The Curb News

22/09/2019

**Global climate strike**

On Friday, September 20th, an estimated 4 million people across the globe protested on behalf of ‘climate justice’. The protests were led by 16 year old activist Greta Thurnberg. Students in New York City were permitted by Mayor Bill DeBlasio to walk out of their classrooms without punishment. Various Democratic candidates also participated in rallies.

CBS | USA Today | FOX

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/climate-activist-greta-thunberg-tells-house-committees-to-unite-behind-the-science-and-take-real-action

Teenage activist Greta Thunberg appeared before members of the House Wednesday to answer questions about climate change, but made it clear that she is not the one lawmakers should be listening to.

19/09/2019

Fake news at its finest. A day early Friday post to get you through the end of the week


https://babylonbee.com/news/ash-ketchum-stripped-of-pokemon-league-title-after-old-maga-hat-photo-surfaces?fbclid=IwAR0VpIZF8_r1gMu4QhEeSDcPtv2QpANxMXluxF7wZ_1jBRMv2HOR3tDUF40

ALOLA REGION—As 10-year-old Ash Ketchum finally won the Pokemon League after 22 years of trying, fans erupted in celebration.But their rejoicing ended prematurely as Ketchum was stripped of his title after an old photo of him wearing a MAGA hat surfaced."We do not tolerate hate in the Pok...

19/09/2019

**Area 51 Raid**

What began as a joke Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51”, quickly grew as millions of people expressed interest in the event. It’s set to take place on September 20th, where the unofficial plan is to storm the military base all at once. The nearby town of Rachel, Nevada prepares for the worst as the date approaches, and several events--including an ‘Alienstock’--are scheduled to happen starting on Thursday. Two Dutch young men were arrested about three miles into the Nevada National Security site for trespassing.

CNN | AP | FOX

https://www.foxnews.com/science/area-51-odds-aliens-will-be-discovered

Having already overtaken Facebook, the crazy "Storm Area 51" event has prompted warnings from the U.S. military and caused UFO expert to say it's "getting somewhat out of hand."

16/09/2019

**California lawmakers pass bill to require public universities to provide medicated abortions**

California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 24 on the 13th of September. If signed off by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bill will require all public universities in the state to provide medicated abortions (the abortion pill) at student health clinics. A similar bill was previously rejected by former Gov. Jerry Brown.

CNN | The Hill | FOX

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB320

16/09/2019

**Supreme Court rules with Pres. Trump’s asylum restrictions**

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Pres. Trump’s asylum restrictions on the 11th of September. Previously ordered in July, but blocked in several states under the Ninth Circuit Court’s jurisdiction, the order denies asylum requests to immigrants who have passed through another country before trying to enter at the southern border through Mexico. The exception is for those that have claimed and been denied asylum in another country before arriving at the southern border.

CNN | AP | FOX

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171918282905018370

“BIG United States Supreme Court WIN for the Border on Asylum! https://t.co/9Ka00qK1Ob”

14/09/2019

**145 CEOs send letter to Senate urging for gun control legislation**

CEOs from 145 notable companies sent a letter to Senators demanding they move forward on gun legislation. The letter urges Senators to pass a bill expanding background checks to all sales (registered dealers or private sales) and pass an Extreme Risk law (“Red Flag Laws”) allowing family or law officials to petition courts to restrict fi****ms from people posing a risk to others or themselves. “We need our lawmakers to support common-sense gun laws,” the letter writes. The House passed an expanded background check bill, but it has yet to be taken to the floor in the Senate.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6402600-CEO-Senate-GVP-Letter-Final-Signatories-12.html

Source document contributed to DocumentCloud by David Goldman (CNN).

13/09/2019

**Greenpeace activists protest oil by rappelling from Houston’s Hartman Bridge**

Greenpeace activists hung below the Fred Hartman Bridge in Houston, Texas hours before the third Democratic debate. Greenpeace claimed to have been protesting oil and fossil fuels by blocking the Houston Ship Channel. A portion of the Houston Ship Channel was temporarily shut down Thursday morning,and protestors were eventually removed by police officials, firefighters, and the Coast Guard.

