Image by bbc.com By Etan Khlevnoy
Staff Writer Worldwide corruption has been rapidly increasing in the world during the last recent decades and the Panama Papers are only one example of the schemes plaguing society. The Panama Papers are documents proving that wealthy billionaires had been laundering money and evading taxes in tax havens like Panama. The papers were found and leaked by various journaling companies like The Guardian “To our knowledge this is the biggest leak that journalists have ever worked on” (Sueddeutsche Zeitung reporter Bastian Obermayer) The papers have shown that national leaders, 143 politicians, and their families and close friends from around the world are getting help from law firms and banks especially the firm Mossack Fonseca to put their money on offshore tax havens to avoid taxes, and throwing more tax on you and creating more income inequality. Important billionaires involved with the money laundering scheme include Politicians with money in these offshore tax havens include Prime minister of the UK David Cameron, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the relatives of China’s President Xi Jinping, etc. Putin is believed to have two billion dollars in offshore accounts that trace back to him. The United States’ trade deal with Panama served only the purpose of making money laundering there easier and thus it had bipartisan support when being enacted. People around the world are in an uproar because of the newly found knowledge about the corruption of their politicians and the fallout from this leak is just beginning with the prime minister of Iceland, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, resigning because of the money he placed into Panama, and how his wife owned companies that helped offshore tax havens function and had claims on failed Icelandic banks. “Myself? No. … Well, the Icelandic companies I have worked with had connections with offshore companies,” explained Gunnlaugsson, (Prime minister of Iceland 2009). Gunnlaugsson had previously lied about being involved with offshore tax companies, making his actions more despicable. “We’re looking at a system that’s actually broken. You´ve got a system that sells, as a primary product, secrecy,” said Gerard Ryle (CNBC). The Panama papers are only an example of many illegal secret money laundering schemes of political officials. With more aggressive journalism such as the journalism that exposed the Panama Papers, corruption can be routed out of society. Image by nationalgeographic.com By Emma Day
Staff Writer There is a layer fine particles floating all around us. Depending on the area, this could be thin and dispersed. In others, it can be similar to a thick blanket in the summer time. This is all because of the sheer amount of smog pumped into the air every second. Heavily polluting countries include the United States, Pakistan, Qatar, and China. Pakistan currently has the world's worst outdoor air quality. This will affect the rest of the world because of the winds. The winds will make sure Americans learn their lesson for wanting one extra Twinkie. Most of the the factories for things like Nike and Apple are located in these countries, though many companies are relocating to the US. This will affect the US economy well, but the air quality will go downhill. For now, countries will be fighting bad air quality with things like not driving one day a week, and coming up with better plans for factories to create their products. “Mexico city is experiencing the worst air-quality crisis in over a decade. They are fighting it by ordering citizens not to use their cars once a week," according to weforum.com. Granted the world is improving, it is still far from perfect. Millions of people in China burn coal for heat each year. All of this coal burning adds to the practically irreversible problem. The thing is, there would be no other or very few sources of heat for China's lower class during the Winters.“Only one percent of the country's 560 million people breathe air considered safe by the European Union," according to the New York Times. There are many other countries that resort to coal burning as a source of heat during the winters. The amount of smog in the air is literally choking in some areas at this point. “There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all,” said by Robert Orben. With all the problems we create, only a few get solved. One of the many problems with very temporary, no good, or any solves is air pollution. In fact, there are more people dying of air pollution each year than from unsafe water. Why don't we give ourselves a pat on the back, because at least we are trying to fix it. It will take years for most countries to get clear skies again, not just like 5 or 6 years, but many many years. Image by npr.org By Hannah Bourgeau
Staff Writer After the death of Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia this February, there is a vacancy in the supreme court. The Supreme court is used to resolve congressional and constitutional disputes at the highest rank in the United States. Not only is the Supreme Court the final decision maker but it also has a duty for keeping the president and congress in check. Without a ninth justice, there will be many cases held off because the result may end in a tie between judges’ decisions and leave cases unresolved. President Obama has nominated Harvard graduate, Merrick Garland to fill Scalia’s seat in the Supreme Court. Garland has received praise from both the Republican and Democratic parties, but the Republican party was quick to reject Garland. “To suggest that someone is as qualified and respected as Merrick Garland doesn’t even deserve a hearing, let alone an up-or-down vote, to join an institution as important as our Supreme Court, when two-thirds of Americans believe otherwise, that would be unprecedented,” Obama replies, “I simply ask Republicans to give him a fair hearing, and then an up-or-down vote”. The Republican members of congress have decided to wait until after the 2016 Presidential Election to decide on Garland’s nomination. The new President may or may not decide to select Garland. It is assumed that if a Democratic President is elected, they may appoint a younger, more “progressive” nominee, in spirits to shift the Supreme Court away from conservative, moving toward liberal for years to come. As president, Donald Trump’s decision may be more unpredictable. Garland considers his nomination “the greatest honor of my life other than Lynn agreeing to marry me 28 years ago”. Garland’s response to the nomination has so far been positive and he looks forward to possibly serving in the Supreme Court. Image by autismawareness.com By Jadelyn Yep
