Caroline+Bivens

Caroline Bivens

__**Week of 6/20/11**__
__1) International-__ ‍‍‍‍"Airstrikes in Libya; Questions Back Home" President Obama's decision to allow airstrikes in Libya as a way of aiding the rebels has brought criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Republicans are quick to point out his promise to wean the Middle East of American military involvement. Obama currently has three major military involvements under his command. Democratic supporters worry that his decision to aid the Libyan rebels could become more involved if the rebellion escalates and would therefore increase the United States’ war debt. I think that we should have made a clear plan on how much aid we are going to give Libya before beginning airstrikes. I think that we should be the rebels’ ally, but that if we are going to avoid becoming involved in another war that we need to have a distinct limit on the amount of involvement we will have in Libya. It’s a slippery slope when we say that we will give aid to a volatile country when we are already in debt and are not sure how much we will have to give or are willing to give. ‍‍‍‍

Zeleny, Jeff. "Airstrikes in Libya; Questions Back Home." //New York Times//. 20 June 2011. Web. []

__‍‍‍‍2) National-__ In New York, the Senate approved the same-sex marriage bill with a 33 to 29 vote. New York is the largest state to approve same-sex marriage and the passing of this law is a major step in the gay community.Many supporters of this law have considered its passing a matter of gaining their civil right. For years, gay and lesbian couples have felt it unfair to not have the same recognition as straight couples. In my opinion, I do not support gay marriage. I have several friends that are gay, but I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. I do, however, believe that gay and lesbian couples deserve to have a contract that officially recognizes them from a federal perspective. I can’t agree with same-sex marriage, but I think that it is fair to allow gay and lesbian couples to have a way of being legally recognized as a couple. I think that this corresponds with our Constitution without compromising the morals of those who are against gay marriage. ‍‍‍‍

Confessore, Nicholas, and Michael Barbaro. "New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law." //New York Times//. 24 June 2011. Web. []

__3) Economic-__ "Job Jugglers, on the Tightrope" In the United States unemployment is a widespread problem for many people, but most especially for recent college graduates. Many must work multiple jobs and some of these jobs do not require a bachelor’s degree. Recent college graduates are under tremendous stress as they seek to find jobs that correspond with their degree. The average work week for some is from 50 to 80 hours and yet they still struggle to pay bills and live paycheck to paycheck. To me, these stories are ominous for someone who is going to college soon. It makes consider what I’m going to major in and how marketable I will need to be in order to find a high paying job.

Seligson,Hannah. "Job Jugglers, on the Tightrope." //New York Times//. 25June 2011. Web. []= “Job Jugglers, on the Tightrope”&st=Search&scp=1

__**Week of 6/27**__
1) __International-__ "2 U.S. Service Members Killed in Iraq Sunday" In Iraq, there has been an increase in U.S. service members being killed. 11 U.S. troops have been killed in the month of June, which makes it the deadliest month in Iraq for U.S. troops since May 2009. The U.S. plans to withdraw troops by the end of the year. In the past 6 months there has been more deaths than last year, which leads many to believe that the violence will increase before the troops are withdrawn. I don't agree with the war in Iraq and I think that we have stayed longer than we should have. I think that the amount of time we have spent in Iraq has not yielded as much progress as was intended, and with our country's increasing debt the war is more than we can afford especially when there are no clear benefits to remaining there.

Craig, Tim. "2 U.S. Service Members Killed in Iraq Sunday." //Washington Post//. 26 June 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "Michele Bachmann Makes Presidential Run Official in Iowa." Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann announced that she plans to be a candidate for the 2012 presidential race. She is a conservative candidate that plans to directly challenge President Obama as he runs for re-election. She tends to appeal to those who are a part of the conservative tea party movement because of her disdain for Obama's policies. She did not give her specific policies, but she did speak out against hot topics like Obama's health care reform plan, the national debt, and federal spending. I disagree with many of the policies Obama has put into place during his term, and I think that even if she is not elected, Bachmann will present a challenge to Obama. The sensitivity many of his constituents feel toward the pitfalls of his presidency will cause a lot of debates, and I think that with Bachmann supporting the tea-party movement there will be a lot of attention brought toward subjects like the national debt and the health care reform which I don't believe will be easy to defend.

