Weekly News Overview - 9/22/2022

By Farrah Muhammad

The Death of Queen Elizabeth II

On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch, passed away at 96 years old. She took the throne in 1952 when she just was 26 years old. Her reign lasted 70 years. The queen’s son Charles has acceded to the throne. His new title is King Charles III, and his wife Camila is now the queen consort. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral took place on September 19, 2022.

Arizona-Federal Judge Blocks Law Limiting Filming of Police

On July 6th, Governor Doug Ducey signed a law restricting the filming of police officers 8 feet or closer if requested to stop. Violating this law would result in a misdemeanor and fine. The law was set to take effect on September 24. However, U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi issued an injunction to stop the law. This measure was prompted by the Arizona Attorney General and the Maricopa prosecutor and sheriff’s office stating that they would not enforce the law. They argue that the law violates the 1st amendment rights.

Potential Railroad Strike:

On September 15, President Biden narrowly avoided a national rail worker strike. Railroad contract negotiations have been going on for over 3 years. Frustrated with unmet concerns, railroad unions threatened to strike. The union was headed to strike over pay and attendance policy. Many workers lacked proper sick leave and the ability to tend to family emergencies. The 12 unions assembled to garner national attention. In order to avoid disrupted supply chains and further inflation, the Labor Department reached a tentative agreement with the unions. The agreement includes an immediate 14% pay increase, an extra paid day off, a $5,000 annual bonus, and medical leave.

Columbia University Falls in National Rankings

Columbia dropped from 2nd to 18th place in prominent U.S. news college rankings. Micheal Thaddus, a professor at Columbia University, noticed the discrepancies in the university's reporting for the U.S. News ranking. Columbia reported data that underestimated their class sizes and claimed that 100% of their professors had the highest degrees available in their field. Given that Thaddus works at the university, he knew this was inaccurate. He brought the disparities to light. After Columbia shared their corrected reports with U.S. news, the university fell 16 places.