Cut beer cans placed around seagulls' necks

Seagulls in the San Francisco Bay Area have been spotting sporting "beer can collars." People have been cutting their beer cans, and placing them around the birds' necks. A wildlife group is fighting this, calling it torture. It's a serious matter and could result in huge fines, imprisonment, or both. People need to take it seriously. That's why they're offering a $2,000 reward for anyone who can turn in the villains doing this. They're hoping that this can end on its own, but the reward will encourage everyone to think twice about this.

I think it's terrible that people would find it cool or funny to do something like this to innocent seagulls. I know they're annoying sometimes, but that doesn't give people the right to torture them like this. I'm sure it's hard enough for the seagulls to have t0 share their home with tons of people on a public beach. Hopefully they'll catch this people and give them the punishment that they deserve. I don't think they would like to be forced to wear an uncomfortable collar around their neck.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39994814/ns/us_news-environment/

Border cops find massive Mexico drug tunnel

A tunnel nearly 6 football fields in length (1,800 ft) was discovered by border police on Wednesday. This tunnel was used to illegally transport drugs between Tijuana, Mexico and Otay Mesa, California. This was a pretty nice tunnel, including lighting, ventilation, and a rail system. In 2006 there was also a tunnel found connecting these 2 cities. There were 100tons of marijuana recovered by officials at that time, valued at about $340 million.

It seems odd that it would take so long to discover a tunnel that is 6 football fields long. Maybe they do a really good job at hiding it, but it just doesn't seem possible to just miss that. I'm glad the tunnel was found and the drugs were collected. Not only do we need to be strict at our borders when dealing with illegal immigrants, but we also need to be safe when it comes to illegal drugs. I don't mean this in a weird way, but I wonder what they do with all that marijuana. Like do they just destroy or do they store it? I don't quite understand that.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39995332/ns/us_news-security/

Fed takes bold, risky step to bolster economy

Since the economy is only growing at a 2 percent pace and unemployment is around 9.6%, the Fed has decided they need to do something. They have committed to buying $600 worth in government bonds. They are hoping that this will positively impact our economy. One worry is that when the economy begins to strengthen again, inflation will drastically increase. Some people are worried about this while others think we should buy more bonds. It's a controversial and risky move, but in the end hopefully everything will come together.

I think it's not a bad idea to take some initiative to improve the economy. Obviously we need the help. Whether or not this bond move will work, I don't know, but I sure hope so. I think it could do a great deal to increase spending, and therefore eventually increase employment. When businesses start making more money, they'll begin to hire more workers. This could be just what our economy needs. Only time will tell if it pays off. http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39990043/ns/business-personal_finance/

Pregnancy discrimination is on the rise

Pregnancy discrimination in America is becoming more and more of a problem. Women aren't being treated like they should when they are pregnant. For example, some employers are firing, lowering the pay, and refusing to hire pregnant women. In 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, there was a Pregnancy Discrimination Act written. That may becoming forgotten since the complaints of pregnancy discrimination is much higher. It's definitely a concern for workers and employers.

As I picture myself becoming pregnant when I'm older, I would certainly hope to be treated fairly. I feel bad for the mothers who aren't given the proper maternity leave time, or whose jobs disappear just because they are starting a family. That's not fair and it shouldn't be tolerated. I understand the concern of the employers too. They're running a business and want to make logical decisions for that business, but that doesn't give them the right to illegally deny someone a job. I'm glad that this is being brought to attention because it is a huge issue for women. They can't control the fact that women have babies and men don't. If men had this problem they would want to be treated fairly too.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18742634/

Major quake hits Indonesia

Around 9:45 Monday night an earthquake hit western Indonesia. It was valued at a 7.5 magnitude. A tsunami warning was issued right after the quake, but didn't last very long. However, it still terrified residents and sent them towards high ground. One major reason why people were so cautious for this earthquake was because just a year ago Indonesia was hit with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. This quake killed over 700 people and destroyed 180,000 buildings. Earthquakes are very common in this area because Indonesia lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."

