President Trump says Stephen Curry’s White House invitation has been ‘withdrawn’

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Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017

U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017

          Recently, Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors told ESPN that the warriors were going to sit down and discuss whether or not to make the celebratory trip to the White House in light of their NBA title. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant had already expressed their aversion to going, which Curry reinforced during the Warrior's media day telling reporters, "we don’t stand for basically what our president … the things that he said and the things that he hasn’t said in the right terms that we won’t stand for it. And by acting and not going, hopefully that will inspire some change when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to." Whether or not Trump ever officially invited the Warriors to the White House, he disinvited them all the same, expressing distaste toward's Curry's aforementioned opinion. The Warriors responded with a statement of acceptance but disappointment, noting that their upcoming visit to Washington will "celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion–the values that we embrace as an organization." 
          Trump had recently mentioned distaste towards other sports-related happenings, specifically the NFL players' national anthem protests. He stated, "Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say: ‘Get that son of a b—-  off the field right now, out. He’s fired. He’s fired!". 
          There are some teams and coaches, such as Patriots owner Robert Kraft, that have supported the president. Others, such as coach Roy Williams of North Carolina – who denied a celebratory visit to the White House, have expressed the opposite. 

          In my opinion, the 1st amendment is involved with each case. With the national anthems it's clear. These individuals are fighting to protect their rights secured to them by the Equal Protection Clause and The Civil Rights Act of 1964, and utilized their freedom of expression to do so – and yet, they're being punished for it. Those that merely chastise the protestors for disrespecting our nation fail to see that the protection that our brave veterans fought for is granted towards all of this country's citizens. Police brutality is a very contentious issue that these brave individuals are willing to address. In terms of Curry, he utilized his first amendment right of freedom of speech in light of the same cause outlined by the anthem protestors. This country isn't distributing its constitutional rights equally among its citizens, and that is what these people are trying to change.

Do you believe that Stephen Curry is doing the right thing, or is he being disrespectful? Is Trump's response appropriate or exaggerated? Is Trump justified in his criticism of the national anthem protests? 

How has the perception of the White House changed since Trump took office? 





  

Trump announces new financial sanctions against North Korea

Tensions between North Korea and the United States have been extremely high over the past few years. North Korea has continuously developed their nuclear and missile weaponry which has become such a threat to the United States that Trump has now decided to take action. During his speech, he went on to say "North Korea’s nuclear program is a grave threat to peace and security in our world, and it is unacceptable that others financially support this criminal, rogue regime...". With that, Trump has officially announced financial sanctions against North Korea and all countries who do business with them. Compared to the United States, North Koreas economy is rather small and countries will most likely go along with the United States. This is Trumps attempt to try and control the situation and gain support from other nations.

Not only have his sanctions angered North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but his comments have added fuel to the fire. Kim Jong-Un has vowed to get revenge against Trump for the comments made. With the huge nuclear threat that was already present, this could be bad news for America. Should Trump have spoken about North Korea with disrespect? Has this helped the nuclear problem or just added more of a reason for us to become a target?

Boston Globe Article

The Washington Post

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Calls President Trump ‘a Frightened Dog’ and ‘Dotard’

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Tensions between the United States and North Korea seem to be heating up as the leaders of both nations continue to verbally assault one another in the public eye.  After President Trump's recent comments made about Un, made at the United Nations General Assembly, calling him "Rocket Man" and threatening to "Totally destroy North Korea" if the situation demanded it, Un has said that these comments have not fallen on deaf ears.  In retaliation, Un has likened Trump a frightened dog, and stated that he will "make the man holding the prerogative of the supreme command in the U.S. pay dearly for his speech calling for totally destroying the DPRK."

This extremely ominous comment has very dangerous connotations.  Could this feud between leaders take us down a deadly path? Will the sanctions made by the UN be enough to halt North Korea's nuclearization? 

Personally, I believe the first step is to quit the verbal attacks made on social media or published.  I think when dealing with a potentially dangerous situation some amount of decorum is needed and we should not resort to name calling and blatant threats.

