This Week in Words: September 1 - 7, 2018

A judge in Texas declined to overturn the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) act this week. What is interesting is that this same judge freely admits that he believes that the DACA immigration measure is unconstitutional. The judge held that more people would be negatively affected if DACA were overturned now than if it were allowed to continue. The state had argued that it was the continuation of the program that was doing damage, a stance the judge rejected.

The Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh began in Washington. The hearings got off to a raucous start when Democrats on the committee attempted to delay the proceedings because some documents pertaining to Kavanaugh have not been released, and the Senators felt they had not been given enough time to review other documents that were just given to them. There were also protestors in the gallery of the Senate yelling their disapproval.

In Britain, Teresa May faces a delicate negotiation as she tries to work out the best way for the UK to leave the European Union. May has only a few months to negotiate a withdrawal, and she has to keep many factions in her own country happy in order to ensure success. At issue are things like court jurisdiction conflicts between the UK and the EU. Already in place is a 21-month transition period to ease the economic burden Great Britain may face when it drops out of the EU.

A classic piece of movie memorabilia has been found thirteen years after it was stolen. Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have been recovered in pretty good condition in Minneapolis, not far from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota where they were stolen all those years ago. There is no word on a culprit or whether flying monkeys aided in the heist.

Canada and the United States resume trade negotiations this week. President Trump tweeted that "there is no political necessity to keep Canada in the new NAFTA deal," but both sides seem to think that they can hammer out a deal to include Canada in the already-established deal with Mexico which was recently negotiated. If no deal is struck, both sides are likely to be negatively impacted. The US and Canada exchanged more than $600 billion dollars in goods and services last year.

The romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians was number one at the box office this week, for the third week in a row. The film has now topped $100 million dollars in domestic ticket sales. The film has a relatively small budget compared to the usual summer blockbusters, and its success shows that there is still an audience for human stories, even amidst the usual summer fare of car chases, action heroes, and special effects.

The deadline for the US and Canada to reach a trade agreement has been extended. The head of the US’s largest union, the AFL-CIO, stated that he believes the participation of Canada is essential for any agreement to work, although the White House has expressed doubts that Canadian involvement is crucial.

An Australian professor has found a much cheaper, more efficient way to produce solar panels. The process involves 3D printing the panels, which cost only about $10 each and are much easier to install than traditional solar panels. With solar energy being talked about as the most promising alternative energy source of the future, a more accessible way to harness the energy is obviously a huge plus.

The hearings to formally approve Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court have been highly anticipated. It is expected that Kavanaugh will be confirmed because of the Republican majority in the Senate, but the hearings are filled with tough questions from members of the opposition party as they try to pin the nominee to a general judicial philosophy. Kavanaugh, like previous nominees before him, is try to avoid being cornered, and this makes for great political theater.

Amazon became the second United States company this year to be valued at one trillion dollars, following on the heels of Apple, Inc. In only a few short years, Amazon has redefined consumerism across the globe. Through its website, its home electronic devices like Alexa, and its cloud computing services, Amazon has also changed our relationship with the digital realm and how we interact with the world around us.