Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:
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Police finally caught the most wanted criminal, JoaquÃn “El Chapo” Guzmán. He was known as the drug lord who escaped the police for a decade and has been finally caught. Guzmán was allegedly found in a hotel.. At first when the marines knocked on the door, El Chapo sneaked out through a hidden exit in a bathroom ,but however was still caught after he was captured early Saturday hiding out in a c
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North Korea: New Evidence of Human Rights Abuses
It's long been known that North Korea isn't exactly a land of freedom and prosperity. However a report from U.N. investigators shows that North Korea has prison camps whose conditions rival those of Nazi concentration camps and Stalin's Gulags. These prisoners are guilty of crimes ranging from watching american soap operas to being related to an enemy of the state. During the 11 month investigatio
Girl Scout Cookies Outselling Marijuana
Uh oh! Seems like girl scout cookies profits are rising higher than marijuana. At San Francisco, California, a 13 year old girl scout , Danielle Lei, and her mom were selling girl scout cookies right in front of a marijuana clinic on Monday. In just two hours, at least 117 girl scout cookies were sold outside of the marijuana clinic. Her mother, Carol, states "Her two middle-school-aged da
Possible Corruption in Olympic Figure Skating
Through all of the madness in Sochi, people are skeptical if the home teams are getting special privileges and special scores. Specifically, when it comes to figure skating, people are questioning if Adelina Sotnikova was given better scores than she deserved. Many think South Korean skater Yuna Kim deserved the gold, who received the silver, but was beaten out by Adelina. Many critics noticed tha
Panties for President
In Kazakhstan, an interesting struggle has erupted between the government and Kazakh women -- over lacy panties. The Customs Union, a "Moscow-initiated trade allliance between Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus," imposed a ban on the import of the panties because they apparently didn't meet the threshold for dampness absorption that underwear need to me to be sold in Kazakhstan and were in
G-20 finance ministers focus on global growth
A group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s biggest economies which make up the G-20, plan to meet in Sydney this weekend with the top priority of addressing the issue of market turmoil present within the global economy and discussing ways to reinvigorate global growth. In December, the U.S. central bank said it would start reducing its monthly Treasury and mortgage bond p
Putin will teach you how to love the motherland
Pussy Riot is at it again. On a trip back to Moscow the band members of this music video decided to stop by Sochi, Russia and produce a video showing off their hooliganism. As a result, twenty people have been arrested and are facing charges of up to ten years in another drab Russian prison. During the creation of this new video a large group of old bearded Cossacks came and beat/whipped the troub
G-20 financial ministers focus on global growth
A group of 20 finance ministers and central bankers from the world’s biggest economies, which make up the G-20, plan to meet in Sydney this weekend with the top priority of addressing the issue of market turmoil present within the global economy and discussing ways to reinvigorate global growth. In December, the U.S. central bank said it would start reducing its monthly Treasury and mortgage bond
So Much for Fighting Corruption
What happens when a man tries to fight corruption in the most populous African country? He receives death threats and is fired by the President. The former Central Bank Governor of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, was "dismissed" from his job for revealing that billions of dollars were missing from the coffers of Nigeria's biggest oil companies. This revelation devalued the Nigerian currenc
North Korea Executes Relatives of Purged Uncle
North Korea Executes Relatives of Purged UncleLast month, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly executed the husband of his aunt, Jang Song Thaek. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, Kim also ordered the execution of the relatives of Jang following the killing of his uncle. Those he ordered to be eliminated included Jang's sons, grandchildren, nephews, and sister and her husband,
UN Warns of North Korea, Modern Nazi Germany
Recently the UN announced results of their ongoing investigation of North Korean human rights violations. Through a set of prison camps throughout the nation the North Korean gov't has been imprisioning enemies of the state and torture all prisoners. Some torture even goes as far as rape and forced abortions, or when the baby is born they will make the mother drown it in water. The UN warns the wo
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writing about the Ukraine is pretty popular so, EU imposes sanctions after deadly Kiev clashes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26280710Sorry for link, if it does not work just copy and paste it into the url address bar.After the Ukrainian government's recent violence towards protesters in the countries capital of Kiev on Thursday, the European Union has decide to impose sanctions on Ukrainian officials. On Thursday many of the protesters were killed by snipers and in all over 75 peop
Protests Swell in Venezuela as Places to Rally Disappear
NY Times Venezuela protest crack downAs protests in Venezuela continue, government crackdowns and violent intervention are on the rise. Reason for citizen unrest in the country is mainly due to dissatisfaction with current Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. However, specific criticism from the protestors side include dissatisfaction with rising violent crime rates, shortages with basic goods (su
Wii controllers, the new sidearm of choice
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/georgia-teen-holding-wii-remote-shot-cops-front-door-family-lawyer-article-1.1619842Small town Georgian trailer park, there's a dude on probation. Now that you've got the scene set in your mind, lets add in some new factors: 1. parole guy has a kid- Christopher Roupe 2. Probation check, kid answers the door. What happens next? Being a teenager, you woul
Another Redundant Current Event About the Ukraine
So,The Ukraine has been in the midst of political upheaval due to President Yanukovych's refusal to sign a deal with the EU in favor of a deal with Russia over natural gas prices. The protests have grown largely into citizens' demands to change the constitution and the entire power structure of the country. Regular citizens want more power placed in the parliament than the presidency. The Ukraine
Egypt Extends Crackdown to Journalists
On Thursday, three journalists were put before the court for filing news reports for Al-Jazeera English. The prosecutors believed that they had links to terrorists, detaining the men for weeks. Their charges are part of a crackdown by Egypt's military-backed government that has captured reporters, filmmakers, and bloggers. This all began with the mass arrests of the Egyptian government's enemies
Still Dealing with Fukushima
Three years ago, the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant devastated Japan. At the time, Californians were terrified of being contaminated; by now we have all but forgotten the incident. Unfortunately, forgetting isn’t an option for the Eastern coast of Japan. Groundwater is constantly being contaminated by the site, and must be pumped out and stored in tanks to contain the damage
U.S. DRONE MAY HAVE KILLED A DOZEN CIVILIANS + 3 men tried in Nicaragua for stealing two bananas
A U.S. military drone strike in December of 2013 may have killed 12 civilians at a wedding in Yemen, injured at least 15 others including the bride. The U.S. officials claim that only members of Al-Qaida were killed but refused to make the details of the investigation public. The Human Rights Watch released a report on this issue citing interviews with eight eye witnesses and the relatives of the
Putin on the Ritz
Article hereBasically, Vladimir Putin is not being entirely forthcoming (shocking!) about his personal net worth. Though he claims to have a net worth of under $500,000, that seems highly unlikely considering his rather expensive tastes. He has been seen wearing a watch valued at $150,000, has several houses and getaways, including one valued at roughly $1 billion, and access to a $40 million yach
China threatens damaged relations if US continues to meet with Dalai Lama
In the past there was a lot of buzz about the public protests of monks in China. They were burning themselves alive, and sacrificing their lives in what they believed in, independence for Tibet. Many people then became concerned, advocated for their rights and freedom. Controversy arose, and the U.S. was crossed with the decision of help the people of Tibet or keep relations with China peaceful
Deadly drone strike in Yemen failed to comply with Obama’s rules to protect civilians
Another day, another drone strike. In an attempt to take top members of Al Qaeda out, the U.S. government instead blew up cars coming from a wedding, killing 12 and wounding 15 last December. What's worse is that there has been no evidence that even anybody involved with Al Qaeda was killed or injured. A sloppy and disgusting job and an even sloppier cover up - the U.S. stated that only militants
Controversial Death of Teenage Syrian Photographer Sheds Light on Unethical News Agencies
Molhem Barakat, a Syrian photographer and journalist died on December 20, 2013 at age eighteen. Barakat was employed by the news agency, Reuters, and provided with cameras and equipment, although given knnadiquit protection. Barakat was not an unbiased journalist, having wanted to be a soldier in the rebellion. Although an active and serious politically involved man, Barakat's other social media w
Worst Spill in 6 Months Is Reported at Fukushima
The Fukishima nuclear power plant is still facing repercussions after being struck by a tsunami in 2011. The newest incident is the leak that occurred on Wednesday and was contained by Thursday. The leak allowed about 100 tons of highly radioactive materials to flow into surrounding water. It is speculated that the leak was not bad enough to contaminate the Pacific Ocean, like others have, but thi
Climate Change: "The most fearsome weapon of mass destruction," says Kerry
Article HEREEarlier this week, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to groups in Jakarta, Indonesia about the dangers of climate change for their nation. After China and the United States, Indonesia has moved into third place in greenhouse gas emissions because of its deforestation and reliance on cheap electricity from coal power in recent years. In his speech, Kerry stated that the fishing econom
Pistorius Murder Trial to Bring Scrutiny to South Africa
Summary of Article: On February 14th, 2013, aka Valentine's Day, Oscar Pistorious, a 29 year old Olympic and Paralypmic track star, aka Blade Runner, murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a 25 year old model and law graduate. He recently has been scheduled to go on trial next month since he was charged by prosecutors with premeditated murder. Oscar Pistorious claims to have accidentally shot
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Deadliest Day: Ukrainian Protesters Remain Defiant After Dozens KilledReports indicate that another bloody battle broke out late Thursday, February 20, between the anti-government protesters and Ukrainian police in central Kiev's Independence Square. In the last few days, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have spent significant time advising Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych, who wa
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In London, researchers have found new evidence that Greece’s financial crisis is taking a toll on the health of its citizens, including rising rates of HIV, tuberculosis, depression, and even infant deaths. Since the economic crisis hit several years ago, the government’s health spending has been cut and hundreds of thousands of people have been left without health insurance. Previous s
Uganda dismisses Obama pressure on anti-gay law
On Tuesday, Uganda dismissed Obama's call made towards Yoweri Museveni, Uganda's leader, to not sign an anti-homosexuality law, claiming that the United States was trying to blackmail their country. Obama warned that signing for this bill would complicate America's relations with Uganda and be a "step backward for all Ugandans." This anti-gay bill was first introduced in 2009 and initial
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
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Obama doesn't like violence.
