Mass Executions

Arkansas plans to execute two men this Monday evening, due to the looming expiration dates of its controversial lethal injection drugs. 

The two inmates are Jack Jones Jr. and Marcel Williams, they had previously asked for stays on their executions. The State Supreme Court denied them.

The attorneys representing  the two inmates asked for stays on the grounds of the inmates health. Williams being obese, his attorneys argued that his execution would be a slow and painful death. Jones, according to his lawyers, has diabetes and apnea and the medication he takes could possibly inhibit the effectiveness of the lethal injection drugs. 

These two inmates are among eight other inmates that have been chosen by the state to be executed before the states supply of midazolam-a sedative used in the three drug lethal injection protocol- expires. Use of the sedative is controversial due to its use in several botched executions in Arizona, Alabama and Oklahoma. 

Despite the criticism from Amnesty International, the state has moved on with its execution plan. 

The idea of any state treating human life in such a callous way is unsettling to say the least. This is the first double execution in the United States in the past 16 years. 

https://news.vice.com/story/arkansas-is-hours-away-from-2-more-executions-in-its-capital-punishment-spree

A Cry for Help

Photo courtesy of the Associate Press

Dina Ali Lasloom cry for help after she was stopped in the Philippines Airport on her way to Australia to seek asylum caused an uproar on social media and has brought to light the plight of women runaways.

Lasloom was trying to escape from Saudi Arabia where they are almost always trying to escape from their male relatives.

Saudi women are banned from leaving the country, obtaining a passport or marrying without the consent of a male relative. This is all due to Saudi Arabia's interpretation of Islamic Law.

While at the airport in Manila International Airport, Lasloom said that her passport was taken by officials and her passport was being held by the request of Saudi diplomats until male relatives arrive to take her back.

While being held Lasloom recorded a video on her phone where she expressed her fears of what would happen if her family came to get her.

"If my family come, they will kill me. If I go back to Saudi Arabia, I will be dead. Please help me," Lasloom said in the video. 

According to women's rights activist, Lasloom was forced to board a plane to go back while she was escorted by two uncles that flew in from Riyadh. 

This issue of women essentially being imprisoned in their own country is a big problem that activist are trying to fix. 

Moudi Aljohani, who spoke to Lasloom at Manila airport, and also escaped the kingdom says that these women just want to be free. 

Aljohani studied abroad in Miami, and after visiting her family was confined for up to eight months. 

A Human's Right Watch report on the guadrian ship laws in Saudi Arabia, found that a woman's life dpends on the "good will" of her husband. 

https://www.apnews.com/ea1899c217794a6385e53a9cc6739e2b/A-Saudi-woman's-plea-for-help-exposes-risks-runaways-face 

Leader of Syria bombs Syria to stabilize Syria

Photo courtesy of the BBC

This week news out of  Syria that President Bashar al-Assad authorized the use of nerve gas on his own citizens in the town of Khan Shiekoun in the Idlib Province.

The rebel-held town was bombed with the Sarin nerve gas, according to a statement from the Turkish Ministry of Health.

"According to results of the preliminary tests," the statement said, "patients were exposed to chemical material (Sarin)."

While many Western countries have condemned the attack and accused Assad of war crimes the Syrian government vehemently denies these accusations, with Russia, Syria's main ally, jumping to its defense.

The statement made by Turkey, said that the gas was Sarin based on autopsies performed on three victims. The victims showed signs of "lung edema, increase in lung weight and bleeding in lungs," all of which are telling symptons associated with Sarin gas.

In response to the attack in Syria, the United States launched cruise missiles onto a government controlled airbase in Syria.

A report by the Syrian army said that atleast six people were killed in the attack.

The events of this week are crucial not just to the stability of Syria, but of the U.S. and Russia. These are countries that have been at each others throats since the civil war in Syria started. President Trump blamed President Obama for failing to act on the situation in Syria.

