NEWS
Bill to Ban Tik Tok for Govt. Officials Proposed
Jessica Davila
May 1, 2020
Most of us know or have heard about TikTok. A popular app for entertainment for many people. This app is very commonly found on most teens’ devices. As well as operating in many countries. There has been a reported relationship with ByteDance (TikTok) and China.
In the past weeks, there have been some changes due to this very popular app. The company is run by a company based in China. Some feel this is a back door, giving the Chinese government access to our data. There have been several incidents in the recent past that have led some to question privacy and how data is being collected and used.
This very popular app was being used by the U.S army as a form of being able to reach younger people for recruitment. Josh Hawley introduced a bill to the Senate on the banning of downloading the app on federal government devices as a way to protect all employee’s personal information.
The bill isn’t just to ban the app within the U.S army, and would extend to all government officials. There are many risks when using the app and having information being exposed. There are also many other countries that policymaker are being concerned about
Tiktok has finally released its first transparency report. This report shows data access requests from many countries, China was no one of those. The top countries that requested information were India, the United States, Japan, Germany, and more.
Experts say this was unsurprising since allegedly they have censored content for China. China was not included because TikTok doesn’t operate there.
May 1, 2020
Most of us know or have heard about TikTok. A popular app for entertainment for many people. This app is very commonly found on most teens’ devices. As well as operating in many countries. There has been a reported relationship with ByteDance (TikTok) and China.
In the past weeks, there have been some changes due to this very popular app. The company is run by a company based in China. Some feel this is a back door, giving the Chinese government access to our data. There have been several incidents in the recent past that have led some to question privacy and how data is being collected and used.
This very popular app was being used by the U.S army as a form of being able to reach younger people for recruitment. Josh Hawley introduced a bill to the Senate on the banning of downloading the app on federal government devices as a way to protect all employee’s personal information.
The bill isn’t just to ban the app within the U.S army, and would extend to all government officials. There are many risks when using the app and having information being exposed. There are also many other countries that policymaker are being concerned about
Tiktok has finally released its first transparency report. This report shows data access requests from many countries, China was no one of those. The top countries that requested information were India, the United States, Japan, Germany, and more.
Experts say this was unsurprising since allegedly they have censored content for China. China was not included because TikTok doesn’t operate there.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lysol Company
Shuts Down Donald Trump's Medical Claims
Lucy Riley
After a recent address to the public, Trump made the serious claim that injecting disinfectants into one’s lungs could possibly be used to treat patients infected with COVID-19. These claims came with major backlash, as the makers of Lysol and Dettol have publicly issued statements emphatically pushing back against the President’s stunning suggestion.
The claims were made after a presentation from William Bryan, the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, showing research that indicated the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 thrives best indoors and in dry conditions, and appears weaker when exposed to sunlight and heat. The research also showed that bleach and isopropyl alcohol can quickly kill the virus on surfaces and in the air.
After the shocking claim Dr. Sanjay Gupta gave his personal opinion, stating, “The suggestion that this idea even needs investigation is wrong.” Gupta says that if a claim like this is to be made there needs to be a lot more research involved.
“But the idea that we would do a trial of some sort, and inject some people with disinfectant, and some people not, and sehat happens, I mean as you point out, I think everybody would know that that would be dangerous and counterproductive, and not at all moving us in the right direction,” he added.
Trump made a similar claim about taking chloroquine phosphate, a chemical used to clean fish tanks, several weeks ago. A Phoenix man died and his wife was left in critical condition after consuming the chemical.
After a recent address to the public, Trump made the serious claim that injecting disinfectants into one’s lungs could possibly be used to treat patients infected with COVID-19. These claims came with major backlash, as the makers of Lysol and Dettol have publicly issued statements emphatically pushing back against the President’s stunning suggestion.
The claims were made after a presentation from William Bryan, the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, showing research that indicated the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 thrives best indoors and in dry conditions, and appears weaker when exposed to sunlight and heat. The research also showed that bleach and isopropyl alcohol can quickly kill the virus on surfaces and in the air.
After the shocking claim Dr. Sanjay Gupta gave his personal opinion, stating, “The suggestion that this idea even needs investigation is wrong.” Gupta says that if a claim like this is to be made there needs to be a lot more research involved.
“But the idea that we would do a trial of some sort, and inject some people with disinfectant, and some people not, and sehat happens, I mean as you point out, I think everybody would know that that would be dangerous and counterproductive, and not at all moving us in the right direction,” he added.
Trump made a similar claim about taking chloroquine phosphate, a chemical used to clean fish tanks, several weeks ago. A Phoenix man died and his wife was left in critical condition after consuming the chemical.
Covid-19 Causes Fear Among Undocumented Residents Jessica Davila
As COVID-19 is getting worse in the United States many people are getting tested. Many undocumented residences are fearful of getting tested. The fear isn’t just about getting tested but also seeking medical health.
This fear has arisen due to the many deportations that took place last year due to the Trump administration. Intimidation has also taken place due to some ICE arrest at the beginning of the coronavirus. These arrests took place in Texas where the coronaviruses has affected the most.
With this virus spreading even more, many have to stay in quarantine at home. Some undocumented residents feel as if they can’t afford to self-quarantine due to the lack of money for their families. COVID-19 Is financially hurting these families and even more the ones who have work. The financial risk is too much for them.
The possibility that farm works have already been impacted by the disease is large. The Public Charge Rule is part of the issue and cause of this fear during this pandemic. Immigrants could also be denied permanent residency if officials believe they use public benefits. They feel as if their residency can be put in jeopardy.
During March, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that any treatment relating to COVID-19 wouldn’t be classified under public charge. President Trump announced a national health emergency in the US. He also said that seeking treatment or preventive services for the virus wouldn’t affect those applying for their green cards. He has also stated that getting tested will not cause deportation.
Vice President Pence also spoke out about the issue stating that agents will not target emergency rooms or health clinics. This should allow undocumented Immigrates to receive medical attention while also getting tested for the coronavirus. These assurances sometimes can’t take the fear away after everything that happened last year with ICE raids on immigrant communities and work places.
This fear has arisen due to the many deportations that took place last year due to the Trump administration. Intimidation has also taken place due to some ICE arrest at the beginning of the coronavirus. These arrests took place in Texas where the coronaviruses has affected the most.
With this virus spreading even more, many have to stay in quarantine at home. Some undocumented residents feel as if they can’t afford to self-quarantine due to the lack of money for their families. COVID-19 Is financially hurting these families and even more the ones who have work. The financial risk is too much for them.
The possibility that farm works have already been impacted by the disease is large. The Public Charge Rule is part of the issue and cause of this fear during this pandemic. Immigrants could also be denied permanent residency if officials believe they use public benefits. They feel as if their residency can be put in jeopardy.
During March, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that any treatment relating to COVID-19 wouldn’t be classified under public charge. President Trump announced a national health emergency in the US. He also said that seeking treatment or preventive services for the virus wouldn’t affect those applying for their green cards. He has also stated that getting tested will not cause deportation.
Vice President Pence also spoke out about the issue stating that agents will not target emergency rooms or health clinics. This should allow undocumented Immigrates to receive medical attention while also getting tested for the coronavirus. These assurances sometimes can’t take the fear away after everything that happened last year with ICE raids on immigrant communities and work places.
Some Countries Show No Record of Covid-19 Fardowsa Hassan
Covid-19 has spread around the planet, sending billions of people into lockdown as health services struggle to cope. As Covid- 19 affects some areas, there are also some areas not being affected.
Many Arab nations such as Yemen and African nations such as SOuth Sudan have no record of Covid- 19. Some of these same areas have also resorted to drastic lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the disease that has threatened and overwhelmed the healthcare systems of much larger, wealthier nations across the globe.
While we face the challenge of preventing the spread of the disease, other people face the challenge of not letting it into their borders, which might be impossible.
Many Arab nations such as Yemen and African nations such as SOuth Sudan have no record of Covid- 19. Some of these same areas have also resorted to drastic lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the disease that has threatened and overwhelmed the healthcare systems of much larger, wealthier nations across the globe.
While we face the challenge of preventing the spread of the disease, other people face the challenge of not letting it into their borders, which might be impossible.