More than 230 dead in Mexico quake as rescue teams desperately try to free trapped children

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rescuers looking for survivors in Mexico city (9/19/17)

The recent catastrophic 7.1 earthquake –the second one in the last month– that devastated Mexico city and surrounding areas has been said to have resulted in the death of at least 230 people and destroyed at least 44 buildings this past Tuesday. Mexico City is built on a former lake bed, therefore the soil isn't strong, making the city more susceptible to devastation. Programs such as Save the Children in Mexico and many other volunteers have been trying to help the authorities in their rescue missions. Trump expressed his condolences and offered assistance in deploying search and rescue teams. The U.S. department of state also stated that "we stand ready to provide assistance should our neighbors request our help." One primary school in particular collapsed, causing the deaths 21 children and 4 teachers. Due to the dire efforts of rescue workers, 11 people have been rescued, but 2 students and 1 teacher still remain missing. They also located 5 people 10 feet under the debris using a thermal scanner. Another building that was drastically effected by the earthquake is Mexico city's airport, in which shocked and panicked crowds were running to escape the falling debris.




What do you believe might be the best options toward attending to the psychological detriment that many people are facing in Mexico and surrounding middle-american countries? Do you think the United States should provide more assistance? How long do you think it will take Mexico to recuperate their losses and recover from the shock of the now multiple earthquakes? Do these earthquakes make you more afraid of the possibility of a long-due earthquake happening here in the bay area in the near future?

Puerto Rico in dark, curfew set after island 'destroyed' by Hurricane Maria, officials say

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The most recent in a string of natural disasters, Hurricane Maria hit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and devastated much of the infrastructure of the island.  Puerto Rico's office of emergency management confirmed that 100% of the island had lost power, and although Maria has caused a significant amount of destruction, no deaths have been reported so far.  Abner Gomez Cortes, the director of the office of emergency management and disaster administration agency, provided a relevant connection to what we have been studying recently when he said "We will rebuild our island with federal and state funds, hard work and the spirit of all Puerto Rican citizens."  After this disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has released availability to a number of families in need of assistance.  Grants like this from the federal government show one of the important uses of having two levels of government; in an emergency situation a state (or territory) is able to rely on federal funding as well as the state governments own wealth.  

Do you think any more can be done to help the citizens of Puerto Rico, and all of the other places that have been hit by recent environmental disasters?  Do you think any more should be done?

Three arrested in violent Georgia Tech protests after police shoot student

There was a horrendous nightmare in Atlanta, Georgia, which soon turned into a violent outbreak. Late Saturday night, Scout Schultz, the head of the Georgia Pride Alliance, was shot and killed by Georgia Tech campus police because he had possession of a knife. On Monday, Georgia Tech held a vigil to remember the one they lost anticipating it would be a peaceful way to remember Scout Schultz. Later that evening 50 students left the vigil and headed towards the Tech police headquarters where they physically attacked police and set fire to police cars. In the end, three students were arrested and two police officers received only minor injuries.

This is related to what we are learning in government because according to the second amendment, all individuals have the right to bear arms, constitutionally making what the police did to be okay. Although the police officer may have been defending himself, it doesn’t justify the immediate use of violence. There could have been an alternative way to restrain Scout if he was a threat, rather than shooting him. I believe what happened to Scout Schultz was horrible and the way it was handled was even worse. There needs to be a tight enforcement of the rules in both cases so nothing like this ever happens again. Do you believe both sides are to blame or does one stand out more than the other?

Link to article: http://www.ajc.com/news/three-arrested-violent-georgia-tech-protests-after-police-shoot-student/CVfX0KeBUlTPzYLCf3KnwO/

Trump Tweets Doctored GIF of His Golf Ball Hitting Hillary Clinton

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/us/politics/hillary-golfball-trump-tweets.html

On Sunday Morning, (9/16) President Trump retweeted a GIF of him hitting a golf ball that strikes Hillary Clinton.  This isn’t the first time Trump has tweeted a risky GIF; in the past he has shared images of a train hitting a cartoon person with the CNN logo over its head and another of him body slamming a figure with the CNN logo.  His tweet has received a lot of criticism with people accusing him of “chipping away at the dignity of the office.”  On the other hand, supporters address the critics saying: “Get a sense of freaking humor. Everyone on the LEFT defended stupid Kathy Griffin when she held a "severed" head & said it was comedy.”

