Shooting at Connecticut Elementary School Kills 27

This morning, a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut left 27 people dead, including 20 children and several staff members. The shooter was also found dead in the school, and is suspected to have committed suicide. Coming just months after the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, this is the second most deadly shooting in US history.

A teary-eyed President Obama proclaimed of the event, “Our hearts are broken today” and stated that
“I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do. The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between five and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own." Truly, this is a tragic day.

So what do you think? How will this, as well as the other shootings in the past few years, affect US policy? How has it already affected us? As we mourn the loss of these children and adults, what can we as a nation do to help prevent more such tragedies?

Susan Rice Ends Bid for Secretary of State

Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, has withdrawn her candidacy for the position of US Secretary of State. Citing her reason to the president, she stated that "I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly - to you [President Obama] and to our most pressing national and international priorities."

Ms. Rice lost public favor, especially among the GOP, following her incorrect initial response to the 9/11/2012 attack on the US consulate in Libya. Although she acknowledged that she had made a mistake in stating that the attack had been the result of protests over an anti-Islam film, she still gained a bit of a bad reputation from the incident. However, President Obama did defend her from criticism of her ability to serve as Secretary of State. He claims that, regardless of her mistake, she is still fully capable of serving in this position, thanks to her "character and commitment."

The president's support didn't seem to be enough, though, not when faced with strong opposition and a significant past mistake.

So what do you think? Is this an example of Americans fixating too much on simple mistakes? Was the president right to focus more on individual traits rather than experiences where error has led to incident? Or should we only support politicians that have spotless track records? And what about international relations--how would Susan Rice becoming Secretary of State worked out globally after this incident?

You can read more about this here, here, here, and here.

HIV Kills...Cancer?

 Let's take a a break from politics for a moment and talk about a subject near and dear to my heart: cancer research.

Recently, the University of Pennsylvania has been researching a way that HIV (the precursor to AIDS) could act as a cure for cancer (specifically chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of leukemia, or cancer of the white blood cells). This process (which you can read a description of here) utilizes a modified form of the HIV virus to alter the patient's T-cells (a form of white blood cell that fights both viruses and cancer) so that they recognize and attack the cancer. They then remain in the patient's bloodstream, continuing to act against the cancerous cells and aiding remission.

There is hope that this new treatment could replace bone marrow transplants, which are risky, painful, and expensive. Although pricey chemotherapy drugs are still needed with this new treatment to ensure that unmodified T-cells don't interfere with remission, it is far less expensive than bone marrow transplants ( about $20,000 vs between $300,000 and $600,000). This could mean a tremendous change for families of those with leukemia, a disease can be terminal not only to patients but also to bank accounts.


This research is still in its early stages, but doctors are optimistic about it. So far, three adults who received this treatment have experienced complete remissions, though it has also had no effect on two. In addition, this treatment managed to save now-seven-year-old Emma Whitehead's life after she relapsed two times, even after receiving chemotherapy treatments.

So what do you think? Is this the future of cancer treatment? And, though medical professionals are wary of tossing around the c-word, could this perhaps signify a chance that we are creeping up on a cure for cancer?

Michigan Right to Work Legislature Weakens Unions

 Today Michigan legislators approved "right to work" laws that prevent unions from requiring employees to join unions and pay dues to them. Michigan is the 24th state to pass such legislature. However, it is the most union-heavy state to do so (it is the home of the United Automobile Workers). Many argue that the two bills passed today hurt workers by decreasing the power of unions to fight for better pay and rights. Among those who opposed the bills was President Obama, who claimed that these are less laws that about giving people the right to work and more about "giving you the right to work for less money." In addition, the Michigan capital was flooded with protesting unions members (including those from the United Auto Workers Union and teachers. A few schools even closed in order to allow teachers to go protest the passage of the bills.).

So what do you think? Do these bills help make employment more fair by not forcing people to pay to work? Or are dues worth it in order to have the protection of a strong union? What would you think of it if this sort of legislation was passed in California?

You can read more about this issue here, here, and here.

