BP calls Gulf oil leak 'environmental catastrophe'

BP's top official, who had previously said the environmental impact on Gulf of Mexico would be modest, upgraded his assessment Friday to an "environmental catastrophe."

I find it completely ridiculous that this problem is not taken care of yet. They knew that there was oil leaking and they knew it would be bad but they never really took action and did anything about it. BP should have taken the intiative to figure out what the problem was and how they could fix it. But now states are facing devestating affects from this oil spill.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/28/gulf.oil.spill/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

At least 70 killed in India train crash

There have been at least 70 bodies pulled out of the where two trains crashed in eastern India. Officials believe that the incident is linked to Maoist rebels.

Also about 115 passengers were injured when 13 cars of the Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Express derailed, capsized on a parallel track and were slammed by a cargo train, authorities said.

Indian officials gave different theories about the derailment.

"It appears to be a case of sabotage where a portion of the railway track was removed. Whether explosives were used is not yet clear," Home Minister P. Chidambaram said in a statement.

I don't understand why anyone would want to do this. I mean people's lives are being put into danger. The authorites should try everything in their power to figure out what happened. If someone really did try to blow up the train or removed a part of the track there should be people that go over the tracks to make sure that are ready to ride everyday.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/india.train.crash/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Obama backs South Korea stance on ship's sinking

Barack Obama on Monday told military commanders to work with South Korean troops "to ensure readiness and to deter future aggression" from North Korea.

President Lee Myung-bak announced that his country was suspending trade with North Korea, closing its waters to the North's ships and adopting a newly-aggressive military posture toward its neighbor because of the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. South Korean military officials announced the results of an official investigation into the sinking of the ship, the Cheonan, which concluded that North Korea fired a torpedo that cut the vessel in half.

"We endorse President Lee's demand that North Korea immediately apologize and punish those responsible for the attack, and, most importantly, stop its belligerent and threatening behavior," the statement said.

North Korea has denied that it sunk the warship, which went down on March 26, killing 46 sailors.

I think that Obama is taking a good stance on this situation. These two countries really need to work things out. And in the mean time investigators really need to figure out what really happened so that people aren't pointing fingers when really they had nothing to do with it.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/24/skorea.ship/index.html?iref=allsearch

Mumbai gunman: 'We were sure to die'

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the sole gunman captured in the November 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai, was sentenced to death for his role in the bloody three-day siege that killed more than 160 people. Kasab was held directly responsible for killing people inside Mumbai's main train station. Security video showed Kasab wielding an assault weapon as he and another man shot into the crowded terminal. Kasab confessed to taking part in the attacks where he and nine others carried out a plan to take over five-star hotels and a Jewish cultural center -- and wreak havoc on India's financial capitol. The judge made it clear he could not use just the videotaped statement as evidence in the case because Kasab had recanted it. In the end, the judge agreed with the majority of the evidence against Kasab, including GPS records, tapped phone conversations, and security video -- finding the case against him to be overwhelming.

I find it ridiculous that the judge can't convict him from the video tape alone. He stated that he did it and I find that to be reason enough to prove him guilty. But I suppose its only right to find hard evidence and not just take his words at true.

Authorities to release new video in Times Square probe

Earlier there was a video released showing an image of a man changing his shirt along a New York street. The man was balding dark haired man and was seen removing his shirt and putting it in a bag before walking away out of the camera's view.Authorities looking for clues in this failed Times Square bombing attempt are expected to release another video in the case. An officer on the case said a video obtained from a tourist shows a person "running north on Broadway." Investigators are also evaluating a video that was released less than 24 hours after the incident by the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. It has raised questions about whether militants could have been behind the attempted bombing.

I don't think that this attempted attack on Times Square had anything to do with the Taliban. They are just trying to make it appear as if they had a hand in it. This attempt is very scary to think about. Thankfully it was an amateur attempt but we should not take this lightly. What if it had been detrimental? New York needs to up its security and make sure that it never happens again.

Issue #2- Boosting the Minimum

The issue behind minimum wage is whether it is high enough or if it should be raised. Many people argue that it needs to be increased for many different reasons. The biggest reason being that people cannot live off of minimum wage and therefore live in poverty. On the other side of the spectrum there are poeple saying that there are ways in which these people are being helped. Things such as government transfer payments: welfare, food stamps, social security, etc. Also, there are different regulations that are put into place, such as The Federal Minimum Wage, which ensures that people are making enough money to live on. Most people also have the perspective that the majority of the people working minimum wage jobs are teenagers, and that most of them aren't having to support a family.