I'm really glad to live in a place where earthquakes aren't a problem. It would be really scary to experience that, but I'm thankful that it wasn't too bad in Indonesia. There were no casualties and property damage wasn't all that high either. Safe to say it could have been a lot worse.
http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39831929/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

Economists see weak growth through 2011

The National Association of Business Economics did a recent survey that concluded the economy will grow at a slower rate than expected. Another one of their predictions is that the unemployment rate won't get less than 9.2%. They also don't think that home prices will rise or the deficit will decrease. However, they aren't worried about inflation, deflation, or stagflation. And on a lighter note, they expect businesses to keep up demand for goods.

While I know that this is only a prediction, the next year doesn't sound too promising with our economy. Our population is growing and more people are in need of jobs. Since there won't be very many more offered this next year, how is that going to work? Our country is severely in debt and it doesn't sound like that will change in the next year. It's time we make some drastic changes to hopefully better our economy and get out of this mess. http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39617204/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/

States working harder to collect online sales tax

The government is working harder to collect taxes from goods sold online. Most states have a tax on things sold over the internet, but very few of those states actually enforce it. Companies who don't add the tax on by themselves, expect the buyers to do it alone. That would mean that the consumers would have to go on a website to print off a tax form and turn it in. Most people are completely unaware that they're supposed to be doing this. That's one of the main reasons why it's not getting done: lack of knowledge. Once people become more educated about what they're supposed to do, maybe then the government will be getting the money that they're requesting; and that's their goal, to bring in this money to help pay for all the things our country needs.

I personally had no clue that there were taxes on things bought over the internet. I've bought things online before and know many other people who have as well, and I can't think of anyone that has had to pay tax on what they bought. Maybe Minnesota is one of the few states not required to pay this tax. I'm not quite sure, but if the government expects to be collecting this money, they will need to make the proper strides to follow through on the tax. They should be the ones regulating it and setting it up with different companies. The buyer shouldn't be expected to have to do it all on their own. It gets too confusing that way and just wouldn't work.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39159604/ns/business-personal_finance/

Americans still skipping fruits, veggies

American adults still aren't eating the necessary amount of fruits and vegetables that is recommended. A recent study was performed on the adult population and the results showed that consumption is down. Fruit dropped from 34% to 33% and vegetable stayed constant at 26%. In fact, no state met the goals that were set years ago. California was leading with fruit consumption and Tennessee was the best for vegetables. On the other side of things were Oklahoma and South Dakota, which had the lowest results. Health officials feel descouraged with the findings and really hope to improve scores in upcoming years.

This article didn't surprise me one bit. I'm actually kind of surprised that even 30% of adults ate the right amount of fruits or vegetables. Our whole country is more interested in eating fatty foods, especially from fast food restaurants. It's about time we start recognizing that we need to make some changes. I know that eating healthy is a struggle for me too and I think it should be promoted much more than it is. Instead of constantly watching commercials about greasy burgers and fries, maybe we need to be seeing things about healthy fruits and vegetables.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39096775/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

2 dead in Texas Panhandle pipline explosion

On Tuesday last week a natural gas pipeline exploded and killed 2 construction workers in Texas. After being notified about the explosions, fire trucks from all over came to help. While the 5 construction people were working, their bulldozer struck the pipeline. Besides the 2 that died, 2 escaped without bad injuries, and the other was taken to a hospital in Oklahoma City. About 3 hours after the pipe exploded, there was a black patch of grass land. This patch was hundreds of feet in diameter. This is a huge environmental concern and a devastating event.

I keep hearing more and more about oil spills in the south. It's terrible that now people are dying from it. Also though, I think that the workers should have been extremely careful when working with their machinery. It was pretty much their own fault that the pipe exploded. While I do feel incredibly sorry for them, it's important to stress that it could have been avoided. We need to be careful while working with any dangerous substance like that. Now only will the families of those who died be affected, but the whole area will be too. The animals living there could die. Many plants could die too. We need to take care of our land as much as possible by finding ways to prevent and stop this from happening.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/08/texas.pipeline.explosion/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Children's quality of life declining, says report

For the first time in 20 years, 21 percent of children will be living below the poverty line this year. This study was done by the Foundation for Child Development. 8 things that the study is based on is the child's economic well-being, how safe or risky they are, relationships, emotional and spiritual well-being, community involvement, education, and health. Even though those aspects are low now, they're predicted to increase as time goes on. A huge reason is the recession our country is in. 15.6 millions children are going to live in poverty this year. Right now, there's about 500,000 kids that are homeless. However, there are some things a family can do to ensure their child lives a healthy and safe life. They can increase family routines. This could mean going on walks or just eating supper together. If something isn't done, there could be effects in the kid's future.

