Andre Johnson Announces Retirement

Andre Johnson a seven-time pro bowler has announced to the Titans who he currently plays for that he will be retiring from the game. He has been known for playing with the Texans for 12 years after being traded to the Colts last year.
He has come off an outstanding career with 1,062 regular season catches for 14,185 yards with a total of 70 touchdowns.
He currently does not play as big of a roll as he wishes as he only racks up a couple of touches this year and a few games starting.

Coming to Netflix October 2016

A lot of classics for 90's babies will be finding their way to Netflix in October! Movies including Dr. Dolittle, a Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff, and Picture This with Ashley Tisdale will be featured between October 1-4. Netflix will also be bringing Titanic, season three of The Originals, and Season 11 of Supernatural. A lot of great titles to find some good snacks and stay warm with as the cold season is approaching!

Warwick flex speaker

Warwick Audio Technologies has developed a new flat speaker. This speaker is extremely light, thin, flexible, and  waterproof. Warwick thinks this speaker will be extremely useful in cars since it is extremely energy efficient taking only 10% as much power as a traditional speaker. This speaker can also be bent to direct sound any way you want to.

For more details on this product click here -->http://www.warwickaudiotech.com

Week 8 starts here

Disabled Presidential Candidate Making History for Latin America

A politician in Ecuador could make history as the first disabled president in all of Latin America if elected into office.

Lenín Moreno does not let his disability interfere with him holding public office. Moreno has been wheelchair bound since he was shot in a robbery in 1998. 

Moreno was vice president of Ecuador from 2007 to 2013. After his vice presidency, Moreno served as Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility at the UN. 

Moreno is a member if the centre-left party of Ecuador and was elected the official presidential candidate for the party on October 1. 

Moreno strongly advocates for disabled people's rights.

To read more about Moreno, click here http://www.thecanary.co/2016/10/21/south-america-soon-first-physically-disabled-president-hes-left/

Dust Gathering at the Museum of Modern Art

A new audio tour about dust will be available to visitors of the Museum of Modern Art through spring.

Nina Katchadourian has created an audio tour called "Dust Gathering," a walk-through of not only different pieces at the MoMA, but their dust make-up as well.

Katchadourian's first major project with the MoMA is a part of the museum's Artist Experiment Program, a collaboration between artists and educators on public programming.

Katchadourian discusses different types of dust mites, and how they came to meet different paintings and sculptures. “There is a false sense that art has to be about the big stuff, when actually every artwork is in some way a thinking exercise — mental, aesthetic, philosophical or whatever kind of gym the artist is putting you in to exercise your imagination.”. In the tour, she is focusing on this thinking exercise while addressing arts most minuscule details as she interviews different expert in order to shine light on the joys of caring and handling art.

She also discusses her best-known work "Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style" a series of her own selfies she's taken in airplane bathrooms posing with whatever objects are at hand. “I hate the words ‘quirky’ and ‘whimsical’ applied to me and my work,” she said according to the New York Times. “Joy, wonder, play, humor? All good. But I am not just making little jokes.” Despite this sense of humor, Katchadourian is still very serious about art and art education as seen in her latest work with the MoMA.

Kanye West to boycott the Grammys over nominations

By: Chiloo Vang

Grammy award winner Kanye West announced at a show that he plans to boycott the Grammys and not show up if R&B singer Frank Ocean and his two 2016 albums "Blonde" or "Endless" are not in nominations.  West says in a video, "The album I listened to the most this year is Frank Ocean's album.  If his album's not nominated in no categories,  I'm not showing up to the Grammys."  This would not be the first time that the rapper has voiced his opinions on music awards.  At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards West had an altercation with Taylor Swift and at the 2015 Grammy Awards he interrupted Beck's speech.

Unfortunately the reason why Frank Ocean's two albums will lack nominations this year is because him and/or his team failed to submit the albums for Grammy consideration.  The reason for this is still unclear but there has been speculations that Frank Ocean and his ex-record label Universal has had some disputes over the two albums and how they were handled being released.  Aware of this, Kanye West has asked the Grammys that they make an exception for Frank Ocean and allow his work to be nominated as the Grammys have done something similar in the past for singer Lady Gaga.  

ISIS Continues to Use Human Shields and Executes 232

ISIS Continues to Use Human Shields and Executes Civilians

By Hailey Lawrence

 

Mosul is becoming a hotspot for human rights issues of ISIS activity since the Battle of Mosul has gone underway. While it seems that their tactics are singular and have the sole purpose to be barbaric in their ways to inflict fear, Mosul has revealed the new monster that ISIS is capable of. 

Iraqi forces and other forces have been moving from the south towards Mosul.

According to a spokesman for the human rights arm for the UN, ISIS did a series of mass killings on Wednesday for civilians and other people who defied its orders, CNN said.