Covid-19 and the Navy
Within the last few weeks, it has become apparent how far reaching the effects of COVID-19 are being felt by millions of Americans. While the virus threatens the lives of many, it has claimed even more jobs, as unemployment numbers have skyrocketed in the U.S. alone, with a projected 27% unemployment rate in some states. These mostly belong to those not considered “essential employees”, but recently, one case has stood out, that of former Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly. Modly took the position in November of 2019, following the controversy surrounding the previous Navy Secretary, and had an uneventful tenure until April 2nd, where it took a turn for the worst.
It started with an Aircraft Carrier stationed in the Pacific. The USS Theodore Roosevelt was in the middle of deployment when the outbreak of COVID-19 started, and after testing, it was revealed that multiple members of the crew were tested positive. The Navy at the time employed guidelines and told the ship to adhere to social distancing in addition to quarantine.
Despite this, the number of cases grew, and there were more than a dozen crewmen sick within a week. Most were airlifted when the ship came to port, but it was clear the problem was only going to get worse. If this happened on one ship, it could and would happen to others, and that could spell disaster for those stuck in the middle of the ocean.
In the end, over 100 crewmen had to leave the ship, and it was then the captain of the ship, Brett Crozier, sent an email to high ranking naval officers in an attempt to have the ship evacuated to prevent the rest of the crew from getting the virus. He also said that they could not adhere to social distancing as it was impossible to on a ship that size, and that there was a lack of effort to contain the threat. There was no action taken until the next day, when the email was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Following the distribution of the email, the Navy ordered the ship to be evacuated, but things didn't go so smoothly between Modly and Crozier. Modly was not happy with the email itself, but even more so with the fact that it got leaked. Following the evacuation of the ship, Modly ordered Crozier to step down as Captain. He cited poor judgement and Crozier raising a false alarm for justification.
This did not go down well with the crew of the Roosevelt, who all praised their Captains action’s and showed disdain towards the order. When Crozier left the ship, the crew chanted his name as a show of support, clearly not happy with the situation. On April 6th, Modly went to the USS Theodore Roosevelt personally to address the crew of the ship about his decision to relieve Crozier, which only made things worse.
In his address, he told the crew that Crozier was either “too naive or too stupid” to realize the email would have been leaked. Little did Modly know, but his speech was being recorded by members of the crew, who subsequently sent it to the media. Following the speech, there were calls to investigate if Modly had acted inappropriately in the handling of the situation. However, Modly’s job ended the same way it started, with a scandal and resignation. He resigned from his post the next day on April 7th. This makes him the 7th Acting Navy Secretary since 2000, and the third since the Trump administration took office in 2017. Shortly after the affair, it was announced that Captain Crozier tested positive for COVID-19, and only time will tell how far this spreads within the Navy alone.
It started with an Aircraft Carrier stationed in the Pacific. The USS Theodore Roosevelt was in the middle of deployment when the outbreak of COVID-19 started, and after testing, it was revealed that multiple members of the crew were tested positive. The Navy at the time employed guidelines and told the ship to adhere to social distancing in addition to quarantine.
Despite this, the number of cases grew, and there were more than a dozen crewmen sick within a week. Most were airlifted when the ship came to port, but it was clear the problem was only going to get worse. If this happened on one ship, it could and would happen to others, and that could spell disaster for those stuck in the middle of the ocean.
In the end, over 100 crewmen had to leave the ship, and it was then the captain of the ship, Brett Crozier, sent an email to high ranking naval officers in an attempt to have the ship evacuated to prevent the rest of the crew from getting the virus. He also said that they could not adhere to social distancing as it was impossible to on a ship that size, and that there was a lack of effort to contain the threat. There was no action taken until the next day, when the email was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Following the distribution of the email, the Navy ordered the ship to be evacuated, but things didn't go so smoothly between Modly and Crozier. Modly was not happy with the email itself, but even more so with the fact that it got leaked. Following the evacuation of the ship, Modly ordered Crozier to step down as Captain. He cited poor judgement and Crozier raising a false alarm for justification.
This did not go down well with the crew of the Roosevelt, who all praised their Captains action’s and showed disdain towards the order. When Crozier left the ship, the crew chanted his name as a show of support, clearly not happy with the situation. On April 6th, Modly went to the USS Theodore Roosevelt personally to address the crew of the ship about his decision to relieve Crozier, which only made things worse.
In his address, he told the crew that Crozier was either “too naive or too stupid” to realize the email would have been leaked. Little did Modly know, but his speech was being recorded by members of the crew, who subsequently sent it to the media. Following the speech, there were calls to investigate if Modly had acted inappropriately in the handling of the situation. However, Modly’s job ended the same way it started, with a scandal and resignation. He resigned from his post the next day on April 7th. This makes him the 7th Acting Navy Secretary since 2000, and the third since the Trump administration took office in 2017. Shortly after the affair, it was announced that Captain Crozier tested positive for COVID-19, and only time will tell how far this spreads within the Navy alone.
The JCPS SRO Program
Jessica Davila
The safety of students within the school building has always been of great concern to JCPS as well as to the state of Kentucky. They had started to develop a plan to have officers within the school building and started to address the most common concerns. The state of Kentucky has passed the SRO bill to help within the schools.
The SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer. This officer is specialized and trained specifically to work with the students within the school. An SRO is involved in the role of law enforcement, law-related educators and so much more.There was a lot of controversy when this bill was being proposed and even before it was passed.
Due to JCPS allowing that SROs will be armed many feel as if this will affect some students in a variety of ways. Many feel as if the students could potentially feel unsafe due to seeing an armed SRO. Some students already have trauma from either where they live, what they have witnessed or from other situations.
Some feel as if minorities will be the ones getting targeted and suffering from arrest just due to their race. Two members of District 2 and District 4 (Chris Kolb and Joe Marshall) felt that this law should have been vetoed by Governor Beshear.
There has only been one change and that is that the officers will only carry two loaded magazines rather than three. This plan has been drafted around this law since the beginning of the school year in hopes to have it accomplished by 2021. To hold all their schools to this law.
The main concern has always been safety, so the importance of drafting this plan even before the law was passed was important for the school system. In an attempt to do it’s best to address some of the concerns. Their plan has stated that officers will have to go through a certain amount of training to be considered into one of the schools.
The training is to be done in 40 hours on top of 20 weeks or training in the state police academy. Training will also address firearms refreshers, diversity training, youth mental health and understanding students with special needs as well as other things. In order to make sure that the officers are in the school for the best of the students and to address some of the concerns brought up.
The safety of students within the school building has always been of great concern to JCPS as well as to the state of Kentucky. They had started to develop a plan to have officers within the school building and started to address the most common concerns. The state of Kentucky has passed the SRO bill to help within the schools.
The SRO is a sworn law enforcement officer. This officer is specialized and trained specifically to work with the students within the school. An SRO is involved in the role of law enforcement, law-related educators and so much more.There was a lot of controversy when this bill was being proposed and even before it was passed.
Due to JCPS allowing that SROs will be armed many feel as if this will affect some students in a variety of ways. Many feel as if the students could potentially feel unsafe due to seeing an armed SRO. Some students already have trauma from either where they live, what they have witnessed or from other situations.
Some feel as if minorities will be the ones getting targeted and suffering from arrest just due to their race. Two members of District 2 and District 4 (Chris Kolb and Joe Marshall) felt that this law should have been vetoed by Governor Beshear.
There has only been one change and that is that the officers will only carry two loaded magazines rather than three. This plan has been drafted around this law since the beginning of the school year in hopes to have it accomplished by 2021. To hold all their schools to this law.
The main concern has always been safety, so the importance of drafting this plan even before the law was passed was important for the school system. In an attempt to do it’s best to address some of the concerns. Their plan has stated that officers will have to go through a certain amount of training to be considered into one of the schools.
The training is to be done in 40 hours on top of 20 weeks or training in the state police academy. Training will also address firearms refreshers, diversity training, youth mental health and understanding students with special needs as well as other things. In order to make sure that the officers are in the school for the best of the students and to address some of the concerns brought up.
2020 Summer Olympics in Japan Postponed Katie Moore
On March 24, The International Olympic Committee came out with a statement, confirming the postponement of the coming Summer Olympic Games. Once set to begin this July, the games will now take place almost exactly a year later in the summer of 2021.
A phone call between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo resulted in the postponement of the games in order to “to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community,” according to the official Olympic site.
It is confirmed that all athletes that are already qualified for the Olympic games will remain as such. New methods for qualification are being discussed, but any athlete or team must be qualified by June 29, 2021 in order to participate.
The games are currently set for July 23 to August 8 of 2021, but Olympic Officials hint that those dates may still be in peril in the face of Covid-19.
