Meghan+Cyr

Meghan Cyr week of 6/20/11 National

1) "Oklahoma Murder Suspect is back in Custody"

Shaun Bosse, a convicted murderer, broke out of prison over the weekend after escaping two guards and stealing a cop car. He had been convicted of three charges of frist degree murder and arson. For this reason he was considered a high threat and his capture was a top priority cops in the area. He was found today and cops say he did not resist in any way. His escape is troubleing. People are wondering how he was able to get past two guards. If he can escape, they fear other prisoners will too. I believe this is a valid fear. If criminals can escape so easily from jail civilians are not safe. I do not think it would be unreasonable to increase security in jails, especially for such high danger criminals.

"Oklahoma Murder Suspect Is Back in Custody." //CNN//. 26 June 2011. Web. 26 June 2011. [].

Global

1)"India-inspired Anti-graft Movement Gathers Momentum in China"

Chinese web designers have started websites dedicated to uncovering graft in their political system. The idea arose from India's similiar sight called "Ipaidabribe.com." The websites encourage citizens to share stories of how they were able to use bribes to better their situation. The websites were made illegal by the Chinese government. The creators and users protest, saying the websites are created in the hopes of improving the Chinese government which many officials admit has become corrupt. Hopefully, the Chinese government will come to realize the flaws with this kind of reaction. It only alients and frustrates the citizens. Realistically however, they will not stop.

"India-inspired Anti-graft Movement Gathers Momentum in China - Yahoo! News." //Yahoo! News India - Latest India News & World News Headlines//. 19 June 2011. Web. 26 June 2011. [].

Economic

1) "New Economic Stimulus: Lower Oil Prices"

Some experts believe that the best way to improve our nation's economy is to increase the amount of oil available in our country from national reserves. The Obama Administration hopes to release an extra 60 million barrels of oil which would lower gas prices. This would help the US depend less on foreign countries, many of which have problems of their own that only complicate US foreign police. It would also allow lower the price of oil, which would free up an extra $100 billion dollars for Americans to spend elsewhere. Other economists claim there would not be enough of a drop in price to make the effort worthwhile. They believe this act would only hurt the US in the long run. I would adore paying less to fill up my tank, and I see the benefit of using that extra money to spend on other activities to help the economy. I also like the idea of the US depending less on foreign countries and more on ourselves.

Isidore, Chris."New Economic Stimulus: Lower Oil Prices." //CNN Money//. Cnn, 23 June 2011. Web. 26 June 2011. [].

week 6/27/11

International Analysts: Chavez Illness Sparks Power Struggle in Venezuela

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍1) In Venezuela a power struggle is occuring due to the illness of Chavez. The Venezuelan president has been in surgery and apparently had a cancerous tumor removed not too long ago. He is keeping a low profile, but recently said he was feeling better despite his continuous treatment. His medical needs have drawn attention to his weaknesses and reminds citizens that he will not live forever. While I agree it might be frightening to think of the future power struggle that could emerge in Venezuela as a result of Chavez's portrayed weakness, it is a good idea for the citizens to start planning ahead.

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ Shoichet, Catherine E. "Analysts: Chavez Illness Sparks Power Struggle in Venezuela - CNN.com." //CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News//. 01 July 2011. Web. 01 July 2011. .

National Appeals Court Dismisses Nuclear Waste Suit

1) One issue our progressive nation faces is what to do with nuclear waste. This is an important and frightening dilema esoecially since the US Government Accountability Office believes our nuclear waste will double by 2055. The recent disaster in Japan has forced the United States to examine their options very carefully. The government feels pressured to deal with the waste as quickly and efficiently as possible. In 1997 it was decided that one possible location to deposite the waste was Yucca Mountain. The state of Nevada greatly opposes this idea, and in 2008, during his campaign, Obama promised not to let that happen. It is believed that this decision greatly helped him win Nevada in the election. The NCR rejects this and is trying to continue with the use of Yucca Mountain. However, the Energy Department has already started dismantaling the project. This is a complicated issue. I can not think of any state that would be willing have nuclear waste dumped there. I certainly would not want it here in VA. When Obama promised not to plant the waste in Nevada he should have had a backup place to put it, because it needs to go somewhere.

