1. Minimum wage potentially on the rise.
For those of us working our way through school, or just tying to make it through to the next month, this news is monumental.
This past week, New York fast-food workers protested the state minimum wage and finally made it through to lawmakers. A proposal will be making its way to the governors' office fairly soon thanks to the hard work of the protestors, and (hopefully) the state will see the minimum wage be making a move to $15 for an annual salary around $31,000, according to "The New York Times." A livable annual income for this day and age.
This new financial legislation will be a great leap for NY but a small step for America. Workers across the nation are still huffing and puffing about the federal $7.25/hour minimum wage, and who can blame them?
2. Not Bland at all.
Sandra Bland, a mid-twenties black woman, was found dead in her jail cell last week and authorities insist it was a suicide. As if the police brutality, domestic terrorist attacks, and race riots encompassing our country weren't enough. Bland's family thought her death was not a suicide, but possibly another hate crime. They ordered an external autopsy to be done in efforts to solve her mysterious death, according to ABC news radio.
Bland was initially arrested for non-compliance with a police officer after she was asked to leave her vehicle at a routine traffic stop for failure to signal during a lane change. Most of the interaction was caught on camera and it doesn't look good for the officials involved. The full video can be seen via USA Today.
Autopsy results and a full report were released to the public, and it's been confirmed that the death was indeed a suicide. An explanation of her results can be viewed in an article by Katie Rogers in "The New York Times." Bland had disclosed to prison officials details about a previous attempt to end her life, unbeknownst to her family. The family has a right to be concerned about this case; Rogers and her fellow "NY Times" reporters speculate that she was not monitored close enough before her untimely death
3. Country music “It” couple is no more.
Last week, country music stars Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton announced their pending divorce. After being together for nine years total, four of which they were married, the couple decided to part ways, CNN reported.
No specific reason was given for the split. It’s been know their marriage was rocky, though it may be no fault of their own. Living a public life is tiring. After almost a decade of being in America’s spotlight as an item, the two deserve some privacy to sort their lives out.
Country music fans across the nation have little to no sympathy; many are heartbroken after hearing the news, taking the breakup personally. Here’s a little reminder for all you country fans: Stars are people, too, and they deserve some space. Look on the bright side, we might all be getting some new music out of this.
4. Ashley Madison hack screws cheats.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the name, Ashley Madison is a website that provides individuals a chance for an “escape” from marriage. It’s a dating website that connects people looking to cheat on their spouses. An infidelity matchmaker, if you will.
It’s been announced by several news sources, including CNBC, that hackers recently gained access to the Ashley Madison system and are threatening to leak private information from its registered users if the company doesn’t comply to their demands. This shouldn’t be a concern for too many people, right? Wrong. The website has over 37 million users across the US, Canada, and other countries.
Upon hearing this news, thousands of guilt-ridden husbands and wives across the globe nonchalantly slipped their laptops into their laps, set their browsers to private, and effectively deleted their Ashley Madison profiles.