I think that the minimum wage should not be increased. Most people don't take into consideration the ways in which increasing minmum wage would affect our economy. Prices of goods and services would increase tremendously resulting in more job cuts. And I feel that keeping the minimum wage low helps push people towards getting an education and becoming a skilled worker. This in turn only benefits our economy. If the minmum wage was somewhat high people would skip college and settle for a job at Buger King because the pay isn't half bad. Representative John Kline says that with an increase of minimum wage "it will leave recent economic growth dead in its tracks".

Issue #1
http://rachaelbeers951.blogspot.com/2010/04/issue-1-all-things-being-unequal.html

Issue #3
http://tarynthompson.blogspot.com/2010/04/issue-3-putting-welfare-to-work.html

Man with knife attacks kindergarten in China

A 47 year old man has been taken into custody for the stabbings of 28 kindergarten children. The incident happened in Taixing city in Jiangsu province of China. This occurred one day after another man attacked 18 students and a teacher with a knife at a primary school in southern China's Guangdong province. Authorities said he carried out the attack because he was frustrated at "failures in his romantic life".

This is absolutely appalling. Schools should have better security than to allow an unknown man into the school with a knife. China seems to have a big problem with people coming into schools and attacking children. Over the past few months there have been record numbers. I think that this should be an eye opener to China. They need to take these attacks seriously and find a solution to the problem.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/28/china.knife.attack/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Oil leak in Gulf may be 5 times worse than feared

Authorities are trying to stop a potential environmental disaster that is being posed by an oil spill that is expanding toward the Gulf Coast. After last weeks oil rig explosion there was a total of three underwater leaks. The amount of estimated oil leaked has now increased to five times more than what was originally thought to be leaked. Officials now believe that as many as 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons of oil are being leaked a day. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation as the oil continues to spread.

I think that it is ridiculous that this much oil is being leaked and that it continues to spread. We need to take action and stop this right away. This will be very detrimental to the environment and we need to stop guessing as to what is happening or what will happen. Officials need to get out there and clean it up. This issue also brings to mind the argument of is it really worth our environment to have oil energy. Alternative resources need to be looked at now more than ever.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/29/louisiana.oil.rig/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Naps boost memory, but only if you dream

A new study suggests that a nap may boost the ability to process and store information. But this is only if you dream while you're asleep. When you dream, your brain is trying to look at connections that you might not think of or notice when your awake. While dreaming the brain tries to figure out what information is important and what it should keep or get rid of. They have even found as they monitered brain activity in sleeping students that it doesn't even need to be a deep sleep. Although the deep slumber known as rapid eye movement (REM) is most closely associated with dreaming, the students' dreaming and learning occurred after as little as one minute of non-REM sleep.

I find this to be very interesting and helpful. Because I am a student I am constantly tired and have difficulty in study and remembering information. This researh could be helpful in the ways in which I will conduct my studying and sleeping habits.




http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/22/naps.memory.dream.brain/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Search continues for South Korean sailors after sinking

1,200-ton patrol ship was on patrol when it sank Friday at 9:45 pm. No one knows why the ship sank, so it is still under investigation. On board were 104 sailors, 58 of those sailors have been rescued. The search for 46 missing sailors continues in very cold temperatures and dangerous waters. It is being suspected based upon the location of the ship sinking that North Korea my have played some role in the sinking. But officials are down playing the incident and don't want to jucmp to conclusions.

North and South Korea are still enemies and I think that something like this is just what either of them needs to fight the other. They need a reason and they will find one. Even if this sinking was a complete incident people in the back of their mind are still probably thinking that is was North Korea trying to sabatoge them. They need to play it safe and make sure this situation doesn't turn into something bigger.

Man says dad's order got him out of accused killer's truck

The case of the "Clinton Avenue Five" may have finally been put to rest. After nearly 32 years Lee Anthony Evans and Philander Hampton were arrested on 5 counts of murder as well as arson. The night of August 20, 1978 Evans came by in his truck and picked up a bunch of teenagers. Roderick Royster was the sixth teen that ended up getting out of the truck because his father told him to. The teenagers later went missing and it was recently discovered that Evans and Hampton had taken the five teenagers to an abandoned building and burned them inside.

