Shut Down Continues
On Saturday, House Speaker John Boehner told the press that the House GOP and Obama are stuck in a deadlock. The deadline to raise the debt ceiling is this coming Thursday and if the two sides cannot reach an agreement by then the US Treasury may start defaulting on payments within the week, potentially causing a financial crisis. Senate Democrats want to extend the debt ceiling for over a year while Republicans are arguing for a proposal that would fund the government for only six months as well as refine “Obamacare.”
Chemical Weapons Watchdog Wins Nobel Peace Prize
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The organization’s goal is to eliminate chemical weapons from the world and they are currently working with the Syrian Army to eliminate their chemical weapon stores by mid-2014. The U.S. estimate is that Syria has roughly 1,000 tons of blister agents and nerve gas to eradicate before that date.
Red Sox head to Playoffs
The Red Sox beat the Tampa Rays last Tuesday 3-1, securing themselves a spot in the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox have not made it to the playoffs in five years, and this year the Red Sox already have 97 wins under their belt, matching St. Louis for the best record in baseball. Saturday night the Red Sox played the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the series.
“Guns Save Lives Day” Declared
December 14, 2013 is the one-year anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It is also now “Guns Save Lives Day” as decided by a coalition of gun lobbyists. The group plans to organize events in every state for that date and they also have an online petition and will be accepting online donations. The day’s intention is to counteract the anticipated anti-gun events around the anniversary date and help demonstrate the “good side of guns.” Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra and the gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America have both issued public statements against this exploitation of the Sandy Hook tragedy.
Kris and Bruce Jenner are No More
On Tuesday, Kris and Bruce Jenner announced their impending divorce after 22 years of marriage. The two claim they’re “much happier” apart, but “will always have much love and respect for each other.” Yet with $125 million between the two of them and no pre-nuptial agreement, this divorce could get ugly. Bruce was originally the wealthier of the two with his Wheaties endorsement; however, since then it has been Kris who has managed the Kardashian Empire and brought in most of their wealth while Bruce raised their two kids, Kylie and Kendall. It is hard to predict if the two will settle their finances peacefully or if one will walk away from the fight much better off than the other.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/11/world/europe/norway-nobel-peace-prize-opcw-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/gun-groups-plan-gun-appreciation-day-on-anniversary-of-newto