tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post9132524589648978077..comments2023-06-21T09:25:35.299-04:00Comments on C&E Current Events Blog: Current Event 1/28Ms. Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06108383017239186239noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-70021573112137370902011-03-18T09:29:13.195-04:002011-03-18T09:29:13.195-04:00http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/cellphone...http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/cellphone-use-tied-to-changes-in-brain-activity/?ref=health<br /><br />Last month, Leah wrote an article on the possible harmful effects of cell phones on the body that I found really interesting. 47 people were studied and it was found that in less than an hour’s time of talking on the phone, brain activity speeds up 7% around the area of the brain closest to the antenna. It is not known if the effects cause real harm, but researchers are questioning whether or not radiation emitted from cell phones is causing serious harm. Again, they do not know whether cell phones are good or bad for you although some studies have shown a link of usage to a rare brain tumor. It should also be stressed that there have been no studies that link cell phone use to cancer.<br /><br />I picked this article because it sounded cool, and when I got a chance to read it deeper I actually found it pretty fascinating. As Leah pointed out, so many people these days are basically attached to their phones and if they are really harmful we should know about it. It’s nice to know that cancer has not been shown to cause cancer! I think researchers should commit time to finding out for sure if these daily staples are hurting our bodies and our minds. <br /><br />Jessica Batson<br />7thJessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16474773761681972717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-558474577483216172011-02-04T10:52:30.443-05:002011-02-04T10:52:30.443-05:00Jose
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110204/ap_on_r...Jose <br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt<br /><br />Many men in cairo are protesting the fact that the United States Of America is rushing egypt to transform into a democracy that theses people dont want.Jose STFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16685226607427718707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-8016916017185885442011-01-30T11:07:37.860-05:002011-01-30T11:07:37.860-05:00sorry i couldnt have this in by saturday i was sti...sorry i couldnt have this in by saturday i was still feeling really sickRyanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17904979025419588742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-16419394389471467902011-01-30T11:06:20.783-05:002011-01-30T11:06:20.783-05:00Ryan Hegedus
Police say mother admits killing teen...Ryan Hegedus<br />Police say mother admits killing teen-aged children for being "mouthy"<br /> In Tampa Florida, two teenage siblings, 13 and 16, were killed by their mother. She killed her 13 year old son Beau while she was driving him to soccer practice and then returned home to shoot her 16 year old daughter Calyx in her bedroom. Police found the mother in a blood stained shirt on her porch while looking into a phone call made by the one of the mother’s concerned relatives. When the mother was asked why she killed her two children she told the police they were “being mouthy.” The mother was being held in jail by the police until she was moved to a mental hospital to treat an already existing condition. The town held a candlelight vigil in memory of the two children. <br /> I was under the impression that my parents were very strict at times until this article gave me some perspective. This mother, while obviously mentally ill, had no right to commit such a terrible crime. She took not one, but two lives because they were talking back to her. The fact that she had a preexisting mental condition this serious should have been grounds to keep her in a mental hospital before something like this happened. Instead, she is allowed to be a danger to society and in this case to her children. In my opinion, if she was healthy enough not to be locked up in the first place, she is healthy enough to go to the same jail as everybody else, and maybe even to receive the death penalty. There is no sense, however, in putting her in a mental hospital now when it is too late.<br />http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/29/florida.children.killed/index.htmlRyanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17904979025419588742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-59329721068058331582011-01-28T21:47:44.797-05:002011-01-28T21:47:44.797-05:00Tanner Gardner-7th Period