The recent pandemic has caused unprecedented changes in the world. Government-enforced quarantines, the growth of working from home, and movement into online school being just a small handful of them.
The cancellation of the Olympics for its planned summer occurrence is one of the most surprising and immense responses to the virus. Seeing that the games have only ever been cancelled in the face of World War, it’s current year-long delay is shocking to many, and puts the seriousness of Coronavirus into the forefront of people’s minds.
With a total of over 1.6 million confirmed Coronavirus cases, including 97,000 deaths, the virus has instilled a time of confusion, fear, and loss. The IOC President has expressed his desire for the Olympic Games to become a “light at the end of this dark tunnel.”
A phone call between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo resulted in the postponement of the games in order to “to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community,” according to the official Olympic site.
It is confirmed that all athletes that are already qualified for the Olympic games will remain as such. New methods for qualification are being discussed, but any athlete or team must be qualified by June 29, 2021 in order to participate.
The games are currently set for July 23 to August 8 of 2021, but Olympic Officials hint that those dates may still be in peril in the face of Covid-19.
The recent pandemic has caused unprecedented changes in the world. Government-enforced quarantines, the growth of working from home, and movement into online school being just a small handful of them.
The cancellation of the Olympics for its planned summer occurrence is one of the most surprising and immense responses to the virus. Seeing that the games have only ever been cancelled in the face of World War, it’s current year-long delay is shocking to many, and puts the seriousness of Coronavirus into the forefront of people’s minds.
With a total of over 1.6 million confirmed Coronavirus cases, including 97,000 deaths, the virus has instilled a time of confusion, fear, and loss. The IOC President has expressed his desire for the Olympic Games to become a “light at the end of this dark tunnel.”
State of the "Dis"Union
President Donald Trump delivered his most recent State of the Union on the heels of the impeachment trials and the Iowa caucuses. There was a lot of flexing of political power and the strength/ accomplishments of his administration. The night kicked off with Trump refusing to shake hands with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, fueling the tension between them.
The room was visibly divided with Republicans supporting every word he said, while the democrats sat in silent anger. This was a visual representation of just how divided the government actually is currently.
The night came to an end with Nancy Pelosi tearing the script of the speech up on camera in either a moment of uncontrolled rage or a planned political move to gain attention for the democrats.
Surprisingly, the State of the Union helped Trump grow his approval rating to an all time high. According to Gallup in October of 2019 Trump’s approval rating sat at 39% nationwide, and after this state of the union it has jumped to 49% nationwide. This also coincides with American confidence in the economy rising to a higher rate right now than it has been at any point in the last two decades.
With the impeachment trial over, it’s unclear what’s next for the tumultuous United States. All eyes seem to be on the DNC primary race now as the Trump administration remains unscathed. The real question is which candidate in the Democratic field can actually defeat Trump in the general election.
The room was visibly divided with Republicans supporting every word he said, while the democrats sat in silent anger. This was a visual representation of just how divided the government actually is currently.
The night came to an end with Nancy Pelosi tearing the script of the speech up on camera in either a moment of uncontrolled rage or a planned political move to gain attention for the democrats.
Surprisingly, the State of the Union helped Trump grow his approval rating to an all time high. According to Gallup in October of 2019 Trump’s approval rating sat at 39% nationwide, and after this state of the union it has jumped to 49% nationwide. This also coincides with American confidence in the economy rising to a higher rate right now than it has been at any point in the last two decades.
With the impeachment trial over, it’s unclear what’s next for the tumultuous United States. All eyes seem to be on the DNC primary race now as the Trump administration remains unscathed. The real question is which candidate in the Democratic field can actually defeat Trump in the general election.
Medical Marijuana Bill Passes State House Kiki Chandler
The use of medical marijuana has been a hot topic for decades, yet Kentucky’s House of Representatives recently passed a bill for the use of medical marijuana to the Senate. Don’t get too excited, though, the bill is highly restrictive and may not be approved by Kentucky’s Senate or the Governor, and therefore never go into effect.
Compared to medical marijuana laws in other states, Kentucky’s bill is much more restrictive. For example, those who could be eligible for medical marijuana would be decided by a state regulatory board, also the drug could not be smoked. The regulatory board would also create a way for patients to get the marijuana from approved dispensaries.
There have already been revisions to the bill and discussions on what conditions would be grounds for the prescription of marijuana, which include chronic pain, epilepsy multiple sclerosis, nausea, and vomiting. Representative Jason Nemes told the Senate that they would create the most restrictive law in any state in order to reassure them that the law wouldn’t lead to their worries, as reported by U.S News.
Although the bill is restrictive, it indicates a much different attitude in Kentucky’s legislature, as multiple medical marijuana bills have been presented and all failed until now. However, Kentucky’s legislators don’t all share the same opinion. Many, like Stan Lee, don’t support the bill, as he told the Courier Journal, it is a slippery slope and could send the wrong message to children. Still, others persist with advocating for the bill, including representatives Cluster Howard and Al Gentry.
Howard believes that the bill will help those who are sick and that it addresses health concerns. Similarly, Al Gentry lost his arm in an accident and while playing golf in a league for people with disabilities has lost many people to opioid addictions, which he believes could be reduced by the use of medical marijuana as recounted by the Courier Journal.
Compared to medical marijuana laws in other states, Kentucky’s bill is much more restrictive. For example, those who could be eligible for medical marijuana would be decided by a state regulatory board, also the drug could not be smoked. The regulatory board would also create a way for patients to get the marijuana from approved dispensaries.
There have already been revisions to the bill and discussions on what conditions would be grounds for the prescription of marijuana, which include chronic pain, epilepsy multiple sclerosis, nausea, and vomiting. Representative Jason Nemes told the Senate that they would create the most restrictive law in any state in order to reassure them that the law wouldn’t lead to their worries, as reported by U.S News.
Although the bill is restrictive, it indicates a much different attitude in Kentucky’s legislature, as multiple medical marijuana bills have been presented and all failed until now. However, Kentucky’s legislators don’t all share the same opinion. Many, like Stan Lee, don’t support the bill, as he told the Courier Journal, it is a slippery slope and could send the wrong message to children. Still, others persist with advocating for the bill, including representatives Cluster Howard and Al Gentry.
Howard believes that the bill will help those who are sick and that it addresses health concerns. Similarly, Al Gentry lost his arm in an accident and while playing golf in a league for people with disabilities has lost many people to opioid addictions, which he believes could be reduced by the use of medical marijuana as recounted by the Courier Journal.
Corona Time Kiki Chandler
The recent outbreak of a respiratory illness, known as the Corona virus, has caused a panic throughout the world. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, yet, the Coronavirus is not entirely new. Coronaviruses make up a large family of viruses that usually affect animals.
The 2019 Corona virus is transferable through person-to-person contact, including contact with fluid produced when a person coughs or sneezes. The virus can also be contracted by touching an object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people take the following preventative measures to stay healthy: wash your hands with soap often (or use hand sanitizer with at least sixty percent alcohol), avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose with unclean hands, stay home when you are sick, try not to come into close contact with sick people, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and disinfect surfaces and objects that are used frequently.
Currently there is no antiviral treatment for the Corona virus, however medical professionals can help patients by relieving the symptoms. There are currently only about a dozen cases of Corona virus in the United States, but reports from China claim that over 28,000 people have been infected. In spite of the scare, the flu virus remains the greatest danger to Americans.
The 2019 Corona virus is transferable through person-to-person contact, including contact with fluid produced when a person coughs or sneezes. The virus can also be contracted by touching an object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people take the following preventative measures to stay healthy: wash your hands with soap often (or use hand sanitizer with at least sixty percent alcohol), avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose with unclean hands, stay home when you are sick, try not to come into close contact with sick people, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and disinfect surfaces and objects that are used frequently.
Currently there is no antiviral treatment for the Corona virus, however medical professionals can help patients by relieving the symptoms. There are currently only about a dozen cases of Corona virus in the United States, but reports from China claim that over 28,000 people have been infected. In spite of the scare, the flu virus remains the greatest danger to Americans.
Trump's State of the Union Jack Siebenaler
President Donald Trump delivered his most recent State of the Union on the heels of the impeachment trials and the Iowa caucuses. There was a lot of flexing of political power and the strength/ accomplishments of his administration. The night kicked off with Trump refusing to shake hands with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, fueling the tension between them.
The room was visibly divided with Republicans supporting every word he said, while the democrats sat in silent anger. This was a visual representation of just how divided the government actually is currently.
