We’re back and we’re reading – everything from the “New York Times” to the “Washington Post.” We’re trying to help you keep up with the rapid pace of politics and everyday news. Today, we’ve got an update on the last of the midterm elections, an ex-Trump campaign advisor accused of lying, and a major cut to the U.S. job market.
The last election
Mississippians are headed to the polls…again. Today, they will vote for the final U.S. senator, and the results of this runoff will decide if the Republicans occupy 52 or 53 seats in the Senate.
The options include current Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) and former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy (D). Despite the rocky midterm season seen in Mississippi, the Republican candidate is still favored to win, according to FiveThirtyEight.
So go out and get your ‘I Voted’ sticker and put this midterm election season to a close.
More lies on Capitol Hill
Prosecutors working with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III said former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, lied and breached their plea agreement in the investigation of Russian interference. So the saga continues.
Mueller said Manafort should be sentenced immediately as a result of his continued lies and lack of cooperation with their agreement.
This comes after Manafort pled guilty to charges of cheating the Internal Revenue Service by withholding money and violating foreign-lobbying laws.
Looks like Manafort might be spending a little more time behind bars.
Cuts to the automotive industry
Automotive giant, General Motors, announced the idling of five factories throughout North America in an attempt to decrease costs.
GM’s decision to shut down factories will cut nearly 14,000 jobs in the United States.
The corporation’s earnings have remained the same, but due to new consumer tastes the company’s sales have been on the decline. U.S. customers have shifted towards buying bigger cars like SUVs rather than mid-sized sedans.
As a result, GM is expected to save roughly $6 billion a year by 2020. While these cutbacks are good for GM, President Trump, who pushes for keeping jobs domestic, is not a fan.
Unrest at Google
Google workers have started another protest, and this time it’s against the tech giant’s plan to build a Chinese search engine.
More than 90 employees have publicly voiced their opposition to the project, code-named Dragonfly, as it raised concerns about the consequences of a tech corporation cooperating with an authoritarian government.
The project is designed to alleviate censorship on material China has deemed politcally sensitive and help Internet users find more information on health treatments or avoiding scams.
If Dragonfly passes, Google would have access to the Chinese online search market for the first time in over a decade.
The mission to Mars
NASA’s mission to Mars was a success when the Insight lander touched down on the planet’s surface Monday.
This completes the first step of NASA’s billion-dollar mission to study the interior of our solar system’s red planet.
The spacecraft sent a photo of the martian horizon to engineers and scientists in California validating their mission as a success.
This milestone marks the 8th time the U.S. has landed on Mars, but the first attempt to study the deep interior of the planet.
Risky romaine
For those still not eating romaine because of the E. coli bacteria risk, the CDC is now giving the ‘go ahead’ as long as the lettuce isn’t from California.
According to Buzzfeed News, the recent outbreak of E.coli has made 43 people sick from 12 different states and hospitalized 16 people.
A new report published by the CDC stated that the source of contamination in the lettuce has been traced back to the central and northern coastal regions of California. The CDC is still advising consumers to be wary of what they’re choosing.
So it’s okay to start eating romaine again, but just remember to check the label.
That’s all we have for today. Check back tomorrow for more.
