This is a blog for Mrs. Ballew's Civics and Economics classes.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
1st Period Current Event 3/19
Please post your current event below. As always, include the topic of your article, a link to it, and a 5-6 sentence summary. You may use a video clip or podcase instead of an article.
http://www.queerty.com/shock-dan-choi-chains-himself-to-the-white-house-fence-to-protest-dadt-overtakes-hrc-rally-20100318/ (Dan Choi chains himself to the White House fence to protest DADT- overtakes HRC rally) (the actual press release is about halfway down the page, after the videos)
A lieutenant, Dan Choi overtook an HRC rally to overturn the DADT policy. He had recently come out as gay and was being discharged from the military because of it, and chained himself to the White House fence and was arrested. He had been speaking about how DADT isn't a joke and that something needs to be done about it, and what he did completely went against the HRC's original plan of action (it was to be just a rally). I can understand that Choi was feeling really frustrated about the current state of DADT, and that Obama doesn't seem as motivated to repeal it as he's said he is, but this law has been a particularly delicate, controversial subject and anything sporadic and unplanned like Choi's display might not be the best plan of action, no matter how heartfelt it was.
At a zoo in China, 11 Siberian tigers starved to death. Because of poor conditions and the mistreatment of animals in zoos in China, many animals are dying or attacking people or each other. Certain zoos have multiple offenses. While China has laws protecting animals, they only apply to wildlife. I think that their mistreatment is horrible and cruel, even if they did not intend for the animals to suffer. They should be more conscious of their actions, and be aware of how the animals might be affected. After all, there are very few Siberian tigers left in the wild (some say fewer than 20 tigers), so we need to protect the ones in zoos.
The Robertson Foundation, established by Julian H. Robertson Jr. and his family in 1996, gave $10.2 million to Duke University to fund stem cell research. This grant will be used to make a Translational Cell Therapy Center where research will be conducted on using umbilical cord stem cells as treatment for cerebral palsy. Recently, there have been many different donations to local universities to fund medical research, such as the $12 million given to Duke last week to help fund its eye center and the $22 million UNC received to fund health projects in Africa. I think this donation will probably spark controversy, as many people feel passionately about whether or not stem cell research is ethical. However, I personally think the donation will be beneficial to needed medical research.
This article is about the governer of South Carolina, Mark Sanford. There've been some "issues" with him lately, because he keeps using taxpayer dollars to fund little jaunts down to Argentina to meet his mistress and other slightly unethical things. To date, 37 (!!!) civil charges have been filed against him about his misuse of money. I hate this guy, first of all. He is a complete jerk. Did he really think that he was going to schmooze and suck up and promise big things to get elected and then get to use OUR MONEY to go see his mistress?! I mean really, how stupid does he think the public is? I think we need a complete political overhaul, what with the amount of fraud that's been going on. It's just silly!
This week, two separate Florida legislators introduced bills that would repeal a decades-long decision against gay adoption. This is a great step forward. This law hasn't even been debated in thirty-three years. That was before the first time an openly gay couple adopted in this country! Florida is the only atate that prohibits same-sex couples adopting. I think this new bill may undo a huge injustice and give unfortunate children safe and loving homes.
I found this article very relevent to our current study of local government. It speaks on on teacher's project to draw attention to the ghastly, gross, and often gory "food" that some schools around the nation are putting into the bellies of their students. She has opted to eat cafeteria lunches all this year and has been posting pictures on her blog "Fed Up With Lunch." The teacher is blogging anonomously, as Mrs. Q, due to fear of being fired-- but she shouldn't have to. By taking a stand over her dissatisfaction with the menu, she is perfectly within her first amendment rights. She says the food has given her bellie-aches but she won't quit. The kids' need for better nutrition and healthier eating habits is critical.