"ISIS executed 42 civilians in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul. Also on Wednesday ISIS executed 190 former Iraqi security forces for refusing to join them, in the Al Ghazlani base near Mosul," said Ravina Shamdasani of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Additionally, the office reported that there were 24 former Iraqi security forces officers killed on Tuesday. More civilian deaths were confirmed as ISIS tries to herd civilians as human shields on the outskirts of Mosul. 

ISIS has been herding tens of thousands of men, women, and children like cattle around Mosul as forces continue to move closer and closer. While forces continue to move in from the south and are clearing out homemade bombs and traps ISIS left behind, 160 families from Qayyara,  2,210 families from the Nimrud area of Hamdaniya district, 5,370 families from around al Shura, and 150 more from around Hammam al-Alil, Shamdasani have been ripped from their homes to be human shields, according to CNN. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein criticized ISIS' strategy and said it was the work of cowards.

He called it a "depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilians to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations, effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields."

Alternatively, US Army Gen. Joseph Votel said on Thursday that the US and other allies have killed between 800 to 900 ISIS fighters since the beginning of the Battle of Mosul. 

While the battle is a lot more than what it seemed to be, progress is being made slowly but surely.

For more on the humanitarian issues involving ISIS and Mosul, click here

NCAA to Distribute Funds for Academic Performance

The NCAA Board of Directors announced that they will begin distributing funds for academic achievements starting with the 2019-20 Division I Men's Basketball Season. The funds come as a part of the new TV deal signed with CBS and Turner to broadcast March Madness tournament games. That deal is said to bring the NCAA over $1 billion annually.

The requirements to receive funding are said to be fair, giving institutions with lower admissions requirements and limited resources a legitimate chance to receive the benefits. That being said, it is estimated that around 66% of the 349 Division I schools will be eligible to receive benefits. That would amount to around $55,000 per school in '19-'20 season and nearly $550,000 per school by the 2032 season.

For more information check out this article.

Obama is at it Again

photo courtesy of  NBC

President Obama has again showed his dedication to fight against mandatory minimums by commuting 98 people's sentences on Thursday. In his article, Kevin Liptak points out that this brings President Obama's commutation total to 872, with 688 (or over three-fourths) happening this year, in 2016. Again, most of these people were convicted of nonviolent drug charges, like many of the others, and his reasoning behind it is clear: "to bring existing sentences -- many given under the conditions of strict "mandatory minimums" no longer in place -- in line with current standards."

But the question here in this plethora of pardons is this: what is President Obama hoping to achieve in the long term with his commutations?

On a small scale he has changed the lives of 872 people- probably more if we include families who now have a loved one back with them- but on a big scale, what kind of changes can he really make in issuing all these pardons? It seems to me that there is nothing that he can legally change with these pardons. The only thing he's really doing-besides obviously changing the lives of all those who he has granted clemency to- is attempting to lessen the stigma that drug offenders face and fight against mandatory minimums. It is a valiant effort on the president's part, but the next person in his job could decide that fighting against mandatory drug sentencing minimums is not an effort that they feel the need to really fight for and all the hard work the president did is yesterday's news that will be forgotten by the time the next news cycle rolls around (we news hungry people seem to have a short attention span). So yes, it's good that President Obama has pardoned 98 more people. But don't you kind of wish there was more to it?

Fragrances are Bad for Yourself and Your Business

In a study with 1,136 randomly chosen adults, the people of Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health have declared that all forms of scents: deodorants, air fresheners, candles, cleaning products, perfume, lotion, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, detergent, etc; all have some sort of negative effect on people. The most common irritation found was respiratory problems. Followed by headaches, skin irritations and asthma.
This study looked closely into businesses too. 20.2% of adults want to leave a business immediately if it smells strongly of air freshener or other product, like Abercrombie & Fitch for example.

Often times, it is hard to tell if something has a fragrance or if there is something in the fragrance that may irritate another person. So for your business' or your own sake, go easy when spraying a product.

Source

Win or Lose, the Chicago Cubs are a Money Machine

The Cubs have finally made it back to the World Series after a 71 year drought, but they have long been among baseball's most profitable teams. According to stats from Forbes, the Cubs were the fourth most profitable baseball franchise last season with the team making $50.8 million.

One of the keys to the business success is Wrigley Field, a 101-year old stadium known as the Friendly Confines. The Cubs have not drawn fewer than 32,000 fans per game, on average, in any season since 1997. Only three other clubs can say the same; the Yankees, the Dodgers and the Cardinals. With all the fans, the Cubs are also the only baseball team with a long waiting list to buy season tickets.

Using Rice Husks As Alternative Fuel Source

An engineer from the Philippines has recently invented a clean-burning, cooking stove that runs completely from rice husks.

