Catherine+Rolland

Catherine Rolland

__June 20, 2011__
 * International-** Palestine and Israel planned to hold a meeting to establish a peace between the two disputing factions in Cairo, Egypt. The president of Palestine Authority,Mahmoud Abbas, wanted to reach a peace treaty with Khaled Meshal, the leader of the opposing faction, to unite Palestine in order to obtain recognition of statehood by the United Nations. The main problem stems from Prime Minister Fayyad. Palestine Authority hopes to keep Fayyad in place, while the Meshel and the Fatah faction call Fayyad a criminal. The United States recognizes Palestine Authority and financially assists that organization. Plans for another peace meeting are in discussion. In my opinion, both factions should come to an agreement in which Primse Minister Fayyad continues to hold his prime minister position to placate the Palestine Authority faction, but his power should be reduced to keep the Fatah faction happy.

Bronner, Ethan. "Divided on Premier, Palestinians Cancel Meeting." The New York Times 19 June 2011. Print


 * National-** Thousands of people have recently applied for benefits for the unemployed. Numbers of those who are jobless increased dramatically from 9,000 to 400,000. The lack of employment reflected in those numbers shows a slow economy that does not seem to be improving. Another sign of the slow economy of the US is the decreasing amount of house purchases. The prices of properties and homes are continually decreasing. Both unemployment and the stagnant house market reflect the trouble in the US economy. I think that more public works programs should be put into place in order to increase employment and get the economy flowing again, which will eventually lead to more money that could be put into the house market.

"Jobless Claims and Home Sales Reflect Slowdown in Economy." //New York Times//. Bloomberg News, 23 June 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** The budget office warns that the amount of debt the US has right now could lead to a huge crisis if action isn't taken to decrease the national debt. Vice President Joe Biden suggests that over $2 trillion dollars is assumed. The budget office worries that because the debt is so high, investors might stop wanting to invest US products. Other politicians say that tax increases and spending cuts are necessary to restore faith in US investments. If changes are not made regarding the national debt, it will skyrocket from 69% to 109% by 2023. It worries me that because the debt level is so high, investors might stop investing in US products. At this point the US budget office should do everything they can to keep the national debt low.

"Budget Office Warns About Debt." //The New York Times//. The Associated Press, 22 June 2011. Web.

__June 27, 2011__
 * International-** Violence in Uganda broke out recently. This violence was caused by one man, Kizza Besigye, the former best friend of the President of Uganda,Yoweri Museveni. Besigye has held demonstrations and caused other politicians to fight Museveni for the presidency. The grounds of Besigye's dissent spring from alleged corruption of Musevni and his followers, as well as rising prices. To suppress the dissenters, the president imprisoned, killed or used tear gas against all who openly went against the government. Besigye is being punished heavily by the court system because his raid against the government is not just political, but also a personal attack against the president himself. Because Besigye's attack is an unarmed one, Museveni and his advisors are unsure of how to handle it. I think it's interesting that Museveni's former best friend is the one man who started this violent raid against the goverment. Museveni should stop trying to suppress Besigye with violence.

Kron, Josh. "In Uganda, a Bitter Rivalry Is Played Out on the National Stage." //New York Times//. 27 June 2011. Web.


 * National-** Recently, President Obama promised to pull American troops out of the Middle East. Many returning veterans find it difficult to gain employment. A law dating back to the post-Vietnam war era was put into place to create contracts with businesses that require them to hire veterans. However, the law is not heavily enforced, leaving thousands of veterans, some of them handicapped, without any source of work. Veterans serving after 9/11 have a much harder experience finding employment over non-veterans or older veterans. This is because some industries that used to hire veterans have shut down or decreased in size. The new law enforcing the post-Vietnam war law also requires companies to keep better records about how many veterans they hire. The OFCCP, which is the organization responsible for enforcing the veteran employment law, is working on becoming more active. It's important that the OFCCP works harder to force companies to seek out veterans to hire. With the thousands of troops returning to the US from the Middle East, many jobs will be needed. If these veterans cannot find work the unemployment level will drop even lower than it already is, which hurts our economy.

