E.P.A. Prepares to Roll Back Rules Requiring Cars to Be Cleaner and More Efficient

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/climate/epa-cafe-auto-pollution-rollback.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Summary:
The Trump administration is expected to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards in the near future, undercutting one of the Obama administration's biggest efforts to fight climate change. Scott Pruit, head of the E.P.A., has already sent a draft of the 16-page plan to eliminate a regulatory burden on automakers that will result in more affordable trucks, vans, and SUVs for buyers to the White House for approval. The initiative is expected to have legal push back from California, who have a special waiver under the 1970 Clean Air Act that allows them to enforce stricter air pollution standards than the federal government.

Analysis:
While I understand how the Trump administration is all about deregulating the economy and what not, deregulating the automotive industry is simply a lose-lose for everybody, as pollution levels will increase exponentially, and what's money good for if we're all dead? Unfortunately, somehow even the head of the Environmental Protection Agency has no idea how to protect the environment.This article also raises another important issue of federal versus state power, and I'm glad to see that California isn't letting the Trump administration step all over it, and is effectively using its legal powers.

Questions:
What do you think of the Trump administration's new plan?
Do states have the right to challenge federal laws?

Worried about what Facebook knows about you? Check out Google

Link to Article: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/worried-about-what-facebook-knows-about-you-check-out-google-n860781

Summary: Dylan Curran who is an information technology consultant was shocked to see that when he requested to see his data from Google, he discovered that they were constantly tracking is location, interests, weight, income, and even data that he deleted. He found that all Google users are being tracked, but their information is not being sold. However a Google spokesperson has indicated that Google users need to make sure the privacy conditions are set to they way they would like their data to be controlled. Additionally, there are tools in the My Account section for users to review their privacy settings. And if there's any piece of data that a user wishes to delete, they can do so by clicking on the three dots. However, Google's privacy policy does say that they may share non personally identifiable information publicly.

Analysis: Personally, I wasn't really alarmed when I found out Google tracks your location, because every once in a while if I'm at a restaurant, I get notifications from Google telling me to leave a review of the place. But I do understand why it may seem really alarming to some people because there are some things that aren't meant to be shared. However, I think that if you are worried about Google sharing any of your private information, taking a look at the My Accounts section and checking out the privacy settings would be a good place to start.

Questions:
1. What are your thoughts about Google keeping records of your information?
2. Do you think there's a limit to how much of one's personal data tech companies are allowed to record?

Richmond to Crack Down on Illegal Dumping Operations

Link to Article: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Richmond-to-Crack-Down-on-Illegal-Dumping-Operations-478232923.html

Summary: The city of Richmond has found over a dozen illegal dumping sites that have become a major problem in the neighborhoods, and the environment as well. In addition, the garbage can end up in waterways and in the Bay as a result of runoff. The county task force believes that most of the garbage that the dump sites get, ends up on the streets of Richmond. It's has also become a problem for the local businesses because the sight of garbage right in front of the stores is not a pleasant sight.

Analysis: I do believe that illegal dumping has become a problem, not only in Richmond, but in other cities as well. Our school does have a problem with the amount of trash that just gets left on the ground. Even though the extent of our garbage problem on campus might not be as bad as the one in Richmond, I still believe we should take little steps to make sure we keep our campus and the environment clean. 

 Questions: 

1. What are some ways we can help reduce garbage/waste being dumped onto the streets in our city?

2. What do you think is the main cause of the illegal dumping problem is? why?

Snapchat is building the same kind of data-sharing API that just got Facebook into trouble

Link: https://www.recode.net/2018/3/27/17170552/snapchat-api-data-sharing-facebook

Summary: Snapchat has begun working on a way to connect Snapchat with other apps in order to "personalize" its service. This is pretty much exactly why Facebook is under fire right now. This will allow Snapchat to, like Facebook, sell its users' information to third parties.

Analysis: I think this is no surprise given how Snapchat has already gotten in trouble for not deleting images off their database. Also, this is pretty much one of the only ways they can make money. No way are they hosting this service for free. They have to have a source of revenue, and nowadays, it seems popular to sell private information. Snapchat has already been criticized for their recent update that many were displeased with, on top of the Rihanna scandal.

Questions:
Do you think people will begin moving off of Snapchat given this piece of news? Or will business go on as usual?
What do you think about future aspiring politicians being blackmailed with their embarrassing Snaps they took as a teen?

Spy poisoning: Russian diplomats expelled across US and Europe

Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43545565

Summary: Following the poisoning of a Russian spy, presumably caused by Russia, roughly 3 weeks ago, the US and other allies decide to expel Russian diplomats from their countries. As of now, the US has expelled 60 diplomats. The nerve agent attack put the target and his daughter in critical condition, as well hospitalizing 3 police officers. Allies have been banding together to reprimand Russia for its unjustifiable actions.

