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Marvin Meyer
Culture > News

HC Wake-Up Call: Trump Applauds New Trade Deal, CA Outlawed All-Male Boards of Directors & Netflix’s New Scare Factor Matrix

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.)

Trump Applauds New Trade Deal With Canada & Mexico

After more than a year of talks between the United States, Mexico and Canada, President Donald Trump celebrated the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a new trade deal that is now likely to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

“We have negotiated this new agreement based on the principle of fairness and reciprocity,” Trump said during a press conference in the Rose Garden. “To me, it’s the most important word in trade, because we have been treated so unfairly by so many nations.”

The Trump administration has called the new trade deal, which was struck at the eleventh hour between the U.S. and its allies, will boost manufacturing and lead to higher wages, ABC News reports.

Trump praised the deal, saying it will “give our farmers and ranchers far greater access to sell American grown produce in Mexico and in Canada.”

Late Sunday, the United States and Canada announced that after months tense rhetoric between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the two countries finally reached an agreement, alongside Mexico, ABC News reports.

“Today, Canada and the United States reached an agreement, alongside Mexico, on a new, modernized trade agreement for the 21st Century: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),” the U.S. and Canada said in a joint statement Sunday. “USMCA will give our workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses a high-standard trade agreement that will result in freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in our region.”

“It will strengthen the middle class, and create good, well-paying jobs and new opportunities for the nearly half billion people who call North America home,” the joint statement continued.

Trump applauded the new trade deal on Monday, tweeting, “Congratulations to Mexico and Canada!”

Trudeau said Sunday was “a good day for Canada & our closest trading partners.”

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto also expressed his support for USMCA, describing the deal as “a win-win-win agreement.”

The new trade deal will need to be approved by Congress, and since lawmakers will need to dig into the fine print of the agreement, it likely won’t be approved until the next session of Congress in 2019.

“Democrats will closely scrutinize the text of the Trump Administration’s NAFTA proposal, and look forward to further analyses and conversations with stakeholders,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

With control of both the House and the Senate at stake in the November election, it is uncertain if Congress will support the new deal.

Trump, however, said he think the trade deal will pass “easily,” saying, “Once approved by Congress, this new deal will be the most modern, up to date, and balanced trade agreement in the history of our country. But if it doesn’t we have other alternatives. I think if they are fair. The Republicans love it, industry loves it, our country loves it. If it’s fair, it will pass easily.”

California Outlawed All-Male Boards of Directors

Women and men still are equal when it comes to the workplace, and that is apparent when you see the total lack of women in the boardroom. But in a huge step forward for gender equality, California is now requiring businesses include women on their boards of directors.

On September 30, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law that will require all publicly traded businesses with headquarters in the state to have women on their boards of directors, The Los Angeles Times reports.

The new law stipulates that by 2019, these companies must have at least one woman on their boards of directors. By the end of July 2021, however, boards of directors with five or fewer members must have at least two women on the board, and those with six or more members must have at least three women.

According to the Times, companies in violation of the new law will have to pay fines of $100,000 for a first offense and $300,000 for a second offense.

In a letter addressed to the California State Senate about signing the bill, published by the Times, the California governor alluded to the recent sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to still recommend him.

“There have been numerous objections to this bill and serious legal concerns have been raised,” Brown wrote. “I don’t minimize the potential flaws that may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation. Nevertheless, recent events in Washington, D.C.—and beyond—make it crystal clear that many are not getting the message.”

“It’s high time corporate boards include the people who constitute more than half the ‘persons’ in America,” Brown concluded his letter.

Time Magazine reported that nearly one-fourth of publicly traded businesses with headquarters in California don’t have any women on their boards of directors at all.

Some, however, do not agree with this new law, including the California Chamber of Commerce, who argued that the new law violates anti-discrimination rules in the Constitution.

Hopefully the law turns out to do what it was intended to do and creates more progress for women in the workforce.

Netflix’s New Scare Factor Matrix Will Help Determine the Perfect Spooky Movies For You

It can be difficult to find the perfect scary movie to watch during spooky season. How do you know if something is just the right amount of scary without giving you nightmares for weeks? If you’re a scaredy cat (like me), you might be better off with Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween. But if you’re wanting to branch out and have a complete fright-fest, Netflix has got you covered with their new scare factor matrix.

According to Hello Giggles, Netflix’s new “scare factor matrix” organizes the streaming service’s classic movies and new movies based on the perfect type of scary you are looking for.

via Netflix

Want something a little bit more focused on the supernatural? Try Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Castlevania, starting October 26th. Are you into something terrifying and realistic? Try Malevolent, which starts streaming October 5th. Looking for something that’s more enchanting? Watch The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, starting October 12th.

But what if you want something that’s realistic, terrifying, enchanting, and supernatural? Then The Haunting of Hill House might just be perfect for you, and it begins streaming on October 12th.

So if you’re just dying to scare yourself silly, try out the Netflix’s scare factor matrix. Now can we get a scare factor matrix for all scary movies out there? (Just asking for a friend who can’t handle scary movies.)

What to look out for


Applebee’s announced their new Neighborhood Drink! Celebrate spooky season all month long with the Dollar Zombie!

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.