Italian region to pay women not to have abortions

A northern Italian region will not pay women from low-income families to not have an abortion. They will receive $5,500 a year and about $306 per month for the first 18 months. They only will get the money if they change their mind about getting the abortion because of economic reasons. They created a $6.1 million budget to help with the amount of abortions that occur in the Lombardy Region of Italy that borders Switzerland. They want to try to eliminate as many obstacles for the child to be born as possible and believed that the best way to start was with people who can't afford a child. The option to accept the check will be prevented to the women when they go in for the consultations before an abortion. They believe this is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. The fund is called "Nasko" after the Italian word "Nasco" which means "I'm being born." There was about 128,000 abortions performed in Italy last year. England and Whales had 195,743 and the United States had 846,181 in 2006.

I believe that this solution won't work. I believe that more people will just become pregnant for the easy money. I believe that this will make Italy go into debt or further if they already are in debt. I do believe that the United States have more abortions, but we also have more people and as greater land mass. I know that people in the United Stats will keep having kids so that they can have the government programs pay for a lot of what they need to survive. I do know that a lot of people of low-income families will spend their money on cigarettes, going out, lottery, and other unessential items and let the government pay for all of their food and some of their rent. I believe that they could learn how to spend their money more wise and that they then could be able to keep their child and not get an abortion. I believe that if they do this, that Italy could spend their fund on more useful programs like education.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/06/03/italy.abortions/index.html

School expels Pakistani boy, 13, for getting married

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/05/31/sayah.pakistan.expelled.marriage.cnn
Click the link above to learn more and to see some pictures of the wedding.

In Peshawar, Pakistan, a 13-year-old, Gherat Khan has taken his school to court after getting expelled. The boys wife is 16-years-old. Pakistan has no rules for underage marriage. The civil law states that a boy needs to be 18 and a girl 16 to get married. But Islamic law says they can as long as both the people have hit puberty and the parents approve of the marriage, then it can be performed. The reason the got married so young is that his father had passed away and his mother was sick. The family helped him to find a wife that could help with housework, but he does love her too. The school expelled him because they thought that he would share intimate details of married life with the other students. He only wants to finish his education so that he can become a doctor.

I believe that he should be able to go to that school. By not allowing him to attend the school, they are discriminating against him. He knows that he got married young, but he was trying to help out his mom. He got married because his mom is sick and his dad passed away. He needed someone to help him out with the housework since he wants to become a doctor. I can see why he wants to stay at that school because it's close to home and all of his friends are there. If I were Khan, I would first ask my family for help, then my neighbors, and then resort to marriage at the last measure. I'm glad that he found someone he loved, but he has to realize that she gave up her future to help out his. I believe that they both should wait on having children since they are both still children themselves. Also because they both have a lot of responsibilities with taking over all of the housework, school, and taking care Khan's mom.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/31/pakistan.expelled.for.marriage/index.html

Mom of toddler smoker in Indonesia seeks help for him

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/05/31/ctw.damon.indo.baby.smokers.cnn
Click above link to watch the video of the boy smoking.

In Jakarta, Indonesia, there is a two-year-old boy, Aldi, that smokes. Diana, Aldi's mother, says he throws a tantrum when he wants a cigarette. Aldi is nearly twice the weight of boys his age weighing about 44 pounds. Once a video of him circulated the Internet last year, he became an instant celebrity. Smoking has become part of their culture for so long that it isn't even perceived as dangerous. Many parents will hold their baby in one hand and a cigarette in the other hand. Aldi is a victim of him environment. Aldi smokes about 40 cigarettes a day which cost his family about 4 dollars. Aldi's family wants him to quit not for his health, but for the cost of buying cigarettes. Aldi has cut down how much he smokes and both of his parents have quit.

