2whitenews2009

PERIOD 2 WHITE NEWSCASTER
Libby's Newscaster!!!!! 6/4/10

Wireless Device That May Keep Heart Failure Patients Out of the Hospital Heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in this country. Because of this, scientists have been coming up with new ways to track heart failure before patients have to be hospitalized. One method that is proven to have positive results is a device called the CardioMems Heart Sensor. One of the trials for this sensor was very successful. The “phase III trial” also known as the CardioMEMS Heart Sensor Allows Monitoring of Pressure to Improve Outcomes in NYHA Class II (CHAMPIONS) was so successful that it was brought to the Heart Failure Congress in Berlin. The sensor is no bigger than a paper clip. It takes around 7 minutes to implant into right or left pulmonary artery branch in your heart. Once a day the patient will wave a wand over their heart collecting data on heart pressure. This data is sent to the doctor who can monitor your heart pressure on a day to day basis. This will help doctors track for heart failure earlier. The reason that this is so successful is because before this sensor, doctors were only able to track heart failure by weight. If you were seen as overweight than doctors would be concerned. This was all they could go by but now with the sensor the number of heart failure patients has dropped by 30%. the people who were a part of the successful trial were people who were already heart failure patients with a moderate to severe case. One thing that scientists are worried about is how doctors will do on following up with the data: "taking advantage of this advance will require a highly organized follow-up system with excellent communication." Overall, this sensor is said to be the greatest step to preventing heart failure in the past decade. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartFailure/tiny-sensor-device-cut-heart-failure-risk/story?id=10794746



Guatemala City Sinkhole Last weekend, Tropical Storm Agatha, went through Central America creating a lasting effect on Guatemala. A 200 foot deep sinkhole was formed engulfing a three-story building. Sinkholes are common in areas like Florida or Texas because both those areas contain limestone and gypsum. Limestone and Gypsum are rocks that dissolve in water naturally. The reason why this sinkhole was so surprising to scientists was because in the place where the sinkhole was located, there was no limestone or gypsum. This lead scientists to look at other possible reason for the sinkhole. One idea that they came up with was that the sinkhole could be a result of humans. Things like construction and cities were human activity things that are possible reasons for sinkholes. "It was found that it was due to sewer arrangements of the city, which had undermined the area. I suspect it's the same thing," In 2007, a similar sinkhole was found in Guatemala that resulted from sewage system problems. This is why scientists are leaning on the conclusion that the sinkhole resulted from human activity. Full Story: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/guatemala-city-sinkhole-happen/story?id=10796311



Full story: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/30/reports-israeli-ships-attack-aid-flotilla-dead/

Israeli Officials Claim Aid Flotilla Had Ties to Al Qaeda, PM Gives Military 'Full Support' The situation in Gaza, which was already extremely desperate, suffered from another set-back last weekend. A group of activists who were trying to get into Gaza to deliver necessary food and medical supplies were stopped and attacked by the Israeli military. This has created a huge controversy throughout the world. The Israeli military claim that they received reports stating that the group of activists were in contact with Al Qaeda. They say they were only trying to prevent any further harm to Gaza. Nine people were found dead after the attack. The Israeli military did warn the fleet but the activists state that they had no contact with al Qaeda and were just trying to deliver the items to Gaza. This attack deeply effects the already strained relationship between the Muslims and the Americans. Gaza is a strip of land that has been blockaded by the Israelis. The crisis started about two years ago when the Israel Air Force bombed a compound that was a part Gaza’s National Security Service. Ever since then food and medical supplies have become very scarce. People are dying from hunger and sickness which makes people very angry the attack of the fleet. Without this shipment, more people will become sick and die. In conclusion, the attack of the fleet has many consequences. One consequence is the people of Gaza will continue to suffer. Another consequence is that any relationship that Americans were starting to form with the Muslims has been crushed.



