Category Archives: Francesca Ciuffo

High school students stabbed in Utah

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

A school stabbing occurred at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, injuring five students, who are all expected to survive.

It happened just before 8 a.m. in the boy’s locker room. The five students and the suspected attacker were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Inside the locker room, police say a 16-year-old straight-A student with no record of disciplinary trouble had attacked his classmates with a knife as they changed into their gym clothes.

Students were in shock and fear after the gruesome scene that they just saw. Police reported that the blade used was three inches long.

The 911 recordings were released from the police. One caller told dispatchers: “There’s someone at Mountain View killing people! He’s stabbing people! He’s stabbing people!”

Another woman called about a student in the attendance office with wounds to his neck and that another victim was on his way. She said, “We just need some help.”

The parents of the suspect later posted a letter apologizing for their son’s horrific actions and insuring everyone that the attacks were not racially or ethnically motivated.

“We are at a loss to express how deeply sorry we are for the pain and injury caused,” the letter said.

There were no indications the suspect was having problems or being bullied, so police are still investigating if there were any motivations behind these attacks.

Right after the attack, the school went on lockdown for about an hour until the police were able to decide that the school was safe. School then resumed normally, but some parents took their children out of school that day.

The school plans to investigate if the student’s actions were caused by anything that could have been addressed or stopped beforehand.

The news media addresses topics like this because a school stabbing is something that is not seen everyday, so when it happens people want to hear about it so that they can make sure that their loved ones that are in that area are safe and pray for anyone that was injured in the process. Anything that has to do with younger children is usually newsworthy because it appeals to the emotional side of audiences.

Trump and the Supreme Court

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By: FRANCESCA CIUFFO

With Justice Scalia’s seat vacant, it will certainly be filled by a conservative nominee next year. The court will now be tilted right, as it has been for decades.

The choice of the U.S. Supreme Court justice will soon belong to President-elect Trump, which supports Republican senators’ refusal to allow President Obama to choose Garland to Scalia’s seat.

Some liberals hope that even if the court is dominantly conservative, it could still hinder Trumps’s ambitions.

“Given that many of the conservatives on his list are more in the traditional conservative mold than Trump himself, they might not simply write him a blank check when it comes to actions and policies that threaten constitutional structure,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center.

The news media would cover a story like this because Trump’s presidency is not a good thing for liberals. Many are worried about what comes next at the Supreme Court. They almost had a liberal-leaning Supreme Court for the first time in decades and now they have to deal with yet another right-leaning court and liberals feeling overshadowed and nearly disappearing in the Supreme Court. This election is one of the most important and controversial elections there has ever been, so it is important for the news media to cover it and for the public to stay on top of what happens next.

In March, public-sector unions were threatened, but this could soon reach the court again, and this time, the challengers are likely to gain a fifth vote.

Trump is likely to undo what Obama’s approaches were to climate change, transgender rights, and abortion issues. A Supreme Court controlled by conservatives is likely to further secure gun rights and resume the deregulation of campaign finance.

The candidates on Trump’s list of possible nominees are almost all working judges and several served as law assistants to conservative Supreme Court justices. Many have judicial track records hostile to federal power, abortion rights and gay marriage, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Chicago Cubs end 108-year drought

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

The Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in 108 years, so winning on Wednesday night was definitely a night to remember for them and their fans.

The Cubs had an exciting win, bringing the World Series all the way to the final seventh game. Not only was it the last game of the series, but they also won the game 8-7 in extra innings.

The Cubs were winning 6-3 going into the eighth inning, but the Cleveland Indians rallied to tie the game by scoring three runs, one being a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run by Rajai Davis off closer Aroldis Chapman.

In the 10th inning, the Cubs scored two runs. Big hits this inning included Ben Zobrist’s double, who was MVP of the Series, and Miguel Montero’s single.

The Cubs had to stay in “game-mode” for the bottom of the 10th. Davis hit a run-scoring single to bring the Indians to only one run behind. Carl Edwards was taken out of the game, and Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery was put in. Montgomery got Michael Martinez to hit a slow roller to third base, which third baseman Kris Bryant scooped up and threw to the first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.