Cooking stoves that use rice husks are not a new invention since they have been used centuries before, but they also were dirty to use and often toxic to use.  Alexis Belonio found a way to use the rice husks and have them emit clean, non-toxic air.  One pound of rice husk can generate about 20 minutes of cooking.  The stove's greenhouse emissions are half of what fossil fuels generate.  Using rice husks as a primary fuel source can save families $150 a year in kerosene costs, which boils down to about 10% of an impoverished family's income.

 His early gas stoves used to cost about one hundred dollars, which was way too much for low income families.  Working hard, he was able to simplify his design and got the price down to $20.  He also shares his designs over the internet free of charge, which allows people to copy his designs to make their own stoves using their own materials.

Reading this article really made me happy, because I saw someone who genuinely cares about humanity.  He tries to make everything affordable for low-income families, while still caring about the environment.

Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler cleared to play

Chicago cubs Jay Cutler will be joining the bears in week 8 as the new starting quarterback as he is cleared for his thumb injury in week 2. Last week during the Packers bears game Brian Hoyer was struck by Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers on a third down, breaking his left arm on contact.
Head coach John Fox announced Monday, adding that Hoyer's surgery was successful, which then added him to injured reserve for about 8 weeks.
Jay Cutler will try and prove himself these next weeks so that maybe he can impress another team or stick with the bears as his contract is up after this season.

Membrane Pacemakers

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis developed the new membrane to wrap around hearts like a flexible net. This spiderweb-like network of specialized electrodes continuously monitors the heart’s electrical activity and easily expands and contracts with the heart. This technological membrane can also apply a high-definition therapy to stop heart attacks or other irregular heart problems. 
for more on this new medical technology click here --> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2571917/Membrane-heart-pumping-forever-possibly-prevent-heart-attacks.html

Internet Shuts Down, Economy Goes With It

Over the course of a year a study by the Brooking Institute by Darrell West found that economies lost close to $2.2 billion dollars after the government shutting down it's internet.  Nineteen countries and 81 disruptions over the course of one year showed the impact of a government shutting down its internet.

The highest amount of money lost goes to India who lost $968 million dollars, second was Saudi Arabia which lost $465 million dollars and third was Iraq which lost $210 million dollars. West also made comparisons to the Internet and the affect of it shutting down has on the GDP of a country.

AT&T to buy Time Warner

AT&T will be buying HBO and CNN owner Time Warner for $85.4 billion. This deal will put AT&T in an even better position as Time Warner was a top competitor. AT&T is making a large step in the consolidation of the media market especially after its merger with Directv back in the summer of 2015. This will make AT&T the number one television service provider in the U.S.

Homosexuality a Crime?

     Thousands of men were arrested, and convicted of crimes such as buggery, gross indecency and loitering with intent.They had been arrested in bars,coffee houses, public bathrooms and sometimes their own homes. In many cases, these men were being arrested for seeking intimacy with another man. 
      Decades after homosexuality is decriminalized in Britain, the government announced on Thursday that it will pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men who in essence, had been convicted of seeking or having sex with another man. This gives men who are still alive the chance to have their names cleared. 
        The law providing the pardons is named after Alan Turning. He was a mathematician who made a major contribution to Britain in World War II by cracking Germany's Enigma coding machine and was a central figure in the development of the computer. He was convicted of homosexuality in 1952, and committed suicide in 1956. In 2009 the government apologized for their treatment of him, and in 2013 Queen Elizabeth II formally pardoned him. 
        Consensual sex between men ages over 21 was decriminalized in England and Wales in 1967, Scotland in 1980, and Northern Ireland in 1982. The age was changed in 2001 to 16. 
      Oscar Wilde, the Irish playwright, is also another example of someone who may be pardoned. He was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor in 1895 after being accused of sodomy. 

For a link to this article, click here

Week 7 starts here

Benefits of Rosemary

Researchers from the University of California San Diego and Rome's Sapineza University discovered their town's long-living, healthy population used an abundance of rosemary in their daily cooking. Rosemary helps with memory and concentration due to its potent scent. Although, too much of it can worsen your memory. Rosemary can also help with stress and hair loss. Due to its natural oils, the herb helps with indigestion and muscle pains. Lastly, the potent extract from this herb is noted to help mental energy and even cancer.

Source

Sony is creating new music with algorithm based AI music

By: Chiloo Vang

Sony Computer Science Laboratory or CSL in Paris is developing an algorithm that would create new music based off already existing music.  This algorithm by Sony would analyze a given amount of songs and create something new on what the AI believes share similar rhythm, pitch and harmony.  The first song from the algorithm has already been produced called "Daddy's Car" and is based off of 45 songs from The Beatles. Take a listen to this interesting song below!

   

Although with this technology it would seem that music will be easier to create now thus being a good thing overall but some have complained that this would take away from the musical artist.  Besides the fact that the AI generating new music would take away the jobs of musicians, it's also been debated on how the authorship and credits would be determined.  

