Tag Archives: International

12 persons dead in terror attacks in Iran

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By ISAIAH TAYLOR

​At around 10:30 in the morning on Wednesday, six armed terrorists attacked the Iranian Parliament building and the tomb of the 1979 revolutionary, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

All six of the attackers were killed in the attack, two at the mausoleum and four at the Parliament building in Tehran. Twelve deaths have been confirmed, only one of which taking place at the shrine, and 46 people were injured.

​The attacks on the two locations happened almost simultaneously and lasted for hours. Due to this, many people believe that it must have been planned long in advance, Randa Slim, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington, being one of them. “[This group] must have had a network inside the country … an infrastructure that took time to develop,” she stated.

The Islamic State group took credit for the attacks, posting a video with footage from the inside of the building. They also warned of further attacks against Iran. President Trump had visited the Middle East and met with a leader of Saudi Arabia, Iran’s rival, just a week before the terrorist attacks on Iran, leading Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to accuse the United States of being allied with the attackers.

Not helping this accusation, President Trump issued a statement after the attacks taking a jab at Tehran. He said, “states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.”

However, the White House had also issued a sincerer and more sympathetic statement. Saudi Arabia had also responded to Iran, their Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir stated that he was not sure who was responsible for the terrorism, and that his country condemned the attacks.

It is likely that Iran will have increased public support and calls for tougher action in the aftermath of the attacks. But, despite the terrorism that rocked the country, there would be ‘no effect’ according to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Republicans uneasy with Trump

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By ALEJANDRO GRANDA

After the London Bridge attacks, President Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming that Khan told citizens not to be alarmed about terrorism and the U.S. Justice Department is pushing a politically correct version of his policy of the travel ban.

Top officials from the White House have suggested to the president that he should not be arguing but to no avail as he continues to brush them off and do what he wants.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House principle deputy press secretary, was asked if the president’s tweets were being vetted by lawyers or aides.

“Not that I’m aware of,” she said at the daily press briefing on Monday.

As Trump continues to engage the news with the anticipated public testimony of former FBI directer James B. Comey before the Senate Intelligence Committee coming up Thursday, many Republicans are neither surprised nor easy and are already nervous about the questions that wait for them after the hearing and expect criticism from Democrats.

Some even fear that Trump will make things worse.

“It’s a distraction, and he needs to focus. Every day and moment he spends on anything other than a rising economy is a waste that disrupts everything,” said former Trump campaign adviser Barry Bennett.

I honestly don’t blame them for being so afraid and nervous. He’s back to the old Trump from his presidential campaign, throwing tantrums worse than my neighbor’s almost two-year-old child because people are disagreeing with him and he’s not getting what he wants. He has to understand that the world does not always revolve around him, even as president of the United States.

Trump withdraws U.S. from Paris deal

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By ALEJANDRO GRANDA

Of course, it is “America first, Earth second” with President Donald Trump as he withdraws the U.S. from the Paris climate deal because he thinks it would harm American citizens and businesses.

“Compliance with the terms of the Paris accord … could cost America as much as 2.7 million lost jobs by 2025,” Trump said. “As someone who cares deeply about the environment, which I do, I cannot in good conscience support a deal that punishes the U.S.”

And of course, there is no one happier than Fox News, who claim that the deal is a “terrible idea.” They are also claiming that Trump is doing something “right” and “brave” because he is “leading” with his decision to withdraw.

I sure do hope that part of his plan to “Make America Great Again” is to find ways to reduce fossil fuel emissions because if we don’t combat climate change, there won’t be an America to make great again and certainly no American citizens and businesses to protect.

Trump withdraws U.S. from accord

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By NOELIA GRAHAM

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, which weakens global efforts in combating climate change.

Trump stated that the deal imposed unfair restrictions to American businesses and workers and he vowed to take a stance against the “draconian” agreement.

However, because of the lengthy withdrawal process, which takes about four years, the decision falls in 2020, election time. This means that the fate of the deal could be up to the voters.

The withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement is unprecedented and has been a topic of discussion around the world.

