News Briefs
● Following an 18-month investigation done by three New York Times reporters, their findings in over 100,000 pages of documents such as financial records as well as interviews with previous employees of Fred Trump, led them to the conclusion that Donald Trump was not the self-made billionaire he led on to convey during his campaign for presidency. The Times found that Donald Trump has inherited nearly $413 million of fraudulent money by helping his father lower tax returns on property they owned.
● On Sep. 28 after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to delay the final vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Justice nomination, the FBI followed through with a week-long investigation into sexual assault accusations made against him by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. The Senate came to their decision Oct. 6 with a 50-48 decision. Kavanaugh was later sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as well as retired Justice Anthony Kennedy.
● Since Hurricane Florence has made its way through North Carolina, one of the most profitable businesses in the nation that takes place in the state is facing a huge dip in revenue. According to the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, an estimated 100+ pounds of tobacco leaf has been damaged and unable to be harvested. Those damages result in anywhere from a $250 million to $350 million loss in the tobacco farming industry.
● For the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nadia Murad, 25, and Dr. Denis Mukwege, 63, were both awarded for their “efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.” Murad was held captive in Mosul, Iraq by ISIS members for three months and was bought and sold as a sex slave by militants until she made a successful escape. Dr. Mukwege is a gynecologist from the Democratic Republic of Congo who has treated over 30,000 rape and sexual assault victims in his hospital.
● The Trump administration has declared in its latest environmental impact statement that by the year 2100 the Earth’s temperature will rise by 7 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius due to a consistent high rate of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. These projections are seen to be detrimental to the survival of coral reefs and could lead to ocean levels rising resulting in places such as Miami and and Manhattan being underwater.
● On Sep. 11, the Seattle Municipal Court judges voted to vacate more than 500 misdemeanor marijuana charges between the times of 1996 and 2010. The motion to vacate these charges was proposed back in April by City Attorney Pete Holmes who believes the convictions disproportionately impacted people of color.
● The “Girl With Balloon” painting done by the infamous British artist Banksy was auctioned off at $1.4 million Oct. 5 at Sotheby’s in London. To everyone’s surprise, an alarm sounded from the painting immediately following the declaration of the paintings sale and half of the painting was destroyed through a built-in shredder cleverly added by the artist over ten years ago.
● John Gagliardi, the winningest head coach in college football history died Sunday at the age of 91.
● Illegal immigration from Mexico has fallen dramatically this decade, sending the overall population of unauthorized people in the U.S. tumbling below the 11 million mark, according to a new think tank study released Thursday. As of 2016 the illegal immigrant population stood at 10,790,000 — down from 11,725,000 in 2010, the Center for Migration Studies said. It’s the lowest level since 2003, CMS said. While there were changes among the populations from myriad countries, the nearly 1 million decline can be attributed chiefly to Mexico, whose unauthorized population in the U.S. fell from 6.6 million down to 5.7 million.
● A Houston-area school district is threatening to suspend students who participate in a pro-gun control walkout following the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Curtis Rhodes, superintendent of the Needville Independent School District, announced February 20 that any student who participates in the nationwide demonstrations during school hours would face an automatic, three-day suspension.
● With tensions flaring between President Donald Trump and national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the Pentagon is considering options that would allow the President to potentially move the three-star general out of his current role and back into the military, according to half a dozen defense and administration officials. A search is being conducted by the Pentagon to see if there is a four-star military job suited for McMaster officials said. Several sources told CNN that the push for a replacement comes after months of personal tension between McMaster and Trump.
● For the first time, American voters showed the highest support of stricter gun laws ever recorded in a Quinnipiac University Poll at 66-31%. Other polls conducted by the university showed support for a mandatory waiting period for gun purchases at 83-14%, universal background checks at 97-2%, and a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons at 67-29%.
● A 35-19 vote on a bill introduced by Republican Sen. William Ligon of Georgia to allow adoption agencies the right to refuse to work with LGBTQ couples based on religious belief was passed through the Senate over the course of the past week and will move to the House for consideration.
● A choice made by the Supreme Court on Feb. 26 to not hear the Trump administrations appeal to ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has resulted in the temporary continuation of DACA. The deadline for congressional action had been previously set by Trump for March 5 but the program will continue until a substantial decision is made.
