What in the World Wednesdays #1: the First Week of the New Year

By: burgundy bug

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A Close-Up of a Philipp Plein Jacket

Source: Philipp Plein (12.27.18) | Penelope Peru Photography P³

It’s barely Wednesday, the second day of 2019, and there is already much to discuss. From Elizabeth Warren announcing her highly anticipated candidacy for the United States Presidential Election in 2020 to what shows and movies you can expect to hit Netflix this month, The Burgundy Zine‘s got you covered.

What in the World of Politics

Going on day 12 of the U.S. government shut down, federal employees are reaching their breaking point. According to a lawsuit filed by one of the federal employees unions, the partial shutdown has broken the law by leaving approximately 400,000 federal employees no choice other than to work without pay.

Meanwhile, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, wants Americans to JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!

Source: Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

True to form, our president attempts to dismiss the current state of our national government as the byproduct of HATERS, FAKE NEWS MEDIA, and TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.

On a lighter note, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) formally launched her Exploratory Campaign for Presidency on Monday, Dec. 31.

The middle class is under attack.

Source: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) – Elizabeth Warren Launches Exploratory Committee for President

Oklahoma born and raised, Warren is a Democrat known for her liberal positions on issues such as abortion, the economy, as well as the environment.

Inferred by Vote Smart’s supporting facts, Warren is a pro-choice candidate who supports income-tax increases, the legalization of recreational marijuana, Obamacare, a reduction in government spending on defense, and the pursuit of renewable sources of energy. On her official website, Warren states that she is fighting to give every kid the same chance to succeed.

What Would a Warren Presidency Mean for America?

Based on Warren’s stances as well as democrats holding the majority in the House of Representatives, it is easy to assume her presidency would result in a very liberal-faced America.

With Warren for president, we can definitely expect to see economic changes in hopes of saving the middle class, such as income tax adjustments. We might also see more states continuing to legalize medical and possibly recreational marijuana, as well as an increase in gun control legislation.

Who Else May be Running Against Elizabeth Warren in 2020?

Elizabeth Warren’s announcement was certainly no surprise, as it had been speculated by major news networks across the nation for quite some time now.

However, she is the first in the Democratic Party to officially step forward and launch her exploratory campaign for the 2020 United States Presidential Election.

Other Democrats who are suspected to run include former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX 16).

On the Republican side, Donald Trump had already filed his campaign for reelection with the Federal Election Commissions (FEC) in Jan. of 2017.

Republicans anticipated to challenge President Trump include Rep. John Kasich (R-OH 12), Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), former Chief of Staff to the Vice President Bill Kristol, as well as Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN).

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What in the World of Art and Entertainment?

New year, new month, new shows. According to Time Magazine, Netflix will be welcoming a new selection of movies and TV shows to stream such as Incredibles 2, Pulp Fiction, Happy Feet, Indiana Jones, The Addams Family, Godzilla (2014), and The Dark Knight. The second half of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt‘s fourth and final season will also be available towards the end of the month.

Movies coming to a theater near you in the upcoming weeks include Escape Room, A Dog’s Way Home, and Replicas.

As for fashion and interior design, 2019 seems to be the year of go bold or go home. Determined to end this decade with a bang, Glamour predicts this will be the year of tight pleats, padded shoulders, neon colors, and sequins. Vogue expects that we’ll see a good bit of fringe, florals, faux fur, and holographic material.

Experts at Decor Aid foresee a good deal of bright colors, artisian decor, floral wall papers, geometric patterns, and 70’s inspired looks sweeping humble abodes across the globe.

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What Else Is Going on in the World?

On New Year’s Eve, the New York Police Department (NYPD) had planned to implement the use of drones as an added safety measure, according to a discussion with the NYPD Commissioner James O’Neil on NBC’s American talk show, Today.

However, there was a change of plans due to inclement weather conditions.

The safety of all those celebrating #NewYearsEve in #TimesSqaure is paramount. Due to the rain and wind tonight, our NYPD drones will NOT be in the air

Source: Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) December 31, 2018

In contrast to the drones couldn’t take to the skies of the city that never sleeps, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft successfully soared to the most distant target in history, Ultima Thule.

Launched on Jan. 19, 2006, New Horizons is a space craft originally headed for Pluto, according to the Planetary Society.

New Horizons conducted a flyby study of Pluto on July 16, 2015, nine years after it’s launch. Now, New Horizons is on path to explore the Kuiper Belt.

While NASA is taking giant leaps for mankind, Congo appears to be taking a few steps backwards by shutting down all internet and text messaging services.

In a conversation with reporters from Reuters on Tuesday, a senior advisor to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the name of Barnabe Kikaya bin Karubi said these services were cut to protect the public from “fictious results” following their election on Sunday.

Kikaya stated that these services are not scheduled to resume until the complete results of the election are published on Jan. 6.

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In Conclusion

New year, same issues. Despite approaching the two-week mark of the U.S. government shut down, President Trump wants Americans to JUST CALM DOWN. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren is the first Democratic candidate to announce her exploratory campaign for U.S. presidency.

In other news, Netflix is reigning in the new year with a new selection of movies including Incredibles 2, Happy Feet, Pulp Fiction, and a number of other classics.

Speaking of classics, you can expect to see a good bit of 70’s chic sweeping the world of interior design. Go bold or go home also seems to be a going theme for this year in the art, design, and entertainment industries, with bright colors and patterns taking over.

As for the last tidbits of what’s going on in the world this week, the NYPD wasn’t able to patrol the city with drones on New Year’s Eve due to inclement weather conditions.

On the other hand, NASA’s New Horizons successfully reached Ultima Thule.

Lastly, Congo has had all of their internet and SMS services cut until finalized results from their election are released later this week on Jan. 6.

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