Protestors have taken a stand in Ukraine after their President reversed the planned trade deal with the European Union and turned to Russia instead. Things only got worse when an anti-protest law went into effect.Thus far, the military has yet to be involved, and the Obama administration has vocalized its approval of the decision and strongly encourage the military to stay on the sidelines. Obama
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Sparks fly over a lesbian-themed music video by an expatriate IranianGoogoosh, whose real name is Faegheh Atashin, is a popular Iranian singer amongst all ages. She left Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, since women were banned from performing. She resumed her career away from the Iranian restrictions on females. Today, she performs in U.S, and European cities with large Iranian populations.
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 history of the situation. The protest started a couple weeks ago at the site of
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Obama decries Uganda anti-gay law
Many homosexuals in sub-Saharan African countries have been severely discriminated against or in most cases, they are thrown in jail. Lesbians, for example, have been "deliberately targeted for sexual violence." Since the colonial-era, homosexuality has been illegal under a law that criminalizes sex acts - being defined as "one of the partners is infected with HIV, sex with minors o
The Fight Against The Majority: Mini Uganda vs. The World (Or at least the Gay Agenda)
Well folks, Uganda has taken a step to improve itself. Read the full article at: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/15/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-bill/index.html?hpt=wo_c1The short story is this: Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, was persuaded by his science advisors to sign a bill, instating a law that will imprison people convicted of "aggravated homosexuality" for life. It includes clause
Russian protesters fall silent while Olympic roadshow occupies Sochi
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/feb/16/russian-protesters-olympic-sochi-gayThe people in Russia are extremely afraid of the government and many avoid protesting it because they are scared the oppressive govt will inprission them for any protest against their laws. It would have been great to see a mass protest, or even individual acts of protest at Sochi, it was always unlikely.The IOC has
The Jordan Davis Killing: Race, Guns and the Law...Can We Please Talk About These Things?
Once again, eyes this week were on a Florida jury in a case of the shooting death of an unarmed black teenage boy, 17-year-old Jordan Davis, by a defendant claiming innocence under Florida's self defense laws. Davis was a passenger in an SUV parked at a convenience store. Michael Dunn, who was in car next to the SUV, complained about the loud music coming out of Davis and his friends' vehicle.
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Israel Denies Medical Treatment
Israel denied about 50 permits for entry. The Gazans trying to enter were seeking medical care and were denied because the paperwork said "State of Palestine" at the top of the paper. Those with cases considered urgent were allowed entry, the other 50 so were denied. The letters were returned and told to be resubmitted in the proper format. Palestine is recognized as a state by over 130
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The Love Affair Between Dictators and the Olympics
Like Hitler’s 1936 games, Putin’s campaign to hold the Olympics in Sochi is all about adding to his personal glory, not any desire to better Russia.Garry Kasporov, former World Chess Champion and Russian (Soviet) Chess Grandmaster is also a political activist and writer. In this piece he dares to suggest that there are parallels between Putin's Sochi Games and the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Hitler's
Revolving Door at Sacramento City Hall?
Nick Miller, co-editor of the Sacramento News and Review writes here of the City Hall-Sacramento Kings revolving door. Conflict of interest? Miller thinks so.
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Pussy Riot on Colbert
Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina, the former members of the Russian group Pussy Riot, who spent two years in prison stopped by the Colbert Report to discuss their imprisonment, Vladimir Putin and human rights. They're remarkable. Part One and Part Two
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D.C's "Revolving Door" Still Spinning
The New Times has a good piece on the "revolving door," which refers to the practice of members of Congress, congressional staffers or regulators leaving public service to go to work for special interests:A top aide to a Republican congressman from Arizona helped promote a legislative plan to overhaul the nation’s home mortgage finance system. Weeks after leaving his government job, he r
JAN 29
Stolen Super Bowl ring
In American sports, there is no more wanted symbol of success than a Super Bowl ring. One piece of "bling" represents victory, overcoming obstacles, perseverance and teamwork and countless other things, depending on whose finger it encircles. All of which is amplified by the size they must be to fit the fingers of the men who wear them. And if the on-the-field stories behind rings are in
Hydrogen fuel cell car
The Japanese automaker’s fuel-cell car hits the market next year despite all the doubt. Toyota Motor is getting set to defy naysayers. Toyota’s initiative is the first commercial hydrogen-powered fuel-cell car, which the Japanese automaker said it will sell starting next year.Toyota showed a prototype it calls FCV at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last week. Many are hoping
JAN 28
NYPD investigated Sex Trafficking
NYPD arrest nearly 200 people for sex trafficking and related crimes in operation leading up to Sunday Super Bowl. As major events such as the Super Bowl can increase the number of prostitution. The federal and local authorities have been working to stop human trafficking, targeting johns and sex traffickers. "New York Police Department vice units trained in dealing with sex trafficking and p
Obama address "women issues "front and center"
"After five years of fractious political combat, President Obama declared independence from Congress on Tuesday as he outlined a series of limited initiatives on jobs, wages, retirement and the environment that he will take without legislative approval." (Peter Baker)President Obama announce his plan for the future in regard to the economics during State of the Union on Tuesday night, re
Arena drawings bring hope to dying area
Downtown sacramneto is slated to undergo major renovations. Mayor Johnson is hoping to revive downtown sacramento. For example, Denver was a wasteland prior to building new venues for multiple sports teams. Downtown has been deteriorating over the years one of the main areas is the downtown mall. Shops are closing down and people are no longer wanted to go to this mall. It is now an attraction for
Animal Testing
Animal Exploitation Now has recently exposed that the number of fines the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made for "laboratory negligence" has gone up by 162% in the past 3 years. The group is claiming that the USDA is failing at its job of regulating labs and not protecting animals used for testing. All together 35 labs were fined and 163 animals were killed. On the other side
Hong Kong to Destroy Confiscated Ivory
It has been reported that 30.8 of the 32.6 tons of ivory that has been confiscated by Hong Kong will be incinerated in the next one to two years. This has been a demand by conversation groups, who battle the trafficking of ivory, for many years. Hong Kong announced this just weeks after a public event in China where 6.2 tons of ivory was destroyed. Incinerating 95% of their confiscated ivory is an
JAN 27
Political Cartoons: The Two Branches of Government
As I was searching for more cartoons to share, I found the one above among many illustrations of Obama... and his low poll ratings. But this one particularly struck me as funny because we, of course, learned that there are really three branches of the government in our country's system and not two. Then, as we read on, the two branches that are stated are actually Obama's pen and phone. A pen
Free Marijuana At The Potluck
On January 24th, an northern Californian elementary school teacher has been arrested for allegedly bringing marijuana-laced food to school affecting many school staffs while also affecting one student. Some staffs complain about a stomach ache while a few left to go to the hospital.. "Teresa Gilmete Badger, a 47-year-old teacher at Matthew Turner Elementary School in Benicia, was arrested Fri
Political Cartoons: Obama and the NSA
I have always thought that the best way to learn was when one was having fun. This is true as well when learning about politics through political cartoons and laughing along with them. Who really wants to read through blocks of texts when a simple picture would suffice? The saying goes: A picture is worth a thousand words. Please join me, as I embark on this amateur journey to explore politic
Anti-Protest Laws Scrapped
On Monday, Ukraine's president agreed to scrap anti-protest laws that set off riots between protesters and police. The anti-regime demonstrators that occupied the Justice Ministry left but continue to blockade the building resulting in multiple clashes over the past weekend with three protesters dead. Read more here.
