Politics
- The White House is listening! The public wants to be able to do more online, so the White House will be revamping several government websites in an effort to make them more user-friendly. Read more.
- The press has, once again, jumped on a story about a riff between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. After a dismissive comment about the President’s approach to Syria by Clinton and anonymous responses by White House aides, Clinton reached out to Obama in order to soothe public perception. This is not the first time their relationship has been the subject of analysis, and it is likely to come up again. Read more.
- Now that marijuana is legal in some places and banks have been given the federal go-ahead to work with marijuana-related businesses, 105 banks and credit unions have begun doing so. Despite this, many bankers are worried about dealing with marijuana because it’s still illegal under federal law, even though the House voted to allow the banking. The result is that many marijuana-related businesses deal only in cash, leaving them more susceptible to robbery. Read more.
World
- “Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar town, walk towards the Syrian border, on the outskirts of Sinjar mountain, near the Syrian border town of Elierbeh of Al-Hasakah Governorate August 10, 2014. (Reuters / Rodi Said)” – Source: RT.com
The United States has sent 130 military advisors to northern Iraq in what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says is humanitarian in nature, not combative. An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have been displaced by Islamic State (IS) fighters and the U.S., along with France and Britain, has been dropping humanitarian aid packages to the tens of thousands trapped on Sinjar mountain. Read more.
- Because this article from BBC summarizes it best,”A prominent Jewish group, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, has asked the French government to rename a small village in central France that is currently called ‘Death to Jews’ (‘La Mort aux Juifs’).” Read more.
Entertainment
- I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Robin Williams committed suicide earlier this week, impacting millions of Americans who relied on him for laughs and grew up with his characters. He will be missed. Read more.
- Screen gem Lauren Bacall also died. A force in her own right, Bacall was well-known for her marriage to Humphry Bogart. Read more.