China's National Day Miltary Parade Celebrates 70 Years of the Communist Party

Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/world/asia/china-national-day-hong-kong-protests.html

Summary: On September 30th China held a military parade commemerating the 70th anniversary of communist rule in China. The parade took place on Chang An Avenue in Beijing and saw 15,000 Chinese troops march in unification. Today's parade kicks off a week of events surronding China's National Day and other celebrations of the country's standing as a World Power. 

Reaction: Its pretty crazy to see massive military parades happening in foreign countries when we have nothing like it in America. It's also interesting to see how other world powers react to this obvious show of force by China. I wonder how much new technology and weapons China doesn't show off in these parades in order to keep secret. 

Connection to U.S. History: Obviously because this parade is celebrating 70 years of communism in China this has been around for a while. In the Cold War America fought to prevent the spread of communism and instead promote capitalism. China's communist society adapted many things from the Soviet Union, many of which America doesn't agree with.

Questions for Discussion: What is your opinion on Military Parades? Do you think that the U.S. should consider having a military parade?

First Subpoena in Trump’s Impeachment Inquiry Issued

Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/politics/house-democrats-impeachment-trump.html

Summary: After news of Trump’s potential corrupt interference with the 2020 election and the House of Representatives’ decision to proceed with an impeachment inquiry, House Democrats have issued their first subpoena to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, demanding documents and witnesses to further explain Trump’s conversation with the president of Ukraine. More subpoenas and a potential impeachment hearing are to follow in the coming days. Additionally, the first Republican House member has publicly shown support for this inquiry. The Trump administration risks being additionally charged in the impeachment inquiry with obstructing Congress if they were to not submit to the subpoena.

Reaction: I am glad that the House Democrats are working to proceed with this impeachment process, as a lot of Trump's actions during his time as president have been very questionable and unprofessional. Additionally, I do not agree with many of his policies, so I support him being impeached.

In US history: This is similar to previous attempts to impeach presidents Nixon and Bush, in the 1970s and 2000s. Bush was criticized for authorizing unwarranted wiretaps on Americans during international calls, which was illegal, as well as for lying to the American public to garner support for war against Iraq. Nixon was criticized for Watergate, in which his administration was involved with a break-in of the Democratic National Committee's offices.

Do you agree with the House's decision to attempt an impeachment of Trump? How do you think that this will affect the next election?

Overturn of Trumps wall voted by House Once Again Leads Falls Below Veto-Proof Majority

Link to Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-votes-to-overturn-trumps-national-emergency-to-fund-border-wall--but-falls-short-of-veto-proof-majority/2019/09/27/ebc4b9a0-e128-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html

Summary: This became the second time that Congress had pushed for a resolution to halt the funding for the border wall. The reason this came up again was due to recent reports from the pentagon stating that $3.6 billion in military construction projects were being canceled because of payment needed for trumps wall which convinced the democrats that more republicans would side with them in voting to pass the veto-proof majority. This did not fall through with only 11 republicans for the House and Senate. This resulted in an uproar between democrats and republicans from democrats such as representative Peter A. Defazio stated " Cutting funds from the military who need facilities for their troops... all for a stupid wall" and as well as republican representative Greg Murphy mocking the Democrats " We want to open the border up....and say that laws no longer sanctified in this country"

Reaction: The conflict regarding trump's wall does not surprise me at all as we've seen before how extreme it gets with examples such as the government shutdown that was a direct result from the conflicts of funding for "The Wall". It will definitely be interesting to what extent the democrats and republicans will go to protect their belief and how this will impact the congress voting.

Historical connection: Relating to history this event reminds me of the construction of the U.S. Constitution as many states wanted different things to fit their goals or their desires and most were met with "The Great Compromise" of 1787 where the House and the Senate were introduced.

Discussion Question: Do you think any type of compromise will ever be met regarding "The Wall's" funding? What would it take for both sides to reach an agreement?

The 'OK' Hand Gesture Is Now Listed As A Symbol Of Hate

Link: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/26/764728163/the-ok-hand-gesture-is-now-listed-as-a-symbol-of-hate



Summary: On September 26th, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) added the OK gesture to the "Hate on Display" database, branding it as a hate symbol. The reason for this was the OK symbol has been adopted by White Supremacists in memes and other images promoting hate. Even though it originally started out as a form of a joke, the widespread use of this gesture has grown to encompass supremacist beliefs.

Reaction: I think that it's terrible that a simple gesture that signals "all is well" has turned into a symbol of hate. The fact that white supremacists are invading daily life with their socially harming ideals is a huge cause for concern. The ADL branding the gesture as a hate symbol also backs the rest of the country into a corner as well, because this gesture was one out of thirty-six to be added to the database. If this continues, all jokes will be associated with hate and supremacy in one way or another.