Right-to-Work States vs. Forced Unionism States:

Obama and Boehner Meet to Discuss the Fiscal Cliff

Yesterday (Sunday, December 9), President Obama met with Speaker of the House John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) for their first one-on-one meeting since July 2011 to discuss how to avert the end-of-year fiscal cliff. They both issued statements that “the lines of communication remain open,” which may indicate the possibility for a solution to be worked out between the two parties, which have had considerable conflict over the budget in the past months.

However, time is running short, if lawmakers are actually going to prevent a financial crisis before the end of the year. While both sides do have written proposals on the table, they still need to be shaped into a solution that is acceptable to all involved. With only three weeks remaining in 2012, Congress will likely be rushed in their debate over any plans that are made.

What do you think? Will the government be able to sort out a solution to the fiscal cliff by 2013, even with the party differences that we've already seen?

You can read more about this subject here and here.

Cyber-Complimenting

Has the time come for a new era of social networking where compliments rather than hateful comments are posted? According to this article from NBC News, it certainly looks that way. “Cyber-graciousness”, as it has been called, originated with Queens University Compliments in Canada and has spread to at least 98 other schools in Canada and the US.

In Whitman High School, Maryland, the page Whitman Compliments was well received in the time that the page was up. Some students had even tried to out nice other commenters.  The compliments were anonymous and most people who had posted on the compliment facebook page took it seriously. The creator of the page, Eyal Hanfling only kept the page open for four days because he believes that face to face complimenting is always more meaningful, plus the fact that managing the page takes up homework time. How does the facebook page “Aragon Compliments” sound? For those who do not have a facebook, myself included, how would you feel if somebody you ran into complimented you just because they felt like it?

And the Lucky Numbers Are...

The Powerball Lottery, which last month had its largest jackpot in history of $587.6 million, has been going for a couple of weeks now and has seen a few winners in Missouri, Ohio and most recently Arizona. The man who won is staying anonymous for now but his name is planned to be released to news organizations on Monday.

The man from Arizona has chosen to take his winnings in cash, $192.5 million before taxes. He also said that he plans to keep his job despite winning the lottery, stating to an Arizona executive lottery director, “You know, I like my job; I'd like to continue working my job,” and that it is "just a regular job, like yours or mine -- it's not a high-level job."

The winner’s earning will have a 5% tax on the prize money and Arizona’s state taxes will also apply, making the winnings approximately $114 million after taxes.  Most people who buy lottery tickets don't even end up winning, and those who do will essentially be known by every major news company and won't win as much as is really advertised. In your opinion, does winning the lottery significantly change anything about a person's life? Should it?

Notre Dame University Providing Gay Student Services

This week, Notre Dame University announced that it will now provide services for students in the LGBT community.  Known primarily as a premier catholic school that is good at football, this new development is a step in the right direction when it comes to equality for all.

The university said it will create a student organization that will offer support and services to GLBTQ students and form an advisory committee to provide guidance on such matters. 

There has been some backlash from some Catholic groups that are anti-gay, but it is engouraging that despite that, the university is creating these services.  In a time when the gay community is becoming more and more accepted, it is great to see that even strong catholic institutions can accept that change is necessary.  

Romney '47 Percent' Quote Chosen as Best of 2012

Mitt Romney's '47 percent' quote was selected as the best quote of the year by Fred Shapiro, an associate librarian at the Yale School of Law, in his annual list of most quotable moments.  

Romneys quote saying that 47 percent of the people will vote for the president because they are dependent on the government was one of his two quotes that topped the list.  His second was hist statement about having "Binder full of women."  

President Obama then followed him up with the next three, most notably his comment that "If you were succesful, somebody along the line gave you help."  

"Shapiro picks quotes that are famous, important or revealing of the spirit of the times, not necessarily ones that are the most eloquent or admirable." 

The quotes aren't necessairly all mistakes though.  Obama's joke about bayonets in the Presidental debate made the list, along with Psy's quote "Oppan Gangnam Style." 

Regardless, the list does contain many political blunders. These men are under such constant surveillance and it seems almost inevitable that they will eventually trip up.  How much do you think is just a missuse of words or do you think some could be a possible look into some of their actual beliefs? In the campaign trail, they are all constantly being polished to appear as the perfect candidate.  That is probably makes these quotes fun; that they finally make the candidates appear as actual people.  