Massive Attack on the Internet

Early Friday morning a number of user's have experienced internet shortages all across the country, from a cyber attack or "DDoSS.". Users unable to access websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, etc. Dyn a company who's servers monitor and reroute internet traffic, began experiencing outages shortly after 7 am. The DDoSS which is a distributed denial of service flood's a servers target site and with internet traffic eventually collapsing the server.

First Latin American Elephant Sanctuary Opens in Brazil

Rescued Elephants Maia and Guida, adjusting to their new home. © BBC

Latin America's first elephant sanctuary in Brazil has opened its doors to two elephants, and hopes are high to receive many more. On Wednesday, October 12, the first elephant arrived at its new home. Maia and Guida, the two Asian elephants to arrive at the sanctuary, are now free from their former trainers' abuse and living in harsh conditions in the circus.

In general, there is a lot of environmental activism present in Brazil among the wide variety of wildlife in the country. Activists in Brazil have shown great concern for former circus elephants in Latin America. Although the sanctuary can hold up to six elephants, there are still 50 elephants across the continent in need of help.

To read more about elephants Maia and Guida, and more about the sanctuary and wildlife activism, click here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37663208 

Wikileaks at the Opera

Collateral Murder by Wikileaks has been adapted into an opera called The Source and will be playing at REDCAT this weekend. Directed by Daniel Fish, the production is part of an ongoing collaboration between two Downtown Los Angeles art institutions on the helicopter airstrike in New Baghdad eight years ago that killed two Reuters war correspondents among others.

Fish and production designers filmed reactions of people who watched the video Wikileaks dubbed Collateral Murder (released by former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer Chelsea Manning) and will be flashing these reactions in the background of the opera house.“The reactions we captured became key to the visual language of the whole show. Some are rather dramatic, and others are more plain, less surprised,” Fish said (according to L.A. Downtown News). “I think the audience will find a lot of different interpretations in this production. It’s not spelled out for you, even if there are strong choices we make.”

Although the opera premiered in New York three years ago, the timing of the L.A. premiere seems uncanny in the midst of the current election season. The Source is a reflection on the power of our nation's secrets as well as the people who have access to them.

The Fourth Day of the Battle of Mosul

The Fourth Day of the Battle of Mosul

By Hailey Lawrence

 

As Iraqi and some US forces enter the fourth day of its advance towards Mosul, ISIS attacked the Iraqi city of Kirkuk before dawn on Friday morning. 

Special forces join the fight outside of Mosul. As of Thursday, forces were 9 miles outside of Mosul.

This attack is seen as a distraction from the efforts in Mosul. As it is considered the fourth day of the battle, it is calculated that it will be one of the toughest fights yet for security forces fighting the Islamic State militants, according to NPR. Forces, however, are reporting progress and are pushing closer and closer, reaching to the town of Bartella on Thursday, which is 9 miles from the outskirts of Mosul. Victory in Mosul will push ISIS out of the last major city in Iraq. 

The attack itself involved suicide bombers attacking police stations and gunmen shot police, according to Alice Fordham for NPR. Additionally, ISIS attacked an electricity station right outside of Kirkuk. There were 13 casualties, all of them workers at the electricity station. ISIS claimed responsibility online promptly after both attacks.

Besides two attacks accompanying the elevated tension in Mosul, the UN announced that there are reports that ISIS fighters may be using civilians as human shields. According to UN Human Rights Office, "ISIL forced some 200 families out of Samalia village to walk to Mosul," and "350 families fled Bajafia village in Nimroud Sub-district, towards Mosul, highlighting ISIL's apparently policy of preventing civilians from escaping to areas controlled by Iraqi security forces." The UN also reported that at least 20 civilians has been shot dead by ISIL.

"We know ISIL has no regard for human life, which is why it is incumbent upon the Iraqi government to do its utmost to protect civilians." U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.

The fight continues and although casualties are reported to be very little, time will tell what happens next in the coming days of this battle.

For more on the battle of Mosul, click here.

Why eSports are a genuine threat to pro sports leagues

Not long ago, spending hard-earned money on a ticket for a seat in an arena to watch someone else play video games was more or less unfathomable. 

E-sports has become so much popular over the years and has drastically impacted sports like NFL, MLB, NBA and other sports. The primary cause of this is millennials as most people watching E-sports are people that are for the most part under age 35. 

With rising interest in streaming Competetive games, online NFL teams and other sports will have to find ways to improve their viewings and get to where E-sports is heading.

Army Vet Granted Eligibility as NCAA Reverses Decision

The NCAA has decided to reverse its decision and has granted Army Veteran Isaiah Brock immediate eligibility to play Division 1 Men's Basketball for Oakland University in Michigan. Brock was initially allowed to receive financial aid and participate in practices with the team, but was not allowed to play. This decision was reviewed and overturned when Oakland's Athletic Department provided additional information to the NCAA. This is a great decision by the NCAA in which everyone involved wins. For more information on this story check out this article.