I believe that Albi shouldn't be able to smoke. I also believe that they shouldn't laugh at Albi because it'll want him to smoke more. I believe that Indonesia should put more restrictions on smoking and that they should take Albi away from his parents. I believe that the parents should've stopped him from smoking and not allowed him to smoke. I believe that he needs to go into some sort of treatment center to stop smoking. I also think that he needs to get help with his weight. If he's already double the healthy weight at 2, then he mostly likely will stay overweight. I believe that his parents shouldn't have let him become overweight and smoke just because he throws a tantrum. All kids throw tantrums at some point in their lives. I also believe that Albi's parents should go through some sort of classes or counseling sessions to learn how to keep Albi healthy once he's out of treatment.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/31/indonesia.smoking.baby/index.html?hpt=T3

American boy, 13, breaks Everest record

On Saturday, May 21, 2010, an American boy broke the record for the youngest person to climb Mount Everest. Jordan Romero is 13-years-old from Big Bear, California. The trip up the mountain was tracked by a GPS as her climbed up the 29,028 feet (8,847 meters) above sea level. Before Jordan broke the record, the youngest person was a 16-year-old boy named Temba Tsheri of Nepal. Jordan started his journey up the mountain on the Chinese side because Nepal denied him permission on age grounds. Jordan wants to continue climbing and become a motivational speaker to get obese kids outside and exercising. Jordan has now climbed 6 out of 7 of the Seven Summits. The final summit he has to climb is in Antarctica and he plans to climb Vinson Massif in December.

I'm glad that he broke the record for the youngest person to climb Mount Everest. I believe that if Jordan keeps up with climbing and becomes a motivational speaker, that he can help American children get healthy. I believe that if kids hear the importance of exercise from other kids and not just adults, they'll be more willing to exercise. I also believe that he can get the message through to kids not to give up and just to go for your dreams. I believe that Jordan will be a very motivational kid and will always stay active. I believe that if other kids what he has accomplished, they will feel that they can accomplish what they set their minds to. I could see Jordan becoming a motivational speaker for his career when he's older. I also believe that Jordan will break more records. I believe that he can become the youngest person to climb the most mountains or the Seven Summits. I believe that Jordan is sending a great message to people by his actions about the importance of being outdoors and getting exercise.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/22/teen.mount.everest/index.html

Lebanon claims latest title in 'Hummus War'

Lebanon set a new record for the largest plate of hummus. Lebanon won the title in the continuous war of good eating against Israel. This war has been going on for years between the two countries with each country outdoing the next one of the world's best or largest hummus dish. There were 300 Lebanese chefs, gathered in the village of al-Fanar, that made the dish that weighed 11.5 tons. That turns out to be 23,042 pounds or 10,452 kg. This new weight more than doubled the old record set in January in the Arab-Israel village of Abu Gosh. The old record was more than 4 tons or the average weight of 4 cars. The Lebanese chefs used more than 8 tons of hummus, 2 tons of tahini, 2 tons of lemon juice, and 154 pounds (70kg) of olive oil. Hummus is made of chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, and other ingredients. Hummus is a popular dish in the Middle East. Lebanon is trying to make hummus the national dish like what the Greeks dis with feta cheese. The hummus market is worth $1 billion.

I think it's cool that two different groups of people are having a "friendly war" over hummus. There hasn't been reported violence over the records. I do believe that competing for the hummus record is like competing for the largest pizza in the United States. Everyone would love to have a record, but once it has been broken, then you want it back. I believe that this little "War" will continue for a long time, if not forever. I think it would've been really cool to be at the event when the record was broken, especially since the broke the record by more than doubling it. I also think it's cool that the Arabs and Jews share the same taste in hummus. You normally only hear about all of the fighting in the Mille East and with the religions.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/05/09/lebanon.hummus/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Children's cold, allergy medicine recalled

A recall has been issued for more than 40 over-the-counter children's medicine, including Tylenol and Motrin, because they don't meet quality standards. These aren't being recalled because of adverse medical effects, but parents and caretakers of children shouldn't give these products to children. FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg claims that the change of serious health issues to be "remote." Some of the products recalled may have a higher amount of the active ingredients and some may have an ineffective ingredient that doesn't meet health codes. The recalled products include Tylenol Infants' Drops, Children's Tylenol Suspension, Children's Tylenol plus Suspensions, Motrin Infant Drops, Children's Motrin Suspensions, Children's Zyrtec Liquids in bottles, and Children's Benadryl Allergy Liquids in bottles. The medicine was made in the United States and distributed to Canada, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait. None of the generic brands of the recalled medicine was affected.

To learn more about the recalled products call 1-888-222-6036 or visit McNeil's website.