The night came to an end with Nancy Pelosi tearing the script of the speech up on camera, tearing apart different sheets of paper in either a moment of uncontrolled rage or a planned political move to gain attention for the democrats.
Surprisingly, the State of the Union helped Trump grow his approval rating to it’s all time high. According to Gallup in October of 2019 Trump’s approval rating sat at 39% nationwide, and after this state of the union it has jumped to 49% nationwide. This also coincides with American confidence in the economy rising to a higher rate right now than it has been at any point in the last two decades.
With the impeachment trial seemingly coming to an end, it’s unclear what’s next for the tumultuous United States. All eyes seem to be on the DNC primary race now as the Trump administration remains unscathed. The real question is which candidate in the Democratic field can actually defeat Trump in the general election.
The room was visibly divided with Republicans supporting every word he said, while the democrats sat in silent anger. This was a visual representation of just how divided the government actually is currently.
The night came to an end with Nancy Pelosi tearing the script of the speech up on camera, tearing apart different sheets of paper in either a moment of uncontrolled rage or a planned political move to gain attention for the democrats.
Surprisingly, the State of the Union helped Trump grow his approval rating to it’s all time high. According to Gallup in October of 2019 Trump’s approval rating sat at 39% nationwide, and after this state of the union it has jumped to 49% nationwide. This also coincides with American confidence in the economy rising to a higher rate right now than it has been at any point in the last two decades.
With the impeachment trial seemingly coming to an end, it’s unclear what’s next for the tumultuous United States. All eyes seem to be on the DNC primary race now as the Trump administration remains unscathed. The real question is which candidate in the Democratic field can actually defeat Trump in the general election.
Australian Bush Fires Kusum Kumar
The Australian summer is always hot and dry. This weather makes it easy for small blazes to start, and is even known in Australia as “fire season”. To ignite a fire, there must be another activator, however. This can be from human interaction or natural causes. For example, a lightning strike on dry wooded areas or people deliberately setting fires can be the final straw in starting an area ablaze. Since 1970, Australia’s weather has warmed and fire season length and conditions have become more extreme. For example, on February 7, 2009, there was another large scale bushfire which was coined as “Black Saturday” and killed 173 people.
The reason that the 2019-2020 fire season has been considered the worst that Australia has ever seen is because of the large geographical area that the fires have spread to. Strong winds have also made the fires and smoke spread more rapidly. Climate researchers and scientists claim that human-caused climate change plays a huge role in this. Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, rainfall patterns are changing permanently, water is being trucked to inland towns, species are being pushed to extinction, and forests that evolved to become resistant to burning are succumbing to the intensity and frequency of the fires. A heatwave in December broke the record for the highest nationwide average temperature, with some places sweltering under temperatures well above about 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, it is currently in the middle of its summer season.
As of January 14, 2020, the fires this season have burned an estimated 10 million hectares (about 24,710,538 acres), destroyed over 5,900 buildings, and killed at least 29 people. In this sense, of how far the fires have gone, Black Saturday fires don’t begin to compare as it destroyed 450 thousand hectares ( about 11,11,974 acres). To understand the impact, compare the damage to other fires. For example, the latest Californian fire burned 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of land.
Animals have been greatly affected as well, An estimated one billion animals have also been killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction. Many videos of animals lying dead on the roadside from where the fire has passed have circulated. It’s difficult for smaller animals to get away from the fire and the chaos. Koalas, for example, have been greatly affected. About 30% of the Koala habitats have been destroyed.
The reason that the 2019-2020 fire season has been considered the worst that Australia has ever seen is because of the large geographical area that the fires have spread to. Strong winds have also made the fires and smoke spread more rapidly. Climate researchers and scientists claim that human-caused climate change plays a huge role in this. Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, rainfall patterns are changing permanently, water is being trucked to inland towns, species are being pushed to extinction, and forests that evolved to become resistant to burning are succumbing to the intensity and frequency of the fires. A heatwave in December broke the record for the highest nationwide average temperature, with some places sweltering under temperatures well above about 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, it is currently in the middle of its summer season.
As of January 14, 2020, the fires this season have burned an estimated 10 million hectares (about 24,710,538 acres), destroyed over 5,900 buildings, and killed at least 29 people. In this sense, of how far the fires have gone, Black Saturday fires don’t begin to compare as it destroyed 450 thousand hectares ( about 11,11,974 acres). To understand the impact, compare the damage to other fires. For example, the latest Californian fire burned 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of land.
Animals have been greatly affected as well, An estimated one billion animals have also been killed and some endangered species may be driven to extinction. Many videos of animals lying dead on the roadside from where the fire has passed have circulated. It’s difficult for smaller animals to get away from the fire and the chaos. Koalas, for example, have been greatly affected. About 30% of the Koala habitats have been destroyed.
Bolivia's Socialist President Ousted Jack Siebenaler
A Coup de-teat has occurred in the South American country of Bolivia, and this event is only one in a long line of coups that have occurred in the country. Since gaining its independence from Spain in 1825 to 2006, when the (now former) president Evo Morales took power, there have been no less than 188 coup attempts.
The country is currently in turmoil with protests raging in the streets, blocking energy supplies and natural resources. Police and security forces have begun firing live rounds into groups of protesters to disperse them. Death tolls are on the rise from these protests but the actual amount has not been reported on yet, but, as of 3 weeks ago, 6 had died and several others were hospitalized.
The coup began after the October election. The election itself was investigated by the Organization of American States (OAS), which determined that there were multiple electoral inconsistencies. Many question the legitimacy of the OAS, however, as it is a right-wing group that was formed to oppose the spread of “socialist” ideologies. Evo Morales, a socialist, was openly opposed by both the United States and the OAS since taking office in 2006.
Bolivia is a nation which is very rich in lithium, sitting on the world's largest reserve. During his presidency, Evo Morales introduced many economic reforms that restricted large corporations from accessing the lithium in an attempt to stop the exploitation of their natural resources by outside forces. Bolivia’s new president, Jeanine Anez, has proven herself to be a very conservative, right-wing leader as she is lifting restrictions placed on the lithium reserves. Following the coup Tesla (an american brand) stock prices rose dramatically due to the fact that the company relies on lithium.
Evo Morales was also the first indigenous president to serve in Bolivia. During his four terms in office, Morales did a lot to protect the indigenous population of Bolivia, and to ease the social strife of these people. Anez, however, has been vocally anti-indegenious. In just the first few weeks of her interim presidency, numerous indingenous people have been detained and even killed.
Ex-president Morales is now taking refuge in Argentina after the new left wing Argentine government led by president Alberto Fernandez offered to take him in. This was after a brief stay in Mexico City, as the Mexican government had also granted the exiled leader temporary asylum.
This most recent coup has left the country in complete and utter turmoil. Only time will tell what will happen in Bolivia and if the people will be able to recover from this. As of this moment there are many indingenous people who are fearing for their lives and thousands of others who are fearing what is to come.
Bevin Out as Governor, Beshear in Jack Siebenaler
After a long, contentious campaign and election, Andy Beshear has become the 63rd Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He has defeated incumbent Governor Matthew Griswald Bevin. The election was very close, Beshear claiming victory by approximately 5,000 votes, a margin of less than 1% of the vote.
Bevin was reluctant to hand over the position to his fellow candidate due to the fact that the margin was so small. He called for a recanvass and refused to concede, claiming large scale voting irregularities. Even with this the Secretary of State Allison Grimes declared Beshear as the winner. Bevin would later concede after a recanvass on November 14, 2019, and was unable to produce any evidence of irregularities occurring on election day.
The Bevin Governorship has been marked with controversy and was ultimately a very chaotic time for the state. Everything from teacher sick-outs to the fact that, according to Mornings Consult’s rankings, Bevin was ranked as the least popular governor in the United States. According to the poll, just 33% of those polled in Kentucky approved of the job he was doing, and over 50% of those polled actively disapproved of him. In spite of all of this, he still almost claimed his seat back. He has been supported by Republican leaders such as the President himself Donald Trump, who spoke to promote Bevin just weeks before the election. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnel and Senator Rand Paul, both Republicans, also supported Bevin’s reelection campaign.
Bevin was reluctant to hand over the position to his fellow candidate due to the fact that the margin was so small. He called for a recanvass and refused to concede, claiming large scale voting irregularities. Even with this the Secretary of State Allison Grimes declared Beshear as the winner. Bevin would later concede after a recanvass on November 14, 2019, and was unable to produce any evidence of irregularities occurring on election day.
