Friday Scoop: Freeze! Hand Over the Money!

Welcome to the Morning Scoop for Friday, August 31, 2018. Federal workers get slammed for budget cuts; but what is the U.S. government actually spending its money on?

We know what you could be spending your money on–being on our new, expanded platform. Check out how you can join CMN here. 

Federal Workers Will not be Getting a Raise Next Year

We’re just waiting for something like this to happen. (image: Flickr)

President Trump announced yesterday that the government will be freezing the pay of federal workers in the upcoming fiscal year. According to USA Today, the 2.1% raise that was promised can no longer be worked into the U.S. budget.

This will be the first federal pay freeze since 2011, when President Obama cut the budget as the nation was recovering from the recession. Federal workers subsequently have been receiving raises since 2013. Under federal law, federal employees are entitled to cost-of-living raises every year, unless the president determined these raises are “inappropriate” and do not fit the budget goals of the government.

Senate can override the president’s move through legislation; just last week, they approved a spending bill that fixed federal employees’ raises at 1.9%, instead of 2.1%. The proposal could offer a compromise between President Trump and federal workers.

Coral Reef Discovered off the Coast of South Carolina

Researchers have just revealed a new discovery off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. On August 23, deep-diving scientists uncovered a massive coral reef about half a mile underwater, according to NBC News. The reef is approximately 85 miles long, and contains a specific type of coral typically found in shallow waters off the southeastern coast of the U.S.

Prior to this discovery, scientists believed that this coral could not form in deep water, but upon seeing the new reef have started to develop new data on how these habitats form.

Justice Department Admits Harvard’s Discrimination Against Asian-Americans

Perhaps the most significant ongoing debate over affirmative action has made strides as of yesterday. According to CNN, the U.S. Department of Justice has sided with a group suing Harvard University for discrimination against Asian-Americans. The Justice Department has stated that “Harvard’s race-based admissions process significantly disadvantages Asian-American applicants compared to applicants of other racial groups — including both white applicants and applicants from other racial minority groups.”

The admissions process at Harvard uses racial-balancing to determine who gets into the elite university, and has not considered other race-neutral alternatives to this in over 45 years, according to the Justice Department.

Read what Harvard had to say in Carla Loebenstein’s report here. 

Today in a Tweet: Surprise, Surprise

Eminem dropped a new album, “Kamikaze,” this morning, without any announcements. Only a rap god could do something like that. 

Last But Not Least: Three Reasons Why ‘To All the Boys I Loved Before’ Is the Best Netflix Rom-Com

Recently, Netflix has released a flurry of feel-good rom-coms that have captivated their audience. Based upon the book by Jenny Han and directed by Susan Johnson, “To All the Boys I Loved Before” has especially thrilled viewers with its unique plotline and memorable, lovable characters. However, it isn’t just a cute movie; it also addresses and even breaks tropes associated with the rom-com genre.

Read Meghan Lanctot’s three reasons why “To All the Boys I Loved Before” is refreshing and revitalizing the rom-com genre. (Spoiler alert!)

Friday’s Morning Scoop was made possible by Meghan Lanctot, Carla Loebenstein, and the CMN Staff. It’s the last day of August, which means that fall is upon us. We’re relieved that the heat wave will end soon, and we can break out our cozy sweater collection.