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JUNE 20, 2018

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  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"I will buy a tiger" – An NBA draft prospect on what he'll do if he's drafted. Sounds reasonable.

PULLING OUT

The Story

The US is withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council.

What exactly is that?

A group that talks about promoting and protecting human rights around the world. 47 countries are members. The council was created in '06, but the US didn't join until '09 when the Obama admin said 'we're in.' Now, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley says the council is "an organization that is not worthy of its name." And is pulling the US out.

What's the beef?

For a while, the US has said the council is biased against Israel. Haley pointed to earlier this year, when it passed five resolutions against Israel – more than Iran, North Korea, and Syria combined. She also called the group out for including members with their own reported human rights abuses (China, Cuba, Venezuela). This comes as the UN's top human rights official criticized the Trump admin for its "zero tolerance" immigration policy that separates kids from their families at the border. Speaking of, a new report came out about "tender age" shelters for babies and young children separated from their families.

What do supporters say?

The council is ignoring human rights issues in other countries. And it's time to make some changes. Haley left the door slightly open in case the group decides to get a makeover.

What do critics say?

Even though the council may have some issues, leaving isn't the best move. And the US should be stepping up, not backing out.

Anything else?

This comes as the admin is working on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. And after the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – which is still causing Palestinian outrage.

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The US is the first country to voluntarily drop out of the council. The list of major international agreements the US is taking itself out of is getting longer. And it could be years before we know how drastic the consequences may be.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when your aunt starts asking you personal questions…

Drop it. Yesterday, the Dow Jones dropped General Electric. Reminder: the Dow averages stock prices from 30 major companies. And hints at how the US stock market is doing overall. It's been around since 1896, and GE was part of the OG squad. But the company's been on the struggle bus lately (think: losing cash money, cutting thousands of jobs). Now it's getting the boot. Drugstore retailer Walgreens will take its spot later this month. In other news about things dropping like it's hot, the stock market freaked out after President Trump escalated that US-China trade war. In the latest on the back-and-forth threats, Trump threatened China with $200 billion in tariffs earlier this week. Yesterday, the stock market said 'we're not down with this' and closed down 287 points. Bummer.


What to say when a new coworker asks about office etiquette…

Here are the rules. Yesterday, the Trump admin rolled out a new rule for small businesses and the self-employed to get cheaper health insurance plans. Trump's been trying to scrap the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) since Congress failed to repeal and replace it last year. This new rule will let small businesses and the self-employed band together and buy lower-cost health insurance policies. Which makes them more similar to large companies. The catch: they don't include things like mental health treatment, maternity and newborn care, and prescription drugs. Supporters of the plan say it gives people cheaper healthcare options. Critics say it makes Obamacare more expensive, and will hurt it in the long-run. The rule is expected to take effect as early as September.


What to text your friend who's hosting an NBA Draft party…

You should prob know about this. Yesterday, Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown sued the city of Milwaukee and its police department. Earlier this year, police arrested and tased Brown after he illegally parked his car. Last month, body cam footage of the arrest came out. And led to a lot of backlash for how the cops handled the situation. The department opened an investigation and said some of the cops acted inappropriately. Now, Brown's taking it to court. And saying that the police unlawfully arrested him and used excessive force.


What you'll be hearing about today…

This new study that says there are more guns than people in the US. Not a typo. In 2017, there were around 326 million people living in the US. And 393 million civilian-owned guns. Which the study says is twice as many as no. 2 on the list: Yemen.


What to say when your fave brunch spot shuts down…

I'm upset. So is Colombia. Oh, and Poland too.


What to say when your SO surprises you with dinner…

I tip my very expensive hat to you.