Tuesday Morning Scoop: Art of the Iran Deal
Welcome to the Morning Scoop for May 8, 2018. President Trump still doesn’t think much of the Iran nuclear pact, Melania had her own thing going yesterday, and MIT is involved in an important court ruling. And have you seen what Australia is doing to save koalas?
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2 p.m. Announcement on the Future of the Iran Nuclear Deal
President Trump will announce at 2 p.m. ET today whether the U.S. will pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, as European nations — and John Kerry — worked to keep America part of the pact.
CNN reports, “Trump is weighing whether to continue waiving sanctions on Iran’s energy and banking sector that were lifted as part of the 2015 agreement in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.”
It is believed that the president — who has called the agreement the “worst deal ever” — will mostly likely decide against extending the sanctions waivers, which would effectively pull the US out of the deal, though still keep open the option to re-negotiate over the next six months.
Melania Steps Out of the Donald’s Shadow with ‘Be Best’
Laura Bush took on literacy like her late mother-in-law. Michelle Obama helped fight obesity.
And yesterday, Melania Trump stepped into the spotlight to take on a very traditional part of the role of First Lady, by unveiling a new initiative called “Be Best,” which focuses on the well-being of children, especially when it comes to social media.
Erin Whitten, CMN’s Senior Correspondent, has all the details (and a video) in her report.
State Supreme Court Rules MIT Can’t Be Held Responsible for Suicide of Students
In a case that could have broad implications for colleges and universities, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled yesterday that MIT can not be held responsible for the suicide of one of its students in 2009.
In a 44-page ruling released yesterday, the court found that universities “are not responsible for monitoring and controlling all aspects of their students’ lives,” and that there is “universal recognition” that “in loco parentis” — roughly meaning that colleges and universities take on the responsibilities of parents for their students — is a thing of the past.
The case revolved around the suicide of 25-year-old Han Nguyen, a Ph.D. candidate who leapt to his death from an MIT building. The family’s lawyers, per the New York Times, argued that an MIT professor who had harshly criticized Nguyen was responsible for his death. The court did not agree and confirmed a lower court ruling to dismiss the case.
However, the complex ruling did find that in certain situations, professors have a legal obligation to prevent suicide and could be sued for failing to do so.
Today in a Tweet
We interrupt your regular Morning Scoop programming for this piece of hockey news: The last time the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs was 1994. Ace of Base was on top of the charts with “The Sign” and many of you weren’t even born…
Last But Not Least: Mother of Waffle House Shooting Victim Accepts Daughter’s Diploma
Sherl Baker walked across the stage at Belmont University in Nashville over the weekend to accept her daughter’s diploma. DeEbony Groves, who was shot at a local Waffle House on April 22, had been working for several years to receive her degree in social work before she was killed.
DeEbony’s brother, Di’Angelo, was to graduate alongside her, and received his diploma from Belmont on Saturday as well. CMN Senior Editor Carla Loebenstein has all the tearful details in her report.
This Tuesday Morning Scoop was compiled from contributions by Natalia Kolenko, Erin Whitten, Carla Loebenstein,