The Bevin Governorship has been marked with controversy and was ultimately a very chaotic time for the state. Everything from teacher sick-outs to the fact that, according to Mornings Consult’s rankings, Bevin was ranked as the least popular governor in the United States. According to the poll, just 33% of those polled in Kentucky approved of the job he was doing, and over 50% of those polled actively disapproved of him. In spite of all of this, he still almost claimed his seat back. He has been supported by Republican leaders such as the President himself Donald Trump, who spoke to promote Bevin just weeks before the election. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnel and Senator Rand Paul, both Republicans, also supported Bevin’s reelection campaign.
In memoriam: Elijah Cummings
Mason Scott
Elijah Cummings, husband, father, and public servant, has passed away at age 68. Cummings, who was the Congressional Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, has had a storied past of public leadership. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and went against all odds to graduate with honors from high school. His parents were sharecroppers, and growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s, he faced many more challenges both politically and socially. He was a staunch advocate of the Civil Rights movement, and when he went to college at Howard University in Washington, D.C. he pursued a career in law. He would go on to practice law for 19 years before running for office, which would prove to change his life forever.
Due to a vacancy in the House of Representatives, Cummings decided to take a shot and run for the seat. His district, which is predominantly African-American, first elected him in 1996, and would re-elect him 11 more times. He focused on reforming many problems that plagued the Baltimore area, such as prescription drug prices and local violence. This led to his national prominence when Freddie Gray was killed while in custody of 6 police officers back in 2015. Cummings became known for his involvement in the ensuing riots and giving speeches to assure the protesters that the right thing to do was not a violent approach.
Soon after, he became the Chair of the Oversight and Reform committee. Here, he would see that most of Trump’s policies would be challenged, and therefore a conflict sprouted between the two. It would be Trump’s impeachment where Representative Cummings would have the most prominent effect, as he would be responsible for the Impeachment inquiry started by the House earlier in the year.
Representative Cummings was a great servant leader who served the United States for most of his life. He dedicated himself to his office, even through tumultuous times, and until the end fought for his beliefs. He is survived by his wife, Maya, and his daughter, Jennifer.
Elijah Cummings, husband, father, and public servant, has passed away at age 68. Cummings, who was the Congressional Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, has had a storied past of public leadership. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and went against all odds to graduate with honors from high school. His parents were sharecroppers, and growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s, he faced many more challenges both politically and socially. He was a staunch advocate of the Civil Rights movement, and when he went to college at Howard University in Washington, D.C. he pursued a career in law. He would go on to practice law for 19 years before running for office, which would prove to change his life forever.
Due to a vacancy in the House of Representatives, Cummings decided to take a shot and run for the seat. His district, which is predominantly African-American, first elected him in 1996, and would re-elect him 11 more times. He focused on reforming many problems that plagued the Baltimore area, such as prescription drug prices and local violence. This led to his national prominence when Freddie Gray was killed while in custody of 6 police officers back in 2015. Cummings became known for his involvement in the ensuing riots and giving speeches to assure the protesters that the right thing to do was not a violent approach.
Soon after, he became the Chair of the Oversight and Reform committee. Here, he would see that most of Trump’s policies would be challenged, and therefore a conflict sprouted between the two. It would be Trump’s impeachment where Representative Cummings would have the most prominent effect, as he would be responsible for the Impeachment inquiry started by the House earlier in the year.
Representative Cummings was a great servant leader who served the United States for most of his life. He dedicated himself to his office, even through tumultuous times, and until the end fought for his beliefs. He is survived by his wife, Maya, and his daughter, Jennifer.
Mayor Fischer Declares Climate Emergency
Wesley Holt
On September 20, 2019, Mayor Greg Fischer declared a climate emergency. Hundreds of Louisville students, parents and politicians joined cities around the world in a day long global protest. People all around the world were demanding action.
A local climate strike co-leader and 17-year-old student, Fernanda Scharfenberger, said that she wants more than just calls for action. “We’ve seen our political establishment fail to use for years now, who have known about the climate crisis and haven’t acted on it,” she said.
Mayor Greg Fischer helped Louisville join a relatively small number of cities in declaring a climate emergency. “I am proud to stand with you and declare that we are in a climate emergency and we must take action,” Fischer announced at the rally.
Not everyone believes Fischer's actions go far enough. Jackie Green, who ran for Mayor against Fischer, said that the city could be doing more to fight climate change, including providing more incentives for residents and businesses to convert to renewable energy.
Fischer and Scharfenberger are just two public figures voicing the same concerns as millions of others. Climate change, according to scientists, will continue to impact the world, and especially urban environments, in a variety of negative and unpredictable ways.
On September 20, 2019, Mayor Greg Fischer declared a climate emergency. Hundreds of Louisville students, parents and politicians joined cities around the world in a day long global protest. People all around the world were demanding action.
A local climate strike co-leader and 17-year-old student, Fernanda Scharfenberger, said that she wants more than just calls for action. “We’ve seen our political establishment fail to use for years now, who have known about the climate crisis and haven’t acted on it,” she said.
Mayor Greg Fischer helped Louisville join a relatively small number of cities in declaring a climate emergency. “I am proud to stand with you and declare that we are in a climate emergency and we must take action,” Fischer announced at the rally.
Not everyone believes Fischer's actions go far enough. Jackie Green, who ran for Mayor against Fischer, said that the city could be doing more to fight climate change, including providing more incentives for residents and businesses to convert to renewable energy.
Fischer and Scharfenberger are just two public figures voicing the same concerns as millions of others. Climate change, according to scientists, will continue to impact the world, and especially urban environments, in a variety of negative and unpredictable ways.
The Ongoing Trump Impeachment Saga
Jack Siebenaler
It’s hard to turn on any sort of media without being bombarded by the story and the almost tabloid level absurdity of the current impeachment inquiry has brought. There are constant updates and new important information coming out daily. It’s easy to get lost in the whirlpool of information. There are lots of little bits of information which are now coming together into a larger picture showing what's actually been happening.
The story begins back in 2014 during the Obama administration. Joe Biden Vice President's son took a paid position on the board of Burisma which is a Ukrainian natural gas company. The owner of this company was a man named Volodymyr Zelensky, He served as president in the russian backed Ukraine. While no specific wrongdoing was found he was under surveillance by British Authorities.
Fast forward back to the Trump Presidency, his former campaign chair Paul Manfort is arrested and charged with bank and tax fraud as he made $65 million and put it in forgien bank accounts. This came after his Ukranian political work he had been involved him had seemingly dried up. He then proceeded to lie to banks so he was able to take out $20 million in loans.
This is the part of the story where facts begin to become not concrete and there is a lot of accusations without evidence so only the most legitimate/ hold the most importance to the story will be shown. On April 1 2019 the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko in an interview with The Hill discussed that Joe Biden pressured Petro Poroshenko to fire Viktor Shokin (the then prosecutor general) trying to stop a criminal probe which involved Hunter Biden. This is all without any evidence but still a hefty claim from a legitimate source. It should be kept in mind also that multiple europeon and american influences wanted Mr Shokin out as they said he failed to prosecute corruption. The interview also discussed how from the perspective of the Ukrainian legislators Hunter Biden had not violated any sort of corruption laws.
July 25 2019, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky had a conversation over the phone. We now know that Trump pressed the Ukrainian president about an investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden. The following day a US special envoy and US Ambassador meet with the Ukranianing President in person. They stated that they only discussed military plans but in a whistleblower report it showed that the US team had discussed how to navigate Trumps demands. The Hill then called out the president for blocking aid to Ukraine. CNN later found that the hold in funds began approximately a week before the original phone conversation with the Ukrainian President. The whistleblower then filed a complaint with the intelligence community over inspector general Micheal Atkinson.
On September 9th the House announced and began three committees investigating the work of Trump, his attorney Rudy Giuliani and other members of his cabinet in pressuring the Ukrainian government to help with the reelection of Trump. On September 24th House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces they are working on a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump. In response to this Trump and his supporters have claimed this is a coup d’etat. This has led to the president and the White House releasing the statement that they will not participate in what they see as an illegal effort to push the president from power. The US State Department has now blocked the ambassador to the European Union from testifying before the House Committees.
