Salutations everyone! Get excited, it’s our first newsroom of the semester!
- Supreme Court Supports Transgender Military Ban
Some not so exciting, fun, or fresh news. On Tuesday, January 22nd, the Supreme Court announced that they would be honoring Trump’s ban on transgender individuals from serving in the US military. This comes a year and a half after Trump hastily announced that transgender people are banned from the military, which he announced via Twitter without much warning to his constituents. We’re living in the future and it sucks.
The wording of the policy is shotty, to say the least. Certain transgender folk are able to serve in the military if they are at least three years “stable” after starting hormones or undergoing surgery (not sure what “stable” means, but go off, I guess), or if their gender dysphoria diagnosis does not require a “change in gender.” Judging by the language, I’m ~pretty~ sure no LGBTQ+ related individuals were involved in the creation of this policy.
Is the transgender military ban justified? Are trans people too much of a burden to serve our country? Sound off in the comments, y’all.
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/politics/transgender-ban-military-supreme-court.html
- Chris Brown Faces Rape Allegations
Singer, dancer, and douchebag Chris Brown was arrested on Tuesday, January 22 in Paris following allegations of aggravated rape during a trip to Paris. While Brown was released on Tuesday night, investigation into the case is still ongoing.
Following his release, Brown decided to release an official statement on Instagram in order to calmly respond to his accuser and let the world know that he would never disrespect a woman…just kidding, he said “This B!tch Lyin’.” Nice.
Link: https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/entertainment/chris-brown-arrested/index.html
- Virginia House of Delegates Says No to Equal Rights Amendment
In a 4-2 vote against the Equal Rights Amendment, the Virginia House of Delegates blocks Virginia from ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. The vote would have made Virginia the 38th state to ratify the ERA, allowing the amendment to reach the ⅔ ratification qualification needed.
The Equal Rights Amendment was drafted in 1972, declaring that rights under law shall not be denied to anyone on the basis of sex. Only 35 states ratified the amendment by the 1982 deadline set by the US Senate; however, the amendment resurfaced in response to the Trump presidency, and two more states (Nevada and Illinois) ratified the amendment in the last two years. While the amendment was supported unanimously by the Harrisonburg City Council and approved 26-14 by the Virginia State Senate, the House of Delegates opposed the amendment’s ratification.
Opponents to the ERA argue that the amendment fails to protect special programs for women, supports abortion, and has passed the 1982 deadline set by the Senate. However, supporters believe that the ERA is necessary in erasing discrimination based on sex. How do you feel about the Equal Rights Amendment?
Link: https://wtop.com/virginia/2019/01/va-wont-ratify-era-this-year/
- Senator Kamala Harris for President?
Senator Kamala Harris announced her presidential campaign on Monday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. BUT, not everyone is happy. Even through her viral moments during the Bret Kavanaugh trial, it seems the black community is not having it. The black community has not forgotten the skeletons in her closet. Here are a few of their claims:
- She has a history of pushing for private prisons and has profited off of such.
- She has pushed for the incarceration of African Americans.
- She has resisted the investigating of police brutality in her office
What do you all think? Will you be voting for Kamala in 2020?
- The Nominees are in…..
Oscar Nominations are a little bit blacker this year. The highlight of the nomination list is lead by Black Panther for Best Picture and BlacKKKlansman by Spike Lee. Some of my personal favorites are Incredibles 2 for Best Animation and Lady Gaga “A Star is Born” for Leading Actress.
Read the rest of the nominees here: https://variety.com/2019/film/news/oscar-nominations-2019-list-1203112405/
- Ariaaaaaannnaaaaa?! Ari???? The Thank u Next girl????? **Soulja Boy Voice**
Ariana’s new song “7 rings” has been greeted with some controversy. Some are saying that she copied “King Darko” Soulja Boy, 2 Chains, and Princess Nokia. Some are even going as far as saying that she is guilty as culturally appropriating whilst using Princess Nokia’s song. She has since apologized. It’s too much drama to run down. Check out this youtube video that explains it all.
That’s all for this week. OH! And the government is still shut down, nothing new here- until next week.
featured image: 2017.07.26 Protest Trans Military Ban, White House, Washington DC USA 7675, Ted Eytan via flickr.com
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
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