Analysis: I think this is a good start on solidifying the U.S.'s stance on Russia acting out of hand. However, I think this might begin to spark something bigger. Russia is not exactly known for being the best cooperators, and in fact, as a response to the expulsions, they ran a Twitter poll asking which U.S. consulate they should close.

Questions:
What do you think is the best course of action to punish Russia for its actions?
Do you think this could spark a 2nd Cold War?
Is this a step in the right direction from the U.S.'s part?

Boy suspended for drawing stick figure holding gun, knives

Link: http://www.kmov.com/story/37816582/boy-suspended-for-drawing-stick-figures-holding-guns-knives

Summary: A 13-year-old boy who drew a stick figure holding a gun and another holding two knives was suspended from his North Carolina middle school for two days. His father made a statement stating that the picture was completely harmless and that any boy around his age draws pictures like this. He also mentioned that his family often goes hunting together, adding that the guns were kept under lock and key, so it is not strange for him to be drawing pictures of rifles.

Analysis: Given the tension following the Florida shooting, it is no wonder school officials want to tighten up their security. But I think this is a bit much. Adolescent boys draw pictures of weapons of all sorts at their age. It is nothing new that has sprung out after the emergence of all these shootings, kids have been doing this all the time. From the Tinker v Des Moines case, we know that the first amendment doesn't give us complete freedom of speech within the confines of the school property. But personally, I think a suspension for drawing stick figures depicted with weapons is not grounds for suspension.

Questions:
Do you believe that the school acted out of hand when suspending this student?
Do you think that this only happened because of the recent surge of mass shootings?

William Strampel, Larry Nassar's MSU boss, hit with sex charges

Link to Article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/william-strampel-larry-nassar-s-msu-boss-hit-sex-charges-n860346

Summary: William Strampel, Michigan State University dean is accused of inappropriately groping and gathering nude pictures of his students. He was arrested and charged with fourth degree criminal sexual misconduct, along with two counts of willful neglect of duty. Strampel violated his statutory duty as a public office by threatening the female students and sexually assaulting them in his office. After the police had a hold of Strampel's computer, they found a large amount of nude photographs and pornographic videos, with evidence of someone trying to delete some of the videos. Dr. Nicole Eastman reported that Strampel had grabbed her butt right in front of his wife, and at the time she didn't report the incident because she thought he would ruin her medical career. After hearing other women come forth and accuse Nassar of sexual harassment, she too felt confident enough to tell her story.

Analysis: This incident was extremely disturbing for me. And I'm disgusted by how people could just get away with sexually harassing so many people. his goes to show that there isn't enough effort being put into creating a safe environment for women. However, with all the sexual harassment cases being reported, I believe that more women will be encouraged to share their stories.

Questions:
1. What are some ways to prevent sexual harassment in schools/universities?
2. Do you think the investigations of sexual harassment cases have been thorough?

Retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens Calls for the Repeal of the Second Amendment

Article Link

                                         Image from Joe Raedle/Getty Images contrasts an 18th century rifle with a                                           21st century assault weapon.

John Paul Stevens, who dissented from the landmark ruling in  D.C. v. Heller (2008) that expanded gun rights believes the best course of action now to solve the 21st century rash of gun violence is a repeal of the 2nd amendment. His stance on the issue was inspired by the 1.2 million youth protesters (largest since the Vietnam War) who marched on Saturday against gun violence in schools. Chief Justice Warren Burger (1969-1986) publicly criticized the National Rifle Association for perpetrating fraud on the American people when they said that federal regulation of guns violated citizens' Second Amendment rights. Now the nation still must decide how to address this ongoing issue of gun violence in schools.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you agree with Justice Stevens that a repeal of the Second Amendment is now necessary?
2. How do you feel about banning semiautomatic weapons, raising the gun purchase age from 18 to 21, and comprehensive background checks?
3. Even if access to guns is better controlled, America is already heavily armed. What are some ideas to reduce the number of guns in U.S. society or should that even be a goal?

Police Search for Man Who Made School Shooting Threats in San Mateo

Link to article:https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Police-Search-for-Man-Who-Made-School-Shooting-Threats-in-San-Mateo-477969303.html

Summary: On Friday March 24, 2018 a customer at the Big 5 Sporting Goods store in San Mateo had overheard the man telling an employee that he wanted to purchase a firearm and threatening to shoot up a school school. The man appeared to be about 35 years old and was wearing a camouflage sweatshirt and blue jeans. The officers were at the store within minutes, but the man was no where to be found. As of now, the police are still working to find the man.
Analysis: The topic of school shootings is become very serious. And in this case in particular hit very close to home. I believe that San Mateo County School District, and the police are doing a pretty good job so far by letting the public know right away. But the fact that the man wasn't caught yet, still makes me very anxious and worried. I hope that with the description of the man, someone will notice him and contact the police right away. Keep an eye out!

Questions:
1. How has this incident affect your thoughts on coming to school?
2. Do you think our school has what it takes to protect the students? If not what do you think could be done better.

