Spanking Bill in Kansas Sparks Controversy
As of now, there are 19 states that allow schools to physically discipline their students. A Kansas state lawmaker, Gail Finney of Wichita, introduced a bill that would give school teachers and caregivers expanded rights to spank children. This bill would extend to the amount of spanks allowed to be given to students up to ten. The legislation specifically would allow for spankings "up to ten
Violent Protests Continue in Ukraine
In case you haven't heard, Ukraine's three months of peaceful protest have recently turned bloody.The protests began after Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych's decision in December to back out of a trade deal involving the European Union in favor of Russia, which also set the stage for Ukraine's future and whether it will ally with Russian or European nations. Regardless of occasional use of forc
European Union Sanctions Ukrainian Leaders, Russia Complains
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/world/europe/Ukraine-Crisis-Diplomacy.html?ref=world&_r=0Thursday, the European Union decided to sanction those responsible for the outbreak of violence in Ukraine. Possible sanctions include travel bans and asset freezes, as well as a ban on the export of items that could be used to repress protesters in Ukraine. The E.U. did not want to make the sanctions ha
Maduro losing ground on unrest. Leopoldo Lopez murder charges dropped.
Article here Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was charged with arson and conspiracy, having Venezuelan prosecutors drop his murder and terrorism charges. The prosecutors sentenced his reduced charges in a bus parked outside of the prison where he is being held. Although it was very unorthodox, his attorney argued that a prison was not a fit place to hold a hearing. Lopez turned himse
Youth Unemployment in China
An issue of youth unemployment has emerged in China. More and more youth are going to school and are pursuing a higher college education. However, there are not enough jobs for them. It is more of a struggle today than ever before for graduating college students in China to find high paying jobs that they desire and are qualified for. As a result, lower-skilled and uneducated youth have
Petition to Split California Into 6 States Gets Green Light
Read the entire article here.Since California has been in debt, some people want to solve that problem by creating six different states in California. Because California is too hard to govern, Tim proposed to separate the state and needed approval. Secretary of State Debra Bowen has given him the green light to start collecting petition signatures, but he has to get 807,615 registered voters in 15
The Glory and Gore of Kiev's Independence Square
When I first the footage of protesters rioting in the streets of Independence Square, I was in complete awe. Shock is a good word for it, maybe even a tad emotional, as hundreds of thousands of people gathered within the town's center to spread their voice over the future of Ukraine. Once again, a war between the west and east, yet there is no Berlin wall to stop the damage that is ravaging Kiev a
Calm down Putin, it's just Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk rock group based in Moscow, Russia. Band members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova had been imprisoned for nearly two years for singing "a silly song in church," as the put it in an interview Steven Colbert earlier this month. They had been imprisoned for nearly two years after being convicted of "hooliganism" and inciting reli
Is Amy Chua a Race Traitor?
Husband and Wife Author Team Amy Chua and Jed RubenfeldAmy Chua, infamous for her memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother where she writes about her strict no-nonsense parenting, has released a new novel, this time in partnership with her husband Jed. Chua's new book The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America details how three traits (an et
Poland is joining the nuclear world
Nuclear power has been around since World War II and led an arms race during the Cold War. Now it has has cooled down but many countries still use this power. Poland is now one of these countries. This is is not the country's first attempt at gaining nuclear power. During the Cold War era, they had started building their own nuclear power plant in Zarnowiec, but this was shut down when the Communi
U.N. "unreasonably criticizes" North Korea according to China
The U.N. released a 372-page report on human right abuses in North Korea which including claims of "extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape ... and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation." North Korean security chiefs and possibly Kim Jong-Un could be prosecuted for these human rights abuses. U.N. investigators have told China that they may be
Drawings Presented to UN Serve As Evidence of Ongoing Oppression in North Korea
Kim Kwang Il, a survivor and rare escapee of one of North Korea's numerous gulags, put his artistic touch to work when he presented eight drawings of his own creation to the UN Human Rights Commission depicting the horrendous conditions that over 200,000 innocent people are currently being subjected to behind one of the world's last and sturdiest Iron Curtains. The images drawn by the brave surviv
US Crack Down on Ivory to Protect Elephants
The United States is cracking down on the sale and purchase of ivory, in order to prevent the poaching of elephants and other African animals. The high demand for wildlife products results in wildlife trafficking and potentially animal extinction. Africa's elephant population was once in the millions, but currently dwindled to 500,000 or less. Approximately 10% of the elephant population is being
Is Obama hurting himself by not reaching out?
To us Californian's there are two major issues currently taking place, health care and the water crisis.Obama recently came over to Fresno, California to check out the impact of the drought. He only brought along a few other Democrats for his three hour tour, despite the fact that the House Majority Whip, Kevin McCarthy is crucial in getting any legislation passed Congress. Obama didn't even find
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 2-19-14
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Protest in Ukraine: Making headlines, but what is it about? The headlines this afternoon are about the protests going on in Ukraine after they've taken a worse turn in the past couple of weeks, leaving 25 dead. There are talks of truces and negotiations leading to a fresh start, but to be able to fully understand the protests now, we have to be informed with the