This article talks about how we are getting closer to creating an invisibility cloak, slowly but surely. I think this is really cool. We could use for all kinds of really useful things, like catching criminals. It would take the FBI to a whole new level! Our security systems would be tighter, and I think if criminals knew they could be watched by real agents without being able to see them they would be less likely to commit crimes. Granted, they needed a microscope to see the part of the gold they had turned invisible, but we're getting somewhere. Science has come such a long way, and I think that someday we will be there, and maybe invisibility cloaks with even become usual accessories that everyone will have just laying around. Science and technology are getting us to the point where anything is possible.
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/a_little_pressure_perhaps A little pressure, perhaps? This is an article about how 2 NC Democrats were invited to the rose gardens with Obama because they didn't agree with the health reform. One, Kissel, is very against it and the other,Etheridge, has not decided yet. The vote is in 3 days. I think that Etheridge will go along with the bill in the end. I personally think the health reform is a good thing. I know a lot of people who could use it. I think it's just a basic thing that everyone should be entitled to. meredith
John Stavas http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35944804/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
he Boy Scouts of America has long kept an extensive archive of secret documents that chronicle the sexual abuse of young boys by Scout leaders over the years. The "perversion files," a nickname the Boy Scouts are said to have used for the documents, have rarely been seen by the public, but that could all change in the coming weeks in an Oregon courtroom. The lawyer for a man who was molested in the 1980s by a Scout leader has obtained about 1,000 Boy Scouts sex files and is expected to release some of them at a trial that began Wednesday.
In an enormous rally nicknamed "The Red March", citizens of Thailand are protesting the government under UDD (United Front for Democract against Dictatorship). Around 1,000 people are marching down main streets in the capital city and wearing red for their cause. Their top goal is to convince the Prime Minister to demolish the House of Representatives as he was demanded to earlier. It will be interesting to see how this affects the whole country. Also, it's amazing how much our government relies on the House while theirs is doing everything in its power to get rid of it.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/19/catholic.church.abuse/index.html?hpt=C1 This article is detailing the recent sex abuse charges that have been filed against some of the priests of the Catholic Church. In the past couple of weeks, the scandal has gone global, with allegations spreading through half a dozen countries on two continents -- even as many U.S. Catholic dioceses continue to face litigation over alleged sexual abuse by priests. I am appalled by this recent development! Church is a place where people should be able to feel safe and welcome. Now with this scandal, many families are questioning their once firm beliefs in the Catholic Church. Because of the widespread effects, there could be an entire generation that feels uncomfortable and awkward attending church.
This article is about Wake County schools planning to start elementary schools later to save energy. The elementary schools would start at 9:30 am and go until 4 pm. This will save the district money so they don't have to buy additional buses. They are also thinking of starting middle schools at 8:30 and high schools at 8:20. Many parents are complaining because they usually drop their children off before going to work which is way earlier they 9:30 am. The later starts would allow the district to be able to serve 4 new school opening next year and the 2,000 + bus riders. The district made 83 layoffs and took out $20,000 from the budget. I think that they should start the elementary schools at 8:30 so it will be more convenient for parents who drop their kids off before work.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/20/new.york.cornell.suicides/index.html So this article is about a recent rash of suicides at Cornell University. In the last week, the suspected cases of suicides are now at 6 in this academic year after another 4 students committed suicide in 2010. The article says that school officials have been putting the word out that talking is the way to deal with issues. I can’t imagine going through school with this sort of karma. I do think that the school should have done a better job of reaching out to the students after the first 2 deaths. If university officials had made sure to talk to each student individually earlier in the year, then maybe they could have prevented the recent 4 deaths.
My article is about the company Acorn and how it is folding. After they were exposed for attempting to help a pimp and a prostitute. Those two people were actually under cover students who had a hidden video camera which they used to uncover the scandal. Because of this discovery, Acorn is having a very hard time finding the funding they need to stay alive. They have already lost their California and New York offices and altogether, Acorn has decided to shut down. This is six months after the video scandal and all their money has just run dry. Personally I am glad that they are finally closing down. What they were encouraging and helping was really wrong and in some cases illegal. They were helping people open brothels. This is horrible and extremely degrading. I hope that they don't just change their names and continue to do the same things. I hope they learned their lesson.
