Current Event

This article describes how WalMart will not be selling a memoir on their selves. My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey is a true story of a female UFC fighter’s life. WalMart will be selling this book on their website, however, they said it is too violent to be sold in the stores. The book includes Rousey’s personal life details including her father’s suicide and her tragic childhood. She and her publisher were both shocked that this major store and coperation is not selling their product.

I do not understand how WalMart has trouble selling truthful, inspiring books such as these but will put books such as Fifty Shades of Grey on the front of the isle. This is frustrating, but despite this, I am sure this book will see much success when it releases this upcoming May. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2421109-ronda-rouseys-book-wont-be-sold-in-wal-mart-stores-because-shes-too-violent

Current Event

This article describes the discovery of the new reptile found in the Andes this weeks. The “dwarf dragon” looks like a small dragon with tiny legs. This creature was found roaming in the cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru. This discovery bumps up the numbers of known wood lizards to fifteen. DNA analysis proved that these new lizards represent a completely different species. It is possible that our early ancestors have already discovered these dragons and have created myths about them. Dwarf dragons are not harmful and are typically only five inches in length.

This article first drew my attention because I thought the baby dragon was cute. Once I read further, it amazed me how animals are still being discovered today. With the hundreds of thousands of species out there in the world, the fact that there is still more to explore is mind boggling. 

http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/dwarf-dragons-in-cloud-forests-of-the-andes-150406.htm

Current Event

This article describes an incident that is occurring in a high school in Louisiana. The “openly gay” high school student, Claudetteia Love, is choosing not to attend her school’s prom this spring because the administration will not let her wear a tuxedo. In the article, Love said “the prohibition is more about her sexual orientation than her fashion choices.” She is an honor student and excels on her advanced placement exams. It is difficult for her to understand why her school’s administration is forbidding her to wear desired attire to her prom. She does everything right for the school so when it comes to the fun stuff for celebration, she should be allowed to choose the fashion style that she wants to wear. Love even wrote a petition where she collected signatures but that did not help her case. She will not attend her prom on April 24^th due to the fact that she will not be able to wear a tuxedo.

I was very disturbed after reading this article because like she said herself, it’s not even an issue of sexual orientation, it’s about fashion taste yet the administration are more bothered by the sexual orientation aspect of it and use the fashion sense to cover it up. She wants to wear a tuxedo rather than a prom gown and she should be able to. Their arguments about how it goes against dress code is ludicrous because male students are allowed to wear the same style fashions that she is desiring to wear. This story aggravates me at a more personal level because my own sister wore a tuxedo to her senior prom. If she was not allowed to wear one, like Love, she most likely would not have attended either. Growing up is about expressing yourself the way you feel you should and how you dress yourself is a huge asset of that.

 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/04/04/gay-honor-student-told-wear-tux-prom/25317113/

Current Event

This article describes a bizarre incident that occurred in Las Vegas, NV on April 1^st, 2015. A woman was applying chapstick, behind the wheel, at a red light. A nearby, patrolling officer saw the “crime” take place and fined the woman for $200. The woman, at first, thought the whole incident was a practical joke because it had taken place on April Fool’s Day, however to her dismay, she was wrong. The event has erupted many controversial discussions about how far is too far on promoting safe driving.

The title of the article first grabbed my attention: “Driver Fined $200 for Putting on Lip Balm”. When I read further, the truth behind the ridiculous title irritated me even more. I realize that distracted driving has a far too high fatality rate that needs to decreased, however, something as harmless as applying chapstick at a red light should not be an offense worth $200.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/28711565/driver-gets-200-ticket-for-putting-on-lip-balm-behind-the-wheel

Current Event

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/18/justice/kentucky-teens-arrested/index.html

This article is about two teenagers from Kentucky who went on a two-week crime spree. Dalton Hayes, 18, and Cheyenne Phillips, 13, were found asleep in a stolen truck in Panama City. The teen couple first stole a truck in Clarkson, sped it off, and hit a fence causing $7,100 in damage. Within the next hour of the crash, the couple stole a Toyota Tacoma with a firearm inside. That vehicle was found in Henry County, Georgia. The Toyota Tundra that they were eventually found in had a Georgia firefighter license plate with two hand guns inside it. Officials are trying to get them sent back to Kentucky where they will face felony charges in auto and firearm theft. 

This article took me by shock because these criminals are only young teenagers. Cheyenne is 13 years old and is being faced with felonies. People's recklessness boggles my mind. It's hard for me to grasp their motive. Were the two teens just trying to run away or were they planning more crimes? I'm glad that the police finally found them after two weeks and I hope the couple receives a fair trial. 

Current Event

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/19/world/taiwan-gamer-death/index.html

This article describes the death of a 38-year-old man in Hong Kong. He entered an Internet cafe in Tawain on January 6th and played a video game for three days straight. An employee found him sprawled out on the table at 10 am on January 8th and sent him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead from cardiac failure. The cold temperatures and over exhaustion from playing the game for so long are likely contributors to his death. Police said the other gamers continued playing as if nothing happened even when they arrived on the scene. The corpse began to stiffen which indicates he was dead for a several hours before he was sent to the hospital. Employees at the cafe shared that the man was unemployed and spent a lot of time there. A man died, a week prior to this, in Taipei after playing video games for five days straight. 