The Supreme Court and the Election

Photo courtesy of USA Today

The Supreme Court has been a point of contention between the left and the right and with the election creeping closer every day, the vacancy on the bench-and the vacancies that may happen within the next president’s term-has become a very important topic.

In Matt Ford’s article for The Atlantic, he analyzed how the presidential candidates approached the topic of the Supreme Court in Wednesday night’s debate. Namely, Ford wrote about Donald Trump’s lack of interest in the topic. “Commentators frequently note the next president will likely appoint two or three justices—a morbid but accurate statement, especially if he or she is re-elected. What’s rarely appreciated is how historic that shift will be,” he writes, and it puts into perspective just how important the Supreme Court should be to people in this election.

Having the Supreme Court stacked in favor of your party and the constituency they represent would be so extremely helpful in passing bills in the House and the Senate and keeping them as laws. This panel of nine decides what is or is not constitutional and if a majority of them agree with your party’s point of view, that can really change the way that a president and Congress govern. The next president has the opportunity to do that, to really change the way that laws are upheld or struck down, and it is something that people will need to think about when the go to the polls on November 8^th.

The Great Barrier Reef Hoax

Bird's eye view of the Great Barrier Reef

    Earlier this week I was telling my friend about how I have to write about the environment.  Which brought up how she thought the Great Barrier Reef was completely dead.  Of course I had to investigate and found what she saw on Facebook was completely wrong.

    What she saw was an obituary satire.  It still should still hit home with people, fake or not.  It is a wake up call to see what could happen with the rate of climate change.  Luckily, the Paris Agreement will help with emissions into the atmosphere and the overall eco-friendliness of nations.

   Unfortunately, an article I found mentioned how the obituary article might have reverse effects on the Great Barrier Reef.  It mentioned that the people who believe it to be true, will give up on trying to make a change.  Hopefully this will not be the case.  Some of the coral has recovered since this last summer's heat.

Crime in New York City's parks rises

Throughout this year, crime in parks all over New York City has been increasing, and it is causing a demand in more police and more protection.

According to CBS2's Marcia Kramer, crime in parks has risen in the first six months of this year by 39 percent, from 488 in 2015, to 612 this year. It is stated that crimes such as murder,rape,assault and robbery are up due to the lack of police available to be stationed in and around parks.

Central Park has its own police precinct, but no other parks in the city do. So parks like Flushing Meadows, Riverside and Prospect parks are among the most dangerous in the city.

According to Eric Phillips, spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, "crime in parks is rare." But according to other park-goers interviewed, they state that the parks aren't as safe as the Mayor thinks, and that they would never step foot around the parks after 9 pm.

Despite the crime spikes, the NYPD still states that the parks are safe.

For a link to the article, click here
For a link to the picture, click here

AMPL Smart Backpack

The AMPL smart backpack is a new kind of backpack. Its 100% water proof, light weight, and you can charge any electronic with it. This backpack has multiple batteries in it for charging your devices and had an app that comes with it to help you monitor everything going on with the bag. It can also tell you its location and temperature.
 
for more about this product click this link --> https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ampl-the-world-s-smartest-backpack#/

Target Pulls Clown Masks From Shelves Ahead of Halloween

Target said this past weekend it is removing all clown masks from its 1,800 stores and online shopping site and is suspending the sale of clown masks in response to the wave of creepy clown-related sightings across the country.The decision was made just two weeks ahead of Halloween and is directly correlated   with the current environment, Target spokesman Joshua Thomas said in an email Monday. 

This move by one of the nation's largest retailers comes after McDonald's last week announced it would be limiting public appearances by Ronald McDonald until the clown craze is under control. It is also known that several Goodwill stores in Florida also decided to stop selling clown costumes. It will be interesting to see what other stores do as we see an average of $8.2 billion spent by Americans on Halloween.

Read the full article here.  

Week six starts here

Last Month's Coastal Cleanup Day

Coastal clean up day in Ventura County, California was super successful. Almost 6 tons of waste was picked up.

The day was a huge success because 2,700 volunteers showed up to the event. I think it is amazing that so many people would take time out of their day to clean up the beaches. Most of the litter found were cigarette butts, which is a big problem because the animals and young kids eat them.  They also do not completely decompose which causes the chemicals to leak into the water.   The county, however, has taken some initiative to build a campaign to stop the litter of cigarettes.

India's economy loses $968 million

A new study has shown that India's economy lost $968 million from June 1st, 2015 to June 30, 2016 reported by the Brookings Institution. Not only did India lose money, the internet shutdown happened across 19 countries and a staggering $2.4 billion dollars were lost.