Reasons Why Cambridge Analytica Probably Didn't Skew The Election

Cambridge Analytica used millions of Facebook user's data to build a network of information
based on the 5 personality traits to potentially exploit partisan feelings among Americans.

As many of you probably already know, millions of US citizens who have Facebook accounts were targeted with political messages from Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 election. Legal experts have pointed out that Facebook's users did not, arguably, have informed consent on the collection and forwarding of this data to Cambridge Analytica and therefore the firm itself might be in legal trouble in both the US and UK as a result. 

However, another subject more pertinent but possibly less damaging than it may initially seem is the fact that Cambridge Analytica based its algorithm and manipulation scheme on the 'Big 5' personality traits it deducts from a one time search of one's Facebook friends, something that is quite permeable on a social media site and may not reflect one's authentic personality. Additionally, the data could be entirely unreliable according to a study on "targeted ads, based on personality, [sent] to more than 1.5 million people; the result was about 100 additional purchases of beauty products than had they advertised without targeting," (Link). 

Although it seems Cambridge Analytica's methods seem to be of minimal effectiveness, do you believe that sites like Facebook should do more to guard user data?

Should the federal government step in to regulate big tech data? Why or why not?

What happens when the world's two biggest economies turn on each other?

Link to Article: http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/25/news/economy/china-us-tariffs/index.html

Summary:
Just last Thursday, Trump announced that we would be imposing tariffs of around 25% on over $50 billion on Chinese exports. These imports are mostly technology and resource based: 25% on steel, 10% on aluminum, 25% on a wide variety of things like communication technology and machinery. Right after these tariffs went into effect China imposed its own on over $3 billion worth of US goods.  These tariffs would be concentrated on the food exports of the US: things such as wine, fruit, beans. Even though $3 billion seems a lot less than the $50 billion that the US imposed, China is a top customer for many of these food products like soybean (bought 61% of all soybean exports of the US).

Analysis:
Even though I understand where Trump is coming from, I do not believe that this will have the effect on the economy he believes it will. Yes, we may be keeping the money in the US, by making American goods cheaper, if China keeps creating tariffs, it will not matter how we protect American goods. Both the US and China depend on each other and by breaking this delicate balance, we have start an all out trade war, where in the end China will probably win due to its cheap labor force and large amount of other trade partners.

Questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having this tariff in place? Do you think that these tariffs will benefit or hurt the United States?
2. If there is a trade war, who do you think will win US or China?
3. What are other ways we can protect the American labor force in comparison to China's much cheaper one?

US Treasury Offers Advice to Government Agencies Interested in Blockchain

Link to Article: https://www.ccn.com/us-treasury-offers-advice-to-government-agencies-interested-in-blockchain/

Summary:
For those who do not know, blockchain is essentially a decentralized entity (meaning that it is not tied to any company or government) that tracks the transactions of an individual digitally. You can think of it as a bank, but all in cyberspace. This is how people track their cryptocurrencies. Recently, the US treasury established a blog to offer advice for other government agencies to establish blockchain technology into their systems. The blog talks mainly about whether implementing blockchain will help the agency. As of when the pilot version started in October, many government officials praise the technology's ability to reduce fraud and increase efficiency.

Analysis:
Especially with all the hype around cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, I believe that blockchain is the future. Not only have many governments began implementation, but many companies have also saving them millions of dollars. Even though some people may doubt it because of the lack of any regulation and the fact that it is all stored in cyberspace, I believe that the power of instantaneous transactions makes it worth it. It just cuts out the banks which are an unnecessary middle man.

Questions:

1. How do you feel about a decentralized currency, like bitcoin or another other cryptocurrency?
2. What advantages and disadvantages to companies get from implementing blockchain technology?
3. Are you okay with the government implementing this sort of technology?

EU warns US on Data Control Laws

Link to Article: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43508461

Summary:
Vera Jourova, the Justice Commissioner of the EU, has come to America to talk to regulators of data within the United States. She states that the data protection that the US has for its users is very low compared to the EU. Currently, both the EU and US share a system called the Privacy Shield; however, the EU significantly increased its strength on data protection laws with the passage of the General Data Protection Regulation Agreement just this May.

Analysis:
I believe that data protection is of the utmost importance, especially in the current situation with Facebook. The US should implement regulation similar to EU in order to prevent companies from selling too much user data. Additionally, they should let us know what data they are tracking and selling to other companies. Transparency is the most important thing in this type of situation.

Questions:

1. Do you personally think that the US should have stricter data protection laws?
2. What effect do you think these laws will have on large corporations that heavily rely on selling user data like Facebook or Snapchat?
3. What regulation do you think should be put in place?

Elon Musk Pulls Tesla and SpaceX from Facebook

Link to article: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43514648

Summary:
As of last week, Facebook has lost billions of dollars off its market value due to a large user data scandal. Not only they have lost market value, but the support and trust of many around the world. This includes Elon Musk. When many people within his company tweeted at him to delete his Facebook pages he responded with a "What's Facebook?" Shortly after, Elon Musk removed the official Facebook pages of SpaceX and Tesla; the pages had 2.5 million followers combined.