http://oilprice.com/Alte...Tanner Gardner-7th Period<br />http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Obama-Sets-Goal-of-80-Clean-Energy-by-2035.html<br /> In his State of the Union Address, President Obama set forth a pretty weighty goal of generating 80% of US electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. He listed solar, wind, clean coal, nuclear power and natural gas as possibilities and encouraged bipartisanship on the topic, saying, “To meet this goal, we will need them all and I urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen.” Clean energy advocates were dismayed at his inclusion of clean coal and nuclear energy however. “I do not agree with the president,” said Scott Sklar, president of the Stella Group, a Virginia-based clean energy consultancy. “The president is bending to the realities of politics.” President Obama also said that he wanted 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. If this goal were to be reached, we would be the first country in history to do so. There was more praise for Obama’s goal of putting a million electric vehicles on the road in the US by 2015, particularly because he asked Congress to help pay for this goal by eliminating billions in taxpayer dollars given to oil companies.<br /> Clean coal is a dirty lie and nuclear energy has far too high of a risk of radiation exposure to those surrounding it, even without a critical meltdown. Obama may be sheltering these industries for now, but we need to move towards the two most abundant resources of all, the ones that have always been there: the sun and the wind. These aren’t some new, alien technologies. We should be utilizing them as they are completely free and eternal. I think the reason that wind and solar power haven’t been given any attention is because oil companies have been placating politicians for the past half-century at least. These corporations have our so-called representatives in their back pockets, and that’s why we see the government not lifting a finger to stop these monopolies or hinder pollution. As long as the cash keeps rolling in, bureaucracy won’t give a hoot. I sincerely hope that Obama will stick to his aversion to oil, for it will surely be better for us in the long run.Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01434112186499773951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-6735995366406118552011-01-28T11:16:02.314-05:002011-01-28T11:16:02.314-05:00This article talks about how Obama feels about edu...This article talks about how Obama feels about education and his education reform. He encourages parents to “reinforce the importance of education” to their kids. In the recession some states have had to cut teachers and classes and increase class size. The author if this article said “there is no reason to believe that simply by raising standards, academic performance among students will increase, followed by higher graduation and college attendance and graduation. Many students don’t believe that a good education can get you a well paying job.<br /><br />I agree that education is very important and students don’t realize that, which is ashamed. I think that a good education can get you a good job because I don’t know that many well paying jobs hire people without a high school and college degree. I also think that not every student gets the same education. If you live in a poor neighborhood in a small town, your school isn’t as good compared to a student that lives in a nice neighborhood and goes to a school that’s top in their state.<br /><br />http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/01/27/noguera.obama.education/index.htmlJaninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12425831420262519897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-13897821039839222512011-01-28T11:13:24.560-05:002011-01-28T11:13:24.560-05:00http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-26/politics/defens...http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-26/politics/defense.cuts_1_cuts-proposals-government-spending?_s=PM:POLITICS<br /><br />Subject: Economics<br /><br />Andrew Cohen 7th <br /><br />In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night he mentioned the topic of cutting government spending. The topic, in general, was well-received by the crowd. However, when Obama mentioned holding up cuts proposed by the Department of Defense, he received mixed results. He said that the Secretary of Defense agreed to cut around 78 billion dollars in spending. Most of these cuts would come from EFV military vehicles that are used to carry Marines from ships to the beach during attack. Several Republican leaders were especially upset about the proposed cuts in spending for the Department of Defense. California Representative Buck McKeon said that he “intends to pursue the impact of this decision by the administration.” Obama also received positive feedback on the proposed cuts. Democrat Adam Smith of Washington said, "There's no place where you're going to save money where somebody isn't going to complain about it."<br />This event is important because the country’s budget problem is a big one and needs to be addressed by our government. However, this is not an easy problem to solve and that is why the topic received mixed results at Obama’s State of the Union address. I think it is good that all of Congress doesn’t agree on everything. If that was the case, then the other side of the story would never be discussed. I think that budget cuts in the Department of Defense are a good idea as long as national security isn’t being compromised. I agree with Adam Smith that anywhere you cut the budget, some people will be upset. We have to start cutting our budget somewhere, and this doesn’t seem like a bad place to start.andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16313137150207868036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-76418972660129516112011-01-28T10:43:36.069-05:002011-01-28T10:43:36.069-05:00http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/21/new.york.missi...http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/21/new.york.missing.reunion/index.html?npt=NP1<br /><br />These on going nine weeks I am going to talk about investigations and crime the happens to young children. Like in this case that happened like 23 years ago, To a young girl in Harlem. She was taken to a hospital because of a high fever, and was never seen again. She always knew she was not apart of her family. After looking at some articles from '87. She can across a picture that looked the same as her 5 year old daughter. So she was the one that contacted her mother. Later to find that she was going to get united with her mother again. Right now they are looking for the mother that raised her. Not found get. <br /><br />I really feel bad for both the mother and the child. It was not her mother falt that she was taken form her. But all the time they have lost will take time to get use to. It is not easy to have lived with someone that you consider to be your mother and turning out that she is not your mother. knowing that this happens a lot in the us.Soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09897529763295834742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-12911116913800248312011-01-28T09:32:02.291-05:002011-01-28T09:32:02.291-05:00http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/asia/29afg...http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/asia/29afghan.html?_r=1&ref=afghanistan<br /><br />An explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan killed eight people Friday afternoon. The attack took place in a popular supermarket in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood, one populated by diplomats and foreigners and often frequented by western security contractors. The supermarket was also near the British, Canadian, and Pakistani embassies. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, explained the target was the head of a private security company called Blackwater (now called Xe Services.) The Taliban took responsibility for the suicide bomber who carried out the act. The western contractors that frequent the store were Blackwater’s people. Two people seen videotaping the explosion and watching the store before it and one other person were detained.<br /><br /> This is a sad day for America and Afghanistan alike. Considering that it is a Holy Day for Afghanistan I think it is especially devastating. The Taliban have no boundaries and have a very one-sided view of things that allows them to not feel regret, I think. I’m glad I picked Afghanistan as my topic for these nine weeks because there is always information coming from there and it is always interesting. There is more information in the article about personal stories that is very sad and touching. I am glad that the people seen videotaping the attack were taken in, that was a very sick thing to do, and maybe the families whose loved ones died can find a little redemption in that.<br /><br />Jessica Batson <br />7thJessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16474773761681972717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-61267169884747442892011-01-28T09:30:17.097-05:002011-01-28T09:30:17.097-05:00Topic: Murders
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/...Topic: Murders<br /><br />http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/murder-charge-in-swimsuit-designers-death/?scp=5&sq=murder&st=cse<br /><br />Last month, swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay, 33, had been strangled and drowned, her body was found in an overflowing bathtub in the Soho House hotel in Manhattan shortly after she and Mr. Brooks had checked in. Nicholas Brooks, 24, the boyfriend of the swimsuit designer has recently been charged with second-degree murder of Cachay, for which the maximum charge is life in prison. Mr. Brooks’s lawyer, Jeffrey C. Hoffman, said on Monday that although he had not yet seen the papers stating that his client had been charged, Brooks planned to plead not guilty.<br />I think it is cowardly for Nicholas Brooks to plead not giulty when it is obvious he was the murderer in this case. He need to fess up to his crime and accept the punnishment he deserves. If he had the will to kill a woman with his bare hands, he should be locked up in prison for the rest of his life to keep society a safer place. Also, I would like to challange the conscience of the lawyer representing Mr. Brooks. How can he stand by Brooks knowing what he has done and try to deffend him? I don’t understand how someone would be able to live with themselves knowing that they are trying to protect a murderer, putting society in danger.<br /><br />Cerys Humphreys<br />7th PeriodCeryshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05060179156063450925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-48854891895342457302011-01-28T08:02:25.658-05:002011-01-28T08:02:25.658-05:00Stacey Cutrell
Perios 7
