Current Event for the Week of 2/26/07

Mom Taught Her 2 Kids To Fake Retardation

A mother used her two children to get more money from Social Security by teaching them at the ages of 4 and 8 to fake retardation. The mother, Rosie Costello, collected over $280,000 in benefits. Her children kept faking retardation into their mid-20's. Her son, Pete, pleaded guilty to the fraud and is facing up to six months in prison and a fine of $59,000. Rosie's sentence has yet to be decided.

Read the article here.

How do you feel about what Costello did to her children? What sentence do you believe Rosie Costello should recieve? Do you think her children should be in trouble because of their mother's mistake?

Current Event for the Week of 2/26

Civil retrial to begin for doctor who allegedly kept 92-year-old woman alive against her wishes.

Madeline Neumann wanted to die peacefully. The 92-year-old woman who had suffered from Alzheimer's and a seizure disorder, created a living will before she moved into the Joseph L. Morse Geriatric Center. But when aides at the nursing home found Neumann unresponsive after suffering from a seizure on Oct. 16, 1995, her wishes weren't followed.

Read the article here.

Do you think the doctors should be held responsible? Souldn't the family have given the will to the doctors?

Current Event for the Week of 2/26

Vietnam hero on film get highest honor for valor.

A soldier, whose heroics were immortalized in a movie, Monday received the Medal of Honor -- the nation's highest award for military valor. Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall repeatedly risked his life to rescue American soldiers fighting one of the toughest battles of the Vietnam War. "Most people get [the medal] after they are dead, so I'm one of the lucky ones," said Crandall.

FULL STORY

What do you think the qualifications for the Medal of Honor should be? Would you risk your life for the survival of the men and women fighting under your command?

Current Event Week of 2/26/07

Do school days need to be longer?

On Average U.S. students go to school 6.5 hours a day, 180 days a year, fewer than in many other industrialized countries, according to a report by the Education Sector, a Washington-based think tank. A Massachusetts school is now experimenting with longer school days! The schools principal claims that it doesn't make the days as cramped and students have more time to do fun things such as to study music and longer recess. Along with this teachers would get a higher income.

Read Article here

Do you think that the school days should be longer? Do you think it would benefit the students in the end? Would this just benifit elementary kids or both high school and elementary kids?

Current Event for the week of 2/26/07

Zookeeper mauled to death in Denver by 140-pound jaguar

Jaguar killed zookeeper before being shot by another zookeeper. Following the shooting Saturday the zoo was closed. Investigations are going on to find out what prompted the attack!

Read the article here!

What do you think prompted the attack? Do you think the zoo should be closed until investigators figure out what happened? Do you think the jaguar should have been shot, why or why not?

Current Event for the Week of 2/19/07

Hamas Sends Message to Captured Israeli Soldier's Dad

Hamas sends a message to the father of a captured Israeli soldier. Cpl. Gilad Shalit was captured on June 25th of 2006. The message sent to his father told of the demands that Hamas wanted met in order to release Shalit.

Read the Article here.

What strategies or plans would you pursue if you were either A.) the Iraeli leader, or B.) the father of Shalit? Do you find Hamas's demands reasonable? What's your stance ethically on using POW's as leverage for negotiation?

Current Events for the Week of 2/26/07

Security Scanner Can See Through Clothes

US Airports may be setting new and controversial standard in security with a new Security scanner that can see through clothes. It is currently being tested in Phoenix, Arizona, but some people are not happy about it. Although one has the choice of having the standard pat-down, this new security can definitely invade privacy.

Read the Article here.

Is airport security getting out of control or are these new security checks best for American safety? Since 9/11, do you feel safer with new security innovations? Is this just another thing that will waste time and slow down airport movement? Would it be a good idea to have these security scanners in every major airport? Would you feel comfortable, having yourself scanned and knowing that a police officer can see through your clothes?

Current Event for the Week of 2/19

Eddie Murphy's Plus-Size Offense

The new movie Norbit is the movie everyone is talking about. Ladies are taking it to offense because the movie is about a big heeavy black lady. People think it is dismicrate from women. Larger women in African American communities are often celebrated. Shapeliness is something to be adored.

Read the Article Here

Do you think this movie is going against fat and black women?

Do you think people are taking this out of hand?

Current Event for Week of 2/19/07

One mirical Baby!

Amillia, who was born at just 22 weeks was taken home today after 4 months in the Baptist Children's Hospital.
Amillia is the fourth smallest baby in the world. She weighed in at 10 ounces and only 9 1/2 inches long. Full-term births come after 37 to 40 weeks, and few babies born before 22 weeks survive.