The Chinese news media outlet China Daily has labeled Trump selfish and irresponsible,’ crippling U.S. leadership.

And shortly after issuing his withdrawal, a joint statement from the leaders of France, Italy, and Germany noted that the Paris climate accord was “irreversible” and unable to be renegotiated.

Elon Musk who was part of two business-related councils set up by Trump has said he would leave those panels in a statement on Twitter.

“Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” he said.

Through the Paris climate accord signed by 195 other countries, the United States had agreed to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and give up to $3 billion in aid for poorer countries by 2020.

The choice to withdraw from this agreement is irresponsible not just for the American people but to the continuing prosperity and health of the global environment.

In a statement that highlights the thoughts of many, former President Obama argued, “Even in the absence of American leadership; even as this administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we’ve got.”

U.S withdraws from Paris agreement

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By GABRIELA SANTOS

In a move that surprised very few, President Trump has decided to pull the United States from the Paris agreement – an historic global coalition meant to curb the effects of climate change by reducing worldwide emissions.

Despite widespread condemnation from political leaders, business leaders and environmentalist around the world, Trump affirms that he is doing so to benefit the American people who elected him to office.

The Paris agreement was signed by 195 countries and is supposed to create global accountability for rising temperatures and propose new carbon emission standards. The only countries that did not sign the agreement were Syria and Nicaragua, the former of which is currently marred by civil war.

“It would once have been unthinkable that an international agreement could prevent the United States from conducting its own domestic affairs,” said Trump during his speech at the Rose Garden on Thursday.

Trump’s position is that the 2015 agreement imposes wildly unfair business standards aimed at attacking American sovereignty and his ability to create business initiatives that would benefit American workers.

In an article written by Michael D. Shear of The New York Times, he states that business leaders like Elon Musk of Tesla, Jeffrey R. Immelt of General Electric and Lloyd C. Bankfield of Goldman Sachs, are diametrically opposed to the decision. They argue that the decision would hinder future job creation and shift markets for clean energy and technology to overseas competitors.

At this point, this kind of decision made by president Trump shows the obvious disconnect which he has with the American people – 73 percent of which actually supported the agreement.

In his article, Shear clearly tried to maintain neutrality by presenting both sides of the argument but it’s evident where he, and others like him, stands and it’s not with the president.

World leaders were quick to react to the news and the general consensus is that the decision presents more harm than a possible good. Especially considering the U.S is Earth’s second largest pollution contributor.

Trump did manage to say that a renegotiation was possible but they would have to be on his terms.

“We are getting out,” Trump said. “But we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that’s fair. And if we can, that’s great.”

It’s now in the hands of state and city leaders to decide if they are going to side with Trump, or the rest of the world.

Suicide bombing outside Manchester

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By NEYDJA PETITHOMME

At 10:30 p.m. Manchester time, families and friends gathered together to enjoy a time of music and fun at the Ariana Grande “Dangerous Woman Tour.” According to British authorities, during the time of the concert, an armed man committed suicide while detonating a bomb outside Manchester Arena near the ticketing booth, leaving 22 casualties, 60 injured, and others traumatized, scared, and confused.

The night of the explosion, I was coming back from the gym. Following my usual nightly routine, before doing anything else, I tuned into MSNBC in order to get updates on the latest news before eating and then heading to bed. As I began to watch breaking news, my mouth dropped. I was shell-shocked, lost for words. I could not process the information.

The first thing that came into mind, “Why would anyone in their right mind decide to bomb mothers, fathers, and children who are just enjoying themselves, at an Ariana Grande concert?” Andy Holey, waiting to pick his wife and daughter, flew 30 feet from the doors, when the explosion occurred. His first thought was to find his family. When he couldn’t find them, he then proceeded to searching through the bodies for them. He was lucky enough to find his loved ones alive.

Grande responded in a Tweet just five hours after the bombing, “From the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry.” Grande cancelled her remaining 36 shows.

This was a difficult decision for the Grande team to make. This allowed me to feel that Grande is a caring person, who genuinely cares for the safety of her fans.

