Julia+Faett

Julia Faett

__**Monday June 20th**__

1) "More Flee Syrian Troops" (International) After witnessing the many protests against country leaders in counries like Egypt, Yemen, and Libya, people in Syria have begun to take a stand against President Bashar Assad. This has created massive amounts of fighting between the Syrian army and those leading the revolt, which therefore makes life extremely difficult for the innocent civilians. Many of these bystanders have been forced to cross over the border to neighboring Turkey, where they will be safer from the political strife in their own country. The fighting has also led to a shortage of food and water, for many people have had to evacuate their homes and live as refugees. My personal reaction is that I am proud of those who are revolting and therefore taking a stand against the oppressive government, yet is is difficult to see the consequences placed on innocent people in result of the turmoil.

The Associated Press. "More Flee Syrian Troops." //Richmond Times Dispatch//. 19 June 2011. Web. 19 June 2011.

[|More Flee Syrian Troops]

2) "VA Unemployment Rate Declines to 6 Percent" (Economic) With the start of summer comes an increase in jobs, especially in the tourism and construction industries. Thousands of jobs have been added in these industries, even though government jobs decreased by 4,000 jobs. The addition of these new jobs therefore brought down the unemployment rate in May from 6.1 percent to 6 percent. In fact, last May's rate was 7 percent, showing the slight improvement in the economy. Even though the number could still be lower, Virginians are better off than most states, for they have the seventh lowest unemployment rate. The national rate of unemployment is 9.1 percent, which actually increased from 9 percent, which differs with the improvement in Virginia's economy. I feel hope for my state in that we can lower the unemployment rate even more by helping those searching for jobs as well as to create new jobs through depending less on the countries overseas.

Blackwell, John Reid. "VA Unemployment Rate Declines to 6 Percent." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 18 June 2011. Print.

[|Unemployment Rate]

3) "Bus Drivers, motorists on risky path when driving late at night" (National) This article discussed the tragic May 31st accident on Interstate 95 that killed four people. It occurred when the bus driver Kin Yiu Cheung fell asleep at the wheel while taking a group from North Carolina to New York City. Cheung knew he was tired that night; in fact, he called his supervisor asking if he could take a break from driving for the night. The company did not allow him to do so, and since Cheung didn't want to lose his job, he continued the drive. The crash happened at a time when experts say humans are the most tired: from 3 to 5 in the morning. And, this issue is not uncommon, for the American Sleep Foundation conducted a survey and discovered that 28 percent of drivers have actually fallen asleep while driving. My opinion is that even though Cheung caused the crash, he should not be charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter- his company should be charged since they forced him to keep driving. Overall, I feel that Cheung was just desperate to keep his job, and unfortunately, his doing so ended up creating greater issues for himself than if he hadn't continued driving.

Green, Kristen. "Bus Drivers, motorists on risky path when driving late at night." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 19 June 2011. Print.

[|Bus Crash]

Photo courtesy of //Richmond Times Dispatch// __**Monday June 27th**__

1) “Postal Service suspends retirement contributions” (economic) With the increasing use of the internet to send information, the post office has been doing much worse financially. In fact, the US Postal Service lost $8 billion last year, which is why they have begun cutting costs in areas like their employee’s pension funds. They ended the monthly payment of $230 million into the Federal Employee Retirement System, but this action will not affect current workers because the system has a $6.9 billion surplus. This precaution was necessary though, for it saves the post office from having to halt its services. My opinion is that the post office needs to protect itself from going out of business, but I feel that it would be more beneficial to save money by stopping mail delivery on Saturday rather than taking from employee’s retirement funds.

The Associated Press. “Postal Service suspends retirement contributions.” //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 23 June 2011. Print.