CNN | The Hill | FOX 26 Houston

https://youtu.be/AVM4uej_oIg

At least 11 Greenpeace protesters dangled from the Fred Hartman Bridge in Baytown, Texas just ahead of the third 2020 Democratic debate, Thursday, September ...

13/09/2019

While not very controversial on the political front, we believe it's refreshing to see Congress agreeing on something. Happy Friday.

**House of Reps. passes bill to require carbon monoxide detectors in public housing**

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1690, the Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every Resident to Safety Act of 2019, on the 10th of September. The bill moves on to the Senate next, and would require all public housing to install carbon monoxide detectors/alarms in living units if passed.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1690/actions

Actions on H.R.1690 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every Resident To Safety Act of 2019

13/09/2019

*US joins Interim Government of Venezuela with 10 other countries in TIAR**

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo revealed in a press release that the US has joined, along with 10 other countries and the Interim Government of Venezuela, in invoking the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR).

https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-joins-the-interim-government-of-venezuela-and-other-countries-in-invoking-the-inter-american-treaty-of-reciprocal-assistance/ #

The U.S. joins 11 partner nations in invoking the Rio Treaty to confront the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis unleashed by Maduro on Venezuela and the region. Together we will consider multilateral economic and political options to end the havoc.

13/09/2019

**US-China trade war**

China will exempt 16 US imports from tariffs of up to 25%. The exemptions include industrial products as well as raw materials. In addition, President Trump announced that he delay the raise on Chinese imports from Oct.1st to Oct. 15th. Trade talks are expected to resume later this month.

CNBC | Time | Reuters | FOX Business


https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171925716503584773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxbusiness.com%2Fpolitics%2Fsecret-150-page-china-trade-agreement-is-ready-to-go-expert-claims

“At the request of the Vice Premier of China, Liu He, and due to the fact that the People's Republic of China will be celebrating their 70th Anniversary....”

13/09/2019

For those that watched the Democratic debates, what were your thoughts? Who do you think came out on top? The bottom? Comment your thoughts.

12/09/2019

Tune in from 8-11pm Eastern Time (that's 5pm Pacific) to watch the Democratic debate. This is the first time we'll have Warren and Biden sharing a stage.

Comment if you plan to watch the whole thing!

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/andrew-yang-nfl-voters-democratic-debate-date3

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang may have hit upon one issue for which he's sure to get bipartisan support: Thursday nights in the fall are for football – not debates.

11/09/2019

**National Security Adviser John Bolton resigns**

President Trump announced Tuesday, the 10th, that he asked National Security Adviser John Bolton for his resignation. Bolton’s deputy Charles Kupperman is the acting national security adviser until the president announces his new pick. Bolton had reportedly clashed with the administration over his “hawk-ish” views. Bolton is the third national security adviser, following Michael Flynn and H.R. McMaster, to have served the Trump administration.

CNN | NPR | National Review

https://youtu.be/ul01ILKtGVo?t=240

The White House

11/09/2019

Remembering 9/11

Take a moment to remember those we lost, civilians and first responders alike.

https://www.history.com/news/september-11-attacks-photos

Images show devastation during the 2001 terror attacks, and the tragic aftermath.

11/09/2019

**UPDATE: NRA sues San Francisco over ‘domestic terrorist’ resolution**

On Monday, the 9th, the NRA filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco for its recent resolution to designation the NRA as a domestic terrorist organization. The suit accuses the city and council for violating the NRA’s first amendment rights by deeming the organization's rhetoric incites violence. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s CEO, released in a statement that the suit sends the message: “We will never stop fighting for our law-abiding members and their constitutional freedoms.”

