Over the weekend, the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The ownership of Jerusalem has been a topic of international debate and conflict for generations, and it is one of the focal points of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. While Israel believes the city is its capital, Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Previous U.S. administrations chose not to get involved in the debate, hoping some compromise could be reached through peace talks. But the embassy move has sent a firm message that the U.S.…
Author: Central New York Heartbeat
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was at the center of a scandalous New Yorker piece, where four women accused him of physical assault and abuse.
Do you think comedy should be dropped from the Correspondent’s Dinner lineup after Michelle Wolf’s performance?
On Friday, April 20, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced federal legislation that would decriminalize marijuana (it’s currently in the same drug classification as heroin), according to NPR. The bill is packaged with more research on the drug’s impact on public health, federal authority to regular commercial advertising of marijuana (similar to tobacco and alcohol) and the establishment of funding for certain marijuana businesses. “If smoking marijuana doesn’t hurt anybody else, why shouldn’t we allow people to do it and not make it criminal?” Schumer told Vice News Tonight. Thirty states and the District of Columbia have state-level laws legalizing marijuana…
Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s recent Pulitzer Prize win was a big step for rap and hip-hop culture, officials said.
A Twitter feud between Ingraham and Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg has led the conservative media host to call out the left-wing for stifling differing opinions.
Over the weekend, a reporter at Deadspin collected and published clips from various news segments by local television stations all owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. The clips showed anchors from different stations nationwide parroting a prepared script, warning viewers about “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” The Broadcast Group also owns Syracuse’s local CNY Central stations WSTM-TV (NBC 3), WTVH (CBS 5) and WSTQ (CW 6). The video sparked conversation throughout the academic and journalistic world about the potential dangers of media consolidation. The group owns 193 television stations and 614 channels throughout 89 U.S.…
The popular social media website Facebook is under fire again, this time for allegedly allowing its users’ personal information to be misused, according to NPR. The Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation against the company after the social network “admitted it suspended a firm that worked on behalf of the Trump campaign to use personal information gathered on Facebook to target potential Trump supporters.” The information was allegedly gathered via an app asking users to take a personality test. The app then mined through their profiles and friend lists and gained access to information on more users regardless of if…
Last month, The New York Times outlined a report by Yahoo News that a federal investigation had been opened against several college basketball programs accused of arranging financial and other benefits for top players and prospects, re-igniting the discussion surrounding compensation in the NCAA. Marc Edelman, a contributor at Forbes Magazine, argued this week that the tournament brings in close to $1 billion in revenue, with most of it going toward coaches’ and NCAA executives’ salaries The head coach at Duke University makes about $8.9 million a year, and the president of the NCAA makes about $2 million, he stated.…
March Madness begins this week, and officials in the gambling industry are estimating more than $10 billion will be bet on the games. However, due to states’ strict gambling laws, nearly all of it will be done illegally or off the books, according to the Associated Press. Although monetary gambling pools are illegal in two-thirds of the states, the laws go largely unenforced, officials claim. Because of this, there are also fewer consumer-protection safety nets in place and nearly zero state revenue being brought in compared to if the practice were made legal nationwide. “Our current sports betting laws are…
In an effort to reduce the amount the United States spends on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the 2019 budget proposed by President Donald Trump includes a new feature being called “America’s Harvest Box,” according to the Associated Press. The prepared food box would be sent to food stamp recipients and include canned and shelf-stable goods, replacing the current SNAP benefits system. The administration claims the process, which they likened to meal-delivery services like Blue Apron, “could save nearly $130 billion over 10 years.” The proposal drew criticism almost immediately, with critics claiming it would be “demeaning” and “patronizing”…
After the mass shooting Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., students nationwide have begun to speak out demanding change from legislatures. Thousands protested in Florida that weekend. Student Emma Gonzalez, who has become a leader in the student-led movement, said they had strength in numbers and wanted to be heard, according to the Associated Press. About 670 students walked out of a Texas high school on Feb. 21 chanting “no more violence,” “never again” and “17” for the 17 students who were killed, the Texas Tribune reported. More than 500 walked out in other Texas-area…
On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, a 19-year-old man walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., armed with a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle, a tactical vest and extra ammunition, and began shooting into classrooms, according to Time magazine. Seventeen people were killed and 16 were hospitalized. The gunman fled the scene and was arrested later that day and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, Time stated. It was later revealed he’d been reported to the FBI in the past for disturbing comments made online, had been reported to local authorities about 20 times and that his…
A new bill is being considered in Florida as a measure to combat bullying: giving bullied students money so they can switch schools, the Associated Press reported. The state-funded private school vouchers, called “Hope Scholarships,” would be the first of their kind nationwide. Unlike other private education state grants already in place for low- and middle-income families, these would be available to all Florida residents, regardless of income. Funded by vehicle buyers voluntarily redirecting $105 from their registration fees to the program, legislators estimate it could give about $6,800 per year to each verified applicant, according to the report. Supporters…
After a historic first Super Bowl win for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 4, at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium, longtime fans — most waiting for this moment for generations — took to the streets in celebration. Philadelphia city officials estimated tens of thousands had shown up to watch the Super Bowl. When the dust settled the next morning, the city was still standing. . . mostly. The awning over the luxury hotel Ritz-Carlton along Avenue of the Arts, where a one-night stay can run a couple between $250 for a smaller room and close to $6,000 for a penthouse…