Cramm for 10/17/19
THE HIGHLIGHTS
The whole world is still watching Syria.
THE BACKGROUND.
Not too long ago, the US suddenly announced that it’d be pulling troops out of Syria. Problem, since Syria is home to the Kurds, a minority group that’s helped the US fight ISIS for years - but has also been labelled a terrorist group by Turkey. Fast forward to this week, and Turkey launched a military offensive against the Kurds. And so far, dozens of Kurds - both fighters and civilians - have been killed, while over a hundred thousand people have been displaced.
THE HAPPENINGS.
Yesterday, the House of Reps said ‘yeah, this was a bad idea’ and and gave the thumbs-up to a resolution that officially opposes the Trump team’s decision to ditch Syria. The resolution got votes from Dems and Republicans alike, with 354 lawmakers voting in favor of it. Not a typo.
THE REACTION.
Just hours later, Prez Trump got together with lawmakers to talk Syria. It didn’t exactly go all that well. Hint: the Prez clashed with Dem leaders - who walked out of the meeting after having what Trump called a “meltdown.” Cue this viral pic. Meanwhile, Prez Trump took to Twitter to defend his decision to ditch Syria. And said the Kurds were “no angels” and “more of a terror threat...than ISIS.” You read that right. What’s also making headlines: Trump’s letter to Turkish Prez Erdogan.
SO…?
The situation in Syria keeps escalating. TBD, TBD, TBD.
THE ACTION
WORLD: The death toll in Typhoon Hagibis keeps rising. Reminder: earlier this week, Japan was hit by a powerful typhoon (think: a hurricane, but in the Northwest Pacific) - one of the strongest to hit the area in years. So far, at least 74 people have died, with over a hundred thousand people currently searching for any remaining survivors. Thousands are still without power. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, recently, Rep Elijah Cummings (D-MD) passed away at the age of 68 due to “longstanding health challenges.” Cummings, who was from Baltimore, was elected to the House of Reps in 1996 and was heavily involved in things like the impeachment inquiry. Lawmakers across the nation paid tribute to him.
USA: Today, teachers in Chicago are expected to go on strike. Quick refresher: over the past few years, the US has seen a lot a lot of teacher strikes. Now, it looks like Chicago teachers are joining in. They’re demanding higher pay, smaller class sizes, and overall improved conditions for students and teachers alike. About 300,000 students will be affected by the strike as schools throughout Chicago will be cancelled. Unclear whether the strike will result in a deal. Speaking of which, a deal has reportedly been reached to end the United Auto Workers union’s strike against General Motors. This comes as the strike - which involves nearly 50,000 workers - is in its 31st day.
POLITICS: Brexit’s got a breakthrough. Reminder: back in 2016, the UK shocked everyone and voted to divorce the European Union. But in the years since, they’ve had a bit of a problem actually accomplishing that. Untillll today. Case in point: the UK and the EU apparently nodded their heads to the outline of a Brexit deal. Now, it’s up to EU leaders and British Parliament on whether the deal becomes official. In other news, the International Monetary Fund’s lowering its expectations. See: the organization drop drop dropped its forecast for global growth in 2019 to 3% - the lowest rate since the financial crisis. Bad omen.
WHAT TO KNOW
“Jennifer Anniston:” who just joined Instagram, causing it to temporarily crash. The One Where Rachel Breaks Instagram.
SAY WHAT?
“His eyes were full of noble glitters” - North Korea on this photo of Kim Jong Un riding a horse. Noble indeed.
STAY CONNECTED
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