I believe that the United States should know better than to send medicine that they haven't finished testing or is unsure about out of the country. If they keep on doing this, they soon won't have any other countries buy their products. That could potentially hurt our economy worse than how it is already doing. I don't get how after keeping these medicines the same for years, that all of a sudden there is a recall. They have the recipe for making the medicine and they know what ingredients go into it. So than why is the medicine first recalled now after all these years? I never knew that we send medicine to so many other countries because I thought that many countries use home remedies to get better or just let nature take its course. I also don't get why the FDA claims there isn't any serious health problems, but yet that's normally why they recall medicine.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/01/drug.recall/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

China lifts ban barring entry to foreigners with HIV and AIDS

The Chinese Government has lifted a 20 year old ban saying that foreigners who have HIV or AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and leprosy from entering the country. China lifted the ban because they realized that it did little to help prevent the spread of diseases and prevented the country from hosting international events. the government had temporarily lifted that ban during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and other large-scale occasions. China's government has estimated that the number of people living with HIV in China had reached 740,000 people. The decision to lift the ban came several months after the Center of Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from the list of diseases that prevent U.S. Citizens from entering the country. Until January, the U.S. was 1 of 7 countries that prevented entry of people with HIV.

I'm glad that China had lifted the ban because many people don't go to another country and have sexual relations with that countries people. This could help to stimulate China's economy. I'm also glad that the U.S. realized the same thing. This could boost our economy because now we can have more people come to the U.S. on vacations or for medical attention. If the come to the U.S., they'll have to spend money here. By spending money, our economy will grow and we'll be able to provide more jobs. I believe the foreigners aren't the reason to blame for the increase of HIV, AIDS, and many other sexually transmitted diseases. I believe that the ban being lifted can boost everyone's economy. I also believe that China will now hold many national events.

Issue #3- Putting Welfare to Work

How can the American economy be the strongest in the world, yet 1 out of 8 Americans fall below the poverty line, even when working. there is a growing gap between the American middle class and the wealthiest Americans. In America today, about 150 million workers are employed. The government regulates how businesses are run and sets many rules. The people that work, but still need government assistance are the people who only make minimum wage. A full-time fast food worker made about $11,000 for the year at minimum wage. Without taxes and fees taken out of the check, that would be about $917 per month to live on. In the 1980s, new technology and globalization changed the United States. The United States started to outsource jobs, leaving jobs harder to find. Currently outsourcing has lead the United States to a rate of 10% unemployment. Not everyone in the United States earns enough money to live comfortably. A family of 4 in 2006 with an annual income less than $20,444 was considered poor. That family would have about about $1704 to live on per month. In 2005, 12.6% of Americans lived below the poverty line and needed to get some government assistance. The United States government has created many programs to help out the poor. There is Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The government also has wage assistance, a Federal Minimum Wage, Food Stamps, and Welfare. More single mothers are working now more than ever. The amount of child support collected has increased, but that's not enough. Many people are now off welfare benefits because they have found work. The jobs that they found are very low paying jobs. These jobs are still not enough to cover the basic costs of living. People are now using food stamps and Medicaid more than ever since they don't qualify for all types of government assistance anymore. Critics say that the government needs to increase funding for job training, child care for working parents, and early childhood education programs for the poor.

I believe that the government should change how welfare programs are run. I believe that there are many people who are on welfare and don't spend money wisely. I see this everyday. These people are on welfare and yet they have the nicest cars, buy many lottery tickets, and buy cigarettes. I believe the government should offer programs on how to spend money wisely, like budgeting classes. I believe these people shouldn't be allowed to be on welfare if they spend their money on luxury goods and unnecessary products. John McCain has many of the same views that I have on welfare. He believes that people who get welfare should spend at least 40 hours a week on working or extra training. He also believe that in order to have food stamps, the stamps should say exactly what the people can spend them on. Click Here to read more about John McCain's opinion on welfare and what he supports.