Once the ball finally hit the glove of Rizzo, the stadium shook with excited Chicago fans erupting into screams and cries.

“We’re world champions,” Rizzo said in the Champagne-soaked visitors’ clubhouse. “The Chicago Cubs are world champions. Let that sink in.”

The Cubs can now happily celebrate after extreme let-downs in 1969, 1984 and 2003, and talk of curses of black cats, billy goats and Steve Bartman, the fan who infamously interfered with a foul ball in the playoffs. The “on-the-edge of your seat,” nerve-wracking series along with the 108-year wait, carried with it an additional historical perk. The Cubs became the first team to rally from a three-games-to-one Series deficit since Kansas City did so in 1985 and the first to do it on the road since Pittsburgh in 1979.

The media will cover an event like this because sports are a huge form of entertainment today, especially something as big as a World Series seventh game win, where a championship is on the line. The World Series brings so much revenue to Major League Baseball. Teams play about seven months of games just to get to the World Series, so something this big, especially with a crazy and exhilarating win like this one, is bound to be brought up in the media after the Cubs had have 108 years of upset.

Microsoft reinvents desktop PC

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Once a year, Microsoft’s Panos Panay appears with new creations that he and his Surface team have produced in their labs.

Microsoft is expected to deliver their latest gadget: a Surface PC.

It is expected to convert a desk into a creative work studio. Today, most people are using tablets and laptops instead of desktop PCs, so it will be difficult for Microsoft to convince society that the Surface PC is better than a laptop or tablet.

One way that Microsoft can do this is by promoting the powerful GPU inside that works well with video games. Most Surface laptops are not powerful enough to play video games like Gears of War 4 properly, but this PC will be powerful enough.

Microsoft is trying to convince people that this Surface is going to be different because it is more innovative and creative. They are promoting the different ways to create content: using a keyboard, touchscreen or stylus. Additional leaks have been released like a new 3D paint app, along with 3D additions to Microsoft Office and Windows itself. This new painting app will let you 3D print your Minecraft creations

A desktop PC will have to blend the best aspects of both the Surface Table and the Surface Hub.

Microsoft’s focus on HoloLens and Windows Holographic should be a big focus for Windows itself and hardware like the Surface PC if Microsoft truly believes that mixed reality is the future.

If Microsoft wants to reinvent the PC for a 3D future and use creativity for its new hardware, then it will need to show society why regular Windows 10 users will be eager to test and use 3D objects, applications, and mixed reality devices on this new Surface PC.

Virtual reality and enhanced reality headsets are still in their early stages of development, but Microsoft is bringing its full virtual Windows Holographic experience to Windows 10. Microsoft is unsure about how society will react to their new advances in technology, but they are hoping that the product will skyrocket and become the next big thing, reinventing Microsoft as a big name market in the industry. (http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/26/13402546/microsoft-event-preview-surface-desktop-pc-laptop)

The media reports on stories like these because innovative technology is an important aspect of society today. Everyone is looking for the next big thing, and everyone wants to have the most recent technology, so they want to hear about new ideas in the news.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 sales cease

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By: FRANCESCA CIUFFO

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has just been recalled and the company is asking all of its sellers to stop sales and exchanges.

There were reports of problems that the phone overheated and caught fire. The company first decreased the production volume, but seeing that this wasn’t good enough and that the safety of the consumers was their top priority, the company halted the production of the Note 7.

In September, Samsung recalled around 2.5 million phones after complaints of exploding batteries. They replaced all the batteries and told all consumers that the phone batteries were now safe and there was nothing to worry about.

Obviously, this was not true because there were reports that the phones with the replaced batteries were now catching fire too. A flight was recently evacuated after a new device started emitting smoke in the cabin. Also, a man was awaken when his bedroom filled with smoke from the new battery on the Note 7.