Do you think the President’s tweets can be compared to Kathy Griffin’s (a comedian) tweets? Does it matter that Griffin is a comedian and Trump isn’t? Should it matter? This connects back to the topic of free speech and hate speech we have been discussing in class.  Where does this fall in terms of free speech and hate speech?  Where do you draw the line between the two?

Irma's damage a reminder of Florida economy's vulnerability

For years Florida's economy has flourished from its range of industries that include tourism, ports, business services, health care and most importantly the people, nearly adding 1,000 individuals to the population every day. However, once Hurricane Irma hit, the realization from individuals that global warming is a real issue that quite possibly can continue and become worse, will ultimately hurt the economy. From the rising sea levels, more individuals will have to move inland, driving the price of living way up and the time waiting in traffic much longer. Nonetheless, there is also a belief that the low taxes and easier living will continue to drive people from all over to live in the sunshine state. Although the costs of fixing the damages will be over 50 billion, the overall impact the hurricane had on the people and their homes may hurt Florida's economy in the long run.

I think the hurricane was a warning bell to Florida for what can come next if nothing is done. I believe it is important for those living on the coast to move inland because of global warming and the melting glaciers. Although the state of Florida is relieved the cost of repairing the state is less than anticipated, many individuals lost their homes that were filled with memories and loved ones, which is something that can't be replaced. Florida will continue to remain a popular destination for vacationers but as for the protection of the people, there needs to be a significant change. 

Article link: 

http://www.wacotrib.com/townnews/economics/irma-s-damage-a-reminder-of-florida-economy-s-vulnerability/article_8afc6d04-b02c-5d2d-bfb7-56cc0879ef6a.html

Cake Is His ‘Art.’ So Can He Deny One to a Gay Couple?

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A small business owner in Colorado denied a gay couple when they approached him for the purpose of purchasing a cake for their wedding.  This clearly relates to what we learned in class this week about federalism because of how the courts approached this issue.  It started out as an issue concerning a states laws on discrimination, that would mean that the baker would have to sell his merchandise to all peoples, or the federal law of the first amendment concerning the bakers right to free speech.  The baker claims it is against his religion and first amendment rights to create something in support of a union between two people of the same sex.

Mr. Phillips, the baker, said that he had no problem serving anyone regardless of their race, sex, religion or creed, but that he was not able to create a custom made cake to celebrate gay marriage because it isn't something he believes in.

In the end, it was ruled that Phillips rights to free speech had not been violated, and it was noted that the design of the cake was not even discussed before he turned them down for being a same sex couple.

My analysis of this case would be that as an artistic business, you should be willing to cater to the needs of your clients so long as they do not harm anyone and that they can pay you for your services. It is the fiscally responsible thing to do, as evident in his decision to of serve wedding cakes to no couples instead of all couples.  Furthermore, Phillips rights to free speech in the expression on his cake had not been violated.  The fact of the matter is that the couple was not able to ask for anything specific on their custom made cake before they were turned down; clearly showing that they were turned down for being homosexual, and not because they wanted something specific displayed on their cake.

Do you think that the government should be able to tell artists what they must create?
Do you think that the baker should have been allowed to deny the couple service? Or anyone service?

St Louis Protests turn violent

http://abcnews.go.com/US/st-louis-police-officers-acquittal-fatal-shooting-ignites/story?id=49872333

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/16/551515974/u2-cancels-st-louis-concert-after-protests-over-police-acquittal

Serious protests started Friday night in St. Louis following the final verdict of another fatal shooting trial. A police officer was just found not guilty for the 2011 shooting and death of Anthony Lamar Smith. The protests turned violent when people started throwing rocks and bricks damaging both private and public property. Police officers had to use tear gas to control the crowds. The protests were declared unlawful assemblies late Friday and over thirty protesters were arrested. Following the violent protests, both U2 and Ed Sheeran canceled major concerts in St. Louis based off of safety concerns.