Connection to US History: Even though freedom of expression is protected by the Bill of Rights, there are limits to what can be said or expressed. For example, in 1798, John Adams signed a bill that made it illegal to criticize an official without court backup.

Questions: Should the US government take after the ADL and legally ban hate symbols? What should be done about the spread of gestures as symbols of supremacy?

Afghanistan Prepares for Presidential Election Despite Worries of Fraud and Violence

Link to story: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/765080715/afghanistan-is-holding-elections-amid-worries-of-fraud-and-violence

Summary: Afghanistan's fourth presidential election will be held this coming Saturday. Many are worried that this election will not help the country by establishing a new leader, but rather promote more instability and disputes over the results of the election. Many voting centers are closed due to security concerns and Taliban control. The two front runners, incumbent President Ashraf Ghani, and competitor Abdullah Abdullah, had a very close election in 2014, in which crisis was only averted due to a compromise negotiated by John Kerry, who was then the US Secretary of State. However, many think that the Trump administration would be unlikely to do something similar if the need arises. All of these factors have caused major doubt in the results of the upcoming election.

Reaction: A big cause of the current instability in Afghanistan is the failure of talks between the US and the Taliban, so I hope that the US government will help establish the Afghan government if necessary. I think that this election is very important for the future of US relations with Afghanistan, and the US needs to ensure that this election goes smoothly. 

Historical Connection: Afghanistan has had deep-rooted problems with political instability and terrorist organizations for many years, with the Taliban being the primary cause of the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The US and UN have long attempted to help form a stable Afghan government, but they have been unsuccessful.

Question for Discussion: What do you think the US government should do to help establish the Afghan government? Should the US intervene at all? What do you think has been the biggest factor in Afghanistan's ongoing instability?

Native American Tribes Fight to Protect Sacred Land from Logging, Oil pipelines, and a Billion Dollar Telescope

https://amp.businessinsider.com/native-americans-fight-for-environment-and-their-culture-2019-9

Summary: Native American tribe lands are being threatened by tree logging, oil pipelines, and other
scientific experiments and developments. This is happening to multiple Native American tribes all over
America.Some examples in the article include the Tilngit people in Alaska with the Tongass forest in
danger of being cut down, the native Hawaiians opposing a telescope being built on Mauna Kea, a
scared summit. And the last tribe mentioned in this article is the Sioux tribe protesting the construction of
oil pipes through the Dakotas, Iowa, and Illinois. Some of these projects have been halted due to the
natives protesting and filing lawsuits but they are not being stopped.

Reaction: I was surprised to see the government and companies try to take land away from the Native
Americans. Since we’ve already taken so much of their land and resources, I would think that we should
respect their land rights. In addition, in most of these cases, the land was given to the native tribes as an
apology by the government for the harsh treatment they’ve endured. To take that land away and build
over it now is not right. 

Historical Connection: This situation where the Native Americans’ land is being taken away connects
back to when European settlers discovered America. When the Europeans discovered America, they
immediately started claiming land and building colonies on it. This in turn caused conflicts with Native
Americans because this was their land that the Europeans were claiming and building on and it is
causing conflict in the same way today

Questions for Discussion: How can we balance building new projects and furthering technology with
preserving Native American land? What are your thoughts on this situation?

Pentagon to Send 200 Troops, an Air-Defense Missile Battery, and Radars to Saudi Arabia

Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/world/middleeast/troops-defense-saudi-pentagon.html



Summary: On September 26, the Pentagon sent roughly 200 troops, missiles, and radars to assist Saudi Arabia after an attack on the their oil refinery on September 14. Though Iran claims that they had no involvement in such an attack, both American and Saudi officials blamed them. The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, called the oil attack on Saudi Arabia an "act of war," and Jonathan Hoffman (spokesperson for the Pentagon) justified their dispatch of more military arms by claiming that it is a demonstration of commitment to their allies and a way to stabilize the Middle East.

Reaction: I am curious as to how this would further affect the US-Iran relationship in the future. After the fall of the Iran Nuclear Deal in the beginning of the year, tensions between the two nuclear armed nations continue to grow and intensify. Though the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been going on for a long time, the three nations need to find a fair way to achieve peace soon, or there could potentially be a nuclear war.

Connection to US History: During the Cold War, the United States had increasing nuclear tensions with the Soviet Union, which continued to grow as time went by. In order to attain more allies, President Truman passed the Truman Doctrine, a policy where the US supported the free people with military aid to fight for their independence from outside forces.

Question for Discussion: How do you think this will affect future relations between the US and the Middle East? What is your opinion on the fall of the Iran Nuclear Deal back in May?