Analysis:
Even though this seems like a big deal now with people like Elon Musk retracting support, I believe that Facebook will recover from this fall. This is due to the fact that we have no alternative. Lets look at other social media platforms: Instagram is owned by Facebook, Twitter can not compare to the amount of users, Snapchat is basically a dead company now, WeChat is only prevalent in Asia. If this happened to some small company, their company would most likely die, but since there is no social media that can compete with Facebook, the user base will probably not change much in the long term.

Questions:

1. What do you think the main effect of people pulling down pages off Facebook will be?
2. Can you see other big company owners pulling their pages off Facebook (keep in mind they probably lose a lot of advertisement)?
3. Do you think that Facebook can recover from this mess?

Facebook Information Scandal

Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-scandal-what-to-know-about-cambridge-analytica-and-your-data-1521806400


Summary: Calls to abandon Facebook have swirled all week after news broke that data of about 50 million users was harvested by political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. While Facebook doesn't directly sell the users data, they sell partial information to promote different products. Facebook claims that "The user data is supposed to ensure the ads users see are ones they would actually click on."

Analysis: I believe that Facebook needs to fix its policy on selling information to different marketing companies. My solution is a clear statement on what they do with the information you provide will allow people to decide what information they are willing to give up.

Questions:

1. What do you believe FB should do to solve this scandal? 
2. Do you believe that selling your information to marketing firms is a big deal? 
3. Do you believe that everyone should delete FB? 

American farmers in Trump-voting states May Get Hit Hardest by a Trade War

Link to Article

Summary: 

With the trade war between President Trump and China, American soybean farmers fear for their future. Trump’s $60 billion dollar tariff against China exports could push over 300,000 soybean farmers out of the market and cause negative long-term effects on their communities and ones around them. China backfired at the U.S. stating that it could come after the $14 billion soybean industry since it is the number one buyer of U.S. soybeans. This trade war could also cause a ripple effect for other industries.

Analysis: 

While I do believe that this trade war with President Trump and China could have very negative consequences, I do think that Americans/consumers will not see any direct impact. It could increase the commodities surplus and possibly bring down the prices for consumers. The trade war could also hurt other people besides farmers like fertilizer sellers and tractor sellers, ultimately decreasing economic growth.

Questions:

1. How do you think American soybean farmers will respond?

2. What other issues do you think will arise from this trade war?

Money and March Madness: Should the Players Get A Cut?

link: https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/16782



Summary: College athletes are considered "amateurs" by the NCAA, and therefore prohibited from collecting any kind of monetary compensation. As profits grow each year, a growing contingent of former players and advocates are calling on the NCAA to start allow student athletes earn their fair share. They say the NCAA, is exploiting students by profiting from their skill and celebrity status without providing appropriate compensation.

Analysis: I believe it is unfair that college athletes can't be paid or make money off their names. If they are good enough to promote for their school and good enough to make money for the NCAA, they should have the chance to make money for themselves.

Questions: 

1. Do you believe college athletes should be paid?
2. Should all college athletes get paid or only the best players get paid?  

US Charges 9 Iranian Individuals with Theft of Intellectual Property

The 9 Iranian individuals are associated with the Mabna Institute, an organization contracted by the Iranian Government to steal sensitive information. (Photo courtesy: Yuri Gripas/ Reuters)

After years of cyberattacks on government agencies, universities and companies within the United States, the Department of Justice has finally charged the culprits which successfully executed phishing schemes, deployed malware and took banking websites offline. Iran first employed the use of internet breaches to thwart political opposition in their own country and gradually turned their focus abroad to target companies inside and allies with the United States. 

Unfortunately for President Trump, the accusations of hacking come at a critical point for the life of the Iran nuclear deal President Obama negotiated in 2015. Trump has publicly stated he wants to withdraw from the agreement and wants to increase sanction, in direct contradiction to the terms of the deal which provide sanctions relief for compliance.

Personally, I don't believe Trump will go through with pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal because the negative global ramifications of abandoning ship at this point would be too great and more American companies might possibly be targeted with further cyber attacks. I do, however, think that officially charging these Iranian nationals is a step in the right direction when it comes to holding Iran accountable for their actions. Hopefully they misstep abroad and are subsequently turned over to the US.

What do you think about the Iran nuclear deal? Should we keep it intact? 

Will we see more cyber attacks on American companies if we drop the agreement?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/us/politics/iranians-hacking-scheme-irgc.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=14&pgtype=sectionfront 

Starbucks says it has Achieved Pay Equity in the U.S.

