promoearn: The nation witnesses its latest rebellion

Monday, April 2, 2018

The nation witnesses its latest rebellion

Amber Epperson, an elementary speech language pathology

What happens when the teachers are fed up

Angry teachers are in revolt around the country. Beginning with West Virginia's successful teachers' strike last month and spreading to Oklahoma and Kentucky, educators ditched their classrooms and rallied at statehouses to demand higher pay, better work conditions and more funds for their schools. More than three-quarters of public school teachers are female, which is why political scientists and labor experts say these strikes show not only the power of collective organizing — they also show the power of women.

The nation's largest broadcaster sparks a debate over 'fake news'

In a video promotion spot that went viral over the weekend, dozens of local TV news anchors who are part of the Sinclair Broadcast Group are shown giving the same speech about "fake news. " Sinclair, the country's largest broadcaster, said the apolitical promotion is an affirmation of its commitment to objective reporting (even though President Trump repeatedly uses the term to condemn negative coverage). Democratic politicians and others criticized the conservative-leaning broadcaster for trying to erode viewers trust in legitimate news media organizations. Trump weighed in.

Trump tweets, stocks drop

Stocks fell sharply Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average at one point plunging 750 points before closing down nearly 459 points. Some reasons why:

•	Amazon, which has been under fire from President Trump on Twitter, was down 5.2%.
•	Facebook, which is still under pressure because of its data privacy scandal, was down nearly 3%.
•	Tesla, which is on the defensive following a deadly accident involving its autonomous driving system, was down more than 5%. (And just wondering, can Tesla's Elon Musk avoid the fate of John DeLorean?)
•	Investors were also rattled by China's announcement to raise import tariffs on U.S. pork, apples and other products, a move that ratchets up trade-war talk.

A most notorious defense

You may not remember Ethan Couch's name, but you're sure to remember his legal defense. Couch, known as the "affluenza" teen, was convicted for killing four people in 2013 while driving drunk. He was released Monday after serving two years for violating his probation. Couch's defense said he was too privileged to know the difference between right and wrong. The judge bought it, and Couch initially dodged prison — he was sentenced to 10 years probation — but it was revoked in 2016 after he hit up a party where alcohol was served. Mothers Against Drunk Driving called Couch's short prison stint "a grave injustice."

Seth Rogen's secret

Stormy Daniels' claim to an affair with President Trump is old news to Seth Rogen. The comedian told Ellen DeGeneres on Monday that he's known about the alleged tryst for about a decade. Daniels acted in two of Rogen's most popular films: Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. "At the time, when you ask a porn star who they've been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she could've said," Rogen told DeGeneres.

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.

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