Timmons, Heather. "Groups Say Changes to Labor Law Won%u2019t Do Enough for Veterans." //New York Times// 27 June 2011. Web.


 * ‍Economy-** In President Obama's recent news conference, he shared his plans to fix the economic depression the US is currently in. He urged Americans to accept higher taxes in order to help pay off the deficit. Obama agreed to cut spending for certain programs as well as stop giving tax breaks to specific corporations, such as the oil industry. Obama also indirectly blames the Republican party for not cooperating because Republican leaders are unwilling to accept the increase in tax rates. In return for Republican cooperation, Obama offered reduced payroll taxes and loans for road and bridge building services. Republicans, however, refuse to budge and will not accept a tax increase. Personally, I think a compromise must be made. Republicans must agree to a tax increase to help fix the economy. ‍

Landler, Mark. "In Deficit Plan, Taxes Must Rise, President Warns." //New York Times//. 29 June 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Khanh's Story about Michigan's Ban-**I'm surprised to hear that the ban was not supported. I think that students should be admitted to schools based on their academics, extracurriculars and test scores. Just because a student is of a certain race should not give them an advantage or disadvantage against other applicants with the same test scores.

__July 4, 2011__
 * International-** Several decades ago, after the Communists came to power in China, the Chinese broke away from the Catholic Church. Over the years, which were full of mistrust and confusion, the two groups have tried to come back together peacefully. However, recently Chinese bishop Rev. Paul Lei Shiyin was publicly excommunicated because representatives from the Vatican deemed him unfit for the role as a bishop. If the pope views a bishop as unfit or corrupt, that bishop is automatically excommunicated. So by publicly announcing that Shiyin was excommunicated, further tensions ensued. Both the pope and Chinese spokespeople think that this public criticism will create a negative impact on the already unsteady relationship between the Vatican and the Chinese. Personally, I think the pope should have declared the reasons why this bishop was unfit for the job, or should have excommunicated him privately like he does with other bishops.

Jacobs, Andrew. "Vatican Condemnation of New Chinese Bishop Worsens Tensions."//New York Times.// 8 July 2011. Web.


 * National-** In California, several school districts, mainly in the Bay area, have started using methods of restraint and seclusion to stop an unruly child from acting out. Restraint used in this situations involves physically confining a child so he or she cannot move. Seclusion is placing a child, against his or her will, into a room alone. Faculty and staff of these schools are trained through outside companies that specialize in restricting children with severe behavior issues or mental challenges. The leaders of these companies got their ideas of restraint and seclusion by previously working in mental hospitals and using these tactics with the patients. Schools say the reason this is necessary is because school size is growing and teachers are losing control of their classrooms. California law states that the use of restraint is called for only when the child becomes a threat to himself/herself or others. It is an act of "emergency intervention." The law also calls for a specialized training from a company that specifically deals with restraining children with behavioral problems. However, the state does not give any standards for these outside training companies. Several groups in California are working to end the use of restraint against children. Experts say that children often are traumatized by this experience and some have died as a result of restraint. I think that using force as a way to help children's behavioral problems can be necessary at times, but at other times seems completely irrational. When the child presents a danger to himself or others, I think that the child must be restrained in a way that does not include violence or the use of pepper spray, which some schools use. Children who require restraint and seclusion deserve to be treated by a therapist to not only "restrain" their mental issues, but the help them.