Mehta, Seema. "Michele Bachmann Makes Presidential Run Official in Iowa." //Los Angelos Times//. 27 June 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "White House Pushes for Progress on Debt Talks as Senators Float New Medicare Proposal." __**﻿**__Democratic Senators plan to meet with Obama on Wednesday to figure out how to break the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats over the national debt. The debt limit as of right now is 14.3 trillion dollars and financial experts say that we need to raise the debt limit or else we could possible face a federal default. Also, in response to the national debt, senators are proposing changes to Medicare which is one of the main contributors to the national debt. Part of their plan would be to gradually raise the age that qualifies one for medicare to 67 and make wealthier seniors pay for care out of pocket. I don't agree with raising the debt limit. I think that we should approach our debt problem quickly and with efficiency because if we don't, it will only increase. I don't think that, based on how the government was outlined to operate in the Constitution, our government needs to be involved in our lives to the point that they are spending 14.3 trillion dollars.I agree with the Republican's argument to make steep spending cuts because if we don't spend as much money, our debt will not increase, and we won't make our situation even more unmanageable than it already is.

Mascaro, Lisa. "White House Pushes for Progress on Debt Talks as Senators Float New Medicare Proposal." //Los Angelos Times//. 28 June 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 7/4/11**__
1__) International-__ "Mexico’s Top Zetas Boss Arrested in Killing of U.S. Agent." Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar was arrested on July 4th for the killing of an unarmed U.S. agent on February 15th. Aguilar is known to be the third most powerful leader of the Los Zetas gang. This gang is a part of the lucrative illegal drug trade between the U.S. and Mexico, and Aguilar was one of the most wanted men in Mexico with a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to his arrest. Aguilar is also being investigated for his connection to mass killings 100 miles south of the American border. I think that there should be a stricter regulations for what comes over the Mexican border and that the Mexican government should consider allowing U.S. agents to arm themselves.

Seper, Jerry. "Mexico’s Top Zetas Boss Arrested in Killing of U.S. Agent." //The Washington Times//. 4 July 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "MLK Jr. Memorial Confronts Controversy" The statue that was created for the MLK Jr. memorial has faced a lot of controversy before being dedicated. Most of the controversy is associated with the sculptor who is Chinese. Many say that the statue appears to look too Asian and too confrontational. King's children have been very involved in the creation of the memorial which will be on the Mall in Washington D.C. and disagree with these claims. Some argue that King would be upset that the statue was created by a sculptor from a communist country. I think that if his children are involved and agree with what the statue looks like, then those who disagree should realize that they probably know best. I personally don't think it was necessarily a wise choice to choose a sculptor from another country, especially China, when our national economy is not in the best choice. I think that there are plenty of sculptors in the U.S. that need jobs and could have used a commission like this one.

Eversley, Melanie. "MLK Jr. Memorial Confronts Controversy." //USA Today//. 5 July 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ Many bank branches have begun to close recently. Analysts have attributed it to banking being more available online, making going to the bank in person less popular. The nation's largest bank, Bank of America, is planning on closing 10% of its branches by 2014. Many argue that these bank closings will effect the poor who may have to rely on payday lenders, and check cashing services who tend to have higher interest rates than banks. Others argue that the poor will not be as effected as these claims say, and that bank branches have increased significantly since 1970 and that there are still plenty of branches available. Also, many branches have closed due to the lack of loans and the increase in foreclosures which has caused banks to lose billions. I personally think that the bank closures are because of a slower economy. During the great Depression banks closed, and though that was a more extreme case, it shows that banks closing is usually an indication that an economy is slowing down, so we should take the fact that these branches are closing seriously.

Wallack, Todd. "More Bank Branches Closing." //Boston.com//. 5 July 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 7/11/11**__

1) __International-__ "Egypt Fires More than 600 Top Police Officials." Egypt fired 669 high ranking police officers Wednesday as a way of purging the government of Hosni Mubarak's reign. The police officers that were fired have been charged with the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the revolutions that overthrew Mubarak in February. The officers were fired due to pressure from protesters and came on the same day as an announcement that the elections for Parliament in September have been moved to October or November. The moving of the Parliamentary elections will allow newer parties more preparation time before running against the more experienced Muslim Brotherhood party who are feared to gain 25% of the votes. By giving other parties a better chance at winning against the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt hopes to avoid their majority in Parliament because they fear that their conservative agenda could limit human rights and religious tolerance. I believe that Egypt, out of all the countries who have experienced revolutions recently, is handling the formation of a democracy very well. I hope that Libya will be able to overthrow Qaddafi and establish a democracy.