"Appeals Court Dismisses Nuclear Waste Suit." //The Associated Press//. 1 July 2011. Web. 1 July 2011. [].

Economic

1) Ever since the earthquake in Japan, US manufacturing has increased significantly. This has been a relief because people feared the effect of the tsunami would be felt economically world wide. People at first believed the growth in the US had everthing to do with the failure of many Japanese businesses, but the continued strength proves otherwise, economists argue. Economists also believe the economy in the United States is expected to grow 4% in the next year. Meanwhile China has noticed a decrease in their manufacturing and economy. While I believe what happened to Japan was devastating and horrible, I also believe the US acted very wisely by takeing advantage of the situation. Our own economy is not only benefiting from this activity, but the effects have helped the global market as well.

"US Manufacturing Shows Continued Strength – CNNMoney | Casfala News." //Casfala World News//. 01 July 2011. Web. 01 July 2011. [].

Week 7/4/11

International ‍A Vote to Celebrate for South Sudan 1) Today is the first day of independance for the people of the Republic of South Sudan. The voted to have their independance form the northern part of the country in an attempt to bring peave to the two conflicted areas. It is estimated that only 10% of the people located in South Sudan are displaced people in the north. The people are greatful to the United States for their support throughout the conflict. The former-Sudanese-now-Richmonders will be celebrating at a church in Richmond. There will be singing, dancing. foods and prayer. I believe it is great that these people have worked out their differences peacefully and hope it continues. I am also impressed that htey have made the celebration open to the public. ‍

Cain, Andrew. "A Vote to Celebrate for South Sudan | Solomon Attari | Comment Is Free | Guardian.co.uk." //Richmond Times Dispatch//. 09 July 2011. Web. 09 July 2011. [].

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍National 2010 Virginia Public School Test Scores 1) Here in Virginia there are debates over test scores and progresses of the Virginia public schools in 2010. Only 12 of the 132 schools passed the federal No Child Left Behind standards. Sixty of the schools passed the previous year. In order to get an "Adequate" rating approximately 80% of the students must have gotten passing grades on their SOLs. If a school fails to meet the national average two years in a row they will be punished with incresasing severity. The goal is the have 100% of the schools passing by 2014. I honestly don't believe this goal will be met unless the SOLs are simplified, or the national average is lowered. "2010 Virginia Public School Test Scores." Virginia Department of Education. Web. 09 July 2011. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍[].

Economic Housing Prices: No Rebound in Sight 1) According to surveys, housing prices are only expected to fall. The anticipated decrease from this year is an average of 2.9% in price value of houses. Few economists are hopeful for next years prices eigther. They believe 2012 will bring a slight increase of 2% in prices but will probably not show anything drastic. Some economists predict as much as a 4% decrease in housing value to be necessary for there to be a true bottom in the market. Others believe it will need to drop more ofr less. Pretty much the only thing they can agree on is that no one knows how to bring about the change needed. I honestly do not believe I know enough to comment on the likelihood of a recovery of the housing market, but I do think that it will take awhil to turn the market around.

Isidore, Chris. "Housing Prices: No Rebound in Sight." //CNN//. CNN, 07 July 2011. Web. 9 July 2011. []

Week of 6/10/11 International-“In China, it’s smoking foes versus state-run industry” 1) This May China made its first national ban on smoking in public. While health advocates took this as a step in the right direction, it still has brought about very little change in the activities of the Chinese population. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of tobacco. Approximately 50% of all males in China smoke as opposed to 20% in the US. This is probably why four of the top five leading causes of death in China are caused by cigarettes. There are roughly 1.2 million deaths a year resulting from tobacco products. Personally I am against smoking, but I believe it is an individual’s choice whether or not to take the known risk of smoking tobacco. What should not be their choice, however, is whether or not they smoke in public and endanger others through their destructive actions. I hope China continues to strive to solve this awful problem.

