Samantha Pena: Supreme Court Says No to north Carolina
7th period

Summary: The  Supreme Court will not allow North Carolina pass a law for  vote ID. In North Carolina their government wants to enforce a law that will allow minorities (16 year-olds) to vote in the presidential election this year. Although this means a lot more than people can grasp the Supreme Court denies the law. North Carolina's lead lawyer Paul Clement says, "prohibiting North Carolina from enforcing a voter ID law is actually more sensitive  to disparate impact concerns than those in force in many of its sister states."


When you hear about how minorities are using their voice in the world, such as voting many things come to mind. Many people believe that minorities should be allowed to vote because they are "irresponsible", but what about all of the responsible teenagers in America. In the article North Carolina is try to help those teenagers speak out about their beliefs. but the Supreme Court is voting "no." The authors of the article tell us about how they believe that the minorities should be able to vote and how they are on North Carolina's side of the argument. As a minority myself I happen to agree with North Carolina and the authors of the article strongly because I believe that voting is very important because if you do not vote because you  believe that each of the nominees are terrible candidates but one is slightly more qualified to run your country you are just letting the other candidate win because you could be that one vote that is needed for the other candidate to win; and I also believe that us fellow minorities could be those few votes against the worst candidate.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/31/politics/supreme-court-north-carolina-voter-id/index.html

Marisa Vasquez

ISIS Declares Revenge

Synthesis:  This article is about how the ISIS leader was killed and the new appointed leader, Abu- Bakr al- Baghdadi to order revenge on whoever killed Mohammad al- Andnani.  Also how ISIS religious beliefs are that life is worse than death.  ISIS has planned to attack on Syria to avenge their now dead leader.

Analysis:  ISIS is infuriated after their leader Mohammad al- Andnani was killed, now they want to avenge his death even though their beliefs are that death is better than living.


http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/30/middleeast/isis-spokesman-killed/index.html

Karina Enriquez

"The U.S has become a dumping ground for everybody else's problems"- Donald Trump states wanting to let the people know why the U.S is no longer great. He briefly says how Mexico has sent their drug addicts,their rapist and their criminals over to the U.S so that the U.S would control this.The author of the article continues with a statement that goes against his thinking. They say that how will someone still support you if you don't like their people. It's like calling someone ugly and expect them to go to prom with you. This is what the article focuses on.

The author of the article is Jonathan Capehart, his point of view over this topic goes against the beliefs of Donald Trump. He mentions how he doesn't not think that he will become the next president and how he also did not believe that he would be the GOP nominee. The author focuses on many republican and democratic issues. At the time the author published the article we didn't know who would be representing the republican side, the date published was June 17,2015. Now we know Trump if representing therepublican side. For this reason I was aware of the critical comments and opinions Trump had said. I am from a Hispanic/Latino culture so I was very aware of this ,and very against it aswell. This article was mainly written to let people know how Hispanics won't be supporting the republican side most likely because of the harsh comments made by Trump himself. The main idea of this article is how much support is Trump actually getting. The thinking of Trump against the Hispanic people is very similar to the aspects the Europeand had towards the natives. They believed them to be savages and uncivilized,which is very similar to Trumps believes.

Trump Changes Tone on Immigration- Larissa Perez

Summary: "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapist...." - Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has said they he was going to build a wall along to southern border where the U.S> borders mexico and make mexico pay for it. He has said that immigration is bringing mayhem, drugs and crime to the U.S. He then moved on to say that he would use deportation force if it was necessary but done in a orderly and humane fashion. He began to move on to say that he was going to call a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the country. The Republicans like Mitt Romney, and Bill O'Reilly kind of thought this to be a harsh decision. After wining the republican nomination he is facing more moderate voters and is changing is view on some things. He is saying that the Muslim ban is just a suggestion and is changing his mind on deportation. He is now turning his attention to criminals. Three months from the election he is in a awkward position. Some people think that he hasn't changed his mind, but just his words. Flip flopping on one of Trumps issues is what some people think might help him in this race. But trump has said that will not be flip flopping and that he just wants to come up with an answer.
Analysis: This article/video was by Shane O'Neil and Alan Rappeport and was published on August 26, 2016 for the New York Times. This article just shows trumps views on immigration and how they have shifted but not a lot. It also shows what he is going to has president if he gets elected. All I know is that some of Trump ideas are way out there and some aren't but my know ledge on the immigration issue is very limited till now.
Link to Scource: http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000004612123/donald-trump-changes-tone-on-immigration.html