Despite this, Sondland (the U.S. ambassador to the E.U.) is testifying on Capitol Hill in front of the House Committees as this article is being written in a closed door session. He is a very wealthy mega-donor to the Trump campaign but is expected to break away from Trump in this hearing, testifying his disappointment with the administration's and Rudy Guiliani’s actions.
It’s hard to turn on any sort of media without being bombarded by the story and the almost tabloid level absurdity of the current impeachment inquiry has brought. There are constant updates and new important information coming out daily. It’s easy to get lost in the whirlpool of information. There are lots of little bits of information which are now coming together into a larger picture showing what's actually been happening.
The story begins back in 2014 during the Obama administration. Joe Biden Vice President's son took a paid position on the board of Burisma which is a Ukrainian natural gas company. The owner of this company was a man named Volodymyr Zelensky, He served as president in the russian backed Ukraine. While no specific wrongdoing was found he was under surveillance by British Authorities.
Fast forward back to the Trump Presidency, his former campaign chair Paul Manfort is arrested and charged with bank and tax fraud as he made $65 million and put it in forgien bank accounts. This came after his Ukranian political work he had been involved him had seemingly dried up. He then proceeded to lie to banks so he was able to take out $20 million in loans.
This is the part of the story where facts begin to become not concrete and there is a lot of accusations without evidence so only the most legitimate/ hold the most importance to the story will be shown. On April 1 2019 the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko in an interview with The Hill discussed that Joe Biden pressured Petro Poroshenko to fire Viktor Shokin (the then prosecutor general) trying to stop a criminal probe which involved Hunter Biden. This is all without any evidence but still a hefty claim from a legitimate source. It should be kept in mind also that multiple europeon and american influences wanted Mr Shokin out as they said he failed to prosecute corruption. The interview also discussed how from the perspective of the Ukrainian legislators Hunter Biden had not violated any sort of corruption laws.
July 25 2019, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky had a conversation over the phone. We now know that Trump pressed the Ukrainian president about an investigation into Hunter and Joe Biden. The following day a US special envoy and US Ambassador meet with the Ukranianing President in person. They stated that they only discussed military plans but in a whistleblower report it showed that the US team had discussed how to navigate Trumps demands. The Hill then called out the president for blocking aid to Ukraine. CNN later found that the hold in funds began approximately a week before the original phone conversation with the Ukrainian President. The whistleblower then filed a complaint with the intelligence community over inspector general Micheal Atkinson.
On September 9th the House announced and began three committees investigating the work of Trump, his attorney Rudy Giuliani and other members of his cabinet in pressuring the Ukrainian government to help with the reelection of Trump. On September 24th House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces they are working on a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump. In response to this Trump and his supporters have claimed this is a coup d’etat. This has led to the president and the White House releasing the statement that they will not participate in what they see as an illegal effort to push the president from power. The US State Department has now blocked the ambassador to the European Union from testifying before the House Committees.
Despite this, Sondland (the U.S. ambassador to the E.U.) is testifying on Capitol Hill in front of the House Committees as this article is being written in a closed door session. He is a very wealthy mega-donor to the Trump campaign but is expected to break away from Trump in this hearing, testifying his disappointment with the administration's and Rudy Guiliani’s actions.
Beshear Knocking on Bevin's Door in Governor Race Mason Scott
This year’s governor’s race is shaping up to be one of the most important elections this state has ever experienced. The current governor, Republican Matt Bevin, is running for reelection against Democrat Andy Beshear. Beshear is the current Attorney General of Kentucky and the son of Steve Beshear, the governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015.
Matt Bevin was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in New Hampshire. After serving in the Army for four years, Bevin became wealthy in the investment business and moved to Louisville in 1999. Bevin attempted to run against current Kentucky Senator and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel in 2013, but was defeated by a large margin.
In 2015, he campaigned for governor with a platform centered on shrinking the state government and deregulating business, most notably in the form of reducing personal and corporate taxes (particularly inheritance taxes). He also promised to reform the state’s education system by repealing Common Core and allowing charter schools, anti-union labor laws, and reversing the expansion of Medicaid.
In addition to education reform, Bevin also vocally opposed the Supreme Court ruling Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage. He commended former Rowan County clerk Kim Davis for her “willingness to stand for her First Amendment rights” after she famously refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis no longer holds this elected position, as she was defeated in a subsequent election.
Bevin’s campaign promise to solve the state pension crisis is proving to be the most damaging to his 2019 run. Bevin has come under fire regarding the state pension, one of the most underfunded in the nation, due to his failure to fix the situation. Bevin has also come under local and national scrutiny for criticizing teachers, some of the government employees that are most affected by the underfunded pension. When teachers across Kentucky took sick days in protest of Bevin’s policies in April 2018, Bevin “guaranteed” that the teachers involved in the protests were responsible for their students being sexually assaulted, physically harmed, or being exposed to drugs. He later apologized for the remark after fierce backlash.
All these issues are likely why Bevin continues to have the highest disapproval rating of any governor in the nation at 56%.
Bevin supports Donald Trump, and his political tactics and style have been compared to Trump by many pundits. In January, he said that school closings on January 30 were a sign that America was “getting soft.” Bevin has also caught flak for his activity on social media. In July of 2018, he posted a promotional video where he visited a West Louisville Chess Club. He said of the club: “[This is] not something you necessarily would have thought of when you think of this section of town.” West Louisville is an urban neighborhood with a large African American population.
Bevin’s opponent, Andy Beshear, will likely try to use Bevin’s unpopularity to his advantage. Beshear, who graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University succeeded Jack Conway as Attorney General in 2015. Before becoming attorney general, Beshear did work representing the developers of the Bluegrass Pipeline, a Kentucky natural gas pipeline. Since becoming Attorney General, Beshear has come into conflict with the Bevin administration on multiple occasions.
In 2016, Beshear sued Bevin when Bevin attempted to cut the budgets of state universities mid-cycle, which is illegal. In 2018, Bevin signed Senate Bill 151, a contentious attempt to fix teacher pensions. In response, Beshear filed a lawsuit against him and won, the state Supreme Court declaring the bill “unconstitutional”. During his tenure as Attorney General, Beshear has also defended the Affordable Care Act and has filed several lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies he claims are responsible for the state’s opioid crisis.
The election for governor will be held November 5th, and if you will be 18 on or before that day you can register to vote until October 7th. New voters can visit elect.ky.gov To register for the first time online.
Boris' Brexit Plan Jack Siebenaler
As of September 9th 2019 the United Kingdom parliament is officially shuttered for the next 5 weeks. The past 3 years in British politics has been nothing short of a mess. The union of nations has been tearing itself apart over the Brexit situation. In 2016 the United Kingdom held a referendum over whether to leave the European Union or stay.
The months of advertising for the vote convinced many voters that they need to leave the EU. Voters were told that the move would open money for the National Health Service, and that the U.K economy would be fine and flourish without the E.U’s restrictions. The problem is that they did not have a plan to make any of this happen. There are thousands of regulations and laws that need to be replaced or rewritten. Parliament has not allowed any of the plans to pass, this has led to three prime ministers in the same number of years which is unheard of in British politics.
Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to push a no deal Brexit plan through parliament, which means he wants to leave the E.U. even if they don’t have a plan on October 31st this year. This has divided the house and caused a complete breakdown of parliament. He tried to call for a general election, but the opposing labour party and members of the PM’s own party (the Torres) have blocked that notion seeing it as a way to kill the opposition bill which would push the date of leave back to till they have a plan in place.
Much political drama has been occurring inside the Torres’ chamber. Boris Johnson’s own brother has resigned as a member of parliament and spoken out against his brother. Johnson, who had a one vote majority over parliament, lost that majority when during his speech one of his own party members walked across the floor and sat with the Labour members. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Johnson have gotten into furious debates on the house floor which have ended in screaming matches. On September 9th Speaker of the House of Commons John Berkow announced that he will not run again and if there is not a general election by October 31st he will step down as speaker, he was crucial supporter of Brexit.
The U.K has suffered greatly as it has become one of the worst performing economies in the G7 and has caused tensions to grow among nations in the union. One of the major problems of the Brexit situation is that the EU’s open borders with member states has allowed for peace between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland because they can currently freely travel between each other. This has created a physically connected Ireland again even if they aren't fully reunited.
The exit of the U.K from the EU would require a hard border with Ireland due to World Trade Organization regulations and general security. Many fear this will increase tensions between Ireland and the U.K., which was one of the longest and most violent conflicts in Europe in the 20th Century.
