What in the World Wednesdays #8: WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!

By: burgundy bug

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Glossy Lime Sticker

Source: Glossy Lemon and Lime Stickers | P3 StickEz

It’s official. President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders announced that he is running in the 2020 United States Presidential Election, the Australian government has been facing cyber attacks throughout the month, and the hostless 91st annual Oscars will air this Sunday.

What in the World of Politics

On Feb 15, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border of the United States.

I’m gonna be signing a national emergency.

Source: Trump declares national emergency | CNN

“It’s been signed by other presidents,” President Trump assured the audience. “They sign it, nobody cares. They sign it for far less important things, in many cases… We’re talking about an invasion of our country.”

President Trump didn’t seem too keen on shutting the government back down after the 35-day partial shutdown that furloughed 800,000 federal employees and cost the United States $11 billion, according to Forbes.

Instead, the president has declared a national emergency in the hopes of furthering his pursuit of a $5.6 billion wall along the border of the United States and Mexico.

What is a National Emergency

As the Brennan Center for Justice reports, both Congress and the President of the United States retain the power to declare a national emergency. This declaration is good for one year, unless it is terminated or renewed. Congress has the ability to terminate a national emergency declared by the president, however it has not done so in at least 40 years.

A national emergency grants the executive branch a broader range of power over our military, property, public health, trade policies, transportation, communication, and legal system. 70% of the emergency laws and authorities require nothing more than the president’s signature to be taken into action.

The New York Times explains declaring a national emergency may be enough for President Trump to keep moving forward with the construction of the wall, regardless of whether or not there is truly an emergency at the border.

There are two laws that President Trump could use to get his wall off the ground. The first law allows troops and other resources to be directed towards the construction of civil works, military works, and civil defense projects.

The second law permits the construction of military projects that were not otherwise authorized.

However, President Trump’s declaration is not going down without a fight. There are currently 16 states that have challenged the national emergency in court, according to the New York Times.

What Else is Going on in the World of Politics?

On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) announced that he will run for president in the 2020 United States Presidential Election.

Hi, I’m Bernie Sanders. I’m running for president.

Source: I’m Running For President | Bernie Sanders

“I think the current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment to our country,” Sen. Sanders said during his interview on Vermont Public Radio (VPR). “I think he is a pathological liar… I also think he is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, somebody who is gaining cheap political points by trying to pick on minorities, often undocumented immigrants.”

On the other side of the globe, Australia has been the target of cyber attacks since the beginning of this month. On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison blamed these attacks on a “sophisticated state actor.”

The New York Times reports the country behind the attack has yet to be identified, however likely suspects include China, Russia, Iran, Israel, and North Korea due to their cyber-warfare technology.

“It is gross negligence to have any significant breach of a system at this point,” said Roderick Jones, the founder and president of the San Francisco based cyber security firm Rubica. “Given everything that’s happened around the world, to have a penetration of a parliamentary system is just negligent.”

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What in the World of Arts and Entertainment

On Sunday Feb 24, the 91st annual Oscar awards will air live on ABC at 8 PM (EST). According to Entertainment Weekly, the show will go on without a host after Kevin Hart stepped down from the position in Dec.

There will be a number of presenters and performances – the show must go on, after all. Some of the presenters include Emilia Clarke, Daniel Craig, Tina Fey, Samuel L. Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jennifer Lopez, among others.

Black Panther, BlacKkKlansmen, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born, and Vice have been nominated for Best Picture this year.

A full list of presenters, performers, and nominations are available on Entertainment Weekly’s website.

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What Else is Going on in the World

On Monday, CNN reported that Shannon Grimm, a teacher in Texas, cut her hair in order to show support to one of her students.

Grimm had noticed her students a 5-year-old girl by the name of Priscilla over her short hair.

“I would cry because I would think school was not fun,” Priscilla said.

The little girl had even begun wearing a hat to school in an attempt to hide her hair from her classmates, who teased her for “looking like a boy.”

“What better way to show them that you can look any way and still be true to yourself and that you can be whoever you want – it doesn’t matter what you look like – than to cut my own hair?” Grimm said in a Facebook Video after chopping her waist-length hair into a pixie to match Priscilla’s haircut.

Grimm even purchased matching hair bows for her and Priscilla.

“I don’t want my students to ever feel like their confidence is down, that they don’t want to come to school because of the way people look at them and say things to them,” Grimm said. “I want them to come to school and love being at school.”

The little girl honored her teacher with a medal for her efforts, and Grimm nominated Priscilla for the district’s Student of the Month award.

“It doesn’t matter what haircut you have,” Grimm said. “You’re beautiful no matter what.”

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In Conclusion

• President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in order to go forward in pursuing his $5.6 billion wall along the southern border of the United States.
• Sen. Bernie Sanders announced that he is running in the 2020 United States Presidential Election.
• Australia’s government has been the victim of cyber attacks throughout the month. Suspects of the attack include China, Russia, Iran, Israel, and North Korea due to their cyber warfare technology.
• The 91st annual Oscar Awards will air without a host on Sunday. Black Panther, BlacKkKlansmen, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born, and Vice have been nominated for Best Picture.
• A teacher in Texas cut her waist-length hair into a pixie cut after a female Kindergarten student of hers was teased for having short hair.

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