Gollan, Jennifer. "Questions Are Raised on Restraint Training." //New York Times//. 7 July 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** Although many politicians and national leaders talk of a better economy in the near future, the number of unemployed Americans is actually increasing. Roughly 14 million Americans have lost their jobs along with their hope for finding a new job. The reason why politicians don't seem particularly concerned is because even though 14 million Americans are unemployed, the rest of the American population is employed. The employed Americans make up about 90% of the population. Another reason politicians are not voting for laws that aid unemployed Americans is because unemployment leads to a sense of shame, not united political groups. Many of the unemployed don't work toward bettering their own conditions. Those who do work in unions to help their conditions simply don't have the resources or funds to make a substantial difference. In fact, most groups that work to decrease the number of unemployed Americans work through social networking sites on the Internet. Personally, I understand that there are large amounts of unemployed Americans and that must change. However, I think that the unemployed need to band together and find a concrete plan to offer to their governments that provides a promising plan. As previously seen, politicians aren't going to work too hard on this because almost 90% of Americans have jobs. I think it's up to the unemployed to come up with a plan.

Rampell, Catherine. "Somehow, the Unemployed Became Invisible." //New York Times// 9 July 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Danielle's Sudan Story-** I'm glad that the two factions of Sudan were able to peacefully unite again. However, I think careful compromise is necessary to maintain the state of this fragile country. Because oil is an issue, an objective, outside source should help mediate any issues pertaining to oil.

__July 11, 2011__
 * International-** The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, recently announced that he would withdraw a quarter of his troops remaining in Afghanistan by the end of 2012. This news caused an Afghani suicide bomber to target five French soldiers. These soldiers were standing outside of a NATO meeting where officials discussed possible improvements on Afghanistan's roads, bridges, and dams. The attack caused a new sense of urgency among French people to pull out more troops faster. This bombing is the worst attack on the French military since 2008. In my opinion, President Sarkozy made the correct decision by withdrawing troops. The withdrawal of troops shows that Afghanistan is one step closer to independence. Also, I think that any form of violence just to prove a point is unnecessary and devastating.

Healy, Jack. "Suicide Bomber Kills 5 French Soldiers in Afghanistan." //New York Times//. 13 July 2011. Web.


 * ‍National-** All across the nation, farmers are facing extreme heat conditions with high winds, which are clearly not ideal for growth. Over fourteen states are struggling due to the weather. The currents conditions are even said to be worse than the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Many farmers don't have enough money to upkeep with the increased amount of irrigation necessary to grow crops. Ranchers are forced to sell their cattle because they can't feed them. These states effected by the heat are declared areas of natural disaster. The heat causes wildfires to sprout up, even further damaging land. This goes down as one of the the worst droughts in history mainly because the temperatures are so high and this heat wave came extra early and has lasted throughout the summer. This drought has cost several states' budgets millions of dollars in federal aid to farmers and ranchers. However, many states don't have the necessary resources to aid farmers because of the condition of the economy. Overall the drought will cause a shrinkage of cattle, low water levels in rivers and lakes, a decrease in the amount of certain freshwater fish, as well as an increase in prices of farm goods. I personally think that governments need to redistribute their funds in order to help the drought situation. Though I understand that the drought is a natural disaster, it impacts nearly everyone. For that reason alone, the government needs to intervene and assist farmers nationwide. ‍

Severson, Kim, and Kirk Johnson. "Drought Spreads Pain From Florida to Arizona."//New York Times//. 11 July 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** Chinese economic officials express their doubts and concerns over America's lack of action regarding the increasing US debt. China is one of America's leading investors who want to see immediate change in the way the American government is handling this situation. The debt limit must be raised in order to not default on daily bills. Several experts say that a "financial calamity" will occur unless Obama and the Republicans come to a compromise regarding debt. Chinese officials hope that Americans will work out a compromise as well, because China has invested over $1 trillion in American goods. I also agree because if Obama and the Republican Party can't come up with a solution that they both agree on, the financial situation will continually worsen. If that does happen, unemployment will increase, the housing market will be even worse off, and the country will be in a greater debt than before.