Fleishman, Jeffrey, and Amro Hassan. "Egypt Fires More than 600 Top Police Officials." //Los Angeles Times//. 13` July 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "Lack of Education Fuels HIV Epidemic in South." Statistics have shown that the South has the most concentrated amount of people infected with AIDS. Experts have connected the high number of cases of AIDS to the high number of people living in poverty. They have also connected the fact that poverty is often connected to a lack of education, showing that in areas where there is a lack of education, there are higher numbers of people with AIDS. Also, the numbers were disproportionately higher among minorities. Experts say that a lack of education is as strong a factor to explaining poor health as poverty. I think that it's amazing that even after all this time (post-Civil War), the South is still significantly poorer than the North and that their economy is still significantly underdeveloped in comparison. I figured that the South would still be less affluent than the North due to the importance that is still placed on agriculture, but the difference in income between the two was still shocking. I also think that its amazing how closely tied this is to the spread of HIV, and though it tends to spread where there is more poverty, I never knew how significant the numbers were in the United States.

Sternburg, Steve, and Jack Gillum. "Lack of Education Fuels HIV Epidemic in South." //USA Today//. 11 July 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "Obama Rules out Short-term Debt Solution, Says Time for Washington to 'eat Our Peas'" On Monday, Obama announced that he would not agree to any short-term debt solution. He said that the parties need to compromise and asked Republicans to agree to a bargain between the two parties about a debt solution. Obama said that he is prepared to take heat from his party in order to come to a compromise and that the other party should be prepared to do the same. Obama wants lawmakers to 'peel off the bandaid, eat our peas', referring to coming to an agreement. He warned lawmakers that it would only get harder to come to an agreement and pressured them to come to a conclusion sooner rather than later by compromising. I agree with what Obama said in this announcement; I think that both of the parties have to compromise in order to come to a conclusion about the debt solution. I commend Obama for making it clear that he will not agree to a short-term debt solution because it won't work. I think that Democrats and Republicans need to realize that the debt solution will probably be a painful process to go through, but in the end we need to be able to decrease our debt because it is weakening our country. I think that it is ridiculous that the Democrats and Republicans are preventing the entire country from making progress because they refuse to budge in their terms of agreements toward the debt.

Memoli, Michael A. "Obama Rules out Short-term Debt Solution, Says Time for Washington to 'eat Our Peas'" //Los Angeles Times//. 11 July 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 7/18/11**__

1) __International-__ "Norway Attacks: Police Search Farm for Clues after Shooting, Explosion Leave 94 Dead." On Saturday, Anders Behring Breivik was charged with the bombing and shooting in Oslo, Norway. The bombing is suspected to be a car bombing, and was set outside of the building that contains the prime minister's office. Shortly after the bombing in Oslo, Breivik went to Utoya island, located 1/3 of a mile offshore of Oslo and proceeded to open fire killing 87 people. Breivik was dressed in a police uniform during the shootings on the island which added to the confusion as people ran from the shooter, some attempting to swim from the island. So far, at least 94 people have been killed due to the twin attacks. Breivik's motivation is still being investigated, but he is known to be an extreme right wing Christian fundamentalist and police are investigating whether or not this was an international form of terrorism. I think that Breivik is a sick person and I think that this will change how Norway operates the security of their government buildings. I also think that due to the fact that it took 30 to 45 minutes for the police to reach the island that the Norway police will be working on the efficiency of carrying out their duties.

Burnbaum, Michael. "Norway Attacks: Police Search Farm for Clues after Shooting, Explosion Leave 94 Dead." //The Washington Post//. 22 July 2011. Web []

2) __National-__ "Governors gag over D.C. dysfunction" Governors from across the country have become extremely frustrated by the dysfunction in Washington D.C. These governors are especially frustrated by the recent stalemate over the debt limit between Republicans and Democrats. They believe that the root of the problem is that officials in Washington are blindly competing to beat the other party. No one is willing to compromise, and they are not listening to their constituents. The governors that are arguing this also believe that the difference between the state and federal level's approaches to the debt is that the states are at least trying to change. The states are also making strides to reducing the size of the government on the state level, but on the federal level it seems that they are not doing the same. I am always angered by the fact that I feel as if those that claim to represent me in Washington D.C. do not do what their constituents want them to do. They seem to only be concerned with competing with their rivaling party to gain control of the government, which is extremely frustrating. Problems such as the debt limit could significantly effect the United States for a long period of time while the decisions being made in Washington are made by people who truly only care about the short-term effect of these decisions on their chances to remain in office.