Are video games really as bad as people think?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/learning/whats-so-bad-about-video-games.amp.html



Summary: Many people think that video games are not very beneficial, and in most cases harmful to people, mainly children. They believe that video games are just a waste of time and many in fact believe that these games might be the source of many violent outbreaks including school and mass shootings. They also believe that video games are nothing but a setback to kids' intellectual and social growth, while in most cases and studies show the exact opposite. Most kids would testify that these video games in fact made them more social, they can talk to friends all the time and talk to people all over the world.

Reaction: Video games in general are beneficial, when you do not get addicted. Many video games are centered around being a team, playing as one and using communication to win. This brings people together and allows these kids to be more social. Most FPS(First Person Shooter) games have had studies show that most kids' motor skills had in fact increased after spending time playing these FPS games. You just have to monitor your time plying these games, and cannot get addicted, as this will turn all these upsides into downsides very quickly.

Historical Connection: Ever since video games, even the television, have been invented, many have been scrutinizing them saying they impede kids' social lives and their school work and effort. There have been many, many studies to show that video games aren't as bad as many think they are, but most just turn their heads and decide not to listen to these studies.

Questions for discussion: Do you believe video games are as bad as most think they are, or do you side with the science and believe they are beneficial to today's youth? Why?

Do you think parents should limit their kid's time spent on these video games?

Anti-Vaccine movement is threatening America's "measles-free" status

Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/health/anti-vaccination-movement-us.html?searchResultPosition=2

Image:

Summary: The anti-vaccine movement has been around for a long time but it has become more widespread among parents in recent years, posing as a threat to America’s “measles-free” status. These anti-vaccinators are mostly made up of parents who believe that doctors shouldn’t be dictating the medical decisions of children. This movement became more well known in the 1980s when a documentary came out about vaccines which discussed the side effects of vaccines like seizures and autism. Doctors have criticized the show as inaccurate but this still caused fear to spread among parents. This year, seven states have reported that the rates for the M.M.R (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine have dropped a lot more amongst kindergarteners this year. The huge drop in the numbers signals that there is a higher chance of a deadly contagious diseases spreading among schools and in the U.S. Public health experts say that parents who are not getting their kids vaccinated think that these diseases won’t be deadly but it’s because they have either forgotten or have never experienced how deadly these diseases are.

Reaction: It is surprising to me that people still are not vaccinating their kids considering the fact that both medicine and science are very advanced today. I think that these parents need to hear what the experts have to say about not vaccinating their children. This movement is concerning because of possible outbreaks of smallpox and measles which could be deadly to anyone whether they are vaccinated or not. I think that schools should have a requirement for all kids to be vaccinated before being allowed to attend school to protect other kids at school and also possibly prevent an outbreak of deadly diseases from happening.

Historical Connection: There have been anti-vaccine movements since 1796 when Edward Jenner invented the smallpox vaccine. When this vaccine arrived in the 13 colonies in the 1800s, many colonists supported it because it was able to get rid of the deadly diseases. The group that strongly opposed vaccinations was the middle class. The middle class didn’t believe in the government, science, or medicine. They organized groups and held meetings to plan rebellion but failed when nearly all states passes the requirements for vaccination.

Questions for discussion: Is it right for parents to not vaccinate their kids? Why or why not?

What are your thoughts on the possible outbreak of measles?

Texas Shooting Brings New Urgency to Gun Debate in Congress

Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/01/us/politics/texas-shooting-gun-control.html

Image:

Summary: American citizens are outraged and demanding for the government to implement stricter gun safety laws after recent shootings in Texas and Ohio. White House officials have been in bipartisan talks with senators who are supporting tighter background checks in order to purchase a firearm and so-called “red flag laws.” The laws make it easier for enforcement officers to take guns from people deemed dangerous by a judge who issues a special type of order called an “extreme risk protection order.” The White House also explored other ideas including the death penalty for mass shooters and so-called lie-and-try laws to encourage the prosecution of those who lie on background check forms. Democrats are in favor of banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. No agreement has been reached about these laws and will depend on whether the president, who has been consulting with the National Rifle Association, is willing to stand up to the powerful gun rights lobbying group.

Reaction: The US governments needs to start finalizing gun control laws now because our nation continues to have an ongoing problem with gun and weaponry violence. The “right to bear arms” doesn't include military weapons capable of daily mass murder. Armed force members and police officers should only practice military weapons in training or combat exclusively. No one else should have access to military style weapons. I think that American citizens should be able to vote on these kinds of issues - a national referendum. Citizens voting on ballot initiatives is the only way anything gets done. A national ballot initiative on gun controls would show where Americans really stand. The Congress has been useless when it comes to the death of several innocent citizens including elementary school students.

