This article is about a new mysterious bat disease spreading around. All of the wildlife agencies in the contiguous states have been warned about the plague effecting all types of bats. The disease is called "White-nose syndrome". It was discovered west of the Mississippi River. White nose syndrome was first discovered four years ago in New York. The fungus causing the disease has a 100 percent fatality rate. The only bats that have been affected so far are ones that have been hibernating. The fungus covers the bat's nose and makes it white, hence the name of the disease. There has been no news of the disease being transmitted to humans, but humans can carry the disease because the fungal spores can attach to clothing and other items. A non-fatal version of the disease has been found in bats in England.
Well, I guess I'll go first on the last! :) http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/07/tensions-high-california-high-school-following-flag-flap/ In California on May 5, 2010 five students were sent home for wearing t-shirts with the American flag on it. The principal said that because it was cinco de mayo, it was disrespectful to wear them. The students were asked to turn their shirts inside out or be sent home. The students chooses not to disrespect the flag and left school early instead. Because of this they faced suspension for an unexcused absence. The principal and assistant principals said that they didn't want any fights to break out between the Mexican-Americans and those who were wearing the shirts. some thought it would be disrespectful to wear on American flag shirt on a day when Mexican-Americans were celebrating one of their holidays. Personally I think it is outragious that the principal thinks he can forbid the wearing of a partiotic shirt. It doesn't matter that it was on a Mexican holiday, this isn't Mexico! That is fine if they want to celebrate their holiday, but this is America and students can wear an American flag t-shirt if they want to. One student was asked if he meant to do it disrespectfully. He told them it had nothing to do with it, he wears it all the time... Maybe it was the only shirt he had that was clean. It doesn't matter though, it is unconstitutional to not allow the shirts no matter the day!
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/10/roundup.kagan.supreme.court/index.html So I read this article about President Obama’s new Supreme Court justice nominee, Elena Kagan. The article just gives a little on her background and what a future on the Supreme Court would entail for her. I love the idea of another woman on the court and she definitely has experience in law, being that she was the dean of Harvard law school and worked as the U.S. government’s general solicitor. However, I think that it is imperative that the people serving on our highest court should have some judicial experience and Kagan has never served as a judge. This doesn’t necessarily mean that she isn’t qualified, it just means that passage for her past senate and the transition for her onto the court will be a bit more difficult.
There's a nifty new bill getting started on Capitol Hill this week. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman have introduced a bill which will create thousands of new jobs regarding the creation of clean energy and stopping pollution. This long awaited motion is 987 pages long and the fruit of seven months of negotiations. One of this new legislation's many, and admirable, goals is to cut greenhouse gas emmissions by more than 80% by 2050. Additionally, the bill was tweaked in response to the recent Gulf oil spill and will limit off shore drilling. What I find the most amazing about this fantastic new bill is the price it will put upon the gas emissions of industrial factories. These huge corporations are going to be forced to, literally, pay for their evnvironmentally unfriendly ways. Losing money might be the one thing to really make them stop and think about the harm they are causing our atmosphere; it's a mighty clever punishment. I applaud the congress-people behind this legislation for moving to hit the arrogant executives in the one place it is going to hurt most, their wallets. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5iS14YOIUrpdmPuNylwKcVpSnmAD9FLJMQ00
The EPA has created a new rule that any new company that emits greater than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year or any existing one that increases their emissions by 75,000 tons will have to get a permit in order to keep functioning. It will be put in place in 2011. It is intended to be a way for large-scale polluters to be kept in check, while not completely overturning the economy. Smaller businesses and those that pollute at lower levels will not be affected yet. I think that it's great that more changes are making made about the state of our planet and that even though some congress-people are against it, it will have a lot of benefits. We are not concerned enough in this country about climate change. This step might be small, but in the long-run, it could target even polluters that aren't as large-scale, and everyone will benefit.
At UNC Chapel Hill, James Tsuruta believes that ultrasound technology has the potential to provide birth control for males that is painless and inexpensive. He won a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to further research on ultrasound as a male contraceptive. Tsuruta plans to test the technology on lab rats. Currently, male contraceptive choices are limited to vasectomy, condoms, and withdrawal. Ultrasound has been suggested as a contraceptive since the 1970s, and if it is successful it could be for men what the pill is for women. Ultrasound machines cost about $1300 and are fairly easy to use, which could give them a significant impact in developing countries where improving family planning can improve social and economic life drastically. I think it's important that new contraceptives that are effective and relatively inexpensive are researched and developed, especially since one of the major causes of poverty is a lack of access to family planning. However, the use of ultrasound seems to still be in its primary phases of development, as researchers are unsure as to how ultrasound actually disrupts the production of sperm. It seems to be promising though, so hopefully within a few years the technology will be available.