"In China, It’s Smoking Foes versus State-run Industry." //The Richmond Times Dispatch// 13 July 2011: A2. Print.

National-“Obesity triggers custody debate” 1) Some health specialists have proposed new efforts to protect children from obesity. They suggest severely obese children be taken away from their parents temporarily, and moved to foster parents until they have reached a stable weight. They argue that this is a more humane solution than the use of weight reduction surgery. Some worry that this will and humiliation to children who are already ridiculed at school and will also point too much blame on parents. There are approximately 2 million children in the US who are extremely obese and would be in the weight range to be considered for this movement. I am not sure what how I feel about this. I am torn between my belief that parents should raise their children, and the argument that some children will be unhealthy and probably die from their weight conditions at a young age. If this movement provides parents with incentives to help their children live better lifestyles then maybe it would be worth it.

"Obesity Triggers Custody Debate." //The Richmond Times Dispatch// 13 July 2011: A3. Print. Economic-“Fed divided over more stimulus measures to boost economy” 1) The only thing Federal Reserve officials seem capable of agreeing on is that they are not sure how to help the economy. They worry over the pros and cons of taking additional steps to help improve job employment. Some believe they should use stimuli to create more jobs while others argue that they lack funds to do so. They worry over bonds and low interest rates. They worry that anything they do will cause an intense inflation. The only other thing they are capable of agreeing on for sure, is that we’re not out of this thing yet. "“Fed divided over more stimulus measures to boost economy”. //The Richmond Times Dispatch// 13 July 2011: D3. Print.

Week 18 ‍1) National-Cheating, fear part of city’s school culture To the dismay of the country, information regarding a cheating scandal in public schools in Atlanta has turned out to be worse than previously thought. The scandal includes more teachers, administrators, and schools than have ever been caught before in U.S. history. 178 teachers have been accused of encouraging students to cheat on testing, or changing their answers to correct. These teachers claim principals threatened to fire them if they did not ensure their students would pass. Almost half of the city’s schools are believed to have taken part. The schools might be required to repay the government millions of dollars for funding they were unworthy of receiving. I believe it is awful that such a large scandal went on in the public education system, but I honestly am not surprised. The government cannot just expect children to become smarter after raising the percentage for passing. The way to improve education is by changing teaching and instruction, not testing. ‍ Press, The Associated. "Cheating, Fear Part of City's School Culture." //Richmond Times Dispatch// 17 July 2011: A10. Print.

2) Global During a violent protest in Tunisia, a fourteen year old boy was killed by a stray bullet, shot by a protestor. This was the town where people first began to revolt and consequently turned the Arab world around. The country is preparing for an election on October 23. The president accused extremists for the turn of events during the protest, and insisted that the elections would continue. They have already been postponed once. Two other protestors were seriously injured during this event. The president was forced to flee when the anti-government group became dangerous. While it is important that people be able to protest, I also think they should be ensured peaceful protesting. A crowd should never turn violent when trying to advocate their cause. They are hurting themselves and other innocent people more than those they are aiming to affect. People should never have to worry about dying at a protest. Press, The Associated. "14-year-old Killed in Tunisian Protest." //Richmond Times Dispatch//. 18 July 2011. Web. 18 July 2011. . 3) Economic The record high prices small cars have experienced this fall will soon begin to fall. Gas prices are expected to lower so the need for a small, eco-friendly car will be less necessary. People will feel more comfortable staying with their old giant gas guzzlers. Many car industries were harmed during the earthquake/tsunami in Japan and as a result small cars will be produced more than larger cars, making them more common and cheaper than they currently are. The prices should start dropping in September and continue to fall until the end of the year. The average age of cars in the US is 10.6 years old. That means that it will soon be time for many people to turn in their old cars for something new which will drive competitors to lower prices to attract all these customers. While I think it is great that car prices are falling on small cars, I hope people still have incentive to buy smaller, more eco-friendly cars. Press, The Associated. "Small Car Prices Expected to Drop This Fall from Record Highs." //Richmond Times Dispatch//. 18 July 2011. Web. 18 July 2011. [].