Political Cartoons: Flotilla Attacks





 Danielle's Newscaster Friday April 30, 2010

__Study to measure impact of volcanic ash on marine life__
The eruption under a glacier in south-west Iceland created a vast ash cloud that spread across northern Europe. A team of researchers will spend a month at sea in order to study a region in the North Atlantic. The point of the expedition is to collect unique data on how dust affects the chemistry and biology of sea water. Professor Achterberg told BBC, “We will be sampling the particles in the atmosphere and chemicals in the rainwater.” This means that they can calculate what is falling into the oceans. By measuring the chemicals in the ocean, they will find elements like iron, nitrogen and silicon. Using the measurements, the team can link them to the growth of phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants. Full Story: []

__Officials Dispatched To Gulf As Oil Spill Worries Grow__ Early this month, an oil rig exploded on the Gulf of Mexico. The British company BP, confirmed on Thursday that 5,000 barrels of oil a day are spilling from the site of the explosion (42,000 gallons). The oil spill is in the process of creeping towards shore of Louisiana. Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency. The spill could affect a variety of wildlife, including the oysters, shrimp and other creatures that fishermen depend on to make a living. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration may send military ships and personnel to help control damage from the spill. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and environmental protection administrator Lisa Jackson will travel Friday to the Gulf of Mexico to oversee efforts to contain the spill, which is the day that the oil is predicted to hit land. Specifically, it appears as if it will hit the Mississippi River Delta. Together, the government and BP have great amounts of surface booms to try and block the oil. Full Story: []



__Greece crisis: EU ‘nears end’ of Greece Rescue Talks.__ The European Union is on the verge of agreeing on the details of an emergency plan to rescue Greece's economy. If they don’t save Greece in a timely fashion its going to affect other countries that are in debt in the eurozone. The current economic situation in Greece is considered "very dangerous", and Greece blames Europe's slow response to the crisis so far for "sending confused signals to the market". It’s now easier for Greece to borrow money because they were included in the eurozone. The European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund have been working hard on a program that will "reverse the debt spiral of Greece and restore its overall competitiveness". Full Story: [| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10090363.stm]



Political Cartoons:





Megan's Newscaster Wednesday March 24, 2010

__**Toyota shareholders sue over fallen stock price **__  Due to the sudden drop in Toyota's stock price, the enraged stockholders are heading to court to sue the company for the accelerator problems found in many of their vehicles. In late January there was a recall on many of the Toyota cars, because of an acceleration problem. The company was forced to recall around 437,000 Toyota cars from all around the world. Toyota stockholder Harry Stackhouse says: “Toyota misled investors by failing to disclose that there was a major design defect in the acceleration system, which could cause unintended acceleration.” Investors are saying that Toyota gave an incorrect promise that the problem was uncomplicated; and just an issue with the floors mats trapping gas pedals. Stackhouse and many other stockholders are irritated because the stock price dropped to 13% as of early March. In the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Toyota has lost close to 17% of their total value since January. It is not only the Toyota stockholders that are suing the auto company, it is also the Toyota owners. There have been many injury lawsuits that have been filed due to the accelerator problem. There will be a court case in San Diego next week for many of the Toyota owners. There will be an independent case for those investors who are suing Toyota.  Full Story: []

[[image:toyota.jpg width="319" height="200" align="center"]]
__**Health Care Reform **__  After about a year of planning, on March 22, 2010 the health care reform became law. This bill is said to have a huge affect on Americans today, and it tried to include all Americans in the insurance plan. In the ten year plan of the bill will eventually cover 32 million people who are uninsured. The bill forbids insurance companies from rejecting coverage to sick people. In the near future, the bill will also help senior citizens pay for drugs and other medications. Also children will remain on their parents health insurance until they are 26. For the first time, most Americans will need to pay for medical insurance; this money would go to underprivileged families to help pay their premiums. The reform also expands the coverage of Medicaid, the health care program for those less fortunate. Adults without children will be covered for the first time. The bill also means that the insurance companies would come under tougher control, and the health care providers would face higher taxes. Lawmakers also had to come to an agreement on the topic of abortion. The White House announced that no federal funds would be used for the choice of abortion. This bill will eventually make people buy insurance, to help those Americans who can not afford it. The hospital can not turn people down if they are sick and don’t have insurance, they still have to treat them. Then the drugs are being used but they aren’t being paid off, so people have to pay insurance so that the hospital stays out of debt. Many people who have money to pay for medical insurance are thinking that this health care reform is a bad thing.  Full Story: []