Connection to US History: The Second Amendment provides U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. The amendment became ratified in December 1791 and says: Having just used guns and other arms to ward off the English. This shows how the amendment was originally created to give citizens the opportunity to fight back against a tyrannical federal government. The second amendment has impacted society today by allowing United States citizens to own a firearm for self-protection or self-defense. 

Questions for Discussion: Do you think stricter background checks will make a difference? Should this country stop selling assault weapons to the general public? Is the 2nd Amendment a mistake?

President Trump Pushes Ukraine to Look Into Joe Biden and His Son

     

Link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-to-release-transcript-of-trumps-ukraine-call-as-impeachment-efforts-begin-11569403803

        

Summary: A day after Nancy Pelosi and the House made public their decision to move forward with an impeachment inquiry against Trump, an anonymous whistleblower report was publicized with transcriptions of a phone call between Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. In the transcripts, Trump is heard urging Zelensky to look into Presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, saying the United States does a lot for Ukraine in a guilting manner. So far, both Trump and Zelensky have claimed there was no pressure, and Trump passed it off as a "nothing call," with the Department of Justice backing him in saying "there was no campaign finance violation and that no further action was warranted."

Reaction: Based on Trump's past, I don't find the release of this transcript surprising or out of character. However, I'm very interested to see how this will affect the 2020 Presidential elections, and who will be the Republican candidate after this release. I think Trump often acts out like this, and has previously been know to criticize Biden and other members of politics. I think that it's wrong not to hold him against his words, however with insufficient evidence, it's fair (by law) that he shouldn't be punished for this phone call. 

Connection to US History: In 1972, Nixon's watergate scandal was very similar to what Trump is going through now. Nixon's political motives in breaking into the Democratic Party headquarters at watergate to gain dirt on political opponents gained an abundance of surveillance. Although Nixon resigned from office, many people believe had he not taken those actions, he would've been impeached.

Discussion Questions: What actions do you think should be held against political figures in cases of espionage? Do you think the actions taken against Trump were just?

Coast Guards bust another narco sub carrying 12,000 pounds of Cocaine

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/the-coast-guard-busted-another-narco-sub-carrying-12000-pounds-of-cocaine/ar-AAHMzet?ocid=spartanntp



Summary: This month the US coast guard with the help of the Colombian Navy seized a narco sub carrying 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth $165 million dollars. These narco subs are homemade vessels made in the jungles of Colombia that can be semi-submerged to avoid detection. Over the last four years these narco subs, which can be 40 feet long and reach up to 22 knots have become more and more sophisticated with state of the art components that can cost one to two million dollars.

Reaction: I think it is pretty fascinating how creative these smugglers have become to turn a profit. It is also reassuring to see the coast guards being successful in their efforts to thwart these smuggling operations. However it is also concerning seeing how clever these smugglers have gotten which means we don't truly know how much cocaine is still being smuggled into the country.  The busting of this operation will most likely see more improvements to the narco subs which could mean a higher success rate of smuggled cocaine which is also a downside.

Connection to US history: With the banning of alcohol during Prohibition in the 1920s many Mafia groups turned to organized bootlegging, which was essentially the smuggling of alcohol. Like alcohol during Prohibition, cocaine is illegal and highly sought after drug which means the gangs can make a considerable profit from it.

Questions: Are we doing enough to prevent the illegal shipments of cocaine? What steps can we take to stop the smuggling of cocaine?  

Another Parent Convicted For Cheating Their Child into College

Link: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/24/us/parent-college-admissions-sentence/index.html

Summary: Devin Sloane, the CEO of a water providing company, was sentenced to 4 months in prison, pay a $95,000 fine, and serve an additional 500 hours of community service for his involvement in a college admissions bribing scheme. He paid around $250,000 in total for his plan to have his son admitted to the University of Southern California. His son pretended to be a professional water polo player for the Italian National Team and a Los Angeles team, although he had never played water polo in his life. After creating the fake athlete profile, he then bribed the senior assistant athletics director to force his child into the school through an athletics admission.

Reaction: I find it surprising that people get involved in such things because more likely than not, people will find out, and they'll end up facing many consequences for something that could have been easily avoided. It's similar to plagiarism, because you often end up on the wrong side of things, but had you not done that, you would have been better off. I don't understand why the parents would try to cheat their child into college, because if the child doesn't have the grades or SAT score needed to get into certain colleges, then that's mostly his fault, not the parents' fault.

Historical Connection: This connects to the foundation of early colleges, which were first introduced in the US soon after the first colonies were established, with Harvard being the first in 1636. Highly touted colleges are often some of the oldest and have very low admission rates, but nowadays some people try to find ways to illegally get their children into these schools.