Authorities in the U.S. and South Korea, where the phones are made, are examining why this is happening to the replacement batteries because they were supposed to be equipped with a safe battery. At least five fires were reported from the replacement batteries.  Samsung sold about 45,000 Note 7’s through preorder in Europe. The company knew that it could not send these dangerous phones to Europe.

These problems can cause extreme damages to the brand because Samsung is supposed to have reliable phones, so the fact that the same problem happened twice after it was supposed to be fixed can hurt Samsung’s reputation. A large loss of faith can be triggered in Samsung consumers, which could hurt the brand and its reputation.

News media cover stories like this because Samsung is a very popular brand in the United States and is one of the most well-known phone companies. This means that a lot of Americans have these phones and this news will affect them all.

It is important to report this news because consumers of this phone need to know that they are not safe, so that they can return them, stay safe, and keep others around them safe.

The loss of a pitching ace

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez died in a fatal boating accident Sunday morning.

The 24-year-old and his friends Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, were killed when Fernandez’s 32-foot SeaVee boat that was going at high speed smashed into a jetty near Miami Beach. Authorities do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved, but are still investigating.

It was later determined that Fernandez was upset after getting in a fight with his girlfriend who is pregnant with his child. He then called some Marlins teammates to go on his boat with him to help calm him down, but they all declined, so he called other friends who accepted his offer.

Authorities are still investigating who was driving the boat and what exactly caused the crash.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, a good friend of Fernandez, told The Miami Herald that he spoke to Fernandez, urging him not to go out that night.

“Everybody knew he was crazy about that boat and loved being out on the water. I told him I couldn’t go out that night because I had the kids and my wife waiting for me,” Ozuna said.

Ozuna continued, “He told me if I didn’t hear from him by 10 a.m. (Sunday) to call him and wake him up so he could get back to the ballpark on time for the game. I told him, ‘yeah no problem, I’ll call you.’”

Ozuna then woke up to some of the worst news of his life on Sunday, Fernandez’s death. He cried endlessly all day.

The loss of Fernandez was severe to not only the Miami Marlins franchise, but Major League Baseball. The news media reports on stories like this, because it is not only impactful due to the tragic death of an ace baseball player, has great significance because it affected the whole baseball world. The Marlins canceled their home game on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves to honor the loss of one of their iconic teammates. Major League Baseball also mandated a league-wide moment of silence before each of Sunday’s games.

The coverage about this death is newsworthy because it appeals to the emotions of the audience. Since baseball is in its final few days before the postseason starts, it is very relevant in coverage this week.

A tragic story about an accident that killed a very good baseball player would be considered very important for the news media to cover. It impacts not only the families of the deceased, but also baseball players around the country, and even fans of Major League Baseball.

New York City blast raises questions

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

On Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8:30 p.m., one of New York City’s most popular neighborhoods, Chelsea, was rocked when a bomb exploded.

The first blast was believed to be the result of a home-made, pressure-cooker, flip phone and Christmas lights. Another bomb that looked similar to this was found on 27th Street but did not detonate. Officials say that these bombs were intentional and appeared designed to create maximum chaos and deaths.

These bombs were filled “fragmentation materials.” The bomb that exploded at 23rd  Street was packed with small bearings. The bomb that did not explode appeared to be filled with the same materials.

On Saturday morning, a bombing took place in New Jersey at a marathon for marines. In New Jersey, three pipe bombs were tied together, placed in a trash can and also employed a flip phone as a timing mechanism.

“There is no evidence of an international terrorism connection with this incident,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday, but many experts believe it could be international terrorism.

Experts proved that the explosive material was similar to a compound called tannerite. Tannerite is made by combining ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder and has hardly been used in improvised bombing strategies in the United States. An expert on unplanned explosive devices used by terrorists worldwide said that a device constructed as intricate as this one indicates a higher-than-average competence than what people in the United States can create.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was charged for the Saturday night blast in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, an explosion in Seaside Park on Saturday morning and a foiled bomb attack Sunday night near a train station in Elizabeth, NJ.