__**Icelandic Volcano **__  The volcanic eruption near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier showed increased activity on Iceland. This eruption took place in southern Iceland; around midnight on Saturday. Approximately 500 people were forced to leave their homes in areas near the volcano; many flights were required to detour because of the ash clouds above Iceland. Luckily there were no reports on injuries or deaths, and no significant property damage. Unfortunately scientists feel that this small eruption could spark an enormous problem. Mount Katla is a volcano that is under a glacier close to Eyjafjallajokull. Iceland is located on a Mid-Atlantic Ridge which is a huge volcanic hotspot, this is very dangerous for the people in Iceland. If Mount Katla were to erupt, it could potentially affect the towns nearby. It could also cause major flooding by melting huge amounts of ice in the area. The scientists are especially worried because there have been three previous eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull that have launched eruptions at Mount Katla. Mount Katla is a very powerful volcano, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that the scientists keep an eye on the situation. If the scientists carefully observe the volcano in the next few days, they can alert the people in neighboring towns if they think Mount Katla is going to erupt.  Full Story : http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/22/world/international-uk-iceland-volcano.html



__**Political Cartoons **__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Ian's Newscaster Wednesday January 20, 2010

**635,000 Cribs Recalled** This week, baby cribs were recalled by Dorel Asian SRL. This is because the cribs have strangulation and suffocation hazards. These hazards killed one child and injured 10 others. What happens is the structure that holds up the side of the crib can fail. Then, the drop side of the crib detaches, this can trap and suffocate a child. If a slat on the crib is damaged, infants may also be at risk of entrapment. A 6 month child was trapped and strangled in the crib. The cribs cost between $120- $700 apiece and are sold at K-Mart, Sears and Wal-Mart. If anybody owns one of these cribs, they should stop using them immediately. Repair cribs with come in February. Full Story: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[]



**Brown Wins MA Senate Seat** Republican Scott Brown won the election for U.S senate seat. This seat was held by Democrat Ted Kennedy. Brown won with 52 percent of the votes. This story is shocking because Brown did the unthinkable. He took the seat of a very liberal Ted Kennedy. Kennedy was known as the liberal lion and he held the seat for almost 47 years. Because of this, Republicans will probably strip the Democrats of the 60-seat senate supermajority that is used to overcome GOP filibusters against future senate action. It was a worry that the weather would impact the voting, but there was enough interest in the election to keep people coming in. Many democrats and independents were having second thoughts about who to vote for and were swayed in Browns direction. Brown has 30 years on the National Guard and pledges to stand against Obama’s health care reform. Full Story:[]

Last week, there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. This earthquake was catastrophic and wreaked havoc on the small country. This week the death toll was 72,000. It is said that 28 of the dead are Americans. The United Nations estimated that 3 million people are in need of food, water, shelter and medical assistance. 43 rescue teams composed of 1,700 people have made 90 rescues. Dr. Mark Hyman says: “We have run out of IVs, IV needles and IV fluids. We have run out of surgical supplies. We had to wash with vodka and we have to operate with hacksaws because we don’t have enough operating tools. The United Nations Security Council is sending 2,000 more troops and 1,500 police officers. People have given more than $220 million to U.S relief groups. Much of the frustration in Haiti has resulted in violence. Haitians broke into a damaged store in Port-au-Prince and took everything in it. Full Story:[| http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/19/haiti.earthquake/index.html]
 * Earthquake In Haiti Death Toll Reaches 70,000**

Political Cartoons From Cagle.com



[[image:story.copenhagen.cnn.jpg width="358" height="198" align="center"]] Meeting for Climate change in Copenhagen:
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Over the next two weeks almost 100 heads of state will be attending a meeting in Copenhagen that may decide the future of our climate. It is being held at the Bella center in Copenhagen. More than 34,000 people, twice as many as are meant to be the maximum capacity for the Bella center, have applied to attend these meetings. One conterversy that is sure to be brought up is the “Climategate,” which were the emails that were leaked suggesting that some data about the warming earth has been falsified. Another issue that a lot of attention is going to be payed to is the offers that China and the United states make. These two countries combined are creating more than half of the earth’s carbon emissions. The U.S. has announced they will cut carbon emissions by 17 percent on 2005 levels by 2020. China has made a commitment to cut carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent on 2005 levels by 2020. Carbon intensity is a measurement of emissions per unit of gross domestic product. To see full article, click here:[|Full Story]