I think that this is something that definitely needs to be noticed. When a couple has a child, they are completely responsible for that person's life. It's their job to make sure they grow up safe and secure. With our economy the way it is now, more than ever it's important for parents to do all they can to make sure it doesn't affect their children in a negative way. The examples the website listed are all good ideas. Some other good ideas to try would be family game night or movie night or going to church together. If every family tried to do this, they may not be able to stop a recession, but their lives will be much much happier.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/08/children.wellbeing/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Mississippi man faces sixth capital murder trial in 1996 shootings

Curtis Flowers is believed to be the only person to be tried six times on the same murder charges. Prosecuters are hoping that this will be his last trial. The murder happened in 1996 inside of a furniture store in downtown Winona, Mississippi. The owner and 3 employees were shot in the head that day. The population has declined in the past 14 years since that event. Since it was a small town, almost everyone living there had some connection to the victims who were shot. This man has been held in custody ever since for committing the murders. He has been sentenced to death 2 times. There isn't much evidence for the murder. There isn't any DNA, no weapon has been found, and all the eyewitness stories conflict with each other. Curtis was a former employee there and it is said that he killed those people to get back at his former employer. The defense side is using race as a major issue. They're claiming that a white man wouldn't be tried for this case, but since Curtis is black, he's a suspect. Whatever the outcome ends up being, everyone is hoping that there is equal justice and no racial unfairness.

This seems to be a case that's being dragged out too long. He's already been tried 5 times for this murder. Since there isn't any clear evidence that blames him, how can he lose his life for it. I'm not saying he didn't commit this crime, but I am saying that according to our justice system, he's innocent until proven guilty. It's too bad that the whole town had to be affected by this. Even the population has gone down. They've also probably lost their sense of security in the town. I know I would be more scared after that happened. I just hope that he isn't accused just solely on his race. That would be completely unfair and unjust, but hopefully it all works out and they can put this case to rest finally. 6 times is a bit too much. What makes them think that the 6th trial will all of a sudden change direction?
http://http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/06/curtis.flowers.trial/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Severe Weather rakes Midwest; 7 dead

Seven people were killed by dangerous weather in Ohio when storms struck on Saturday and early Sunday. The severe thunderstorms and tornadoes happened overnight. That's one of the reasons why so many died. All of the deaths occurred in Wood County. One of the deaths was a 5 year old. Even 11 people were injured in Michigan. 10 of those people were taken to hospitals by an ambulance, and one had to be flown in a helicopter. Illinois was also affected by this weather. 50 people were hurt and 17 needed to be taken to hospitals. Despite these bad things, 500 people staying at a resort were safely evacuated to a middle school. The tornado was recorded as an F2. Its winds were between 113 and 157 miles per hour. Approximately 30 homes were damaged. Severe weather is predicted to continue in some of the areas.

I remember I used to always get a thrill from scary storms, but now it's easy to realize how truly terrifying they can be. We've been lucky in Alexandria to not be hit with a storm this severe. At least in my lifetime. I think it's important to realize that it is a very serious thing. We should continue teaching kids safe storm skills, so that if we are hit with a storm, even the children know what to do. I know we do drills in school and that's good, but also explaining what to do when you're at home would be wise. Then we'll be able to prevent more deaths from happening. I'll remember those who were affected by this scary storm. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/06/midwest.storms/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Dozens killed in Jamaican violence

There are at least 27 people dead in Kingston, Jamaica from a drug bust on a suspected drug lord. His name is Christopher Coke and he was charged last year for illegally distributing marijuana, cocaine, and firearms in the United States. Security forces took such strong action to get rid of this problem. However, in his own country, Coke appears to be somewhat of a hero. He has helped the community by handing out food, sending children to school and building medical centers. Some people are questioning whether or not he needed to be busted. 26 of the 27 dead were Jamaican civilians, and the other one person was a Jamaican Defense Force member. Most of the people killed were males is what the government recently reported. Some citizens of Jamaica think this deal should have been handled by the Jamaican government, not the United States' government. One man said Jamaica is falling so far that they can't use the kind of help that the United States provided for this; it just doesn't have the right effects.