http://www.nytimes.com/20...Stacey Cutrell<br />Perios 7<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/science/space/27galaxy.html?ref=science<br /><br />A new galaxy has recently been found through the Hubble Telescope located in space. The galaxy is not yet completely discovered yet, and they have to use further technology to tell if this discovery is real. Its characteristics are that it is a tiny fraction of our Milky Way and it has been here since our universe was 480 years old. The light that is traveling to Earth has been traveling to us for the past 13.2 billion years. The galaxy will need to be looked at by the James Webb Space telescope. The purpose of this telescope is to find these primordial galaxies and discover new things hiding in our universe.<br />I think it is very important that scientists are staring to make more and more discoveries like this. We need to learn things like this to make our community more informed too. As our society has been developing, our technology has also been developing into better studies. Our scientists has been able to find more things in our universe that we would never think we could find. Right now we need to start making students interested in things like this, so in the future we can find more information so we know what could happen to Earth later in life.Stacey Cutrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06447436537766050617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-20383560881130205002011-01-28T07:58:46.360-05:002011-01-28T07:58:46.360-05:00Jessica Yin
7th. Period
Topic: science & healt...Jessica Yin<br />7th. Period<br />Topic: science & health medicine<br /><br />http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/for-excess-solar-flow-a-veg-o-matic-for-voltage/?ref=science<br /> The solar energy is mainly used and concerned in the use of energies nowadays, but our system has already been saturated of solar energy that sometimes the electricity is destabilized. There goes a New Jersey plan to deal with this problem, the Petra Solar company produced a technique, that is under contract to supply 200,000 panels that Public Service Electric and Gas will attached to utility poles around New Jersey, the panels make 225 watts instead of 200 watts so that one would be able to feel meet the energies of an entire house in the daytime in a mild day; the additional panels would bring more energy that one needs a day. Because there is electronics bolted to the bottom of the panel, it prevents a solar power overdoes. New Jersey is getting itself set up for high concentrations of solar power in distributed locations, its current plan is that by 2020, it must have 22% of its energy generated from renewable sources, and for total consumption, there must be 2.5% that come from solar, which manes that to reach this number, solar will have to be 6 or 7 % of the total amount of power generated.<br /> I think that is really a good plan, solar energy is indeed a renewable energy, but the overflow of the utility will decrease the balance of using the energy, it can bring the impact differently based on the geography and climate of the states. The panels that Petra Company is using produce more energy that is enough for one to use, which decrease the additional using of solar energy, it is considered the using of green techniques, and since it is renewable energy, it becomes popular in our society. However, the flaw of this using of solar energy of Petra Company that I recognize is that people definitely need a lot of energy to support their houses, buildings, etc. the more energy they need, the more addition of the panels they would be provided, would it eventually become the overuse of the panels, which also might cause the overflow of the solar energy. I still give more expects to other states for more solutions.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14533777298796999895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-16262375138661850952011-01-28T02:27:38.899-05:002011-01-28T02:27:38.899-05:00http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/nyregion/28judge...http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/nyregion/28judge.html?_r=1&hp<br /><br />For the first time in US history, an openly gay man could potentially serve on the federal bench. Nominated by President Obama, J. Paul Oetken has the chance to become a federal judge in Manhattan. He is a 45 year old lawyer who isa senior vice president and associate general counsel of Cablevision. Senator Charles E. Schumer recommended Oetken for the job, claiming that he has all three criteria to deserve the nomination: legal excellence, moderation of views and diversity. Another openly gay man, Daniel S. Alter, a former assistant United States attorney in Manhattan, was also considered for nomination to the same court, but ended up not being nominated. <br /><br />When it comes to selecting new federal judges, the most important thing is obviously ability. However, there are many able people in this world, so other factors must be considered. Diversity is key in the court system so that there is fair representation of the population and therefore limited bias. Moderate views are also important so that there isn't a prior guarantee of what that person will vote for, just a guess. Once again this leads to variety and diversity. If Oetken has the credentials, I say give him the job!Sarah Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10096764703153807662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-69102223329510009092011-01-28T00:42:28.128-05:002011-01-28T00:42:28.128-05:00http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/us/27plant.html?...http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/us/27plant.html?