Brexit has pushed the United Kingdom to its breaking point. Parliament is in shambles and can’t get anything done and will probably shift hands again this year. There's a very real threat of conflict with Ireland and reigniting violence, the country has seen major blows to its economy (though the British pound has had growth only recently), and there is an intense anxiety that is striking the nation over the issue.
Parliament has until October 31st to either push back their leaving of the EU, decide they will stay in the EU or, officially leave the EU without a formal plan.
her push back their leaving of the EU, decide they will stay in the EU or, officially leave the EU without a formal plan.
The months of advertising for the vote convinced many voters that they need to leave the EU. Voters were told that the move would open money for the National Health Service, and that the U.K economy would be fine and flourish without the E.U’s restrictions. The problem is that they did not have a plan to make any of this happen. There are thousands of regulations and laws that need to be replaced or rewritten. Parliament has not allowed any of the plans to pass, this has led to three prime ministers in the same number of years which is unheard of in British politics.
Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to push a no deal Brexit plan through parliament, which means he wants to leave the E.U. even if they don’t have a plan on October 31st this year. This has divided the house and caused a complete breakdown of parliament. He tried to call for a general election, but the opposing labour party and members of the PM’s own party (the Torres) have blocked that notion seeing it as a way to kill the opposition bill which would push the date of leave back to till they have a plan in place.
Much political drama has been occurring inside the Torres’ chamber. Boris Johnson’s own brother has resigned as a member of parliament and spoken out against his brother. Johnson, who had a one vote majority over parliament, lost that majority when during his speech one of his own party members walked across the floor and sat with the Labour members. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Johnson have gotten into furious debates on the house floor which have ended in screaming matches. On September 9th Speaker of the House of Commons John Berkow announced that he will not run again and if there is not a general election by October 31st he will step down as speaker, he was crucial supporter of Brexit.
The U.K has suffered greatly as it has become one of the worst performing economies in the G7 and has caused tensions to grow among nations in the union. One of the major problems of the Brexit situation is that the EU’s open borders with member states has allowed for peace between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland because they can currently freely travel between each other. This has created a physically connected Ireland again even if they aren't fully reunited.
The exit of the U.K from the EU would require a hard border with Ireland due to World Trade Organization regulations and general security. Many fear this will increase tensions between Ireland and the U.K., which was one of the longest and most violent conflicts in Europe in the 20th Century.
Brexit has pushed the United Kingdom to its breaking point. Parliament is in shambles and can’t get anything done and will probably shift hands again this year. There's a very real threat of conflict with Ireland and reigniting violence, the country has seen major blows to its economy (though the British pound has had growth only recently), and there is an intense anxiety that is striking the nation over the issue.
Parliament has until October 31st to either push back their leaving of the EU, decide they will stay in the EU or, officially leave the EU without a formal plan.
her push back their leaving of the EU, decide they will stay in the EU or, officially leave the EU without a formal plan.
Admit One: EKU Free Application Week Ends On The 15th
EKU is waiving their application fee until midnight on September 15th. The normal fee is $35, but anyone with a completed application and an official high school transcript can apply right now for no cost. Simply enter the code “EKUFREEAPP”. EKU also now uses Common App, a standardized application organization, in order to simplify the application process.
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On August 25, 2019, Bernie Sanders gathered a crowd at the Muhammed Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Bernie Sanders previously ran for president back in the 2016 election against the current U.S. President, Donald Trump. Although according to Sanders, the purpose of his Sunday rally was not to solely ask for political support. In fact, Bernie spent the majority of his time discussing Kentucky’s Senator Mitch McConnell and his actions over the past few years. Mitch McConnell was elected in 2015 and is up for re-election in just a few short months. Bernie has so far opposed Mitch’s actions as a Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate.
Shortly after Bernie took the stage on Sunday, he called for Senator McConnell to listen. He proceeded to say that McConnell should “stop using his office to simply represent the wealthy and the powerful and billionaire campaign contributors, but to start representing the working families of Kentucky and The United States.” Bernie Sanders’ campaign heavily focuses on the working class by recently advocating for the working men and women of America. He discussed that the minimum wage “has not been raised in 10 years to a living wage at least $15 an hour.” His main reason for this agenda is because Sanders believes, “a job should lift Americans out of poverty, not keep them in.” He further advocated for workers’ rights earlier in the day of his Sunday rally. News station WLKY reported, “Senator Bernie Sanders met with striking AT&T workers Sunday before his rally in Louisville.”
Bernie didn’t stop there. He wants McConnell to change his mind to be in favor of what Bernie explains as “crises.” His crises including: housing, education, the tax system, women’s choice, gun safety, and more. Sanders proceeded to explain that, “he [McConnell] is refusing to allow a vote on any of the bills that have been introduced in the Senate or already passed in the House to address these crises.” He believes the resolve, discussion, debate, and vote of these issues is necessary for Kentucky, and ultimately for America.
During the week prior to the Sunday rally, Sanders announced his Green New Deal. He previously advocated for the environment during his 2016 campaign. This time Bernie has outlined a detailed plan for what he’d begin acting on if he wins the presidential election next year. He briefly discussed it at the rally and began with “there is nothing more important than leaving this country and the entire planet healthy and habitable.” The main point of his Green New Deal is to become energy efficient globally.
Since a lot of Kentucky currently supports their families with their jobs in the mining industry, coal being a fossil fuel, Bernie clarified, “coal miners are not my enemy, workers in the fossil fuel industry are not my enemy, climate change is our enemy.” According to Sanders’ official campaign website, a solution to dismantling the use of fossil fuels in the American economy will transition those current jobs to jobs in sustainable energy. Upon his potential presidential election in 2020, he guarantees, “five years of a worker’s current salary, housing assistance, job training, health care, pension support, and priority job placement for any displaced worker, as well as early retirement support for those who choose it or can no longer work.” No other campaign members have promised such “radical” ideologies.
Bernie Sanders remains one of the top three Democratic candidates, along with Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.
Greta Thunberg: The Swedish Teenager Thawing Hearts
Mason Scott
In September of 2018, Greta Thunberg was sitting outside the Swedish Parliament building with a homemade sign. Now, just shy of a year later, she is in New York City in preparation for her speech in front of the UN Climate Action Summit.
Thunberg claims she is “just saying what scientists have been saying for decades.” However, as the 16 year old that sparked the international school strike movement, her message is much more potent than any data or research. Thunberg landed in the U. S. on August 28th after two weeks at sea, opting to sail rather than fly in order to reduce her carbon footprint. Two days later, she joined American teenagers in a protest for climate action outside the UN headquarters. “Greta being here will really galvanise students just because of how much of an inspiration she is. Everyone who’s been striking on Friday was really empowered by Greta and the action she was taking.” says Alexandria Villaseñor, a 14 year old who was inspired by Thunberg to demonstrate outside the UN every Friday for the past 9 months.
Greta Thunberg first rose to fame after Swedish social media startup We Don’t Have Time posted a picture of her outside the Swedish Parliament building. Since then, her “Fridays for Future” campaign has inspired more than 2 million students from several different countries to strike in the name of immediate climate action.
In March, Thunberg was nominated for a Nobel Prize for her work in climate activism, with one of the Norwiegan MPs that nominated her saying that “Greta Thunberg has launched a mass movement which I see as a major contribution to peace.” In May, she appeared on the front of Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world.
Thunberg has become the target of a flurry of criticism in recent months from conservative pundits. In July, she spoke in front of the French parliament against the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) while conservative MPs hurled insults at her like “guru of the apocalypse” and “Nobel prize of fear” and attempted to boycott her speech. Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt has called her in an op-ed article “freakish” and “deeply disturbed” in statements that have been widely condemned by figures on both the left and right. Thunberg, who has autism, responded to the offensive statements by Bolt and others by declaring that “It's quite hilarious when the only thing people can do is mock you, or talk about your appearance or personality, as it means they have no argument or nothing else to say.” Her detractors often compare her following to that of a “cult”, and Andrew Banks, the co-founder of the Leave EU campaign, even joked about her drowning on her way to the U.S. Even the secretary-general of the oil cartel OPEC has condemned her attacks on the oil industry as “unscientific”.
While Thunberg’s message is centered on climate activism, she laments the fact that schoolchildren like her are the ones that have to take action.” I am indeed ‘deeply disturbed’ about the fact that these hate and conspiracy campaigns are allowed to go on and on and on just because we children communicate and act on the science.” She tweeted. “Where are the adults?”