Gay Marriage to be Reviewed in Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court has decided to review California’s same-sex marriage ban which was put into effect after Proposition 8 passed in 2008.

The Defense of Marriage Act, a.k.a. DOMA, signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996, will also be reviewed. The law states that the definition of marriage pertains to legal union of a man and woman. Because of the law, same-sex marriages that have been performed in states where it is legal are not recognized under the federal government, meaning that they do not have access to certain federal benefits.

State lawsuits that have been filed against DOMA and the Obama Administration believe that the law denies equal protection under the Constitution. If the Supreme Court deems DOMA unconstitutional, that means same-sex marriages need to be recognized by the federal government but only in the states that have legalized it. The decision is expected to be finalized in June of next year.

 

Morsi Refuses to Cancel Vote on Constitution

For the past two weeks, Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has been fighting opposition on a vote for a new charter that would give him extended powers as leader, as Morsi himself stated in a televised speech. Among the protestors are soldiers from the Republican Guard have stayed outside of Morsi’s barbed-wire surrounded palace with tanks. Additionally, several of his government officials have quit.

Morsi claims that the expanded powers are necessary because of pre-Mubarak officials “disrupting the country’s political transition.”

Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group backing Morsi, has called protestors “secularists” and “thugs”, implying that they are not true Muslims. Protestors in Cairo’s Tahrir Square say that they respect the religion but not how it is being forced upon them.

Protestor Mohamed Fawzi said, "We are facing two scenarios: civil war or another military takeover. Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood have given us a worse dictatorship than Mubarak. They have a bad man's dream for the country. The opposition is doing its best, but we don't know what will come. Our opposition leaders are bad, full of self-interest."

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood seem to have advantage in the vote because the religious group probably has enough members for the referendum to pass, but the protests do not seem to be letting up as the referendum will occur on December 15.

 

Mitch McConnell Filibusters Himself

Fillibustering your own proposal? Yup!

From a New York Times Article today:

"On Capitol Hill, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, moved Thursday to vote on Mr. Obama’s proposal, in his broader deficit package, to permanently diminish Congress’s control over the federal government’s statutory borrowing limit, assuming that Democrats would break ranks and embarrass the president. Instead, Democratic leaders did a count, found they had 51 solid votes, and took Mr. McConnell up on what Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader, called “a positive development.”

Mr. McConnell then filibustered his own bill, objecting to a simple-majority vote and saying a change of such magnitude requires the assent of 60 senators."

Although kind of humerous, I do think it brings up some dismal pictures about the Senate.  The attitude that McConnell brought to the debate seems like one of a man who is completely unwilling to compromise. In a time when the fiscal cliff is looming and we may need to raise the debt ceiling again by January or February, Sen. McConnell had to resort to back tracking in his own political games.  

Compromise is so essential in getting things done, especially in a divided congress like we have.   It can be dangerous to have politicians that have to constantly resort to filibustering threatening filibusters in a time when we desperately need to get things done.  Keep in mind that McConnell is the same guy who stated 4 years ago that he wanted to make President Obama a one-term president.   

How do you think congress should actually compromise? Is the filibuster and issue that should be looked at and reformed?

Medical Study: Prevention of Breast Cancer Recurrence and Death

 

A new study finds that taking the hormone blocking drug tamoxifen for ten years instead of five after breast cancer diagnosis better prevents the risk of relapse and death in premenopausal women. The University of Oxford study found that after ten years of taking tamoxifen, only 12 percent of women died from it compared to 15 percent in patients who took the drug for five years and the rate of recurrence dropped from 25 to 21 percent. The study also found that the risk of endometrial cancer nearly doubled after prolonged use of tamoxifen, but not for premenopausal women, who are the targets of the drug.

There are newer alternatives called aromatase inhibitors, for post-menopausal women and women that became menopausal due to treatment, which reduce breast cancer recurrence without the risk of problems such as uterine cancer. These drugs have side effects such as joint pain, bone loss and sexual problems but previous studies have shown that the newer drugs significantly reduce risk of recurrence more than tamoxifen did. The standing results deem both tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors generally safe for premenopausal and post-menopausal women, respectively and believe that potential benefits outweigh possible risk.

