Monday Scoop: Holy Mother of War

Welcome to the Morning Scoop for July 23, 2018. Today seems like a good day to remind everyone that the threat from Iran is still very real; only because it’s the only way to wake you up on a dreadful Monday. Get up! Rouhani is having troubling thoughts!

Over the weekend, our team of student journalists continued to work hard and crank out some amazing content. Want to know what keeps them going? For as little as $2 a month, you can help fund the team that trains and organizes College Media Network. Support us by visiting our Patreon page or donating with Pay Pal or a card. That’s it. 

That’s how much we paid for our cold brew today.

Iran Sends Threatening Message to the U.S. Over Sanctions 

He’s watching you. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Late last night, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a statement over state-run news agency IRNA, while addressing diplomats in Iran, directed at the U.S. and President Trump.

His comments come months after President Trump decided to withdraw from the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, which let up on several sanctions on the condition that Iran reduce its nuclear program. Withdrawal from the deal was set to reimpose sanctions with Iran this coming November.

President Rouhani warned Trump: “do not play with the lion’s tail, or you will regret it eternally.” He also announced that Americans “must understand must understand that war with Iran is the mother of all wars and peace with Iran is the mother of all peace.”

Former Georgia Tech Fraternity President Pleads Guilty to Rape

A former Georgia Tech fraternity president  has pleaded guilty to rape. Christian Kahf, 23, entered the plea in Fulton County Superior Court Friday morning in the middle of his trial.

Judge Craig Schwall sentenced Kahf to 20 years in prison, with seven to serve and the balance on probation after Kahf entered the plea. Kahf is also restricted from having contact from the victim, his ex-girlfriend, and the victim’s family.

According to a release by the Office of the Fulton County District Attorney, Kahf and his ex-girlfriend met on the Georgia Tech campus. Kahf’s ex-girlfriend wore a digital voice recorder while undercover officers stood by and confronted Kahf about having sex with her on the night of her 21st birthday.

Domestic and International Corruption Unleashed the Haiti Gas Protests

Haiti Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant announced an increase in the price of gasoline and diesel by 38 and 47 percent, respectively, on July 6. In Haiti, 80 percent of people survive on less than $2 per day. That would buy a half gallon of gas under the price hike. The announcement incited outrage among the Haitian people who then took to the streets to protest the price increase.

Lafontant temporarily suspended the increase once the protests began, but it was not enough to quell the public.Protesters demanded that Lafontant resign after his handling of the gas price increase. Haitians also put pressure on President Jovenel Moïse to permanently cancel the price increase. Lafontant resigned on July 13.

Read Elena Neale’s full analysis of what went down here. 

Today in a Tweet: Eight Years of This

One Direction probably defined many of our middle and high school experiences, so here’s to eight years of them, which makes us feel pretty old. 

Last But Not Least: Turning the Page on FBI Surveillance

The Trump Administration released a previously top-secret set of documents Saturday related to the wiretapping of former Trump campaign manager Carter Page who was at the center of drama related to the House Intelligence Committee Republicans accusing the F.B.I. of abusing their surveillance powers.

The New York Times reports that portions of the documents included the F.B.I. telling the intelligence committee that Page had established relationships with Russian government officials and that he had been conspiring and collaborating with the Kremlin.

This post-weekend Morning Scoop was made possible by Elena Neale, Arianna Lynne,  Natalia Kolenko and the CMN Staff. Ever get a song stuck in your head and *BABY YOU LIGHT UP MY WORLD* it just permeates every thought you have? *LIKE NOBODY ELSE* It’s incredibly intrusive and upsetting, especially *THE WAY THAT YOU FLIP YOUR HAIR GETS ME* when you’re *OVERWHELMED* just trying to finish a thought. Sometimes you just have to roll with it and dance like you’re back at the Westfield mall with your high school friends.