Burns, Alexander. "Governors Gag over DC Dysfunction." //Politico//. 17 July 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "White House Threatens Veto of Debt Measure Tied to Balanced Budget Amendment" The White House recently threatened to veto a potential Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that would require approval before the debt ceiling can be raised. There was also an announcement from the Senate that there was a bipartisan effort to allow Obama to raise the debt ceiling if there are 1.5 trillion dollars in spending cuts over the next ten years. The Republicans Balanced Budget amendment is expected to fail in the Senate, which will lead to them voting on the debt limit. The debt limit plan is widely supported in the Senate, while in the House the amount of support is unclear and will depend on the amount of support from Republicans. Most Republicans in the House, however, have said that they will refuse to vote for the debt limit before the Balanced Budget Amendment is passed. I found this article extremely frustrating. the impression I got from this situation was that the Republicans and the Democrats refuse to compromise. It truly is a stalemate right now and if both of the parties refuse to compromise then we will never be able to fix our debt problems.

Goldfarb, Zachary A. "White House Threatens Veto of Debt Measure Tied to Balanced Budget Amendment." //The Washington Post//. 17 July 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 7/25/11**__

1) __International-__ "Train Wreck in China Heightens Unease on Safety Standards." A recent train wreck that killed over forty people and injured more than 200 has brought a lot of criticism toward the Chinese government's outlook on safety. The train wreck is being handled by the railway ministry which has begun to bury the wreckage despite those who argue that the train should be evaluated for why it stalled before being hit by another train. The train wreck is one of many recent tragedies in China due to a lack of safety precautions. Four bridges have collapsed, an escalator has collapsed, an overloaded bus caught fire, along with issues in coal mine and food safety regulations. All of these events have caused unrest from the people, while the government attempts to assure them that they are intensifying their safety measures to prevent such accidents. Among these events, many criticize that China has foregone safety standards in order to modernize and create new technology. I agree that China has traded safety for technology. I don't think that we can expect them to necessarily have the people's best interest in mind since they are not a democracy, and I think that they are more focused in competing economically with other countries like the United States and that, as a result, safety is not a top priority.

Johnson, Ian. "Train Wreck in China Heightens Unease on Safety Standards." //The New York Times//. 25 July 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "Blockbuster-drug Prices to Drop as Patents Expire." In the next few months, six of the top ten selling drugs will have expired patents. With the patents expiring, companies will be able to sell generic forms of drugs like Lipitor, which lowers cholesterol and is the top selling drug in the world. Because of the opportunity to create generic forms of these drugs, consumers will expect to see a drop in prices of up to 80% and are expected to save billions. With the opportunity to buy generic versions of some of the most popular brand name drugs, many are inquiring about the quality and safety of these drugs. The FDA has said that these drugs are of equal quality and potency though some drugs can be slightly different and can cause potential problems according to a study at Johns Hopkins University. I think that it is fine to buy a generic form of a drug, but if, like the Johns Hopkins' study points out, there is a 10% chance that a drug could respond differently if generic, that the FDA needs to make sure that these drugs are regulated more carefully to avoid injury.

Woolston, Chris. "Blockbuster-drug Prices to Drop as Patents Expire." //Los Angeles Times//. 25 July 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "Congress Overwhelmed with Public Input on Debt Debate." After President Obama urged Americans to contact their representatives in Congress, Congress said that they received an unusual number of responses via email and telephone. Many of the callers were Seniors, one representative said, who were misled into thinking that their social security checks were at risk. Others were callers siding with the President who wanted a compromise between the two parties. Most people who contacted their representatives were simply frustrated and wanted to see Congress take action. The response, overall, was overwhelming and shows the amount of attention the debt debate is getting. I'm glad to see that so many people are pressuring their representatives in Congress. I think that it's good that Obama urged everyone to respond to the debate and I'm glad to see that it worked. I'm very frustrated at this point with the fact that Congress has not come to an agreement about the debt, but hopefully the response to the debate will urge them to compromise so that we can have a solution to the national debt.

