Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:
Afghanistan: A Photographer's Legacy
Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus was killed in Afghanistan on Friday, apparently gunned down by an Afghan policeman. She and Kathy Gannon, a Canadian journalist, were shot while traveling in a government convey as they covered preparations for the Afghanistan presidential election on Saturday. Gannon was wounded and is in stable condition. Niedringhaus was a Pulitzer Prize winn
APR 03
Brazil attempts to end childhood prostitution
The Brazilian government has allocated $3.3 million to implement new laws, in the attempt to end childhood prostitution and human trafficking. In preparation for the 2014 World Cup, Brazil is cracking down on childhood prostitution and teaming up with world class professional players David Luiz, Frank Lampard, and the coach of England's national team, Roy Hodgson to launch an anti- childhood prost
APR 01
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Residents of a 12 mile zone in are being aloud to inhabit their homes after three years of recovery from Japanese nuclear power plant disaster that shook nearly three years ago. This decision to revitalize the zone affects nearly 117 households, and 357 people. It was decided that the radiation levels of the zone were low enough to be inhabitable, but many of the residents are skeptical on the s
MAR 31
North and South Korea Trade Fire
March 31, 2014 North Korea and South Korea fired multiple shots at each other from across the western sea border separating the two nations. This incident ultimately strengthened the tensions between the two with the North threatening to continue in their nuclear testing. Earlier in the day, North Korea told South that they were going to conduct live firing drills in seven zones along the maritime
Domestic Abuse Within The United Arab Emirates
Gender equality has always been a problem in the Middle East, and that's an understatement. At the moment there's several controversial laws regarding domestic abuse stemming from a 2010 ruling by the United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court. This particular ruling in question upheld Section 53 of the UAE penal code which states the following: "There shall be no crime, if the act ta
Former Military Leader Tried for Treason in Pakistan
Pervez Musharraf, a former military leader is being tried in Pakistan for a form of high treason, this crime is punishable with the death penalty or life in prison. Musharraf was president of Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. Monday he faced a total of five charges during his hearing. Three counts of changing the country's constitution, sacking the Chief Justice and imposing emergency rule. He pleaded n
United Arab Emirates: there's an app for that
The United Arab Emirates has launched the first-ever smart government app store. In conjunction with Google and Apple, local and federal governments have created over 100 apps to serve around 700 people at a time in one location. The plan is for the UAE to transition to smart government by the middle of 2015, only a little over a year from now. The apps are "characterised by reliability, secu
MAR 30
America once again is getting into Asia's business
For the article:http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/obama-brings-south-korea-japan-together-for-talksWell, as the article states, Obama recently pulled Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye together to talk about the issue of North Korea's efforts to have more nuclear capabilities (i.e. missiles). Even though there are quite a few unresolved proble
It's A Sad World, Sadly
Writer T.M. Luhrmann recently visited India to find that Depression is slowly taking over the country, and possibly the world. The majority of people in India used to view the topic of depression and suicide as taboo, but many are bringing it up more and more as it is becoming more relevant. A lot of young people are finding when something goes majorly wrong in their life, suicide seems to b
Global warming dials up our risks, UN report says--- Seth Borenstein, AP
CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLEThe most recent United Nations' report about the dire global warming situation the international community faces came out Monday, saying that unless carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gas emissions are greatly reduce in the next few years, effects of the temperature increase will become catastrophic. In addition to the more than 12,000 specialists who contributed to
Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan declares victory after local elections
Link to articlePrime Minister Erdogan of Turkey confidently claims the victory of his Justice and Development party even before the results of the election came in. Despite all of the corruption surrounding him and his infamy in the country for the past few years since 2003 when he came into office, he still appears to be certain of his party's victory. He said that he respects people's decisions
Saudi Arabia Shuffles Leaders With New Second in Line to Throne
Saudi Arabia named Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz as second in line to the throne, the latest royal promotion as King Abdullah confronts unprecedented political instability in the Middle East and economic changes at home. King Abdullah named his defense minister and half-brother Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, born in 1935, crown prince in June 2012, making the traditionalist former governor of Riyadh n
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Some Who Fled Cuba Are Returning to HelpRecently, exiles of Cuba who fled after Fidel Castro took over are returning to their native homeland. Their previous bitterness and anger has diminished and been replaced by an empathetic need to help usher in a new era for Cuba. These Cuban-Americans previously lost their entrepreneurship ventures to the communist government, which made their businesses il
Peace talks going on in Syria, still very boring
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/27/world/europe/syria-geneva-talks-behind-the-scenes/Peace talks are going on in Geneva mediated by a UN mediator named Lakhdar Brahimi who is reported as doing an excellent job of mediating. Good on you Mr. Brahimi. Rebel groups and the government keep arguing about who gets what land and which rights go to which people. In return, the government has said that women
Peter MacKay wishes Canada's Afghan troops had been better prepared
ArticleCanada's former defense minister Peter MacKay recently stated that the Canadian government should have and could have done more for its soldiers in the war in Afghanistan. MacKay said that he had wished that Canada had "provided more equipment, helicopters, mine-clearing equipment in the early days. In retrospect, we could have perhaps prepared our soldiers better through both equipm
Japan and N. Korea?