[|Postal Service]

2) “Obama orders rapid drawdown of troops” (national) After being in the war with Afghanistan for over ten years,President Barack Obama has decided to pull 33,000 US troops out by September 2012. He has said, “America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home,” in response to many American’s negative feelings towards being in the war for so long. Americans are also fed up with the large costs spent on the war, which instead could be spent on reducing America’s deficit. Over $455 billion has been spent from 2001 to 2011 on the war, and there have been 1,632 deaths overseas. 10,000 troops will be sent home by the end of the year and the other 23,000 will be pulled out in September of 2012. I personally am glad that we are slowly leaving Afghanistan to deal with their own problems, for many of them feel anger towards us for being there and I also think that it is important to spend the money used in the war for the benefit of our own citizens.

Landay, Jonathan S and Thomma, Steven. “Obama orders rapid drawdown of troops.” //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 23 June 2011. Print.

[|Troops]

3) “Greece seeks a second bailout” (international) With the country of Greece in tremendous debt, their Prime Minister George Papandreou has asked for a second bailout of approximately $157 billion.There may be a Greek default, which could possibly lead to issues in other European countries, because the default would cause credits to freeze. Luckily, experts have said that the US could survive a crisis because they are only tied to about $43 billion of Greece’s debt. These issues have caused many protests in Greece, especially against these strict money policies. My opinion on the subject is that other countries like ourselves should provide financial aid to Greece, for if we don’t, we could possibly end up in the same position that they are in.

The Associated Press. “Greece seeks a second bailout.” //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 20 June 2011. Print.

[|Greece]

__**Monday July 4**__
 * //Reaction #1://** //In response to Meghan Cyr's story titled " US Manufacturing Shows Continued Strength", I had to say that I was very surprised at how the US economy has actually benefitted from the devestating earthquake in Japan. I was also shocked at how the author of this article believed that this was a good thing, considering he feels that the US is benefiting from the immense suffering of others. While I would not be happy if the earthquake hurt Americans financially, I really do not see the point in glorifying the earthquake due to the fact that it helped our own economy. Right now, I feel that it is most important to focus on the thousands of people in Japan who have lost their homes and family members and provide aid to them, rather than worrying about ourselves.//

1) “Global increase seen in diabetes” (national) In only 30 years, the number of people in the world with diabetes has doubled from about 153 million to 347 million people. Experts argue that this is due to an aging population (since diabetes usually appears in middle aged people) as well as the increasing number of people with obesity. Numbers increased in countries like the United States and Samoa, but they stayed relatively the same in Western Europe and richer Asian countries, most likely due to their better abilities at reducing the chances of heavier people getting the disease. Some scientists have also stated that this could become a huge global issue in the future. Therefore, I feel that it is important for people all over the world to take care of their bodies by getting exercise and eating healthy in hopes that they can reduce their chances of getting the disease.

The Associated Press. “Global increase seen in diabetes.” //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 28 June 2011. Print.

[|Diabetes]

2) “Consumer confidence falls to seventh-month low in June”(economic) With the recession still dragging on from 2008, many consumers still haven’t found much hope in the economy, causing them to spend less money. When the Conference Board conducted their Consumer Confidence Index survey, it decreased from 61.7 in May to a 58.5 in June. This was most likely due to the rising gas prices, which makes consumers more hesitant when making purchases.These consumers will probably spend even less in the fall, for it has been predicted that clothing prices will go up due to the greater expense of cotton. My thoughts on the matter is that people should always keep their hopes up, even in the tough times like these. And, I feel that as people start getting back on their feet from the recession, the Consumer Confidence Index will definately begin to go up.

The Associated Press. “Consumer confidence falls to seventh-monthlow in June.” //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 29 June 2011. Print.

[|Consumers] 3) "NATO copters end hotel assault" (international) Wednesday, June 29th was a traumatic event for those at the Inter-Continental hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, because there ended up being a huge firefight between Afghan police and suicide bombers from the Taliban. There were six bombers who killed at least seven people and wounded many others. They attacked this particular hotel because they knew that Afghan provincial officials were staying there. Fighting went on for over four hours between gunmen on the roof and the police. The NATO helicopters ended this fight by shooting rockets at the gunmen, which therefore ended the attack. My opinion on this article is that I feel it is confusing why the Taliban continue to choose to weaken their own country- all their actions do is make the country worse off. It also makes me see how difficult of a place Afghanistan is to live in, for these types of attacks go on all of the time.

