Welcome back to Rather’s Roundup! Here are the top headlines from our website and other outlets to keep you in the loop with the world’s current events. Thanks for reading!

Trump Flip-Flops On The Trans-Pacific Trade Deal:

On the campaign trail, President Trump decried the Trans-Pacific Trade deal. He declared, “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is another disaster done and pushed by special interests who want to rape our country, just a continuing rape of our country. That’s what it is, too. It’s a harsh word: It’s a rape of our country.” Now, roughly two years later, Trump completely backtracked: “President Trump told top administration officials Thursday to look at rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.” This quote comes out of The Washington Post’s article on the matter.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 12: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a meeting on trade with governors and members of Congress at the White House on April 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chris Kleponis – Pool/Getty Images)

GOP Prepares To Attack Comey:

What can we call the GOP now? Is it the Republican Party founded by President Abraham Lincoln; or is it some dodgy public relations outfit? CNN is reporting on a GOP-sponsored, White House-approved, smear campaign to begin with the launch of James Comey’s book tour next week and an exclusive interview with ABC that airs Sunday night. Have a gander at some of these tweets below!

Democrats Will Align With Striking Teachers:

Could the fight over education and teacher pay be enough to swing states from red to blue in the next election?  Funding for education in many red states has long come at the expense of tax-slashing GOP legislatures. Some believe that the teachers’ protests in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona could threaten the political hold that the GOP has in these deep-red states. Indeed, Democrats running for governor of Arizona have aligned themselves with the teachers’ cause, saying that the question of education funding is the biggest issue that will drive opposition to the Republican regime. Get the full scoop from The New York Times right here.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 2: Oklahoma teachers rally at the state capitol on April 2, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Thousands of teachers and supporters are scheduled to rally Monday at the state Capitol calling for higher wages and better school funding. Teachers are walking off the job after a $6,100 pay raise was rushed through the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)

In Memory Of The Victims Of The Holocaust:

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day remembering and memorializing the truly horrific Nazi regime that murdered 6 million Jews in cold blood. On this day of solemn remembrance, The New York Times writes of the challenges of educating the public about the genocide.  As the executive vice president of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany said, “The issue is not that people deny the Holocaust; the issue is just that it’s receding from memory.”

The Hall of Remembrance at the United States Holocaust located in Washington D.C.

Vermont Governor Passes A Package Of Gun Control Laws:

In another victory for the gun control movement, Vermont became the second state after Florida to pass gun reform laws in the wake of the Parkland school massacre in February. According to The Washington Post, this new bill:

  • Bans high capacity magazines in rifles and pistols
  • Institutes background checks
  • Must be 21 years old or take a gun safety course
  • Bans “bump stocks”
  • Require that all guns be bought and sold through a licensed firearm dealer
  • Allows police to confiscate a gun from a person under specific circumstances when the person poses a threat.
TALLAHASSEE, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Activists and students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School attend a rally at the Florida State Capitol building to address gun control on February 21, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. In the wake of last week’s deadly mass shooting that left 17 people dead, thousands of supporters joined the Parkland students to call for gun reform. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

Lost Marc Chagall Painting Finally Recovered:

Here’s a piece of very good news that will make any artist’s or art lover’s day. Thirty years ago, a valuable painting by American artist Marc Chagall was stolen from a flat in Sutton Place, New York. It has now been recovered by the FBI and is expected to sell at auction for several hundred thousand dollars. Here is the full story from The Washington Post. Get out your check books!