The Los Angeles City Council overwhelmingly approved a boycott of Arizona-based businesses and governments Wednesday unless the state repeals a new law giving police the power to question a detainee's immigration status. Several other California cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, have already adopted resolutions requesting city departments to not sign any new contracts with Arizona companies. The Arizona law requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance. The Los Angeles resolution passed Wednesday said Arizona's new immigration law "encourages racial profiling and violates Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection for U.S. citizens, legal residents and visitors who are detained for suspicion of being in the country unlawfully." The city's legislative analyst reported that Los Angeles currently has $56 million in contracts with companies headquartered in Arizona.
Yikes. A high-ranking policeman of Butner County NC, Capt. James Williams Jr., was fired from his job Thursday for "extremely drunk" driving. Two other officers were fired for taking him to a hotel to recover, rather than charging him. Williams was off-duty and spotted weaving lanes on the interstate when he was pulled over. He was spared arrest. I think this is completely inexcusable that the people who are supposed to be protecting us on the roads are getting involved in the exact activities that cause accidents in the first place. The officer definitely should have been arrested, as a punishment to himself and also as an example to other policemen and policewomen to learn to follow their own rules.
Well, apparently we have reason to be worried about e-coli in our vegetables (lettuce as of right now, spinach a little while ago) In fact, in the last 15 years there has been 34 food-bourne illnesses involving spinach or lettuce. We do know that bagged lettuce is probably safer than the bare leaf. Shockingly, even our more-than-plump nation has high demand for lettuce. SO KIDS, DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOUR PARENTS TELL YOU. haha, I'm just kidding y'all.
My article is about the E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) setting new regulations for greenhouse gas emissions. My response to this is: FINALLY! For realz though, we need to realize that this is the only planet we have and what we're doing is just ruining it for our children. One problem that humans have is our myopia. (My dad talks about this alot in his work as an economist) Basically economic (or in this case environmental) myopia is just our inability to think about the future. All we care about is instant gratification, no matter what the consequences. For that reason I'm quite thrilled that the E.P.A. is finally taking action.
In Beer-Sheba, Israel, a woman was assaulted by a super-Orthodox Jewish man at a bus stop for having imprints of tefilin lines on her arms. (For those of you who don't know, it's an Orthodox Jewish custom to bind your arms with tefilin for prayer.) She was just at a bus stop when the man asked her if the imprints on her arms were from tefilin. When she said yes, he started to kick and hit her, yelling that women are an abomination (women were traditionally excluded from prayer services, as it is in most cultures). The Beer-Sheba police are treating this as a hate crime.
Although it's horrible that assaults like this are happening, I think it's showing that Israeli Orthodox women are taking initiative in practicing their own religion as equals to men.
this is a very surprising story. In this story, a woman was kidnapped in 2 in the afternoon by a man in a white car. She was jogging not to far from UNC when the suspect pulled this 19 year old girl into a parking lot and pepper-sprayed her. It could have gotten worse had 2 men not come to save her. This is really messed up. I think the man who did this has some serious mental issues. First of all, why would you try something like this in the first place? Second, who in the right mind would try this in broad daylight in the middle of town. I'm glad he did though or it could of ended very badly. This is the kind of rediculous stuff that makes parent not want to let their children out of the house.
The governor of Virginia is proposing a law change stating that if a university student is arrested, the school should be notified. I think this would be a good way to help get rid violence on campuses and surrounding areas. People have a right to know about those they are in close contact with in everyday life. If students are going to make bad decisions they should have to pay the consequences for it, and if that includes the school finding out that's what needs to happen. I believe that if this change goes into action many murders and other violent actions could be prevented.
This article is about an attemped abduction that happened in downtown Chapel Hill on Wednesday. It was around 2 p.m. The victim was a 18 year-old girl jogging at the corner of Rosemary and Franklin. The man pepper-sprayed her and dragged her, getting her in his van. Two witnesses saw this happen and realized that something was wrong. One of the men blocked the exit to the parking lot, trying to keep the man from getting away. The driver of the van threw the woman out of the car and drove away as fast as possible, hitting one of the helping men in the process. The two witnesses managed to give the license plate number and the car description to the police. Theodore James Walker was arrested on several charges including the beating of a woman in another county. A baseball bat and a gun were found in the man's van. He is now detained with a 5 million dollar bail option.