Wassener, Bettina, and Matthew Saltmarsh. "China Urges U.S. to Protect Creditors by Raising Debt." //New York Times//. 14 July 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Emily's NASA story-** I was surprised to hear about NASA struggling to find new ideas for the future. I do think that NASA must be cautious in choosing their next challenge because of the economic condition of our country today. Also, I think because the field of math and science does have a harder time finding interest in being engineers or scientists, NASA might continue to struggle finding employees.

__July 18, 2011__
 * International-** Anti-government protesters were killed for their beliefs. At their funeral, Syrian government security opened fire on those attending the funeral. As soon as shots were fired, attendees of the funeral ran for cover to their cars, behind buildings or in the mosque. An army tank ran over several cars that had people hiding inside of them. After some of the funeral attendees were killed, government forces threw their bodies into a deserted area. In my opinion, even if the protesters are viewed as dangerous, the Syrian government has no right to invade a funeral and kill people. Also, because each person has the right to a proper burial, the Syrian attackers showed a lack of humanity by throwing their bodies into the desert.

Bakri, Nada. "At Funerals for Protesters, More Syrians Are Fatally Shot." //New York Times//. 19 July 2011. Web.


 * ‍National-** Growing suspicion about a Atlanta public schools cheating on state tests caused the governor of Georgia to conduct an investigation. He hired three men to go around to different Atlanta schools and see if people would confess to the cheating. Initially, everyone kept quiet. However, soon enough a few people at a time came forward to confess about the scandal. Teachers and principals of schools in the Atlanta area faked test score reports to get them high enough to meet state standards. The reason why teachers did this was because of an intimidating supervisor named Beverly Hall. Hall often publicly embarrassed teachers whose students failed to reach their goals. Investigators believe that Hall knew what was going on the whole time, but covered it up in order to keep receiving additional performance bonuses by the state. All teachers and principals involved in this scandal were forced to resign or to face criminal charges by order of the governor of Georgia. Personally, I can't believe it took so long to figure out this scandal was occurring. I find it very hard to believe that one woman had the power to cause hundreds of state employees to risk their job and reputation just to meet state goals. ‍

Winerip, Michael. "Cracking a System in Which Test Scores Were for Changing." //New York Times//. 18 July 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** Recent interests over gold have caused the price to sky rocket. Prices of gold have been driven way up due to an increase of investors. Some politicians are advocating the return to the gold standard for the US economy. This sudden increase in the use of gold comes from the sense of protection people obtain from gold. There are also several dissenters of the return to gold because it has creates no money and causes money to be paid just to keep it. Because of the increasing American debt and a lack of trust in the American banking system, several experts believe that gold's popularity will continue to increase. In fact, some expect gold to gain power over the dollar. Although I think that gold does feel more secure to Americans, I don't think it will secede the dollar. Some radicals might believe that, but most Americans are conservative and won't trust the gold standard over the American dollar.

Sommer, Jeff. "In a Gold Lovefest, Shades of 1980." //New York Times//. 23 July 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Katherine's Story on Drug Traffickers-** I was very surprised to read that such large amounts of drugs could still be smuggled throughout airports even with the high amount of security we have today. I also agree with Katherine when she says that it's great to have ended this one ring, but seeing how easily huge amounts of drugs could be trafficked into our country, I think something more needs to be done in order to end this problem altogether.

__July 25, 2011__
 * International-** The TSA has recently discovered that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) distributed licenses to 27 people who have ties to terrorist groups. After a few instances in the 80's involving terrorist plane bombers who held FAA licenses, the US Department of Homeland Security wanted to investigate all who were issued licenses. Surprisingly, the FAA only has a small percentage of those with license's social security number. This means that pilots may have potentially given false information about their identity. However, as a small relief, many license holders were actually deceased, which is why their social security numbers did not show up on records. The FAA and Homeland Security continue to work on making sure everyone with an aviation license is not a dangerous individual. I think it's scary that many license holders could have lied about their identity. I also find it disturbing that TSA makes travelers go through extensive security checks while those actually flying our planes could be linked to terrorist groups.