National 1) Materials needed to make a bomb were found in the hotel room of a private at Fort Hood. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo traveled to a gun store by cab and his strange behavior raised suspicion among workers there. A store employee intuitively alerted the cops of Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo’s suspicious behavior while buying a gun and other weapons. The man had planned to set off the bomb later as well as go on a shooting spree. He had previously been dismissed from Fort Campbell in Kentucky when he was convicted with possession of child pornography. He was working alone and is currently being held in jail until he is charged. In 2009 Fort Hood was subjected to a shooting spree that killed thirteen and officials honestly believe that if it hadn’t been for this tip, the results could have been much more devastating. People now know of a preventative way to stop these kinds of attacks. I hope more employees in stores that sell weapons and dangerous materials will be on the lookout for similar people. I think it should be mandatory that employees in these kinds of stores take classes alerting them to signs of possibly dangerous individuals. "Official: Soldier Said He Wanted to Attack Fort Hood Troops - CNN.com." //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. 29 July 2011. Web. 29 July 2011. . International 1) The entire world has been horrified by the events that took place in Norway this past weekend. Anders Breivik, the man responsible for killing an unknown number of citizens, many of whom were youth, was easily caught after committing his attacks. After deceiving friends and neighbors for months, the Christian extremist who had written a 1,500 page manifesto. After setting off a bomb at a government headquarters that killed about eight people, he headed towards an island hosting a politically associated youth conference. Dressed as a cop, he lured children and adults near him, and then opened fire. They ran and swam away from him. Some drowned trying to escape the bullets, and other survived by hiding in the woods nearby. It took 90 minutes for the police to catch up with him. It is still not known how many people he killed but the numbers range from 68 to about 90. An irony is that in Norway, the most time he can do in jail is 21 years. There is no death sentence. Many people blame the cops for the vast killing, but Norway prides itself on being a diverse yet peaceful country. Many on-duty cops do not even carry weapons. While I greatly admire that kind of a society it unfortunately belongs to a different time. In the meantime, it would be a good idea for their cops to pack heat, and for the country to up the jail sentence to lifetime. Press, The Associated. "Manifesto Sheds Light on Attack." //Richmond Times Dispatch// 25 July 2011: A4. Print. Economy 1) Apple is one of the most innovative and successful companies in our time. It continues to grow and success and always manages to stay one step ahead in technology and consumer desire. the result is an unfortunate drop in the sales of iPods. This year 7.5 million iPods were sold. While this sounds like more than enough, Apple sold that many in 2005 when iPods were only four years old. The iPod’s time to shine may be approaching its end. This is the result of many advances in technology like the iPad. There is also the iPhone, Android, and other handheld phone devices that play music and remove the need for an iPod. The markets for iPods are still large in other countries, but at least in the U.S. and other more advanced countries, they are becoming more and more obsolete. There are many ways Apple believes they can increase the sales of iPods again. They wonder whether to discontinue the iPod classic and only pursue touch screens. They consider giving all iPods WiFi. They have thought about increasing memory. Whatever they choose to do, I am sure Apple will continue to provide innovative products that wow consumers. Goldman, David. "Apple Faces IPod Sales Dilemma - Jul. 29, 2011." //Business, Financial, Personal Finance News - CNNMoney//. 29 July 2011. Web. 29 July 2011. [].