This article is talking about how the value of a dollar is increasing compared with the dropping value of a euro. The price of an ounce of gold has now reached almost $1,250. It was almost half that three years ago. Greece's financial troubles are effecting all countries that use the euro as currency. The inflation of the euro could lead to serious financial problems all across the world. Investors are beginning to worry. America's budget problems are improving thanks to the good image now given to American money. Many investors are now turning to the US Treasury Department. Now that more investors want to start using dollars, the actual value of a dollar has begun to increase. The only real disadvantage of our increasing value of dollars is that it is making it more difficult for US manufacturers to import their goods overseas.
This article is about the crisis in Thailand. 37 people have been killed in 5 days. The UN Human Rights chief is urging protestors and government officials to come to a truce for the good of their people and to prevent further loss of life. Unfortunately, a phone call yesterday between rebel leaders and the government was to no avail.
This is clearly a tragedy. The controversy lies over the use of violence. Protesters are openly using live ammunition, but videos have been leaked showing government officials firing at unarmed protesters. It would seem that no one is in the right here, but the violence will not stop until both sides agree on that.
I agree with this article about the school's sports teams using refillable bottles filled with tap water. Many plastic bottles don't make it to the recycling bins. Also, too many kids are replacing water with gatorade and other drinks when water is the best choice. This will set a really good example for kids to try to reuse things like bottles and drink the best drink healthwise: water.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/12/group-warns-of-mysterious-bat-plague-sweeping-country/?hpt=Mid
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a new mysterious bat disease spreading around. All of the wildlife agencies in the contiguous states have been warned about the plague effecting all types of bats. The disease is called "White-nose syndrome". It was discovered west of the Mississippi River. White nose syndrome was first discovered four years ago in New York. The fungus causing the disease has a 100 percent fatality rate. The only bats that have been affected so far are ones that have been hibernating. The fungus covers the bat's nose and makes it white, hence the name of the disease. There has been no news of the disease being transmitted to humans, but humans can carry the disease because the fungal spores can attach to clothing and other items. A non-fatal version of the disease has been found in bats in England.
Well, I guess I'll go first on the last! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/07/tensions-high-california-high-school-following-flag-flap/
In California on May 5, 2010 five students were sent home for wearing t-shirts with the American flag on it. The principal said that because it was cinco de mayo, it was disrespectful to wear them. The students were asked to turn their shirts inside out or be sent home. The students chooses not to disrespect the flag and left school early instead. Because of this they faced suspension for an unexcused absence. The principal and assistant principals said that they didn't want any fights to break out between the Mexican-Americans and those who were wearing the shirts. some thought it would be disrespectful to wear on American flag shirt on a day when Mexican-Americans were celebrating one of their holidays.
Personally I think it is outragious that the principal thinks he can forbid the wearing of a partiotic shirt. It doesn't matter that it was on a Mexican holiday, this isn't Mexico! That is fine if they want to celebrate their holiday, but this is America and students can wear an American flag t-shirt if they want to. One student was asked if he meant to do it disrespectfully. He told them it had nothing to do with it, he wears it all the time... Maybe it was the only shirt he had that was clean. It doesn't matter though, it is unconstitutional to not allow the shirts no matter the day!
Oh, never mind, Issie slipped in before I was finished.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/10/roundup.kagan.supreme.court/index.html
ReplyDeleteSo I read this article about President Obama’s new Supreme Court justice nominee, Elena Kagan. The article just gives a little on her background and what a future on the Supreme Court would entail for her. I love the idea of another woman on the court and she definitely has experience in law, being that she was the dean of Harvard law school and worked as the U.S. government’s general solicitor. However, I think that it is imperative that the people serving on our highest court should have some judicial experience and Kagan has never served as a judge. This doesn’t necessarily mean that she isn’t qualified, it just means that passage for her past senate and the transition for her onto the court will be a bit more difficult.
There's a nifty new bill getting started on Capitol Hill this week. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman have introduced a bill which will create thousands of new jobs regarding the creation of clean energy and stopping pollution. This long awaited motion is 987 pages long and the fruit of seven months of negotiations. One of this new legislation's many, and admirable, goals is to cut greenhouse gas emmissions by more than 80% by 2050.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the bill was tweaked in response to the recent Gulf oil spill and will limit off shore drilling.