When I was reading this article, I couldn't help but think about the last homework assignment I did for this class. It was all about situations like this. Christopher Coke may be a drug lord, but since he's using all that money he makes to help this poor country, should he be arrested or not? That's a tough question I think, especially in a country like Jamaica. They don't have the wealth that many countries have, so when a rich man offers his money to help the community, why wouldn't they accept it? Since all he's done in America is illegally distribute drugs, then I guess we have a different outlook on us. To us he is just a man who is breaking the law. Many people there, however, viewed him as this big hero. The article even said that some people relate him to Jesus. What effect will getting rid of this figure have on the people living there? Hopefully we didn't make a mistake by doing this. I understand we were just trying to get rid of a possibly dangerous person. It's just extremely unfortunate that 26 people had to die in the process. There should have been a more thought out method to capture him, one that didn't result in the death of 27 Jamaicans. Maybe next time we'll consider that when we need to get rid of a drug lord.
http://http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/25/jamaica/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Does the oil spill put seafood restaurants at risk?

Restaurant owners in Louisiana are concerned about seafood ever since the oil spill. Seafood is very popular there, they're worried about the quality, availability, and price of the food now that the oil spill occurred. Professionals say it's too early to determine what harm the oil spill has done, but that hasn't kept people from worrying about it. Depending on the season, about 40% of our country's seafood sold in restaurants are from the Gulf Coast area. That's why there's restaurants even from other places of the United States concerned about the seafood there. It will be a difficult time for Louisiana to lose the income they make from seafood with the recession. Each year they make about $2.4 billion dollars from seafood, and summer is the prime money-making time with it. No restaurants have been affected directly from the spill yet, but this concern will definitely need to be watched.

I've been hearing about the oil spill time and time again this week, but I never considered the affect it will have on the economy. I have mostly heard about the dangerous ecological threats that are spreading. An oil spill anywhere is a terrible thing, but one of this capacity is absolutely horrendous. Our whole country depends on the seafood there. Restaurants across the country may order their seafood from that area. This could cause declines in many different places. Since we're in a recession, we need to recognize this and figure out a solution, and fast. We need to think of the chain effect this spill will have not only one nature, but also on everyone.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/05/oil.spill.seafood.restaurants/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Immigration law polarizes Arizonans

Recently a bill has been passed in Arizona making it legal for local law enforcement officials to ask suspected illegal immigrants to see proper identification. This sounds like a good idea to track down illegal immigrants, but it's upsetting to the Hispanic population that lives there. Mejia is a Hispanic girl who feels that she constantly needs to carry her identification wherever she goes because she's scared of being stopped and accused by the police. Protests have been being held there against the bill, stating that it's discriminatory and unconstitutional. They claim that the immigration problem is supposed to be covered by the federal government with the immigration reform. Since they have failed to administer things, the state shouldn't take matters into their own hands. However some people support the bill. They say it will help lower violence and also track down illegal immigrants.

I think it's a good idea overall; we do need to track down people who are living in our country illegally, but it's very unfair. The police are allowed to stop anyone they believe may be illegal immigrants and question them and ask for identification. This would be a huge hassle for those people who are actually legal. Also, it's being very discriminatory towards those who are stopped. The only way the police can judge if a person is legal or illegal is by looking at their appearance. These people deserve equal respect and equal rights. I think they need to think of a way to track down illegal immigrants without belittling the Hispanic population.http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/24/arizona.immigration.reaction/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

9 bodies remain in West Virginia mine; recovery effort under way

Recovery crews were sent into a coal mine in West Virginia that had recently exploded. They were looking for the 9 bodies that were still in the mine. It's been predicted that those bodies would be recovered at about 4 or 5 p.m today. Obama has pushed an investigation to find the cause of the explosion, but they can't do very extensive studies until all the bodies have been removed. In the mean time, the American flag will be lowered half way at all federal buildings in West Virginia to honor the victims. This has been the worst mine explosion since 1971. 91 minors died in that tragedy and so far 25 have died in this one. The mine hasn't had problems like this before. It's a rather safe place in relation to other mines in our country. Many of the victims work with flammable substances, including coal dust and methane gas. They predict this as a possible cause. The governor of West Virginia has claimed that there needs to be better ventilation in their mines and insert sensors that can prevent gas levels from becoming dangerous. People are going to continue to do all they can to get to the bottom of this.