Questions: Do you think the children that are part of this scandal should be punished for going along with their parents' plan? Why/why not? What would you have done if you were the child in this story? Would you cheat your way into some of the best colleges as a student, knowing the consequences that can potentially come along?

Trump Will Hold Session on Religious Persecution Instead of Attending UN Climate Summit

LINK: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/politics/trump-un-climate-summit-religious-persecution-session/index.html

Summary: On September 20, 2019, the world had a global climate strike, and the United Nations plans to meet on September 23, 2019 to address the climate situation that faces the world right now. President Donald Trump, although should be representing America in the United Nations, has other plans to hold a conference about religious persecution. He will be at the UN Headquarters in New York at the same time as the meeting, however has his own agenda for the trip. Although Trump will not attending the summit, the US will have a representative (the secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs). Many world powers like Germany, China, and India will be speaking in and attending this meeting.

Reaction: Although religious freedoms and persecution is important and should be addressed as well, I believe that shedding light to the climate change act is more relevant in this case because of the strike that many all over the world participated in. People want to see change happen and I think that the citizens of the US will be upset, but not surprised by the president's lack of attention to the subject. I think it is important for everyone to be involved with the climate change movement

Historical Connection: For decades the United Nations has been an effective force on world change and addressing conflicts. When the United Nations was formed in 1945, it was to prevent future conflicts, and although climate change is not necessarily a conflict between nations, it has proven that the UN is effective in solving world issues.

Discussion Questions: What are your opinions on Trump's level of attention (reflected by the article) to this subject? What do you think will get accomplished by the climate summit and will it be effective in addressing the climate change issue?

Trump cancels secret US meeting with Afghan Taliban

Link to Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49624132

Image:

Summary:
This article is on Trumps cancelation of his meeting with the Taliban to end America's 18-year war in Afghanistan. Trump cancels his meeting at the last second as a result of gaining knowledge that Taliban militants were behind a recent attack that killed a US soldier. At the time, the Taliban had never agreed to stop violent acts against Afghan and its foreign inhabitants as the peace talks were taking place. The recent escalations of violence has deepened fears that the daily fighting in Afghanistan will not end.

Reaction:
I believe that Trumps decision to cancel the peace negotiations before the signing was a bad idea. While I see that the death of a US Soldier during the negotiations is definitely something to be upset about, I do not believe that Trump should have canceled the negotiations. I believe he should have continued with the signings because the peace negotiations would have ended one of the longest wars in US history, and because "As part of the proposed deal, the US would have withdrawn 5,400 troops within 20 weeks, in return for Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan would never again be used as a base for terrorism." meaning that there wouldn't be a need for more deaths to occur as a result of warfare.

Connection to US History:
This connects to US history because the War in Afghanistan is currently known as the longest war in US history. Ever since 2001, when the United States of America and its allies successfully drove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, the war has been fought between the combined forces of US and Afghan government troops against Taliban insurgents.

Questions for discussion:
1. Do you believe Trump made a good decision in canceling the meeting? Why or why not?
2. What should the US do to end the 18 year war with Afghanistan?

Edward Snowden Published his memoir "Permanent Record," that reported how the NSA is storing your information.

Pictured on left is whistle blower Edward Snowden. Pictured on right is National Security Agency headquarters.

Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/761918152/exiled-nsa-contractor-edward-snowden-i-haven-t-and-i-won-t-cooperate-with-russia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PArFP7ZJrtg
Summary:
Edward Snowden a former employee of the National Security Agency(NSA) gave several documents to the press in 2013 relating to surveillance of unsuspecting Americans. He then attempted to flee to South America but his flight was stopped in Russia, where he eventually gained asylum. His memoir Permanent Record recounts how the NSA surveilled information on the public taken from internet service providers, tapped cellphone towers, and other recordings obtained from devices owned by private citizens.  This information is indefinitely stored in a government database that the NSA can access any time they want anywhere they want. Snowden felt that it was his duty to protect the Constitution of the United States' fourth amendment granting freedom of privacy. Snowden is being sued by the Department of Justice for not submitting the manuscript for review.
Reaction:
I knew that the NSA was surveilling many people without our knowing, but review the details was all the more shocking. The degree to witch the United States can monitor the average citizen is shocking and the potential for abuse of power with a system like this makes me wonder if it has any real good use. I also think the way the  Department of Justice responded is clearly a violation freedom of speech and press. Most of all I think it is ridicules that we go after a public servant who wanted to defend the constitution, and not after an agency that is violating our rights to privacy.
Historical Connections: 
The American Black Chamber, a book written in 1931 by Herbert O. Yardley, was another work that revealed the unlawful gathering of information by a United States security agency. Yardley revealed the project known as the Black Chamber that from 1919 to 1929 that intercepted foreign diplomatic messages by cooperating with US cable and telegram companies.
Questions: 
Do you think Snowden did the right thing giving to secret information to the press? How do you feel about the government recording everything you've done? Should the government be held accountable of its actions? Is it more important to serve your country or the people of your country?