Skyler Tepedino- Donald Trump has a Massive Catholic Problem

Summary: Polls are important for any election, especially when determining who will become the next President of the United States. However, lately it seems each of the nominees is trying to win the votes of certain groups. Donald Trump has always been in the spotlight for offending different groups, but recently his numbers have been diving south with the Catholics. In February 2016, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, criticized the GOP nominee for being un-Christian in his thoughts that a wall should be built between the United States and Mexico. The Pope believes that anyone who wants to build walls rather than bridges cannot be Christian. Trump took great offense to this statement saying that he felt it was very disrespectful for the Pope to criticize a persons's beliefs. Since then, Trump has been measured by the support of different groups: women, Hispanics, African Americans, young voters---the polls are now showing that Trump is losing the Catholic vote. This could pose a greater problem especially if the voters in the other groups mentioned earlier are also Catholic. He would have less of a chance to change their minds. The article shows that candidates that are ahead with he catholic vote tend to win the election. Romney lost the Catholic vote, however Obama had them in his corner.
Analysis: This article was published in the Washington Post, August 28, 2016 and written by Aaron Blake. My prior knowledge to this specific topic was minimal to none only because I never really followed Trump and his drama. I was aware of his proposal to build a wall between Mexico and the United States to keep out illegal immigrants and try to end the smuggling of drugs across the border. I feel that the article was written to show that when a presidential nominee has the votes of certain groups, specifically Catholics in this article, they tend to win the election.
Synthesis: This article is reminds me of when the Puritans fled England for religious freedom and thought the Pope was too over demanding and a false idol. The Puritans wanted a less excess, less materialism, less idolatry. Trump is to the Catholics what the Pope was to the Puritans.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/28/donald-trump-has-a-massive-catholic-problem/

Anecia Forbes: Chicago aka 'Chi-raq' likely to top 2015 in number of shootings

Summary: Between Friday and Monday morning 10 people were killed and 57 wounded/injured. One of these was 32 year old Nykea Aldridge who was pushing her 3 week baby in a stroller in Southside Chicago. Several men were shooting and a bullet fatally stroke her in the head and killed her. Another was 20 year old Terrance Murphy who was on the sidewalk by his home and was shot in the abdomen and later died that night. Chicago is on the track of topping its 2015 number of shootings and homicides. People living there call it "Chiraq" drawing an analogy between the city and Iraq. Eight homicides and 64 non-fatal shootings occurred last Friday to Sunday alone; and as of Sunday 459 homicides happened so far this year, according to the Chicago Police Department. Chicago's 2016 shooting rate averages to nearly 82 per week. At this pace the city would have to have  10 shootings per week to overpass the 2015 statistics. Furthermore it appears likely that the city will pass last years mark.

Anaylsis/Synthesis: At this rate it worries me to see so many shootings. It is unfair to innocent people that are not involved to have their lives be taken away from them like Nykea Aldridge and Terrance Murphy. Shootings like these happen on a daily basis in Chicago and we need to find a solution quick to resolve these shootings and homicides so that heartbreaking incidents like these don't happen again. This event can e synthesized to all the past Chicago shootings/homicides that have occurred

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/us/chicago-violence-shootings/index.html

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/may-statistics-show-big-jump-in-murders-other-crimes/

Kiri Luckey

There has been some confusion over the purpose of U.S. Education Systems. They are questioning the policies they've used these past 16 years are really want parents want to see. Poll shows that 45% of respondents thought the most important goal of education should be to prepare the students academically. The rest debated between preparing the kids for work or preparing them for good citizenship. They are starting to believe that the best way to improve poor schools is by closing them all. 84% believe the best way to improve a poor school is to replace the teachers.


Website: usnews.com

Isabella Poscente- Colin Kaepernick Sitting during the National Anthem

Summary:

The quarterback of the San Francisco 49’rs, Colin Kaepernick sat down during the national anthem before their football game. This protest created a lot of controversial between those that felt it was disrespectful and those who understood his statement, of black lives matter and the unjust oppression of black people.

Analysis:

Steve Wyche is the author of the article, the author is also a minority. The author’s point of view is in third person. The article was produced on August 27^th on the NFL page. I did not know much about what happened until I read the article. This affects my understanding of the incident because there could be little details that are missing since it could be bias coming from the NFL. This article was written for the public, but mainly football fans and black lives matter supporters. It is a positive influence on the audience because it shows a person “standing” up for what they believe in. This article was written to show the truth of what happened and that the NFL supports both sides of the argument. The point of the article is trying to convey is that any citizen has the right to do whatever they believe in, whether that means they want to sit down during the national anthem to make a statement. The article is important because it is crucial for people to know the truth behind Kaepernick’s reasoning and what he believes in. The conclusion I can draw from this article would be that anybody has a voice, even if that voice is silent. This document is relevant in our lives today because of the black lives matter protests that have been going on. This article is similar to the silent protest in Dallas that happened over the summer. Although nobody was hurt it was still a protest of black lives matter and the oppression of black people. This also relates back to the Civil War when black people were oppressed and were slaves.

Source:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem

Sydney Bridgeforth - Current Floods Brings Similar Problem as Katrina to Louisiana

Current Floods Brings Similiar Problem as Katrina to Louisiana                                            


Summary:
There has been a lot negative press for President Obama in regards to the current floods in the State of Louisiana, but not as much as former President Bush received during Hurricane Katrina.  While having a death toll of any number is tragic, here are the comparisons of the two.  The death toll for the current event for the State of Louisiana was reported as 13 and for Hurricane Katrina 1,833.  Floods have been seen in the same areas of the state causing similar damage to homes that were seen in years past.  The media attention and coverage were about the same......the lack thereof for both events and then only showing the most devestation and the residents urging more solidarity and attention from each president.