It seems that mines are much safer than they used to be, but this incident proves to us that they are still very dangerous places to work in. I think the government is reacting to this very positively. Many of the leaders will take action after finding out the cause, I believe. We all need to keep this in the back of our minds and give them our support. We also need to use whatever caused this as a way to prevent this from happening in any other mines in our country. This can be a learning experience for us and hopefully impact us positively in the long run.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/12/west.virginia.mine/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Armed robbers raid Swiss casino

Early on Sunday morning, a casino in Switzerland was robbed by 10 men with pistols and machine guns. They were dressed in all black, spoke French, and had French license plates. They had split into 2 groups. One group tried to break into a vault on the lower level. They couldn't get in so instead they robbed a cashier working down there. The second group went to the upper level and robbed cashiers working the roulette and blackjack tables. After they stole the money they fled to France. None of the 600 people at the casino were seriously injured. Only one person was kicked by one of the robbers. Swiss and French authorities are working together to try and find out who is guilty of this crime.

This article reminded me of Oceans 11. Although that movie was very different, the casino robbing plot was similar. In the movie I was cheering for the thieves, but not in this case. I hope that the authorities will be able to find out who did this. The money needs to be returned to the casino and the robbers need to be punished. Even though I'm not allowed to gamble in casinos yet, I still hope that they would be a safe place. If I ever do choose to visit a casino, I know that I won't want to worry about armed robbers. That would be a very scary thing and hopefully not many people will ever need to experience that.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/28/switzerland.casino.robbery/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Gates eases ban on gays in the military

Robert Gates, the defense secretary, announced that the Pentagon will be less strict about prohibiting homosexuals from serving in the military. There was a "don't ask, don't tell" policy which completely banned homosexuals from serving for our country. This policy has been around for 17 years. It was first implemented in 1993. President Obama and other officials are in favor of discarding this law. Beginning to make this change will take about a year. Another change they're going to make is deciding what's the correct amount of information needed before they research someone's homosexual behavior. This will take about 30 days to be in effect.
Some military members believe that these new changes will disrupt the attitude in a unit and cause problems.

I personally believe that homosexuals shouldn't definitely be allowed in the military. Why not? Their personal life shouldn't interfere with the fact that they want to fight for our country. We need to embrace the fact that these people are willing to give up their lives for our safety. Their relationships shouldn't affect this and they shouldn't be denied anything. This sounds like discrimination to me, and I feel sorry for any homosexuals who weren't allowed to follow the military path they wanted to. The old law is completely unfair. I'm glad that they're becoming more reasonable about it now, but it's still not all the way there yet. There are still restrictions that shouldn't be there. Let these people fight for us and let them make their own personal decisions.http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/military.gays/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Judge sends Alabama university shooting case to grand jury

Amy Bishop, a former professor at the University of Alabama, is being taken to court for possibly killing 3 of her coworkers. On February 12th a biology faculty meeting was being held in Huntsville campus at the University. She's accused of shooting 3 and wounding 3 others. There is a lot of evidence that is pointing to Amy. Witnesses told police that she did it and there was also a gun found in the women's bathroom covered with blood and a woman's jacket on top. The jacket belonged to Amy. The gun also belonged to her husband's friend who claims he bought the gun for her husband. She also has a history of legal problems. 8 years ago at a restaurant she hit a woman because she took the last booster seat. Then her brother was shot in 1986 and Amy claimed it was an accident. Finally, both her and her husband were questioned for attempting a mail bombing of a Harvard Medical School professor in 1993. This is also evidence that she has had problems with the law. She's denying this murder case and keeps saying she wasn't there and she didn't do it.