Millions Gather Around the World to Protest Climate Change

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/climate/global-climate-strike.html

Summary: Young people flooded the streets around the world to demand change from world leaders and that new actions be put in place to save our planet. It is estimated that roughly 4 million people protested. Berlin had around 100,000 and New York protesters putting their numbers around 250,000. These protests were inspired by 16 year old Greta Thunberg. She  called for people to ditch class that is preparing you for a future that you might not have. They held speeches that demand that many big companies and politicians ditch the use of fossil fuels, in particular Jeff Bezos. There will be a UN conference held this Monday, and only then will we see if our politicians listened.

Reactions: I think that the ability of young people to come together and make a difference is great. This shows our politicians that we as a people care about these issues an we have the ability to make a change. Even if the politicians don't listen the first time, we have the knowledge, passion and ability to do it again.

Connections: This connects to the anti war protests of the Vietnam war. In 1965, students that were a part of members of the leftist organization Students for a Democratic Society would do "teach-ins" at their colleges to protest. This movement later caused an 100,000 person march at the Lincoln memorial.

Questions: Do you believe that this is the most effective way to do this? If not, what is? Should even be doing this?

Sandy Hook Back To School PSA

Sandy Hook Back To School Video

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/09/18/this-back-to-school-psa-sandy-hook-promise-is-punch-gut/%3FoutputType%3Damp

Summary:

On December 14, 2012, a gunman shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. 20 of the 26 killed were 6 and 7 year olds. The Sandy Hook Promise, an organization made to raise awareness and help prevent school shootings, recently released a very powerful video that shows kids turning everyday school items into survival tools in the case of a school shooting. It contains graphic content, so if you are easily offended, this video might not be for you. The article documents some people’s reactions.

Reaction:

This video made the entire problem very real for me. It showed elementary schoolers using everyday school tools like pencils and scissors as a way to survive. School shootings have become pretty frequent in the past 20 years, and its a huge problem. We go to school to learn new things and gain new experiences. School should be a safe place for all and nobody should have the power to threaten that safety. For me personally, I think buying a gun should be a long extensive process full of precaution and background checks and that it shouldn’t be as easy as it is to buy a gun.

Connection to US History:

The right to bear arms was one of the rights the United States of America was founded on. That right has come into question recently, and is currently one of the biggest and most controversial discussion topics out there.

Questions:

Should guns be legal in the US?

How can we make schools safer?

What part of our society is to blame for these shootings?

As Drugmakers Face Opioid Lawsuits, Some Ask: Why Not Criminal Charges Too?

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762455218/as-drugmakers-face-opioid-lawsuits-some-ask-why-not-criminal-charges-too

Summary: Recently, Purdue Pharma, a drug manufacturer has seen many civil lawsuits filed against them. Purdue manufactures Oxycontin, a very addictive painkiller whose prescription and manufacture has been a leading cause in the opiate epidemic which has killed 400,000 people. This article talks about the fact that some senators and other groups have called for criminal charges for Purdue executives, rather than the civil charges that they currently face.
Opinion: These people are basically guilty of murder. Their drug killed 400,000 people, and they were aware that it could. The owners of Purdue are worth 12 billion, so it will be hard to fine them a meaningful amount too.
Connection: Epidemics that are caused intentionally have happened before. We are learning about the native population being wiped out in large part by epidemic right now.
Questions: Is the drug manufacturer responsible for addictions to their drug?
Are Purdue execs criminals?

US Immigration Backlog Exceeds One Million Cases

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/18/politics/immigration-court-backlog/index.html



Summary: Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which keeps track of data and statistics on immigration law, has found that the immigration court system has over one million cases backed up. These cases mainly involve deportation, keeping many migrant family's fates hanging in the air for years at a time. The Trump administration has been attempting to remedy the situation by hiring a 'record number' of new immigration judges, but with little success. Immigration judges attribute the backup to a problem that cannot be fixed so easily – an integral flaw in the way the US' immigration system is designed. Now the American Bar Association is joining groups such as the ACLU to call for a large-scale immigration overhaul.

Reaction: With the massive crackdown the Trump administration has been pushing to detain more and more immigrants it is not surprising to me that there are now too many cases for the system to properly handle. However, it does shock me that a country with such a long history of accepting migrants can have a system that is overwhelmed so easily. To me this definitely highlights major flaws in how the US, specifically with its current leadership, handles immigration.