Today, Obamam signed the health care bill which finally passed the senate and the house. There was a large party at the white house to celebrate. It marked a very important day in Obama's presidency and had many important people in attendance. These include speaker Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and vice president Joe Biden. The healthcare bill was a very controversial legislation throughout the US and the signing of the bill today marks the end of the struggle with healthcare.
This article discusses the issues America is currently having with its economy and unemployment rates. Most of everyone's focus has been centered on the news about the new and exciting healthcare lately. The real story is the high number of unemployed Americans and the serious economic troubles and debts we have here. What is the cause of all these troubles and why aren't they going away? The answer is all the unemployed Americans and homeowners in debt. Many homeowners are so far in debt that they're "underwater" in their mortgages. They have gotten to the point where they owe more money than their home is even worth.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/05/autos/toyota_nhtsa_fine/index.htm?cnn=yes Okay, so this article is about how the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking the maximum fine, 16.4 million dollars, for failing to inform the agency of a "sticky pedal" defect in its cars for at least four months. I realize that Toyota made mistakes that could have potentially killed many Americans, but I don’t think that seeking the maximum fine is an appropriate action. First of all, we all know that Toyota messed up and I think the damage to their image and reputation is a fair punishment. Secondly, I don’t think that taking money is a good punishment when the company could be using that money to repair the defective cars and possibly prevent anymore problems for the American public.
http://www.queerty.com/shock-dan-choi-chains-himself-to-the-white-house-fence-to-protest-dadt-overtakes-hrc-rally-20100318/
ReplyDelete(Dan Choi chains himself to the White House fence to protest DADT- overtakes HRC rally)
(the actual press release is about halfway down the page, after the videos)
A lieutenant, Dan Choi overtook an HRC rally to overturn the DADT policy. He had recently come out as gay and was being discharged from the military because of it, and chained himself to the White House fence and was arrested. He had been speaking about how DADT isn't a joke and that something needs to be done about it, and what he did completely went against the HRC's original plan of action (it was to be just a rally). I can understand that Choi was feeling really frustrated about the current state of DADT, and that Obama doesn't seem as motivated to repeal it as he's said he is, but this law has been a particularly delicate, controversial subject and anything sporadic and unplanned like Choi's display might not be the best plan of action, no matter how heartfelt it was.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/world/asia/19tigers.html?ref=world
ReplyDeleteAt a zoo in China, 11 Siberian tigers starved to death. Because of poor conditions and the mistreatment of animals in zoos in China, many animals are dying or attacking people or each other. Certain zoos have multiple offenses. While China has laws protecting animals, they only apply to wildlife. I think that their mistreatment is horrible and cruel, even if they did not intend for the animals to suffer. They should be more conscious of their actions, and be aware of how the animals might be affected. After all, there are very few Siberian tigers left in the wild (some say fewer than 20 tigers), so we need to protect the ones in zoos.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/18/395409/duke-receives-10-million-gift.html
ReplyDeleteThe Robertson Foundation, established by Julian H. Robertson Jr. and his family in 1996, gave $10.2 million to Duke University to fund stem cell research. This grant will be used to make a Translational Cell Therapy Center where research will be conducted on using umbilical cord stem cells as treatment for cerebral palsy. Recently, there have been many different donations to local universities to fund medical research, such as the $12 million given to Duke last week to help fund its eye center and the $22 million UNC received to fund health projects in Africa. I think this donation will probably spark controversy, as many people feel passionately about whether or not stem cell research is ethical. However, I personally think the donation will be beneficial to needed medical research.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/18/us/AP-US-SC-Governor.html?_r=1&hp
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the governer of South Carolina, Mark Sanford. There've been some "issues" with him lately, because he keeps using taxpayer dollars to fund little jaunts down to Argentina to meet his mistress and other slightly unethical things. To date, 37 (!!!) civil charges have been filed against him about his misuse of money.
