Maybe things would be easier if I didn’t pursue a degree in political science during my undergraduate career. I’m not really sure what I was thinking when I declared myself a foreign relations major, I think I hadn’t really slept much the night before. Either way, four years of contentious political debate, hours spent reading on everything from East Asian politics to a step-by-step guide written on how to successfully plan and execute a coup d’état, and “pages” on “pages” typed away on my decade-old laptop in the UC Santa Cruz main library, here I am ranting about all of this to each and every one of you. Isn’t it strange how writers feel connected to their readers, despite never actually communicating with them? It’s this unspoken bond between author and reader that fuels my desire to awaken each day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to get to work.
Either way, here’s what you missed in the news yesterday.
Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!
The White House was the stage for today’s episode of “The Real House/Senate Members: Washington DC,” during the course of which Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi met with President Trump to negotiate, and hopefully avoid, a government shutdown. President Trump is insisting that Congress fund his original campaign promise of building a massive wall along the US-Mexico border, but seeing as the Democrats will retake the House before the wall’s funding deadline on January 21, it is highly unlikely that this will happen. At the risk of not getting the wall built, Trump told Mr. Schumer and Ms. Pelosi that “if we don’t have border security, we’ll shut down the government. If it’s not good on border security, I won’t take it. ”
Though their conversation continued, President Trump did not break on his threat to shut down the government.
“And I am proud…I tell you what, I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck (Schumer), because the people of this country don’t want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So, I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it. The last time you shut it down it didn’t work. I will taketh mantle of shutting down and I’m going to shut it down for border security.”
–President Donald Trump
Oh Hail No!
For those of us who’ve ever had a few too many adult beverages and needed a ride, or had to catch a flight early in the morning, we all know too well how to use one of the many ride-hailing apps to call a car and get out of dodge (no pun intended, I promise.) What most of us don’ know is that the entire on-demand car industry began with a startup called Sidecar Technologies Inc, a defunct company that went down back in 2015. The company made headlines on Tuesday when it announced plans to sue Uber Technologies Inc over allegations related to anticompetitive practices that ultimately led to Sidecar going out of business.
“Uber intentionally sustained near-term losses that were designed to drive Sidecar out of the market while Uber acquired a dominant market position.”
–Official language from Sidecar v. Uber Lawsuit