Link to Article

Summary:

On Wednesday, Starbucks announced that it has achieved 100% pay equity for women, men, and all races. Starbucks’s executive vice president Lucy Helm announced during the annual shareholder meeting in Seattle that Starbucks’s is ready for a change in not only talking about the gender pay gap but addressing it. Starbucks has always made employee benefits a priority, but Helm wants to do more. They have created tools that allow them to approach this in an objective and consistent manner. The company wants to achieve and create a culture where employees can discuss wages without fear or discrimination or retaliation.

Analysis:

This is definitely a big step forward for pay equity for all genders and races. I do believe that this will prompt other businesses to do the same as Starbucks. As we learned in class, there are four tiers of human capital -- unskilled, semiskilled, skilled, and professional. Because of this, some people could have different opinions on how wages are determined. It is impossible to calculate one’s skill sets because there are endless factors that can determine how well an individual can carry tasks needed for the job.

Questions:

1. Do you think other companies will follow Starbucks in their efforts to achieve equity for all genders and races?

2. How do you think employees will respond to this?

3. How do you think employers should determine salary and benefits?

Truckers may not have to drive one day

Source: usatoday.com

Link to article

Looks like self-driving trucks are coming to us sooner than you think. Technologists promise a new advantage in by removing the driver which is a major cost of the trucking business. Many truckers are okay with this but are not super convinced that a computer can do everything. Many of them say they could spend more time with their loved ones but also are unsure of how well it would work. 

Analysis:

I get why people would think this is a good idea, but in my opinion it is not. It is not safe, you cannot rely on a sensor to sense if the truck is going to crash or hit someone. As we all know technology is not always reliable. Also, if something with the computer in the truck crashes will the truckers have the knowledge to fix it or how will that work? Personally, I would not want to be driving near these self-driving trucks. 

Questions:

Do you guys think this is a good idea?

How well do you think this will turn out?

Congress unveils $1.3 trillion spending package, includes background check bill

Summary: Congress unveiled a massive bipartisan $1.3 trillion spending package that will keep the government funded until the end of September. Lawmakers have agreed on funding levels for every corner of the government: with a $700 billion budgeted for defense and $591 billion slated for non-defense spending.The bill also contains policy riders that incentivizes state and federal authorities to report more data to the country's gun background check system.

Analysis: This huge bill ends the government fight over a spending bill. After the government shutdown in February, this was a key step forward into coming together and creating change in America. This bill helps congress know how much they are able to spend to create a gun-control bill, fix relations with foreign nations and ensure child care development grants.

Questions: 

1.  Do you believe that the government did a good thing in stopping another government shutdown and agreeing on a budget?
2. What should be the first thing congress works on now that they have a budget.
3. Are you concerned that the new budget again puts us at a deficit?

Dowd resigns as Trump's lawyer amid disagreements on strategy

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/22/politics/john-dowd-white-house/index.html


Summary: President Donald Trump's lead lawyer, John Dowd, has resigned from the President's personal legal team handling the response to the Russia investigation. Dowd preferred a more refined response to the Mueller investigation and wanted Trump to lay off the attacks of Mueller and the FBI.

Analysis: President Trump and his lawyers often have falling outs due to political strategy. However, Dowd has been the most integral part of Trump's legal team to date. As we know, Trump has a very 'independent' personality and often does not take advice from experts. To me, this is a real problem with Trump, as he is not the most knowledgeable person in every facet of his presidency.

Questions: 

1. Do you believe Trump should follow the advice of his experts and legal council?
2. Do you think Trump's presidency will be hurt or helped by his 'independent' approach?
3. How do you feel about Trump's handling of the Russia investigation?

Gunfire in San Francisco Injures Officer and Bystander

Link to Article

Summary:

On Wednesday, March 21st at 4:30 p.m., a police officer and five civilians were injured during exchanged gunfire in San Francisco’s Crocker-Amazon Excelsior neighborhoods. Young students and pedestrians hid behind cars to avoid about 20-25 bullets. One officer was injured was wounded in the leg and taken to San Francisco General Hospital. Police are still investigating.

Analysis:

With the recent event that happened at Stoneman Douglas High School as well as other places, the right to carry firearms has been a prevalent issue. To me, it seems unnecessary to have this much ease in obtaining one. An incident like this one in San Francisco is a clear example of the misuse of guns and perception that all of these incidents are not that serious, but this needs to change. In my opinion, changing the way our government handles gun control should be an immediate concern especially with the rise of gun-related events like this one.

Questions:

1. What do you think can be done about this issue?

2. Will gun control laws actually prevent criminals from obtaining guns or breaking laws?

3. Do you believe that gun control laws deny individuals’ right to safety?

The End of Toys R Us

Link to Article

Summary:

Just last week, Toys R Us announced that they will be closing 735 stores around the U.S., putting an end to the iconic giraffe mascot as well as jobs for 30,000 individuals. Toys R Us has succumbed to debt that it has accumulated over the years and to the new trend of online shopping and mobile games. Shoppers moved to places like Amazon and huge chains like Walmart for their toy shopping.