The Associated Press. "NATO copters end hotel assault." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 29 June 2011. Print.

[|Hotel attack]

__**Monday July 11**__ 1) "Tobacco companies raise cigarette prices" (economic) In response to the many negative views over cigarettes, Altria Group Inc. has decided to raise the price of their Philip Morris cigarettes nine cents. The approximate price for one pack of Marlboro cigarettes before the change in price was $5.70. Basically, even with the recession, companies know that cigarette consumers will continue to pay for the cigarettes even with the price increase, for most would not be able to do without them. And, companies have raised the price because they know that consumption will most likely decline, especially with the new graphic warning pictures that will be used on the boxes. My personal feelings about this article is that I think that taxes on cigarettes, rather than the price of cigarettes, should be raised, because these taxes could generate a lot of money for the state of Virginia, rather than give the needed money to an already wealthy company.
 * //Reaction #2://** //In response to Laura Vining's reaction on the Casey Anthony murder trial, I have to say that even though in my mind I feel that Casey truly did kill her daughter, our justice system teaches us that we all are innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, since there was no conclusive evidence that Casey killed her daughter, the judge has absolutely no right to put her in jail or even on death row for murder. I believe that it would be horrible for a truly innocent person to be convicted of a crime that they didn't commit, therefore, Casey Anthony has the right to go free.//

Blackwell, John. "Tobacco companies raise cigarette prices." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 6 July 2011. Print.

[|cigarette prices]

2) "India debates treasure at temple" (international) In the capital of Trivandrum, located in the Indian state of Kerala, there is the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, which contains over $22 billion in treasures. The treasures consist of gold statues of the gods and godesses, jewels, gold coins, and many other priceless items. Security, such as metal detectors and armed guards, was quickly put in place at the temple to prevent stealing. Due to the high value of everything in the temple, religious leaders and government officials have been debating over what to do with the treasures. My thoughts on the issue is that even more security should be inacted to protect the valuables, but the treasures should be kept in the temple where they belong, so that the people of India can continue to see them and worship in the temple.

The Associated Press. "India debates treasure at temple." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 6 July 2011. Print.

[|Temple]

Photo courtesy of //Richmond Times Dispatch//

3) "Fewer dogs, cats being euthanized because of spay, neuter programs" (national) Many animal shelters and SPCA's have taken the initiative to inact low cost spay/neuter clinics in order to lessen the number of animals being put down. This amazingly has reduced the number of animals being euthanized from over 20 million in 1970 to under 4 million in 2011. The goal of the spay/neuter clinics is to reduce the number of puppies and kittens born, for they may just end up in the shelters themselves. Some states and cities have done even more to save the animals already in the shelters; some require it's animals in shelters to be spayed or neutered, which lowers the amount of animals who may have to be euthanized in the future. With the growing popularity of purebred animal breeders, shelters are being greatly impacted, because buyers of these puppies are encouraging the breeding of new dogs while there are plenty of kind, loving dogs in shelters who desperately need homes. My opinion is that I am proud of shelters for creating these low cost clinics, for I have seen first hand as a volunteer at the Richmond SPCA the clinics being used by poorer owners of dogs and cats who would not have been able to afford the surgery had the SPCA's clinic not been there.

The Associated Press. "Fewer dogs, cats being euthanized because of spay, neuter programs." //Richmond Times DIspatch.// 6 July 2011. Print.