Historical Connection: This connects to the many laws the US has passed over the years pertaining to the legal status of migrants, such as the Alien Friends Act of 1798, the very first to authorize deportation.

Question: Do you think the US Immigration system needs to be reformed? Is that even realistically possible this far down the line?

Climate crisis is accelerating the global spread of deadly dengue fever

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/18/health/dengue-asia-outbreak-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

Summary: Dengue fever is commonly found in mosquitos during periods of heat and moisture. The mosquito-borne virus, when contracted by humans, causes extreme fevers and headaches - in extreme cases, dengue fever results in organ failure and death. This year in Asia, more cases of the disease have been reported than last year. Asia's increasingly hot and humid climate have created an optimal breeding ground for these disease ridden mosquitoes, resulting in hundreds of thousands becoming infected.

Reaction: This virus, which is similar to Zika and yellow fever, sounds very terrible. While the disease is naturally occurring, it is very unfortunate that its increasingly rapid spread can in part be attributed to the actions of humans. Pollution from big cities and factories is constantly contributing to global warming. Viral outbreaks like this are just another consequence of human activities, in addition to rising temperatures around the world. While it's unlikely that the changes to the Earth's climate can be reversed, hopefully the rapid acceleration of global warming can at least be slowed by enacting tighter emissions regulations around the world. In the meantime, we can all continue to live in a more eco-friendly way.

Connection to US History: While the dengue problem is not really one that's present in the US, the greenhouse gas emissions of the US are definitely contributing to this problem. Back when colonists originally came to North America, one unintended consequence was the spread of foreign diseases to Natives - diseases like smallpox wiped out large numbers of Natives, who lacked immunity. In comparison, the spread of dengue is an unintended consequence of pollution.

Question: What can be done to stop the spread of dengue fever? What other unintended consequences might climate change result in?

Justin Trudeau Wore Brownface at 2001 ‘Arabian Nights’ Party While He Taught at a Private School

Link: https://time.com/5680759/justin-trudeau-brownface-photo/

Image:

Summary:

Around a week after Canada's prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau began his
re-election campaign, an old yearbook photo was released of the prime minister wearing blackface. The
photo was published in the private school's yearbook that he was teaching at. According to witnesses,
he was the only attendee at the "Arabian Nights" themed party to wear blackface. Also, in high school, he
admitted to wearing blackface another time for his school's talent show and performed the song "Day-O"
a well known Jamaican folk song. Trudeau apologized for his actions and also said he "didn't consider it
racist at the time, but now we know better." This was not the first time Trudeau received backlash for
racism; he was also criticized from his "mocking" of Indian attire and culturally insensitive to the
indigenous peoples of Canada

Reaction:

Despite attempting to understand the argument that "it was a different time" or "people were less
sensitive back then," I still believe that dressing up or mocking another race, group, or ethnicity is
completely wrong. Also, the gala only happened 18 years ago, I don't understand how his peers and
coworkers could go along and even welcome Trudeau's "joke."

Connection to History:

This event connects to the unfortunate history of blackface in America starting in the 1830's. White
performers would dress up as people of color, mostly African-Americans and mock their culture and
stereotypes. This entertainment practice continued to be popular among white people until the mid 20th
century.

Questions for Discussions:

Do you think our culture has become drastically more sensitive than the time around Trudeau's party?
If yes, how? Do you think there should be consequences for doing something like this? Especially
someone holding a political office?

Trumps Removes Strict Californian Auto-Emission Laws

Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/climate/trump-california-emissions-waiver.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Summary: The Trump administration is expected to cancel California's authority to set auto emissions rules that are stricter than federal standards. Many protesters from different organizations talk about how repealing these laws would be a huge step backwards on our journey to ending global warming. 

Reaction: I am personally very disappointed that this is occurring especially in a state as big as California, with around 39.56 million people. Our state produces an immense amount of trash and unnecessary emissions, by making the laws more lenient our state is prone to create more waste which is something that our planet cannot afford. If we want to save our planet then we have to create stricter laws and make severe changes to our nation. 

Connection: This is similar to the idea of how natives where treated. They were first able to live freely and had enough room to farm and hunt, but after the europeans started to come in they had less and less area left and were eventually completely pushed away, like how we are consistently putting more and more emissions in the air. We need to make a big change and I believe the only way in doing so is by creating stricter laws, so that it is mandatory to follow. 

Questions: What is your stance on the cancelation of California's authority to set auto emissions rules that are stricter than federal standards? What other ways can help the decretion of climate change? Why do you think the Trump administration does not want California's authority to set auto emission rules that are stricter than federal standards?