Call of Duty
Mohamed Morsi named General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi defense minister and pledged to keep the military seperate from politics. A year later General Sisi dethroned Morsi to answer the people's call for their revolution. Field Marshal Sisi took his first step to becoming Egypt's next president insisting he was yielding to "The free choice of the masses" and "The call of duty".Read mo
Finding Noah's Ark
A team of evangelical Christian explorers believe they've found the remains of Noah's Ark cover in deep beneath snow and volcanic debris on Turkey's Mount Ararat (map). The team claim to have found in 2007 and 2008 seven large wooden compartments buried at 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) above sea level, near the peak of Mount Ararat. They return to the site on 2009 with a film crew. Some archaeologist
Supreme Court Goes Against Workers
Why wear protective gear iff you are not getting payed to? The Supreme Court hat recently ruled that steelworkers do not have to be payed for the time it tales to put on and take off protective gear on the job. Today the court ruled in favor of the U.S. Steel Corps over workers claims that they should be payed under federal labor laws for the time it takes to put on the gear.
Sexual Harassment At San Jose State University
Have you applied to San Jose State University for the Fall semester of 2014? Are you a female? Read this article on the most updated news about what's been happening on campus at San Jose State University, ladies and gents. Lately, there's been two reports about being sexually harassed at San Jose State University. Two females have claimed that a white male, between the age of 20 and 30 with a mus
Noth Korea's Kim Jong Un Strikes A Plague
Kim Jong Un has decided to take his dictatorship to the next level. He's become a psychopath. Killing his relatives, aunts, uncles, cousins, and children, is all of what he's done lately; they were those who were his actual family members. People say that his brutality has exceeded his father and grandfather's. Kim Jong Un has had troops drag his family members out and shot repeatedly. What do you
Another Shooting...Yet Again
There was a mall shooting this past weekend in Maryland.Surprised? I surely do hope because I hope this doesn't become a norm in our society.Here is a link to a video on NBC's website: Maryland mall shooting witness.Apparently a 19-year old had a legal possession of a a gun and walked into a Maryland mall. He shot down two people working at a Zumiez and injured others before turning the gun to him
1 in 5 Women Assaulted at College
One in five women are sexually assaulted at college and ONLY 12% report any sort of incident.This disturbing new report was found here , a video on NBC's website.As a young woman going to college, I am afraid for all women everywhere, even myself, when I hear this new statistic. Apparently, it has now turned to such an issue that Obama had to address this problem himself. He promises that there wi
Ukrainian Protesters
Thousands of protesters in Kiev mourned over the death of one of their former friends and protesters, Mikhail Zhiznevsky. They crowded the streets shouting "Hero" as his open coffin was carried through the streets of the capital. Protesters are demanding a free trade agreement with the European Union and they will not back down until their wish is granted.
Public shootings are now trending
Another public shooting has occurred. This is not the first time in the past year where a shooting has been in the news. This time it was at a mall and the shooter had no motives other than dissatisfaction with life. This raises the question of why are people shooting up random locations for no particular reason. The amount of press that these shootings get may be the reason for the increase of th
Problems with Sochi Winter Olympics
As the UK reports that a terrorist attack in the winter olympics is " very likely", the world is unsurprized as it is just another problem addded to an already growing list. With so many problems arising one may be beging to ask him/her self why Sochi was choosen in the first place. With the torch Relay being composed of laps around the stadium, its seems to be that this olympics wil
Top 6 Scams
The top 6 scams create a lot of inconvenience and it all scams people's money. Some of the scams do not seem as harsh but it is so unnoticed and the person who scams makes it sound like it is a fair trade. Most of these scams are done over the phone.Click here to check out the top 6 scams and how they work.
McDonald's is Going Down.
The world famous restaurant franchise is going down due to many reasons that all relate to the money earned and spent. Also, when it comes to food, McDonald's is become the least of people's choice to eat at. Other franchises such as Burger King and Wendy's are offering better and cheaper products in their menu which makes McDonald's lose its costomers. McDonald's had also gone through a new manag
Happy Cows Come from California... When Its Not In a Drought
Around this time you can see cows freely roaming green pastures from the freeway, however, lack of rain has caused these pastures to die out. Ranchers are selling their cattle and an increasingly fast rate in California. With California being in it's third dry year, the cattle industry has suffered. All of our happy California cows are being sent to Texas where they may be not so happy. To read mo
Grammys promote homosexual equality and acceptance
The music industry is stepping up and promoting same sex marriage and equality. The Gammys hosted a performance by Macklemore of his popular song "Same Love", a song addressing the need for homosexual acceptance. During the performance 34 couple of different races, ethnicities, and sexual preferences were married by Queen Latifah. This is huge because of the huge influence music has on p
JAN 26
Children Suffer in Syria :(
We are truly fortunate to live in America today. As violent protests remain strong in Syria, there seems to be no end of chaos and dying people all around. I recently saw this video on NBC's website. Syria's Children Continue to Suffer in the CrossfireIt is disheartening to watch because at least one third of the children in Syria are under 15. As these innocent young human beings are living and g
Agreement on U.S. Farm Bill
The Washington Post reports that an agreement on the U.S. Farm Bill could be reached and completed, possibly by Monday. The U.S. Farm Bill has been long overdue, with an extension that ended September 30, 2013. The five-year farm bill covers issues ranging from domestic crop subsidies to Food Stamps. One of the most recent disputes of the bill is John Boehner's opposition of dairy price supports i
California Drought Triple Threat
From a recent post by Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, they state that Southern Californians are facing not one drought, but three interconnected droughts. The first drought is regional, caused by the lack of rain in the mountains. When the rain goes missing, as it has for three winters now, the ground dries out, the trees and chaparral get dangerously crisp and wildfire becomes an increasing da
UN Rappoteur Anaya Visits Politcal Prisoner Leanord Peltier
Leonard Peltier, an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American and leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) is now serving his 37th wrongfully convicted year in pison. After being convicted of the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on 26 Jun
Not Soo Cheerful Cheerleaders
Well the playoffs are done for the San Francisco Forty Niners. The team was great and had an even better year. But jus across the bay bridge, things aren't looking soo good for their sister team, The Oakland Raiders. Their season was rough and it continues even though their season was over a while ago. On Wednesday, the Oakland Raiders were sued by its cheerleading squad. The team i
The Sound of Music
In this generation, everyone has very easy access to their favorite songs but maybe the quality of the sound is not very satisfying. Today the vinyl long-playing records is being re-introduced since the 1930's and apparently it has the best sound quality. Its big and old-fashioned and not portable; it is worth a fortune. Also, if you decide to buy the amplifier and speakers for this music player,
JAN 25
Bay Bridge, UNSAFE?