[|Euthanization]


 * //Reaction #3://** //In response to Meghan Cyr's article titled "2010 Virginia Public School Test Scores," I felt that the SOL tests should not be the only factor in determing whether schools meet the No Child Left Behind standards. I feel that not all children are good test takers, and since so much pressure is put on them about these particular tests, some may not have performed to the best of their abilities. Having been a public school student for ten years, I can see why these test scores do not display the learning abilities of the student. The quality of the teacher plays a big role in SOL scores, as does the motivation of the student. I personally don't think that it is fair for the government to base their guidelines for the quality of a school on these tests; they don't provide an accurate depiction on what a school and it's students are really like.//

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍1) "Some Netflix users voice anger over price increase of up to 60%" (economic) Netflix, a recent phenomenon in movie renting, due to it's affordability and endless movie options, has decided to raise it's prices by 20-60 percent, depending on the type of rental service the customer has. This action has angered many users, and lots have vented their frustrations on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, over 40,000 people shared their opinions on the Netflix Facebook page. Netflix had been known for their cheap prices, which is why they became so popular over the years. Now many users, like Joe Turick of Monroe, N.C, have canceled their subscriptions, for like he says, "I dropped them on principle." Many consumers have no interest in giving the already wealthy companies more of their money, so they have decided to take a stand. My opinion is that I am glad people have decided to stand up against these big companies, for it is wrong to allow yourself to be controlled by them.
 * __Monday July 18__**

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Metz, Rachel. "Some Netflix users voice anger over price increase of up to 60%." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 July 2011. Print.

[|Netflix]

2) "Drug prevents HIV among heterosexuals" (national) An exciting discovery has been found regarding the prevention of HIV in heterosexual people. This drug is called Truvada, and it has already been proven successful in preventing the spread of the disease between gay men. The study was completed by Gilead Sciences Inc. (from Foster City, California) in Africa, and it worked in stopping the transmission of the disease in heterosexual people. This finding has been a tremendous breakthrough in the AIDS epidemic, for there are over 9 million people in Africa alone who are in need of the treatment, which lowers the risk of getting the virus by 78 percent. My thoughts on this article is that I am very happy that progress is being made on eliminating this horrible virus, and I hope that someday, these life-saving drugs can be given to everyone who needs them.

The Associated Press. "Drug prevents HIV among heterosexuals." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 July 2011. Print.

[|HIV prevention]

3) "3 Mumbai bombings minutes apart kill 21, wound 141" (international) In only a matter of minutes, three bombs went off in various districts of Mumbai, India. This attack killed 21 people, and it injured 141. The attackers are unknown, yet there is speculation that it may be terrorists from Pakistan in response to the peace talks between India and Pakistan just months before. This attack has been the worst terrorist attack in Mumbai since the siege in 2008. The city of Mumbai has been on terrorist attack watch for over two years. No one has yet taken responsibility for the attack. My reaction to this event is that many big cities all over the world need to take extreme precaution in preventing terrorist attacks like these. I hope that nothing like this will happen again, and the people injured and killed in these horrible bombings will be in my thoughts.

Naqvi, Muneeza and Shah, Rajesh. "3 Mumbai bombings minutes apart kill 21, wound 141." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 July 2011. Print.

[|Mumbai bombings]

1) "Boomers heavy on health challenges, poll says" (national) According to the Associated Press- LifeGoesStrong.com poll, one third of the baby boomers who responded to the poll are obese. Therefore, even though their biggest health fear stated was cancer, many must also worry about diabetes and heart disease. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that these adults born from 1946-1964 get about two and a half hours per week of aerobic excersise; yet only one fourth of the respondents do normally. Excersise is crucial for people of this age, for it prevents muscle loss and it decreases the rate of heart issues. The start of the boomers turning 65, the beginning age for Medicare, will create high costs in taxes for America's citizens. My opinion is that people really need to see the importance in daily exercise and healthy eating, for it hopefully will prevent many health issues later on down the road.
 * //Reaction #4://** //In response to Meghan Cyr's article titled "Obesity triggers custody debate," I had to say that even though the measure of taking severely obese children from their indulgent parents may be extreme, it just might be necessary in lowering the growing rate of obesity in children. I personally feel that if a child is so obese that his or her health is in serious danger, the child must be taken out of the home to live with a healthier set of foster parents, only a temporary measure until they get back on track with their weight. Sometimes I feel that parents of obese children give in to their child's demands for greater amounts of unhealthy food, so I think it takes two new people to change the child's life for the better, so that he or she can then control their own weight while living with their parents.//
 * __Monday July 25__**

The Associated Press. "Boomers heavy on health challenges, poll says." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 19 July 2011. Print.