Rahamj’s most recent address is in Elizabeth, NJ. This city is where investigators discovered five skeptical devices, one which exploded near a train station on Sunday night.

Rahami had been on the radar of federal agents two years ago, when his father told the police that he suspected his son to be involved in terrorism. They checked him for almost two months and said that he was not a terrorist. Now, the FBI says he is a terrorist. After Rahami was captured during a shootout on Monday, the police found a notebook with a bullet hole in it. The notebook expressed jihadist beliefs, and wrote of killing the “unbelievers.” It also praised Anwar al-Awlaki, once Al Qaeda’s leading propagandist who died in a drone strike in Yemen.

Rahami is linked to 10 explosive devices found in the region. The investigation of whether he worked alone, or was part of a terrorist organization is still ongoing. They believe he worked alone.

It is important for the news media to cover stories like this because terrorism and public safety are huge topics today. The United States is going through a period of time that terrorist attacks are happening at least once every few months. Bombings are important for the news media to cover because the public wants to know what is going on and if people are safe or were killed because of these attacks.

Hackers reveal drug use information

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Simone Biles was involved in a recent hacking scandal that released private medical information about Olympic athletes.

Russian computer hackers released the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Athlete Database, which reported that Biles, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, were given medical exemptions to use banned drugs, though there was no misuse of these drugs.

These documents demonstrate that Biles tested positive for a drug that was banned on the WADA’s list, but she did not misuse this drug.

The International Gymnastics Federation refused to comment on this so far, but Biles spoke out about these leaks on Twitter.

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-10-59-45-am“I have ADHD and I have taken medicine for it since I was a kid,” she wrote. “Please know, I believe in clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and is very important to me.”

“The WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act,” the World Anti-Doping Agency’s director general said.

Fancy Bear, the hackers of the WADA’s Athlete Database, warned that they will release more medical information about other athletes to show that today’s sport is contaminated and the world is ignorant of this.

The media reports on a story like this because the 2016 Olympics has just finished, and doping athletes are a highly talked about subject when it comes to the Olympics.

This private medical information that was leaked is important to report on because sport is supposed to be equally fair for every athlete, but these leaks prove that sport is somewhat skewed or rigged.

The media reports on stories like this to prove that society is unaware of many of the underlying truths of the large numbers of athletes that use banned drugs.

iPhone 7 launch grabs attention

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By FRANCESCA CIUFFO

Apple has just announced some new updates, a new watch, and a new iPhone at its press event on Wednesday. People are raving about the newly awaited iPhone 7 and all of its new features.

One of the greatest benefits of the new iPhone is that it’s water and dust resistant. How many times have you accidentally spilled water on your phone and the screen stopped working? Complain no more because this new feature will save your bank account.

Both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 plus have been restructured with an optical image stabilizer, a new lens and a 12 megapixel sensor. This camera will help us take some of the best pictures an iPhone can ever take.

Starting Sept. 16, the new iPhones, coming in 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB, will be available and start at $649. They even have a new jet black and matte black color for the phones.

Another feature of the new iPhones is that there will be no headphone jack. Apple has created wireless headphones, AirPods. For every full charge on the headphones, you receive about five hours of listening time.

A good amount of people in the United States have at least a smartphone and most of those people own an iPhone. Apple consumers are loyal customers. Whenever a new product comes out, the faithful Apple customers are quick to buy it.

Every time information about a new iPhone is released, the news covers it, because loyal customers are itching to find out the latest updates of the new phone, the release date, and the price. There are back-orders that last months and lines out the doors of Apple stores the day the new phones are released.

News about the new iPhone is important to society because they want to be the first people to know about the new phone trends, and be some of the first people to have the new phone. Think about how important your phone is to you and how many times you checked it in the past five minutes. Phones are taking over society, and most people in the United States now rely on their smartphones for everything. This is why when a new iPhone comes out, everyone runs to their nearest store to pick it up because they know it has improvements and cool new features.

How cool would it be to be the first friend in your group to show off your new, shiny, never before seen, matte black iPhone?