On September 2, 2013, the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to traffic. The seismic opening of the new span is more than just an upgrade of one of the country's busiest bridges--it is an epic transformation of the bridge into a global icon.Public safety has always been the driving factor behind building the new East Span of the Bay Bridge. Over the years, the project has
Folsom Lake: Gold Rush History
Richard Preston said, “The actual town itself is close to 90 feet underwater.” Currently, the water level at Folsom Lake is lower than during the winter season of 1976-77, one of worst drought years in history, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources. Experts say what is exposed now would have been on the outskirts of the once-booming community, founded by Mormon prospe
Remembering Baby Brianna
Its been almost 12 years since the birth and death of baby Brianna Lopez. Her story is perhaps one of the most heart breaking child abuse cases in America. During the time of Brianna's death the sentence for a person who committed intentional child abuse that resulted in death was only faced with a max of 18 years in prison. This changed when Senator Mary Jane Garcia changed the law to make the cr
Parents Take Action With Rare Lawsuit Against Cyberbullies
The parents of a 16-year-old student at Klein High School in Texas have decided to take legal action after their daughter was humiliated via Instagram. The Esquivels say that their daughter had been bullied in school for over a year but the abuse went too far when classmates decided to create an Instagram page titled "2014 Klein Hoes." Their daughter, along with many other girls (some of
JAN 24
Medical Marijuana and Football
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodwell said, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal, that he would consider letting his NFL players to use marijuana for concussion issues. Goodwell believe that since medical doctors say that medical marijuana helps then it would be alright if his players uses marijuana accordingly. But does Goodwell know that marijuana use is currently banned in the NF
JAN 23
9/11 Accused Refuses Mental Exam
Ramzi bin al Shibh is one of the men accused of taking part in the horrendous 9/11 tragedy that struck grief into the heart of this nation. The court ordered a formal mental exam to be taken to ensure bin al Shibh's competence to stand trial. Bin al Shibh refused to take part in examination in fear that they'd use his previously diagnosed "delusional disorder" to render him incapable of
Bridge Scandal Hurts Chrisie
A major front runner, national image, and a reelection win seeped through the hands of the New Jersey governor Chris Christie the moment rumors of his true involvement in the closed lanes of the George Washington Bridge. Major donors for his campaigns backed out due to the threat of presidential contention. Christie's appeal was the ability to appeal to the non ideological middle, but that is gone
Kiev Protests
The Ukrainian government has been battling some protests for some time now. Recently the government had banned all sorts of protest, which they classified as masses any larger than five. With this new legislation in place, the government managed to take the riots and protests to violent levels, and the first three protesters were killed yesterday. The riots are taking place because of the current
Women's Rights Diminish in Afghanistan
As the Taliban regime ended in Afghanistan it slowly allowed women to rise from their once minuscule roles in society. Even though their is a law on "Elimination of Violence Against Women" enforcement is mediocre especially with the recent murder attempts of women in high authority positions. Another setback is the reduction of women representation in the Afghan parliament which went fro
South Korea's $1.5 billion investment into 5g network
South Korea is dropping $1.5 billion into upgrading mobile communications hoping to increase its speed by 1000 times.Although, 5G is as much a marketing advertisement as was 4G. Also, data communications will not be as quick as it sounds. All users interested in 5G would have to purchase a new device that could access it and also companies on 4G like Netflix would have to develop their own data sp
Major drought in the US
As we all know, winter of 2014 is far different form previous years. There is hardly any rain, the weather is much warmer than usual, and many places are experiences drought conditions. About 60% of the Western United States is experiencing this. Food prices are slowly increasing. Many cattles are being sold because farmers are unable to provide for them due to the lack of water, winds and dry con
JAN 22
41 Years After Roe
Today marked the 41st anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Tom Curry from NBC News correctly states, "it is a decision that continues to be a powerful motivator for voters 41 years later." Presidents are no longer elected based on economic issues but social and moral ones. Daniel Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington mentions, "Abortio
From Peaceful Protests to Violent Protests-Ukraine
In the past three months there have been peaceful anti-government protests until this past week. It suddenly turned violent with 2 people dying during the violent protest. These protests started because of the Ukrainian government trying to forge closer ties with Moscow and because of human rights violation. The opposition leader on Wednesday urged the president to hold early elections within 24 h
Sexual Orientation is Not Grounds for Jury Exclusion
A federal court in San Francisco ruled that lawyers may not strike people from the jury based on their sexual orientation. The court ruled that it was violating peoples right to take part in the government. This case will likely have a significant impact on cases pertaining to gay rights in the future. To find out more click here
Egyptian Constitution of 2014
In July 2013, after the ouster of Morsi, the military announced the schedule for the development of the constitution with the vote to occur around the end of November, 2013. Two different committees were involved in amending the 2012 Constitution. The constitution replaces the Egyptian Constitution of 2012 which came into effect under former President Mohammed Morsi. Egyptians approved a new cons
Hash boat
A group of smugglers set fire to their cargo ship off the shore of Italy containing an estimated 30 tons of hashish as Italian police attempted to apprehend the vessel. Sailing under the Tanzanian flag, the MV Gold Star was monitored by police for three days before boats and aircraft were sent out to apprehend the ship. The ship’s nine-man crew then began to set fire to the cannabis concentrate be
Another Dolphin Season Comes To An End
Recently due to the exposure of Dolphin hunting in Japan thousands of American animal activists have been outraged by the violent ways of Japanese fishermen. An unnamed fisherman expressed that the dolphin hunting season only lasts from September to late March and this tradition runs strong in Japanese culture. I'm sure the majority of us has seen the disturbing ways these animals are treated. Bot
Threats to Sochi
On Wednesday of last week e-mailed warnings were sent to The United States and various European countries targeting the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. In response to the ominous video footage of terrorists stating that they have a "present for Olympic visitors" both the Russian and American authorities have provided massive bulk to the Olympic security team. Although the stereotypical depic
50 Million And Counting!
The U.S. has nearly 50 million (46-47 million in 2012, to be a little more precise) poor people, including those on government aid. Without the aid, the number of poor people, which is nearly 16% of the population, would be even greater. Isn't that great news? It's a good thing that the programs our government offers actually help people and aren't just sucking up money (money that people who make
JAN 21
North Carolina Gives Compensation for Forced Sterilization
“A moron is a person whose mind never develops beyond that of a ten year old child.”In a yellowing 1950s pamphlet, being a moron seems to be the only apparent requirement for subjugation to North Carolina’s old sterilization program. Eerily, it entails the benefits and reasoning behind Eugenics, and its necessity in preventing the ‘feeble-minded’ from rearing children. Decades later, victims of th
Citizens United
Four years ago today, in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures for corporations, associations, or labor unions. In the most recent election following the ruling, President Obama spent a record-high amount on his presidential campaign. Unsurpris
Former Virginia Governor and Wife Indicted
Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury for accepting an estimated $140,000 in loans and gifts in exchange for the ex-governor to promote dietary supplements. McDonnell is accused of lying on loan applications by failing to report money donated by Jonnie Williams Sr., the chief executive of Star Scientific, a dietary supplement company. Mrs.
JAN 20
New Gun Control Laws... What!