This is a response taken by the Indian Government, because of growing issues to students cheating on exam's. India is not the first country to do this, Uganda, Algeria and Iraq have had a massive internet shut downs of social media sites.

Bigger City, Better Health

A survey released by Gallup and Healthways stated that people who live in big cities tend to have better health than those in smaller cities. Despite the polluted air and crowded transportation, big cities with urban parks, joggers and cyclists help motivate people to be healthy. 

The study states that the essence of "active living" in large cities gains more and more participants every year. Just like the common saying, "the city never sleeps", people are always active when living in a city. Therefore as more people move into large cities, they view their peers and gain the same motivation. 

The cities that ranked the first in this study were San Francisco, Boston, Washington, New York, and Chicago. The ones that were last on the list were Tulsa, Durham, and Indianapolis. This study was performed in order to show those the benefits of their peers and residency as well as encouraging people to exercise.

Source

Macklemore and President Obama talks opioid addiction in MTV documentary along with new song, "Drug Dealer"

Written By: Chiloo Vang

MTV has united rapper Macklemore and President Obama for their new documentary, "Prescription for Change: Ending America's Opioid Crisis," airing October 11. Macklemore, with past addiction as well, becomes the candidate for speaking on this issue with the president at The White House.  In the documentary,  the two celebrities talked about the opioid addiction across the United States and how people can go about helping others or helping oneself with addiction. 

The rapper also released a new song, "Drug Dealer," where he addresses his past opioid addiction, alcoholism and speaks about how these drugs have taken lives from talented famous people such as Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Prince and more.  Macklemore has also in the past made songs about gay marriage, "Same Love" (2012), and white privilege, "White Privilege" (2016), addressing the topics popular in the news at the time.  

Bringing Back Our Girls: The Release of 21 Chibok Schoolgirls

Bringing Back Our Girls: The Release of 21 Chibok Schoolgirls

By Hailey Lawrence

 

On Thursday afternoon, 21 girls were released from Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram after being abducted for nearly two and a half years.

Michelle Obama was one of the many supporters of #BringBackOur Girls

A very surprising and very heartwarming exchange, 21 of the Chibok schoolgirls that were abducted from the terrorist group on April 14, 2014 have been returned to their families. They were released after two and a half years of captivity at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday morning with the addition of a 20-month-old child born in captivity, said a spokesperson of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari via Twitter. The circumstances of this release was the result of years of negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said that the government will continue the negotiation until all the girls are brought home.

The abductions of these 300 schoolgirls back in 2014 sparked an international campaign for the Nigerian government to do more to secure the girls' release. With prominent supporters like Michelle Obama and the use of the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, the Nigerian government began their mission to get the girls back. Throughout the years, several negotiations have been made; a majority failed, some were cancelled last minute, and in one instant, the negotiation team of Boko Haram was killed. This negotiation is considered one of the biggest breakthroughs between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The government is confident that they will continue to get the girls back “in the next few days, the next few months, we should be able to bring in more of these girls, along the same lines, using exactly the same negotiations," said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Mr. Osinbajo in a news conference further said that the girls are in great health, considering the circumstances they've been in. He assures that the government will continue to push for the release of more girls, but he warned that while they are currently waging an aggressive campaign against Boko Haram right now, they have the fate of their nation to think about as well.

“We want to ensure that we bring these girls back alive,” Mr. Osinbajo said. “At the same time we, of course, balance this against the overall safety and security of the country.”

As for the whereabouts of the other girls, Western intelligence believes that the girls are scattered in groups, according to The New York Times. Others believe that some may have escaped. The girls who are still in captivity are believed to be held by a faction controlled by Boko Haram leader  Abubakar Shekau. Only time and patience will tell the fate of these girls. 

The families of the girls who were brought back rejoiced at their return. Lawan Zanna, father of Aisha Zanna, one of the abducted girls, said he and the other parents are blessed for their return. All of the parents are “very happy hearing that they have released our daughters,” he said. “All are our daughters.”

To read more about the return of the Chibok schoolgirls, click here
To learn more about the events of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, click here 

Latin America's Former Best Hospital In Need of Care

The inside of one of the operating rooms at Jose Manuel de Los Rios children's hospital in Caracas, Venezuela  ©BBC

With only four out of nine functioning operating rooms and a deficiency of medicine to treat the sick, Latin America's former best hospital has drastically changed over the course of time. The economic crisis has taken an invariably great toll on the health care system. With paint peeling off the walls, electric cables hanging about, and a room filled with broken medical equipment,  Jose Manuel de Los Rios children's hospital in Caracas, Venezuela is not what it used to be. 

A long-time employee of the hospital, Dr. Huniades Urbina-Medina, recalls how patients from all over the region would travel to the hospital, and they even had a waiting list for scheduled 5,500 surgeries. Fast-forward five years later, he and his staff can't even treat a 12-year-old boy suffering from meningitis due to the lack of drugs. 