Discussion questions:

If protests become as violent as the ones in St. Louis, are they doing more harm than good? How can we try to prevent this from happening again while still allowing our citizens the important right to protest injustice? Should extra measures be taken if protests such as this one start to affect major events such as popular concerts that could boost the local economy?

A Potent Fuel Flows to North Korea. It May Be Too Late to Halt It.

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Second Article

Just recently North Korea has launched another missile capable of reaching places far away like Guam, and even possibly the United States' mainland.  These powerful  missiles are fueled by a technologically demanding and dangerous substance known as unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine.  This chemical compound is highly unstable, and the United States stopped producing it when NASA released a video on it's dangers back in 1966.

The Trump administration has succeeded in having the UN place a modest cut back of standard fuels being imported to North Korea, but this cutback does not include UMDH (the aforementioned rocket propellent).  While details regarding the U.S.'s efforts to disrupt the North's missile program are largely classified, the U.S. still have some vital questions unanswered regarding UMDH's usage and acquirement.  As of now, we are unsure of whether North Korea is receiving UMDH from China or Russia, or if they are capable of manufacturing it themselves.

Alongside the efforts of the U.S. to halt North Korea's missile program, high ranking officials such as president Trump seem to be publicly antagonizing North Korea, in a tweet Trump even referred to Kim Jong-Un as "Rocket Man" and stating that there would be long gas lines due to the cut back imposed by the UN.

While this problem occurs it remains true that civilians can obtain very little knowledge on the U.S.'s actions to halt the missile program.  Do you think that their should be more transparency in government when it comes to foreign military affairs such as this?  To what degree should we be focus our resources on this issue as opposed to domestic issues like the devastation caused by the recent hurricanes?  To what degree do you think antagonistic comments like Trump's and many others have any affect on North Korea's actions?

California may offer third gender option on driver's licenses

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/15/california-may-offer-third-gender-option-on-drivers-licenses.html

California state senate just passed a bill which would allow Californian citizens applying for public identification to choose a third option for their gender. This would most commonly be applied to state driver’s licenses. Instead of having “M” or “F” appear on their identification, people who do not identify with the typical binary genders could choose to have “X” appear. The bill also allows the parents of these citizens to officially change their gender on their birth certificates.  

As a citizen of California and an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, I am extremely proud to hear that this bill has passed through our senate. I think bills such as this that promote equality and inclusion are especially important in these extremely heated political times. No person should be forced to be labeled as a gender they do not identify with. This bill will not only validates everyone who currently does not identify as male or female, but also tells the youth in our state and our coming generations that it is okay to be yourself and identify how you choose.

The bill has been passed through state senate but is still waiting to be signed by our governor, Jerry Brown. If the bill is signed, California will follow Oregon as the second state in the US to allow citizens to choose to have an X appear on their identification.

Mexico Has an Earthquake Warning System, When Will California Have One?

Link:  http://www.latimes.com/world/la-me-mexico-quake-earth-warning-20170908-htmlstory.html

On Thursday, September 7th, Mexico had a magnitude 8.1 earthquake. Mexico has an early warning system which thankfully gave some people up to a minute warning before the shaking started.  It works because the seismic waves from an earthquake travel at the speed of sound, which is slower than our communications systems.  

California is developing its own early warning system, with the help of the U.S. Geological Survey (earthquake monitoring agency).  Trump planned on shutting down development in an effort to reach a balanced budget, but after many complaints from members of both political parties in California, a congressional committee voted to keep funding.

In addition to having an audible alarm component, the warning system is also expected to stop elevators and open elevator doors, stop natural gas in pipelines, and alert surgeons to stop their surgeries.