[|Boomers]

2) "Slain ICE agent's family demands answers" (international) The family of murdered immigration agent, Jaime Zapata, is demanding the United States government to discover if the guns he was shot with while patrolling through Mexico were purchased in the United States under an anit-gun operation. Zapata was killed after he and another immigration officer were stopped on a highway in Northern Mexico by more than eight men, who proceeded to shoot at them with AK-47s believed to have been purchased in Texas. The anti-gun operation began in 2009, and it's goal was to track the guns used by Mexico's drug cartels, most of which, were purchased illegally in the United States. Even though, 200 of these tracked guns were discovered at crime scenes in Mexico, proving that the US is a vital source in providing the cartels with their weapons. The Department of Homeland Security has stated that they will be making this case a top priority, due to the backfiring of the anti-gun operation. My thoughts are that this is exactly why the US needs stricter gun-control laws, because it is incredibly easy for anyone to buy a gun these days. I also think it is ridiculous that places sell weapons like AK-47s, whose only purpose could be for killing people, like in Mexico.

Los Angeles Times. "Slain ICE agent's family demands answers." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 19 July 2011. Print.

[|ICE agent]

3) "With default looming, how do you prepare?" (economic) Many Americans have shown concern over the approaching August 2 default deadline. Basically, by August 2, the federal government will have to decide to either raise the borrowing amount or deal with a possible default on the debt. There are ways to lessen the stress over the impending decision, for example author Dave Carpenter suggests that money in cash should be set aside in case of any emergency. For example, a household with two incomes should have cash for about three to six month expenses. Also, it is important to be hesitant towards bond buying, for they may decrease in value, but it is okay to purchase stocks in a time like this, for it may be a beneficial opportunity to buy these cheaper stocks. Finally, think very carefully about shifting money in 401 (k)s from stocks to cash, for you could miss a last minute climb in the prices of stock shares. My thoughts are that it is always good to be prepared for anything like this, but I have trust in my government that they will figure out the best plan for everyone.

Carpenter, Dave. "With default looming, how do you prepare?" //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 19 July 2011. Print.

[|Default]

‍‍1) "Japanese quake debris moving toward West Coast" (international) In the aftermath of the devestating earthquake that rocked Japan in March, there is now millions of tons of debris that is slowly moving to the West Coast of the United States. It has been estimated that this debris will hit Hawaii next spring, and that it wil hit the coast of California in either 2013 or early 2014. The debris is a massive mixture of broken homes, boats, wood, metal, and cars, and while some may sink to the ocean floor, a lot will continue inching it's way towards the Western hemisphere. The wreckage is moving about 10 miles per day, and it is rapidly polluting much of the Pacific Ocean. Agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the US State Department have begun planning what to do about the debris-though they have not made any plans for a clean-up of the garbage. My opinion is that countries all over the world should join together and give a little bit of time and money to get rid of the debris- it would be a lot easier of a job if everyone would pitch in and do what they can, preventing further problems for themselves later on down the road. Rogers, Paul. "Japanese quake debris moving toward West Coast." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 26 July 2011. Print. ‍‍
 * //Reaction #5://** //In response to Laura Vining's article titled "Amazon Takes on California," I thought it was very interested that only Amazon is fighting to eliminate the California sales tax. I personally think that if California allows Amazon to take off the sales tax from online sales, it also needs to do so for every other online seller, to prevent giving Amazon an unfair advantage in the retail market.//
 * __Monday August 1__**