I hate this guy, first of all. He is a complete jerk. Did he really think that he was going to schmooze and suck up and promise big things to get elected and then get to use OUR MONEY to go see his mistress?! I mean really, how stupid does he think the public is? I think we need a complete political overhaul, what with the amount of fraud that's been going on. It's just silly!
http://blog.equalitopia.com/post/457094465/florida-could-finally-overturn-gay-adoption-ban
ReplyDeleteThis week, two separate Florida legislators introduced bills that would repeal a decades-long decision against gay adoption. This is a great step forward. This law hasn't even been debated in thirty-three years. That was before the first time an openly gay couple adopted in this country! Florida is the only atate that prohibits same-sex couples adopting. I think this new bill may undo a huge injustice and give unfortunate children safe and loving homes.
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/would-you-volunteer-to-eat-school-lunch-every-day-to-prove-a-point-this-teacher-did-1157394/
ReplyDeleteI found this article very relevent to our current study of local government. It speaks on on teacher's project to draw attention to the ghastly, gross, and often gory "food" that some schools around the nation are putting into the bellies of their students. She has opted to eat cafeteria lunches all this year and has been posting pictures on her blog "Fed Up With Lunch." The teacher is blogging anonomously, as Mrs. Q, due to fear of being fired-- but she shouldn't have to. By taking a stand over her dissatisfaction with the menu, she is perfectly within her first amendment rights. She says the food has given her bellie-aches but she won't quit. The kids' need for better nutrition and healthier eating habits is critical.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/03/18/scientists-step-closer-making-cloak-invisibility-reality/?test=latestnews
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how we are getting closer to creating an invisibility cloak, slowly but surely. I think this is really cool. We could use for all kinds of really useful things, like catching criminals. It would take the FBI to a whole new level! Our security systems would be tighter, and I think if criminals knew they could be watched by real agents without being able to see them they would be less likely to commit crimes. Granted, they needed a microscope to see the part of the gold they had turned invisible, but we're getting somewhere. Science has come such a long way, and I think that someday we will be there, and maybe invisibility cloaks with even become usual accessories that everyone will have just laying around. Science and technology are getting us to the point where anything is possible.
http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/a_little_pressure_perhaps
ReplyDeleteA little pressure, perhaps?
This is an article about how 2 NC Democrats were invited to the rose gardens with Obama because they didn't agree with the health reform. One, Kissel, is very against it and the other,Etheridge, has not decided yet. The vote is in 3 days. I think that Etheridge will go along with the bill in the end. I personally think the health reform is a good thing. I know a lot of people who could use it. I think it's just a basic thing that everyone should be entitled to.
meredith
John Stavas
ReplyDeletehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35944804/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
he Boy Scouts of America has long kept an extensive archive of secret documents that chronicle the sexual abuse of young boys by Scout leaders over the years. The "perversion files," a nickname the Boy Scouts are said to have used for the documents, have rarely been seen by the public, but that could all change in the coming weeks in an Oregon courtroom. The lawyer for a man who was molested in the 1980s by a Scout leader has obtained about 1,000 Boy Scouts sex files and is expected to release some of them at a trial that began Wednesday.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/thaksin-judgement-update/172083/phayao-reds-ready-for-sat-rally
ReplyDeleteIn an enormous rally nicknamed "The Red March", citizens of Thailand are protesting the government under UDD (United Front for Democract against Dictatorship). Around 1,000 people are marching down main streets in the capital city and wearing red for their cause. Their top goal is to convince the Prime Minister to demolish the House of Representatives as he was demanded to earlier. It will be interesting to see how this affects the whole country. Also, it's amazing how much our government relies on the House while theirs is doing everything in its power to get rid of it.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/19/catholic.church.abuse/index.html?hpt=C1
ReplyDeleteThis article is detailing the recent sex abuse charges that have been filed against some of the priests of the Catholic Church. In the past couple of weeks, the scandal has gone global, with allegations spreading through half a dozen countries on two continents -- even as many U.S. Catholic dioceses continue to face litigation over alleged sexual abuse by priests.