Week of August 1 National 1) a‍‍‍‍ll the debates going on concerning the public and private education sectors With, more and more children are being enrolled in homeschooling, or other less traditional educational methods like “unschooling”. Unschooling involved children learning on their own. They do not have a set curriculum; they learn lessons from life skills. This kind of learning is based on the ideas of John Holt who believed children should be allowed to learn based on their own curiosity and passions. Some Sudbury schools have been set up that follow the unschooling principals. Teachers are more of assistants and guides rather than people who instruct and tell children what to do. Kids do not receive grades. The only rules are set by the students who say respect for each other is more important than it is in other schools because you are held accountable by your peers rather than teachers or a disciplinarian. Many people worry how this graduate will do in the real world. They fear children, left on their own, will do nothing. However, 90% of the graduates of these schools go to college in comparison to the 67% from public schools. These graduates are going on to do great things. Many are doctors or inventors. They find their passions at a young age and focus their energy onto these ideas and work hard to achieve their goals, not a school system’s goal. While I believe the entire education process needs to be radically redefined I am not sure this level of freedom is helpful. I do wish that more students had more opportunities to independently pursue their passions and spend less times on topics that do not interest them, that they will not use in life. ‍‍‍‍ Wilson, By Jacque. "Unschoolers Learn What They Want, When They Want - CNN.com." //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. 03 Aug. 2011. Web. 03 Aug. 2011. .

Global 1) In Ireland, David Norris, <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;"> an openly gay candidate decided not to run for president. He was the first openly gay candidate ever in the country’s history to run. He decided against running after he was accused of helping his former partner escape being accused of sexual relationships with a fifteen year old from Palestine. He does not regret helping a friend but is very regretful for what happened to the young boy. Before this was discovered he was in the lead of the campaign. I am all for a gay president, but I do not think any president should allow such awful things to occur unpunished, even if it was for friends. <span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.5in;">Taggart, Peter. "Gay Candidate for President of Ireland Withdraws over Scandal." //CNN//. 3 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 Aug. 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/08/02/ireland.presidential.candidate/index.html?hpt=wo_c2>. <span style="display: block; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">Economy <span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1) For many stores back to school shopping is even bigger than the Christmas shopping season. In hopes of bringing in even more customers, they are making the transition from TV commercials to Facebook ads. Many stores are designing almost online shopping experiences on Facebook. Users are able to show their friends what they have purchased and what is on their shopping list. There are daily discounts shoppers can find out about by using Facebook. While these are all very clever ideas of how to bombard people with adds, I personally pay absolutely no attention to adds on TV or Facebook as it is. I don’t think this is going to change anything. Better luck next time. <span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.5in;">Kavilanz, Parija. "Back to School Deals Your 'friend' on Facebook - Aug. 3, 2011." //Business, Financial, Personal Finance News - CNNMoney//. 03 Aug. 2011. Web. 03 Aug. 2011. [].

<range type="comment" id="58064">‍‍‍‍‍‍‍National- No Excuses' for Flash Mob Attacks
====Philidalphia mayor, Michael Nutter, could be viewed as the tough parent of teens in the area. He has decided to introduce a strict curfew after minors continue to get in trouble at night. There is a 9 o'clock curfew for teens i nthe center of the city. In surrounding areas curfew is 10 o'clock for children under the age of 13 and 12 o'clock for people under the age of 18.There have been assults on citizens, most of which have been executed by minors. Experts believe "flash mobs" are the cause of these attacks. They believe students use social media to organize these attacks. I have a few things to say. First of all, a flash mob is not always an attack planned by a group of people on a social media sight, it can be something as harmless as a random dance organized by individuals on a social media sight, so don't blame social networking entirely. Second of all, by creating curfews it does not mean that curfews will be kept. I have plenty of law abiding friends most of whom are not even aware that there is a county-set curfew, much less care. I know so many people who are out driving or with friends past whatever time they are legally allowed to, so Philly really needs to be confident about its ability to enforce this curfew if Richmond Virginia is not even capable of it.==== ====Also, using a curfew means that all the good law abiding children with parents who keep tabs on them would be inside, and only the law breakers would be out. While this would keep those who were inside safe, it would reduce the amount of people outside to help anyone if they were faced by law breakers. It's good the ayor is at least trying something though.==== ==== ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍"Philly Mayor: 'No Excuses' for Flash Mob Attacks - CNN.com." //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 09 Aug. 2011. [].====