NBC | NPR | FOX

https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1171244082624126977/photo/1

“Read CEO and EVP Wayne LaPierre’s statement on NRA lawsuit against San Francisco: (1/2)”

09/09/2019

**Pres. Trump calls off meeting with Taliban leader**

Pres. Trump called off a secret meeting with Afghan Taliban reps. planned for Sunday at Camp David to discuss peace arrangements. His decision came after the Taliban took credit for a recent car bombing that killed 12 people, including a US soldier. Pres. Trump called this the Talbian’s attempt to “build false leverage”, and now considers future peace talks to be dead.

MSNBC | BBC | FOX


https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170469618177236992

“Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. They were coming to the United States tonight. Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to..”

09/09/2019

**House Committee looks to formalize impeachment probe**

Congress returns from its Summer recess and plans to formalize the impeachment probe are on the agenda. The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee announced that it will be broadening out its focus for impeachment by going beyond alleged Russian collusion and obstruction of justice, as well as voting on whether to formalize impeachment probe proceedings. They will be looking into things like violations of Emoluments clause, “hush-money” payments, among others.

CNN | Politico | USA Today | FOX Business

NOTE: We’ve included more than our typical three sources because the reporting on this is very scattered. So, this article provides you with the inarguable facts of the matter.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/06/house-democrats-grapple-impeach-president-donald-trump/2145700001/

A majority of House Democrats favor starting an impeachment inquiry. A majority of Americans oppose it. Now they face a delicate political question.

09/09/2019

**Mark Sanford announces bid against Trump in Republican primaries**

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced his campaign against Donald Trump in the Republican primaries on Monday. His bid is a long shot, but Sanford stated, “Competition brings out the best in us.” The South Carolina Republican Party executive committee voted Saturday to not hold primaries for the party, and other states are considering the same move.

CNN | USA Today | FOX

NOTE AND QUESTION: A description of Sanford's disappearance in 2009 during his term as governor is not mentioned intentionally (He was engaging in an extramarital affair). At The Curb we aim to not include any irrelevant details or "drama" to attract eyeballs. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this detail should be included? Why or why not?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/09/08/mark-sanford-announces-gop-primary-bid-against-president-trump/2255488001/

Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford announced he would challenge President Donald Trump for the Republican party's nomination in the 2020 presidential race.

06/09/2019

**UPDATE: Odessa/Midland shooter reportedly obtained firearm illegally**

Law enforcement discovered the shooter obtained the firearm through a private sale, allowing him to bypass the federal background check. He had previously failed this federal background check in 2014 due to “mental health issues.” The man suspected to have sold the firearm to the shooter reportedly manufactured and sold them illegally.

Private sales of fi****ms in Texas do not require federal background checks when the seller is not a licensed dealer, but Texas penal code states sellers' responsibilities:
"Tex. Penal Code § 46.06(a): May not knowingly transfer fi****ms to anyone intending to use it unlawfully; a child under 18 (without parent or guardian's permission); or an intoxicated person."

ABC | Associated Press | National Review


https://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/private-gun-sale-laws-by-state.html

While the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of private citizens to keep and bear arms, there are some limits and regulations on how they are sold and who may possess them. Federally licensed fi****ms dealers are required by federal law to conduct background checks on pro...

06/09/2019

AllSides is a very neutral source with a branch focusing on school programs, and that is who The Curb has been using to determine bias of sources. I encourage you to check it out for yourself, and leave a comment if you have feedback or suggestions.


https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-ratings

What’s the bias of your favorite media outlet? See over 600 AllSides media bias ratings.

06/09/2019

**Crenshaw vs. AOC Tweet Throwdown**

Rather than write an article accounting the spat, I've included screenshots of the tweets. No matter what your views are on guns, hopefully you can get a laugh out of this. Happy Friday.

06/09/2019

**UPDATES: Projects affected by budget reallocation to border wall construction**

Details of the military projects affected by Defense Sec. Esper’s signing off on the reallocation of funding to construct the border wall were released. Projects across 23 states, 21 countries, and 3 US territories will have funding deferred.