Thunberg claims she is “just saying what scientists have been saying for decades.” However, as the 16 year old that sparked the international school strike movement, her message is much more potent than any data or research. Thunberg landed in the U. S. on August 28th after two weeks at sea, opting to sail rather than fly in order to reduce her carbon footprint. Two days later, she joined American teenagers in a protest for climate action outside the UN headquarters. “Greta being here will really galvanise students just because of how much of an inspiration she is. Everyone who’s been striking on Friday was really empowered by Greta and the action she was taking.” says Alexandria Villaseñor, a 14 year old who was inspired by Thunberg to demonstrate outside the UN every Friday for the past 9 months.
Greta Thunberg first rose to fame after Swedish social media startup We Don’t Have Time posted a picture of her outside the Swedish Parliament building. Since then, her “Fridays for Future” campaign has inspired more than 2 million students from several different countries to strike in the name of immediate climate action.
In March, Thunberg was nominated for a Nobel Prize for her work in climate activism, with one of the Norwiegan MPs that nominated her saying that “Greta Thunberg has launched a mass movement which I see as a major contribution to peace.” In May, she appeared on the front of Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world.
Thunberg has become the target of a flurry of criticism in recent months from conservative pundits. In July, she spoke in front of the French parliament against the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) while conservative MPs hurled insults at her like “guru of the apocalypse” and “Nobel prize of fear” and attempted to boycott her speech. Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt has called her in an op-ed article “freakish” and “deeply disturbed” in statements that have been widely condemned by figures on both the left and right. Thunberg, who has autism, responded to the offensive statements by Bolt and others by declaring that “It's quite hilarious when the only thing people can do is mock you, or talk about your appearance or personality, as it means they have no argument or nothing else to say.” Her detractors often compare her following to that of a “cult”, and Andrew Banks, the co-founder of the Leave EU campaign, even joked about her drowning on her way to the U.S. Even the secretary-general of the oil cartel OPEC has condemned her attacks on the oil industry as “unscientific”.
While Thunberg’s message is centered on climate activism, she laments the fact that schoolchildren like her are the ones that have to take action.” I am indeed ‘deeply disturbed’ about the fact that these hate and conspiracy campaigns are allowed to go on and on and on just because we children communicate and act on the science.” She tweeted. “Where are the adults?”
Panic! at the Midway
Emily Richardson
Fair-goers had “high hopes” that this year’s fair would be incident free...up until fear of a mass shooting caused panic and chaos. A single gunshot was fired into the air followed by “large groups of juveniles congregating and setting off firecrackers in different locations” according to Kentucky State Police. The shot was fired right before 11pm on the night of Saturday the 17th and once the firecrackers began going off, people were sent into a frenzy. Fair-goers were running, screaming “shooter”, and searching for places to hide. Kentucky State Police got numerous calls with reports of a mass shooting at the fair. With the increased amount of mass shootings recently, people did not think twice about a mass shooting occurring, they were not surprised.
Officers only discovered one shell casing at the site of the incident. They then tracked this back to the weapon, which had been used in a Louisville- area crime earlier this month, providing leads to find the individuals who were involved. According to state police, a 15-year old boy from Louisville fired the shot at the Kentucky State Fair. Police do not believe that he had bad intentions, but he was charged with first degree wanton endangerment, as well as possession of a weapon by a minor. As well as the 15-year-old who fired the single shot, 2 adults and 7 juveniles were arrested that night, to later be cited then released, according to the Courier Journal.
Along with arrests, Kentucky State Police also changed the entry hours to the fair for teens. Teens and children had to be accompanied by someone over the age of 21 in order to enter the fair after 6pm.
When president Donald Trump came in to town, Mayor Greg Fischer wrote him a letter asking to meet with Trump, but received no response, so Fischer met with NPR’s Ailsa Chang instead. Fischer was asked what he would have said to Trump had they met. Fischer said he would have told Trump that “practically all of America is looking for common sense gun safety reform. Whether it be background checks, whether it be assault weapons, (...) these are not radical ideas in terms of gun safety. What’s radical is that nothing is being done right now.” You may be wondering what Louisville is doing to prevent incidents such as this from happening again. Well, loose state gun laws in Kentucky prevent the mayor from doing anything for Louisville specifically. When asked about this, Fischer said “Kentucky unfortunately has very loose gun safety laws here."
When Fischer was asked by Chang how the citizens feel regarding the issue of gun violence, he responded with “Americans, Louisvillians, [they] are just tired. You know, when you think you can go to a shopping center, to a ballgame, and you’re worried about being gunned down- and unfortunately, we know it’s going to happen in another city sometime soon so something has to be done. A leader must step up.” Fischer continues to say how law enforcement, who is closest to the citizens, is saying that gun control needs to be enforced, because it is what the citizens want and need. Fischer believes that people need to “abandon this as a partisan issue and embrace it as a human issue, an American issue.”
In his letter to Trump, Mayor Fischer advocates for expanding background checks and a ban on assault weapons. He says that “this issue needs to stay front and center. It’s not just the mass shootings that make the headlines. It’s the daily drumbeats of deaths that we see in our country, [such as] suicide by gun.” Trump has called for expanding background checks following recent mass shootings but has backed down numerous times due to his connection with the NRA. Trump covered his change of plans by saying that the nation already has “very strong background checks right now” and that he is more focused on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. Kentucky representative Mitch McConnell was called upon by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to let his chamber vote on a bill which would mandate universal background checks for gun purchases. McConnell responded by saying that he would push legislation only if President Trump was fully on board and it had widespread support among Republicans in the senate.
So whether it’s a false alarm at the state fair or a mass shooting such as what occurred recently in Texas and Ohio, gun violence remains one of the main issues we’re facing as a society.
Officers only discovered one shell casing at the site of the incident. They then tracked this back to the weapon, which had been used in a Louisville- area crime earlier this month, providing leads to find the individuals who were involved. According to state police, a 15-year old boy from Louisville fired the shot at the Kentucky State Fair. Police do not believe that he had bad intentions, but he was charged with first degree wanton endangerment, as well as possession of a weapon by a minor. As well as the 15-year-old who fired the single shot, 2 adults and 7 juveniles were arrested that night, to later be cited then released, according to the Courier Journal.
Along with arrests, Kentucky State Police also changed the entry hours to the fair for teens. Teens and children had to be accompanied by someone over the age of 21 in order to enter the fair after 6pm.
When president Donald Trump came in to town, Mayor Greg Fischer wrote him a letter asking to meet with Trump, but received no response, so Fischer met with NPR’s Ailsa Chang instead. Fischer was asked what he would have said to Trump had they met. Fischer said he would have told Trump that “practically all of America is looking for common sense gun safety reform. Whether it be background checks, whether it be assault weapons, (...) these are not radical ideas in terms of gun safety. What’s radical is that nothing is being done right now.” You may be wondering what Louisville is doing to prevent incidents such as this from happening again. Well, loose state gun laws in Kentucky prevent the mayor from doing anything for Louisville specifically. When asked about this, Fischer said “Kentucky unfortunately has very loose gun safety laws here."
When Fischer was asked by Chang how the citizens feel regarding the issue of gun violence, he responded with “Americans, Louisvillians, [they] are just tired. You know, when you think you can go to a shopping center, to a ballgame, and you’re worried about being gunned down- and unfortunately, we know it’s going to happen in another city sometime soon so something has to be done. A leader must step up.” Fischer continues to say how law enforcement, who is closest to the citizens, is saying that gun control needs to be enforced, because it is what the citizens want and need. Fischer believes that people need to “abandon this as a partisan issue and embrace it as a human issue, an American issue.”
In his letter to Trump, Mayor Fischer advocates for expanding background checks and a ban on assault weapons. He says that “this issue needs to stay front and center. It’s not just the mass shootings that make the headlines. It’s the daily drumbeats of deaths that we see in our country, [such as] suicide by gun.” Trump has called for expanding background checks following recent mass shootings but has backed down numerous times due to his connection with the NRA. Trump covered his change of plans by saying that the nation already has “very strong background checks right now” and that he is more focused on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. Kentucky representative Mitch McConnell was called upon by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to let his chamber vote on a bill which would mandate universal background checks for gun purchases. McConnell responded by saying that he would push legislation only if President Trump was fully on board and it had widespread support among Republicans in the senate.
So whether it’s a false alarm at the state fair or a mass shooting such as what occurred recently in Texas and Ohio, gun violence remains one of the main issues we’re facing as a society.