Wald, Matthew. "27 Deemed to Be Threats Held Aviation Licenses." //New York Times//. 28 July 2011. Web.


 * National-** Water banking, which is when water holders store water in underground reservoirs for the future, are being heavily used in the west. Local water companies have filed a lawsuit against these major owners of water banks claiming that these huge withdrawals of water cause geological damages. However, the majority agrees that water banking is beneficial because it is a strategic way to manage the water supply over the course of a year. Farmers and city groups have the right to remove a certain amount of water. The reason why water banking has spread is because of the condition of the economy, many farmers stopped planting different crops for each season, but instead rely one a few major permanent crops. Arguments against water banking stem from those involved with water wells because it's causing the wells to dry up. I think water banking is efficient despite the harm it causes to the environment. Because of the extreme heat that's been so widespread this summer, it's necessary to have a back-up supply of water in long droughts. I think that someone needs to come up with several ideas to make water banking more environmentally friendly.

Barringer, Felicity. "Storing Water for a Dry Day Leads to Suits." //New York Times//. 26 July 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** Many financial advisers say that the federal budget crisis could lead to increased interest rates, missed social security bills, and cuts in government programs. The main consequence is that the country's credit will decrease. Even though all of these things are effecting the US, the rest of the world seems to be in similar situations financially. Stocks and bonds may rise and fall for a period of time, but once a plan is put into action, the prices of these will return to normal. Interest rates on home loans and credit cards will increase for a period. Home equity credit lines are expected to remain the same during this economic crisis. Because student loans rely on the Treasury to raise money to fund them, the credit on them could also increase. Advisors encourage citizens to contact their legislators regarding this situation. Personally, it worries me that so many outcomes result from the budget crisis. It's necessary for an effective plan to be enacted immediately so that all of these increases in rates don't happen.

Bernard, Tara S. "How a Debt Downgrade May Affect Consumers." //New York Times//. 26 July 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Danielle's "No Child Left Behind" Story-** I think it's positive that so many teachers gathered together to fight for something that each child deserves. However, I do think the protestors are a little harsh by saying Obama has "betrayed them." Although Obama did agree to change the ineffective law, the nation does have greater issues to worry about, such as the national debt crisis. However unfair it may be, small education laws must be put on the backburner during economic times like these.

__August 1, 2011__
 * International-** Mother Maria del Socorro Maldonado tells the story of Mexican marines barging into her home taking her son Rene because of suspicions that he was involved in the drug war. Maria has no idea where the marines took her son. They are suspicious of Rene because he works as a taxi driver, and many taxi drivers are used as drug mules. Rene claims that he had no part in the transfer of drugs and always reported gang activity. Maria, along with hundreds of other Mexicans, complain that even though the marines are used to end illegal drug and gang activity, their extreme measures of doing so has caused in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. The US and other international organizations have also noticed this and have condemned Mexican military groups for their abuse of power. A Mexican court case ruled that cases regarding rape, kidnapping and torture belong in civilian court and the military does not have a right to intervene so closely. However, the civilian court cases don't have much of a different outcome than the military cases. In fact, Mexican leaders question the majority of the complaints about human rights. Human rights activists continue to fight for the end of the disappearance of young men throughout the country and the murder of innocent people. To cause even more confusion, gang members often steal military gear and murder innocent people as well. Personally, I think a greater force needs to intervene and effectively end the detainment and ultimate disappearance of supposed innocent people. There needs to be a better way for the military to investigate suspects who may be involved in the drug war without killing the suspect.