Dave Brubeck Dies at the Age of 91

I understand this isn't necessarily national affairs, but I figured, if we could talk about Psy, we could talk about Dave.

Today, jazz icon Dave Brubeck died of heart failure the day before his 92nd birthday.

He was born and raised in the California Central valley and started his jazz career by forming a group with saxaphonist Paul Desmond in San Francisco.

He reached wide spread fame with the release of his album, Time Out, which reached number two on the Billboard Top 40 and became the first Jazz album of all time to reach 1 million copies sold.

Brubeck played concerts and continued to create music for nearly 60 years.  For you musicians out there, Brubeck is often given credit for being the first jazz pianist to escape the 4/4 rythm and add an extra beat to his measures.

If you haven't heard his music before, you definitely owe it to yourself.  Here is his most popular song, "Take Five."

I guess if we want to end with a question,  how feel about the current state of music.  There are goods and bads and it would be interesting to see how you all feel about the pop culture we are experiencing now.

Bob Costas Speaks About Gun Control

   Bob Costas is facing a lot of heat right now for comments he made during Sunday Night Football regarding gun control.
 
 Speaking about the Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker Javon Belcher murder- suicide that has gripped national attention for the past couple days, Costas began to comment on the nature of the gun culture we have in our society right now.
   
Quoting from Fox Sports Commentator, Jason Whitlock, Costas said that "Hand Guns do not increase our safety... In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today."

Costas recieved much backlash through social media, particularly from country singer and long time NRA member Ted Nugent.  

Following such a tragic event, it really puzzles me how people can still be in favor of so many protections on gun rights.  The US is averaging 20 mass shootings per year.  I get that the pro-gun side is trying to be safe, but I personally haven't heard many stories of gun owners using the gun for protectional purposes that they claim they need them for. 

In the words of Bob Costas in a later interview regarding NFL players and guns, "Even if all those guns were obtained legally, you can’t have 65 guys in their 20s – aggressive young men subject to impulses, without something bad happening."  

What do you think about the gun control we have at the moment? Was Costas wrong in speaking out against guns?

Congratulations Will and Kate!

It’s official! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their first child. Earlier today, Middleton was hospitalized with an acute form of morning sickness called hyperemesis, which often results in the birth of twins. In addition, since Prince William is second in line for the royal throne, that means the possible twins are third in line to be queens and/ or kings. That seems like a lot of pressure to put on a baby (or babies) that haven’t even been born yet. The royal family is obviously really excited, but what about you guys?

Considering that Kate Middleton was recently involved in a less- than- flattering photo scandal, do you think that this baby fever (or acute morning sickness) is going to be focused on too much and that we should respect their privacy during a time such as this?

US Warns Syria Against Using Chemical Weapons

After information was revealed that Syria has chemical weapons and has the potential to use them during the current war, Hillary Clinton warned that the US would take preventive action if chemical weapons are indeed a part of President Bashar al-Assad’s future acts against the rebels in Damascus. If necessary, the US has threatened to have troops secure the weapons. However, the Syrian foreign ministry claims that the weapons will not be used to escalate the ever-going war.

Syria is believed to have ballistic missiles that can hold chemical warheads, which could threaten Israel and Turkey, allies to the US. Clinton and NATO plan discuss how to protect Turkey against possible missile attacks on Tuesday. Airstrikes or broadening of no fly zones, on the other hand, do not seem to be likely because of chemical deployment risk and further tensions between the Turkey-Syrian border.

Running From the Fiscal Cliff

The House Republicans have sent the president their counteroff in order to avoid the fiscal cliff.  This proposed solution would supposedly cut $2.2 trillion from the country's deficit over the next decade.  The GOP plans to do this by making "$800 billion from tax refom, $600 billion from Medicare reforms and other health savings and $600 billion in other spending cuts."

After the offer was made, the Obama Administraion quickly turned it down saying it was merely a promis to lower rates on the wealthy and take away from the middle class.  "Independent analysts who have looked at plans like this one have concluded that middle class taxes will have to go up to pay for lower rates for millionaires and billionaires,"  The White House stated.  