[|Quake Debris]

photo courtesy of google images

2) "Foes sue over N.Y. same-sex marriage law" (national) Sunday, July 24th marked the day when gay and lesbian couples in the state of New York would be allowed to marry. Hundreds of couples decided to marry, causing many opponents to begin filing lawsuits. These lawsuits were enacted because opponents believe that the New York Senate did not follow the correct procedures in passing the bill. New York is the sixth state in the United States to recognize gay marriage, and even though the bill was passed, thousands of protestors lined the streets in New York City showing their anger towards the new law. My opinion of this story is that I am very glad that the same-sex marriage law was passed, because it means that gay and lesbian couples are one step closer to being equal with heterosexual couples. One statement that I feel truly demonstrates my opinion is when Diane Wnek, a lesbian women, said, "Yes we count, we're legal," after getting married, because it just shows that all these people want to do is to feel that they matter and can be able to freely love and marry whom they choose, and I think that it is rather cruel that opponents and protestors would try to infringe on this deserved happiness and love, especially on the special day of their wedding.

The Associated Press. "Foes sue over N.Y. same-sex marriage law." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 26 July 2011. Print.

[|Same-sex marriage]

Photo courtesy of //The New York Times//

3) "Cantor leads fight against higher taxes" (economic) August the second is only six days away, increasing the seriousness of finishing the debt talks and creating a plan for the government's budget. Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, has made this more difficult, for he does not want taxes to be raised at all, which goes against what many of the Democrats would like to do. Cantor's fundraising campaigns have raised over $2 million from real estate companies and investment firms, because he has stated that he is standing strong in his position about raising the taxes. Cantor would overall like to lower the tax rates, which is what his district mainly wants as well. My opinion is that Cantor is being a little too strong with his opinions, for he needs to see the importance in compromise between the two parties, for if he doesn't, a decision may never occur, leading to many issues for the country.

The Washington Post. "Cantor leads fight against higher taxes." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 26 July 2011. Print.

[|Cantor]

1) "Abuse cited at Nike factories" (international) Nike, owner of the popular shoe brand, Converse, has been faulted for abuse going on in the Converse factories overseas in Indonesia. Here, workers stated that they have been physically and verbally abused while working for Converse, enduring grueling labor practices, being called derogatory names, and even being punished by having to work under the hot sun. Nike has said that there is not much they can do, even though ten years ago they had to improve working conditions at their Nike factories overseas. About two thirds of the Converse factories in foreign countries do not meet Nike's standards for it's factories. My feelings on the issue is that Nike needs to clean up it's act and fix the factories with dangerous and unhealthy working conditions, but they should not be blamed for any abuse that occured up until now, because they themselves trusted people in these foreign countries to run the factories fairly and ethically.
 * //Reaction#6://** //In response to Laura Vining's article titled "Rising Family Income: More Work, Not Raises," I have to say that I was shocked at how wages have risen over the years, but mainly due to more hours worked. Prices typically rise each year due to inflation, therefore salaries and the minimum wage must be risen to account for these new expenses. I am saddened at how work-driven America has become, though I guess that it occurs so that people can keep their jobs. I hope that employers will see how hard employees work to provide for themselves and therefore their families, and will then raise the salaries to a fair amount for the hours being worked.//
 * __Monday, August 8__**

Karmini, Niniek and Wright, Stephen. "Abuse cited at Nike factories." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 2 August 2011. Print.

[|Nike]

2) "A Coke machine for many tastes" (economic) The car company Ferrari has recently designed a futuristic soda fountain for Coca-Cola known as the Freestyle machine. The purpose of the machine is that it can create over 125 combinations of Coke products that the customers can personalize for themselves using a touch screen. Therefore, consumers can create their own Coke product that is not sold in a bottle, for example, Orange Coke or Vanilla Sprite, allowing businesses interested in the machine like McDonalds to better compete with convenience stores in the soft-drink market. Another benefit of the machine is that it allows the business to chart the amount of the types of drinks being purchased and at which times of the day, which these businesses could use for information regarding the drinks, being that soda fountains make up a quarter of the $74 billion dollar soda market. I feel that these machines are a bit wasteful, because when when they first hit the market, I can see many consumers taking advantage of them by creating many types of drinks before choosing the one that they actually want. And, I think that there are times when you truly can have too many choices- this being one of them.