Analysis:
Though both events have been horrible for the State of Louisiana and its people, once Federal Aid and Assistance is provided, no matter how much media coverage or attention your President brings to the matter, people have to come to reality to rebuild and reestablish their lives.  Bringing everything to social media or having politicians make a big political move at the expense of cost of others in dire need is not humane.  If we want to take matters like this to social media or for media coverage, it should be to collect and bring relative items of need to the families and communities.



Source:  Chron.com

Camryn Stafford- Colin Kaepernick sits during national anthem

summary:
The spotlight has been cast upon Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand and sing the national anthem during last friday's NFL preseason game. Kaepernick's refusal to stand and sing is his way of protesting against the National Anthem, the flag, and the country itself. Kaepernick states that he would not stand "to show pride in a flag for a country that presses black people and people of color." Looking back at the extended version of the tune, the song refers to slavery and some even say that it suggests that the author, Francis Scott Key, was pleased by the deaths of the free slaves who allied with britain to fight the United States.

analysis:
The Black Lives Matter movement is very important in our country today and it has caused major controversy amongst many. People are starting to use their platform to speak out against thinks that may seem unjust or discriminatory in the hopes of transferring the message to others. If Colin Kaepernick would've remained seated maybe two years ago, it wouldn't have been as big an issue but now that people everywhere are speaking out in different ways it has become newsworthy. Though with much criticism, Kaepernick isn't the first athlete to find issue with the anthem, Jackie Robinson used his fame to advance civil rights causes, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two american olympic runners, during the 1968 Mexico City olympics medal ceremony, raised their fists in a black pride salute during the national anthem. Kaepernick wasn't trying to "show off" or "reenact" those before him, he was simply contributing to the movement. However, sports fans and twitter followers have reacted very harshly towards Colin, slandering him with criticism and opposing opinions of what he should've done. The article published on CNN I believe was written to give these same Sports Fans and followers a reason for why he sat down and to describe why it is important for him to do so. Articles like these cannot show bias so it is hard to tell what they are trying to prove by writing this article but to me it seems like AJ Willingham, the author of the article, is trying to put logic behind Colin Kaepernick's reasoning. Articles like these are relevant because many people don't understand why Black Lives matter "suddenly matters" or why people do things that contribute to this movement. Willingham writing this article is another example of someone using their platform to educate the people and to spread the movement. Racism was a very important mindset that occurred throughout US History and it has shaped us into the world we are living in today. I would like to say that racism has been demolished but unfortunately there are many examples of it's lingering. If it were to have completely disappeared from our world today, there would not be such a strong desire to change our communities. Even though Racism doesn't exist in the form of slavery anymore, it occurs in many other ways, such as the mistreatment, shooting, or jailing of Black People. This treatment is unfair and in a way Black people are not considered as free as the white race is. This is why Colin Kaepernick and many other atheletes do not agree with the national anthem and it's message. The Black Lives Matter movement in itself is an example that Black people are fed up with the treatment of our people and we demand change. 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/sport/colin-kaepernick-flag-protest-has-history-trnd/index.html 

Anna Czyzewski - Chaos After LAX Shooting Scare

Summary: Yesterday, August 28th, supposed gunshots were heard at Los Angeles International Airport. When police arrived on the scene, they found no such gunman, but arrested a man in a Zorro costume, clad in black clothing and wielding a plastic sword. It is not certain whether the costumed man had anything to do with the false reports of gunshots, as there still is confusion about where such "loud noises" came from. After his detainment, several witnesses claimed the man had done nothing wrong, although many flights were postponed due to this incident.

Analysis: This comes during the time of great turmoil in the U.S. when actions against terrorism are constantly being debated by the presidential candidates and airport security is being tightened left and right. In addition, the panic in this situation can be traced back to fifteen years ago with the attack of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Ever since then, the U.S. has become more and more uneasy and afraid, causing dozens of similar shooting scares all across the nation. And with the recent events carried out by ISIS in France, Brussels, and the U.S., the world has only become more scared. This incident, although a false report, only feeds the growing anxiety of the world, spreading more concerns of safety from terrorism, and also teaching us how even a simple costume and a loud noise can cause widespread panic in this time of unrest.


(source)

Katie Beth Haidet - 49ers Colin Kaepernick sits for National Anthem

Summary: 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, decided not to stand during the National Anthem this past Sunday, because he does not want to show pride for a country that suppresses people of color. Citizens went ballistic when they heard of Kaepernick decision. Fans started to burn his jersey and people were telling him to leave the country if he felt that way, as well as some of his teammates disagreeing. Many NFL reporters along with his coach agreed that they can not make him do anything, that he has the right as a citizen to do what he wants, even if it shows disrespect. 

Analysis: Earlier this week NFL released the story and an explanation on why Colin Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem. Reading the reasoning on why he did not stand just completely made me think, this is what happened back when segregation was a thing. People were burning colored peoples houses, and being just very unnecessary. Martin Luther King Jr. had seemed to solve the problem up until a few months ago. Of course, this is a very controversial topic that everyone seems to have their own opinions,but the National Anthem is a representation of freedom and respecting the people who fought / who are fighting for our country and deserve respect from everyone.  