_r=1&ref=science<br /><br />Kim Rubish<br />Topic: Science<br /><br /> This Wednesday, researchers at Colorado State University released an innovative new technology to find bombs. The researchers have redesigned a plant to turn from green to stark white when exposed to even very minute amounts of TNT (which is found in bombs) in the air. These ingenius plants have been said to be able to sense emounts of TNT up to 1/100th of anything a bomb-sniffing dog could sense. The military hopes that these plants could be used practically to prevent attacks within the next 3 years, but researchers say that 5-7 years is a more practical goal. This is because the project still needs a lot of work. The plant needs about an hour to fully react to the TNt at this point, while it would need to react in about a minute to be of much use. While this project will surely have it's ups and downs, it seems to be an attainable goal.<br /> <br /> I think this is absolutely amazing. Obviously, the plant needs a lot of work, but still, this is incredible. Instead of having random (and invasive) searches, bomb dogs, and other forms of bomb protection, one day soon maybe we could just have a nice garden. I'm interested to see the extremity of the difference between the green and white shades, and I'm wondering if the colors will be different enough to provide a clear result. Another problem I can imagine is that even if the plant has turned white, how would you know who had the bomb, or where it was? These things could pose problems, but that doesn't make this project any less innovative and amazing.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09641007993113583583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-388313403854163592011-01-28T00:11:37.249-05:002011-01-28T00:11:37.249-05:00http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/69197/d...http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/69197/description/Hints_of_earlier_human_exit_from_Africa<br />TOPIC: SCIENCE<br /><br />Stone tools were unearthed in an Arabian Peninsula rock shelter that proved that humans left the continent of Africa about 65,000 years earlier than previously thought. The stone tools that were found at the rock shelter are sharpened points and cutting implements that have been found at East African sites from around the same time period. Previously it was thought that humans migrated out of Africa because of the eruption of a volcano 74,000 years ago that caused a “volcanic winter,” which made the continent uninhabitable, forcing people to migrate out of the continent. Now, because of this discovery, it is thought that due to low water levels and warm conditions, it was easier for people to travel across the, now shortened, Bab Almandab Strait that separates East Africa and Arabia. <br /> In my opinion, this is a huge discovery for scientists. This completely changes everything about how we thought humans migrated from Africa. This discovery is a major milestone for the understanding of the human story. I feel that many more break-throughs concerning the migrations of early humans will follow this discovery. This could lead to the re-writing of history books and a whole new understanding of early humans.<br /><br />Brady Strine<br />6th periodBrady Strinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17269819666887671512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-91910379629401933052011-01-28T00:07:43.099-05:002011-01-28T00:07:43.099-05:00Alex Grosskurth
subject: Human Rights
http://www.b...Alex Grosskurth<br />subject: Human Rights<br />http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-26/u-a-e-increases-internet-free-speech-curbs-rights-group-says.html<br />For this third quarter i've decided to do my current events on human rights throughout the world. My article this week discusses how the UAE has started limiting their citizen's rights by censoring their internet. They've blacklisted certain sites that encourage freedom, freedom of thought, and political rights. They've begun using internet firewalls to block these "undesirable" sites. Some of the sites that they block include skype, a site where you can call people and video chat them, and websites that criticize islam are also blocked. However on a brighter side the UAE has passed a new labor law that says "recruiting agents who entrap foreign workers could face fines or jail time." This is good because it advances the rights of many living in the UAE.<br /> I think that the first part of this article was astounding. We live in the 21st and governments are still trying to censor their people through the internet. We live in a country that had a site that released classified documents that virtually no one in the world was supposed to see, and we have a country that is censoring skype, which is a pretty harmless website. This really shows that we haven't advanced as far as we claim that we have because we live in the 21st century, not much censorship goes on in our eyes. The second part sort of helps though because it shows that they're at least trying to give their people some basic rights, especially as workers. This is good because giving people reasonable working conditions is the first step towards them gaining greater human rights.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04466874118983334937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-86943894080199399782011-01-27T23:49:46.552-05:002011-01-27T23:49:46.552-05:00http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/us/politics/28ch...http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/us/politics/28chicago.html?