Manchester bombing inquiry continues

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By ISAIAH TAYLOR

All around the world, news of the Manchester bombing is taking precedence as everyone tries to comfort the affected as well as explain the appalling attack.

On Monday, May 22, thousands of fans attended an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester arena. When the concert ended and the fans were leaving, they were greeted by a loud explosion and debris flying through the air.

Twenty-two people have been confirmed dead and more than 100 others were injured. Those killed in the horrific event range in age from eight years to 51. As of Thursday, May 25, eight men have been arrested as they are believed to have been connected to the attack. The attacker, Salman Abedi, was determined to have been killed when the bomb went off.

Many have shown their support for the victims of the attack, having a moment of silence in St. Ann’s Square in Manchester as well as donating more than 80 percent of the £2 million goal on a fundraising page created by Manchester Evening News, which equates to more than $2.5 million.

Tensions were high after the terrorist attack and a brief hostility occurred after U.S. broadcasters reported information that had apparently been leaked from British officials. The British police temporarily began to withhold information about the investigation from United States agencies, but this only lasted until Thursday evening.

President Trump responded with a statement during meetings with leaders of NATO that promised to launch an investigation of the leaks and punish those responsible “to the fullest extent of the law.”

New information also points to the likelihood that the Manchester bombing was planned at least a year in advance, as receipts show that Abedi opened a bank account and purchased items to make the explosive dating back 12 months. A flat was rented in Manchester as well and it is believed to have been the site of the bomb’s creation.

Currently, the investigation is ongoing as officials believe that conspirators of the attack may still be at large. The motive behind the attack is also still being determined. Many believe that it was a premeditated action with a clear plan to target young children.

This is supported by the idea that ISIS plans to terrorize Western women, children, and elders as theirs were killed. I am hopeful that this new low encourages officials even more to find and disarm ISIS, and other terrorist organizations that harm the safety of the worlds’ citizens before more innocent lives are taken.

Brexit ‘diet’ arises as snacks get smaller

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

What if you were to pay the same amount of money that you usually pay for a bag of M&Ms, but with fewer M&Ms? Well, this is happening in Britain and not only with M&Ms. Because of Brexit, big American food companies have acted under pressure in accordance with the decreasing value of the pound, by diminishing the sizes of their products but leaving it at the same price.

The term Brexit comes from Britain’s decision to exit the European Union. The voting was held June 23 last year and the decision of leaving Europe was a very close call as “exit” won by 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent.

Since June, the pound has dropped 17 percent against the U.S. dollar. This is changing foreign exchange rates and is impacting the cost of commodities, such as ingredients and materials, increasing the price of imported goods such as food and electronics.

The chocolate industry seems to be one of the most impacted, as cocoa is priced in dollars and so producers in the U.K. pay more.

The process of shrinking the packages or decreasing the amount of the product in the packages is called “Shrinkflation.” Firms use shrinkflation hoping that their consumers do not notice, in fact, most of the time consumers do not seem to check the quantity or weight of the product on the packages.

Companies such as PepsiCo and Mars have been downsizing their products to make up for the decrease in values of the pound, which is why reporters in news articles have been calling this situation “Brexit Diet.”

For example, the 160 grams bag of M&Ms has been downsized to a 145 grams bag of M&Ms, but has remained the same price. Another example is the bags of Doritos, Tostitos, and Fritos, which now have 20 percent fewer chips than before but at the same price.

The retail sales have dropped significantly in the U.K. for three consecutive months. Many articles seem to focus mostly on how companies are decreasing the packaging, but not the impact that this is having on the British economy.

There doesn’t seem to be as much coverage on American news sites on this issue. The few American articles that do feature this topic, lack to mention how Brexit and how these current events also impact the American economy. Yes, the dollar is getting stronger, but this only makes American products more expensive outside the country, making them less attractive in the U.K.

Trump re-issues travel ban with changes

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By CHELSEA LOVELL

News media outlets could only talk about President Donald Trump even before he entered office, but it is even more intense as they record his first 100 days. As much as the news media loves to exploit him, President Trump makes it quite easy for journalists to develop stories about him.