In a time of fiscal emergency, it still seems like it is hard for both sides to reach any sort of agreement.  Both sides have presented their solutions and neither side wants to back down from their own policies in order to get something out before the Bushera Tax Cuts expire.  One can only wish that the two sides can agree before the looming "fiscal cliff" comes racing in.  How should the sides solve the problem? How do you think things will eventually play out?

UN Supports Palestinian Quest for Statehood, Israel Reacts

Mahmoud Abbas and Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

The UN General Assembly recently overwhelmingly voted to promote Palestine to a non-member observer state (interestingly the same status as the Vatican, who they sit next to in the General Assembly chamber) at a conference in New York on Thursday, an upgrade from their previous status as a non-member observer entity .  BBC reports Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has just returned to West Bank to a large crowd of supporters praising him for his success at the UN conference.  However, Palestine still faces some serious problems with no unified government or control of trade and borders.  The West Bank and Gaza Strip have separate authorities, Hamas being the authority in the Gaza Strip and the PA with Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank .  Abbas has called for unity, and although he has faced some opposition due to failure to successfully negotiate with Israel in the past, this overwhelming recognition by the UN will most likely help Abbas gain support.  This will make Abbas and the PA stand out and look capable, considering the recent rocket assault on Israel by Hamas.

Israel has responded by ceasing its transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, the governing body of the West Bank.  Israel has also decided to go ahead and start building more settlements on the West Bank in an apparent protest against the UN decision.  The Israel government believes that the only way Palestine can achieve statehood is through negotiations with Israel,  and they find Mahmoud Abbas's request to be recognized as a state in the UN to be disingenuous to the accords made between Israel and Palestine in the 90s.  Abbas says he wants to use their new status to not delegitimitize Israel but to help facilitate negotiations.  The upgrade also gives Abbas access to the International Criminal Court, which could allow the PA to file war crime charges against Israel and charges against Israel building improper settlements.

In other news, samples are being taken from former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's body to see if he was poisoned.  If you recall, Arafat of the PLO and Yitzhak Rabin of Israel signed the Oslo Accords with Bill Clinton in the early 90s and Arafat and Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize for the accords.  The suspicion of poisoning arises from high levels of a toxic radioactive isotope called polonium-210 found on some of the clothes Arafat wore before he died. Russian KGB agent (Committee for State Security in Russian, basically Russian secret agents) Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned and killed by polonium-210 in 2006.  

Jacob Lew: Obama's Hope in America's Budget

Since last spring, Obama has been locked inside of a budget negotiation with House Republicans. And it continues even after the election. Obama's budget director tried to explain all the nooks and crannies behind all the budgets problems. However, Obama felt overwhelmed by the great deal of numbers and left all the budget responsibilities to Jacob Lew.

Now, Jacob Lew has a greater role in the America's budget. Mr. Lew now has to guide the White House in making negotiations with Congressional Republicans as a whole. The big thing is how America plans on its tax increases and spending cuts by January 1 of next year. But the negotiations will define Mr. Lew and President Obama's mark in history. If they're able to work over the aisle they will  be known as two men able to create a new budget deal. If not, it could be a stain in the President's reputation.

Back in 2011, Mr. Lew had talks with Republicans about the debt ceiling. However most of the Republicans painted him as non-compromising person. They feel like the Republican constituents (Big business) would be getting squeezed by the proposed plan. Even in the recent days, there has been no progress with Mr. Lew and the Republicans.

From what it seems, this could be a big problem in the Obama administration. Though Mr. Lew is well-educated in economic policy, it seems as the G.O.P. will not buy anything he says. As the year closes, Mr. Lew tries to make more compromising plans with G.O.P. It seems that there might be some negotiation, but to reach the January 1 deadline, there is only one month left.

I'm curious to see if Obama will do anything and intervene on Mr. Lew's policy plans. Obama did say he trusts Mr. Lew, but to have a big "blotch" at the beginning of his second term would not serve him well. Will this end up being a big problem for Democrats (which could ultimately lead to a big sway of voters in the 2016 election) or a big upheaval which will paint Obama in a brilliant light? Mr. Lew and Obama will have to work hand in hand to make something happen.