The Charlotte Observer. "A Coke machine for many tastes." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 2 August 2011. Print.

[|Coke machine]

photo courtesy of //Richmond Times Dispatch//

3) "Tuition for Va. residents up 7.9%" (national) Thanks to a $97 million dollar deposit of state revenue, increase in price for Virginia state schools increased only 7.9 %, which is down from 10.6 % last year. Cuts in Virginia's budget due to the economy made people wary about Virginia's public school affordability, since many will find it more difficult to finance these increases in tuition. For one year with the new tuition increases, students will pay about $1,050 more per year. Out of state students will see a 5.7 % increase in their tuition. Income in Virginia has only increased about 1.7 % over the past year. My thoughts are that the Virginia government must do what it has to do in this economy to keep the schools going, but I think the public schools need to cut unnecessary spending and give the money saved in the form of financial aid for needy students.

Kapsidelis, Karen. "Tuition for Va. residents up 7.9%." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 2 August 2011. Print.

[|Tuition]


 * //Reaction #7://** //In response to Katie Roberts' article titled, "Georgia Company Exports Chopsticks to China," I must say that I am very happy that America has finally found some way to get money from China by providing them with a good in demand. We give thousands of manufacturing jobs to the Chinese when we desperately need them ourselves, so I think that it is very good that we can create new jobs for Americans with this new chopstick business!//
 * __Monday August 15__**

1) "Phone payments, digital wallets expand, but caution is needed" (economic) Consumers are now discovering the option to pay for products using a cell phone (aka the "digital wallet"). Many large companies will begin to introduce their own form of "digital wallet" later this year, such as Google, Visa, and Verizon. This new concept has not completely taken off yet with customers, for only about 5% of respondents to a survey said that they make purchases with their phones. Using this method of payment is not as secure as using other forms, and there can be many things that go wrong in the transaction, such as billing mistakes and unauthorized charges. Also, in the survey, one un four people who have digital wallets have had problems occur with the system. My opinion is that this is sort of a "silly" form of payment- if you already have a credit card and/or debit card, what is the need to have this type of payment as well? It is just one more thing that could get hacked by identity thieves- I don't think it will do too well.

Consumers Union Inc. "Phone payments, digital wallets expand, but caution is needed." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 August 2011. Print.

[|Payments]

2)"Aid agency to expand relief work in Somalia" (international) Starvation has invaded the African country of Somalia, with approximately 2.8 million in need of food. The World Food Program, a part of the United Nations, has increased it's involvement due to the great need, yet it grows increasingly harder to distribute the food. This is because of the pro-government movement, which is backed by over 9,000 African Union troops, who actually killed over ten people when they were trying to hand out food. This then resulted in the food being looted by those in desperation. The food program has now started serving hot meals at specific centers to discourage the looting, but so far, they have nowhere near the amount of food needed to aid everyone in need. My thoughts are that this is a very serious issue; and I think that along with giving out food, the United Nations should also help the Somali government get back on it's feet to support the country in the long-term. The Associated Press. "Aid agency to expand relief work in Somalia." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 August 2011. Print.

[|Somalia]

3) "Gun crimes drop at bars, eateries" (national) Even though a Virginia state law was passed that allowed those with a permit to carry guns into places that serve alcohol, crimes involving firearms actually decreased 5.2 percent from July 2010 to June 2011. That said, there were only eight fewer crimes between the two years. Others still feel bitter towards the new law, for as Senator Donald McEachin says, "guns and drinking don't mix." There were two fatal shootings that occured last year, but they did not involve permit holders. My opinion on the subject is that I think it is insane that someone could bring a gun into pretty much any restaurant- it is ridiculous! The only reason that the person is carrying the gun is to threaten someone when needed, and possibly to shoot at someone. In the world that we live in today, I don't think we should encourage people to carry around these dangerous weapons. Bowes, Mark. "Gun crimes drop at bars, eateries." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 14 August 2011. Print.