The reason for the hesitance is that attacking Syria, could incur the wrath of Russia. I think that Russia would be willing to protect its only connection to the Middle East even if it meant fighting the United States.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/world/middleeast/chemical-attack-syria.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FSyria&action=click&contentCollection=world&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=31&pgtype=collection&_r=0

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/us-missiles-syria-170407013424492.html  

Don't Stop Fighting

The inauguration of President Trump led to the decimation of the North Dakota protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, but the oil flow has provided locations for protests in other states.

The protest that were hoping to stop the pipeline have died off, with the clearing out of the main North Dakota protest in February and the pipeline which will move oil from Dakota to Illinois.

Due to the Trump administration, four Sioux tribes that have been suing to try and stop the pipeline have faced problems. The tribes say that the pipeline threaten their water supply, cultural and religious rights.

The protest organizers have not been dismayed by the events under Trump, with Standing Rock Sioux tribe chairman, Dave Archambault saying, “"The opportunity to build awareness started at Standing Rock and it's spreading out to other areas of the United States,"

The protest at Standing Rock, has inspired protests at other pipeline projects, and to see the effects of that shows that the people who are a part of these protests are passionate about these projects.

These protests are more than just standing up to the government, but they bring to light the issues that face indigenous people. I for one hope that the people involved in these protest continue their fight, because they will be needed. 

https://www.apnews.com/5a6d5963ede746e4866d6b0a7544192d/Dakota-Access-fight-provides-blueprint-for-pipeline-protests 

Trumpcare? More like FAILCARE! LOL!

Courtesty of Slate.com

The biggest news of the week is that the long-awaited moment of House Republicans trying to finally get rid of Obamacare has failed.

Healthcare was one of the big subjects that President Trump spoke on during his campaign, claiming that he would get rid of Obamacare in the first few days of his presidency. It is obviously clear that he has failed to keep his word following Speaker Paul Ryan pulling the bill from the floor this past Friday afternoon.

In a story by CNN, they presented Trump saying, “We were very close,” in the oval office after the bill was pulled. Trump looking for someone to blame pointed his finger at Democrats instead of his own party, the Republicans, who hold the majority in the House.

Trump stated in a tweet Saturday morning, "Obamacare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great health care plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!"

Speaker Ryan did not come out of this without some metaphorical scars, he has made himself look weak, especially since he can’t seem to wrangle in his own party.  

Ryan said, “we came up short, and will be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future.”

Democrats on the other hand were filled with glee at the sight of Republicans failing to come together and achieve something like a healthcare bill. 

Trumpcare

The Republican replacement for Obamacare has been met with opposition lately. Not just from the people, but from Republicans and Steve Bannon news site, Breitbart.

The new healthcare plan is being pushed by House Speaker, PAul Ryan, who has been continuing a campaign to get his party to vote on the bill. While interviewing on CBS's Face the Nation, Ryan spoke on the opposition of the bill, by downplaying it, saying that it is simple "compromises and negotiations."

The Democrats main criticism of the replacement healthcare plan is the possibility of 15 million people losing coverage. Ryan's response to this is that he, "can't answer" on how many may or may not lose coverage.

A major problem for Republicans for this plan is that they could possibly give up their majority hold over the House next year.

One argument presented by Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, while supporting the bill stated in an interview with ABC's This Week, that the bill is more about care than coverage. Stating that those under Obamacare cannot afford the care side of things, and this new bill will provide affordable, quality care to those that decide to insure themselves.

This bill is a way for the Trump administration to test the kind of sway it has in Congress. To see if that actually works still remains to be seen, as Republicans like Senator Rand Paul have said they will not vote for the bill.
https://news.vice.com/story/paul-ryan-stumps-to-save-trumpcare-from-dissident-republicans

Destruction of History

ISIL forces were forced from the city of Palmyra after fighting with the Syrian Army who was aided by allied forces and Russian air forces.

Palmyra was taken by ISIL back in December during a surprise attack, and according to a story by Al Jazeera thanks to the efforts of the Syrian army and Iranian backed militia, ISIL were pushed out of the city Thursday. ISIL forces retreated to the east, and the Syrian military combed the area to clear out landmines.

During the time that Palmyra was captured by ISIL in March of last year they destroyed most of the archeological sites and destroyed other historical ruins throughout the city when they retook Palmyra in December.