Analysis:

It is important to understand that our generation relies on convenience rather than going to a store. Staring at a picture on a screen instead of walking through an aisle has its benefits, although many kids do not get to experience this. Furthermore, there will definitely be a high demand for jobs in retail especially because 30,000 people will be losing their jobs. Last fall, Toys R Us did mention that they would make their stores more interactive, but this had little to no effect, foreshadowing the closure of the store and a lack of public interest in their store.  

Questions:

1. How do you think the 30,000 employees at Toys R Us will respond?

2. Why do you think online shopping has more of an impact on our generation today?

3. Based on the outcome of Toys R Us, do you believe that other stores could potentially follow the same path?

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School requiring transparent backpacks

Source: Amazon.com

Link to article

Earlier today, officials at Stoneman Douglas High School came to the conclusion that clear backpacks while now be required. This was enacted as new "safety protocols." Also, not only will they need to wear clear backpacks but they also must wear an I.D. badge while on campus. The school has enacted many new safety protocols since the massacre on February 14. Some of the protocols are: locking doors at all times, and "conducting emergency preparedness." 

Analysis: I don't think any of this will prepare these students for an intruder. I especially don't think the backpacks are helpful because they can just hide a gun on themselves, they don't need a backpack.  I also do not think the I.D. badges will help keep students safer because someone who really wants to do something extreme will go to extreme measures to accomplish it. I could see why they think of these things as "safety protocols" but I don't think a clear backpack or a badge will stop anyone from doing something to harm others, if they choose to do so. 

Questions:

Do you guys agree with these new protocols?

What would be a better way to make sure the school is safe, if any?

European Commission Plans For Tech Tax on Silicon Valley Companies

Apple's repatriation of cash from Ireland was deemed illegal and has
subsequently been required to pay $14 billion to the European Commission.

The European Union (EU) and the US are competing heavily for tax revenue from Silicon Valley tech giants such as Amazon, Apple and Google and have proposed a new plan to tax digital media companies based on where they generate revenue as opposed to where their headquarters are located. The battle for tax revenue had heated up after President Trump signed a $1.5 billion tax proposal last year which attempts to crack down on profit-relocation through the addition of a new minimum tax on overseas earnings with US operations.

Both entities argue that multinational corporations are not paying their fair share of taxes while the US raises import tariffs on steel and aluminum from abroad. 

An example from the article states how Amazon's headquarters being stationed in Luxembourg locks them into a roughly 9% digital business corporate tax rate as opposed to 23.3% for traditional businesses. Additionally, Google was ordered to pay $2.42 billion to the European Commission for using it's own search engine to favor their own comparison shopping service and demoting service results of their rivals.

To me it seems that the central European nations and those in charge of most regulatory commissions just want to milk as much money from the tech sector as possible and probably incentivize these tech firms to place an emphasis in their own nation rather than fringe EU partners which may flake on collecting taxes. The only true benefits for this plan would be the largest participants in the EU which are Germany and France, leaving the likes of Luxembourg and Ireland to fend for themselves or defend law suits against their respective governments for not complying to regulation.

Do you think the EU has the right to command such a high price tag on these tech cases?

Tech firms are smart and will always try to find the best deal because they know almost every city wants to host a massive corporation for it's implied positive externalities but, do you think they will no longer feel it is worth their while to have a headquarters in the EU as a byproduct of this decision? How will the EU collect if this becomes a reality?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/europe-digital-tax-trade.html 

Missing 16 year old found in Mexico with her friends dad

Source: newsweek.com

Link to article

Just yesterday a 16 year old girl was found in Mexico with her friends dad. She was reported missing last week after she did not come home from school. Now they know she was taken out of school by this man, posing to be her step-dad. They flew to Cancun and were discovered there. Her mom reviewed hundreds of text messages between the couple, she suspects that they have had sexual relations, which could result in a statutory rape charge. As of right now there is no kidnapping or rape charges, just custodial interference. 

Analysis: 

 She is a 16 year old girl, her brain is not fully developed and yes she knew what she was doing was wrong and still did it, but he is the adult. In this situation he needed to say this wasn't right and put a stop to it before they fled. She left with him willingly so I think she also is at somewhat fault and I think it should still be considered as kidnapping and if there is proof of sexual relations then statutory rape as well. 

Questions:

Do you guys think he should be charged with all three crimes?

Do you think the girl is at fault as well?

First Pedestrian Killed by Uber Self-Driving Car

Description of incident in Tempe, AZ on Sunday night at 10:00pm. (NY Times)

A woman in Tempe, Arizona was struck and killed Sunday night as she stepped out into the street in front of one of Uber's self driving vehicles. It is believed to be the first death of a pedestrian by an autonomous vehicle to date. The woman was walking her bike across the road when she was struck by a Volvo XC90 Sport Utility vehicle going 40 mph in a 45 mph zone. It was discovered that the vehicle made no attempt to slow down.

Uber immediately ceased all autonomous car testing after the incident. 