Issue # 1

Issue #2

10-year-old's pregnancy fuels Mexican abortion debate

In Mexico City, Mexico, a 10-year-old girl was supposedly raped by her stepfather. This incident has heated up the abortion debate. The stepfather has been arrested, but he supports both sides of the issue. Abortion is legal in Mexico City, but it is prohibited or severely restricted in most of the country's provinces. The girls home state, Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan Peninsula, allows abortions in the first 90 day. She is 17 1/2 weeks along and is about one month past the legal limit. Federal Officials at the United Nations say that the officials didn't inform her about her abortion rights. The girl is in custody of state protective services and they are monitoring closely her physical and psychological status. The services reported that both the girl and the fetus are both in good condition. But officials say that continuing the pregnancy can cause both severe mental and physical health problems.Since 2007 when the abortion debate heated up, 17 states have passed a law saying, "protecting life beginning at conception."

I believe that the girl should still have a right to an abortion because of her age. I believe that she didn't choose to get pregnant at the age of 10 like some of the teenagers choose when they become pregnant. She didn't choose to have sex. She was supposedly raped and she has no way to take care of the child. This pregnancy can hurt her in many ways. Her body can have a baby, but it's not recommended. Her brain isn't fully developed and that could cause many psychological problems in the future. She also could have problems giving birth and carrying the baby to full term. She is past the legal limit of an abortion, but officials aren't sure that she was told about her abortion rights until too late because the Catholic Church plays such a big role in Mexico's society. The Catholic Church is against abortions. Even though she is past legal abortion limits, it might be beneficial to let her get an abortion because of all of the health problems that could occur. I'm glad that she has been taken away from her family and that her stepfather has been arrested. I believe that her stepfather should stay in jail for life. I would think that when he gets out, he would come and find the family and cause many more problems. I believe that the stepfather shouldn't have become part of the family. I believe it's a good thing that she's away from her mother and is getting the proper care that is needed.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/04/19/mexico.abortion/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Postal Service edges toward cutting Saturday delivery

No matter how the weather is outside, the U.S. Postal Service is delivering Monday through Saturdays. The least amount of deliveries take place on Saturdays with 1/3 of the businesses closed. They are talking about stopping Saturday deliveries because more people are using e-mail and because of the recession. On Monday, March 29, 2010, the U.S. postal service announced they will stop Saturday deliveries the beginning half of next year. If they wouldn't cut out Saturday deliveries, they would face a $238 billion shortfall by the year 2020. They will still run express postal services and the postal offices will remain open.

I believe that this is a good idea because most people are busy anyway on Saturdays. This would save a lot of money on gas. This could also help keep costs from rising to mail a letter. The only downfall that I can see is that the Saturday morning deliverers would loose their jobs. Most of the Saturday workers aren't the normal weekday delivers, they are other people that either work only on Saturdays or use this as a second job to help pay their bills. I do believe that e-mail is becoming very popular. More and more people are using e-mail to communicate because the information gets to the people faster and cheaper than normal mail does. I know that some of my family members used e-mail to send their Christmas cards because it was cheaper than mailing them. I do believe that eventually we will not use the mail system anymore because of the cost and how long it takes for the mail to get to the people. but we will eventually do everything on line.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/29/postal.service/index.html

CDC: H1N1 still causing serious illness

In the Southeast, there are still outbreaks of the H1N1 virus. Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, are reporting regional flu activity. Puerto Rico and 8 states- Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Hawaii, and New Mexico- are reporting local flu activity. The Center of Disease Control has said that Georgia has seen more activity now than it did back in October. Georgia has more laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 for the third straight week in a row. They have the most people hospitalized since September and most of them being adults and in people with chronic health problems. The CDC is still encouraging people to get vaccines. The H1N1 virus has lower rates of death than the normal flu does. There are plenty of vaccines available and the minority groups need to get them because they are at an increased risk of getting chronic health problems. The CDC doesn't know why there is an increased number of H1N1 flu cases.