Archibold, Randal C. "Rights Groups Contend Mexican Military Has Heavy Hand in Drug Cases." //New York Times//. 2 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * National-** The state of Alabama has recently imposed a law in which a law enforcement officer stops a person over for a traffic violation, and that person is suspected of being an illegal immigrant, the officer has the right to detain and question that person. The law also declares providing shelter or transportation to an illegal immigrant is illegal. It also put into place a system of checking the immigration status of employees and students. However, the Justice Department filed a suit against this law saying that it conflicts with federal immigration laws. Other dissenters include Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist bishops on the grounds that it is our Christian duty to have compassion. In my opinion, I do think it's necessary to restrict illegal immigration. However, I don't think that just because someone "looks" illegal, they should be detained. After all, we are a country that believes in "innocent until proven guilty."

The Associated Press. "Justice Dept. Challenges Alabama Immigration Law." //New York Times//. 1 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** As Republicans in Congress continue to battle it out with President Obama, government programs are cut and a deficit measure reduction of $1.5 trillion was put into place. The only truly effective way to fix the debt crisis is by increasing revenue and changing the tax code. The tax code must be simplified and equalized among all Americans. Tax breaks must also reform to help not just the wealthy class, but the middle and lower classes as well. I think the Republicans in Congress and Obama must make a reasonable compromise that benefits the majority of Americans. Until then, more and more people will continue to lose jobs and struggle financially.

"The Truth About Taxes." //New York Times//. 6 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Julia's "Japan" Story-** I think that everyone needs to band together to get rid of the debris that is in the water. This debris is contaminating the water as well as the creatures that live in the water that are beneficial to Americans. Even though the US has limited funds to remove this debris, it's important that everyone gets together for this cause because it's not just effecting one country, it effects everyone.

__Week of August 8, 2011__
 * International-** Kim Hui-jong, a South Korean youth in the 1940's during the time of the Japanese colonization of Korea, was drafted into the Japanese army without consent. He received no military training and was forced to dig tunnels and ditches. He boarded a ship, with many other Koreans in a similar situation, and had to fight in the second world war. The U.S. captured Kim and kept him as a prisoner of war for two years. When the Japanese surrendered, Kim finally became free and headed back to his home in South Korea. Kim kept his war time activity a secret because he felt ashamed and embarrassed. In recent years, Kim found out that he was mistakenly placed in the list of Japanese war death tolls and his name is on Yasukuni shrine, which is shrine to executed war criminals. Kim sued the government of Japan and the shrine, asking for his name to be removed immediately. The priests in charge of the shrine said the name is irremovable. A judge sided with the priests by saying his name on the shrine is "a mistake and doesn't infringe upon his human rights." I'm disturbed that Kim was taken against his will to serve in a Japanese army, and through no fault of his own, had to suffer through two years of U.S. imprisonment. I'm also disturbed that Japan has such a shrine that lists the names of dead war criminals, especially that it lists the name of an alive, innocent man who was forced into the military.

Glionna, John M. "A South Korean's Unwanted War Legacy from Japan." //Los Angeles Times//. 14 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * National-** The Voting Acts Right of 1965 states that the Justice Department must control changes to election laws in the South or other areas where racial discrimination was, and still may be, prominent. The problem today is redistricting of an area in Texas and North Carolina might deny blacks and Hispanics their right to vote for the representative of their choice. New district lines were drawn by Republicans, and may still be rejected by Obama's administration, that could give the Republicans control of the House of Representatives or might help Democrats in their fight to win control back. In Texas, with the new district maps, Hispanics are highly unlikely to win any more seats in Congress. In North Carolina, a plan to "oust" white Democrats into other areas might occur. More African Americans were shifted into different districts that are currently represented by African American Democrats. The Justice Department is careful to intervene and hasn't made any final decisions yet. However, the Justice Department requires that the redistricting must show progress, not a reversal into the days that brought about the Voting Acts Right of 1965. In my opinion, the Justice Department needs to make a decision quickly regarding the redistricting because before long, all the states will come up with plans for changing the district lines.