On January 5th of 2014 President Obama laid out a comprehensive package for reducing gun violence in America, a multi-part plan he said will not only "help prevent mass shootings" going forward but also "reduce the broader epidemic of gun violence in this country."Obama announced two new executive order on gun controls. He wants to make it easier for states to provide informati
Loophole for Lawmakers
With many regulations on how much money Lobbyists and Lawmakers can spend and receive in gifts they have found a new way to circumvent system set in place. Instead of paying for luxury trips out of pocket that come with many regulations they are now payed for by the lawmaker's PAC's or Political Action Committees so they are not considered gifts but everything is still indirectly payed for by the
Sochi Winter Olympic Threat
Over the weekend two men released a video threatening the Winter Olympics. They say that they have a "present" prepared for the olympics and its tourists that it will attract. These men are known to be the suicide bombers from the back-to-back bombings in the Russian City Volgograd in the past month, making people even more worried about the threat and their safety at the games. The wint
The Future of Glassholes
By now, most of us have heard of Google’s latest endeavor to give us what we…may or may not need: smart glasses. These futuristic ‘Google Glasses’ allow users to access a world of holographic information, making it possible to use the internet (and more) without having to drag out those cumbersome smartphones. Though critics have been quick to poke fun at the unattractive eye gear, deeming it ‘imp
JAN 14
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In Kingston, Jamaica a mosquito-borne virus appears to be spreading quickly in the Caribbean during the winter tourism season just weeks after epidemiologists first found local transmission occurirng in the French dependency of St. Martin. Scientists said that St. Martin now has as many as 200 cases of chikungunya, a virus found mainly in Africa and Asia that can cause a debilitating but rarely fa
China's Moon Rover and Lander Spotted by NASA Spacecraft
For the first time in 40 years, after the Soviet Union's rover finally gave up in 1973, humanity once again has a rover exploring the surface of the moon. Coming to a surprise to me, this rover isn't Russian or American. The first country to perform a landing on the moon in 40 years is China. China's Chang'e 3 mission lifted off December 1, 2013 and landed on the surface of the moon on December 14
JAN 13
Problems With the New Kings Arena
To be fair, I'm not a fan of the Sacramento King's, but that doesn't mean that I am against them. I don't believe that building a new arena downtown is going to solve any local problems, nor do I think it is right to carry out these plans without consulting those who live and work in the immediate area. They are the ones who will be immediate effected, so why not ask for a vote? Some of City
$1 Trillion Spending Bill
Very recently ,negotiators of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives has decided on a one trillion dollar spending bill in hopes of preventing another government shutdown until October. This new appropriation bill provides money in order to operate the federal government and it excludes social services and foreign military operations; however, there is more money set aside for some milit
Presidential Run Likely for Egypt’s Top General
Egypt’s top military officer on Saturday, January the 11th, presented the clearest indication, yet he sees this week’s referendum on a revised Constitution as a introduction to a bid for the presidency, moving to strengthen his power after his upheaval of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. The officer, General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, promptly emerged as Egypt’s supreme decision make
Passengers Rescued From Antarctica
A red-and-white Chinese helicopter on Thursday, January the 2nd, rescued 52 passengers trapped a little over a week aboard an icebound Russian research ship in Antarctica. The Chinese helicopter was transporting them a dozen at a time to an Australian icebreaker. The helicopter, based, Snow Dragon, flew across miles of packed ice to pluck scientists, tourists and journalists from a landing zone ne
Russia Bombing
A suspected suicide bombing struck the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Monday, January the 8th, killing at least 14 people and further stresses Russia's security difficulties as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in less than six weeks. The explosion involving the bomb hit a trolleybus near a busy market during the rush hour in the early morning and the blast at Volgograd's main train s
JAN 11
How Young is Too Young?
How young is too young? To Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP), elementary school students seem like the perfect targets for their pro-fracking tours across the state. An educational program funded by OOGEEP and sponsored by Radio Disney had parents in an outrage over what they claim to be “a hijacking of public education by hydraulic fracturing interests, in a state sitting on bill
JAN 10
Sexism in the Military? Shocking.
Though Congress passed a comprehensive defense bill in December to crack down on sexual assault in the military, advocates for assault survivors remained skeptical. Many students at U.S. military academies agree, claiming they believe they have had to put up with sexist and offensive behavior in order to maintain their standing. In an annual Pentagon report released on Friday, the Sexual Assault P
Hillary Clinton's Super PAC
Since we have been talking about Political Action Commitees (PAC) the past week it seems appropriate to talk about Hillary Clinton's Super PAC. Super PAC is unlimited money and falls under soft money where the big bucks come in. Yet even though Hillary hasn't announced her candidicy for 2016 elections she has a Super PAC raking in, in just the past year, over $4 million. On Tuesday night the polit
Same Sex Marriage in Utah is Banned Again
Last month a federal judge overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage in Utah, prompting 1,300 same-sex couples to get married. Now the Utah governor's office is saying that it will not recognize the gay couple's legal bonds as it presses charges to once again ban the marriage between two people of the same sex. On Monday, the state of Utah got the Supreme Court to issue a stay while the sta
JAN 05
Rally for Hong Kong Democracy
On Wednesday, January 1st, 2014, thousands marched in the streets of Hong Kong in protest for more representation on how the political leaders are chosen. They also showed their concerns towards China's responses to reforms. The marchers wanted the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party know that the people of Hong Kong wanted real democracy. They are concerned that even with the abi
Romney's attempt at diversity
On Melissa Harris-Perry's show on MSNBC she showed a picture of the Romney family Christmas card: a photo of the family and grandchildren. In the picture was Kiernan, an african child adopted by Romney's son. Melissa jokes that Kieran is a "token" attempt at diversity. Melissa later releases the statement "Showing the photo in that context, that segment, was poor judgment," s
JAN 04
Obama and his “Deferred Action” Program
In the last fiscal year, according to statistics, deportations dropped 10 % . But this program that Obama had created only worked for some immigrants. Not all were guarenteed a citizenship. An article written by Ted Oberg believe that "The program President Obama created last June -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA -- is a sort of immigration no man's land. If you get it, you
JAN 02
South Korea's take on online gaming
South Korea is considering on passing a law that categorizes gaming as an antisocial addiction like gambling, drugs, and alcohol. In 2011, an annual study showed that 2% of South Koreans aged 10-19 were either at risk of addiction, or needed treatment for excessive gaming. The government is aiming for a society where everyone is clean from the four addictions. Their solutions are to limit advertis
DEC 31 2013
Too High On Meth
Recently, Andrew Frey, a man from Oregon was high on meth and decided to have an adventure outside. He apparently went to a store named Brook's Market and refused to leave for his unusual behavior. Eventually an employee finally kicked him out of the store, but he happened to stumble into a bar. The most strangest thing was he began to masturbate in the bar. The bar soon called a police officer to
DEC 21 2013
Woman Caught After 36 Years On The Run
Check this out you guys!Kathlyn Huff, 58, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was arrested Tuesday, in her driveway, at her home – forcing her to finally face charges from a 1976 incident when she tried to kill her common-law husband by shooting him in the head. US Marshals tracked her across the country until her arrest this week. The woman fled from Texas to Seattle to Michigan before finally being c
DEC 20 2013
Utah Says "I do" To Gay Marriage
Gay marriage ban has come to an end in the conservative state today due to the lack of evidence that same sex marriage affected opposite sex marriage. Read full story here: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-strikes-down-utah-39-same-sex-marriage-212041954.html
Suing Saudi
http://news.yahoo.com/9-11-families-39-ecstatic-39-finally-sue-222121660--abc-news-topstories.html">Victims families are "ecstatic" on the courts ruling allowing the families to sue Saudi Arabia for the 9/11 terrorist attack.