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem

Olivia Moretta- Chicago Cracks Down on Air Quality

Computers called “nodes” are now being installed on many of the traffic poles in Chicago, Illinois. Likened to the Fitbit, these new data-collecting devices are helping track everything from congested traffic to health risks throughout the city. In a quote from Chicago’s chief information officer, Brenna Berman, “better data means better outcomes”. This is being said in regards to the outcome of overall safety, health, and improved functionality that these new gadgets could bring to the city.

            At a time like this, when technology is more advanced than it’s ever been, I believe it’s important for our country to play to its strengths use these new advances for our benefit. I predict that Chicago will be the first of many cities to invest in traffic nodes, as they have the potential to help thousands. The ability of these nifty computers to zero in on asthma-inducing content in the air also gives people the opportunity to alter their community for the better. By planting trees in “trouble spots”, or areas with poor air quality located by the nodes, asthmatics could have less reason to worry about breathing problems in their city. This event can be likened to the Clean Air Act of 1956 (post industrial revolution) that introduced smokeless zones. These were places where only smokeless fuels could be burnt and were said to help control the smoke and particles released into the atmosphere. It was then that air pollution in urban areas significantly decreased.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/29/technology/chicago-sensors-data/index.html

Townley Jordan - Foreign Hackers Breached State Election Systems

Summary: The FBI found breaches in the voter registration databases in both Illinois and Arizona. They are pushing for an increase in computer security before the election. While this does not necessarily signify intent to manipulate votes, the possibility that other countries, Russia in particular, might be sponsoring hackers in an attempt to mess with the presidential election has officials worried. One official said that these investigative hacks might foreshadow a larger one.  The attack in Illinois was a data breach where the personal information of around 200,000 people was taken. The one in Arizona put malware onto a state employee’s computer. The FBI informed the Arizona officials that the hackers were most likely Russian and gave the hack an 8 on a scale of 1-10 in severity.

Analysis: This article is pertinent to the lives of pretty much any American who has any form of technology or social media. Hackers are a threat to all of us because they can access our phones, tablets, computers, social media, etc. and find out personal information about us that we perceive to be well hidden, when in reality it is easily accessible. This article shows that literally nothing is out of boundaries, with hackers accessing government information for other countries, who most likely do not have the best intentions. This article shows that we as a nation need to up our computer security game, whether it be personal, corporate, or government technology.  Computer security is relevant to our lives today because we store so much information on our computers without giving a second thought to how secure it actually is. This connects to the past because countries have always been out to get information about other countries so that they have a leg up on the competition. During World War II, as well as the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union in particular employed many spies to infiltrate and dig up dirt about what was going on in the enemy country. In present day, hacking is yet another way that we can spy and be spied on.

link: foreign hackers breached state election system

C.J. Moore- "You can knock Colin Kaepernick -- don't call him un-American"

On Friday, August 26, 2016  San Fransisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided not to stand during the national anthem before the game. And this obviously raised a lot of controversy. When the face of such a large sports organization decided to do something so out of the ordinary, everybody is going to have an opinion. Some believe that he should be suspended and others believe that it is his right as an American to sit during the anthem.

This article discusses his reasoning behind it which was caused by the racial tension in this country and also explains why he cannot and should not be punished for it. I believe that it is his right as an American to not stand during the national anthem. Although it was really disrespectful, it was not illegal in anyway so I believe that punishing him for it would only make things worse and more complicated than they already are.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17405859/colin-kaepernick-did-controversial-was-not-un-american-nfl

Mollie Hamman- Emigration from Libya

Summary- Emigrants are leaving Libya on boats to live a better life elsewhere.
Analyze- Women, children and the weak are being pushed out of Central Africa, across the Sahara Dessert, and into Libya because of relative overpopulation and the belief by fundamentalists and local tribesmen that the weak are not worthy. Unseaworthy boats are being boarded by refugees that may result in a better life on the other side.
Synthesis- This movement of people is like the slave trade. People are living in terrible conditions and will give anything to leave their situation. Like in the slave trade, they are getting onto tightly packed boats with an unlikeliness of reaching their destination safely.

http://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-36311638

Maggie Gibson "US welcomes its 10,000th Syrian Refugee ahead of schedule"

Summary: The Obama administration set a target of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees into the US by October 1, however, the 10,000th Syrian refugee is to arrive in Monday afternoon, more than a month ahead of schedule. This action is to show how the United States and the Obama administration care about humanitarianism on a worldwide scale, and how they want to help. Some people doubt the logistics and safety of this, and have expressed concern about ISIS exploiting refugee flow. State department officials still continue to admit refugees at the same rate, saying that they are heavily screened.
Analysis: This article was written to inform the reader, the intended audience being a U.S. citizen, about the humanitarian efforts made towards refugees in the United States. It tries to dispel any fear of exploitation of the State department's kindness towards accepting refugees, stating that refugees are heavily screened. This shows that immigration is a good thing and is looked upon in a positive light, and it's helping people out worldwide to live better lives, without concerning our own safety. This fear of immigrants the article is trying to dispel is similar to xenophobia spread throughout United States history, with bias and prejudice against those not of white European descent or Christian, such as Operation Wetback in the 1950's, a program that deported Mexican immigrants, or the Jim Crow laws that oppressed African American people in the early half of the twentieth century.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/28/politics/syrian-refugees-resettling-us-obama-administration/index.html