I believe that the United States is putting too much emphases on the H1N1 flu. There is more people that die a year from the normal flu than the H1N1 flu. I have never received a normal flu shot in my life, but i had to get a H1N1 vaccine. Why? I don't believe that it did any good. I had bad side effects from the vaccine and I got to the point that I almost passed out. I do see why the parents are at a higher risk of getting H1N1 because they are exposed to everything from their kids, their jobs, and other activities they are involved in. I believe that the reason the south is showing increased number of H1N1 cases is because of spring break. A lot of college and high school aged kids are going south are bringing the strains with them, unknowingly. I believe that once the spring break season is over, that the number of cases will decrease. I also believe that people can prevent themselves from getting sick by washing their hands with soap and hot water, getting enough sleep, exercising, and by getting enough vitamin C in their diets. They also can decrease the chances of getting sick by not sharing their drinks, covering their coughs and sneezes, and by not touching their hands to their mouths and faces.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/29/cdc.flu/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Police: Remains of California teen Amber DuBois found

The remains of Amber DuBois, a 14 year old San Diego, California-area girl who has been missing more than a year has been found. They found human remains on Saturday, March 8, 2010 in Pala, a rural, rugged area in northern San Diego county, California. These remains have been identified as DuBois. She was last seen walking alone to school on February 13, 2009. Her family lives in Escondido, a suburb of San Diego. The investigation of this case is handled by Escondido police, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, and the FBI. Her parents would like to thank everyone who has helped them to find the remains of their daughter. The authorities are investigating John Albert Gardner III to see if he has a connection to the case.

I believe that no matter what age, a girl shouldn't be walking around a tough neighborhood by a big city. By walking alone, they are asking for trouble. I'm glad that there was many volunteers to help look for DuBois. I believe that they found her soon, compared to most cases, because of all of the help they had. I believe that the family would have to have some sort of idea who might have did this to DuBois because there has been similar cases in the area and because he they had to know that she was on her way to school. I don't think that many people in the United States knows what it feels like to be a part of this type of terrible situation because we are a very protected country. I know that most people not in the big cities don't even have a clue because everyone knows each other and they don't have as many gang problems and crimes.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/07/california.amber.dubois/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Judge: Boy, 12, will be tried as adult in double homicide

A judge in Pennsylvania had denied a 12 year old boy from being tried in a juvenile court. Jordan Brown, the 12 year-old boy, is being charged as an adult for the shooting of this father's pregnant girlfriend. The police say that the boy had shot Kenzie Marie Houk, who was 8 months pregnant, one in her farmhouse when he was 11. He is being charged with criminal homicide and homicide of an unborn child. Houk's 4 year old daughter found her mom in bead and told some local landscapers about her mom and the landscapers located the police. In Pennsylvania, anyone over the age of 10, accused of murder or homicide, will be charged as an adult. If he is convicted, he will serve maximum life in prison. The weapon used was a youth 20-gauge shotgun and the shooting doesn't seem to be accidental.



I believe that there is some reason why the 12 year old boy thought that he needed to shoot his dads pregnant girlfriend. I would guess that he was feeling left out since there was already a small child and a new baby on the way. I don't think that he should be tried as an adult. I believe that this was all an honest mistake. I would guess that he was pretending to shoot the gun and didn't realize that it was loaded. I also believe that the gun should be locked up so that things like this wouldn't happen. I believe that the child isn't the only one responsible for the shooting of Houk. I believe the dad has to take some responsibility for the shooting because he didn't teach Brown gun safety and he didn't keep the gun locked up and out of reach form Brown.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/29/boy.homicide/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Reactions to passage of health care bill are passionate

More than 10,000 peopel have posted comments on cnn.com about the healthcare bill. Some of them are happy about the bill and others are mad. The bill would require everyone to get healthcare or get fined. Large employee's have to provide coverage or they will risk financial penelties. One person wrote in and said that the bill isn't perfect, but it will save lives. While another person said that they will pay the $700 fine and pick up coverage only when they get sick, since insurance companies can't deny you anymore. Most people say that they aren't happy about the bill passing becasue the systems that are set up now aren't working, so why keep on the same path. People that are veterans of the military say that this is unneccisary to them becasue they already get coverage from being in the military. They don't know why they need to be forced to get a new plan when they wouldn't befefit from it.

