Murder of a Doctor

Summary: Scott Roeder age 51 of Kansas was put in jail because he is believed to be the murderer of Dr.George Tiller who is a doctor who still does late term abortions. He was shot while ushering in church on Sunday morning. The church is pictured on the right. He is also being charged with two counts of aggrivated assults. In the past Roeder has opposed and protested abortion; however it is legal and the womens rights weather or not to have the baby and murdering a doctor over it is not a civil way to handle it.

Opinion: I think that killing a doctor over feelings tward abortion is wrong. It is the womans choice maybe there are circumstances like rape beyond what people understand and a woman cant wake up and look at that child as a memory of it everyday. When you dont know peoples circumstances its easy to say oh she got herself pregnant she deserves to have the baby. This is not okay to go shoot and kill doctors whom preform abortions considering it is completely legal. Due to the assults I think this man should have been in previous troubles with the law and does belong getting a charge for all of his actions.

Source:http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/01/kansas.doctor.killed.charges/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Apology Not Accepted

Summary: Former soldier Steven Green was sentenced to life in prison due to raping and killing a girl over seas in Iraq, the jury was not unanimus so he got a life in prison without parole. Green apologized to the family and they chose not to accept his apology. He said it was a decision he regreted but now its over and as much as he wanted to he cant change it.

Opinion: I agree with the family for not accepting his apology what he did was a terrible thing and there is nothing harder to handle than losing a family member, especially when they had a life ahead of them that was destroyed by this man. The man's sentence in prison is also realistic and I think that is the right thing to do, killing him yes he would be gone and not an issue but two wrongs dont make a right so should this man's life really be taken? I dont think so but a life in prison is a true lesson.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/28/kentucky.iraq.murder/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Fighting Sioux No More

Summary: The North Dakota Board of Higher Education voted to change the name of Fighting Sioux on May 14Th. This is a very controversial issue and the university as well as many others are fighting to keep the name. The NCAA won't allow this campus host any tournaments due to the controversial name. If this change goes through the stadium and pride will be gone. The Ralph Englstead Arena has hundreds of logos built into it, as well as the pride of the marble head on the floor that Ralph Englstead wanted to make sure remained forever.

Opinion: I agree with Lauren in that the logo should remain Fighting Sioux, it is a name that has been associated with the campus for several years and has not been a huge issue up until now. The school colors became green and black from the name and their huge expensive hockey arena would be completely destroyed. Englstead understood the issue of the name and placing the marble head on the arena floor guaranteed the name or the arena can't have the arena without the name. This issue i think is just a big deal over a small thing, no harm is done by a team name and it after all tradition and has been associated with that campus for several years.

Sources:http://www.current-events-lauren.blogspot.com/, roleplaymascots.blogspot.com/

Postage Price

Summary: Postage will go up monday may 11th. The postage can only go up when consumer tax goes up, which measures inflation. It will go up two cents so first class mailing will now be 44 cents a leter. There is one way to prevent the price rise, which is a forever stamp. Forever stamps you purchase at current stamp selling price but they have no value so you can use them whenever, no matter what the price of postage is.

Opinion: I do not like that postage is going up but, it could be a good sign if postage is going up. I noticed the other day gas went up as well. Does this sudden rise in prices mean the economy is coming out of the recession? I do not know if that is what it means or not but either way I dont think its great postage is going up but 2 cents is affordable for most people.

Citation:http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/10/stamp.prices/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Swine Flu

Summary:
We are at the second highest level of caution issued on Wednesday by the World Health Organization due to the swine flu, which first broke out in Mexico. There has been 148 cases in 9 countries we need to start being careful about this flu pandemic, majority of the cases were found in the United States, so far 91 confirmed here in the United States. So far 7 have died in Mexico and 1 in the United States. We are unsure of what virus causes theis flu or why it spreads so quickly. We need to be cautious about what we do and stay calm in a situation like this. Obama sent a request for congress to give $1.5 million to help fight, prevent and find a cure for this flu.
Opinion:
I agree with what Obama is doing because this flu is spreading so quickly; however at the same time it really has not taken many lives i mean think about how many people die from influenza or mono or anything else, I think this may be blown a little out of proportion for what it is and we need to stay calm and in contol as well as being cautious about it.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/29/swine.flu/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Hand of God

Paul Grayhek age 52 of northern Idaho claims to have seen the imprint of Gods hand in a rock and he wants to let people bid on it on ebay. The hand is around nine feet tall and four feet wide and currently the highest bid is $250. He plans on sharing the rock with the highest bidder not letting them own it.