This is such a tragic story, but it shows that if you just listen to your parents they might actually be saving your life. Also I think that its good the case was finally solved. It gives the families closure and will hopefully end in the punishment in the doer of the crime. Sometimes it seems a little ridiculous that cases remain open and under investigation for that long but I think its only fair to the family and friends of the victims to solve the case and let them what happened.

Health Care Reform

Basically the health care reform bill provides health care for 32 million Americans who were previously uninsured. This also offers many more plans for the future. For example, people can no longer be denied if they have a pre-existing condition, abortion will not be covered, seniors will get fifty percent off of their name brand prescriptions, etc. There are many things that this bill covers and it will cost an enormous $940 billion dollars over ten years. The way in which it will be payed for is through taxing the people.

I personally don't like the health care reform bill. Yes, it helps a lot of people out that don't have health care but for those that do it does nothing but cost them more money. We live in a society where we all think that everything should just be handed to us for no cost, and its wrong. People need to learn that they have to work for what they want. If you want health care, work for it and buy it. Its ridiculous that people have been paying for health care for years and now all of sudden its free? It doesn't work that way and it shouldn't work that way. We need to take responsibility and action for our own health. We can't sit around waiting for someone else to foot the bill, its not fair and its wrong.

Gates eases ban on gays in the military

It was announced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that enforcement will be eased on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This is a policy that restricts the United States military from investigating the sexual orientation of an individual and prohibiting them from serving in the military. By repealing this policy it gives certain ranked people the power to reveal the sexual orientation of a military member.

I don't think that this is a step in the right direction. First of all I may not totally agree with homosexuality, but that shouldn't keep people from fighting for their country. Nobody's allowed to discriminate certain nationalities from serving in the military so why should homosexuals be discriminated against? I find this to be wrong based on the fact that they are people. And hey, if they want to fight for their country let them do it.

Purported Bin Laden message hints at retaliation

A recent audio message sent to the United States from Bin Laden threatened another attack on Americans. The reason that the al Qaeda leader is sending these messages is because of the prisoners that we hold. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is being held for trial here in the United States for his actions that took part in the September 11th attack. Bin Laden threatens that if we execute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed they will retaliate by executing Americans.

I find this information very alarming because it hasn't been the first message that we have received from Bin Laden. There have been several messages sent prior to this one. We need to crack down on security and ensure that something like September 11th never happens again. We don't want history to repeat itself. Americans need to be aware of whats going on and the government needs to take action. For now these are just messages, but we as citizens of the United States don't want these threatening messages to become reality.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/03/25/mideast.bin.laden/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

More Democrats come out against health care bill

Four Democratic Representatives: Ben Chandler of Kentucky, Luiz Gutierrez of Illinois, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin of South Dakota and Heath Shuler of North Carolina have come out and said that they will not be voting for the health care bill. Currently all of the republicans are opposed to the bill and in order for the bill to not be passed they need 38 democrats to vote against it. Of the 39 democrats that voted against the House plan only 14 have remained against the bill whereas the others are uncommited or have not replied. A total of 216 votes are needed to pass the bill. Right now it looks like its going to be close.

I find it interesting that sometimes it its neccesary for the parties to cross over and side with the other party. I like that not everyone has the same views in one party and so there is that cross over when it comes down to voting upon different policies and bills. I feel that the voting in this final step for the bill will be a close one and should be very interesting to watch.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/12/democrats.against.health.care/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+(RSS%3A+Top+Stories)

MIT researchers discover new energy source

At MIT scientists have discovered a new energy source. The way it works is carbon nanotubes are covered with a thin layer of fuel. This creates a reaction that gives off a mini "thermo-power wave". Scientists have found that this technology could be used in the future for making batteries and other electronics like computers and cellphones. Also, because of the amount of energy output batteries would become much smaller and also this technology wouldn't have any energy drainage like the batteries we use today so they would be much more environmentally friendly.

I find this to be a great discovery. We should be trying to find better ways in using our resources to maximize the benefit from them. This technology is defianately significant in the way we look at the energy sources that we use now. In the future we will be more friendly to our environment and the benefit we recieve the product will be much better as well. I'd say its a win-win situation. In my opinion we need to look for more ways in which we can do this.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/12/mit.research.electricity/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+(RSS%3A+Top+Stories)

Issue #1- War Dollars

The issue behind war dollars is whether Congress should be able to use their power to control the president's military policy. Although the president is commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces, it is Congress that gets to approve the federal budget and the funding of the war. As of now, the president is spending billions of dollars on the war effort and people are wondering if Congress can step in and somehow stop it. More than $600 billion dollars was spent in 2008 for defense, including the money spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. This excessive spending on the war is adding to the already massive national debt and it is a heavy burden on the American people.

