Full news stories? Ain’t nobody got time for that. Here’s the CliffsNotes version of the top stories everyone will be talking about:
1. They’re not lovin’ it
Today fast food workers are planning a nationwide strike in a bid to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour. Protests are planned in 270 cities around the country and tens of thousands of workers are planning to participate. They’ll begin by protesting at restaurants starting at dawn and then move to city halls during the afternoon. It’s the “Fight For $15” movement’s largest protest so far. If you were planning on going out for lunch today, you might want to brown bag it instead. — USA Today
More:How eating a french fry changed my view of the minimum wage situation
2. Bye-bye
The president of the University of Missouri resigned yesterday amid protests against his inaction in the campus’ racism problem. You’ll recall a student was on a hunger strike and most of the football team was refusing to play this weekend after dozens of incidents, including someone drawing a swastika in feces on a residence hall wall. Things have been so bad, even the coach said he’d stand with his players, despite the fact that forfeiting this weekend’s game could have cost the university $1 million. Ultimately, the president says he takes “full responsibility” for the inaction, and both he and the chancellor have stepped down. — CNN
3. Donald Trump: Christmas Crusader
Donald Trump — the Official Pot Stirrer of the presidential race — encouraged his supporters to boycott Starbucks over the whole red cup fiasco. At a rally in Springfield, Illinois, he said maybe we should consider boycotting and then promised, “If I become president, we’re all going to say ‘Merry Christmas’ again.” Sure, Don, whatever you say. If you’d like to see more obnoxious comments about Starbucks cups, you’re in luck. There will probably be plenty at tonight’s fourth GOP debate on Fox Business at 9 p.m. ET. — Washington Post
More:What your Starbucks drink says about you
4. Cheater, cheater
Yesterday Russia was accused of having a national doping problem among its elite athletes. A commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency — yes, that’s a real thing — reported a “deeply rooted culture of cheating” in Russian sports and recommended that Russian athletes sit out during the track and field events at next year’s Olympics. They say officials have been bribed or blackmailed in past games and the government has destroyed drug tests. It’s a huge mess. Russia has until the end of the week to address the allegations, but the commission says more damaging revelations are to come. — AP
5. Nice try
SeaWorld is making changes, sort of. They just announced their San Diego park will no longer focus on killer whale shows and will instead open a new informative Orca “experience” that will be held in a more natural environment. Translation: We’re keeping the whales in captivity, but trying to make it look nicer. SeaWorld has been dogged by flagging attendance and tanking profits since the documentary Blackfish revealed the devastating effects captivity has on Orcas. This is a tiny step in the right direction, but more meaningful changes need to take place. — Los Angeles Times
More:10 Years alone: Shouka the killer whale
6. Reusable bags at the ready
GameStop’s 2015 Black Friday deals have leaked online, much to the delighted surprise of anyone whose kid asked Santa for a new PlayStation. The retailer will open at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving and offer more than 319 deals, including $299 PlayStation 4 and Xbox One bundles. This is among the first Black Friday flyers to make it online, but surely won’t be the last. Black Friday is a competitive sport in the U.S. and there are only 15 days left to prepare to battle your friends and neighbors for the last copy of Assassin’s Creed Unity. — Game Spot
7. Here we go again
Another university is in hot water over racial tensions and a failure to address the issues. This time it’s Yale, where hundreds of students have signed an open letter demanding resignations over an email telling students to “look away” if they don’t like racially and culturally insensitive Halloween costumes. It’s the latest in what detractors are calling the “campus PC wars” — debates over triggers and censorship and who gets a voice in campus affairs. At the University of Missouri it seems change is taking place after serious student action. We’ll see if the same thing happens at Yale or if they’ll continue to attempt to silence those who speak out. — The New York Times
Leave a Comment