Read article here.

What do you think helped the baby survive? Do you think it was good doctoring skills or something else?

Current Event for Week of 2/19/07

Can't Possibly Be True

Shawn Mohan, 20, was arrested in January for shooting his infant son several times with a BB gun. Mohan said it was an accident, but the St. Charles County, Mo., sheriff pointed to similar bruises on the baby's face, left arm, hand, foot, hip and buttocks, and said Mohan was on probation for an earlier child-endangerment conviction.

Read the article here.

Current Event for the Week of 2-19-07

Pastor with the 666 tattoo claims to be the devine

According to CNN.com, a man named Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda claims to be God. He says that he was visited in a dream back when he was a heroin addict in Puerto Rico, where he learned that he was Jesus reincarnate. He claims that the 666 tattoo, normally connected to Satan, is to show that the Antichrist and 666 are misunderstood. He is now being compared to David Koresh and Jim Jones, former cult leaders in the U.S.

Read the article here.

Do you think that a man should be allowed to start his own church with himself as the main idol? Do you think the people of Miami who are against his ways be allowed to voice there opinion and try to stop the continuance of de Jesus' church?

Current Event for the Week of 2/19/07

An article on Yahoo News tells of the advancements being made in correcting blindness. It is explained that a tiny electrical implant attached to the retina could help those with macular degeneration to partially restore their vision. The implant is said to act as a photoreceptor that captures and processes the light.

Read the article here.

Although the chip can enhance one’s life by allowing them to at least partially see again, it also interferes with those who believe this apparatus might be playing God and changing the way a persons life should be. Do you believe if we’re able to correct blindness and deafness that soon most everything will be curable and our population will become a world of artificial parts and pieces? Has it been researched thoroughly? Don’t evaluations need to be made on potential harmful side effects or further injury to the eye? What if your family member can't afford the $30,000 price tag? Is it fair?

Current Event for the Week of 2/19/07

Anna Nicole Smith's Body Embalmed

It is currently unsure where Anna Nicole Smith will be buried. Anna's attorney, Howard K. Stern, argues that Anna wanted to be buried by her son Daniel. However, Anna's family has a different opinion for the situation. What other things will be taken in account for this confusing situation?

Read the artical here.

Do you believe that Anna's family has the right to decide where she will be buried? Is it ethical to go against someone's will? Would you want your family to decide where you're buried after your death if your will stated something else? Who do u think Anna's will receive Anna's will since her son died?

Current Events for the Week of 2/12

Parents of Caged Children Want Them Back

An Ohio couple are accused of keeping some of their 11 adopted children, ranging from 1-15, in cages less than three feet high. The Gravelles claim that some of the emotionally disturbed children wanted to sleep in the enclosers. Now the couple are fighting for their children back after a social services investigator had taken the children. See how this tragedy ends...

Read the article here.

Do you believe the county should have taken the children away from the Gravelles? Do you think the children really have emotional disturbances and disablities, or do you think Sharen was just saying that? If you had children, would you ever have cages built into a wall for them, just in case they wanted to play in them? Is it fair for the court to send the 19-month-old to an adoption agency? Why or why not?

Current Event for the Week of 2/12/07

There is a big gap forming between the people living in retirement homes. They range from 70-90, the younger group are requesting newer technology like computers. They are a more active group and every new generation or senior citizens are more active. The older generations do not want to pay for the changes that may be added because they will not use the upgrades and see it pointless to pay. This causes many disputes between the younger and the older generations, the younger ones want cafes and weight rooms.

Read the article here.

Do u think that our generation will be more active then the past ones? Do you think that it is fair to put in extras and have the people living there pay for the perks that they will not use? What do you think that they should do with the disputing between generations?

Utah gay-straight alliances targeted in revised bill

In Utah, a bill is making its way to the Senate that could prevent students from forming gay-straight alliances in schools under the idea that these groups threaten the so-called "moral well-being" of students and faculty.
For those who don't know what a Gay-Straight Alliance is, they are clubs that promote equality and form as a means of activism, social activity or student-lead guidance, in (despite what Senator Scott McCoy would say) a completely non-sexual environment. Those who oppose GSA's make the argument that they are "tools for recruiting homosexuality" and are "tearing down the moral pillars of society".

You can read the article here.

This issue begs the question; does the government have the right to impose morals upon educational student initiated groups? Furthermore, would denying students the right to form GSA's be discrimination against homosexual teens?

