Hamilton v. Pence

The cast and creators of the Broadway hit "Hamilton" caused an uproar after challenging Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Saturday.

The Broadway show has been praised for its racially diverse cast with black or Hispanic actors playing either George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers.

Brandon Victor Dixon plays the then-Vice President Aaron Burr addressed Pence at the end of the show. “We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us — our planet, our children, our parents — or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us. All of us.”

What led soon after was a furious debate as well as President-elect Donald Trump demanding an immediate apology to Pence putting an emphasis on Trump's fidelity to First Amendment rights  according to Steve Schmidt, a veteran Republican strategist who advised John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Amazon releases family plan for Amazon Music Unlimited

By:Chiloo Vang

Earlier this week Amazon finally released a family plan for their music streaming service starting at $14.99 a month for up to 6 members.  The service was previously only in select places but now American users can join in on the fun too.  The streaming service is similar to those of Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal.  Amazon offers 4 different plans with the cheapest being $9.99/month or $7.99/month with a Amazon Prime account, already cheaper than any plans offered by other services.
Along with the release of Amazon Music Unlimited's family plan, the Amazon Echo is a new device that works as speakers for music that also takes orders through voice command.  Amazon Echo's AI, Alexa, is capable of listening and performing certain tasks asked such as playing certain music, playlists or even texting.  The device is a great new toy to go with any of Amazon's music plans

Teen Fell Victim to ISIS' False Utopian Promises

Teen Fell Victim to ISIS' False 'Utopian' Promises

By Hailey Lawrence

 

Mohammed Hamzah Khan is an Illinois man scheduled to be sentenced today for attempting to join ISIS back in 2014. His attorneys are asking for him to release him from prison so he can can start college next fall, asking "to fashion a sentence that is tempered with mercy," according to attorney Thomas Durkin. Khan's story reflects the direct influence that ISIS has over social media recruiting and the controversy with it.

Mohammed Hamzah Khan was charged with plotting to join ISIS with his younger siblings

Khan was 19-years-old when he took his two siblings--who were minors--to O'Hare International Airport in an attempt to fly halfway across the world to join the Syria-based terrorist group, according to ABC News. He was arrested by federal agents after the trio left behind letters to their parents stating that they were going to live a life a jihad across the world. 

“I simply cannot sit here and let my brothers and sisters get killed with my own hard earned money,” Khan wrote in one letter. It was a reference to the US airstrikes that commonly take place in Syria. 

In a counterargument, Khan's attorneys say that these letters were “ISIS’s asinine utopian recruitment promises” that had direct influence on the trio, according to ABC News. 

“[T]he recruitment of Mr. Khan and his minor siblings by savvy [ISIS] recruiters using persuasive propaganda on social media to capitalize on their susceptibility,” Durkin wrote, “played a very significant role in the commission of this offense.” 

Durkin is asking that Khan will be given supervised release next August so he can attend college where he will improve himself and make significant changes in his life. Khan has also been working with counter-terrorism investigators and has furthered two active investigations of ISIS recruiters and fighters, according to ABC News.

The government still wishes to keep Khan behind bars for around three more years because of the seriousness of his offense. 

This is a direct example of the influence of ISIS over social media--a loose form of cyber warfare. Stopping the influence of ISIS through this new dimension would immediately stop the influence of this threat once and for all. For now, it is up to time to tell where our priorities rest.

To learn more about the story, click here.  

 

 

Senate Democrats' New Plan

photo courtesy of the National Constitution Center

Democrats suffered tough losses all over the country on Election Day and now that they have come to terms with their lack of control in the White House and both houses of Congress, they are looking ahead to the next session of Congress and what they can do to unify their party, Congress and the American people. In Jennifer Steinhauer's article for the New York Times, she elaborates on the strategy Senate Democrats in particular will be using come January- try to align with Trump. Steinhauer elaborates on the issues that both Senate Democrats and President-elect Trump feel similarly about- like "spending more on roads, bridges and rail, punishing American companies that move jobs overseas, ending a lucrative tax break for hedge fund and private equity titans, and making paid maternity leave mandatory."

This is an interesting stance for Senate Democrats to be taking, and I am very intrigued to see how it will play out. On one hand, it's hard for some people to see Democrats attempting to align with Trump after eviscerating him on television, in print and in interviews for his views on a variety of subjects. On the other hand, it's interesting to see Democrats taking more of a high road about this and showing that they are trying the best they can to be supportive of the President-elect. It also puts Senate Republicans in somewhat of a hard spot, because if/when legislation concerning the issues Senate Democrats and President-elect Trump support and historically Senate Republicans have opposed, they will be forced to decide if they want to unify behind the president (the highest ranking member of their party) and in turn, Democrats, or if they want to oppose Democrats on principle and be at odds not only with them, but the president as well and be seen as partisan while Democrats are seen as non-partisan and come off looking more cooperative. It's an interesting and very calculated move by Senate Democrats. Let's just see if it pays off for them.

Flu Season Approaching: Skip Supplements, Eat Healthy

Advertisements tend to market "special" flu supplements and healthy juices. A lot of these items are marketing spoofs and generally will not help you fight the flu. 

In order to have a healthy immune system, you need to eat a healthy diet. Protein and micro-nutrients like vitamin C, A, E and zinc will best help your immune system.

Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical associate professor at Boston University, says a variety of fruits, vegetables and proteins will fulfill the requirements. 

One exception is Vitamin D. This vitamin has very little content in foods and is best consumed in supplement form. 

"If you are malnourished, your immune system is going to suffer," says Salge Blake.

Source

Columbia Achieves Peace Deal With Rebels

President Juan Manuel Santos, left, and FARC official Timoleon Jimenez mark a ceasefire in June, an important step they made to reach their peace agreement in mid-November © DION PUBLISHING COMPANY LLC

On Saturday November 12, the Colombian government and the guerrilla group FARC have finally reached an agreement on their peace deal after 52 years of conflict.

Peace talks between the government and FARC were held in Havana, Cuba for four years. The peace deal was reviewed by mediating diplomats from Cuba and Norway.

Although the Colombian government and FARC  made a peace deal six weeks prior to this , it was turned down by popular vote. The previous deal was rejected by 50.2% of voters in a vote held on October 2nd. 


Voters believed that the punishments for the FARC rebels that confessed to crimes were too lenient. Specifically, many voters were upset that the agreement would pay demobilized FARC members monthly, and even offer financial assistance to those that wanted to start a business. 

Despite the opposition, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received the Nobel Prize for his peace efforts throughout the negotiation. 

The second and final peace agreement will be approved by Congress instead of the popular vote.

FARC is Colombia's largest rebel group, formed in 1964 to overthrow the Colombian government and replace it with Marxism.

To read more about FARC, visit http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37965392 

Shootout Leaves Five Columbians Dead at Venezuelan Border

The scene of the crime on Venezuela's border, © World Bulletin

After a violent shooting, investigators have found eight dead at the scene of the crime on the Venezuelan border — six victims showing signs of torture and bullet holes, and two decapitated nearby.

On November 10, the Columbian ambassador Luis Eladio Perez has confirmed that eight people have been massacred on the border of the Venezuelan state Zulia. Five of those victims were identified as native Colombians. 

The brutal battle was reportedly the cause of conflict between criminal organizations the Rastrojos and the Urabeños. The two rivals are criminal groups that have been fighting for years. 

Venezuelan police said a Rastrojos commander and his deputy were among the victims. 

To read more, click below:

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/8-killed-in-massacre-on-colombia-venezuela-border