Kate Pinkerton (8th period)

Summary
Hackers breached ballot systems and voting records in both Illinois and Arizona. These records contain information such as name, age, sex, address, the last four digits of some social security numbers, and license plate numbers. It is unclear if the hackers changed any of the voters information or just had access to it. Because of the many different judicial areas it will take the authorities a while to sort through all the information to see if there were any changes. The event, which happened in June and was uncovered by the authorities in July, is said to not have any effect on any election. The main concern is that the hacker might have had access to personal information of the 15 million people registered in those areas.

Analysis
This article is especially concerning seeing as it is election season, and many people will be registering to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Knowing that hackers have access to citizens' personal information, or have the ability to access it, creates a security threat. In 1891 the United States began using a secret ballot, which began the protection of peoples political view (and with solely paper ballots there was no way for hackers to get people's information). With this problem we now have to ask the question if efficiency in counting votes is more important than protecting people's personal information. I hope that the authorities in those states can secure their election system before the election in November.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/politics/hackers-breach-illinois-arizona-election-systems/index.html

Emma Reyna, The "Burkini Ban" Controversy

Summary:

On August 29, 2016 an article written by Alison Baitz for NPR discusses how the French council of state, the highest authority, suspended a ban on Burkinis which are a particular type of swimsuit wear worn by certain women. Burkinis are a special kind of bathing wear that covers as much as skin possible without revealing too much .These types of swimwear are typically worn by Muslim women who feel the the need to cover up while swimming and playing sports without revealing too much because of their religious beliefs. The French banned the attire of Burkinis because it was thought to be a symbol of terrorism and oppression. A contribution to this ban was the attack on Bastille day and the negative views the French have on Muslims and their Islamic views. Another contribution was France's secular views on Burkinis, especially from Manuel Valls, a French socialist prime minister who quotes Burkinis were "a symbol of enslavement of women".

Analysis:

Before I had read the article I absolutely did not have any knowledge prior to it. Once I had read the article I was shocked that this was still a issue in today's world but to be fairly honest topics such as these will always be controversial. I particularly thought this ban on Burkinis was an affront to basic human rights. Everyone has a right to assert the way they physically appear in the world whether they be fully clothed or scantily attired people really need to respect a woman's morals in what she wears without any particular judgment or discrimination. If she feels comfortable in a certain attire let her be, it does not affect your way life in any way, it's her choice in the end and no one should tell her otherwise to do so. After all it's just another way of dressing.

Synthesis:

This event specifically reminded me when Luisa Capetillo, a Puerto Rican Women's right activist, when she challenged the way attire was worn in society by becoming the first woman in Puerto Rico to wear women's trousers in public. She was later sent to jail for the "crime" she comitted but was later released. I find it kinda of ironic how over the centuries there has been constant controversy on what women can or cannot wear. From sexual double standards to the showing of exclipt skin to no skin at all, it is our choice as a human being to decide what we wear and to not be defined by absurd standards set by others.

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/08/26/491477033/frances-highest-court-suspends-burkini-ban-in-one-town

Devyn Lemack- Football Player Sits During National Anthem

 Summary:The past few weeks football player, Colin Kaepernic has been sitting down for the Star Spangled Banner.  This past game that they just had is when it became a big deal. Kaepernic believes that America is not something to be proud of right now. Specifically, he is upset with the number of African-American men being killed by police. When there is significant change in this country, and America represents what it should represent, then he will stand for the anthem.  Others believe that he is not appreciative of the freedom that we Americans have and does not know what America is all about.


Analysis/Synthesis:This article was most likely written to highlight a very controversial topic in our culture right now. What  Colin doesn't understand is how blessed he is to be playing a sport that he loves. He may not be happy about a few things that are going on, but that doesn't paint the whole picture of what our country is about. For many people, the Star Spangled Banner represents freedom and the sacrifices of many people who died for our country. This controversy is similar to an event that took place at the olympics a few decades ago when athletes raised their hand with a black glove during the national anthem as form of protest. This article was posted on August 28, 2016, which means its recent news and needs to be brought to people's attention. http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/08/29/nfl-players-blast-kaepernicks-decision-to-sit-during-national-anthem.html

Kiana Snderson : Hillary Clinton Scandal

 Summary :          Hillary Clinton got caught in a big private email scandal in 2013, regarding the Benghazi attacks. Mrs Clinton was detected using a private email server for work as the Secretary of State, the FBI uncovered over 30,000 emails regarding her job and classified information. In 2015 she finally printed off the emails over 900 pages at a time. This is also when the scandal became open to the  public in the New York Times. Later that year Mrs Clinton announced her candidacy for president in the 2016 election. This is important because we as the people deserve to know what and who is trying to be are next leader.