Internation- Q&A: What sparked the London riots?
====Last Thursday night a 29 year old man, Mark Duggan, was killed. He was shot by police while traveling with his friends. This action caused riots throughout the UK on Saturday. He was shot at 6:15 in the chest. People are unsure of whether or not Duggan and his friends took shots at police. Bullets were found lodgedin a policeman's radio but the bullets might have only been from another cop's firings. A gun was also found at the scene that was not the type of gun the cops carried. Cops had been trying to arrest Duggan, father of four, because he was a significant figure in a gang. His family and friends marched peacefully to protest his death. Later, groups of youth attacked cops, their vehicles, banks, and other items. The riots spread throughout the UK. People fear that there will not be enough cops to contain the mobs. Police believe the wide spread reaction is a result of social media. Seeing as nobody knows what really happened I find it difficult to have an opinion. I do hope that the UK has enough cops to keep crowds under control.====

====Shaikh, Thair. "Q&A: What Sparked the London Riots? - CNN.com." //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 09 Aug. 2011. [].====

==== America still has a gold standard. While we would like to believe that we are a forward thinking society that does not depend on material items, the US still finds great peace of mind and stability of market in gold. Just like the first travelors to the New World hoped for gold and quick profit, so does out society today. The value of gold has increased 20% in the past year while everything else, including the housing development, oil, currency, and even silver (down 3%) continues to fall in value. While I am still not conviced gold is the best way to invest, right now it seems to be better than any other option. Hoff, Ivan. "Gold Keeps Its Luster." //Business, Financial, Personal Finance News - CNNMoney//. 09 Aug. 2011. Web. 09 Aug. 2011. [].====

Week of the 15th

National-Gun Crimes Drop at Bars, Eateries

<range type="comment" id="922125">The debate over gun possession continues. When it became legal to carry concealed guns into alcohol-serving businesses, people worried gun handlers would become wildly drunk, and shoot people left and right. The new law would allow people with concealed carrier permits to bring their weapons into bars and restaurants, but they would not be allowed to drink. People who were permited to carry their guns in plain sight would be allowed to drink. People worried that as a result of this law fewer people would go out to eat because they would be fearing for their lives. In reality, the amount of gun crimes has declined in the past year in Virginia. There were eight fewer gun crimes in Virginia bars this year, than there were last year. Forty-three other states passed the legislation allowing concealed guns to be brought into bars and other areas where alcohol is served. None of these states have seen a rise in gun crimes worth commenting on. Most of them have seen a drop. It appears that the most deadly crimes were commited by people who did not have a concealed carrier permit. While I believe it is good people are able to protect themselves I also am not sure that drinking and gun-slinging make a good combination. As long as people with guns are not allowed to drink then there should not be a problem but there needs to be a way for alcohol servers to know whether or not to give people alcohol. I also wonder if allowing students in colleges to carry guns to class would help prevent school shootings or if it would just increase the chances of things going wrong. Bowes, Mark. "Gun Crimes Drop at Bars, Eateries." //The Richmond Times Dispatch// 15 Aug. 2011: A1. Print. International-Germany Marks 50 Years Since Rise of Berlin Wall

50 years ago, in 1961, construction was begun on the Wall of Berlin. This twelve foot, concrete, great wall divided the country for twenty-eight years. It separated the democratic Western portion of Germany from the communist, Eastern Germany. This wall completely separated the two halves of a city. People were separated from family members, friends, and any chance of escapeing the communist country. A minimum of 136 people were killed trying to cross the wall, and hundreds were arrested. The division did not end until 1989 after Eastern Germany had received much pressure to remove the wall from its citizens. Today it reminds Germans of a dark time i ntheir history. It reminds them how easily their freedom can be taken away, and reminds them to value it, and to always strive to maintain it. Citizens try to remember what happened so they will never allows it to happen again. I think it is great Germany feels so comfortable looking at its weaknesses in order to strengthen itself. More countries should follow its example.

Press, The Associated. "Germany Marks 50 Years Since the Rise of the Berlin Wall." //The Richmond Times Dispatch// 15 Aug. 2011: A4. Print.