This story surprised me. I cannot imagine someone sitting infront of a screen playing video games for three consecutive days. The fact that the man had most likely been dead for hours before anyone noticed is horrifying. That means the people surrounding him were so absorbed in their game to even pay attention to a man that just died. It's crazy how oblivious people can be and a shame someone has passed away due to excessive video game consumption. 

What's a Good Source for News?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/us/florida-famu-hazing/index.html

This article is about Dante Martin, former band member of Florida A&M university, and his criminal sentence. Martin organized a hazing "Crossing Bus C" where the pledge runs through the center walkway of the bus while senior band members punch and assault him. Robert Champion died after this initiation. Martin was found guilty with the charges of manslaughter and hazing and was sentenced to six years in prison.

CNN is known for being a reliable source for news. This article certainly adds to their reputation because it fully covers this story. Although it happened in 2011, I never heard knew about this case but after reading the article, I feel well informed of it. Right from the beginning of the report, it is clear that this is not an opinionated piece because the author does not use a suggestive tone. The reporter includes quotations from Martin as well as the victim's mother which provided input from both sides. The article also includes details about the school and how they responded to the situation. Evidence of the death is presented through a medical examiner's reports. This article covered full ground and answered many questions through factual information.

Current Event

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/18/boston-games-could-rely-distant-venues/WveB9i8hgXvtML3Tb4iC0J/story.html

This article discusses the bid the city of Boston has to host the 2024 summer Olympics. In order for this to be a possibility, other cities will most likely be involved in hosting the events. Baseball would be played at Yankee Stadium, basketball as Madison Square Garden, and sailing off the coast of Newport, RI. The 2024 Olympics will be the first one to follow the new guidelines that allow the host city to use other city's resources for "reasons of sustainability. Using other cities would increase the amount of sponsorship and ticket sales. However, many of the events would still take place in Boston with the access of Fenway Park, TD Garden, and Gillette Stadium.

I think Boston hosting the Olympics would be an incredible experience. We do have a lot of great facilities here in Boston and surrounding cities. We also have tons of restaurants and businesses that would benefit from the events. As long as it would not put the city in a large amount of debt, I think Boston would make a very good location for the summer Olympics.

Current Event

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-proposes-publicly-funded-community-college-28105522

President Obama pitched an idea that would potentially benefit 9 million Americans. He uploaded a video onto Facebook that proposed to eliminate the cost of community college tuition for Americans trying to obtain their associate's degree. A program, similar to this idea, in Tennessee is already established and is successful. Members of the Republican Congress are not showing enthusiasm for the proposal that would cost $60 million for the next 10 years. President Obama wants to make this a possibility to all college students who are maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA and making progress towards their degree. If this plan follows through, Americans would save approximately $3,800 on tuition per year.

As someone who is about to enter college and it's expenses, I really appreciate this idea. I think it would make college much more accessible to ambitious students who do not have the money to attend college otherwise. President Obama has made many improvements in education which is essential in today's economy.

Current Event

http://www.inquisitr.com/1757476/interstate-93-black-lives-matter-protesters-chain-themselves-to-barrels-and-bring-boston-traffic-to-a-halt/

This article describes the protest incident that occurred on January, 15th. Protestors chained themselves to each other through barrels of concrete and settled themselves on Interstate 93, blocking the morning rush hour traffic. They were protesting for "Black Lives Matter" in response to the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The protest backed up traffic for miles and even prevented a man, in critical condition, from reaching the desired hospital. The protestors were unchained and arrested.

I was first drawn to this story because it happened in Massachusetts. I agree with the "Black Lives Matter" protest and appreciate that this one was non-violent. Although there was no physical violence involved, the protest effected many people and their morning commutes. It was obvious that this protest was well planned in advance due to it's structure, but I do not think the protesters realized the extent of the overall consequences.

"Shouting Fire"

"Shouting Fire" Documentary Response

1) Some people believe the freedom of speech goes "too far" because it allows citizens to say whatever they want. People can spread false and offensive information and be protected because the First Amendment allows them to be.

2) I was horrified by the story of school principal Debbie Almontaser. I understand the importance of freedom of speech, but the media is supposed to educate the public about current events. Instead, reporters were spreading untrue information about an innocent woman. They twisted her words and made her lose her job that was intended to help children. It amazes me that people have that much power.

3) In this article, Pope Francis speaks about how the freedom of speech is essential but should have limits. He discusses that someone should not offend another person's religion. This reminded me of the high school student who wrote his opinion about gay people on his shirt. At first, he got in trouble at his school but ultimately was found innocent because the freedom of speech protected his right to display his views, despite how offensive it was.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/pope-francis-charlie-hebdo_n_6478104.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592