Hadley's "Killer Party"
Hadley’s “Killer Party” Tyler Hadley, name sound familiar? If not then you will not forget his name after reading about his sickening crime. Hadley grew up in the town of St. Lucie located in Florida. The teen had been going through depression and like any other teenager had his problems with his parents. Hadley was known to be the quiet kid in school so when he told his friends that he was throwi
London Theater Collapses and Injures People.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/as-many-as-80-people-injured-in-collapse-at-crowded-london-theater/At 8:15 p.m., the London theater collapses and injured 80 people. 7 were hurt severely. Click the link for more details.
DEC 19 2013
Mexican Government Has Made A Change With Oil
Recently, the Mexican Congress approved the constitutional reform opening up oil exploration, extraction, refining, transportation, distribution and sale of oil and its by-products to local and foreign private investment. If oil and gas production are stepped up, greater prevention of risks is needed, and companies should incorporate the environmental and human costs of their activities.The reform
Nuclear Weapon in Iran
How close is Iran from creating new nuclear weapons?Over the last two year Iran has been incresing their nuclear capability. Because of all the uranium and centrifuges they have on land, in a couple of months they can create a lot of weapons and nuclear bombs. But if there were a way to stop them, then their time in making these weapons will take longer. It will take them more than a year to finis
An Unequal Pledge
An anonymous family from Massachusetts is challenging the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance in the state's highest court. The family, though they will probably lose due to the stubbornness of people about how mention of God isn't religious at all and it's just a traditional and patriotic word (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) or how America is a Christian nation (it's not, just to clarify),
I Don't Spy With My Little Eye...
The NSA collection of phone data has been deemed unconstitutional by Judge Richard Leon. The judge says that the Fourth Amendment is being violated as the collecting is an example of unreasonable search and seizure. At the moment however, the ruling is pending due to appeal, sadly.As everyone knows, the NSA has been violating the privacy of people all around the world for some time now. At last, s
Pedophile Leg
Children evacuated from swimming pool after prosthetic leg mistaken for pedophile An enitre class of 60 students were evacuated from a swimming pool after a prosthetic leg was mistaken for a peeping tom. "Teachers from Kings Hill Primary School in Kent spotted the leg poking out from a cubicle whilst taking their class of year 4 children swimming at Larkfield Leisure Centre." Upon invest
What Immigrants Have to Say
The Pew Research Center has conducted two new surveys questioning Hispanics and Asian-Americans about their views on immigration. According to their responses, Hispanics and Asian-Americans are more concerned about not getting deported than gaining citizenship, but a large majority support a pathway to gaining citizenship. Although Democratic and Republican parties have gained support by Hispanics
Quack Quack Quack
One of Americas most favorite shows is now under pressure. Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson is indefinatly suspended A &E due to his recent comments about homosexuals. In hopes to save the show, the network said, "We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series 'Duck Dynasty'&quo
Change the Mascot
Change the Mascot is a national campaign to end the use of the racial slur “Redskins” as the mascot and name of the NFL team in Washington, D.C. Launched by the Oneida Indian Nation, the campaign calls upon the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to do the right thing and bring an end the use of the racial epithet. Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined President Obama and House Minority Lea
Transgender Student Law?
Have you heard about the Transgender Student Law? If not, KEEP READING!!!When students return from winter break, a new state transgender law is scheduled to go into effect and school leaders are training teachers on how to comply. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB12-66; giving transgender K through 12 students the choice of using whichever bathroom matches their gender identity and the option of pl
Ukrainian Leader Tilts Toward Russia
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has complied to buy billions of government bonds and has cut the cost of gas sold to Ukraine. Many Ukrainians have protested over this new alliance with Russia, which has drawn them furthur with the European Union. Protesters have met in Kyiv's main square for almost a month. The Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych is under a great amount of suspicion involv
New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Gay Marriage Constitutional
">The New Mexico Supreme Court : On Thursday, The New Mexico Supreme Court declared gay marriage consitutional based on it being unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. From the ruling: Prohibiting same-gender marriages is not substantially related to the governmental interests advanced by the parties opposing same-gender marriage or to the purposes we have identif
DEC 18 2013
Bullet revolution
Nearly a decade ago, many people believed that led bullets were extreamly harmful to the eviornment. Today, lead bullets are bieng heavily regulated and even banned. Experts state that in a few years, lead bullets will be replace with green, enviornment friendly bullets. Opposers of the idea argut that the changes will cost more and have a lil effect. However, switching from lead will pro
The Obama Administration Permits Eagle Deaths
Wind Turbines, standing nearly 30 stories tall, spin up to 170 miles per hour. Creating a tornado like vortex they are the cause of approximately 600,000 avian and bat fatalities each year, 83,000 being raptors such as the federally protected bald eagle. Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act eagles are under the protection of the federal government “prohibiting the take, possessi
DEC 17 2013
Handguns and 3D printers
http://www.longisland.com/news/12-17-13/for-the-first-time-a-fully-operational-plastic-handgun-was-legally-made-using-a-3d-printer.htmlJust published today this article reports the opinions of politicians on the the manufacturing of plastic weaponry via the use of home 3D printers and the bill to make them illegal. For those that do not know a 3D printers are able to print objects out of molde
Harvard student receives big punishment for bombing the university.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/harvard-student-made-bomb-threats-to-get-out-of-exam-cops-say/20 year old, Eldo Kim, was fined $250,000 and placed in confinement for 5 years for making bomb threats just to avoid taking an exam. Kim sent emails, anonymously, saying that the're bombs planted under Harvard. Even though Kim had a sneaky plan, investigators were still able to catch him. Click link for more
Dog Saves Man's Life.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blind-man-guide-dog-hit-by-subway-train-in-nyc/Orlando, a black Labrador, saved 61 year old blind man, Cecil Williams, by helping the man get up when he was struck by a train. The man loves the dog for saving his life and must give him up because the dog is too old and Williams' insurance only covers working dogs. Without the help of his insurance, Williams can not keep
DEC 16 2013
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Syrian refugees have fled to Bulgaria, Europe's poorest country. Thousands of refugees have come into these camps, meant for only 400. The camps do not have electricity or hot water. The camp commandant, Pepy Dzurenov claimed, "The camp was full to capacity, but when a family with five to ten children arrive at midnight, they don't have anywhere to sleep, I'm forced to do the impossible and f
Remembering Mandela, without Rose-Colored Glasses
As the world watched the passing of Nelson Mandela, 95, what died with him was the true Nelson Mandela. I ask, "Who is the real Nelson Mandela?" for which there is only one answer. I also ponder how a nation as great as ours can applaud the life of one of the most notorious communist terrorists of his time. With my recollection, I recall that the United States of America was opposed to C
Budget Deal Now Has Enough Votes to Pass Senate
A bipartisan budget agreement has been passed by the house and now looks like it will likely pass in the senate. Assuming that all 55 members of the Democratic caucus vote yes, they needed the support of only 5 republican members to get the bill passed. Today, Senator Orrin G. Hatch delivered the 5th republican vote stating that the bill ultimately upholds conservative standards and is the best t
DEC 15 2013
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About one year ago, Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel committed suicide; researchers and his family investigate reasons why he might have done this. After careful brain analysis, researchers revealed that Freel had stage two chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a disease which is usually associated with erratic behavior and loss of memory. The disease usually develops because of r
Tv shows?
Every season the "it" shows seem to become more and more violent. In fact the media-awareness council reveals, "media violence has not just increase in quantity; it has also become more graphic, sexual, and sadistic." Cable viewers and Netflix binge watchers are exposed to traumatizing series like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Dexter, Weeds, Orange is the New Bla
Video Games?
With the release of the Xbox1 and Ps4 I am not going to sit around and play fire emblem on my Ds. The go to games this holiday season (parents take note) are violence filled so good you'll want to slap your mama releases like Call of Duty: Ghost, Dead Rising 3, and Assassin's Creed. All of wich are Restricted, but the FTC found 70% of restricted games are advertised to children under the age of 17
Movies?