_r=1&ref=politics <br /><br />Topic: Politics<br /><br />Rahm Emanuel is now on the ballot for Chicago mayor. According to Illinois state code, candidates for mayor are required to live in Chicago for at least a year before Election Day. Emanuel went back to Chicago from working for President Obama in Washington in October of 2010. He argued that he was still a resident of Chicago even though he was working and living in Washington D.C. It was a unanimous decision that Emanuel could run.<br /><br />I agree with the decision made. I believe as long as a person lives in the city at the time they are running for mayor of that city, they should be allowed to be on the ballot. It’s not like he came back from a different country or anything. Also, “he owned a house here, paid taxes here, voted here, and left his most cherished possessions in the basement of his house here,” so I believe it should be fine for him to run for mayor.<br /><br />Chris Barth<br />P.7Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04335256623382270175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-85978314249455490872011-01-27T23:32:40.489-05:002011-01-27T23:32:40.489-05:00Kate Boyd
Topic: technology
http://www.cnn.com/201...Kate Boyd<br />Topic: technology<br />http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/01/24/barefoot.college.india/index.html<br /><br />Sanjit Roy has started a school known as the Barefoot College, where he teaches women to maintain solar power in their villages. He recruits them, brings them to the school in India, teaches them for six months on how to install solar power, and then sends them back home. They've trained women from 28 different countries and have provided electrical power to about 10,000 houses. The people who run this tend to be older women, because they have 'roots' in the village and will not leave to go find a job in the city as soon as they graduate. The classes are taught mostly in sign language and using color-coded circuits, in order to overcome the language barrier, as the women all come from different countries.<br /><br />I believe this is a great idea. Barefoot College is using education to help villages be self-sufficient. After teaching one person in the village, that person is able to teach more people and pass their knowledge down. Solar power is independent, so they don't need to bring in power from a city or from a remote place. They can maintain it by themselves, and own and control all of the technology needed to run it. Solar power is also good because it doesn't pollute like other energy sources. I think it's interesting that they chose older women, but apparently all of the men they tried to train ran off and left their villages and tried to use their new education to get a job in the city, while the women chose to stay with their village.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06609027572209482731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-37950710269328138872011-01-27T23:31:02.469-05:002011-01-27T23:31:02.469-05:00http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/27/pennsylvania.b...http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/01/27/pennsylvania.boy.double.homicide/index.html<br /><br />In 2009 in Pennsylvania, an 11 year old boy, Jordan Brown, was accused of murdering his father’s pregnant girlfriend. The boy’s attourny asked the Pennsylvania court to discount the lower court’s decision o try him as an adult. Lourdes Rosado, one of the judges, appealed this decision. This young boy now faces life in prison, with no parole. Brown was accused of killing 8 month pregnant Kenzie Marie Houk. He was charged with “charged with one count each of criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child in the death of Houk, 26.” Officials say he shot her with a youth model 20-gauge shotgun, in her farmhouse in direct range. This gun id designed for children and belonged to Brown. The boy’s attorney wanted Brown to be tried in juvenile court (because the punishment would be less severe). However judges ruled based on the evidence and the severity of the crime. Also the Pennsylvania law says that “Anyone older than 10 who has committed a murder or homicide is automatically tried as an adult” The punishment was given on Tuesday, January 25, 2011. As stated by the Amnesty International, Jordan Brown is the youngest person to ever receive a life sentence in prison with no possible parole.<br /><br />I think that this is a pretty harsh sentence for a 12 year old boy. I do agree that the crime he committed was severe, but it’s sad that he has to spend the rest of his life in prison. However, if this case was taken lightly, it would not teach people that even young people who commit bad crimes will be treated just as equally as an a adult who committed the same crime. Therefore, I agree with the court’s ruling, even if it is harsh.<br /><br />Laura Musalem<br />6th periodLaura Musalemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04411277008690423364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-90511080460359301222011-01-27T23:21:08.643-05:002011-01-27T23:21:08.643-05:00Science
