of his newly-released book “Catch and Kill.” Farrow writes that “I’d send [my boyfriend] a draft and put in a question, right on this page: ‘Marriage? On the moon or even here on Earth?’ His fiancé is Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett.

Oregon high school football coach disarms & hugs would-be school shooter

This May, a student at Parkrose High School in Oregon intended to use a firearm to take his own life. At the time, it was reported that the high school’s football and track coach, Keanon Lowe, tackled the student. However, new footage was recently released revealed that instead of tackling, Lowe hugged the student after guiding him out of the classroom while another educator disarmed him.

Lyft announces initiative to help folks get jobs

Lyft announced on October 17th that it would give free rides to those that need one to and from job interviews, training sessions, and through the first three weeks of employment until a paycheck is received. Lyft emphasized through this $50 million commitment that commuting time is often the strongest factor behind escaping poverty. According to Lyft’s own study, they found that 44% of their riders arrive at or depart at low-income areas. This program will be available in 35+ cities across the U.S and is nationally partnered with Goodwill, United Way and The United Service Organizations.

by DARREN TRAN & EVAN LI