This is a news clip from Mexico during the earthquake:

If ESPN Wants to Discipline Jemele Hill, She Might Have Law on Her Side

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/sports/jemele-hill-espn.html

Background information: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/sports/jemele-hill-espn-white-house.html?action=click&contentCollection=Sports&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

This issue concerns both federalism and our first amendment rights. Jemele Hill, a host on ESPN, recently posted a tweet accusing President Trump of being “ignorant” and “offensive,” and also claimed that “his rise is a direct result of white supremacy”. The white house quickly fired back, and the current White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Hill should be fired for such slanderous comments against the president.

Although ESPN has publicly denied any connection to hill’s comments, they do not appear to have any plant to discipline her, and the issue gets tricky as soon as ESPN trying to take action against Hill. The network has its headquarters in Connecticut. Like all other states, the first amendment has already gone through the process of incorporation in Connecticut. Connecticut, however, has gone even farther beyond the rights guaranteed by the first amendment. They have a General Statute that prohibits any company, public or private, from disciplining or discharging employees based exercising their free speech. This piece of legislation is unique to Connecticut and is not part of our federal law, it also protects Hill from losing her job because of her comments about Trump. In Connecticut, the protection of free speech goes beyond the rights provided by the first amendment.

One of the purposes of the first amendments was to protect citizens against punishment from speaking their mind when it came to political matters. This helps or democracy stay strong as citizens are not afraid to share their opinions on our current government. I believe that Hill’s comments were completely justified, and she should not be fired from her job at ESPN or disciplined. Even so, there were probably more respectful ways that Hill could have carried her point across. I believe that in this incredibly heated political environment it is important to remain respectful and level-headed. If we do this, we will be able to have more effective discussions between people with different viewpoints.   

1. Do you think Hill’s actions and comments were justified?
2. Should Hill be punished her her speech?
3. Do you think that Connecticut’s further legislation further protecting its citizens freedom of speech is fair and just?

Manhunt on after homemade bomb wounds 22 on London subway

http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/crime/article/London-police-ambulance-confirm-incident-on-12199878.php

A picture was taken of the bomb on the subway

Today, at 8:20am in London, a homemade bomb went off on the subway. The incident was quickly labeled a terrorist attack by London polices. There have not been any arrests yet, but hundreds of London detectives and police are actively searching for the attacker. The bomb was not fully detonated, so nobody on the subway was seriously injured. When the bomb went off people fled from the subways leading to even more injuries and chaos.

Trump quickly responded to the incident on Twitter, not only claiming the attack was carried out by “a loser terrorist,” but also attacking the Scotland Yard and London authorities for knowing the attacker was a threat but not doing anything. The London authorities have not commented back, but it is unclear if they actually had the attacker on their radar.

This is the fourth terrorist attack on London in 2017. Al-Qaida recently urged their supporters to attack trains, but since the attacker for this event has not yet been found, it is unclear if there is any connection to the terrorist group.

Supreme Court allows broad enforcement of travel ban- at least for a day

J. David Ake/AP
On Monday, the Supreme Court saved President Trump's travel ban by continuing to block refugees from six mostly Muslim countries from entering the United States. When Trump first became president, he established a ban that forbade refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from stepping foot in the United States. He ultimately revoked the first ban and replaced it with a less demanding version; one that only banned entry into the United States from six instead of seven countries.

Back in June, the Supreme Court partially supported the travel ban but said the administration could not secure people with "a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." The measure was intended to only last 90 days, meaning in October the justices will hear the different arguments. The government also initially wanted to deny the right of grandparents and other extended family members from entering but a federal district judge stopped from doing so. As of today, the court continues to follow this ban restricting refugees and the federal appeals court decided the administration could not block grandparents nor refugees.

I believe the Supreme Court supporting this ban was a horrible decision in the first place. America has always been a welcoming country to anyone who wanted to obtain the American Dream or to someone who came here to start a new life. By banning individuals the right to live in the land of the free, it destroys the welcoming environment we once had. When the justices decide to talk about the ban, do you believe they should keep or remove the ban altogether?