Obama's new Stimulus Plan:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Obama is facing the worst economic crisis since the time of FDR and has now come up with a new plan that borrows idea’s from Roosevelt as well as ideas of recent presidents from both parties who have relied heavily on tax cuts to stimulate job creation. His new deal is like a comprimise between putting more resources into getting the country out of the recession and the limitations he is experiences with budget deficits that have now passed the $1 trillion dollar mark. Obama is emphasizing further increases in infastructure which will cause spending more than the already huge economic stimulus bill. To see full story, Click here:[|Full Story]

[[image:t1larg.kids.stress.gi.jpg width="511" height="287" align="center"]] The Effects that having a Parent away at War has on Teens:
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> There was a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, that suggests youth from military families may have higher stress levels and emotional problems than other adolescents and teens. Many previous studies have been done but focused on younger kids. This study found an association between how long a parent had been deployed and the difficulties the children had faced. The children in the study’s ages ranged from 11 to 17 years old and a total of 1,507 households participated in the study. About 30 percent of the children interviewed reported symptoms of anxiety. There were also gender differences found. Girls had more of a problem with reintegrating after a parent came home. The data that was released is from interviews done in 2008 and the National Military Family Association will be release it’s latest findings in the spring of 2010. To see full story, Click here:[|Full Story]





<span style="color: #1c1d2c; display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-align: center;">Carrie's Newscaster Friday, November 4th, 2009
<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 116.64%; text-align: center;">President Obama's Afghanistan Speech On Tuesday, December 1st, President Obama made a 33-minute address introducing his strategies for the war in Afghanistan. Mr. Obama plans to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in the next few months, with the first Marines arriving as early as Christmas, and having all forces in place by May. Obama aims to “bring this war to a successful conclusion”, by beginning to bring American forces home by mid 2011. He warned the American people that “none of this will be easy”. The president plans to reverse the Taliban gains in parts of Afghanistan, better protect the Afghan people, step up attacks on Al Qaeda, and pressure the Afghan people to create a more effective government and military force for themselves.

For the <span style="display: inline; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15.12px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">[|speech], and the <span style="display: inline; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15.12px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">[|full story].

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">Dubai's Financial Conflict Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, has been borrowing money from other countries from around the world, and owes just under $80 billion in debt. Last week, Dubai asked to delay interest payments to its supporting countries, setting markets tumbling around the world. Dubai’s weak financial position has raised questions about its relationship with Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich creditor that was expected by many to bail out Dubai. There have been concerns about Dubai being weaker politically in its relationship with Abu Dhabi, because of this debt. Dubai’s debt has instantly changed markets around the world, and shows just how connected the world’s financial markets and political relationships are. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14.04px; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">For the [|full story].



<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 108%; text-align: center;">Mammograms at age 50? On Monday, November 16th, the longstanding guidelines of mammograms at age 40 was reversed. The United States Preventive Services Task Force now urges women to wait until age 50. Also, they encourage women between ages 50 and 74 to have mammograms only every two years, rather than every year. Mammograms are high-frequency, short-wavelength waves of light that are used to detect breast cancer. One of the problems with mammograms is that they can also detect slow-growing cancers that can go unnoticed during a woman’s lifetime, resulting in unnecessary treatments that cause a lot of stress. Even though this is true, many women are still displeased, because early detection can save lives. The report can be interpreted as a plan to save billions on health care costs, which is true. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 116.64%; text-align: center;"> For the <span style="display: inline; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 15.12px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">[|full story].

cartoons via [|cagle.com].