Unfortunately, this incident is not the first fatality related to autonomous cars. In 2016, an Ohio resident was driving his Tesla in Florida while his auto-pilot feature was enabled when his Model S travelled underneath a semi-trailer. Tesla claimed that it had warned consumers about how the current software versions are not intended to make your car hands free. Federal investigators later ruled that Tesla was not at fault in the crash.

Personally, I believe that fatalities of all types, although probably preventable, will inevitably occur whether a human is in control of the vehicle or not. Hopefully, in the near future we reach a point at which most people are either in an autonomous car or have another form of transportation to eliminate the mitigate the possibility of fatalities on the roadways. However, I believe it is dangerous that tech firms and their programmers are those with the final say on code as the decisions the car makes could possibly run contrary to our own morals. 

With the rise of autonomous cars throughout the United States and enormous leaps and bounds we have made towards a technologically connected world, do you believe that pedestrian fatalities will occur more or less often in the future?

How do you feel about computer programmers making the decisions based on their own ethics (ie. Trolley dilemma)? Should we/ should we not regulate what is coded?

Will the roads be safer in the long run with more autonomous cars?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-20/video-shows-woman-stepped-suddenly-in-front-of-self-driving-uber 

Six Months After Hurricane Maria, Rebuilding Continues in Puerto Rico

Article link

                                          Artist: Michelle Garcia

Villages in Puerto Rico are rebuilding slowly and in some cases still waiting to get electricity restored from the damage Hurricane Maria inflicted six months ago. The author of this article has her masters degree studies interrupted as her rural town proceeds with recovery efforts. 1,500 houses were destroyed and another 2,400 sustained significant damage in the town of Comerio alone. Donations and volunteers have helped, but the damage was extensive and Puerto Rico is still short of the resources they need.

Discussion Questions
1. Should the U.S. be providing more humanitarian aid to Puerto Rico?
2. What else can nations and NGOs do to help Puerto Rico's recovery efforts?
3. Does the Trump administration deserve blame for not prioritizing a response to this natural disaster?

Snapchat is going downhill

Source: Google Finance

Link to article

Snapchat has been under fire recently for a post which was making a joke out of domestic violence. Last week, a snapchat story was posted asking whether they would slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown. Rihanna's response was not great, as you can imagine. She basically told her huge fan base to "throw away" the app. Since Rihanna posted that apparently Snapchat's stock has now gone down immensely, losing $800 million in market value. People were already questioning whether to continue to use the app because of the new update, which already lost them many users.

Analysis: People were already upset over the update and I think this drew the line for them. I don't think it was okay of Snapchat to do this, but I don't think it was intended to be malicious. Even though, I don't think many domestic abuse victims will keep using it, personally I don't think Snapchat will be going away any time soon just because some people will continue to use the app.

Questions:
Do you guys think Snapchat will regain their stock value?
Will you guys stop using snapchat because of this?

The forgotten side of the accusations

Link to article

Facts of the news: This was a February 2018 case of a man that was put on a black list made by a group of students saying that they should stay away from these people, all of the people on that list were men. Apparently, they said it was a hoax but it did not stop the damage that was already done. The news outlet describes the accused side of the case and what his experiences was like.  He told that he was shunned from most of his peers as a result of this to the point where he thought of committing suicide. He thought of moving colleges to finish his education as a result of this.

Analysis:  This is an ongoing issue that is still relevant to this day. This topic is of course rape accusations; the accusation of rape should never be taken lightly. Although we have been doing progressively well in getting more people to come out and tell us there story but, there is still a lot to do in doing cases like this, I feel that it needs to be more confidential before it being released into the media Why? Because what were to happen if the accused is innocent? Colleges tend to go for the *innocent until proven guilty method of handling these kinds of situations. Which I feel is not the best method of handling these kinds of situation as the accusation alone can ruin an accused life.

Questions;
How do you think cases like these should be addressed?
How can we help both the accused and the accuser have a fair judgement?

'Black Panther' Powering To 5th Weekend At The Top Of Box Office Charts

Link

Summary: "Black Panther" continues to find success in the box office becoming the first movie since "Avatar" to hold the number one spot for five consecutive weeks. the movie in total is aproaching $1.2 billion dollars and is expected to surpass both the "Avengers" in highest grossed superhero movie domestically as well as being the highest grossing solo superhero movie of all time above "Iron Man 3".

Analysis: Representation in media is crucial for how one perceives themselves in relation to the world. Movies such as "Black Panther", "Moana", and "Call Me by Your Name" are some recent portrayals of minorites by major producing companies that bring light to stories that are often times overlooked or made into secondary plots of other movies. "Black Panther" derives success from it's portrayal of an African superhero, but also with his supporting cast of female heros. The portrayal of women being fierce worriors as well as extremely intelligent inventors adds depth to a genre that is not known for inclusivity.

Questions:
1)Why do you think "Black Panther" has been so successful?
2)Why do you believe representation in the media is important?
3)What further steps do you believe media should take to further integrate different minorities into films?