What I find the most amazing about this fantastic new bill is the price it will put upon the gas emissions of industrial factories. These huge corporations are going to be forced to, literally, pay for their evnvironmentally unfriendly ways. Losing money might be the one thing to really make them stop and think about the harm they are causing our atmosphere; it's a mighty clever punishment. I applaud the congress-people behind this legislation for moving to hit the arrogant executives in the one place it is going to hurt most, their wallets.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5iS14YOIUrpdmPuNylwKcVpSnmAD9FLJMQ00
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/science/earth/14permit.html?hp
ReplyDeleteThe EPA has created a new rule that any new company that emits greater than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year or any existing one that increases their emissions by 75,000 tons will have to get a permit in order to keep functioning. It will be put in place in 2011. It is intended to be a way for large-scale polluters to be kept in check, while not completely overturning the economy. Smaller businesses and those that pollute at lower levels will not be affected yet. I think that it's great that more changes are making made about the state of our planet and that even though some congress-people are against it, it will have a lot of benefits. We are not concerned enough in this country about climate change. This step might be small, but in the long-run, it could target even polluters that aren't as large-scale, and everyone will benefit.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/13/479997/a-way-to-keep-sperm-at-bay.html
ReplyDeleteAt UNC Chapel Hill, James Tsuruta believes that ultrasound technology has the potential to provide birth control for males that is painless and inexpensive. He won a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to further research on ultrasound as a male contraceptive. Tsuruta plans to test the technology on lab rats. Currently, male contraceptive choices are limited to vasectomy, condoms, and withdrawal. Ultrasound has been suggested as a contraceptive since the 1970s, and if it is successful it could be for men what the pill is for women. Ultrasound machines cost about $1300 and are fairly easy to use, which could give them a significant impact in developing countries where improving family planning can improve social and economic life drastically. I think it's important that new contraceptives that are effective and relatively inexpensive are researched and developed, especially since one of the major causes of poverty is a lack of access to family planning. However, the use of ultrasound seems to still be in its primary phases of development, as researchers are unsure as to how ultrasound actually disrupts the production of sperm. It seems to be promising though, so hopefully within a few years the technology will be available.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/13/los.angeles.arizona.boycott/index.html?hpt=T2
ReplyDeleteThe Los Angeles City Council overwhelmingly approved a boycott of Arizona-based businesses and governments Wednesday unless the state repeals a new law giving police the power to question a detainee's immigration status. Several other California cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, have already adopted resolutions requesting city departments to not sign any new contracts with Arizona companies. The Arizona law requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance. The Los Angeles resolution passed Wednesday said Arizona's new immigration law "encourages racial profiling and violates Fourteenth Amendment guarantees of due process and equal protection for U.S. citizens, legal residents and visitors who are detained for suspicion of being in the country unlawfully." The city's legislative analyst reported that Los Angeles currently has $56 million in contracts with companies headquartered in Arizona.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/13/481128/officers-in-butner-dwi-stop-dismissed.html
ReplyDeleteYikes.
A high-ranking policeman of Butner County NC, Capt. James Williams Jr., was fired from his job Thursday for "extremely drunk" driving. Two other officers were fired for taking him to a hotel to recover, rather than charging him. Williams was off-duty and spotted weaving lanes on the interstate when he was pulled over. He was spared arrest.
I think this is completely inexcusable that the people who are supposed to be protecting us on the roads are getting involved in the exact activities that cause accidents in the first place. The officer definitely should have been arrested, as a punishment to himself and also as an example to other policemen and policewomen to learn to follow their own rules.
Who knew eating your vegetables and leafy greens could be a bad thing??
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/13/lettuce.recall/index.html?hpt=T2
Well, apparently we have reason to be worried about e-coli in our vegetables (lettuce as of right now, spinach a little while ago) In fact, in the last 15 years there has been 34 food-bourne illnesses involving spinach or lettuce. We do know that bagged lettuce is probably safer than the bare leaf. Shockingly, even our more-than-plump nation has high demand for lettuce. SO KIDS, DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOUR PARENTS TELL YOU. haha, I'm just kidding y'all.