Formal talks between Japan and North Korea have been going on for nearly two years. They are about settling some "outstanding issues." One of them is the unsettled problem of the 17+ Japanese abductions. According the N. Korea the matter was settled when they returned a few (not all) the abductees. N. Korea said the others were dead. Obviously this answer did not satisfy Jap
Saadi Gadhafi Apologizes for Past Actions towards the people of Libya
Libyan state television has recently aired a video to the public of Moammar Gadhafi's son, Saadi, in which he apologizes to the nation from his prison cell. Saadi, one of seven, has been locked up in Tripoli jail since his extradition from neighboring country Niger. He fled Libya during the the uprising that was supported by NATO in 2011. As of now, there has been no court trial yet and no charges
Nigeria: Hey, at least Goodluck is trying!
Article HEREPresident Goodluck Jonathan has promised to create infrastructure and improve the lives of people in the Northeast area of Nigeria. Nigeria is famous for its extremely poor human rights ratings and extremely low amount of infrastructure in the country, and with an influx of recent terrorist attacks Jonathan is trying to do all he can to improve his nation in some way.Nigeria of late is
Indian dowry deaths- tradition or murder?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/02/world/asia/indian-burned-alive-dowry/Annu Devi, a twenty-two year old Indian woman was one of many married women who have died from burns inflicted upon them by their relatives. Although Dowry is not permitted under Indian law, most families of the groom expect expensive "gifts" to be given to them upon marriage. If they are unsuitable or if the bride does n
Venezuela: "No to Cubanization"
Protesters gather in the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, enraged at the Cuban government. Why? They contend that their government and leader, Raul Castro, leeched off Venezuela's oil wealth, united a brand of socialism onto their country, and choreographed a broad crackdown on dissent.After the death of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's longtime president and Fidel Castro's foreign ally, there has been a lo
Protests in Taipei
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26809066Just recently the Taiwanese government has made a trade agreement with China that has caused massive protests in Taiwan's capital of Taipei. Protestors are claiming that the trade agreement would leave Taiwan open to Chinese pressure and would hurt small businesses and job opportunities in Taiwan. Many of the protestors also believe, as stated by the camp
Russian and American Diplomacy Talks Have No Progress
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov and Secretary of State John Kerry met to discuss the situation regarding Ukraine. No progress was made, as they two promised to "continue discussions" over the Crimean crisis. there was no true breakthrough, as Russia has not committed to removing the 40,000 troops that are surrounding Ukraine's border.Progress was made over securing the lingu
GAHH! Argentina is so frustrated!...
...with their soaring prices. An increase in prices occurred following a 19% devaluation in January of Argentina's currency, the peso. Argentinean residents are trying to cope with one of the world's highest inflation rates, fueling social unrest, including a strike by schoolteachers and police sit-ins that led to widespread looting. Last year, Argentinians endured price rises of nearly 30%, accor
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Brazil's attempts to clean up the streets Brazil is set to host the upcoming World Cup and the 2016 World Olympics. However in an attempt to prepare for these upcoming world events an initiative began in 2008 to clean up their Favelas. However a lot of the areas that have been pacified started to spout violence, once again housing firefights and murders of officers. These dug trafficking str
Rwandan Genocide Refugees Headed For Sweden
It is astonishing to think that there are still people being affected by the Rwandan genocide every day, twenty years later. Many refugees of the genocide have been living in Uganda after seeking refuge from Rwanda in 1994 and now, 2,000 are being relocated, this time to Sweden. Having lived in Uganda since the early nineties, the refugees would expect to have received their Ugandan citizenship at
What's the point?
Being part of the Chinese government must be so embarrassing... Always attacking their own citizens, always sticking their noses where they don't belong, always claiming what's not theirs like school children fighting over crayons.http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/30/us-philippines-china-reef-idUSBREA2T0H320140330 And now, chasing around a Philippine transport vessel like a dog after
Switzerland's actions breaking its stand on neutrality?
