Monday, March 28th, 2011

International News
CNN News
China's First Blogger Speaks Out


In Hong Kong, China, Isaac Mao speaks out against the censorship of the Chinese government. He is the "first blogger" from China and presents new ideas about the firewall. He says, "I think the problem to the whole country is that if we censor more and more keywords, we will be stopping the country from more and more innovations." Although there have been people who got around the censorship, the majority of society is being blockaded from understanding more and being exposed to new ideas. With the internet accessible, one has the world at their fingertips and Chinese government is trying to keep their citizens from getting out of their grasp. Words such as sex, Jasmine, protest, and Empty Chair (ignifying the Chinese dissident Liu Xiao Bo) are censored. IT is Mao's goal to "try to persuade the authorities that it will hurt the whole country's development in the future, and the economy eventually."


<http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/03/28/China.blogger.mao/index.html>


National News
The New York Times
States Weigh Fighting Meth With Drug Prescriptions


Nashville Texas and many other states are contemplating weather or not to have a prescription required for simple decongestants such as Sudafed. According to the New York Times, decongestants like such have a lot of pseudoephedrine, which is the most prevalent ingredient in methamphetamine, "and the police say past efforts to keep them out of the hands of meth cooks have failed."Although many over the counter drugs do not contain pseudoephedrine, there are those that do, meaning that there is a higher probability of meth being produced. One lady complains, "“It’s very irritating,” she said of the limits and the requirement to show identification whenever she buys Zyrtec-D. “I’m 77 years old with a head full of white hair, so they should look at me and know I’m not making meth.”"


<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/us/29meth.html?hp>


Local News
The New York Times
Come Together For Japan

At the Riverside Church on the Upper West Side on Sunday, March 27th, people of all ethnicities, races, and religions joined together to pray for those in Japan. The service was called Interfaith Time of Reflections For Japan brought out the city's diversity, "outside of subway cars and rush-hour sidewalks, when the population truly blends in a common pursuit" and this was a perfect example of the melting pot New York City is perceived to be. The event fundraised for Japan relief and also brought a feeling of hope amongst those who attended.

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Global News

Twitters' 5th Anniversary

The Bergen Record

Five years ago, the website  www.twitter.com launched an idea that would become a cultural phenomenon. Answering 'what's on your mind' in 140 characters has  become a trend. Twitter is a website where breaking news is reported, such as the miracle landing on the Hudson River to Charlie Sheen frequently updating his twitter with stories and infamous original quotes. The first tweet ever was sent by Jack Dorsey, chairman  and co-founder of Twitter said, "inviting coworkers." It took 3 years, 2 months, and 1 day to reach 1 billion tweets, and now, there are 1 billion tweets tweeted each week. As Kara Yorio said, "At first, we didn’t know why we would need it; now we can’t live without it."

<http://www.northjersey.com/news/118346574_Fifth_anniversary_for_Twitter.html>

National News

Predicting The Next Earthquakes

CNN News

With the entire world shaken of the tragedy in Japan, everyone is wondering, "Who will be next?" After hypothesizing how we could apply modern technology and further understanding after the Japanese earthquake, scientists have concluded that they can begin to predict where the next eartquakes will occur. Not necessarily when they will occur but if the earthquakes will happen in certain places. It all depends on platonic movement and the locations and timing of the Earth shifting. Susan E. Hough says, "What we know for sure is that preparedness remains our best defense against devastating earthquakes." This will eliminate a lot of fear in society and ultimately prepare everyone for what is to come. 

<http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/21/hough.predict.earthquakes/index.html>

Local News

Killing Over Purse

The Bergen Record

From Queens Village, after their happy marriage, a couple was walking home from their parents house. It was not like just any other stroll, because they were held up at gunpoint by three teens. Rabia Mohammed, 23, and her husband, Shazam Khan, 29 were demanded to lie down on the ground and Rabia would not give up her purse. With $20 and an i-pod found in her bag, Rabia was killed by a shot in the heart. The three youths, Tiyquon Hodges, 16, Corey Brown, 17, and Ian Green, 17, will be charged with second-degree murder, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon, said Meris Campbell. The official said that a fourth person was also arrested Thursday, as believed to be the getaway driver on the night of Ms. Mohammed’s death for the teens. 

<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/nyregion/21newlywed.html?ref=nyregion>