I think that Congress shouldn't have the power to control the president's military policy. The president may not do what the people want, but he is doing what he thinks is best for our country. I mean, he was elected by the people which is approval enough for doing what he feels is right. Although, I think that Congress should be able to limit the spending because it has gotten out of hand, the president ultimately should have the power to spend as necessary. James Madison wrote about the three branches of government, "should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other." I agree with this statement that there needs to be a system of checks and balances so that each branch can prevent or stop abuse from another branch.

Article Link: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Separation_of_powers_under_the_United_States_Constitution

Issue #2 Spending What We Can Afford- http://mayaseverson.blogspot.com/2010/02/issue-2-spendin-what-we-can-afford.html

Issue #3 Social Insecurity- http://anielsen10.blogspot.com/2010/02/social-insecurity.html

Suicide bomber strikes U.S. base

Thursday, February 11, 5 soldiers were wounded when a bomb went off at a United States base in the Pakita province of Afghanistan. Spokesman Roullah Samoun said that a suicide bomber somehow got into the base and set off the bomb in the "sleeping area" of the base around 9 p.m. Officials don't know how the bomber got into the base but it was determined that the attacker was wearing a uniform that Afghan border patrol usually wear. There is still being investigation.

I feel that if Americans are willing to go overseas to defend our country, they should be protected. I mean people slip up and there are accidents, but there is no reason for 5 soldiers to be dead. Obviously the person should not have been there and security should have been better in protecting these people.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/11/afghanistan.suicide.attack/index.html?iref=allsearch

U.S. missionaries charged with kidnapping in Haiti

Ten Americans are being held in Haiti for kidnapping thirty three children. The Americans were missionaries from Idaho and said they were taking the children over the border to a place where they could stay until they had built a new orphanage. Nobody thought that they had done anything wrong, but some of the kids weren't even orphans. Some of the kids parents willingly let their children go with the missionaries because they promised a good place and a better life for them. Turns out it is illegal to take a child out of Haiti without government approval. None of the kids had documentation and so it was ruled kidnapping. The judge of the case has 3 months to decide whether they should be prosecuted and so for now they are being kept in Haiti.

I find this article sad. First of all, I do believe that the Americans had no intentions of kidnapping the children. They honestly were just trying to help out in the midst of all the tragedy in their country. But, I do find the missionaries to be kind of careless and not very smart. They should've thought about what they were doing. If there was an earthquake in California and somebody from Maine tried to bring 20 kids to some place I'm pretty sure that people would be looking at them funny asking them what they are doing. You just don't take kids, especially to a different country and with no papers. Its common sense. Plain and simple, what they did looks bad. They may have not meant anything by it but that doesn't matter because what they didn't looked wrong.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/04/haiti.arrests/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Roeder: No regrets after shooting doctor

Scott Roeder is being charged with first-degree murder for shooting Dr. George Tiller. Tiller performed many abortions including the late term procedure at the women's clinic that he operated. Roeder does not regret what he did and believes that by killing Tiller he has saved many baby's lives. Tiller had previously been in court with 19 misdemeanor counts but was acquitted. Roeder said that he took care of Tiller because the judicial system failed to take action and punish him.

I find this article disturbing. For one, I'm completely against abortion no matter what the situation is. I find Tiller to be a totally immoral human being for giving abortions, especially the late term procedure. Although Tiller was never convicted of doing anything wrong, it wasn't proven that what he was doing was legal. Another thing that I found was disturbing was that Roeder was completely satisfied with murdering somebody. He had no problem with it as long as he was "saving the children". In my opinion two wrongs doesn't make a right. Of course I think what Tiller was doing was completely wrong but that doesn't mean that it was okay to kill him. One last thing that totally bothered me about the whole situation was that Tiller had been put on trial and never convicted. There should have been some investigation to make sure that he wasn't doing anything illegally. And if he was doing it illegally he flew under the radar and got away. I think that the judicial system is flawed in that way. If Tiller was killing innocent babies he needed to be punished for it, no ifs ands or buts.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/28/abortion.roeder.testifies/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+(RSS%3A+Top+Stories)