The latest making headlines is his continued effort to fulfill what he promised during the campaign, his travel ban policy. Weeks ago, Trump signed an executive order temporarily blocking all refugees and visitors from seven mostly-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. It also banned Syrian refugees indefinitely. The seven prominently Muslim countries are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

Trump’s team said the ban was necessary to keep the country safe. However, critics disagree. They believe the ban was unconstitutional for discriminating based on religion and sued to suspend the order. The court put a hold on the ban and Trump and his team went back to work on reforming it.

Yesterday, Trump issued a new ban, however. The difference is Iraq is no longer one of the countries banned. Also, the new ban doesn’t apply to people who already have valid U.S. visas or green cards. Lastly, all refugees are temporarily banned from entering the US except the people who’ve already been granted eligibility to come. Syrian refugees are no longer banned indefinitely. All of this takes effect next week.

London protests travel ban at film

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

London decides to show the world that, as a city, it does not just tolerates diversity, it celebrates it.

In Central London last Sunday, on the night of the Oscars, thousands of people attended the screening of the award-winning movie “The Salesman” to show support to its Iranian director, Asghar Farhadi. Farhadi had announced that he would boycott the ceremony in response to Donald Trump’s travel ban.

We should all be at least a little familiar with Donald Trump’s travel ban, which was announced in January. The president signed an executive order temporarily banning the entry of citizens and immigrants from Iran, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Tahardi.

In response to this travel ban, the Iranian director Asghar Farhadi told The New York Times in January that he would not attend the Oscars even if granted exception to enter the country, and stayed true to his words.

Asghar Farhardi’s movie, “The Salesman,” was nominated for best Foreign-Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards and won the Oscar hours after the screening in London.

To show unity and support for Asghar Fahardi, some well known actors and producers organized a premiere of the movie and collaborated with Sadie Khan, the mayor of London to premiere the nominated film for free in Trafalgar Square, one of London’s most important destinations.

This event was a peaceful protest, that showed that London did not agree with what Donald Trump believed in, how the focus should be on welcoming people and not banning them. I think it is beautiful how people are uniting together to share the message of acceptance, and not in violent protests or holding signs criticizing whats wrong.

Around 10,000 people showed up at the premiere of the “The Salesman,” which was occurring a few hours before the Oscars.

The Iranian director was not present at the screening, but spoke to the crowd through a recorded video of him. In the video, he apologized for not being there and said he was there in spirit. He additionally made a speech about how we are all citizens of the world and that we need to stay united.

Fahardi was not present at the Oscars, so he sent two Iranian-Americans to claim his award. Anousheh Ansari, the first female Iranian to go into space, claimed the award for Fahardi and read a speech written by him. Fahardi criticized the travel ban and called it inhumane. He apologized for not being at the ceremony, but how it was  out of respect for the people of his country.

In his speech he also stated that “Dividing the world into the “us “ and “our enemies” categories creates fear, a deceitful justification for aggression and war.” Which I think is a very eye opening statement and was quoted on numerous articles on the event.

Many Journalists covered this event, highlighting and focusing on the speeches given by at the screening and the Oscars. The focus of these peaceful and powerful words puts into good light the event. Although I do feel like journalists should also focus on covering the reactions of Americans, focus on covering on how America has reacted to this peaceful and powerful protest.

I think that the extent to which London and its citizens have gone to prove a point is very inspirational. By being united together in fighting for their rights and the rights of people in other countries is quite admirable.

This protest gave a stronger message in the simplicity of attending a movie screening than in protests that could lead to disturbance with the use of negativity. I think the world is slowly progressing to stronger unification by the day and protests like these show the importance of respect in humanity.

Media compare Russia issue, Watergate

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By AMANDA PRATS

Unable to resist the allure of a catchy nickname, the writer of a CNN opinion piece wasted no time in dubbing the latest White House controversy “Russiagate.”

Much of the news media have been quick to draw comparisons between the investigation regarding the apparent communications between the Trump campaign and Russian officials and the Watergate scandal.