Lyft to Bring Diverless Car Tech to Broader Auto Industry

Link
Summary: Lyft a ride share company has taken further arangements to secure dirverless car tecnology with recent aiance with Magna International. They plan on jointly developing and manufacturing self-driving car systems to be in the future intergrated in Lyft's current netwok of rideshare vehicles. Magna said it would invest $200 million into lyft raising the companies valuation to $11.7 billion. Magna is the latest in Lyfts alliances where they have already made partnerships with Ford and General Motors. Lyfts main competitor has also been working on self-driving technology, but independently.

Analysis: AI has so many different uses and with transportation this would be extremely convenient expecially in city settings where parking is limited. If cars were able to make rounds picking up people on their own while an indiidual was at work it would be mutually bennificial with the cost of the ride decreasing and the individual making a profit where they woud of had to pay for parking before. The only downside would be the potential loss in employment, but there is sure to be a lack of trust in an automomous trust so there would still be demand for human drivers.

Questions:
1) Would you trust an autonoumous car that is not yours to drive you?
2) What other drawbacks would you anticipate to self-driving cars?
3) Is there a line to where we should restrict AI from taking over human jobs?

NYPD sued for forcing Muslim women to remove headscarves in arrest photos

Link to article 

Two muslim women, Arwa Aziz and Jamilla Clark, who say the New York Police Department forced them to remove religious head coverings after they were arrested have sued the city. The two women, including the non-profit group "Turning Point for Women and Families", sued the NYPD for violating freedom of speech,  the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and New York state law. This incident began on January 2017, when Ms. Clark's ex-husband complained that she violated an order of protection. As the police officer took an arrest-photo, she wept and begged to put her hijab back on. Later on, sources reveal that the officer ignored Ms. Clark and showed the photo to other police officers. In August of 2017, Ms. Aziz was arrested after her sister-in-law filed a a protective order against her, and with this the incident began again. 

Analysis: I honestly find the behavior of the NYPD, regarding this issue, to be disrespectful and inconsiderate. They should have allowed the women to wear their hijab, because all-in-all in the picture both of the women's face would be clear enough without the hassle of removing their hijab. Regarding the original officers behavior, he should have respected Ms. Clark's photo and not have shown it to other officers, especially since his intentions weren't regarding the case. 

Questions:
What's your opinion on this matter? 
What do you think the NYPD should have done?

A Storm is Brewing over the White house

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/16/stormy-daniels-lawyer-says-porn-star-physically-threatened-remain-silent-over-alleged-affair-trump/431167002/

Summary:
For some background, porn star Stormy Daniels claims to have had an affair with Donald Trump just months after his son Barron was born, starting in 2006. There is proof that shortly before the 2016 election, Daniels was paid 130,000 dollars by Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, and asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Daniels is suing Trump, saying that the non-disclosure act is void because his lawyer discussed certain elements of the agreement. She is also willing to give back the 130,000 dollars.


Daniels has already taped a 60 minutes interview, scheduled to air on the 25th, wanting not only to tell the public her story about the affair, but also explain the "attempts made by the president and        Mr. Cohen to muzzle her and prevent her from telling her story." Now, Daniels is claiming that she      was  physically threatened to remain silent. Though Trump has denied any sexual relationship             with Daniels, she is sure that she has enough evidence to prove her claimed story.

    Bill Clinton had an affair while in office, and wasn't removed as President. However, given Daniels Claims to be physically threatened, and the proceedings in silencing her seem illegal, coupled with Trumps past remarks about assaulting women, this seems more severe. On the 25th in the 60 minutes showing, Daniels is "going to provide very specific details about what happened," giving further information about her side of this further developing story. 

Questions:
Do you think she is telling the truth? Or trying to catch publicity?
Given there is evidence of the Trump Administration trying to silence the story, may she be credible?
What information do you think she will provide the American public on the 25th?
Is there any information at this point that could be damaging to Trump?

US appeals court upholds Texas’ ban on ‘sanctuary cities’

Article

A win for the Trump administration's fight to strengthen immigration laws occurred in Texas this week as the appeals court approved a ban on sanctuary cities. After the U.S. justice department supported Texas for suing California for 'protecting' immigrants, they passed this ruling as, "the toughest state law in the country." If law enforcers fail to comply with this ruling, they can be removed from office and even be criminally charged. However, Lee Gelernt who is an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, is disappointed in the ruling and will closely monitor the implementation of the state law.

This ruling was in response to the increasing Hispanic population in Texas that has grown three times faster than the white population. Sanctuary cities are cities that limit their enforcement on immigration laws which can be seen as either a safe haven or a law-breaking havoc - depending on which side of the spectrum you stand. It will be interesting to see how this law will be implemented With a close eye on the law from the American Civil Liberties Union and if the Trump administration will have success.

1. Do you think sanctuary cities could potentially be banned across the nation?
2. Are sanctuary cities a problem with the law?