1. Michael Jackson would have been 60 today. He was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. Some of his greatest hits include Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller, Bad, Black or White and some of the Jackson Five’s greatest hits include ABC, Rockin Robin and Dancing Machine. Did you like Michael more when he was with The Jackson Five or a solo performer? What’s your favorite Michael Jackson song?
2. Is his life tarnished by the sexual abuse allegations? How would that be handled today compared to years ago?
3. Crain’s Cleveland Business did a Q & A with David Jenkins, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Cleveland Browns. Speaking on the Browns stadium situation, Jenkins said, “The challenge becomes is, if it’s a new stadium, site selection, remediation, stadium design and construction is a long time frame than being able to say Hey we’re going to stay in this building and renovate. So we just have to be really well planned and operate with some sense of urgency”. What do you think will eventually happen with First Energy Stadium? Is there a sense of urgency to keep the Browns happy?
4. The CDC is out with some numbers that are not very enlightening, new cases of Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis spiked nearly 10% in 2017. This is building on a four-year trend of rising sexually-transmitted diseases that seem to be driven by lack of awareness and changing sexual behavior. The stats show that 2.29 million new cases of these three common yet treatable sexually-transmitted diseases were diagnosed in 2017. Are you surprised by the numbers?
5. The Urban Institute is out with a new study that shows 4 in 10 Americans are struggling to pay for their basic needs such as groceries or housing. What may surprise you is the fact it's a problem even middle-class households confront, despite the U.S. economy being near full employment. The numbers show that 39.4% of adults between 18 and 64 years old said they experienced at least one type of material hardship last year. Is the middle class better off than it was 20 years ago?
6. Calling it a "serious situation" that "will be addressed," President Trump took to Twitter to slam Google for the way if filters news about his Presidency. Trump said in a tweet that the tech giant's search engine had "rigged" news story results to show mostly "bad" stories about him and other conservatives. "Google search results for 'Trump News' shows only the viewing/reporting of Fake New Media," the president said. "In other words, they have it RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD. Fake CNN is prominent. Republican/Conservative & Fair Media is shut out." Have you Googled for Trump news? What comes up?
7. To commemorate “National Women’s Equality Day” a “Go Topless Rally” was held in Ashville, North Carolina. GoTopless.org says on its website: “If men are allowed to go topless in public women should have the same constitutional right”. What do you think? Should women be legally allowed to go topless?
8. Nature Valley granola bars will no longer claim to use 100% natural oats in order to settle a lawsuit that claimed the bars contained small amounts of a pesticide. Three consumer groups said tests proved the granola bars contained zero-point-45 parts per million of the pesticide Roundup. Even though that is well below the EPA's maximum allowed of 30 parts per million, the groups argued that the "Made with 100% Natural Whole Grain Oats" label was misleading. How much do you trust the labeling of food products?
9. A school district in South Carolina is getting rid of “snow days” and is replacing them with eLearning Days. When classrooms are closed because of the weather, teachers will send parents digital assignments their children will have to complete at home. If for any reason students have a problem accessing the internet, they will still be required to complete the assignment within five days on their own time. What you like to see eLearning days be implemented in Northeast Ohio schools?
10. A marketing company is Minneapolis is offering fur-ternity leave. The company will allow employees to work at home for a week if they get a new pet to help them adjust to their new surroundings. Their company CEO said, "Part of embracing employee satisfaction as a business priority means recognizing important life events that happen outside of the office.” Do you think this will start a new trend with other companies?