Video Link: 59516bc3e4b0b07aa6605d4c_t_1498508262911_master.m3u8
Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-dept-again-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-broad-enforcement-of-travel-ban/2017/09/11/6c3853ae-970b-11e7-87fc-c3f7ee4035c9_story.html?utm_term=.43eb2f7f406b

The Free Speech-Hate Speech Tradeoff

Article link

Over the past year there has been an ongoing debate about what is free speech and what is hate speech on college campuses. When colleges have created policies to prevent hate speech, the courts have ruled their policies unconstitutional violations of free speech. Universities find themselves caught between the need to protect people's free speech rights and also maintain public safety and a comfortable environment on campus.

Some speech that universities can legally regulate includes incitement, defamation, obscenity, fighting words, or speech that creates a clear and present danger. Keeping in mind the central principle of the first amendment that all ideas and views can be expressed, what can universities do to promote academic freedom, protect students first amendment rights while avoiding hostility that can result from clashing ideas?

Robert E. Lee Statue’s Removal in Dallas Delayed by Federal Court

A work crew began to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee from Robert E. Lee Park . The work was halted due to a judges order.  Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News

    Recent action has been taken to remove old historic confederate statues from parks or town areas in the south. Robert E. Lees Statues in Robert E. Lee Park was voted by the town to be removed when a federal judge, Sidney Fitzwater , halted its removal. It was planned to put the monument in storage with no final plan for the monument. Over a hearing they came to a consensus that having confederate monuments, street names or parks did not leave an open welcoming feel.
   
With regards towards historical monuments are they up to states control or are they under federal watch. If we begin to cover up the history that some are ashamed of or just leave a sour taste in our mouth is that the right choice.  I feel that this action is for the best as it shows a sign of progression through America. Many will show a backlash, but there is always a backlash to some change. States should hold the right to display certain things in their state or the right to remove things. Something that stood out in the article to me was the last paragraph getting a perspective from a supporter and opponent to the statues removal. It allowed an insight to both sights: Is it hate to remove the statue and them being destructive or is it standing for whats right.



Link: https://nytimes.com

Don't faint: The iPhone X could cost $1,000

                                                        

Most people currently own an iPhone. Apple's newest product (which hasn't been released yet) could cost up to $1000. What's so cool about this new gadget? Well, according to this article, the new phone will have facial recognition, a wider screen, and a 3D camera. Although this may seem unnecessary, consumers already pay almost $900 for a new iPhone. Would you want to buy the new phone? Do you think it's worth it?

Racism in St. Martin-Hurricane Irma

Damage from hurricane Irma in St. martin

St. Martin, a caribbean island, has been hit by Hurricane Irma, and evacuation efforts are taking place. This French territory has some mixed-race and black residents that complained about how white tourists were given priority to evacuate. St. Martin resident Johana Soudiagom says "It's selective. Excuse me, but we saw only mainlanders. That's a way of saying, 'I'm sorry, only whites. There are only whites on the boat'" when talking about the people who were able to leave the island. The French prime minister, on the other hand, claims that only the most vulnerable people were prioritized, and that evacuation of tourists first in a natural disaster was common practice. 

France's Representative Council of Black Associations issued a parliamentary inquiry to the French government on the basis that the ones evacuated were not "necessarily the most in distress." Louis-Georges Tine, the group's spokesman, says "In my eyes, Irma is for the French Antilles what Hurricane Katrina was for Louisiana in the U.S. — an exposer of racial and social inequalities." The group's spokesman also points out that "In Florida, there were more than 1 million evacuated, and France says that with four days' notice they couldn't evacuate a much smaller number. The question must be asked: Does it have to do with racism?"


In addition to the government, the French television reports are accused of being racially biased. Michael Giraud, a French researcher, says that the news reports showed more devastating situations to white victims as opposed to the non-white ones.

Link to article:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/french-hurricane-rescues-raise-anger-racial-questions-49765931

Reporters stir up controversy by broadcasting in the middle of hurricanes

U.S. Department of Defense // Creative Commons

As Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were striking Texas and Florida, respectively, the media dedicated a tremendous amount of time to covering these natural disasters. However, just as many on-air reporters were advising residents of the affected areas to evacuate, take cover or avoid the storms as much as possible, they stood in the unsafest of conditions, oftentimes in the middle of the impact zones.