Synthesis :          This scandal is very similar to the Watergate one with president Richard Nixon, in the way that both have to do with people in high office. Since Hillary is running for president if she were to win the election she could possibly face the same taint to her presidency. For the most part when you think or hear about Richard Nixon you think about the Watergate scandal, no matter how many good things are done the bad always seem to cancel them out. Therefore Hillary could obtain the same reputation.


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/27/us/politics/what-we-know-about-hillary-clintons-private-email-server.html?_r=0

http://watergate.info/chronology/brief-timeline-of-events

Alix Burns- "Most adults with depression aren't treated, study finds"

The article “Most Adults with Depression Aren’t Treated, Study Finds”, by Jacqueline Howard, addresses the demand for stronger efforts to treat depression. This disorder comes with severe feelings of sadness, decreased interest in activities, lack of concentration, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Major depression, being one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, is fought by around 14.8 million adult Americans a year. However, only one third of adults actually receive effective treatment. Studies show that adults are extremely unlikely to receive treatment due to lack of education and being ethnic and racial minorities.  Some health care services, such as Group Health Cooperative, provide screening for depression and continue to go further and encourage getting effective treatment. 

This article conveys the encouragement of making more efforts to treat mental illnesses. Before reading this article, I was already aware of the high percentage of Americans that are diagnosed with depression, but I was shocked when I found out how little are actually treated. I was even more disgusted when I found out that ethnicity and race affected the likelihood of being treated. This issue somehow connects with the issues leading up to Title VI of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects persons from discrimination based on their race or ethnicity in programs that receive federal financial assistance, including health care services, mental health centers, and alcohol and drug treatment services. Everyone who is diagnosed with a mental illness should have equal opportunities to get the help and care that they need.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/health/adults-depression-treatment/index.html

Elizabeth McCullough- Don't wear skirts in India

Summary: Officials in the country of India are telling female travelers not to wear skirts while visiting. In a welcoming gift given to tourists there is a list of "Do's and Don'ts" that people are suggested to follow. One of the recent additions to this list says that women should not wear skirts. This is due to a series of sexual assaults that have been reported by travelers. This advice has received serious backlash because of it's "victim blaming" nature. People feel instead of making women change their clothing, they should stop the people attacking them. The fact is India is not equipped to handle the crimes, even though they have created and passed more laws on rape and sexual assault. The tourism minister has tried to fix the situation, but the damage is done.

Analysis: I think the tourism ministry had good intentions when giving that notice, but it was taken very out of context. I agree that victims should no be blamed for sexual assault, but I don't that's what they were trying to say. I think they were just trying to do the best they can in a very serious and dangerous situation. I believe the officials are in way over their heads, and need some help in the PR department.

Synthesis: This situation is all too familiar to women in this country, and all over the world. Victims of sexual assault are often blamed for their attacks because of how they dressed, how much they had been drinking, and how they behaved before hand. The fact is no means no. As soon as a women does not consent to a sexual situation, that should be it. Period. Sadly there are people in this world who don't agree, and use this to keep victims quiet. It's an epidemic that needs to be stopped.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/29/asia/india-skirt-safety-advice-women-trnd/index.html

Audrey Griffin "Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation"

Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation

 Summary: After a year of isolation in a Mars simulation located at the top of a Hawaiian volcano (chosen for its altitude), the six scientists of the crew finally emerged. During the past 365 days the group had only come out a few times to perform simulations of Mars surface walks. This project was organized to test out the likeliness of future colonization of Mars. After the success of this mission the University of Hawaii is now recruiting new volunteers for their planned longer-term simulations in the future.

Analysis: The Pilgrims arrived in North America knowing very little about the new land they were about to inhabit. I'm sure they would have loved to have had a test run where potential settlers got to have a taste of what American life would be like so they could work out all the kinks before they got there. Maybe then there wouldn't have been so many disastrous consequences. Mars is truly the "New World" of this age of technological advancement.

Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation

Audrey Griffin "Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation"

Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation

 Summary: After a year of isolation in a Mars simulation located at the top of a Hawaiian volcano (chosen for its altitude), the six scientists of the crew finally emerged. During the past 365 days the group had only come out a few times to perform simulations of Mars surface walks. This project was organized to test out the likeliness of future colonization of Mars. After the success of this mission the University of Hawaii is now recruiting new volunteers for their planned longer-term simulations in the future.

Analysis: The Pilgrims arrived in North America knowing very little about the new land they were about to inhabit. I'm sure they would have loved to have had a test run where potential settlers got to have a taste of what American life would be like so they could work out all the kinks before they got there. Maybe then there wouldn't have been so many disastrous consequences. Mars is truly the "New World" of this age of technological advancement.

Mars simulation crew 'return to Earth' after 365 days in isolation

Gracie Darlington "Interracial couple in Washington stabbed after they are seen kissing"

Last week, an innocent interracial couple was attacked by a self proclaimed white supremacist after seen kissing. 32 year old Daniel Rowe, proudly tattooed with "skinhead" and "white power", witnessed the African-American man and the white woman kissing outside of a restaurant in Washington and stabbed them both. Both the man and the woman were able to escape with only minor injuries, as the man was able to tackle Rowe and restrain him. Rowe confessed to the crime in addition to complaining about the Black Lives Matter movement and calling himself a white supremacist. Rowe has been charged with two counts of first degree assault and charged with committing a hate crime. He has been placed in jail with a $500,000 bail and his court date is scheduled for tomorrow, August 30th. 

