Good morning!
While you were sleeping…
REUTERS/Brian Snyder
As you bounce out of bed this morning, here’s a look at what happened while you were snoozing. Governor Andrew Cuomo took steps to increase New York’s minimum wage, while Nintendo announced plans to branch out into smartphone games.
A Georgetown expert weighed in on the highest-earning college majors, and a North Korean official denied allegations that leader Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of 15 officials who challenged his authority.
Governor Cuomo said he wants to increase minimum wage in New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo said he plans on creating a Wage Board, which would authorize an increase in New York’s minimum wage. The board would allow him to hike up pay rates without the approval of state lawmakers. Earlier this year, the governor recommended increasing New York City’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour ($10.50 in other parts of the state). But the plan was struck down by the state legislature. If the Wage Board goes forward as planned, New York’s minimum wage could go up later this year.
Nintendo announced plans to launch smartphone games
It looks as though Nintendo is getting with the times. The Japanese company says it’s finally branching out into developing games for smartphones. The first game is expected to come out later this year. The upgrade represents a major game changer for Nintendo, which has seen lagging sales when compared to Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s XBox. The iconic video game company forecasts its annual operating profit to double with its pending smartphone technology.
Higher ed expert weighed in on the most (and least) valuable college majors
It turns out that where you go to college isn’t as important as your major. A Georgetown University professor and higher ed expert told Reuters that choosing a major is the most important issue affecting college students. Engineering degrees, particularly petroleum engineering, represent the highest-earning paths. Sadly, early childhood education was at the bottom of the income pile. But despite increased tuition and student loan debt, experts say that going to college is still worth it. Generally speaking, getting a college degree increases earnings by about $1 million over the course of an average lifetime, reports Reuters.
North Korea denied that Kim Jong Un ordered executions
A North Korean official told CNN that leader Kim Jong Un had nothing to do with the execution of 15 senior officials, calling it “malicious slander.” However, he doesn’t deny that the executions did indeed take place. The rumors came to light after South Korea’s spy agency released a report pointing the finger at Kim. The report asserts that the officials were killed as punishment for challenging their leader. The North Korean official who spoke to CNN did confirm that attempts to overthrow or sabotage the government can actually lead to execution, but vehemently denied that Kim had ordered these particular murders.
