Melania Trump has come under heavy criticism after parts of her speech at the Republican National Convention mirrored a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Melania Trump has come under heavy criticism after parts of her speech at the Republican National Convention mirrored a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The Breakroom gang joins guest host Adam Ragusea to weigh in on the week's news. The panel includes Atlanta-based LGBT educator and activist Robbie Medwed, Savannah Magazine editor Amy Condon, Georgia State University professor Hector Fernandez, and Macon Telegraph editorial page editor Charles Richardson.


 
 

  BREAKROOM TOPICS:

1. A New York woman wants to be a nun, but the church says she can’t join a convent until she pays off her student loans. Alida Taylor got a job as a costume designer on broadway after graduating from college with a fashion degree, but she told CBS New York that she had a different calling.

In order to get into the church, she began soliciting donations through a Go Fund Me page, and met her goal. So, she’s finally taking her vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in September. What do you think of the convent’s policy that you can’t sign up to be a nun if you have debt? Are there any dreams you’ve had to defer because of your student loans?

 

2) The Chronicle of Higher Education ranks salaries of the leaders of the nation’s public colleges and universities. Near the top of the list is Georgia State University president Mark Becker. He makes more than a million dollars a year in total compensation. That’s the fifth highest salary for a public college president in the nation. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson makes the 12th highest base pay in the country at a little more than $676,000. Again, that’s for public schools. The top private school salaries are three or four times that. Are those salaries too high? Or can a great university president really earn the millions they’re paid?

 

3) A homeless college student at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia was living on campus in a tent. Fred Barley, 19, said he waiting for the dorms to open next month. Local police approached the tent after getting a trespassing complaint. The police helped Barley by covering his stay for a couple nights in a motel, and then the college let him into the dorms early. He also got a job, and has received tens of thousands of dollars in donations.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJTksBSHFis

 

A pretty happy ending it seems, but there are thousands of college students who end up homeless. What’s one thing the country can do to prevent this from happening to any other students?

 

4) A police officer in Roswell was fired last week. The officer's dismissal may have been connected to the fact the she was flying a Confederate flag at home. Many professions (like journalists) are barred from expressing strong opinions. Should cops be banned from doing potentially offensive things when they’re off the clock?

 

5) Twitter has taken the unusual move to ban one of its users for life. Milo Yiannopoulos is the technology editor with the conservative website, Breitbart.com. The social media company made the move after offensive pots were made to comedian Leslie Jones, who stars in the new "Ghostbusters" movie. Jones was bombarded with offensive tweets after the film’s release.

 

 

NPR says Yiannopoulos’ Twitter account didn’t contain any of the attacks, but he used two other platforms, 4chan and reddit, to insult Jones.

 

Twitter reps say the site will be more proactive in the future about banning people who engage in harassment and abuse. Is this a threat to First Amendment rights?

6) Melania Trump’s Republican National Convention speech was strikingly similar to Michelle Obama’s convention speech, given eight years earlier.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCS2N4nUu84

 

A Trump campaign speechwriter named Meredith McIver has taken the blame for the plagiarized portion of Melania Trump’s speech. Donald Trump’s campaign says it will take no action against her. Should she be fired?  

 

 

Tags: Hector Fernandez  Robbie Medwed  Charles Richardson  Atlanta  Georgia