I belive that the people should have the fight to choose their healthcare. I personaly don't want the government to make my own choices. I don't have insurance and I'm doing fine without it. I just watch my momey and spend it wisely. I don't think that everyone needs to have the same healthcare plan becasue everyone is different. The people that are veterens from the military already get paid coverage, so why do they need to be forced to buy more. I belive that this would make all the prices rise like crazy because no one would pay for the bill, the government would. I believe that the hospitals would charge as much as possible to pay their employees even more than what they already make. I belive that this would also help the gap of income levels to become bigger. I really don't want to see this bill get passed because I'm doing just fine without healthcare and I know that I couldn't afford it even when the bill passed. That would mean I would have to pay the fine.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/healthcare.reaction/index.html?iref=storysearch

Latest high-fructose corn syrup study generates buzz, debate

There is a new study from Princeton that tests to see if corn syrup causes you to gain weight more than table sugar does. The debate about which one is better for you is false because both of these aren't good for you. The study tested rats for 6 months and they ate water sweetened with high-fructose sugar. This test showed that the rats had more belly fat and that they had higher levels of circulating triglycerides, fat's chemical form in the body. One of the problems with this study is that they tested male and female rats in separate experiments. They also tested the rats to see how they acted on this diet and how it effected their brain activity. Some scientists say that this one sweetener can't contribute to all of the diseases by itself. People just want to eat their deserts without thinking about their overall wellness.

I believe that corn-syrup is the same thing as sugar goes. I believe that they are both bad for you, but that in our society today, we can't live without eating it at every meal. We rely on all of the convenience foods that have this as a preservative in them. I believe that there is more to the diseases than to just get them from eating sugar or corn syrup. I believe genetics, exercise habits, and many other reasons come into play. I also believe that people need to be aware of what they eat. If every person would just eat more homemade meals, I believe that would help their health. They can make the meals ahead of time and just heat them up when they need them. I belive that if people have a lot of sugar, that their brain waves and energy level would have a quick jump in movement, but would decline fast and they would want to get another sugar high. Sugar high- energy boost

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/25/corn.syrup.sugar/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Wal-Mart customer: 'I can't go back in'

It was about 7 P.M. on Sunday, March 14, 2010, when a person came over the intercom at a Wal-mart in Turnersville, New Jersey. The person on the intercom said, "Attention, Wal-mart shoppers, all blacks need to leave the store." the person who said this had a males voice. Once the person announced the comment, people started to call management on their cell phones demanding answers. a few minutes later, the man returned on the intercom and apologized and contacted the police. The police are investigating this crime as "a suspected bias intimidation case." Many of the customers said that they will never go back and that they will go to target. The intercoms could be axcessed by customers and there isn't a camera by each phone.

I believe that the person on the intercom must have had a bad experience with a black customer at the store, but I don't believe that they should've went on the intercom and announced their frustration. I also don't think that the customers should be able to have access to the intercoms. I also do believe in a big store like Wal-mart, that their should be cameras by every phone and safety equipment, like a fire alarm. I believe that the guy in the intercom should be charged with some sort of descrimination charge. The people were scared out of their mind becasue he was only targeting one race. This incident won't stop me from shopping at Wal-mart, they still have the cheapest products at a good convience. This once incident doesn't change my mind of Wal-mart and I believe that they won't loose too many people because of their low prices. I do believe that the man could've been mentally handicap or had a mental disorder.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/18/walmart.racial.customers/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Costa Rica elects first woman president

Costa Rica elected their first woman president, Laura Chinchilla, on February 7, 2010. She is part of the National Libertarian Party. On election day, the voters were showing their support by wearing the campaign colors of the main presidential candidates. Even the children participated in this election by casting their votes electronically in a mock election. There was 2.8 million Costa Ricans eligible to vote for president. In addition to voting for president, Costa Ricans casted ballets for 2 vice presidents, 57 Congress members, and 495 council members. President Oscar Arias, has left office and has helped shape the elections in many ways. He helped them do electrical voting in which he called the electrical process transparent and trustworthy. He also said," I would like to thank the Costa Rican people for filling the streets with color."