Memoli, Michael A. "Congress Overwhelmed with Public Input on Debt Debate." //Los Angeles Times//. 27 July 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 8/1/11**__

1) __International-__ "Copter Downed by Taliban Fire; Elite U.S. Unit Among Dead." The Taliban shot down a helicopter, killing 30 Americans. Among the 30 killed were part of the Seal Team 6 who led the attack that killed Osama Bin Ladin in May. None of those that carried out the attack against Bin Ladin were killed in the helicopter attack. After the attack, many officials have begun to reconsider and weigh the benefits of remaining in Taliban territory. The main issue with pulling out of Afghanistan is that by remaining, they keep the Taliban from taking control over the areas they are stationed in, but while there they are using extensive funds and are putting American lives at risk. I don't think that we should remain in Afghanistan. I think that we are spending money on something that is not necessarily benefiting us. I can understand that we should sympathize with those who are under Taliban rule, but we have been there for a long time and have not made a lot of progress.

Rivera, Ray, Alissa J. Rubin, and Thom Shanker. "Copter Downed by Taliban Fire; Elite U.S. Unit Among Dead." //The New York Times//. 6 Aug. 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "Biden Collects Rent from Secret Service." After Joe Biden's name appeared in the federal spending records as a vendor, reports found that the Secret Service is paying Biden rent. The Secret Service is required under law to protect Biden, and as a result, they are renting the cottage on Biden's Wilmington Delaware property. As a result of being a vendor of a fixed-price contract, Biden is technically a federal contractor. This is ironic because Biden has been outspoken on the accountability of federal contractors. Many agree that Biden does have the right to rent the cottage, but many wonder as to why he needs the money, and some have suggested that he takes advantage of the opportunity available to all Americans and write a check for the amount of money he is making from the rent and donate it to help alleviate the national debt. As usual, I find articles like this both ironic and entertaining, but then I stop and think about the gravity of the job that Biden has and am slightly disturbed. If he thinks that collecting rent from the Secret Service, thus increasing the national debt, and then calling for the American people to do their part, is moral and not hypocritical, then you have to wonder about what kind of logic he is applying, or has applied, to decisions that effect the whole country.

McElhatton, Jim. "Biden Collects Rent from Secret Service." //The Washington Times//. 1 Aug. 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "Stocks Plunge on Fears of Global Turmoil." When the stock market closed on Thursday, stocks had fallen 5%. Overall in the past two weeks, stocks have been weakened by an 11% plunge. The decrease in stocks is a result of many investors pulling out of U.S. and European stocks due to their fear that they are failing to fix their economic problems. Analysts say that the stock market may fall further, depending on what the unemployment survey for July looks like. While many are taking their investments out of some stock, there has been an increase in investing in Treasury bonds because they are thought to be more reliable. I think that the stocks are an indication that we should be focusing our efforts into making the U.S. not look weak by not being weak economically in the eyes of other countries. We need to make sure we are not weakening ourselves financially by not making progress on reducing the national debt so that other countries do not fear investing in our companies.

Bowley, Graham. "Stocks Plunge on Fears of Global Turmoil." //The New York Times//. 4 Aug. 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 8/8/11**__

1) __International-__ "Riots Spread in London." The riots in London are spreading throughout different parts of the city and also have influenced riots that are occurring in Birmingham and Liverpool. These riots have consisted mainly of angry youth that have been looting and setting fires. Most of these riots are in the poorer sections of London. They were originally thought to have begun after a peaceful demonstration against the police shooting a 29 year old man, but many believe that these riots are opportunistic due to the lack of police leadership. many of these youths are angry due to the high unemployment, the closing of youth centers, and the cutbacks the government has made on services in lower income neighborhoods. These riots remind me of the ones that have occurred recently in Philadelphia and in Richmond. All of them are similar in that they are all young people who use services like Facebook and Twitter to help organize their riots and they are usually in poorer sections of cities and consist mostly of minorities. I think that the police need to establish stronger relationships with the community and perhaps find a way to defuse these riots before they start.