-Leah :-)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/science/earth/14permit.html?hp
ReplyDeleteMy article is about the E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency) setting new regulations for greenhouse gas emissions. My response to this is: FINALLY! For realz though, we need to realize that this is the only planet we have and what we're doing is just ruining it for our children. One problem that humans have is our myopia. (My dad talks about this alot in his work as an economist) Basically economic (or in this case environmental) myopia is just our inability to think about the future. All we care about is instant gratification, no matter what the consequences. For that reason I'm quite thrilled that the E.P.A. is finally taking action.
http://irac.org/newsDetailes.aspx?ID=584
ReplyDeleteIn Beer-Sheba, Israel, a woman was assaulted by a super-Orthodox Jewish man at a bus stop for having imprints of tefilin lines on her arms. (For those of you who don't know, it's an Orthodox Jewish custom to bind your arms with tefilin for prayer.)
She was just at a bus stop when the man asked her if the imprints on her arms were from tefilin. When she said yes, he started to kick and hit her, yelling that women are an abomination (women were traditionally excluded from prayer services, as it is in most cultures). The Beer-Sheba police are treating this as a hate crime.
Although it's horrible that assaults like this are happening, I think it's showing that Israeli Orthodox women are taking initiative in practicing their own religion as equals to men.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/13/480541/chapel-hill-police-praise-good.html
ReplyDeletethis is a very surprising story. In this story, a woman was kidnapped in 2 in the afternoon by a man in a white car. She was jogging not to far from UNC when the suspect pulled this 19 year old girl into a parking lot and pepper-sprayed her. It could have gotten worse had 2 men not come to save her. This is really messed up. I think the man who did this has some serious mental issues. First of all, why would you try something like this in the first place? Second, who in the right mind would try this in broad daylight in the middle of town. I'm glad he did though or it could of ended very badly. This is the kind of rediculous stuff that makes parent not want to let their children out of the house.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/06/virginia-governor-considers-change-law-uva-lacrosse-players-murder/?test=latestnews
ReplyDeleteThe governor of Virginia is proposing a law change stating that if a university student is arrested, the school should be notified. I think this would be a good way to help get rid violence on campuses and surrounding areas. People have a right to know about those they are in close contact with in everyday life. If students are going to make bad decisions they should have to pay the consequences for it, and if that includes the school finding out that's what needs to happen. I believe that if this change goes into action many murders and other violent actions could be prevented.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7590142/
ReplyDeleteThis article is about an attemped abduction that happened in downtown Chapel Hill on Wednesday. It was around 2 p.m. The victim was a 18 year-old girl jogging at the corner of Rosemary and Franklin. The man pepper-sprayed her and dragged her, getting her in his van. Two witnesses saw this happen and realized that something was wrong. One of the men blocked the exit to the parking lot, trying to keep the man from getting away. The driver of the van threw the woman out of the car and drove away as fast as possible, hitting one of the helping men in the process. The two witnesses managed to give the license plate number and the car description to the police. Theodore James Walker was arrested on several charges including the beating of a woman in another county. A baseball bat and a gun were found in the man's van. He is now detained with a 5 million dollar bail option.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126851004
ReplyDeleteThis article is talking about how the value of a dollar is increasing compared with the dropping value of a euro. The price of an ounce of gold has now reached almost $1,250. It was almost half that three years ago. Greece's financial troubles are effecting all countries that use the euro as currency. The inflation of the euro could lead to serious financial problems all across the world. Investors are beginning to worry. America's budget problems are improving thanks to the good image now given to American money. Many investors are now turning to the US Treasury Department. Now that more investors want to start using dollars, the actual value of a dollar has begun to increase. The only real disadvantage of our increasing value of dollars is that it is making it more difficult for US manufacturers to import their goods overseas.
This article is about the crisis in Thailand. 37 people have been killed in 5 days. The UN Human Rights chief is urging protestors and government officials to come to a truce for the good of their people and to prevent further loss of life. Unfortunately, a phone call yesterday between rebel leaders and the government was to no avail.
ReplyDeleteThis is clearly a tragedy. The controversy lies over the use of violence. Protesters are openly using live ammunition, but videos have been leaked showing government officials firing at unarmed protesters. It would seem that no one is in the right here, but the violence will not stop until both sides agree on that.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8688299.stm
(P.S. I'm sorry this is late. I don't have a computer at home, and the library was closed all last week for AP testing.)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/back-to-school-top-five-reasons-to-tap-the-tap-2010-08-31?reflink=MW_news_stmp
ReplyDeleteRobin Tanz
I agree with this article about the school's sports teams using refillable bottles filled with tap water. Many plastic bottles don't make it to the recycling bins. Also, too many kids are replacing water with gatorade and other drinks when water is the best choice. This will set a really good example for kids to try to reuse things like bottles and drink the best drink healthwise: water.