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Culture > News

HC Wake-Up Call: Amy Klobuchar 2020 Presidential Run, Border Wall Negotiations Stalled, & Denver Teachers Strike For First Time In 25 Years

Carissa Dunlap

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.) 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar Announced Her 2020 Presidential Run

Minnesota Sen. Amy  Klobuchar announced on Sunday that she’s running for the Democratic  presidential nomination. 

“I stand before you as the granddaughter of an iron ore miner, the daughter of a teacher and a newspaperman, the first woman elected to the United States Senate from the state of Minnesota, to announce my candidacy for president of the United States,” Klobuchar said, per The Huffington Post. 

Klobuchar is one of many Democratic senators and several women running. She said that the country is worn down by the “petty and vicious” nature of U.S. politics, and calls for some sense of unity. 

“For too long leaders in Washington have sat on the sidelines while others try to figure out what to do about our changing economy and its impact on our lives, what  to do about the disruptive nature of new technologies, income inequality, the political and geographic divides, the changing climate, the tumult in our world,” she said, per BuzzFeed News. “For a moment, let’s stop seeing those obstacles as obstacles on our path. Let’s see those obstacles as our path.” 

HuffPost and BuzzFeed News first reported Klobuchar’s history for mistreating employees. Many former staffers have said in interviews that she is prone to anger, but other former staggers have defended Klobuchar’s management as “effective.” According to BuzzFeed News, she would chastise employees for minor mistakes, misunderstandings, and misplaced commas.

Klobuchar helped overhaul old system of addressing sexual harassment claims, HuffPost reports.

Border Wall Negotiations Have Come To A Stand Still & Another Government Shutdown Could Happen 

After the longest government shutdown in U.S history, another shutdown could happen. According to Bloomberg, the border wall negotiations seem to have come to an impasse and another government shutdown might be inevitable. Both sides have yet to find a middle ground. 

“I think the talks are stalled right now,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby told Fox News on Sunday. “I’m not confident we’re going to get there.” 

The shutdown ended three weeks ago, and it lasted for 35 days. The shutdown stemmed from President Donald Trump’s demand for more than $5 billion to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. On Sunday, Trump hinted that if Democrats don’t go through with his request, they would be responsible for the shutdown. 

“It was a very bad week for the Democrats, with the GREAT economic numbers, The Virginia disaster and the State of the Union address,” the president tweeted. “Now, with the terrible offers being made by them to the Border Committee, I actually believer they want a Shutdown. They want a new subject!”

According to The Washington Post, the stalemate comes from the proposal by Democrats that would restrict the number of undocumented immigrants that ICE agency could detain. The limit reportedly would be 16,500 detention beds for undocumented immigrants taken within the U.S., and not the border. 

Republicans have asked that undocumented immigrants with a criminal record not be included within the 16,500 maximum. The Post reports that Democrats have argued that such a policy wouldn’t be effective in limited ICE’s detention rates.

It’s unclear whether or not the government will shutdown again, which the deadline comes up this week. 

Denver Teachers Go On Strike For The First Time In 25 Years

Denver teachers will strike on Monday after negotiations with Denver Public Schools over pay fail, CNN reports. This is the first time in 25 years. 

The teachers union and Denver Public Schools met on Saturday to continue contract negotiations, which have gone on for over a year, but both sides couldn’t reach an agreement. According to the Miami Herald, both sides disagree about pay increases and bonuses for teachers in high-poverty schools. Teachers reportedly want to lower the bonuses to increase their overall salaries.  Administrators argue that bonuses can boost academic performance of minority and poor students. 

“The district spent the last few weeks saying it heard what teachers were saying, yet when given the opportunity tonight to avert a strike with a transparent, competitive proposal, DPS made the situation worse and the strike inevitable,” the Denver Classroom Teachers Association said, per CNN.

What To Look Out For….

Apple has finally fixed the FaceTime glitch that allows callers to eavesdrop on conversations without the person picking up. If you were experiencing some FT withdrawal, you can download the IOS 12.1.4 update. 

Carissa Dunlap is a Her Campus News X Social Intern for Summer 2018. She is a current Publishing major and Journalism minor at Emerson College (Class of 2020). When she isn't perusing the YA bookshelf at the bookstore, she can be found watching dog videos on Facebook, at her favorite coffee shops, or relaxing on the beach. Follow her on Instagram @dunlapcarissa or Twitter @Caridunlap.