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/science/...Science<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/science/space/27galaxy.html?ref=science<br /><br />The Hubble Telescope located in space has recently detected and found galaxies never revealed before with the furtherest distance from Earth. It is said to have existed around the time when the universe was 480 million years old. For 13.2 billion years, it has been setting off light to us. This galaxy has not yet been said to be real, but information like this can bring the scientists into a deeper way of learning. For proof of its existence, the James Web Space Telescope will confirm that the "galaxy" is real. This telescope has not yet been built because of money, but the purpose of this telescope is the find hiding galaxies like this one. <br /><br />I think it is very good news that astronomers are finding more and more important information about galaxies and stars. The more we find out about these things, the more and more we can find to be well informed. As society is advancing, the technology is also advancing. It is nice that scientists have such nice equipment to help them with their studies. I think it is important for our society to know more about the universe. We will learn more about black holes and their significants, and things that could possible happen to us in the future. We need many highly educated scientists in the world willing to learn more about the huge universe we're living in.Stacey Cutrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06447436537766050617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-76897653782552260612011-01-27T23:15:56.314-05:002011-01-27T23:15:56.314-05:00Riley Hutchison: Science
7th Period
http://www.ny...Riley Hutchison: Science<br />7th Period<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/us/27plant.html?ref=science<br /><br />In Denver Colorado researchers at the Colorado State University are developing technologies that will enable plants to change color when subjected to explosive material. When the plant detects TNT it has been redesigned to drain of all chlorophyll, giving it a white appearance. This method had to be simple, so that everyone would be able to recognize it. The plant color change research has been published in the PLoS One, which is a science journal mainly funded by the Departments of Defense, and Homeland Security. These plants are far more efficent that drug dogs, and can identify amounts of TNT that are 1/100 anything the dog can detect. The plants still need to be fast enough to catch the materials passing through. At the moment the response time is a few hours, but we need it to be cut down into minutes. This goal is attainable, but could take 5-7 years to figure out how to work. The military backers are pushing for 3 years, but that goal doesnt seem reasonable. Some scientists believe that this technology isnt as accurate as it has been said to be, but it is a very interesting topic, that could develop into something very real. <br /><br />I am extreemly surprised that we can "train" our plants to detect potential bombing materials. This could make our security systems more efficient, and possibly a lot quicker. These plants could make our daily life much safer, and make it harder for bombs to get into bery public places such as an airport, mall, or any other major area. The fact that we have the technology to alter the genetic make-up of plants truly shows how advanced our nation is, and how wealthy we are. I am all for technological advances, but im not sure if we really should develop these plants. It seems like too obvious of an identification system, and im sure there are ways to get around it. Since this information is very public, the criminals who would want to sumuggle TNT will have knowledge about these plants. Im just not sure if this will be as efficient as it has been said to be. If concrete evidence is put forth proving that these plants will not fail, i would say to go on with the research and development, but if not I think the research should be put on hold.Riley Hutchisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02555970875882436598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-10697436060624824212011-01-27T22:50:13.017-05:002011-01-27T22:50:13.017-05:00Gavin Welch
Per 7
A cache of Ancient tools has be...Gavin Welch<br />Per 7<br /><br />A cache of Ancient tools has been found on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. This discovery has reopened an important question of how the modern hummans escaped from their homeland in Eastern Africa. A Modern opinion on the matter is that Modern day humans were thought to have left Eastern Africa around 50,000 years ago.<br />Hans-Peter Uerpmann led an archaeology team to the discovery site just south of the Persian Gulf. These tools that were found were aporx. 127,000 years old. Jeffery Rose, an archaeologist at the University of Brimingham in England commented on the disovery made. “This is a huge milestone, but unfortunately it raises more questions that it awnsers. <br /> <br />I Believe that this is an incredible finding that we have made. To know that we have tools that our modern day human ancestors have is a pretty incredible thing to think about. This also really makes you think about our ancient Ancestors and how they lived and expolred. This discovery implies that Aprox. 127,00 years ago people from african began to explore the world.<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.htmlGavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09533558369082340314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-87572128149647900002011-01-27T22:44:13.089-05:002011-01-27T22:44:13.089-05:00Thomas Nguyen
1.27.10 Period 7