Hollywood movies are on the big screen, but how big are there impact on youth? No one can deny movies like the Saw franchise, Human Centipede, Cabin in the Woods, and Kill Bill are gruesome and disturbing. When asked 82% of Americans even agreed movies are too violent. The special effects are a little too realistic. In Django Unchained it is hard not to cringe while watching two slaves fight to th
More Than Just Pencil Lead
Today marks the one year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre where 20 school children and 6 staff members were killed; however, it is apparent, the tragedy that moved a nation has lead to little to reform. In today's world children are being exposed to more violence than ever before. In a 2011 survey 33% of children admitted to being in a physical fight at school within the last year. Any given
DEC 13 2013
The Failed Sign Language...
During the speeches for Nelson Mandela 's funeral, there was a strange unknown man interpreting sign language to the deafs. There was a huge controversial whether this person can actually do sign language or not. Paul Breckell, chief executive of the U.K.-based charity Action on Hearing Loss, stated that this fraud isn't actually signing anything but just gibberish. Not only that, but also, it's
DEC 12 2013
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Although this is some what not in today's recent news, it is something that I feel is important to blog about and it is the dolphin killing that has had it's annual return at The Cove in Taiji, Japan. The most recent update about what has happened included the return of dolphins being slaughtered. Although not many, compared to previous years, were killed for their meat, this hunt has continued du
DEC 10 2013
Budget Deal Reached!
As we all know a budget deal has been the issue in the House and Senate BUT today a budget deal has been reached by the House and Senate budget negotiators averting any future government shutdown in January. The agreement eliminates about $65 billion in across-the-board domestic and defense cuts while adding an additional $25 billion in deficit reduction by extending a 2 percent cut to Medicare th
DEC 09 2013
Apple issues report detailing Government Information Requests
Apple posted a report outlining the number of requests it has received from Government officials seeking information about individual users and or specific devices. The report replicates all of the information Apple is legally allowed to reveal while specifically noting that they will continue to promote for the ability to be even more translucent going forward. The report says: “ At the time o
Alabama death penalty cases in politics
The issue of capital punishment has been gaining ground in American politics. It has gone so far to the point where it begins to ruin our court systems along with our economy. Alabama is one of the three states that allows for judges to override the jury's sentence to life in prison without parole and heighten it to the death penalty, and it is the only state to use it regularly. This is causing j
DEC 08 2013
Protesters Topple Vladimir Lenin
On Sunday protesters knocked down the statue of Vladimir Lenin in outrage over the Ukrainian government's push or closer ties to Russia. Some vandalized the statue even further by smashing it with hammers. Beside them stood a man waving a Ukrainian flag. A lawmaker with the nationalist Svoboda party claimed responsibility for the incident. "This is the end of Soviet occupation," the par
DEC 05 2013
Nelson Mandela passes away....
Sadly, former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Winner died at the age of 95 from a recurring lung infection. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918.Mandela was an iconic man who led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and also he was the nation's first black leader. Mandela fought for the African people and from white domination an
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Sadly, former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Winner died at the age of 95 from a recurring lung infection. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918.Mandela was an iconic man who led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and also he was the nation's first black leader. Mandela fought for the African people and from white domination an
The Nelson Mandela passes away....
Sadly, former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Winner died at the age of 95 from a recurring lung infection. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. Mandela was an iconic man who led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and also he was the nation's first black leader. Mandela fought for the African people and from white domination a
DEC 04 2013
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Came across and amazing and informative video while researching my senior project; this video did a very good job at making the wealth distributions of this country completely graphic and easy to understand. I was completely baffled at what this man had to say about the wealth inequalities in this country; however, his statistics are all completely sound. I highly recommend spending the 7 minutes
Google Glass Incident
A few months ago, Cecilia Abadie, a computer technician , got a citation for allegedly "using" a google glass while driving. She claimed that the google glass only turned on when she looked up at the officer. At first the officer was suspicious of Abadie driving 80 mph on a 65 mph freeway. But the officer then saw she was wearing a google glass and decided to give her a citation for peo
DEC 02 2013
The New American Center
Very relevant to the class discussion today, this article, which can be accessed here, reveals that the constant idea of great division in this country apparent through the 80s to now of 40% on the left 40% on the right and 20% in the middle is fundamentally incorrect. The recent survey reveals 21% on the left 28% on the right and 51% in the middle which is now being referred to as the new america
NOV 29 2013
NOV 20 2013
Census ‘faked’ 2012 election jobs report
The unemployment rate suspiciously fell sharply right before the 2012 presidential election; now the facts have been revealed, the numbers were manipulated. Two years before the election an employee was caught fabricating data and a source says that this deceit was also escalated right before the presidential election, the unemployment rate is one of the most closely watched economic statistics, a
Representatives from 132 Developing Countries Walk Out of Climate Change Conference
The Guardian reports that representatives of the most of the world's nations walked out on talks at the Warsaw conference on global warming today after representatives of wealthier nations, including the United States, European Union and Australia, said they would refuse to discuss the question of who should pay compensation for extreme climate events before 2015.Important story that frames key is
NOV 04 2013
Government Preparing for Impact of Global Warming
On Friday November 1, 2013, President Obama order that the government must put " effort to boost preparation in state and local communities for the impact of global warming." Natural disaster are affecting communities, our natural resources, ecosystems, economies, and public health throughout the United States.One of President Obama goal is to reduce the use of U.S. greenhouse gas emissi
OCT 27 2013
Germany's Confidence in America is Declining
Since learning that the United States National Security Agency monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone, Germany's interior minister has declared that their confidence in their American allied nation is shaken. He also stated "If the Americans intercepted cell phones in Germany, they broke German law on German soil," and that he wants to know what information the U.S. has. In resp
OCT 24 2013
Russell Brand on the Revolution
Last night's edition of the UK's BBC Newsnight featured this remarkable interview with Russell Brand by host Jeremy Paxman. Brand's explains to a weary-sounding Paxman why he doesn't vote (and never will) and believes a revolution is inevitable. No matter what you think, Brand is certainly not the "trivial man" that Paxman calls him mid-way through the discussion. Take a look.
OCT 21 2013
Another school shooting....
Well another just happened school shooting has happened at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nevada. This happened early in the morning and was only a few brutal minutes. Apparently some middle school student opened fire at two student and wounding them. A teacher was trying to get the gun from the student, but apparently shot the teacher instead after telling him to back up. After all the havoc has
New Sealand
Population: 27 (2002)Area: 1.544 sq miles (4 km²)Founded: September 2, 1967Sealand, an old British radar platform from World War 2, is a self-declared micronation that is unfortunately not recognized by the world’s countries. This ship “was a Maunsell Sea Fort constructed by the British military in 1943, and originally given the name HM Fort Roughs. Later it would be renamed Sealand by Major Paddy
OCT 15 2013
Middle schoolers arrested in cyber bullying suicide of classmate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PePz2FjEkMQBasically what happened was two girls from Florida age 12 and 14 were arrested on felony charges for allegedly harassing 12 year old Rebecca Sedwick at school and then following her online. Sedwick jumped to her death at a cement plant a month ago after being tormented for over a year. The arrests were made after the 14 year old suspect boasted on the inte
What is The Price of Life?