This destruction of archeology and historical sites is something that has been a major staple of ISIL forces. While they destroy them because they think that they are monuments of idolatry, they also sell these priceless artifacts on the black market to fund their war machine.

The historical destruction comes from the way in which ISIL views the faith of Islam, they think that worshipping  at monuments is wrong and has been going on since 2014.

This destruction of cultural history is reminiscent of what the Nazis did during WWII, but we can only hope that ISIL can be stopped before it is too late. 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/palmyra-russia-backed-syria-army-retakes-ancient-city-170303050427702.html
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/03/isis-destroys-ancient-art.html

Orwellian Future?

The Kremlin has been undermining Western news media by labeling certain stories it doesn’t like as “fake news”. Stories that have been labeled from The New York Times, NBC and Bloomberg because they supposedly a part of an “information campaign against Russia.”

It’s a pretty sad state of affairs for news media in America. The president himself has denounced an important part of the American system. The news media is something that has been a part of America since its founding and to have it be undermined and ostracized by both a domestic and foreign power is quite interesting.

According to a Vice News story the Russian government has put on its foreign ministry website a new page that is “exposing” media for spreading false information about the country.

Having a phrase like “fake news” being used as an a excuse to label a story that you don’t like is rather ridiculous. It’s the stuff of novels, something that you would expect to happen in an Orwellian story.

The news is of course fallible especially with it being run by human beings, mistakes will happen. The problem is having the entire organization insulted by government forces simply because they dislike them.    

https://news.vice.com/story/the-kremlin-is-literally-stamping-reports-it-doesnt-like-as-fake-news 

http://www.mid.ru/en/nedostovernie-publikacii/-/asset_publisher/nTzOQTrrCFd0/content/id/2655982

Make America Scared Again!

I wanted to take a break from the normal regurgitation of weekly news that I normally do. I instead wanted to talk about something that has been bothering me lately.

It seems in recent years the increased tension between political parties has warped the view of what America should be. I’m not just talking about what the economy should be like, or where the government should divert military power. I am talking more about the character of America.

With the election of President Trump, the concept of American exceptionalism is on the rise. No longer will we be pushed around and bullied by the likes of others.

To me America is a country that has become a contradiction lately. My reasoning might seem a little out there, but I want you to hear me out.

America is the most terrified country in the world.

It has been for the past several decades, ever since the American people learned about Communism. When we learned about this, we invited the fear in. It gave the government cause to make the people question their own neighbors and strangers alike. It not only affected the common folk, but the ones in power. They became afraid of losing their power and would do anything to keep it.

From this point on the idea of America being the biggest and toughest country in the world, became a contradiction. During the years of the Reagan presidency, fear filled the country in the form of communism, and during the presidency of George W. Bush it was in the form of Terrorism.

This fear has become a virus that infects the country everyday, and with the recent election of President Trump, I think that we will become even worse. Its this fear that drives to want to hate someone simply because they come from a different country and worship God in a different way. This fear that makes us want to close ourselves up from the world instead of joining it. It won’t just be some radical terrorist group that gives us reason to be afraid but our own government. When someone is operating on fear they will do just about anything to keep going.

Maybe I am talking crazy. Maybe this entire tirade of words is the product of me having to much alone time. I’m not really sure, but it makes me wish that instead of being so afraid of the world we would take part in it. America has the capacity to do great things, and it has done in the past. I simply think that this idea of American exceptionalism has got to stop, because nobody likes a loud mouth, especially if that loud mouth has access to nuclear weapons.  

Doctor's Appointment

China has said that it has stopped the practice of harvesting organs from prisoners, but the UN is not convinced.

In the past, China has been responsible for harvesting and transplanting an estimated 60,000 organs each year.

During the UN conference at the Vatican, one former top Chinese official said that China has stopped this program, but nobody believes it.

The main reason for this disbelief could be attributed to the massive amounts of hospitals that are in China. According to the Associated Press, China has more than 1 million hospitals, and 169 of those hospitals authorized to perform organ transplants.

The World Health Organization petitioned the Chinese government to come and investigate to make sure that China has kept its word. The WHO is not allowed to enter countries without the countries permission. Dr. Haibo Wang, a Chinese official, spoke out against the UN for focusing on China for this while other countries weren’t.