Stobart, Janet. "Riots Spread in London." //Los Angeles Times//. 8 Aug. 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "45,000 Verizon Workers Walk off the Job." From New England to Virginia, about 45000 Verizon employees have walked off the job in strike. Those who are on strike did so in order to create a new union contract for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The IBEW and Verizon could not agree on health care benefits or on other issues, so until there is an agreement, many have walked off of their job. They did so in order to show that they are not easily replaced, say some. Analysts say that the strike comes at an interesting time because the majority of workers in the US are not gaining anything, the economy is weak, and unemployment is at an all time high. I don't think that the timing for the walk-off was wise, but if the situation is unbearable and Verizon is not being cooperative, then it's understandable. At the same time, if these workers are irreplaceable then the walk-off was probably a good move since it will allow them to get what they want or at least come to a compromise with Verizon.

Luna, Taryn. "45,000 Verizon Workers Walk off the Job." //Boston.com//. 8 Aug. 2011. Web. []

3) __Economic-__ "Deficit 'super Committee' Reflects Party Leadership." A super committee has been established by the Senate and House Republican and Democratic leaders. All of those who have been selected are said to be reflections of the leaders that chose them to be a part of the super committee. There are twelve members of this committee and they will have a vast influence on the debt deal to be reached with President Obama. The committee will work to take 1.5 trillion dollars in cuts from the federal deficit over the next ten years and the plan will require 7 of the 12 to agree before the plan is given to Congress to be voted upon. This means that only one Democrat or Republican will need to switch sides in order for an agreement to be reached. All of those picked seem to be safe in that they are very loyal to their parties and to the leaders that chose them to represent the party in the super committee. Many say that because of this, the committee is likely to become a stalemate while the parties wait for the results of the 2012 presidential election to see if they will have the upper hand, which means that results from a decision will probably come into effect in January 2013. I honestly don't see much of a difference between this 'super committee' and Congress because it will probably result in a similar stalemate to that which is already present in Congress. Many say that they are not optimistic and I agree; if there isn't a significant change in the lineup, then why would there be a significant change in the debt debate? I guess we will have to wait until the results of the 2012 election because from a political standpoint, I don't see why any of the 12 in the super committee would want to make any significant changes without seeing what the result of the presidential elections will be along with the fact that they aren't brave enough to branch outside of the ideas of the party that they are loyal to. I think that they probably established the committee to buy themselves time and to appease the American people even though we will only be at the same place we are now a year from now which will result in us being just as if not more frustrated.

Mascaro, Lisa. "Deficit 'super Committee' Reflects Party Leadership." //Los Angeles Times//. 11 Aug. 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 8/15/11**__

1) __International-__ "Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Massive Statehood Protests." In September, the UN will make a decision on Palestinian statehood. This upcoming decision has sparked planning for Palestinian protesting along Israel's border on the West Bank. These protests are fueled by Palestinian frustration over statehood and their overall dislike of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. There has been much talk of a potential intifada, and police in Israel are preparing for tens of thousands of potential protesters to storm their border. Palestinians are saying that they do not intend on creating violence and that these will be peaceful demonstrations while Israel fears for the worst. I think that the Palestinian people are angry because of their displacement when Israel was established in the late 40's. I think that they will not be satisfied until they have complete control over Israel again. I can understand why they are frustrated about their being displaced, but I don't think that they should be offended because they feel as if Israel's land is rightfully theirs since they took it from the Israelis in the first place. I also think that if the Palestinians think that they will be able to keep tens of thousands of angry demonstrators peaceful that they are very wrong and that the Israelis are right to prepare for the worst since history tends to repeat itself and the Palestinians and Israelis have had bloody disagreements in the past.

Sanders, Edmund. "Israelis, Palestinians Brace for Massive Statehood Protests." //Los Angeles Times//. 17 Aug. 2011. Web. []

2) __National-__ "McDonnell Takes to National Stage." McDonnell is expected to have his national profile take off over the next couple of months. He is replacing Rick Perry as the chairman of the Republican Governors Assembly while Perry joins the presidential race. He is drawing attention due to his popularity in Virginia which is considered a swing state. He is expected to be a contender for the Republican Vice Presidential nomination because of his military service, his strong record in the govt. and his popularity as Virginia's governor. He says that he would be honored to be chosen for the Vice Presidential nomination and has hinted that he possibly has his sights on the 2016 presidential nomination. He is known for being able to work with Democrats well to accomplish big goals and he is also known for his emphasis on creating jobs. I think that he has done a very good job as Virginia's governor. I predict that he will probably be the candidate for the Republican ticket for Vice President and I think that if he keeps up the same ideals as Vice President that he has as our Governor that he will do a good job.