Staff Writer April is the month of autism acceptance and Apple has shown the use of Ipads on people with autistic disabilities like 16 year-old Dilan Barmache. Apple has recently released a pair of videos on YouTube highlighting Barmache’s story with autism. Autism means a complex neurobehavioral disorder that includes impairments in social interaction and development language and communication skills, combined with rigid, repetitive behaviors. Barmache has learned to speak using Ipad apps, Proloque4Text, Assistive Express, and Keeble. These apps have changed his life by typing his thoughts and feelings, letting the computer speak for him. In the video, Barmache had explained, “All my life I wanted so badly to connect with people but they couldn’t understand because I had no way to communicate.” He describes autism as “lonely” and “hell”. Nobody has understood his pain when it hurt the most and what life was like in his shoes. Throughout the halls, he was know as “that kid”. The one who needed special help and it made most things hard for the teen. But, that didn’t stop him from being different. In 2014, Barmache took the opportunity to deliver a speech at his middle school graduation and stunned all with what he had learned. “Not being able to speak isn’t the same as not having something to say” Says the teen. From fighting all his life, he’s learned to give something more than a voice to his community. 1 in 42 boys in the United States are diagnosed with autism and the numbers are rising. But through Barmache’s words,“I get to experience the world in a very unique way. I can see the wind, hear the flowers. I can feel incredible emotions flowering from those I love.” This inspiring teen has changed the world one message at a time in Apple’s videos leaving many people speechless and crying. Technology is constantly changing and people like Barmache make the future exciting and worth it. Image by popsugar.com By Aubrey Welch
Staff Writer Crocs have been selling for years now, ever since George Boedecker had the wonderful idea of creating Crocs. However, not every person knows about history of Crocs. Before there were Crocs the company that sold them originally sold clogs. They were losing sales rapidly. Boedecker then thought of a new innovative shoe: Cocs! Once on the shelves they were selling 50 million pairs a year, making $850 million. Our very own Aubrey Welch went around and asked people questions about Crocs. “Would You wear Crocs,” Welch asked Ethan Wendt. “Yes, because who wouldn’t want to. And I would wear them in black." Welch asked the same question to 3 more people. Celeb Green's response was, “Yes I would because they’re comfortable. I would wear Black.” Maya Maletteri said,” Definitely! They’re just so cool you know. I would wear any color.” Kayleigh Franca said, "Um, yeah because they’re stylish. I would wear Blue.” Croc sales were high in the past week but have taken a recent dip. Today, sales are almost at their lowest level. But who knows, sales could go up again. Crocs have been selling for a very long time, and there doesn't seem to be any sign of the Croc business slowing down. Crocs are fun to wear and could become a trend again. Image by easyjet.com By Spencer Santana
Staff Writer On March 22, 2016, 30 people died and 230 were injured in the bombing in Brussels. The bombing that Isis has claimed responsibility for has devastated people everywhere. Two bombs went off within a hour of each other. The two men suspected were wearing black in surveillance videos and at least one is believed to have been a suicide bomber. The one believed to be a suicide bomber died in the airport departure lounge when he set the bomb off. The second bomb went off at Maelbeek metro station near EU headquarters an hour later, leaving 20 people dead and many injured. The Belgian Government has raised its terrorism alert and made calls for a three day national mourning period. A firefighter that witnessed the bombing and went in after the wreckage said “I think this is the worst thing I have ever seen,” and another said “This looks like battle wounds.” These firefighters who risk their lives on a daily basis have never seen anything like this. This just shows the seriousness and danger of the situation. Governments all over Europe are doing things to help. They are cracking down on terrorist groups and are raising security levels at large events. Photo by enroutetraveler.com By Jennie Rollins
Staff Writer In the 1890-1900s, Japan sent thousands of Cherry Blossom Trees to the United States and then distributed them across the country. Three years later, Japan sent more than 2000 trees to be sent to the Potomac River and planted near the capitol. Japan viewed the trees as a symbol of their “blossoming” friendship. Regrettably the young trees were overrun by roundworms and other insects, and the President at the time, William Howard Taft, ordered for them to be burned and destroyed at the advice of agriculture officials. The U.S. Secretary of State hastily sent their replacements to avoid any complications. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
October 2018
Categories |