The lack of proper healthcare also extends it reach to malnourished babies and a high infant mortality rate, leaving parents hopeless, and some with no other choice but to send their children to foster homes. 

To read more about the state of Venezuela's health and the foster homes around the country, click here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37562058

More Changing Stations Now Available in Men's Rooms

President Obama signed the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation Act (also called the BABIES Act) this month, giving men the chance to be more active in parenting. The main focus of the bill was that it "requires diaper-changing facilities in male and female restrooms in public federal buildings, such as Social Security offices, courthouses and post offices. If these restrooms do not have changing tables, hallway signs must direct parents to the nearest facilities," according to Hailey Middlebook's article on CNN.

Health and safety concerns are a major reason for this bill, which passed the House in September 389-34. Rep. David Cicilline- who proposed the bill- said concerning the access, "[it] is essential to protecting the health and safety of children and encouraging a family friendly environment."

Having equal access to changing stations for both men and women is a small but important step toward gender equality, especially in the realm of parenting. Historically, changing stations have been mainly in women's restrooms because women were usually the primary caregivers for children. Having changing stations available for men to use not only makes it easier for men to participate in parenting, but it also generates a conversation between spouses/partners, between parents and children, and between men and other men about active parenting and what it is to be a parent. Yes, this is a small step, but in the path toward gender equality, it's a great one to be made.

49ers name Kaepernick starting quarterback

    Colin Kaepernick after being benched for the whole year so far is finally arising from the bench and becoming a starter once again.
    Coach Chip Kelly announced the decision Tuesday to bench the starter now for the 49ers, Blaine Gabbert and to give back the starting job back that Kaepernick lost midway through last season.
    Gabbert has put the 49ers in a bad rut leaving the team (1-4) and leaving him in last for yards per attempt.

Elephant tranquilizers are the new pain killers

There is a new and deadly trend spreading across America: Elephant Tranquilizers.

In Benton, Arkansas the deadly drug has been in circulation causing many people to overdose. Lieutenant Terry Fuller with the Benton Police Department has a long history working with narcotics. He said that even a small amount of this drug can be deadly.

The name of this new drug is called Carfentanil. It is a synthetic opiate that is usually found in powder form that is usually used to calm large mammals, such as an elephant. This drug is 100 times more potent than Fentanyl, which is another synthetic opiate. It's also more potent than more common drugs like pain killers. Also according to Fuller, "it's really strong, and is a thousand times more powerful than hydrocodone".

It is also dangerous because it can be used to lace other drugs. Many people may not even know they are taking it, and by the time they realize it could be too late.

Some officers in bigger cities are arming themselves with Narcan,which can reverse the effects of opiates.

For a link to this article, click here
For a link to the pictures website, click here

Samsung Stops Making Note 7 Phones After New Fires

Samsung is continuing to have problems with the Galaxy Note 7. The company was forced to issue new models of the smartphone following complaints of faulty batteries. Along with the original Note 7's, the replacements have been catching fire. On Wednesday October 5, there was a plane that had to be evacuated before take-off because of smoke coming from a phone. Samsung and Southwest Airlines are now investigating the incident.   

Samsung has now suspended production of the Note 7, a source said on Monday, after the reports of fires continued in replacement devices added to the tech giant's worst ever recall crisis. Top U.S. and Australian carriers suspended sales or exchanges of Note 7s, while major airlines reiterated bans on passengers using the phones on planes.

Read the full article here.

GMATE SMART BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING SYSTEM

The Gmate SMART meter is a great tool for diabetic needs. All you do is connect the device to the headphone jack and it powers up and is ready to take your blood glucose. It also comes with a free app that tracks your day to day blood glucose and can help diabetics with their diets. 

Picture from Liveactionsafe.com

for more on this click here ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_y4pp3B71I

Gotta Love the Fosters

Netflix has added the fourth season of The Fosters, and is now available for viewing. The Fosters is a show by Free Form, a substation of the ABC network, responsible for The Bachelor,Baby Daddy, and recently Pretty Little Liars. The Fosters is a heartwarming show about a family comprised of children taken out of the foster care system and put into a loving home.

Week 5 starts here

Comcast is putting data caps on internet plans

Starting November 1st, Comcast will now charge customers an extra $10 fee if they go over their current usage of 1 TB (1024 GB) in a month. If customers go over they will be given the fee and an extra 50 GB for usage.

Customers that exceed the 50 GB will be charged the $10 fee continuously adding 50 GB until the customer reaches a total of $200 in fees, then it will be capped, and you will be able to use the service without being charged additional fees.

Comcast has stated that this will just effect the internet usage, and will have no effect on the overall internet speed. Emails will be sent out to customers once you hit 50% and 100% of your data plan.