I think this is crazy. It was a claim of a hand for one there is no proof and two why would you spend a bunch of money to see a rock. If it truely was a hand of God then I would understand but there simply is no proof and would be a waste of money to simply pay over 250 dollars to look at it a couple times.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/26/idaho.rock.auction/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Cruise Attack

An Italian cruise ship was attacked by pirates just outside of Somalia and the captain ordered to fire back at the pirates. There was six armed pirates that attacked the cruise ship with approximately 1,500 people on it; however nobody was injured. There are several areas with pirates and we need to look out for them.

I think that the pirates should just give up so many people are after them, but they are in safe water. Being in safe water does not make it OK to try to harm other people like the innocent bi standers on a Cruise ship and something needs to be done about this.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/26/somalia.pirates/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

The Flood

Summary: near 6,000 homes were in danger due to the Red River floods in the Fargo Moorhead area. They used nearyly 1.5 million sandbags because the river was to crest over 40 feet. The National Guard, Volunteers and organizations all went to aide them. The record was in 1897 the flood crested at about 40.1 feet and similar floods have occured more recently.
Opinion: I agree with Marit that going to aide them was a wise move. Someday we here might need help and their help would be appreciated. We have not had a large crisis yet but when the time comes i hope that those people would step up and help out. I think that this was the right move and someday it will affect us.
Source:http://marit-blog.blogspot.com/

Drug Smuggling

Summary: Drug smugglers are doing everything possible to get drugs to the United States. They use toys, furniture, shoes, underground tunnels, etc. Their primary goal is to make money. We have people using locating devices to see where these drugs are coming from and how they are coming across the United States boarder, and the coast guard went into mexico to look for drug smugglers. It is hard to find who or where these drugs are coming from but this is a serious issue and the United States will do everything they can to stop it.
Opinion: I think were doing the right thing. The drug smuggling should stop, security and screening at the boarder should be stricter and more picky other than that there really is nothing we can do. People are always going to try to break the law in some way shape or form so we should do our best to prevent it as we are and there is not much more we can do.
Source:http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/16/creative.drug.smugglers/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Stalker

A man from Florida was arrested by the Dancing with the Stars studio Tuesday night while trying to sneak in. This man had two loaded guns with him. He is charged with stalking and misdemeanors for having the guns, but is held on a $35,000 bail which prosecutors plain to get raised to $220,000. He had several love letters and all his belongings with him because he believed he was wanted.

I think this is a scary situation and is being handled well. The guy is a stalker and should not be out and hopefully is is charged with time. I'm glad they caught the guy I can't even imagine having a stalker to that extent i mean yeah people who bother you or try to talk to you a lot, but to move near you when you don't know them real well and be convinced your meant to be together is just creepy. That is messed up and there should be punishment.

Source:http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/26/johnson.stalking/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Flood In Fargo

Summary: The Red River is beginning to raise and is said to be about forty feet by march 27 local and distant communities are all going to help with sandbag there was around 2,000 of them. The last huge flood they had with this river was in 1997 and it was 39.6 feet.

Opinion: I think its great that so many volunteers are ready to go and help out in a case like this. That flood is huge 40 feet of water is great amounts and takes lots of work to help prevent and stop. I believe that in a time like this you should help because if something terrible were to happen to my town i would want support from others to help get through and make it with my family and our possessions.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/weather/03/26/floods.north.dakota/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Plain Crashes-17 dead.

In Bozeman, Montanan a plain crashed 500 feet away from the runway. The plain was built in 2001 and no problems occurred prior to the crash, which oddly occurred next to a cemetery. So far authorities only know of seventeen dead; however ranging from children to adults.

I think that the airlines need to do safety inspections on their planes as all do and other than that accidents happen. I mean every time you hop in a car or walk down stairs something could happen. It doesn't always but accidents happen every day so yes the plain crashed but they did a safety test and it was an accident. It took peoples lives but that is a risk you take every day, and hopping on a plain you should know that there is a chance for accident after all nobody is perfect.
Source:http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/22/montana.plane.crash/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Taxes for Stem Cell Research

Summary: President Obama wants to get rid of Bush's limitations on tax money going to stem cell research. Some doctors believe Bush's presidency was eight years wasted for research and improvement on this procedure. The debate came down to weather Yong embryos are life or not Bush believed so and Obama thinks its OK to kill them for research. With this research scientists plan on taking stem cells (cells not yet designated to a certain area and can transform into anything these are only possible at embryonic stages) from embryos and transform them into cells needed for cures and helping diseased people.

