What in the World Wednesdays #11: DREAMers, Brexits, Boeings, and Anti-Semitism

By: burgundy bug

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Flying above the clouds

Source: Flying Above the Clouds 04 | Penelope Peru Photography P3

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives introduced a bill to allow DREAMers and other undocumented immigrants who are temporarily protected to apply for citizenship.

Meanwhile, New Jersey legislators announced a bill to legalize recreational cannabis; The UK Parliament voted against the Prime Minister’s proposed Brexit deal again on Tuesday and announced their plan to leave the EU without a deal today; another Boeing 737 crashed, killing all of its passengers; a federal investigation of a nationwide college-entrance scam is underway; anti-semitism runs rampant among students at Newport Harbor High School; and the World Wide Web celebrated its 30th birthday this week.

What in the World of Politics

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other Democratic Representatives introduced H.R. 6, also known as the Dream and Promise Act of 2019, according to CNBC.

The bill is essentially an updated version of the DREAM Act, according to Vox. In addition to offering undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children (known as DREAMers) citizenship, it will allow some immigrants with temporary humanitarian protections to apply for citizenship, as well.

“Our bill contains a number of provisions that make it more progressive and pragmatic than previous versions of the Dream Act,” Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) said at Tuesday’s press conference.

As it currently stands, the Trump Administration is trying to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which prevents many DREAMers from deportation. They have also denied hundreds – if not thousands – of undocumented immigrants’ requests to renew their temporary protections from deportation.

“We are not going to allow Donald Trump to send them back, and we are not going to ask them to live in a constant state of fear and uncertainty,” Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) said on Tuesday.

What Else is Going on in the World of Politics

On Tuesday, New Jersey legislators announced a new bill that aims to legalize cannabis on a recreational level, according to the New York Post.

If you’re from New Jersey – or any of its neighboring states, for that matter – you may be well aware the Garden State has been teasing the legalization of recreational cannabis since Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) pledged to sign legislation legalizing the substance within 100 days of his inauguration in Jan 2018, according to App.

Fast forward to 2019 and New Jersey lawmakers are saying the bill could pass as early as Mar 25.

The legislation would allow anyone of at least 21-years of age to use cannabis. It would also impose a $42-per-ounce tax on purchases.

The bill would also allow cities to collect a 3-percent tax from their cannabis retailers and a 1-percent tax from wholesalers. Areas with cannabis cultivators are allowed to collect a 2-percent tax from their farms.

The agreement today on legalizing adult-use marijuana:
 
• Reduces disparities in our criminal justice system.
 
• Establishes an industry that brings opportunity to all communities
  
• Ensures a safe product
 
• Allows law enforcement to focus resources on serious crimes

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) March 12, 2019

Gov. Murphy’s Tweet about the bill

Source: Governor Phil Murphy | Twitter

Currently, medical marijuana is legal in the state of New Jersey, according to the Department of Health.

Across the ocean, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal was shot down again by the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament on Tuesday, with a vote of 242-391, according to Vox.

It’s not as dramatic of a defeat as her deal that was rejected in Jan with a vote of 202-432 (Vox), and it’s not too surprising, either; the plan that went to vote on Tuesday was not very different from the plan voted on in Jan.

Needless to say, the countdown is on. It is unlikely that May will propose another bill to back out of the Brexit, as there are only 16-days left until the UK is supposed to leave the European Union (EU).

At this point, the UK would have to apply for an Article 50 extension in order to prevent leaving the EU on Mar 29, according to CNN.

Today, the UK government published their plans to leave the EU without a deal.

Under the temporary plans, 87-percent of imports to the UK would be tariff-free. The government also revealed that tariffs would not be applied on goods imported to the Republic of Ireland – which remains part of the EU – despite Northern Ireland being apart of the UK.

“I profoundly regret the decision that this house has taken tonight”

Source: Theresa May profoundly regrets loss on Brexit deal | CNN

“I profoundly regret the decision that this house has taken tonight,” May said today at the House of Commons (CNN). “I continue to believe that by far the best outcome is if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union in an orderly fashion with a deal.”

Live coverage of today’s vote – which is still in process as this article is being published – is available on CNN.

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What in the World of Arts and Entertainment

View this post on Instagram

3.9.19✨♥️

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Mar 12, 2019 at 9:21am PDT

On Saturday, Jennifer “Jlo” Lopez and Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez announced their engagement on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Mar 9, 2019 at 5:34pm PST

“Jenny from the block” rocked the World Wide Web with photos of her engagement ring, which CNBC estimates is worth $1.8 million.

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What Else is Going on in the World

On Sunday, another Boeing 737 airplane crashed, killing all 157 passengers on board. This is the second time a 737 has crashed within five months, according to Vox.

Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, destined for Nairobi, Kenya, faltered shortly after departing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Despite these tragedies, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines still fly 737 planes in the US, according to NPR.

Boeing has delivered a total of 350 MAX aircraft worldwide.

In the United States, three airlines fly the MAX and all three said today they have no plans to stand down:
oAmerican – flies 24 MAX 8
oSouthwest – flies 34 MAX 8
oUnited – flies 14 MAX 9

— NPR (@NPR) March 11, 2019

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community in response to Sunday’s incident (CANIC), according to their Twitter.

The #FAA has issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) related to the @Boeing 737-8 and @Boeing 737-9 (737 MAX) fleet. The document is available at https://t.co/zD9gizwPIc. https://t.co/QRZ7xSWdFC

— The FAA (@FAANews) March 11, 2019

The FAA has sent personnel to investigate the issue further, according to the CANIC released on Monday.

Pilots on US routes had also expressed concerns about the Boeing 737 Max 8 model in Nov, according to The New York Times

Their concerns arose from issues similar to those pilots had experienced during the preceding crash in Oct; the noses of their planes were dipping suddenly after going into autopilot.

“I reviewed in my mind our automation setup and flight profile but can’t think of any reason the aircraft would pitch nose down so aggressively,” one pilot wrote.

In addition to the autopilot issue, another pilot said they were insufficiently trained to fly the Max 8.

“I think it is unconscionable that a manufacturer, the F.A.A., and the airlines would have pilots flying an airplane without adequately training, or even providing available resources and sufficient documentation to understand the highly complex systems that differentiate this aircraft from prior models,” the pilot wrote. “I am left to wonder: what else don’t I know? The Flight Manual is inadequate and almost criminally insufficient.”

Boeing has said the 737 is safe to fly, however they have agreed to upgrade its software and improve their pilot training.

In other news, Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, and 50 other individuals were charged on Tuesday for being a part of a nationwide college-entrance scam, according to VICE.

The prosecutors claim these individuals were engaged in a large “elaborate fraud” to create a “rigged system” at Ivy-league and other prestigious universities across the US.

Those who were charged had allegedly bribed other students to stand in for their children at exams. In some cases, they had even paid-off athletic recruiters to recruit their children, even if they never ended up playing the sport throughout their time in school.

One parent had paid $400,000 to a female soccer coach at Yale so their daughter could attend the school – and sure enough, the daughter was in no way shape or form a soccer player, according to a Federal prosecutor.

“This case is about the widening corruption of elite college admissions,” United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Speaking of the education system, the Newport Harbor High School found itself covered in swastika flyers following the visit of a Holocaust survivor who had shared their firsthand experiences, according to CNN.

Police officers were called to remove 10 flyers that were discovered on Sunday morning. Although there is nothing illegal about the flyers themselves, an investigation is underway.

“We condemn all acts of anti-Semitism and hate in all their forms,” said Sean Boulton, the principle of Newport Harbor High School. “We will continue to be vigilant with our stance, and the care of our students and staff.”

Lastly, the World Wide Web celebrated its 30th birthday on Tuesday, according to the World Wide Web Foundation.

“The web has become a public square, a library, a doctor’s office, a shop, a school, a design studio, an office, a cinema, a bank, and so much more,” wrote Sir Tim Berners-Lee, reflecting on the World Wide Web’s birthday.

“With every new feature, every new website, the divide between those who are online and those who are not increases, making it all the more imperative to make the web available for everyone,” Berners-Lee continued.

Berners-Lee concluded his reflection by stressing the web is for everyone.

“Collectively, we hold the power to change it,” Berners-Lee wrote. “It won’t be easy. But if we dream a little and work a lot, we can get the web we want.”

In Conclusion

Talk about an eventful Tuesday, right?

• On Tuesday, the House of Representatives introduced H.R. 6, also known as the Dream and Promise Act of 2019. The bill will allow DREAMers and other undocumented immigrants who are temporarily protected to apply for citizenship.
• On Tuesday, New Jersey legislators introduced a bill to legalize recreational cannabis.
• On Tuesday, the UK Parliament voted against Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal, again.
• Today, the UK Parliament published their plan to leave the EU without a deal.
• On Saturday, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez announced their engagement with a photo of the engagement ring, which is approximately worth $1.8 million.
• On Sunday, a Boeing 737 airplane crashed while departing Ethiopia, killing all 157 passengers. This is the second 737 to crash within five months.
• On Tuesday, Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, among 50 other individuals, were charged for being apart of a nationwide college-entrance scam.
• On Sunday, police officers were called to remove 10 swastika flyers from Newport Harbor High School, just days after a Holocaust survivor shared their story with the students.
• On Tuesday, the World Wide Web celebrated its 30th birthday.

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