Questions: What is your opinion on the e-cigarette epidemic? Why do you think teens are so drawn to e-cigarettes? How do you think we should/should've confronted this issue?

Deep sea explorer sets a record by visiting the deepest spots in all five oceans

Link to article: https://washingtonpost.com/science/deep-sea-explorer-sets-a-record-by-visiting-the-deepest-spots-in-all-5-oceans/2019/09/13/4c8ca15e-d4d0-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html

Image:

Summary: American explorer Victor Vescovo has become the first person to dive to the deepest points in five of the world’s oceans, with the help of his team and submersible, a smaller version of a submarine. He previously descended to the deepest parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, in which he visited the deepest point on the planet (Mariana Trench, 35,853 ft). His most recent expedition took him to the Arctic Ocean between Greenland and Norway, in which he was the first person to reach the seafloor at 18,209 ft below sea level.

Reaction: Reading this article, I realized that I previously didn’t have as good of an understanding of oceanic exploration as I thought I did. I had no idea that we had already developed the technology for single divers to get so deep into various parts of the ocean. Though I do find this very interesting, I wonder why the first in-person expeditions to many of these locations have been for the purpose of enjoyment and not scientific research. On one of his expeditions, Vescovo does encounter a “weird critter that looked like a living balloon on a string,” but had not set out to make discoveries and is not a research scientist.

Connection to US History: This connects to Spain, Portugal, England, and other European nations’ exploration of the New World in the 16th century. Both groups travelled to locations on Earth unfamiliar to them. However, the purposes of 16th century expeditions were to investigate the New World and find ways its resources and inhabitants could create profit for their countries, while Vescovo and his team simply want to experience a unique and exciting environment.

Questions for Discussion: Do Vescovo’s diving expeditions count as exploration if he is not setting out to do research or make discoveries? Why do you think more research hasn’t been done on these deep areas of our oceans if our current technology allows for it? 

Hong Kong tourism falls 40% as protests continue

link: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49630610

Summary:  Hong Kong, known as the Special Administrative region of China, it is also one of the world's most visited city. According to the Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan, from last year the number of visitors decreases by 40%. Although Hong Kong is part of China but it is in a "One country, two systems", the citizens in Hong Kong enjoyed civil liberties. The extradition bill meant to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China, the conflict between protesters in Hong Kong and polices becomes increasingly violent.


Reaction: I am shocked by how the Hong Kong police using such a terrible and cruel way to threaten the protesters, my cousins also witnessed the polices using the tear gas and pepper spray on the protesters.


Connection: This demonstrations might impact the US-China Trade War, and will also impact the economy of Hong Kong and US.  (Hong Kong dollar was pegged at a fixed rate of 7.8 to the US dollar in october 1983 (called the exchange fund).)

Questions: What are your opinions on the protesters action and the police’s action? How do you think that impacted the US-China Trade War? What do you think is the best way to end this demonstration?

The FDA Beats Down on Juul

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/health/vaping-juul-e-cigarettes-fda.html

Summery: E-cigarettes are a huge epidemic hitting America, having already caused five deaths and hundreds hospitalized within the past couple months. In concern for young kids and teens, many people have been beating down on the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, such as Juul, a company that has and continues to market itself as a healthy cigarette alternative. The FDA has expressed their concern about the marketing and sales practices brought on by companies like Juul, and has threatened civil penalization, and seizure of products for not following the court ordered laws on vaping. The FDA demands evidence from e-cigarette companies proving it to be a healthier option than cigarettes and requires companies come into full regulatory authority under the FDA coming May 2020. 

Reaction: I am really disappointed that it has taken this long for action to be taken on these e-cigarettes companies, many people have known about the harmful effects of a drugs like nicotine for years from other big products like cigarettes. The fact that the FDA has taken this long to take action on Juul is also something I feel is concerning, I’m sure that they’ve been aware of Juul and its popularity among people, especially young teens, and you would think that they would show more concern about something so widespread, but they haven’t. From what I see, until now, they really hadn't done all that much, and if what it takes is for people to die for things to change, that just shows that we aren't learning from our mistakes. 

Connection: This directly correlates to Tobacco a product that was grown in the American colonies and eventually became, the popular, cigarette. When the 20th century came, people started to become aware of the negative effects, so big Tobacco companies in America came out with a “healthy” version which was also later shown to have connections to lung cancer, dental problems, etc. This eventually leads to the Federal cigarette labeling and advertising act, lawsuits(which were settled), the banning of use in buses and flights, and eventually 1995 when its announced that the FDA planned to regulate Tobacco. 

Questions: What is your opinion on the e-cigarette epidemic? Why do you think teens are so drawn to e-cigarettes? How do you think we should/should've confronted this issue?