Savage, David. "Justice Department Walks a Line on Political Redistricting." //Los Angeles Times//. 13 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** President Obama set out on a bus tour that's focusing heavily on the economy. However, Democrats urge the President to come up with ways to make jobs more available to Americans quickly. Obama has created a plan and presented it to Republicans in Congress. While Democrats and some Republicans agree with certain parts of Obama's plan, it won't be effective because the majority won't sign off on other parts of the plan regarding employment. Obama and his administration claim to be constantly brainstorming new ideas to jump start the economy again and improve employment. This doesn't seem to matter much to voters, as the president's approval rate has dropped down to an all time low at 39%. Obama's plan to increase employment is to rebuild roads, amend the patent system to increase the amount of American inventions, boost exports, increase unemployment benefits, and continuing the reduction of the payroll tax. Democrats argue that these plans aren't significant enough to make much of a difference. Even former supporters of Obama say that he has not done his part in aiding the poor of our nation. I don't think Obama should be trying to increase unemployment benefits. He plans to spend $40 million on these benefits. If he took that $40 million and spent it on new public works projects that created more jobs, it'd be put to much better use because then he's improving something (roads, bridges, canals, etc.), as well as lowering the rate of unemployment.

Nicolas, Peter. "Democrats Urge Obama to Be More Aggressive on Jobs." //Los Angeles Times//. 14 Aug. 2011. Web.
 * Reaction to Meghan's Story about Flash Mob Attacks-** I agree with Meghan. I think that the curfew laws will be futile unless heavily enforced. Although there is heavy violence, a 9 PM curfew for teens is unrealistic. Many teens have jobs that don't allow them to go home until past 11 PM. Almost no movies end before 9 PM, just as an example. If these teens are willing to lead attacks and group assaults, I don't think they will care much about breaking a curfew law.

__‍Week of August 15, 2011__
 * International-** Students in Honduras led a protest that led to the death of 11 people. Troops have been sent to Tegucigalpa in order to remove weapons from people who are using them for war purposes or using them without a permit. The students were protesting in efforts to gain rights to a plantation, land which has been the cause of disputes between corporations and local farmers for several years. Outside groups say the whole group of farmers is not to blame, but a few criminals who must be punished for their actions. The government has intervened and has a mediator to help arrange an agreement between the peasants and the corporate landowners. I understand why peasants might be upset that the corporations are taking over their land. The two groups need a third, unbiased party to help come up with a compromise, otherwise I think the violence will continue. ‍

"Troops Deployed to Northern Honduras after Clashes Leave 11 Dead." //CNN//. 16 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * National-** President Obama reassures Americans that the United States is not expected to fall into another recession. Obama accepted the numbers that only 26% of voters are satisfied with the president and his administration. He credits this to stock market and the slowly growing economy. After Obama's bus tour through the midwest, he came up with a plan to increase employment that he will present to Congress and fight any opposers to his plan. Obama explained that the reason for the stock market "roller coaster ride" is the debt crisis in Europe, natural disasters in Japan, and the increased price of oil in the Middle East. Although Obama doesn't believe the US will fall into another recession, he worries that unemployment will increase if something isn't done to fix it immediately. I know that unemployment continues to be a huge issue in our nation today. I think that if unemployment steadily rises over a certain period of time, the US does have the chance of falling back into a recession, so it's up to Obama and Congress to come up with a compromising plan that opens jobs up quickly for Americans.

Geiger, Kim. "Obama Doesn't Expect Another Recession." //Los Angeles Times//. 21 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** The committee often referred to as the "super committee" that is in charge of reducing the nation's deficit now has the power to chart the national budget and policies for the next 10 years. However, obstacles this committee is currently facing include having no location to meet, having no leader of this team, and having no distinct rules on how to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion. Another issue is that this committee only has a few months to get their objectives completed. Some members are suggesting to begin working on the project before the group convenes in September. Standoffs between Republicans and Democrats within the committee are expected to ensue. However, if the parties can't come to a compromise, spending cuts, which neither party wants, will take place. The main goals that the US Chamber of Commerce has asked the super committee to address consist of reduce government spending in Social Security, Medicare, lower tax rates, and a change in the tax code. Personally, I think it's in all parties best interests to come up with a plan that both parties can agree on to avoid the unwanted spending cuts.