The opinion piece run by CNN argued that it’s time for “a Watergate-style select committee” to investigate the issue. Vox published an interview with President George W. Bush’s ethics lawyer, who told Vox that, “the facts now in this investigation are much worse than the facts in the early stages of Watergate.” The Fix, a politics blog for The Washington Post, wrote that “Nixon’s former attorney sees ‘echoes of Watergate’ in President Trump’s first month.”

In The Fix’s article, the writer shares that attorney John Dean, who sat before the Senate Watergate Committee, feels an air of familiarity between the current administration and Watergate. In the article, reporter Cleve R. Wootson Jr. writes, “Dean said in an interview aired Friday that President Trump’s first month in office — with its anti-media tirades and efforts to use intelligence agencies for political purposes — has “echoes of Watergate.”

Following the chronology of Nixon’s presidency, The Washington Post piece ended by acknowledging the concern of Trump’s presidency mirroring the ending of Nixon’s, questioning the possibility of impeachment.

The suggestion raised by the question itself could be seen as further evidence of the news media’s rocky relationship with the president; some may argue it was just evidence of wishful thinking.

CNN, Fox offer different views of speech

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By ERYKAH DAVENPORT

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump indicated his interest in seeking to help pass an immigration reform bill.

In CNN’s coverage, this new source referred to it as his “great immigration fake-out” in an article titled “Trump cruel bait-and-switch on immigration.” CNN also reported that another one of Trump’s interests were to propose and potentially pass a bill that could grant legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants. This would allow for those individuals to gain the opportunity to become legal citizens of the country of their desire.

CNN’s outlook on Trump’s address was seemingly more focused on the shortcomings of anything that was discussed. While emphasizing such limitations, this was said: “While Trump stopped short of endorsing a path to citizenship for the undocumented, this was nonetheless a startling break with his past hard-line stance on immigration.

A senior administration official also told journalists that Trump would be open to legalization for undocumented immigrants who have not committed serious or violent crimes.” This statement portrays the idea that Trump is only willing to consider being open to legalization if the person is accompanied by a clean slate.

Fox News’ approach on his address was more pro-Trump. Some of the political language used in the article titled “Mr. Trump’s very expensive address” delineates Trump as a more conservative president.

The article stated that “compared to his campaign filled with “Trumpisms,” this address was the more positive and optimistic, telling of his new nationalism. He added grace notes about minority groups, shied away from taunting or tormenting his rivals, and summoned his countrymen to the project of restoring, what else, American greatness.

Fox News tends to support the brighter side of things and hardly ever, if ever, mentions the downfalls associated with President Trump’s address.

Perry performs eye-opening awards act

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

The 2017 Brit awards took place last Wednesday in London and are Britain’s annual pop industry music awards, in other words, the British version of the Grammy’s. This year’s ceremony took an unexpected turn, as when it was time for the American singer Katy Perry to perform, the viewers were presented with a politically charged performance.

Katy Perry, a popular figure in the international world of pop music, performed her new single “Chained to The Rhythm” live at the Brit awards alongside Skip Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson.

The performance raised awareness on the importance of encouraging unity and stopping the hate. It had a lot to visually intake as it involved a lot of subtextual symbolism.

It is important for me to point out that even though the visual aspect of the performance already sent a powerful message, the lyrics really helped highlight and intensify the idea.

The performance started with rows of lit-up miniature houses held by backup dancers, seemingly portraying a pop-up neighborhood. Katy Perry wore a pinstripe pantsuit, she started walking among the houses singing, as the backup dancers dressed like homes moved around her.

As the performance continued, a dancing Skelton figure dressed in a black suit with a red tie entered on one side of the stage, simultaneously another dancing skeleton figure dressed in a red blazer and skirt entered on another side of the stage.

These two figures were quickly noticed to be representations of Donald Trump and Theresa May, the prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the conservative party. The two skeletons danced around the houses on stage and met in the front center of the platform. Skip Marley then came out to rap his verse.

The verse rapped by Marley in “Chained to the Rhythm” clearly refers to the lies and chaos brought by the political situation in the United States and invites the listeners to take a stand, referring to the people as lions. Donald Trump has attacked a variation of minorities and groups, threatening to build walls and making unacceptable generalizations leading to hate speech and intangible segregation of the people.