Topic: National New...Thomas Nguyen<br />1.27.10 Period 7<br />Topic: National News(this includes politics as well)<br />http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/01/26/us/politics/AP-US-Social-Security.html?scp=4&sq=January+26+2011&st=nyt<br /><br /><br />According to new congressional projections, benefits for the retired, disabled, and survivors will be gone in 2037. The finances of Social Security are becoming more horrible. Also contributing to the decline of Social Security is that baby boomers are ready to flee their jobs and head into retirement. Social Security is projected to collect $45 billion less. That is without the tax cuts. The $45 billion is expected to significantly increase to $130 million with the one-year payroll tax cuts. Social Security has payroll taxes falling behind and an increase of applications for benefits give the Social Security a bleak future. That is not the only bad news. The budget deficit will skyrocket to $1.5 trillion because of the slow economic recovery and the tax cuts enacted to help people. In order to save the Social Security, President Barack Obama has suggested the idea of a continuous increase in the retirement age, higher cost of living, or possibly an increase on the threshold on the amount of income subject to the Social Security payroll tax. At least 54 million are benefited from Social Security and they receive about $1076 each month. Since the 1980's Social Security has collected $2.5 trillion in extra money. That money could disappear in 2037. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I think this is a seriously bad issue right now. We have at most 26 years to fix it, but we may have less time because more people are opting to retire now. By 2015, baby boomers will represent about 35% of the entire US population. By raising the retirement age, more people work their jobs and it saves Social Security about $12,912 a year per person. I think raising the retirement age is both a good and bad thing. It is a good thing because it saves a lot of money for the government because they are still working and not applying for benefits from Social Security. It is a bad thing because depending on your job and as you get older, your chances of getting hurt increase and that might force you into retirement. Increasing the cost of living generates more taxes, and more taxes means more money will be used for Social Security and other government programs. I don't understand the threshold on the amount of income subject to the Social Security payroll tax, but I think it has to do something with the amount of money the elderly, disabled, and survivors receive.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10692266940496303648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-88629946198659383292011-01-27T22:35:23.362-05:002011-01-27T22:35:23.362-05:00http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/deal...http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/deal-reached-in-senate-to-limit-blocking-tactics/?hpw<br /><br />The Republican and Democratic parties agreed to a stalemate, where both parties will abstain form filibustering when a case is lost. this will allow congress to move on through the year and pass more legislature without having to wait and wait and wait for a single bill to pass. It was noted that it will now only take 51 votes rather than a 60 vote majority. Republican majority leader promised to show similar hospitality should his party take control of the senate. another part of the package allows key vacancies in the white house to be filled without senate confirmation, reducing the work load of congress. Still, both sides stated that there will be harsh differences, and some will use every procedure allowed to stop a unwanted bill from passing.<br /><br />I think the steps made to close the gap are staggering, yet not completly unexpected, as our nation was practically tearing itself apart and into to countries, red and blue. Im excited to see progress, it shows the willingness of a new set of senators and representatives. I hope that further agreement continues to take place, and that our nation becomes increasingly unified.<br /><br />Ian Hill<br />7thIanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00929139647246410863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065930044872741375.post-21900029797766972102011-01-27T21:58:54.880-05:002011-01-27T21:58:54.880-05:00http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_budget_deficit;_ylt=...http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_budget_deficit;_ylt=Alrsueh6D4zYf4itZaCeJYyyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTJnNW5mdWFyBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTEwMTI3L3VzX29iYW1hX3NwZWVjaARjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzcEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDbm9zdGVtbWluZ3Jl<br /><br />Today it was announced that the federal goverment spending for this year has hit 1.5 TRILLION dollars. Estimates show that every dollar the goverment spends, 40 cents will have been borrowed. The social security system is in jeopardy because taxes no longer fund it. Blame is placed on the Bush tax system and a slow economy. They hope to push yearly debt down to 551 billion dollars by 2015.<br />I think it's ridiculous that the debt is that high. Even though we borrow like there's no tomorrow, we have to pay it back eventually. And with unemployment hitting 9% in 2010, there is no sign of it stopping. Hopefully the goverment has every thing under control by 2015. If not, then that places more pressure on taxpayers to pay everything back.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15888462462700850988noreply@blogger.com