Mascaro, Lisa. "Deficit 'super Committee' Looks Set for a Bumpy Start." //Los Angeles Times//. 18 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Laura's Norway Story-** I think it's great that the families of the victims are emotionally able to be in the same area where their loved ones were murdered and pay their respects. The killer deserves severe punishment, especially after commenting on the conditions of the jails.

__Week of August 22, 2011__
 * International-** Scientific finds from as recent as 2008 showed that Neanderthals and modern humans did not mate. In 2010, that changed and scientists claimed that they did mate, but the Neanderthal genes found in humans' DNA are not functional. However, now, scientists believe that parts of a human's immune system genes come from Neanderthals. These genes are still present in humans living in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. This gene that helps the immune system is probably what allows modern humans to move around the world without getting diseases frequently. Scientists are able to study Neanderthal genes by extracting it from ancient bones. The specific gene that is found in immune systems is HLA gene which fights off abnormalities in cells, including cancer. I think it's amazing that scientists are able to study bones from thousands of years ago and make it relevant to our lives today. I also think it's interesting that a gene coming from a Neanderthal could be the gene preventing people from getting cancer.

Brown, Eryn. "Humans Got Immunity Boost from Neanderthals, Study Finds." //Los Angeles Times//. 25 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * National-** Meteorologists down the east coast have been warning the people who live along the Eastern seaboard that Hurricane Irene is on the move. Within the next few hours, Irene is supposed to elevate from a category 3 storm to a category 4 storm. Obviously, there is nothing anyone can do from stopping the wrath of Hurricane Irene, but the National Hurricane Center urges people to listen to their warnings and take evacuation very seriously. However, those living along the coast in beach towns are not the only ones effected by this. Meteorologists say to expect heavy rains, winds up to 110 mph, a potential loss of power, and a potential loss of lives. North Carolina has already started evacuating people who live on the coastal areas. It's important that people take advantage of this extra time that meteorologists have allotted them to prepare to evacuate and gather all their most important belongings in case of a true emergency. So many people who experienced Hurricane Katrina didn't take the warnings seriously, and ended up losing everything. In situations like this, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Lynch, Rene. "Hurricane Irene: It's Time to Take This One Seriously, Folks." //Los Angeles Times// 24 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Economy-** Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, attributes the economic conditions of the US to politics. Bernanke still has a positive outlook on the economy, but remarks that "the government could be the greatest threat to economic recovery." The political battle between the Republicans, who want to decrease federal debt, and the Democrats, who want an increase in revenue and some tax cuts, are hurting the economy by not coming up with an efficient compromise. Although Bernanke makes his point very clear, his input has done little to change fiscal policy. President Obama blames Congress and its inability to agree to his plans regarding these issues. Bernanke claims that he and his board can only do so much, since they are almost out of monetary resources. He continues to encourage fiscal policy that focuses on long term federal debt reductions. I think it's a good sign that Bernanke has an optimistic attitude toward the changing status of the economy. I do agree that fights within Congress and between different political parties and the president have hindered economic growth in our nation.

Appelbaum, Bimyamin. "Bernanke Blames Politics for Financial Upheaval." //New York Times//. 26 Aug. 2011. Web.


 * Reaction to Delaney's Irene Story-** It's good that islands, such as the Bahamas, were prepared for Irene to hit, by evacuating their citizens and tourists. The reason for the people's readiness to cooperate with evacuation plans is because they experience hurricanes and tropical storms more frequently than the US. The US should take a lesson from the people of these island nations and actually listen to the warnings of the meteorologists and not risk themselves in the midsts of a dangerous hurricane.