Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
President Donald Trump’s “Space Force” Prepares to Launch
President Donald Trump’s call for a “space force” is one step closer to preparing for launch as the Pentagon is expected to deliver its plans to strengthen the Defense Department’s space efforts to Congress this week.
The president made the surprise announcement that he was directing the military to undertake the space mission during a National Space Council meeting in June, ABC News reports.
While some of the supposed duties of the “space force” are already handled by the Air Force, Trump has argued that an additional military service is needed to protect the country’s military vulnerabilities in space.
The president, however, cannot add another branch to the military without congressional approval, but the Pentagon is moving forward to the extent that is already within the executive branch’s stand up certain elements of a future “space force.”
Last week, Defense One reported that the Pentagon plans to create a new combatant command for space, a new joint agency for satellite purchases and a new warfighting community that draws space operators from all service branches.
Defense Secretary James Mattis expressed his support on Thursday for creating a new combatant command dedicated to space.
Asked if he supports such a program, Mattis said, “Yes. Absolutely, we need to address space as a developing warfighting domain, and a combatant command is certainly one thing that we can establish.”
“We are in complete alignment with the president’s concern about protecting our assets in space and contribute to our security, our economy,” Mattis continued. “And we’re going to have to address it as other countries show a capability to attack those assets.”
According to a White House official, Vice President Mike Pence will reveal the plan during his speech at the Pentagon on Thursday.
West Hollywood City Council Votes to Remove Trump’s Walk of Fame Star
The West Hollywood City Council has unanimously voted in favor of a resolution to remove President Donald Trump’s star from the Walk of Fame, which has been vandalized several times since Trump assumed office.
The resolution requests that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Los Angeles remove the star due to Trump’s “disturbing treatment of women and other actions,” Politico reports.
via Mark Ralston / AFP – Getty Images file
The resolution was brought forth by West Hollywood council members John D’Amico and Lindsey Horvath.
“Similar to how certain members of the entertainment community have been removed from the Academy of Motion Pictures, due to their actions toward women, reflecting a stance on their values by the Academy, this is an opportunity for decision-makers to take a stand on their values in support of women and against disturbing treatment of women,” the West Hollywood City Council said ahead of their vote on Monday.
The council members also noted the president’s policies, including removing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
There have been campaigns to remove stars in the past, but it has never happened in the Walk of Fame’s 40 year history.
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO Leron Gubler told The Los Angeles Times that the chamber has never removed a star because it’s part of the walk’s “historic fabric.”
“Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered a part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Gubler said back in 2015 when the chamber knocked down a proposal to remove Bill Cosby’s star.
The Chamber of Commerce would have the final say in removing the star.
Former Vice President Joe Biden Announces #AsYouAre Campaign to Promote LGBTQ Acceptance
Former Vice President Joe Biden has joined up with singer Cyndi Lauper and former NFL player Wade Davis to launch the #AsYouAre campaign to promote acceptance of the LGBTQ community.
“We’ll use our resources to highlight the harms of family rejection, and to lift up research, best practices, and personal stories to show the importance of family acceptance,” Biden said in #AsYouAre’s promotional video.
Let’s work together to make the world better for #LGBTQ young people. No matter your background, you deserve to be safe and affirmed #AsYouAre. https://t.co/cmd6lTSlbI
— Wade Davis II (@Wade_Davis28) August 7, 2018
Biden has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community, and touched on the progress made in support of the LGBTQ individuals such as the legalization of same-sex marriage.
“While we must continue working to pass laws and implement policies that protect LGBTQ youth across the spectrum of their lives, laws and policies are not enough,” Emily Hecht-McGowan, director for LGBTQ Equality at the Biden Foundation, said in a statement. “We must also change the culture. We know that personal stories are the single best tool we have to change hearts and minds to move us towards a culture of acceptance — not rejection.”
Amit Paley, the CEO and executive director of the Trevor Project, an organization that serves LGBTQ youth and provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, told ABC News that LGBTQ youth are eight times more likely to attempt suicide if they comes from a rejecting family, rather than an accepting one.
To eradicate this issue, the Biden Foundation is asking everyone to share their story of acceptance, or rejection, regarding the LGBTQ community.
“Over the coming weeks, through the #AsYouAre campaign, the Biden Foundation will begin sharing the stories we collect to educate the general public about the reality that many LGBTQ young people face,” Hecht-McGowan said. “We will highlight both the harms that come from being rejected and also the beauty that can come from being affirmed and supported. Our goal is to move us towards a world where no young person is rejected by their family or their community simply because of who they are or who they love.”
“By sharing your stories…Your stories! …We can work together to change the culture and ensure a bright future for the LGBTQ young people of America,” Biden said.
What to look for…
Lady Gaga announced the dates of her Las Vegas residency, and I need to buy tickets now.