I am appalled by this recent development! Church is a place where people should be able to feel safe and welcome. Now with this scandal, many families are questioning their once firm beliefs in the Catholic Church. Because of the widespread effects, there could be an entire generation that feels uncomfortable and awkward attending church.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/20/398201/k-5-schools-may-start-later.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is about Wake County schools planning to start elementary schools later to save energy. The elementary schools would start at 9:30 am and go until 4 pm. This will save the district money so they don't have to buy additional buses. They are also thinking of starting middle schools at 8:30 and high schools at 8:20. Many parents are complaining because they usually drop their children off before going to work which is way earlier they 9:30 am. The later starts would allow the district to be able to serve 4 new school opening next year and the 2,000 + bus riders. The district made 83 layoffs and took out $20,000 from the budget. I think that they should start the elementary schools at 8:30 so it will be more convenient for parents who drop their kids off before work.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/20/new.york.cornell.suicides/index.html
ReplyDeleteSo this article is about a recent rash of suicides at Cornell University. In the last week, the suspected cases of suicides are now at 6 in this academic year after another 4 students committed suicide in 2010. The article says that school officials have been putting the word out that talking is the way to deal with issues.
I can’t imagine going through school with this sort of karma. I do think that the school should have done a better job of reaching out to the students after the first 2 deaths. If university officials had made sure to talk to each student individually earlier in the year, then maybe they could have prevented the recent 4 deaths.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589768,00.html
ReplyDeleteMy article is about the company Acorn and how it is folding. After they were exposed for attempting to help a pimp and a prostitute. Those two people were actually under cover students who had a hidden video camera which they used to uncover the scandal. Because of this discovery, Acorn is having a very hard time finding the funding they need to stay alive. They have already lost their California and New York offices and altogether, Acorn has decided to shut down. This is six months after the video scandal and all their money has just run dry.
Personally I am glad that they are finally closing down. What they were encouraging and helping was really wrong and in some cases illegal. They were helping people open brothels. This is horrible and extremely degrading. I hope that they don't just change their names and continue to do the same things. I hope they learned their lesson.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html?hp
ReplyDeleteToday, Obamam signed the health care bill which finally passed the senate and the house. There was a large party at the white house to celebrate. It marked a very important day in Obama's presidency and had many important people in attendance. These include speaker Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and vice president Joe Biden. The healthcare bill was a very controversial legislation throughout the US and the signing of the bill today marks the end of the struggle with healthcare.
I know this is kind of late, but better late than never I guess...
ReplyDeletehttp://patchworknation.csmonitor.com/csmstaff/2010/0324/healthcare-reform-aside-economic-hardship-the-dominant-us-issue/
This article discusses the issues America is currently having with its economy and unemployment rates. Most of everyone's focus has been centered on the news about the new and exciting healthcare lately. The real story is the high number of unemployed Americans and the serious economic troubles and debts we have here. What is the cause of all these troubles and why aren't they going away? The answer is all the unemployed Americans and homeowners in debt. Many homeowners are so far in debt that they're "underwater" in their mortgages. They have gotten to the point where they owe more money than their home is even worth.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/05/autos/toyota_nhtsa_fine/index.htm?cnn=yes
ReplyDeleteOkay, so this article is about how the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking the maximum fine, 16.4 million dollars, for failing to inform the agency of a "sticky pedal" defect in its cars for at least four months. I realize that Toyota made mistakes that could have potentially killed many Americans, but I don’t think that seeking the maximum fine is an appropriate action. First of all, we all know that Toyota messed up and I think the damage to their image and reputation is a fair punishment. Secondly, I don’t think that taking money is a good punishment when the company could be using that money to repair the defective cars and possibly prevent anymore problems for the American public.