Skip Marley rapped:

It is my desire, Break down the walls to connect, inspire”
Ay, up in your high place, liars
Time is ticking for the empire
The truth they feed is feeble
As so many times before
They greed over the people
They stumbling and fumbling and we’re about to riot
They woke up, they woke up the lions

Towards the end of the performance the skeletons held hands, the act ended with the two singers holding hands together and pumping a fist in the air symbolizing taking a stand together and fighting back with nonviolence and unity.

I do believe that the lyrics do make the overall message incorporated in the performance stronger. Katy Perry clearly shared her concern to the people on how this situation cannot be ignored, but people are distracted by other things and if something isn’t done there will be consequences. This was the first verse:

Are we crazy?
Living our lives through a lens
Trapped in our white-picket fence
Like ornaments
So comfortable, we live in a bubble, a bubble
So comfortable, we cannot see the trouble, the trouble

Lately Katy Perry has been saying that she intends to make her pop music “purposeful.” Perry had never really made any political statements before the 2017 Grammy Awards, she has always been a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton and actively campaigned for her when she was running for office.

If you didn’t watch the 2017 Grammy Awards, Katy Perry performed the same song with Skip Marley, also sending a message through symbolism and collaborating with the online No Hate Speech movement. The No Hate Speech movement is youth campaign for human rights online to reduce the acceptance levels of hate speech and to raise awareness on the impacts that hate speech has on society.

At the Grammy’s, she was striding around a home surrounded by picket fences on stage, wearing an armband with the word “Persist.” Ending the set with an image of the U.S. constitution projected on the screen and shouting “no hate.” Perry’s shouting of “no hate” is associated with the online No Hate Speech movement.

There were individuals who responded to these performances with aggravation, as they were a little irritated that politics was involved in this sort of scene at the Brit Awards. But personally, I think that people are not going deep enough in understanding the message behind the performance.

Some assumed Katy Perry was just trying to make Donald Trump and Teresa May scary or just intentionally mocking them.

The irritation of certain individuals to this politically charged performance highlights what Katy Perry and Skip Marley were trying to communicate, that we cannot live in a bubble and ignore what is happening around us.

The articles covering this performance were more focused on covering the act as a parody. At some point in the performances one of the backup dancers dressed as a house fell off stage. The news media refer to this dancer as Perry’s “New Left Shark,” because during her Super Bowl performance last year, one of her dancers wearing a shark costume forgot the moves and since then the dancer has become known as the “Left Shark.”

There were many articles that focused on how funny the backup dancer that fell off stage was and not enough coverage on Katy Perry’s association with the No Hate Speech movement.

Numerous news article titles referred to Katy Perry’s performance as funny and entertaining. Journalists focused on covering how Perry made fun of Donald Trump by making his skeleton figure dance on stage. I think that this type of media coverage is distracting from the actual message of the performance and that more attention should be given to its purpose.

I admire Katy Perry for taking a risk in performing her single “Chained to The Rhythm,” her intentions are good and eye opening. Although a big part of the news media portrayed the act as a parody and focused on its political orientation, it is beautiful to see how the performance went beyond politics and entertainment, encouraging unity and respect.

Protecting Kenya’s orphaned elephants

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By ALISON GOEBEL

Elephants are very fragile creatures but they are also very strong creatures, especially baby elephants.

These baby elephants are one of the slowest animals to grow up. Not only are they born nearly blind, but it also takes 12 to 13 years for them to mature. Until this point, the calf needs its mother.

In Kenya, poaching is a problem, so the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, one of the centers that rescues orphaned elephants in Kenya, works to protect these animals.

They now have saved hundreds of baby elephants and offer veterinary accommodations and educate local communities about elephants and taking care of them.

The ultimate goal is to create a new family and a new home for these elephants who have lost their own.

I thought that it was very interesting that CNN produced a story on this. I for one, absolutely love elephants. I’m obsessed with them so writing about it feels right.

With everything that is going on in the world that is newsworthy, CNN decided to prepare this story, and to be honest, I’m glad that they did but I’m not really sure why.