This is a really shocking story. Considering her criminal past, I'm surprised that a school would hire her. I guess we don't know yet if she's guilty or not, but after reading this article, it sounds like she is. All the evidence is pointing to her. Maybe she's denying this murder just like she may have denied the murder of her brother. This woman seems like she has her share of problems and I really hope that proper action is taken place if she's found guilty. We need to be safe, and especially schools need to be safe. Hopefully they'll look more closely at a teacher's criminal record before hiring them. That's something we need to be aware of. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/23/alabama.amy.bishop.hearing/index.html?iref=allsearch

Sweat lodge deaths ruled accidental

Three deaths that occurred in October of 2009 were ruled accidental by their autopsy results. They all attended a sweat lodge ceremony with James Arthur Ray, a best-selling author. The sweat lodge consisted of tarps and blankets being assembled into a dome shape with water and hot rocks to create the steam. James Shore, who is only 40 years old, died from a heat stroke caused by the steam. 38 year old Kirby Brown died the same way. Lizbeth Neuman organs failed due to this event and caused her to die at only age 49. Along with these 3 deaths were 20 others who became sick. The author pleaded not guilty for killing these people. His lawyers claim he tried to prevent anythings like this from happening by having many nurses and medical professionals at the site. It's been decided that this was all an accident.

I've never heard of sweat house ceremonies taking place before, so that was new to me. I'm surprised those are even in effect. I think when it reaches a point that people are dying or becoming ill, that limits need to be set. The 3 people who died were all very young. None of them were even 50! While I do believe that James Arthur Ray may not have purposefully murdered these people, I hope that he'll either eliminate these sweat lodges or hold proper precautions with it. It has proven to be a very dangerous act and therefore shouldn't be taken lightly. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/17/arizona.sweat.lodge.deaths/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Avalanche in Canada kills 2, injures 30

On Saturday, March 13th there was a snowmobile competition in western Canada called the "Big Iron Shoot Out". The event was taking place on a mountain in British Columbia when an avalanche hit. Emergency crews used many resources such as canine units to search for survivors. They came to conclude that two people were killed. About thirty were injured from the avalanche as well.

It's always hard to read such tragic stories like this one. I feel sad for those who were killed, and for the friends and families of those two people. If only the avalanche would have hit before or after the competition, nobody would have lost their life. Avalanches appear to be very unpredictable, but I wish there was a way that we could have prevented this from happening. I'm glad emergency crews did all they could in the situation. Hopefully nobody was missed and everybody was found. I'll remember to keep this event in my thoughts and not forget how lucky I am that this won't happen in a place like Minnesota.http://http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/14/canada.avalanche/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Police: Couple nurtured virtual child while real baby starved

In Seoul, South Korea, a couple was arrested for the death of their 3 month old daughter. She starved to death because the couple became obsessed with raising a virtual child on a game on the Internet. The father apoligized for what happened, but neither of the parents have been identified. South Korea has one of the world's fastest broadband networks. The couple turned to this after they lost their jobs. It was an escape from reality for them because since they were under severe stress, they wanted to get away from it.

This is one of the sickest things I've read lately. I can't believe that a couple would leave their baby to starve to death as they played video games. It's their duty as an adult and also as a parent, to be responsible and care for their child. Most of the time we hear about kids and teenagers getting too caught up in the internet, but reality is that it affects everyone. This story proves just that. Adults are being phased by this new technology too. That's not the only thing I believe went on with the parents though. They seemed to have poor emotional health if they had just lost their jobs and thought that internet games would allow all their troubles to disappear. I think maybe it would be a good idea for them to see a psychologist. They may not be terrible people, but what they did was basically murder and there will be consequences for them I would hope. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/south.korea.baby.dead/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

"All teachers fired at Rhode Island school"

Recently Central Falls High School, a school in Rhode Island, chose to fire all of their teachers and administration working there. The school is located in a poverty-ridden area; the average community income is $22,000 per year. Half the students were failing every class. Needless to say, the school was struggling. The superintendent had been asking teachers to put in extra time to help boost test scores, which teachers had been abiding by. This would include extra time after school, during summer break, and a longer school day. Since that wasn't boosting test scores enough, the decision was made to cut their jobs. There are a couple ways that schools try to turn things around. One is called transformation and the other is the turnaround model. Central Falls tried the transformation and not much was improved, so they are attempting the turnaround model. Teachers feel upset because they had done all they had asked and got fired. The superintendent claims that about 50% of those teachers will have a chance to get their job back when they begin hiring again. They want a fresh staff that can hopefully make the needed changes to this school.

