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Culture > News

HC Wake-Up Call: Bernie Sanders Records 2020 Campaign Announcement, Japanese PM Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize & NYC Mayor Blasts Amazon

Emily Veith

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.)

Bernie Sanders Reportedly Recorded His 2020 Campaign Announcement

Bernie Sanders may be inching closer to running for president in 2020, after the Vermont senator (I) reportedly recorded a video signaling his intention to seek the presidency.

Politico reported that Sanders’ team has been interviewing people for top positions, focusing on women and minorities after receiving criticism for a lack of diversity in his team during his 2016 campaign.

Chuck Rocha, a political consultant who advised Sanders’ 2016 campaign, is expected to join his team again if Sanders makes a second run for the presidency. Tim Tagaris and Robin Curran, who helped fuel Sanders’ successful small-dollar fundraising program, have been reported to be joining Sanders’ team again.

Our Revolution, a group founded by Sanders, has been readying its members for a potential second run. In a fundraising email sent to supporters, Our Revolution political director David Duhalde asked for donations to help fund phone-banking, door-knocking, volunteer trainings and other outreach strategies.

“We’re organizing every day so that if and when Bernie announces, our members and our groups can hit the ground running,” Duhalde said.

It’s not clear when this video will be released, but sources previously told Yahoo News that Sanders would be launching his campaign soon and would begin with an exploratory committee.

If Sanders were to announce his candidacy, he will be joining a long list of potential candidates campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, including fellow Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Kamala Harris California, as well as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary JuliĂĄn Castro.

Japanese Prime Minister Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, but according to a report in Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, the prime minister did so after reportedly being prompted by the U.S. government.

In the Sunday report, government officials told the newspaper that Abe nominated Trump last fall at the “behest of Washington,” adding that, according to unnamed sources, the U.S. had “informally” asked Japan to nominate Trump following his landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But during a press conference at the White House Rose Garden on Friday, Trump claimed that Abe nominated him since he made Japan “feel safe” after his negotiations with Kim, according to The Huffington Post.

He “gave me the most beautiful copy of a letter that he sent to the people who give out a thing called the Nobel Prize,” Trump said during his announcement that he was declaring a national emergency, apparently quoting the prime minister. “I have nominated you, respectfully, on behalf of Japan, I am asking them to give you the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Trump thanked Abe for nominating him, but added that he didn’t believe he would win the prize — even though he noted that “they gave it” to former President Barack Obama in 2009, shortly after he had taken office.

“[Obama] didn’t even know what he got it for. He was [in office] for about 15 seconds and he got the Nobel Prize,” Trump said. “He said, ‘Oh, what did I get it for?’ With me, I probably will never get it.”

Japan’s Foreign Ministry was aware of Trump’s remarks but told Reuters it “would refrain from commenting on the interaction between the two leaders.”

The Japanese Embassy in Washington told Kyodo News that there would be no comment, The Japan Times reported. Another embassy official told Japan Today that he had no knowledge of such a letter from Abe.

Trump had been nominated for the prize in 2017 and 2018, but the Nobel Committee determined that both nominations were “forged.”

NYC Mayor Blasts Amazon’s “Abuse of Corporate Power”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blasted Amazon’s decision for its sudden decision to scrap its plan to be a new headquarters in Queens, criticizing the company’s abandonment of his constituents.

“The bottom line is this is an example of an abuse of corporate power,” de Blasio told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd Sunday. “They had an agreement with the people of New York City.”

According to The Associated Press, Amazon officials joined De Blasio and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in November to announce the plan to build a $2.5 billion headquarters in Queens. De Blasio and Cuomo said the $2.8 billion in tax breaks and subsidies being offered to Amazon would result in $27 billion in tax revenue.

But Amazon faced criticism from prominent opponents, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who raised objections to the nearly $3 billion in government incentives Amazon was receiving.

The mayor appeared furious Sunday that Amazon decided to abandon the project after it faced some community opposition, saying he suspects the company “couldn’t handle the heat in the kitchen.”

In a New York Times op-ed Saturday, de Blasio, who said that he had found out about Amazon’s intentions of scrapping the project just an hour before it broke the news Thursday, wrote that Amazon’s “capricious decision to take its ball and go home, in the face of protest, won’t diminish” rising anger over economic inequality.

“Amazon’s path in New York would have been far smoother had it recognized our residents’ fears of economic insecurity and displacement — and spoken to them directly,” he wrote in his op-ed.

In his interview Sunday, de Blasio said all Amazon did was “confirm people’s worst fears about corporate America.”

“What does that say to working people that a company would leave them high and dry simply because some people raised criticism?” he asked on Meet the Press. “They were more concerned about their corporate image.”

What to look out for…

Happy National Drink Wine Day! Time to rosé all day!

Emily has also authored political articles for Restless Magazine and numerous inspirational and empowering pieces for Project Wednesday. When she isn't writing, she can be found flying off to her next adventure, attempting new recipes, listening to one of her infinite playlists on Spotify, or cuddling with her dogs. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @emilycveith.