I looked to see if other news organizations were writing about the same things like they usually are, and there was nothing about protecting young elephants that came up.

I searched Google, looked at other news websites and found nothing. I found this to be a little odd.

Another thing that I would like to point out is that we are in the middle of a HUGE elephant marketing trend. At any store, you will find elephant apparel. Ivory Ella, a website that sells apparel but donates a portion of it to help save the elephants, is also another trend within itself.

Could it be that CNN may have covered this story to pull in new readers knowing this? If so, why are other news stations not doing the same?

Either way, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. Things like this should get news attention and media coverage because it matters.

They deserve it.

FBI refuses to discredit news media

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By AMANDA PRATS

In an exclusive story, CNN reported that the White House asked the FBI to deny news media reports regarding communications between Donald Trump’s advisers and Russia.

The stories discussed were reports by The New York Times and CNN that there was “constant communication between high-level advisers to then-candidate Trump, Russian officials and other Russians known to U.S. intelligence” before the election.

According to the White House official who informed the story, the request from White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus came after the FBI told the White House that it did not believe The New York Times’ reporting was accurate. The FBI has not commented publicly on the story and has not backed this position.

These requests were reportedly made despite restrictions that are meant to limit communication between the White House and the FBI regarding pending investigations, according to CNN’s Evan Perez, one of the journalists who investigated the story. Perez explained on “Erin Burnett OutFront” that these restrictions date back to 2007 and 2009, when the Justice Department issued memos limiting such communications.

In what has become a common practice of Trump’s administration, the White House issued a denial of the reports. Priebus called the New York Times story “complete garbage,” going on “Fox News Sunday” to say, “That story is not only inaccurate, but it’s grossly overstated and it was wrong. And there’s nothing to it.”

Despite these efforts to discredit the reporting of The New York Times and CNN, the investigation into the possible communications between Russian officials and the Trump campaign is ongoing.

London Fashion Week gets outrageous

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By SHELLIE FRAI

For decades, London has been notorious for their avant-garde fashion and London Fashion Week was no exception.

From Feb. 16-21, London’s streets were filled with eccentric ensembles that included colorful furry shoes, LED light-up jackets and massive amounts of make up.

The inspired clothing did not stop on the streets, inside the venues runway shows for British designers, like Burberry, Versus Versace and House of Holland, showcased collections that shocked and excited every fashion week attendee.

Accessories were a big deal for Brits this season. Designers took inspiration from classic pop-culture references like Nickelodeon’s TV show, Spongebob Squarepants to create a “Spongebob Squarepants Gold Collection” that included trendy chokers and rings.

Shoes had their moment when renowned footwear brands like Sophia Webster and Charlotte Olympia used outrageous themes like “Frozen” and “Film Noir” as a backdrop to their shoes that were decorated with feathers, mesh and even icicles.

As for the clothes, there seemed to have been no limit to what the designers could create.

At Burberry, designer Christopher Bailey introduced a new kind of trench coat, one completely open on the front, introducing a new bare-chest trench. The impractical yet stylish theme was seen throughout the collection with one-sleeve sweaters, off-the shoulder tops and jagged-cut coats.

Versus Versace’s newest collection channeled London’s traditional punk-rock vibe, as models walked down the runway in leather jackets, black mini skirts and studded knee-high leather boots.

House of Holland showcased a more colorful collection that included every type of material imaginable.

From mesh tights to fringe pants to furry-sleeve jackets, the label’s newest collection is sure to be a favorite among London residents.

Immigrants’ day sends message

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

America’s new political situation seems to focus on segregating immigrants from their families and their homes but, within this alarming situation, something positive is being created. The unification of immigrants and non-immigrants to stand and fight together for their rights, bringing to the surface the humanity and acceptance that there is and that should be encouraged.

“A Day Without Immigrants” is a boycott that occurred on Thursday, encouraged by activists to all Immigrants around the nation to protest and highlight the importance and contribution of their presence in the United States.

This boycott encouraged the protesters to not attend work, not send children to school, not shop online or in stores, not to eat at restaurants, not to buy gas and not to attend class.