I personally feel really sorry for all of these teachers who lost their jobs. It sounds a little bit unfair. They responded to resquests by the superintendent for many years, giving up their time and doing much of that for little or no pay at all. This school is just located in an area that there's little hope for high test scores. These teachers should be considered heroes for their hard work and their concern for their students. I admire them because not everyone would like to give up so much time for helping people that some consider hopeless. What will the teachers do when they lose their jobs? The area the school is in is already poverty stricken enough. They don't need more people without work. I also feel sorry for the students. Maybe their families don't offer support or don't believe school is very important. That's a shame for their future. Kids have so much potential and now it's like school has given up on them too. I hope that change will happen in this area of our country and that more fortunate people will think of this school as we try to make changes in our own community. I believe that a new high school needs to be built in
Alexandria. We have a great staff and great students that would all benefit from it. I think we can think of our own community and what we can do for its education after reading this article.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/24/rhode.island.teachers/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Navy joins effort to reach hiker in Mount St. Helens crater

Bohlig, an experienced hiker, fell into Mount St. Helens volcano while on a hiking trip. He fell nearly 1,500 feet into the crater. The U.S. Navy is now trying to help save him, but that's been unsuccessful due to bad weather. There's strong winds and lots of snow, causing low visibility to the medics and helicopters.They're unsure about his condition, but from past experiences similar to this one, things aren't looking good. He fell very far without much insulation, and he doesn't have many supplies or equipment down there. However, some pilots believe they saw him moving his head from side to side. That's why they will continue the rescue, hoping that Bohlig is still alive.

This was a surprising article to me. I was unaware that this had happened, and it causes me to feel very sad for this man. He had hiked to Mount St. Helens about 60 times before, but probably didn't expect this to happen to him. Since he had made the trip many times before, it most likely didn't cross his mind that he would fall into the volcano. That can be true for many things. Like when a sports team earns a consecutive number of wins. They can feel like they can't be beat and forget about that chance that it's always possible. I hope that somehow Bohlig can make it through this hardship and that the navy will have the patience with the weather to continue their strive for rescuing him. I also hope that this will be a wake up call to all people interested in particularly dangerous travels like that.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/16/washington.hiker.volcano/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

'Perfect Storm' of calamity, quake expert says

Reginald DesRouches is a civil engineering expert who will be traveling to Haiti to work with the many destroyed or damaged buildings there. He was born in Haiti and still has many family members living there, so this is a very important trip for him. He lost an uncle from the storm. Reginald and his team of experts will be tagging buildings according to their level of sustainability. Red tag means unsafe, green is safe, and yellow means something in between. These tags will help decide what to do with the many destroyed buildings and allow builders to start from scratch when they reach construction phase. There were many personal feelings for DesRouches because of his many family ties there and he's proud to offer his service. He looks at this terrible happening as a way for Haiti to hopefully start from scratch and build a stronger nation.


I was very inspired while reading this article. Reginald DesRouches is an extremely brave and giving man in my eyes. This terrible storm has touched each of our lives in a different way, but imagine having close family members living in a place where a hurricane just hit. It was so much more personal for him than it could ever be for me. He lost an uncle and was probably worried about many of the other close people in his life. Going to Haiti to witness all the pain and disaster shows how brave he is. It's going to be difficult to witness everything that's going on there, but we need more people like Reginald DesRouches to offer their time and services. We were all given different gifts; For Reginald, it was civic engineering. He's an expert on this. I only wish that I, along with many of us, could recognize our talents and use them in a way to help the situation in Haiti. I made a comment on Krista's blog( http://earlyushistory8.blogspot.com/) talking about the t-shirt sales going on in our school now. What a great way for each of us to get involved with this! At the end of this article Des Rouches stated: "I think this earthquake, unfortunately, provides the opportunity to start from scratch and make it a much better, more resilient place." How true! We've all heard the saying, "When one door closes, another opens". This is a perfect chance to show this. I've definitely learned a lot upon reading this article and hope you can reflect on it too. http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/20/quake.expert/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29