The history of this practice is not a happy one. These prisoners that are having their organs harvested, were being put in jail for various inhumane reasons. The imprisoned are those of ethnic minorities and various religious groups, for example Tibetans and underground Christians.

There could be a possibility of China telling the truth, the main problem is there is no accurate information to prove it. 

http://www.newsweek.com/despite-zero-tolerance-organ-harvesting-prisoners-continues-553986 

The only thing to fear...

This has been crazy week to say the least. Over the week, President Trump instituted a national ban of citizens from certain Muslim countries. Keep in mind that while there is a ban, the ban has a certain number of days on it.

With this ban, there have been multiple cases of immigrant families having massive amounts of trouble reuniting with their families. One example of this was the case of a 5-year old boy that was detained at the Washington Dulles International Airport.

To know that Trump’s ban is affecting children so young, should make people wonder if the price of “safe borders” is truly worth it.

America has always tried to place itself on a pedestal that shows that we are morally great, but to have a president that tries to close its borders to a group of people that truly need some sort of help from dangers that affect them much more than American citizens, is truly disappointing to say the least.

Fear is a virus, it eats away at every part of a person and fear is being used not just by the enemies of the United States, but by the very government that claims to want to protect us.

Brave New World!

In what was called the National Day of Patriotism, the presidential-inauguration of Donald J. Trump was interesting to watch, to say the least.

While the concept of patriotism was heavy throughout the speech, another thing stood out to me. As Trump made his speech he made it a point to give his thoughts on the state of America and its citizens.

“Rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation,” Trump said, “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”

Statements this blunt and dark have never really been said during a Presidential speech. Past presidents have lamented over the various shortcomings of previous administration, but never in such a way as what Trump said on the 20^th.

Another aspect of Trumps’ speech was the focus on America.

Trump said, “For decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.”

As noted by the Washington Post, this part of his speech seemed to indicate that America may take a backseat to foreign affairs. Although I wouldn’t count on such a thing, because America has always made it a habit to get involved in where it shouldn’t. 

While Trump's words may have been filled with shock and awe, it has been a habit of his to either ignore or exaggerate the facts to get his point across. 

It will be interesting to see as time passes to see how Trump will be in the oval office, since the day of his inauguration he has signed executive orders to get rid of the ACA, further the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines and several others regarding immigration. 

Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/20/donald-trumps-full-inauguration-speech-transcript-annotated/?utm_term=.123e9618cd75#annotations:11203364  

http://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/01/all-trump-executive-actions-000288

Critiquing Betsy Devos' confirmation hearing

Betsy Devos, President-elect Trump's pick for secretary of education, may have proven herself unprepared for the position after her confirmation hearing Tuesday. 

During the hearing Tuesday, Devos seemed to show that she didn't have any prior knowledge of the department that she was going to head. One of her long standing opinions regarding education is her support of school choice, which seemed to sum up her total experience with education as a whole.  

Devos is not only one of the most wealthy members of President-elect Trump’s cabinet, but she is also a well-known republican activist in her home state of Michigan and she showed Tuesday that she either doesn’t support or has no prior knowledge of the things that come with being the secretary of education.

One of those things being student loans which the U.S. has about $1.26 trillion dollars in student loan debt.

As a college student, it is scary to think that to have some like Betsy Devos, who has no prior knowledge of basic education terms, could be running the education system of the entire country. The United States is low on the totem pole when it comes to education and if Tuesday night is anything to go by, Betsy Devos might just put us down lower. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/politics/betsy-devos-education-secretary-confirmation-donald-trump.html

Introduction

Welcome everyone and thanks for taking the time to check out this blog. This is where I will talk on pieces of news that have happened throughout the world. Everything from politics, social issues, the environment, etc. I am very interested in the events of the world and how it may affect people. I will try to be as honest in my thoughts especially since I am not bound by the rules a normal newsroom, but I also will be trying to stay on the point of the story so as to provide the information clearly and concisely. I hope that those of you that read this will come back and offer feedback as I only want to get better.