Look at these two documents for a list of the projects:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.militarytimes.com/assets/pdfs/1567631744.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.militarytimes.com/assets/pdfs/1567631813.pdf

CNBC | USA Today | FOX

05/09/2019

**Reader Feature**

At The Curb we're always looking for feedback so we can provide you with better content. Kudos to Ankit for pointing out an irrelevant statement in the previous post! The article is fixed and the edit is noted so we can be transparent about our mistakes.

05/09/2019

**San Francisco labels NRA as ‘domestic terrorist organization’**

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared the NRA a ‘domestic terrorist organization’ in a released resolution. The resolution accuses the NRA of encouraging and inciting gun violence and seeks to limit any entities who do business with the City or County from doing business with the NRA. The NRA issued a statement deeming the resolution a “ludicrous stunt” intended to “distract from the real issues facing San Francisco.”

San Francisco Chronicle | The Hill | National Review

EDIT: Sentence removed due to inherent bias and unnecessary association- "There are no sources finding a mass shooter in the US to be an NRA member."

SF Resolution: https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=7568748&GUID=DF64490F-D8BC-4BF7-A43D-287F02BECCCA

04/09/2019

**QUESTION**

I'm going to try something different here. I'd like to have some civil discussion in the comments and see how it goes. So here's the prompt:

Sen. Jack Reed of the Senate Armed Services Committee stated that "President Trump's immigration efforts have failed since day one." What would you define as success when it comes to immigration efforts in the US?

(Note: Use evidence and sources whenever applicable and keep your comments mature.)



https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/politics/esper-military-construction-funds-border-wall/index.html

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has authorized the diverting of $3.6 billion in military construction funds for 11 wall projects on the southern border with Mexico, according to defense officials and a letter from Esper to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has been obtained by CNN.

04/09/2019

**Pres. Trump redirects $3.6 billion in military funds to build more border wall**

Secretary of Defence Mark Esper has authorized the redirection of $3.6 billion in military project funds to be used for building the border wall. 127 military construction projects inside and outside the country will be put on hold to build 175 miles of border wall. Some of this “new” border wall includes replacing existing barriers and fencing. Pres. Trump’s national emergency declaration along the border allows him to redirect these funds from other government agencies.

CNN | USA Today | Daily Caller

Read Secretary Esper’s letter to Congress here: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/03/politics/sasc-border-wall-military-funds-letter/index.html

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has authorized the use of $3.6 billion in military construction funds for 11 wall projects on the southern border with Mexico, according to defense officials and a letter from Esper to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has been obtained by CNN.

02/09/2019

**Gillinbrand is out and the field of Democrats shrinks**

Democrat Kristin Gillinbrand announced the end of her run for the Democratic nominee on August 28th. She announces this following her failure to qualify for the next Democratic debate scheduled for September 12th. This leaves twenty out of the original twenty-five candidates in the race, and only ten have qualified for the debate.

The New York Times | USA Today | National Review


https://twitter.com/SenGillibrand/status/1166826680134057984

“Today, I am ending my campaign for president. I am so proud of this team and all we've accomplished. But I think it’s important to know how you can best serve. To our supporters: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate. https://t.co/xM5NGf...

02/09/2019

**Shooting in Midland/Odessa, Texas**

On Saturday afternoon, Texas police officials tried to pull over a vehicle for a routine traffic stop when the driver began to open fire. The shooter, a 36-year old white male, continued to fire on civilians and drivers as he fled the scene. The shooter stole a mail truck at one point in the car chase. He killed seven people and injured at least twenty before being killed by police outside an Odessa movie theater. Police continue to investigate for a motive.

The Washington Post | USA Today | FOX

Read the linked article for insights into how media coverage of shootings can affect the likelihood of another event. You will see why we do not include details such as the shooter's name, backstory, or "manifesto".


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5296697/

Mass shootings are a particular problem in the United States, with one mass shooting occurring approximately every 12.5 days.Recently a “contagion” effect has been suggested wherein the occurrence of one mass shooting increases the likelihood ...

