Three things for October 5
1. Supreme Court rules against Washington D.C. having a voting member in Congress
On Monday, Oct. 4, the Supreme Court said Washington D.C. is not “constitutionally entitled to voting representation in Congress,” reports the Washington Post.
The ruling comes after a group of D.C. residents argued there should be voting representation for D.C. in the House, as “the Constitution already gives Congress the power to grant voting representation in the House,” reports USA Today.
“Residents of the District of Columbia are the only adult American citizens subject to federal income taxes who lack voting representation in Congress, except for felons in some states,” the plaintiffs told the Supreme Court.
This argument was previously dismissed last year by a panel of three judges due to a ruling from a related case in 2000, which said since House representatives are chosen by states, D.C. was not entitled to representation because it is not a state.
An argument focusing on military voters who cast their votes overseas was also dismissed, saying it “wasn’t relevant to the suit,” reports USA Today.
Currently, D.C. is represented by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting member of Congress.
2. Hollywood workers vote to strike
On Monday, Oct. 4, members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees voted to authorize a strike for the first time in the organization’s history, according to a statement by IATSE.
The votes were cast by 60,000 workers from Friday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 3. According to IATSE, 90% of eligible workers voted, and the results showed 98% of those votes approved the strike.
“This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry. Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage,” International President of IATSE Matthew Webb said in a statement.
The New York Times reports studios have responded to the vote, and negotiations will officially start on Tuesday, Oct. 5.
3. Actor William Shatner to fly to space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard
On Monday, Oct. 4., Blue Origin announced William Shatner, who portrayed the role of the original Captain James. T Kirk on “Star Trek,” will join Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations, on the company’s New Shepard NS-18 flight into space.
Shatner and Powers will be accompanied by Chris Boshuizen, co-founder of PlanetLabs, and Glen de Vries, co-founder of Medidata.
Shatner, who is 90 years old, will become “the oldest person to have flown to space,” according to Blue Origin.
Shatner took to Twitter to confirm the flight, saying, “yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’”
The launch will take place on Oct. 12 at 8:30 am central time.