This article is trying to inform the reader about just one of the countless terrible hate crimes that have been occurring in the United States for centuries. It's shocking and heart breaking to think that things like this are still happening in our country, and the author is trying to convey the message of just how ridiculous it is that people still have this state of mind. This article shines a light on just how important the Black Lives Matter movement is today. Hopefully it will have a positive influence on its readers, potentially inspiring them to get active in the movement. This can relate to the hate crimes committed by the KKK. Both events were committed by white supremacists and both were extremely racist. 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/20/us/olympia-interracial-couple-stabbing-trnd/

Zia Bella Blair- LGBTQ proposal at the Olympics

Although the Brazilian Rugby team only placed 9th in the 2016 Olympics, there was still reason to celebrate for player Isadora Cerullo. Her girlfriend of two years, Marjorie Enya, proposed to her in the stadium. The whole team was supportive and did their part by holding up balloons to help. Enya said that she wasn't nervous to be so public about it, and was excited to spread the message that "Love wins." This is a happy story but there is still many places around the world where same-sex marriage is illegal and homosexuality is punishable by death.

This is not unlike the rules in Maryland, when New England was colonized. It granted religious freedom (to an extent) to the new colonizers. Even though the law was changed, people's mindsets were harder to change just like the reactions to the law legalizing gay-marriage. We as people need to be accepting to all, no matter sexual-orientation or religion.  




http://www.upworthy.com/9-adorable-pics-of-a-brazilian-rugby-player-getting-proposed-to-by-her-girlfriend?c=upw1&u=46a549743ea090f1b46438c12e144199cf9066b9

Ethan Lacey- Surge of EpiPen Prices

Epinephrine has saved the lives of millions from serious allergic reactions. This drug is more commonly known as the EpiPen, owned by Mylan, and it is in the midst of a huge price gauge scandal. Epinephrine itself only costs a few cents, but every year Mylan has been gauging the price of it ever since 2008. Once EpiPens costed $100 in 2008 and now it costs $500 and higher , that's a 400% increase. Mylan is a monopoly of the EpiPen, when its strongest competitor went out of business last year. Some people are covered by insurance, but many can not afford the drug. EpiPens also aren't an infrequent purchase of people that require them, since the drug expires around every year.  After the price spike gained the public eye, Mylan has responded by stating,"The prices have changed to better reflect important product features and the value the product provides." Customers have responded by saying the product has not changed and the product is indeed being spiked for profit.

This scandal is just another example of how corrupt the pharmaceutical industry is in the US. From Adviar, the asthma inhaler that's price was risen exponentially to Darapium,used by AIDS and cancer patients, which was raised from $13.50 to $750 almost overnight. . This type of thing has been happening for years. Pharmaceutical companies have shown that they care more about making more money than caring for millions of people. This situation is similar to the AT&T case in the 1980's. The case was handled by dividing AT&T into smaller companies for competition and i believe this is exactly what should happen to Mylan.  This situation is unjust and needs action from the government. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/epipen-price-hike-has-parents-kids-allergies-scrambling-ahead-school-n633071

Utah Resident is First Death for Zika Virus in Continental America

From Logan Macaulay, 1st Period

Summary : This article talks about the first Zika virus related death in Utah and Continental America. The Zika virus is a disease that can cause very bad deformities to babies. Most of the article talks about while there were some underlying medical problems, Zika seemed to be main cause of the death. The patient also was elderly.

Analysis : I think that while this article seems a bit scary, I honestly think it fake. They even say in the article that they can not fully identify if it the Zika that killed him. They were elderly with underlying conditions. While it is extremely dangerous, i do not think Zika was part of this death.

Overall i think that it is all just a publicity post, if it does end up that Zika is the cause of death this could end up being real this could be a real problem all over the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/08/health/utah-zika-death/

Abbey Winiger- Tropical Depressions

     WEEK OF AUGUST 29th BLOG: Abbey Winiger 7th 

SUMMARY: Two separate tropical depressions are heading towards the East and Gulf coasts throughout the week. Also a hurricane is heading towards Hawaii says forecasters. Both are supposed to become tropical storms before they reach the land. The article says the first is to be named Hermine and the second to be Ian. Also a tropical storm has been issued for North Carolina's outer exterior. Mark Wool the warning coordination meteorologist says "We can't rule out that this won't become a hurricane." As of Monday at 5 pm Tropical Depression 8 was about 140 miles southeast of Cape Hetteras North Carolina and had winds near 35 miles per hour. The system has expected to reach the tropical storm threshold by early Tuesday, with movements northeast at 7mph. 