My Opinion: I strongly disagree with this. I think even at that stage in embryonic phases it is a life you are taking and that's not OK. Besides the life your working with one is already ill why take a life of a baby who could have a perfectly healthy life to MAYBE cure someone who is older anyways. I agreed with Bush i don't want my tax money going to a cause like this i am completely against. I do like science and it has come a long ways and they can find other ways to cure illness and disease than killing embryos.

Sources:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29586269/

College For All

I read Laurens blog about Obama believing that everybody should go to college. Some people agree others think that everyone gets prepared in high school but college is a choice, or like Richard Vedder belives that some people just are not motivated or do not want to go to college or cannot handle the work load. Directors of colleges say everybody is capeable of going past high school if they want to.

I agree with Lauren when she says not everybody is motivated enough for the work at college. I also agree that everybody should have the opprotunity to try college and see. Some people wont be able to handle the work; however it might be a great thing for some people. College is supposed to be a challange but everybody deserves a chance at it.

Sources:http://www.current-events-lauren.blogspot.com/

Accepting New Ideas

I read Marit's blog about president Obama and the Durango,Colorado incident where the guy threatened to kill president Obama and to bomb Mall of America. The guy claimed everything to be pranks but i agree with Marit that this is not a prank and we live in a sad world. People cant accept people for who they are and threaten to kill people if things don't go their way that is both sad and upsetting. I think that prank or not the threats were wrong and should not have been sent that's terrible! Personally I don't agree with everything Obama wants to do but that doesn't mean threats are needed, but the fact of life is not everything will go my way so i will accept it and get over it, no big deal.
Sources: Marit's Blog http://marit-blog.blogspot.com/

Forclosures, what will Obama do about them?

Summary:
President Obama is going to sign a $787 billion stimulus bill to help with preventing foreclosures. Obama is trying to get us out of the economic crisis and the only one worse than this was the gread depression in the 30's. Press Secratary Robert Gibbs believes that "things will get worse before they get better." The stimulus package Obama passed with out approval of the house and very few senators. There are alot of steps to this process but if everything goes as planned Obama will slowly bring the United States out of the economic crisis and we won't reach rock bottom.
My Opinion:
I think Obama is on the right track to improving the economy. His stimulus package will help lots of Americans. I don't think that four years will be enough time to recover fully but i guess we will see where things go with the next election. The full recovery will take several years and I do not believe that America will come fully out of debt but the start is great! We have a new president with new ideas. His ideas can improve the economy, our war status and like Liz mentioned in her blog he is working on improving our cybersecurtiy too. As a country we have come a long ways and hopefully Obama can help us improve our successes.
Sources: http://www.msnbc.com/

Forign Policy

Summary- Obama and Biden plan to change Foreign Policy. They want to start fresh with Russia, talk with Iran and fix the issues with NATO. Troops are leaving Iraq and now Obama wants a Israeli-Pakistani peace deal. NATO is expanding and the U.S. is trying to rebuild what of NATO it messed up by going to war in Iraq.

My Opinion- I think the U.S is doing the right thing by fixing what it messed up. The improvements should help the U.S greatly through the rough times of getting out of war, and the worsening economy. I think that we have to take all of this slowly one thing at a time thought or we will become weak and mess up causing some sort of issues. If we can do all of this successfully it would be great and one step closer to a peaceful world.
Sources: http://www.msnbc.com/

The White House

Robert Gates the Secretary of Defence gave a speech to congress, he has a large influence on everybody. "When he talks people listen." says Lindsey Graham. His opinions on war have calmed people down. I think that the war should be a done deal we should not have even gone into it in the first place we messed with the government of Iraq we could have just left them be and then we wouldn't have had to deal with this war! Obama is going to try to call three more brigades out of there by mid-summer and I believe this is a good choice. Grham says "Afghanistan is not done; Afghanistan in many ways is just beginning." I disagree i believe it is right to begin to remove more troops and leave them alone a.s.a.p.

Sources: www.msnbc.com