Hohmann, James. "McDonnell Takes to National Stage." //Politico//. 15 Aug. 2011. Web. []

3) Economic- "Obama Is Pressed on Job Creation." Obama has been under fire for his plan to create more jobs. Many Democrats are critical of the job plan in place right now, saying that the president should take a more aggressive stance on the current job crisis.Obama's current plan requires 30 billion dollars to rebuild roads, bridges, etc., $40 billion extension of unemployment relief, improvements to the patent system to encourage innovation, and the reduction of the pay-roll tax that costs up to $120 billion. Most Democrats criticize that the current plan isn't big enough to make a significant difference in the job crisis. In reaction to this, the White House says that a more aggressive, expensive plan will probably not make it past the House which is controlled primarily by Republicans. I think that the job crisis is a result of a bad economy and at the root of our economic hardships is the national debt. I think that Democrats are right to worry about the job crisis, but in reality everything that is weakening our nations economy is connected to the national debt, so that should be our first priority. It doesn't make sense to spend money so that people can make money; that's not how it works. We should fix the economy from the inside out, the root being the debt, and then that will create a domino effect that will help alleviate the job crisis which is more of an effect of the economy being bad. .

Nicholas, Peter. "Obama Is Pressed on Job Creation." //Los Angeles Times//. 15 Aug. 2011. Web. []

__**Week of 8/22/11**__

1) __International-__ "Price on Gaddafi's Head as Fighting Goes on." After Gaddafi's compound was captured on Tuesday, rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil announced a bounty of over $1 million for Gaddafi's capture, dead or alive. Fighting still continues in Libya as the rebels battle the loyalists especially in the capital city Tripoli. Preparations for a new government are underway as the country prepares for governing itself without a dictator. These include preparations for oil drilling as Libya is very rich in its resources. A "Friends of Libya" conference in France is set for September 1st which China and Russia will attend with hopes at gaining economic advantages with the rich, newly freed country. China and Russia opposed the US airstrikes in June, but now they worry that they may lose out on business deals with the rebels. I understand our motivations in aiding the rebels now that I know that Libya is an oil-rich country. I hope that the cost of our military support is less than the amount of money we will gain from being Libya's ally. Ryan, Missy, and Ulf Laessing. "Price on Gaddafi's Head as Fighting Goes on." //Reuters//. 24 Aug. 2011. Web. @http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/24/us-libya-idUSTRE77A2Y920110824

2) __National-__ "Is East Coast Prepared for Truly Powerful Quake?" After the earthquake on Tuesday, many are wondering if the East Coast is prepared for a powerful earthquake. For the most part there was minor damage throughout the region, but most major buildings near the epicenter, like the government buidings in Washington DC, were forced to evacuate. Some in the DC area were forced to evacuate their apartment buildings because they were not built to stay intact during an earthquake. There were also cracks in the Washington Monument and broken capstones on the National Cathedral. School in Louisa County is cancelled for two weeks due to damage and engineers are inspecting many major buildings and bridges in Washington DC and in Richmond along with other areas around the quake. Most of the people who had damage from the earthquake are not covered by their insurance. I wonder what the building codes say as far as preparing for potential earthquake damage. Most of the buildings that were damaged were very old, but most of the newer buildings I think prepare for potential damage while they're being built. Nuckols, Ben. "Is East Coast Prepared for Truly Powerful Quake?" //Associated Press//. 24 Aug. 2011. Web. @http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EAST_COAST_QUAKE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-23-14-05-37

3) __Economic__- "Economic Growth Slows to Crawl, GDP Increase at 1%." According to a recent government report, the economy is growing slower than expected. Exports are slow along with poor business inventory, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth almost stalled in the first six months of the year. A recession watch is in effect due to the GDP and the fall in stalks because of the Standard & Poor's decision to rank the US as AA instead of AAA. Among the signs of an economy slowing down, consumer spending is up, according to the government report. Also, since business inventory hasnt dramatically increased, there isnt a surplus, which means that this should help the GDP rating for the third quarter. This article was a little confusing to read since I don't completely understand all of the terms and statistics used to determine economic growth. It's a little discouraging to see that our economy is not improving as quickly as experts predicted. Reuters, Thomson. "Economic Growth Slows to Crawl, GDP Increase at 1%." 26 Aug. 2011. Web. http://www.cnbc.com/id/44285105