Although reporters broadcasting in dangerous conditions is hardly a new trend — it began in 1961 — viewers have been questioning this practice more than ever as of late. But according to CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann, reporting in the wake of a hurricane actually sends a more urgent message across: "Part of that is that television is all about visual proof,” he said. “You want to persuade people that what they’re seeing is real and matters to them. And if they can see me standing out there getting knocked around, it’ll convince them that they should not do the same thing."

On the other hand, WBPF (a West Palm Beach ABC affiliate) reporter Whitney Burbank doesn't feel in danger while reporting in the midst of a hurricane, as she knows her bosses look out for her safety. "“My employers are pretty careful if something is unsafe,” she said. "They don’t want you to do a crazy live shot in the middle of a tornado. If it’s too windy to go out, they’re going to say, ‘Don’t do it.’”

Even so, many argue that placing reporters in any setting under Harvey or Irma is a step too far. While seeing a report on the hurricane in front a green screen no doubt has a lesser effect than seeing a reporter struggle to get words out while dealing with intense winds and rain, we also have to take into account the safety of our journalists. Do the benefits of seeing a reporter in dangerous conditions outweigh the dangers they pose to them as individuals?

Links to articles:

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/business/media/hurricane-irma-broadcasts-safety.html?mcubz=1

CBS Miami: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2017/09/10/cbs4-reporter-staying-safe-hurricane-irma/

China is considering banning petrol and diesel cars

12 day traffic jam in China

China is one of the most polluted countries in the world due to the harmful gasses from factories and car traffic. In an effort to reduce the pollution, China is planning to ban the production and sale of petrol and diesel cars. They are trying to have electrical vehicles be a 8% of each car-producer in 2018, 10% in 2019, 12% in 2020, and 20% by 2025. China will be implementing a policy similar to Britain and France, who plan to stop sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040. 

As of now, China has the biggest car market in the world, making 28 million cars last year to account for a third of the global total. Though banning environmentally-harmful cars will be quite challenging, China had the biggest electric vehicle car market last year, totaling 336,000 vehicles sold. Chinese-owned car company Volvo Cars is planning to make electric cars for global sale in 2019, and companies like General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. have announced that they are planning to establish joint ventures with Chinese manufacturers.


Links to articles:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-petrol-diesel-car-ban-gasoline-production-sales-electric-cabinet-official-state-media-a7938726.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41218243 

Violence in Portland after Anti-White Nationalism Protests

Source 1

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Police collected items like gloves and bats before allowing people into the rallies

These are the 7 who were arrested in Portland

On Sunday, the Antifa group threw smoke and projectiles at police officers in Portland. AAntifa stands for Anti Fascist and they are radicalists who try to fight far-right principles. They had done this during a protest against white nationalism. This all started when the police attempted to change the route of marching. This lead to tensions between the Antifa group and Patriot Prayer, an opposition group. The rally with Antifa was set up by, Portland Stands United against Hate. Officials said that the Portland group has a permit while Patriot Prayer’s possession of a permit is unclear.

The Patriot group wanted to have a rally in Portland but actually moved it to Vancouver to try and prevent conflict. Before the protests, Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler said that he wouldn’t accept any violence. In the end, police arrested 7 people in Portland and 2 in Vancouver. Also, at least one or two police officers were injured.

My opinion: It’s clear that the racist protests in Charlottesville were horrible and something that should never be repeated. I believe the rally that was supposed to happen was okay because it should’ve been peaceful. However, the fact that again violence has occurred is disappointing. In my opinion, the national government and state governments should take more action to put more police officers on duty and try and decrease the amount of protests.

Discussion:

1. Do you also believe that the national government should get involved in this issue?
2. What other solutions are there other than direct government action? Can the citizens do anything to improve this growing problem
3. Lastly, article 2 briefly mentioned how the election of Trump has caused an increase in the activity of Antifa members. What is your take on this? Do the president’s words or remarks in any way play a role in this problem?