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 108%; text-align: center;">

Tom's Newscaster

==Pirates Attack Ship in East Africa Picture via http://steadyoffload.com On the morning of November 18th, there was a pirate attack off the coast of Somalia. The ship attacked is called the Maersk Alabama. As you may remember, this same cargo ship was hijacked last April. At that time, the pirates were able to hold the captain hostage until US navy snipers shot the three pirates and arrested the fourth. The interesting thing about this new attack is that it happened 350 miles off the coast which is a long distance for these pirates to travel. The pirates came up to the Maersk Alabama and fired at the ship with automatic weapons. A private security team aboard the ship was able to fire back and fend off the pirates. The ship attempted to use a long-range acoustical device that would emit a loud noise and “split” the ears of the pirates but it is said that it had no effect. There was another pirate attack last Monday and there have been more than 50 ships captured this year. See the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/11/18/maersk.alabama.pirates/index.html Water found on the Moon Picture via www.nytimes.com There was a significant amount of water found on the moon. The water, which is frozen to ice, may tell scientists about the history of the moon. It was found when a satellite, Lcross, crashed into the moon. The high-speed crash slammed into a crater on the south-pole of the moon. When this happened about 26 gallons of water was displaced from the crater. This lunar ice could be very helpful to future explorers of the moon. If it is clean, It could be used for water to drink and also could be broken up into oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen and hydrogen are essential to space explorers because they need oxygen to breath and hydrogen to make rocket fuel. Nasa’s next planned trip to the moon is in 2020 and will be the first since 1972. See the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/science/14moon.html 7 year old shot and killed in Mexico Picture via www.cnn.com A seven year old boy from El Paso, Texas was shot in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico while visiting his father. An unidentified gunman shot Raul Xazziel Ramirez with a 9 mm. Police say that the gunman shot at least 18 rounds into the car Ramirez’s father was driving. The father died instantly in the drivers seat and Raul was able to get out of the car. When he got out he was shot. The murder seems to be senseless and Police have no idea why someone would do this. Cuidad Juarez is notorious for its high murder rate. Local prosecutors say that there are about 10 murders a day. This year alone there have been more than 2,200 murders. This is an example of the danger in some places in modern day Mexico. The only explanation for this killing would be drug-related. More than 90% of the city’s murders are drug-related. See the full story: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/17/mexico.juarez.boy.killed/index.html==

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Friday, November 13, 2009 **
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Sydney

**Fort Hood Shootings:**
Major Nidal Hasan, an army psychiatrist, was charged with 13 preliminary counts of murder after last weeks shooting at Fort Hood Army Post in Texas. Thursday, November 5, Hasan shot and killed 13 people, (12 soldiers and a civilian), at the processing center were many soldiers were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Not only were 13 killed but twelve more were wounded and remain hospitalized. Because of the 13 counts of murder the Department of Defense says that it qualifies him for the death penalties. Investigators believe that Hasan was the only gunman and it has been found that this has been the deadliest shooting ever on an army base. This story has also caused much controversy because of the fact the Hasan is a Muslim which may lead many people to believe that he is a terrorist. [|Read Full Story]

**Russia state of the nation address:**
Thursday, November 12, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev shared his vision for the future of Russia in his annual state of the nation address. He stated that modernization was the key to the future in Russia. Medvedev explained that one of the only reasons why Russia is “staying afloat” is thanks to the Soviet-era oil and gas productions, and nuclear weapons which he states are protecting the country but, are becoming very scarce. Medvedev claims that Russia is having a harder economic crisis because of their dependence on raw material exports. Medvedev claims that in the 21st century their country will undergo a a severe modernization in order to raise their power status.
 * [|Read Full Story]**

With a warming climate the daily record high temperatures have recently occurred twice as often as the record low temperatures during the the last decade over the United States. This increasing number in temperatures is expected to continue to increase throughout the years is the emissions of greenhouse gases continues to raise. The warming happening throughout the decade was seen more on the western coast of the United States. The ratio of high to low temperatures was much higher here, on the west coast, at two to one than it was on the eastern side of the United States at one and a half to one. The ratio [|Read Full Story]

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<span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Story 1: US Army allows Sikh to Keep Beard and Turban for Religious Purposes <span style="color: #1400ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi who is part of a religious group called the Sikh was granted a pardon from the US Army. This pardon is letting him keep his beard and turban even though one of the rules of the US Army is to be clean shaven and have short cropped hair. Although the pardon was only issued to Kalsi, it is still a huge step in the right direction for other people of the Sikh faith who are interested in pursuing a military career in the United States. The Sikh community in the US is quite large, half a million people. Often times the Sikh's are portrayed as muslims, but really there faith is derived from India. <span class="wiki_link"> [|read full story here]