AT&T signs deal with Taylor Swift for Pre-Super bowl Performance

Written By: Chiloo Vang

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/super-bowl/7533222/taylor-swift-att-deal-super-bowl-saturday-concert


Taylor Swift and AT&T have come to terms on a new multi-year deal that would place Taylor Swift in Houston for the AT&T DIRECTV Super Saturday Night concert a day before the big game.  This is only the beginning to the new deal as AT&T is said to have many more opportunities for Taylor Swift is the coming future.

Taylor Swift is without a doubt one of biggest performers in the world so it only makes sense that she'd appear around an event as large as the upcoming Super Bowl. If all goes well, we could potentially see Taylor Swift move onto the halftime show in an upcoming Super Bowl the same way Lady Gaga did after singing the National Anthem earlier this year.

"Nimbus" Rains Music in L.A.'s Walt Disney Concert Hall

"Nimbus" is a new art installation at Walt Disney's Concert Hall that "rains" down music when people use the escalators it is set above. It is the work of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's artist collaborator Yuval Sharon, composer Rand Steiger, and artist Patrick Shearn.

Environmental sounds like wind and water were created by musicians who manipulated their use of different instruments. The sound of wind and water accompanies the music played by musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The clouds itself are made from chicken wire and batting.

Sharon is known for his unique and creative projects and he uses science in a poetic way in order to create meaningful art. Nimbus is a special installation in that it provides "rain" and music during the difficult time of California's drought. Visitors could enjoy the instrumentals as well as listen to musicians sing along with the music during the installation's opening.

Foreign Minister of Ecuador Says Neoliberalism Damaged Latin America

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Guillaume Long. © Getty Images

In an interview with Russia Today (RT News), Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Guillaume Long talks about how he believes US neoliberalism has damaged Latin America and made it one of the most unequal continents today. 

The lack of government control on Latin America's free market has greatly hamred the continent in terms of progress. Neoliberalism, as Long sees it, increased poverty and instability, taking ints toll on the economy during the 1970s and 1980s between during a time of dictatorship and the shift to democracy as the Cold War ended; and since Latin America was at such a weak state during the time, neoliberalism only made conditions worse. Long even points out how poor of an affect neoliberalism has on other continents, saying it was even bad for a first-world continent like Europe. 

However, Long also discusses efforts to build up a new state that will take care of its people and be accountable for its actions.

To read more on what Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Guillaume Long has to say, click here: https://www.rt.com/op-edge/361479-neoliberalism-ecuador-latin-america/ 

The Beginning of the End: The Battle and Aftermath of Mosul

The Beginning of the End: The Battle and Aftermath of Mosul

By Hailey Lawrence

  

October marks the official beginning of ending ISIS influence in Iraq for once and for all.  While the battle seems to be a confirmed victory, there are still multiple messes that the world will have to clean up after Iraq is rid of ISIS.

Displaced children walk through Mosul. Millions will be refugees.

 Mosul is the last remaining ISIS stronghold in Iraq. According to officials, the full ground assault will begin at the end of the month but final operations and preparations have been going on for awhile. On October 15, troops will begin the push towards Mosul.

The troops involved include the Iraqi military that have been training with US forces for the past two years for this battle. Their numbers are large--roughly 45,000 men, according to The Guardian. On the opposing side, ISIS is believed to have 5,000 to 8,000 members ready to make their last stand. The battle is an obvious victory, but the fate of Iraq after ISIS is removed from it is the lingering question.

The victory over ISIS is a great accomplishment; the mess left over from so many years of destruction is the hard part of the fate of Iraq. First, it is believed that there will be a large refugee crisis. According to The Guardian, there will be an estimated 1.3 million refugees coming from Mosul alone. Those refugees will need to recover from two years of destruction and given the circumstances, it can either be good or bad.

“When you have one million people you have to be precise with each attack; it requires really good intelligence that will slow things down. Anyone who says it is going to take two weeks or two months does not know. We will see early on when the process has started, but we do not want to end up like Ramadi with 80% of the city destroyed, and then mass unemployment because that is a breeding ground for terrorism. You could just end up with a more brutal version of (Isis).” According to an Iraqi security official.

The Battle of Mosul will not be a quick battle; it has to ensure the safety of a million people. Those people will be heavily dependent on others to help reconstruct their society for the first time in two years. It is projected that 500,000 people will seek shelter in Kurdish territory while another 500,000 people will flee to Iraqi military occupied areas, according to The Guardian. UNICEF spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah estimates that 700,000 people will be in desperate need of shelter and life saving assistance. With an aide efforts program that is underfunded by 13 million dollars, supporting all the refugees will be tricky.

The future of Iraq in a post-ISIS world will be a big adjustment. It will need all the support it can get, but for now the beginning of the end starts now with the upcoming battle of Mosul. 

For more information of the upcoming battle, click here

For more information about refugees and how you can help, click here