Rising homelessness in California (Especially Rural Counties)

Article

Blake Braafladt talking with two people living under an abandoned overpass

It’s been observed that California’s high housing costs are causing homelessness in unexpected places: rural areas. Throughout California, the homelessness rose by 15 percent in the past 2 years. Places being affected include northern Sacramento Valley, El Dorado and Butte County, just to name a few. In many’s eyes, this is shocking because these areas have never really had considerable homelessness. Since the areas don’t have many shelters, people simply have to spend their nights and do other activities outside. The total California homeless population is 135139, which is the highest of any state, and analysts predict that this number is going to keep rising. One of the biggest factors that is causing this increase in these rural areas is that there are few jobs in those areas, but rents and house prices continue to rise. Rene Evans, the director of a group helping the homeless in El Dorado, described the situation: “We have no year-round emergency shelter. There aren’t enough jobs up here in the mountains. That, and rents that are always getting higher, keep people circling down the drain so they can never get back up again.”

Just to present some numbers to prove the issue in rural areas, median housing prices have gone up 37 percent in the El Dorado County and 55 percent in Butte County along with an 88 percent increase in median rent in El Dorado and one of 53 percent in Butte County. To give an example, Marci Butler from El Dorado used to pay around half a $600 rent, but now she finds her rent moving closer to $1000. Right now, to help the homeless San Francisco spends around $305 million annually and many are unsure of the prices in the rural areas because this is so new to everyone.

El Dorado has taken action to create a Coordinated Entry System that will help guide homeless people. They have also garnered $500,000 from California to create supportive housing units. Although the lack of homes is a priority, it’s not the only thing to focus on. With substance abuse and mental illness rising in these areas too, efforts are being taken to tackle that problem.

Furthermore, Chico, in Butte County, has been having an outreach group of the Police Department look for and offer shelter to people sleeping in the woods. The shelters in Chico and Oroville have 200 beds and are always full. It has been said that Chico attracts many homeless people from other small counties, especially when the winter sets in.

Although these efforts are being taken, there is a lot of uncertainty in how to solve this problem and the counties often understate the problem.

Personal Opinion: I believe this relates a lot to Frank’s article and how the cost of living has gotten too high. It is really disappointing that even rural areas, where most people didn’t expect, have been experiencing similar price increases. Again, like most I am unsure of what would be the best way to proceed as there is no historical record of how this problem has been dealt with in the past. My main suggestion is not only to create more affordable housing areas, but also to find a way to expand the job opportunities in these rural areas so the people can also make money to pay for the housing if they ever have an opportunity in the future. Also, considering the drug and mental illness problems in the areas, creating jobs may be able to improve those issues.

Discussion Q’s:

1. What is your reaction to the problem here? Are you guys in any way surprised that California has such a high homeless rate?
2. What do you guys think is the best approach to make sure that the homeless have better living conditions?
3. It’s clear that the state and local governments have been getting involved in this problem, but do you guys think that the national government should pay attention to this too?

Rents Keep Jumping in San Mateo

San Mateo has always been known to have particularly high rental rates, and recent reports continue to support this conclusion.

Zillow rates the media rent across the city at a incredibly high $3850. In comparison, the median rental costs of two-bedroom units in Seattle is $1700 in Seattle, $1400 in Austin, and $1000 in Dallas. The monthly cost of a one-bedroom unit in San Mateo is on average $1000 more than in San Francisco, $700 more than Redwood City, and $500 more than Pleasanton. The median rental cost of a two-bedroom unit in San Mateo is $3,140 more than the national median. Moreover, rent costs have jumped 150% from last year until now.

The rise in rental costs has been attributed to this region being the "nation's most undersupplied housing market when compared to available jobs", according to ApartmentList analysts.

But what solutions are there? Local officials are being urged to approve more building. An ongoing construction project in Bay Meadows, San Mateo has added in many new housing and apartment units over the recent few years.

Links:
San Mateo Rental Cost Rising

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you believe that increasing the pace at which we build housing is the solution to rising rental cost problems?
2. As students of Aragon High School, I believe the great majority of us live in San Mateo. Do these statistical reports make you realize and appreciate how we're living in one of the nation's most expensive housing areas?