In a statement, on Friday, Russia singled out Switzerland and criticized their measures taken to punish Moscow for the "illegal annexation" of Crimea, Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry claimed the Swiss reaction of putting travel restrictions on Russian government officials was “unjustified and counterproductive.” Russians claimed the restrictions were part of a “prejudiced point of
Fighting Fascism in Sweden
On March 16, people swarmed for a demonstration at Malmo's Mollevangstorget to protest the recent increase of fascism. Tensions were high since the stabbing of a 25-year-old man, which left him critically injured and recovering in the hospital after a different demonstration where he engaged in a fight. The Party of the Swedes (SvP) issued a statement where they take responsibility for the in
Iran: No end in sight
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/world/middleeast/cut-in-energy-subsidies-iran.htmlIran has had a declining economy for quite some time now as a result of years of mismanagement and detrimental economic sanctions that have gradually sucked the economy dry. The economy has been dead, lying lifeless and comatose, and the Iranian people have been drowning in their economically deprived nation just h
Turkey blocks YouTube days after Twitter crackdown
The Turkish government banned YouTube on Thursday, less than a week after Ankara made a smiler blackout of the social networking site Twitter. Ankara accuses social media platforms of being used to spread false information. The reasons for the YouTube crackdown are due to a major breach of Turkish national security. The Turkish government said its YouTube block came as a response to the leak
Rand Has No Plan On Iran So I Ran
2016 is officially in the cross hairs for ambitious politicians on both sides of the isle. Which can only mean one thing.It's flip flopping season.For those of you wondering flip flopping season is that magical part of a four year cycle when even the most experienced and public ally recorded elected officials spend long hours with trusted friends and family and religious officials and childhood li
How Pakistan Succumbed to a Drug Epidemic
Pakistan is reeling from an epidemic of drug abuse. In 2013, 6.7 million people in Pakistan used illicit substances, of which 4.25 million are considered drug dependent. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), more than 800,000 Pakistanis between the age of 15 and 64 use heroin regularly. About 44 tons of processed heroin are annually consumed in Pakistan. In addition,
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In an attempt to provide something fairly more lighthearted than normal world events, and, since I will be co-representing the country fairly soon, here's a little news from a small town in Norway.A "Silly Walk" sign was put up in Ørje near the Swedish border as a tribute to the Monty Python sketch, "Ministry of Silly Walks"--but officials found it, well, not silly. While the s
Fun with North Korea: "Mind Your Own Busniness"
(This post will be written in the style of Dick and Jane books to reflect the mental age of Kim Jung Un) See Democratic People's Republic of North Korea. See Supreme Leader Kim Jung Un. Un sends So Se Pyong to U.N. Human Rights Council. Un questions So about human rights."What are human rights?" says Un."Some Pleb problem." says So.See So at U.N. Human Rights Council. Other co
MAR 29
Cuba's Economic Plan
The Cuban government made a leap for more foreign economic success Saturday by creating a few new laws to make themselves more attractive to other countries. Cuban lawmakers decided to amend their almost twenty year old plan from 1995 to boost their economic standings. Vice President Mariano Murillo, the czar of President Raul Castro's economic reforms, told his country and the world that "Cu
"Sea Women" Are Dwindling
Off the coast of Jeju, South Korea, women have been diving for hundreds of years. Known as haenyeo- "sea women"- these ladies dive regularly in the ocean to harvest abalone. It is a tradition of independence; while the rest of the world was predominantly patriarchal, these women were the primary source of income for their families. Even today, diving is recognized as an enormous cultural
MAR 28
Taliban Attacks
Today, Friday the 28th, The Taliban attacked a guesthouse in Afghanistan’s used by foreigners; people working for the Roots of Peace, a U.S. aid organization whose offices are in the building. The attack took place as a suicide explosion taking place inside a car, then three others then stormed the building and held inside the five people -- three Americans, a Malaysian and a person fr
MAR 25
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Over the weekend, Russia seized the last Ukrainian base of Crimea. Russian soldiers made their way into the base and commanded the annexation of the region. While standing outside of the Crimean gates, Russian military men began exchanging threats with the Crimean soldiers saying that if they do not relinquish control. Shortly after, the soldiers outside the base drove through the base on armed ve
Russian Forces Seize Crimean Base
Russian Forces Seize Crimean Base: Over the weekend, Russian military forces made the...: Over the weekend, Russian military forces made their way into the Crimean Peninsula, breaking through barriers, shooting their weapons in th...
MAR 23
Libyan Army, Oil Rebels Clash, 16 Wounded
Throughout the night and again after dawn on Saturday, chaos rang out in Ajdabiya, Libya. Libyan rebels occupying oil ports clashed with Libyan soldiers as they attacked an army base, wounding 16 people before tribal leaders were able to intervene and put a stop to the fighting.The fighting began hours before the return to Libya of The Morning Glory, an oil tanker seized last Sunday by U.S. comman
[Nigeria] Water - So Important, So Ignored
In Nigeria, water is a serious issue. There's not enough drinking water in Nigeria for the people to live off of. Sunday, March 22nd was the United Nation's World Water Day and yet again is passed by without any action from Nigeria. Water is obviously a vital resource to human survival. Clean water is necessary if a country wants to move forward. Without the most basic tool for survival a country
FEB 24
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Police finally caught the most wanted criminal, Joaquín “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
FEB 16
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.
FEB 12
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
FEB 11
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.
FEB 10
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
FEB 02
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