Current Event for the Week of 2/12

Students use IM-lingo in essays

Teachers are seeing a whole new era of language being used by their students. They come across words like "b4, dat, 2, and ur" in homework assignments and papers. Many teachers think the IM language is becoming too prevalant and mistakes are everywhere. Other educators find this new language fascinating and think teachers should give the students credit for the new communications in the high-tech world.

Read the article here.

Do you think some teachers and administraters are making too big of a deal out of IM language use? Or do you think the IM language is getting out of control? Are you and/or your friends guilty of using IM language in homeworks and papers? Can anything be done to limit the amount of this language used?

Current Event for the Week of 2-12-07

Latest food-fad -- ' space potatoes '

In Shanghai, China a new food is what every restaurant wants this Valetine's Day. Space potatoes! These potatoes are slightly sweeter and are purple. They were grown on a Chinese space shuttle. Scientists say they're just like the potatoes grown in labs.

Read this article here.

Should space grown foods be served in restaurants without even really being tested first? Should food be even grown in space? We have plenty of farms here on earth.

Current Event for the Week of 2/12/07

Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers

In Monrovia, the Liberian capital, children are being taken from schools and homes in the middle of the day to become soldiers for the civil wars in their country. Some children watched the slaughter of their parents and and are being forced to leave their homes to trian and be shipped out to kill. Today there are about 250,000 childern that are currently be force to fight the war. Some of these children volentarily choose to fight in hopes of peace between the nation.

Read the article HERE!

1. What do you think should be done to stop this event?
2. Why do you think the warlords would want to use children as soliders?
3. What do you think should be the punishment for the warlords actions?

Current Event For the Week of 2-12-07

US military officials presented evidence Sunday that Iran has been supplying anti-US Shiites with weapons that are being used to attack US forces. While these officials claim to have received this information from informants in the Iranian government, they refuse to reveal their sources or allow the presentation of the evidence to be released.

Read the article here.

Do you feel that these weaponry threats are exaggerated, or do you believe the Iranian government is supplying Iraq with weapons to deter the US? A similar situation occured with the war in Iraq, do you think we should engage in war against Iran as well? The article talks about some of the known evidence being merely circumstantial and that the weapons were missing the markings that identified them as coming from Iran, officials however say they have much more concrete evidence that can't be released to the public. Why do you think the officials won't release the information?

Current Event for the week of 2/12/07

Researchers are now finding out that children who go to bed too late often perform poorly in school. The lack of sleep appears to disrupt functioning of the hippocampus, which is an area of the brain that formulates new memories.

Read the article here.

Do you think your getting a lack of sleep on school nights? Could this be the reason for your falling grades?

current event for week of 2*19*07

A state lawmaker is proposing changes to toughen Ohio's drunk-driving laws that include requiring electronic alcohol monitoring bracelets and mandatory impounding of offenders' cars for a year. Read article HERE do you agree or disagree? what should they do about the DUI laws in your opinion?

current event for week of 2*19*07

What was first thought to be the remains of a human skeleton apparently turned out to be animal bones found at a dump site. Read article Here. What do you think about this story? Would you ever do that to an animal?

Current Event for the Week of 2/5/2007

Student's killer gets death sentence

A rapist who killed a college stupid has been given the death sentence for his crimes. The rapist had already been in jail for 20 years for rape and attempted kidnapping and had killed the student within 6 months of getting out of jail. The 53 year old man showed no emotion at the trial and refused his chance to speak.

Read the article here.

The death sentence has always been a big issue in the United States. Do you think it is ethical? Does this man deserve the death sentence?

Current Event for Week of 2/5/07

New York may ban iPods while crossing street

New Yorkers may now receive a $100 fine for using electronic devices while crossing the street.
New York legislators claim that they have an obligation to protect their citizens, and that recent deaths as a result of people being distracted while crossing the street justify the action.

Read the article here.

Do you agree or disagree with the law? Is it the government's job to protect citizens from choices that may cause harm to themselves? Or is it our choice? Do we choose to drive/walk with ipods and cell phones at our own risk?

Current Event for the Week of 2/5/07

NASA astronaut, Lisa Nowak, was arrested Wednesday for traveling 900 miles from Texas to Floria, while wearing adult diapers to avoid bathroom breaks, to confront a woman in the Air Force who she believed was romantically involved with her husband. Psychologist believe it makes "a weird kind of sense" and could possibly be caused by her space missions. NASA is currently revamping their application process to enhance psychological screening during the astronaut application process.

Read the article here.

Can you identify with Lisa Nowak? Do you think you experience "a lovely state of psychosis" when you fall in love? Do you agree that Nowak may have aquired a personality disorder from space, or should it have been NASA's responsibility to screen more thoroughly?