<span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Story 2: Nasa Launches What They Claim is the Worlds Largest Rocket



<span style="color: #1400ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Nasa recently launches what they claim is the worlds largest rocket, it is 327 feet long. The rocket is part of NASA's new Constellation program which NASA hopes will help return astronauts to the moon and possibly to Mars. The rocket was the first flight test for this new program. The rocket launch had been delayed after two days of weather problems that made the rocket impossible to launch safely. The rocket launch went off without problems. <span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

[|for full story and video] Story 3: Scientists Discover New Gene Critical for Speech



<span style="color: #1400ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Scientists recently discovered a new gene that could be the reason we are able to speak. Scientist made this discovery when analyzing a family in which members of the family were not able to speak very well. In each member of the family they found a fault in chromosome 8 in their bodies. This discovery could be a big breakthrough in knowing about the evolution of language and how we are able to speak. <span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

[|read the full story here]

[|cartoon site]

[|cartoon site]

Story 1: The Number of Starving people in the world grows.


<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The number of starving people in the world has officially grown to 1.02 billion from 963 million last year. Estimations say that we have to increase the world wide food output by about 50% over the next 20 years if we simply want to maintain the current number. This is with the commendable efforts of some of the richest countries in the world, having committed nearly 22 billion to the cause since July, 2009. One of the reasons that the world food distribution system is so ineffective is that it is outdated, as Markus Arbenz aptly put it "We can’t just cut and paste the solution from the 1960s with G.M. crops." <span style="font-family: Georgia,-webkit-fantasy; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For the full story

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">This Poll quite obviously brings up the simple question; why not? This was what the pollsters asked next, and by a landslide the most popular response was 'concerns about the vaccinations actual safety' this is despite that it was extensively tested by the FDA. The other shocking fact is that H1N1 affects children and the elderly most severely, meaning that the parents are blatantly putting their child in harms way. At this point it has become a ethical debate on a national scale. ======

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The disease that has emerged is a strain of Leptospirosis which has been contaminated by urine from cats, dogs, and other animals. In light of this the WHO (World Health Organization) has sent in emergency teams which have been administering antibiotics, so far, 1.3 million have been distributed. But the antibiotics are not the perfect solution, they are merely a prevention step to one of a myriad of diseases that are likely to show up if the flooding is not kept under control. ======

For the full story


October 16th, 2009

<span style="color: #1400ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">By: Abby
<span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Story 1: Obama's Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Barack Obama. The committee gave reasons such as 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples' and his work towards a world without nuclear arms. Although many people believe that President Obama deserved the award, there has been much controversy. Reminding people that the only other sitting presidents to receive this honor had ended wars, thought Obama has not. Another controversial factor was that the deadline for nomination was only 12 days into his presidency, meaning President Obama had hardly done anything.

Read the full [|story], and [|controversy].

<span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Story 2: Health care bill passes, and only Sen. Snowe crosses party lines A bill proposed by Sen. Baucus. Although it does not provide a public insurance plan, it is expected to decrease the federal deficit by $81 billion dollars from 2010-2019. When brought infront of the senate this bill passed, 14 to 9. Maine's own senator Olympia Snowe was the only republican to vote for this bill. She said- "I do happen to believe that we have to move the process forward, on this very difficult and challenging issue." when asked about breaking party lines. Obama openly praised her for this.

Read the full [|story], more about the [|bill].

<span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Story 3: Tsunami in Samoa kills 119 A tsunami hit Samoa and American Samoa on September 29th. On these islands there where earthquakes leading up to the waves. Many people hurried to get to higher ground. Didi Afuafi discribed it- "All the people on the bus were screaming, crying and trying to call their homes. We couldn't get on cell phones. The phones just died on us. It was just crazy." At the top of the hills people were praying, and helping each other. 119 people died and countless buildings were destroyed.

Read the full [|story]. Cartoons from [|www.cagle.com]
 * <span style="color: #f07200; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cartoons on Obama's rally for Chicago 2016: **