In America the average wait for an organ transplant is 4 to 5 years; however, there are often not enough voluntary donors for everyone to get the vital organ transplants that they need. In fact many people die while still on the waiting list. There is an alternative, with enough money vital organs can be obtained legally in less than 15 days. Thus many people travel to China, and are willing to
Low Fast Food Wages
Researcher at U.C. Berkeley sought that in Texas they have the highest public assistance funding which led to last summer fast-food workers staging protests to raise minimum wage. Instead of $8 an hour, workers are asking for up to $15 an hour. Why are workers asking for a raise? Because those who are working at fast food restaurants are mostly single or married adults who aren't in school. Along
Government Affecting College Student
The government shutdown affect everyone in some way. Unfortunately, many student don't know that because politic doesn't interest them. Since the shutdown, federal funding toward graduate and doctoral research programs are being suspend and causing many student and professor to stop their research. The biggest impact since the shutdown will be students applying for grants and loans from the govern
Louisiana's Shopping Chaos in Walmart
After finding out that their EBT cards failed to display credit limits, people went nuts at several Walmart stores in Louisiana, grabbing and tossing whatever they could find to eat and feast in their carts. This was a temporary delay due to a glitch in the computer system. The stores were filled and lined up throughout the entire buildings with people who pushed around tanked carts with foods and
Republican Alternative
John Boehner tries to move a bill to reopen government and doesn't have enough votes to pass. The treasury needs the budget compromise to pass by Oct. 17 to meet all of the financial obligations. U.S. treasury bonds have been put on watch for potential downgrade if nation's 16.7 trillion debt ceiling is not raised. The house is trying for a package that suspends the debt until February 7th to elim
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On Steptember 20, 2013, hundreds of people stood outside the Apple store for the new iPhone. Some even camped the day before the launch. In just a few weeks, 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c were sold. The iPhone 5s featured an new finger print scan which is an alternative unlock system and a way to buy apps. It "stores the finger print data into its processors". Apple even said that the finge
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Rabbis’ Are Bad Guys? Are you a Jewish woman looking for a divorce and would like the pleasure of having your husband get tortured? Well then, just have your Rabbi take care of it for you! According to CNN a group of Rabbi Leaders are being accused for kidnapping, torturing and hiring “tough guys” to force husbands to get a divorce. Although most marriages are arranged it’s easy to understand that
Supreme Court: Affirmative Action Returns
In 2003, the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative-action policy was upheld by the Supreme Court. Immediately afterwards, a referendum campaign against the policy in higher education was launched, overwhelmingly approved in 2006, and finally amended in the state constitution of Michigan. As a result, minority enrollment dropped staggeringly low, fueling a federal appeal that ultimately r
1200 Migrants arrested in Moscow
More than 1200 migrant workers were arrested on Sunday, September 13, 2013, at a wholesale vegetable market. The riot began over a killing of an ethnic Russian man by a Muslim migrant from the North Caucasus. Photo evidence showed that he was killed by an unidentified man that was of "non-Slavic appearance", which led nationalists to believe that the killer was a Muslim migrant.Immigrati
OCT 14 2013
Government Shutdownn
Are we finally close to a deal between the Republicans and Democrats concerning the shutdown ?
Obamacare Vs. Affordable Care Act
Unfortunately our society is not well informed about its own governments plans. Today the the big question is,"which is better? 'Obamacare' or 'Affordable Care Act'?" For those of you who dont know, these two plans are the same thing. If you hadn't noticed, our government is shutdown. One reason for this is a heated debate on "Obamacare". When the public was interviewe
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It is well known that the disposal of plastics is a reoccurring global issue, burning plastic materials generates large amounts of toxins and CO2 into the atmosphere. In 2009, Japan established a company called Blest which created a small, safe machine that converts several types of plastics back into oil. Using temperature controlled electric heaters to burn the plastics a released gas can be u
Governments Going Guerilla On Peaceful Protests?
Many governments around the world have been using excessive force or unnecessary action when confronted by peaceful protests. Exercising the right to organize and protest peacefully has been infringed upon in the United States, Israel, Canada, Argentina, Egypt, Hungary, Kenya, South Africa and Britain. The report, "Take Back the Streets: Repression and Criminalization Around the World,"
Government Shutdown does not affect NCUA.
Shares Insured and NCUA Doors Open, Even If Federal Government Closes.Chairman Matz Urges Credit Unions to Plan for Members’ NeedsALEXANDRIA, Va. (Sept. 30, 2013) – A shutdown of the federal government will not halt regular operations of the National Credit Union Administration, and individual accounts will remain insured up to $250,000, the agency announced today.NCUA Board Chairman Debbie Matz e
A Scheme To Reduce Crimes
A “scheme” was put into place in Manchester, England in which ex-offenders would be employed to clean up areas called ‘grot spots’. This outcome of this scheme was beneficial to say the least. It resulted in a huge reduction of re-offending rates. Ex-convicts were employed full-time under the Your Environmental Team (YET) which so far has hired 30 prisoners on 6 month contracts. The project wa
Immigration Court and Government Shutdown
Days after the federal government shut down, effects are felt across many agencies. Immigration courts proceedings are largely shut down, too. A lot of immigration has been waiting for years to make their case for a green card. A lot of high hopes are starting to fall apart due to the government shutdown. Even high school seniors, withouth a green card, wonders how they will be able to g
Alternative Energy is Good...But is it Our Highest priority ?
It is in our best interest to focus some of our attention ( and money ), as a nation, on alternative energy. At this point in time, however, should it be our top priority? As of last year California has spent $1.6 billion on renewable energy projects, while wide spread budget cuts undermined the funding of arguably more paramount programs such as those supporting public education and child care se
Immigration Court and Government Shutdown
Days after the federal government shut down, effects are felt across many agencies. Immigration Court proceedings are largely shut down, too. A lot of immigrants has been waiting for years to make their case for a green card. A lot of high hopes began to fall apart due to the government shutdown. Some high school seniors, without a green card, wonder how they will be able to go to colleg
Lady Liberty Leads Legislative Lesson
When it becomes evident that the government cannot protect it's people, it is the responsibility of the state to step in. Today New York legislature ruled that they dip into the tourism budget in order to reopen the statue of liberty national park. Due to partial government shut down, the park had been closed for 12 days and no end is in site. The author writes "Cuomo said the state st
Government Shutdown Causes Veteran Protest
On Sunday, October 13, 2013, several veterans came out to the World War 2 Memorial on the National Mall to protest. The government shutdown caused the closure of this national memorial. Afterward, several veterans met in front of the White House to continue their protest. A few politicians met with the veterans to speak publicly about the government shutdown, claiming that Congress is being
No Benefits for Veterans
It has been two weeks since the government shutdown and now veterans are being affected as well. The Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric Shinseki warned that financing veterans would be more difficult as the shutdown continues. Apparently 5.1 million veterans will not receive their compensation checks at November 1st, 433,000 fully disabled vets might not receive payments and 360,000 surviving wives
Bosnian mass graves discovered
On a hill in Bosnia the crimes of war are finally being unearthed. Forensic teams have already found more than 150 bodies and hundreds more are expected to be found. Some citizens search for lost survivors and for the truth. Some prisoners return from near by prison camps who state thousands more were killed there. More than 300 are still missing. Many still want closure and other survivors are th
OCT 13 2013
Teacher Suspended for showing "Same Love" by Macklemore
Basically, what happened was that a teacher had shown “Same Love” by Macklemore to his class of 13 year old “pre-pubescent” students. The issue is whether it is school or age appropriate, because there is kissing between men. (The teacher, subject, and lesson plan were not given and this has happened at another school on the same video) For some reason, this has become a continuous debate in poli
Terror at Navy Yard
Aaron Alexis, “a former Navy reservist and a current military contractor,” at 8:20 this morning went into Washington’s Navy Yard with a semi automatic. Thankfully, our military is treating them in their hospitals “as if they were soldiers wounded in war.” In the end, the suspect had been stopped and died after officials arrived, but it has been confirmed that there were 12, not ten, people who we
OCT 12 2013
China's Ghost Cities
In class a while ago, we were discussing about Marx's view on Social Contract. How faceless people were just cogs in a working system. We agreed that this view was communist, which therefore turned our attention to China. We briefly referred to China's economy, and the subject of China's 'Ghost Cities' came up. We mentioned how China was building massive city structures, but no one lived
Malala Yousafzai
You may have already heard of Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old Pakistani girl who has become the symbol for women's right to education in her region and around the world. When the Taliban took over her region of the Swat Valley, they declared that girls would not be able to go to school and get an education. She recalls the Taliban murdering people because they danced or cut their hair. The Tal