Economic-Extreme Couponing:Student Saves $300 a Month

With all the hype about "extreme couponing" that has resulted from various TV shows, normal people have started trying to attempt the same feats. Lauren Liggett is one of them. She is a college student in her early 20s who lives at home. Because her parents are paying for college, she decided to try to help out in ways she could. This led her to couponing. Her family's $400 grocery budget has fallen to $100. She accomplishes this by buying multiple Sunday newspapers so she can find all the extra coupons. She also uses online websites. While I find nothing wrong with a girl trying to help her family save money, I worry about how this will affect stores and businesses. If they are giving away so much for so little, how long will it be before coupons become obsolete. I also want to know how Liggett accomplishes this. Every time I find a coupon it stresses that it can not be combined with any other offer. Maybe I'm just not cut out for extreme couponing.

Keegan, Paul. "Extreme Couponing: Student Saves $300 a Month - Jul. 18, 2011." //Business, Financial, Personal Finance News - CNNMoney//. 18 July 2011. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. [].

Week of August 22

<range type="comment" id="305875">‍National-Some South Dakota Schools Cut Costs By Cutting a Day Everybody seems to be trying to save money these days, even school systems. While other schools struggle to gain extra funding or cut extracurricular programs or lay off or lower teachers salaries, schools in South Dakota have found an interesting way to save some serious money. By closing school one extra day a week, each school will save $50,000 a year. To replace this missing day from the schedule, the schools will lengthen their school days by 30 minutes and will shorten the lunch period. To a student this sounds like a very good deal: I get a three day weekend every weekend and I only have to stay at school an extra half an hour a day? But to others it sounds like bad news. Eigther way you put it, students are still losing valuable classroom time. How will this affect extracurricular activities like sports or school plays? Will these programs be one day less as well or will they continue? Will students be given excessive homework because of the longer weekends? Will they be forced to teach themselves more as a result of less class time? Will their educations suffer? Will the adjustment to the five day work week be more difficult to them? Eigther way it will be interesting to see how things turn out.

Carbon, Nick. "Some South Dakota Schools Cut Costs By Cutting a Day - TIME NewsFeed." //TIME NewsFeed - Breaking News and Updates//. 21 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011. []. ‍

International-Irene intensifies over warm waters as it roars toward Carolinas There is a new hurrican on everybody's radar, hurrican Irene! After spending plenty of time in warm Carribean oceans, hurrican Irene is even more powerful than earlier. It poses a threat to the South-East United States and also the Bahamas. This could be one of the most devestating hurricanes the US has had to deal with in a while. It is currently a stage two hurricane which ahs winds up to 100 mph. It might reach a stage three hurrican though, these have intense wind strength and very dangerous potentials.

"Irene Intensifies over Warm Waters as It Roars toward Carolinas - CNN.com." //CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News//. 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/08/23/tropical.weather/index.html?hpt=wo_c2>.

<range type="comment" id="525663">‍Economic-The Upside Of Down Markets? People Grow Closer It seems so cheesy and cliche, but it would appear to be true:when the economy is awful, people bond together to support one another. People always knew when the markets were down it was a good time to buy stocks, but they never imagined their economic suffering could be beneficial to their relationships. A study form University of Minnesota proves this. A woman conducting these surveys realized that when people have money on the mind they become anitsocial. These people will prefer to take part in independant lesure activities. In contrast people facing money difficulties are more likely to force themselves to ask for assistance which brings them closer to the people around them. Good relationships and social activities have a much stronger positive effect on people's happiness then having money. i do agree that money does not buy happiness and I have seen people grow close during the tougher times. To me, this study seems pretty accurate. The happiest people I know are people with good relationships with those around them. ‍

Belsky, Gary, and Tom Gilovich. "The Upside Of Down Markets? People Grow Closer | Moneyland | TIME.com." //Moneyland | Financial Insights from Your Wallet to Wall Street | TIME.com//. 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011. <http://moneyland.time.com/2011/08/15/the-upside-of-down-markets-people-grow-closer/?iid=pf-main-feature>.