28/08/2019

**Pres. Trump considers next G7 Summit location**

At the G7 Summit, Pres. Trump announced that he is considering his Doral resort as the location of the next Summit. He reasons that the location is ideal for the event because it has the infrastructure to support housing thousands of officials and staff. Some express concerns over the ethics and legality of the location, however, primarily due to conditions in the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 9). Read into the Emoluments Clause in the linked Brittanica article.

CNN | Business Insider | FOX

https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-the-emoluments-clause

How a single line of the U.S. Constitution guards against improper foreign influence on federal officeholders.

28/08/2019

**Republican primary contender Joe Walsh on past racist comments**

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh announces his bid to challenge Trump in the Republican primary. This comes with frequent apologies as he backtracks on past racist comments and tweets. “I think that we all, if we’re honest ― white, black and brown ― we’ve all got a little bit of racism in us,” Walsh explained. He says that Pres. Trump’s harsh rhetoric caused him to reflect on his actions.

HuffPost | USA Today | The Washington Examiner

https://twitter.com/WalshFreedom/status/846781098772324352?s=20

28/08/2019

**Pres. Trump reportedly suggested to nuke hurricanes in National Security Council meeting**

Axios reporter Jonathan Swan stands by his report that the President has suggested to nuke hurricanes in order to disperse them. Swan claims that this is verified by a National Security Council memo, but has not provided it, nor have other publications sharing the story. Pres. Trump denies the suggestion, and the White House refuses to comment on private conversations that “may or may not have happened” with national security officials.

Axios | Business Insider | The Washington Examiner

https://twitter.com/jonathanvswan/status/1165954132202655744

“I stand by every word in the story. He said this in at least two meetings during the first year and a bit of the presidency, and one of the conversations was memorialized. https://t.co/5qs8o1k4QS”

27/08/2019

**Pres. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe agree to trade deal in principal at G7**

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe announced during the G7 Summit that they had agreed to a trade deal in principle. The two hope to finalize the deal by the UN General Assembly in mid-September. The deal involves e-commerce and agricultural products, as well as Japan agreeing to purchase large amounts of corn from the US.

Politico | Bloomberg | FOX

https://youtu.be/hZymmjkWsdA

Biarritz, France

27/08/2019

**Court rules Johnson & Johnson fueled opioid crisis**

A landmark ruling by Oklahoma orders Johnson and Johnson to pay $572 million dollars to the state for fueling the opioid crisis. Cleveland District Judge Balkman ruled that J&J aggressively marketed the painkillers without properly portraying the addictive nature and overstating the effectiveness. In the US, opioid overdoses accounted for over 47,000 deaths in 2017. J&J plans to appeal the ruling.

CBS News | USA Today | The Washington Times

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html

70,237 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in 2017. The age-adjusted rate of overdose deaths increased significantly by 9.6% from 2016 (19.8 per 100,000) to 2017 (21.7 per 100,000). Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone)—are currently the main driver of drug overd...

26/08/2019

**CBO forecasts US deficit to surpass $1 trillion by 2020**

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the national deficit will reach $960 by the end of this fiscal year (September 30) and surpass $1 trillion by 2020. The CBO attributes this increase in estimate largely to the recent Congressional budget bill signed by the president.
CNN | PBS News Hour | National Review

What to note:
- I include a primary source for the CBO's estimate.


https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55565

26/08/2019

**Representatives Omar and Tlaib denied travel to Israel**

Democratic Representatives Omar and Tlaib were barred from traveling to Israel due to their criticism of the country and their support of the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement. President Trump posted a tweet before this decision stating that allowing Omar and Tlaib into the country “would show great weakness” on Israel’s part.
Politico | USA Today | FOX

What to note:
- I do not assume a causal relationship between the President's tweet and the Prime Minister of Israel's decision. I simply present the facts. Any other conclusions are up to the reader.


https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1162000480681287683

“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!”