Monday News Rundown (11-24-2014)

By Nestor Vazquez
Web Editor

The U.S. Secretary of Defense is stepping down under pressure. According to The New York Times, President Obama is expected to announce Chuck Hagel’s resignation today. Hagel is the only Republican on the national security team. Officials said the threat from the Islamic State would demand different kinds of skills than Hagel brought. The Times also said that Hagel was not fired; the President and Hagel mutually agreed that it was his time to leave. Obama officials are already preparing for his replacement and have a list of potential candidates.

The Ocean Conservancy has found that cigarette butts account for 28% of littered items washing up on beaches worldwide. Despite the fact that Texas State is a smoke-free campus, there are still an abundance of butts littering the campus grounds each month. University officials advise that people follow campus regulations and not smoke. And when you are off-campus, find a receptacle to put them in instead of flinging them on the ground where they will wash into storm drains.

Today, General Greg Abbott voiced his opinion on President Obama’s immigration executive action last week. Abbott explained that, “This is a legal issue, not a political issue, and President Obama has crossed a serious legal line with his proposed unilateral immigration executive action.” He also said that Texas will assert legal action against Obama’s unconstitutional abuse of power.

As the nation awaits the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown shooting, another police shooting took place last night that will possibly fuel the national conversation. A 12 year old from Cleveland, Tamir Rice, was fatally shot and killed by a pair of Cleveland Police officers responding to a call that a juvenile was pointing a pistol at people. Once the officers arrived on the scene they instructed Rice to place his hands on his head, Rice reached for the toy gun. Chief of Police Calvin Williams said the air pistol was indistinguishable from a real firearm. Both officers have been placed on leave. The investigation is ongoing.