[|Gun crime]


 * //Reaction #8://** //In response to Laura Vining's article titled "Obama Tries to Reclaim Momentum With Midwest Bus Tour," I must say that while all of his ideas for his next term might sound good, I think it is a little crazy that he is already planning for the next campaign by traveling to the Midwest to host rallies that support his next campaign. Our country is in major turmoil with the whole debt crisis, and I think that he would appeal to voters more if he dealt with the problems going on right now, rather than try to get himself elected again in the next presidential election.//


 * __Monday August 22__**

1) "The Tide comes in strong on first day" (national) Friday, August 19 marked the opening day of "The Tide," a new light-rail system that runs from Norfolk to the tip of Virginia Beach. The length of the rail system is 7.4 miles long with 11 stops, and it was so popular with the passengers that officials allowed them to ride longer for free. The system cost $318.5 million in the course of over three years, and it hopes to see lots of tourists and workers in the area utilize this form of transportation. Approximately 20,000 people showed up for the opening of the Tide, which greatly encouraged those hesitant about how well the trains would do. My thoughts are that while this may be a great method of transportation for people living in these areas, I can't really see it doing tremendously in order to make up for the huge expense that went into building the system. Hopefully, though, it will reduce traffic and pollution, and overall will be a greatly used system by the people of Eastern Virginia.

The Associated Press. "The Tide comes in strong on first day." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 20 August 2011. Print.

[|The Tide]

photo courtesy of //Richmond Times Dispatch//

2) "Syrian forces kill 20 protesters" (international) Even though Syrian president Bashar Assad promised to end attacks against protesters in the country, his security forces killed over 20 people on Friday, August 19. The day before the shootings, he was asked by the United States and parts of Europe to step down from his presidency. The protests began in early March, and since then his forces have killed approximately 2,000 people. Due to these events, Syria may be tried in International Criminal Court, though it is still uncertain if this will occur. I hope that Assad will follow through with his promise to end the killings, and I hope that the protesters will be able to force him to step down and that they can elect a more peaceful ruler. That said, I do not feel that the United States should intervene militarily or financially; for with the war in Afghanistan still going on and with financial problems going on here, we have enough on our plate.

The Associated Press. "Syrian forces kill 20 protesters." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 20 August 2011. Print.

[|Syria]

3) "UFCW members support striking Verizon workers" (economic) The UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) has stood alongside striking Verizon workers on Friday, August 19. The 1,200 Verizon workers in Virginia are part of the 45,000 Verizon employees on strike from Massachusetts to Virginia since August 7. As a member of the UFCW, Breanne Armbrust states, "We have the same issues with corporate greed (but) with different employers." Some of the reasons workers are on strike include pension issues and health-care. The striking has also created acts of retaliation against the company; there have been 202 damages to Verizon property. I think that Verizon should stand strong and not give in to their employee's greedy demands; with thousands of people in Virginia without jobs and benefits, these people should be grateful that they even have a job, rather than continue to ask for more and more benefits. Unions were great when there were actual problems that needed to be fixed in emerging companies, but now, I feel that they simply are still used today with the intent selfishly trying to take more and more from their companies.

Bowes, Mark. "UFCW members support striking Verizon workers." //Richmond Times Dispatch.// 20 August 2011. Print.

[|Verizon]

photo courtesy of //Richmond Times Dispatch//


 * //Reaction #9://** //In response to Katie Robert's article titled "Obama Administration Shifts Focus on Deportations," I must say that I agree that it is important to deal with illegal immigrants case by case, rather than treating every case in the same manner. For example, even though one person may cross our border to bring in loads of drugs to the US market, another may belong to a very poor family back in Mexico, and the only reason they are crossing the border is to find work so that they can send money back home to their family. The only complication is that it may be difficult to discover if the immigrant's story is true or not, but I think it is important to have trust in them and give them a chance to explain their being here, so that we can further help them discover better solutions to their problems.//