 
ANALYSIS/SYNTHESIS: Today at 5:30 pm USAToday launched this story. USAToday is a well respected and reliable news station. It covers major stories that are factual and up to date. This article is important because it shows us how serious these storms may be and to be alert. It serves to inform all people of certain conditions of these gulf coasts. Prior to reading this article I had heard nothing about the Gulf coast hurricanes this year. This news story has a very negative effect on the United Sates because it creates lots of damage and destroys communities. This article reminds me of hutricane Katrina because originally hutricane Katrinia was a tropical depression.It transformed into a tropical storm and damaged the city of New Orleans in August of 2005.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/08/29/tropical-depressions-tropical-storms-hurricane/89528528/

Kobe Williams (1st Period) - U.S. Voter Databases Hacked

Multiple government officials have now confirmed that there have been two recent attempts at hacking the U.S. presidential election. They have also stated that the hackers are based in Russia, which is causing concern about their motives for doing so. As many as 200,000 voter records were breached in Illinois, throughout this event. However, our government does not yet know the damage of these actions, nor the cause. But they have concluded, along with their "flash alert", that the system was not successfully breached.

The fact that the hackers were able to simply hack into something as big and "protected" as our nation system, worries me a bit. If they able to almost breach the system not just once, but twice, what does that tell everyone about the voter registration database?? About the U.S. government?? Personally, I'm not sure how to fell entirely about this incident, mainly because I'm not of voting age yet. But I am curious to see how other U.S. citizens take this event. For all anyone knows, this could lead to something like the breach of security at National CSS (1981).

Source:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/russians-hacked-two-u-s-voter-databases-say-officials-n639551

Liza Kaye

At Ithaca College, one student was killed, while another was shot in a fight on campus. The fight took place outside of the chemical and biomecular engineering building. The fight was also around 2 am. The victim was identified as 19 year old, Anthony Nazaire, from Brooklyn, New York. He was studying business at the university. Violence is a very large issue that has been around since the beginning of civilization.  CNN news published the article, however, they have been asked not to release the name. The article is written as a purpose of informing people, and showing the effects of heavy violence. The article is trying to convey how a small fight can end up so fatal and tragically. In past ancient civilizations, whoever wanted the land would fight the person who occupied it. Often, they would kill whoever's land it was so that they could then inherit the land. Violence has been used as a way to get what you desire. I priorly knew that violence has recently been a large scale conflict on college campuses, including sexual harassment. The main idea of the article essentially is that violence is a major issue on college campuses and can lead to fatal tragedies. 

JOSHUA KLEIN https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-is-investigating-foreign-hacks-of-state-election-systems/2016/08/29/6e758ff4-6e00-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html

In the past year two Russian hacking groups have hacked into the DNC ( Democratic National Convention). These groups viewed personal chat and stole republican opponent documents from the DNC.  Although this is very serious, recently these same two Russian hacking groups have hacked into the election system in Arizona and Illinois. Although the Russian hackers did little they still breached through state election systems. This is a big deal with the upcoming election. Authorities are still questioning if these groups were funded by the Russian government. Nevertheless these breached in state wide election system are very unsettling with the upcoming elections.

The author of the article is Ellen Nakashima. I know nothing about the author or any previous work she has done, however Ellen Nakashima’s point of view is neutral in stating the facts that the USA knows. The article was published on August 29th at  7:50 P.M. and because the article is published pretty early on into the case, the information may be corrected or validated in a few day or weeks. Before reading this article I had known that Russian hacking groups had hacked into the DNC twice making me “semi” prepared for this article, however hacking into the voting system of states is at a new level. This article was written for the American public; with the upcoming election it’s very disconcerting to think that the election could be rigged. The article is pretty negative only due to the fact that it makes our voting security system seem unsafe. The article was written to alert the public of this concerning action taking place by Russian hacking groups. THe article is trying to convey that our election system is not as secure as it seems and that its very penetrable, and has been penetrated more than once. In conclusion this is an article about how insecure our voting system is, and how with the upcoming election the possibility of voter fraud is higher than the American public may think.

Audrey Gavitt- Russian Hackers target election system

Summary- The FBI has found flaws in the voting system in Arizona and Illinois, so they are encouraging states to get stronger systems and technology to be prepared for the upcoming election. Hackers were able to get only a small amount of voter records but that is still some and who says they wont stop. Considering that Russian hackers broke in to the DNC email and messages a year ago and then back in April the FBI has suspicions that they are a part of this. If foreign governments got control of our voting systems they could change the results by deleting names or change numbers. This could be really dangerous for the election in November. As the election approaches states scramble to make sure that their voting systems are safe and secure.  

Analysis- This article was written by Ellen Nakashima and published by the Washington Post on August 29. Just reading the headline I started thinking about Americas history with Russia, the cold war. America and Russia have never really been on good terms, from 1947-1991 we were in the cold war where everything was very tense. We had suspicions that Russia was going to bomb us and because of that we were extra safe. Russia has also hacked us in the past so it makes sense to believe that it was them this time. But when you look back to the cold war bad things happened when we made assumptions. I don't think this article is accusing Russia or jumping to conclusions, it was written to make sure that states are keeping a safe voting system and to inform people about our current voting situations. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-is-investigating-foreign-hacks-of-state-election-systems/2016/08/29/6e758ff4-6e00-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html