I am glad to see that Costa Rica has voted their first woman president into office. I believe that was a good fit for their country. When I was there staying with a family, they were all excited that the United States has voted their first African American into office. They all loved Obama and they wished the United States the best of luck. I believe that the people wanted change and are ready to embrace that woman are capable to do the same political activities as men and run the country in an orderly fashion. I do believe that the United States could look at Costa Rica and how they run some of their governmental programs and learn from them. The government doesn't just give the poor people money for food, they help them use the skills that they have to make and sell items to the other Costa Ricans. I believe that this could help our government with unemployment and help our country with our debt. We could also watch and see how a woman president does in their country. I believe that if we watch another country, that the United States would learn that it is possible for us to be ran by a woman president. I believe that if Costa Rica, a third world country, is able to function and accept change, then the United States should be able to also.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/08/costarica.election/index.html?iref=allsearch

Issue #2- Spending What We Can Afford

In 2007, Congress passed the pay-as-you-go budgeting act. This requires that any tax cuts or increases in entitlement spending be offset with spending reductions. This shows the people that Congress knows that we have a deficit. This will hold Congress to the same standards that many people and businesses go by; They don't spend the money that they don't have. Congress can suspend this act in times of recession or crisis if need be. This would eliminate unnesessary spending and would collect unpaid taxes to keep the budget in balance. Some people worry that the deficit should be eliminated through economic growth rather than through the painful budget cuts and tax increases required by the paygo.

I believe that the paygo act should be passed. Our government is spending money that we don't have to bail out the auto industry and other countries. We need to realize that we have to help ourselves before we can help others. If we aren't able to support our own spending habits, than we can't give money away. We took money out of the social security fund to bail out the auto industry and now we don't plan on sticking it back into the fund. It's no wonder why we don't have enough money to pay people on social security. By 2017, we will be spending more money than we take in from social security. We spend a lot of money paying interest and yet we never save enough money to pay off the loans. All we do is take out more loans. If we would start to pay off the loans, than we would have less interest to pay and we wouldn't be spending so much money that isn't beneficial to our country. Jim Langevin, a Rhode Island Congressman, also agrees that we need to balance our nations budget.

Issue #1

Issue #3

American Airlines to stop offering free blankets on domestic flights

American Airlines are now going to charge their passengers $8 for a blanket and pillow set if your on a standard flight. The $8 will pay for a blue fleece blanket and an inflatable neck pillow that you may keep and use on future flights. They will began to charge for the blanket-pillow set on May 1. They will also charge for the blanket-pillow set going to and from Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Central America. If you are riding an international flight or in premium class, the blankets will still be complimentary. Jetblue Airlines stated to charge for blanket-pillow sets in 2008 and US Airways stated to charge for sleepkits last year.

I don't think that this is such a bad idea. I also don't think that the $8 is that much to pay for the blanket-pillow set. If you went to Walmart or Target and bought a blanket and pillow, it would cost about the same or even a little more. There is a few problems that I see with paying for the blanket-pillow sets. If you forget to bring it with you on the next flight, then you'll have to buy another one if you wanted one. Another problem that I see is that the only people that have to pay is the coach passengers. The first class don't have to pay. I'm glad that they don't make you have to pay for an international flight. Another problem is that they choose the most traveled international flights and still make you pay for the blanket-pillow sets. I have read on ABC News that the airline will throw in a $10 off of more than $30 and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The airline is most likely getting a discount for their puchase of the blankets and pillows if they give out these coupons to try and get people to go and buy items at the store. Free advertising for Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/02/09/american.airlines.blankets/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Casey Johnson died of natural causes

Casey Johnson, the heiress to Johnson and Johnson died of a natural cause related to diabetes. This was released on Thursday Feb. 2, 2010. She was found dead at the age of 30 at a friends house on Jan. 4, 2010. She died of diabetic ketoacidosis which is severe untreated diabetes. The Johnson Family, Tila Tequila, and the New York Jets Organization are all in mourning and are spending a moment of silence today to honor Casey Johnson.

I believe that many people have been giving this too much attention. I don't think that this is such an important event because many people have bad diabetes. Just because she has just gotten into a relationship with Tila Tequila, doesn't mean that she would've been murdered by Tila. Expressing how people feel towards the same sex is a very popular event right now in history. The only reason that I believe that they are giving Casey so much attention is that she is in a new relationship and that she's the heiress top Johnson and Johnson. I do like how the New York Jets have all taken a moment of silence because Casey's father owned the New York Jets. This is one of their family members in a since and they have taken a moment away to spend with the Johnson family. I believe that this should not be talked about anymore now since we know what she died from and that Tila didn't murder her for the money.

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