President Donald Trump has created bad relations with numerous countries, such as Mexico and Syria, by making them outsiders and wanting to kick their citizens out of America. Trump has vowed to deprive sanctuary cities of federal funding, increase the deportation of legal and illegal immigrants, and he has blamed the high unemployment rate on them.

In response to these recent events involving Donald Trump’s immigration policies, immigrants all around the nation went on strike to send a message to the president.

On the poster advertising the boycott, it said: “To the president: without us and our contribution this country is paralyzed.”

Awareness of this protest mainly happened through social media and posters, in addition to immigrant rights groups reaching out personally. This protest was meant to involve all undocumented, residents, citizens, immigrants from all over the world, but ended up getting more support.

All around the United States, business and restaurants were closed and thousands of students did not attend school. Some of the most visibly affected areas were in San Francisco and Washington, D.C, where popular chefs closed their restaurants in support for the protest.

Restaurants were the most impacted by the strike. Some restaurants canceled their long-standing reservations and served limited menus, donating earnings to the American Civil Liberties Union. The collaboration of not just immigrants alone, but even citizens, emphasizes the acceptance and unity that the United States is known to have by embracing its diversity.

There were restaurants that posted banners outside their establishments to spread the message. Such as Nickel’s Diner in Los Angeles, that put up a sign saying “We are all immigrants.”

Some immigrant communities discouraged the participation in this protest because it was risky and did not want to put immigrants in a more difficult situation. Many immigrants stated that they really wish they could participate in this boycott but could not risk losing their jobs. Nevertheless, they fully supported the protest.

Organizers of this protest warned the participators that there was a possibility of risk when getting involved in this boycott, but that they needed to be ready to take that risk. If you have a life somewhere, a life that includes your friends, your family, your education, your job and your home; the idea that one day you may have nothing is terrifying.

Understandably, you have to fight to not lose everything you have. To me, it makes sense that many immigrants are willing to take this risk.

The protest “A Day Without Immigrants” is a way of sending a direct message indirectly, by highlighting the role of immigrants in the life of Americans by not having them there.

Having many immigrants stay home for a day, impacts everyone’s everyday life in different ways. It is unfair that entire communities are criminalized, there are bad and good people everywhere.  It is good to see people come together and fight for their dignity and their lives.

American woman visits 196 nations

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By ERYKA DAVENPORT

An American woman, Cassie De Pecol, traveled to 196 countries in the duration of 18 months and 26 days. As she traveled to every country in the world, she explained how she was so overwhelmed with the variety of culture she was able to experience. Her goal was also to promote peace in her “own small way” within the people considering everything that is going on in the world right now.

Covered by CNN, they explained that Cassie broke an all-time record for the amount of time it took the previous record breaking traveler to travel around the entire world. Most news coverage now is about Trump and executive matters as well as sports and celebrity concerns.

However, this is highly commendable and should have received a lot more coverage than it did considering it was such a remarkable deed. Other news has been overshadowing minor news that deserves recognition as well. Although I am not sure how much coverage the previous record-breaking traveler received, I’m almost sure it was exceptionally more than Cassie.

Also considering that she is the first female to do so, it should ignite much more reason to want to cover such a story in depth on a much broader spectrum across conventional news media.

Trump doesn’t comment on Quebec

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

Donald Trump’s ethics are continuously questioned as he seems to easily get distracted from his duties as president and focus more on his family name and business, then on the real issues that keep arising worldwide.

Last Sunday, six people were killed and eight others were wounded in a shooting in a mosque in the city of Quebec. Trump has not said anything about this tragedy, but seems to be willing to share his opinions of his daughter’s clothing line.

The Quebec shooting, which occurred in a mosque, a Muslim place of worship, was an unexpected event as mass shootings, unlike in the United States, are fairly uncommon in Canada. The attack occurred at the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec, in a country which became known as a safe place for refugees running from warfare and terrorism in countries of Muslim majority. The shooter, although native Canadian seemed to be a Trump supporter. This makes it a very delicate topic, especially after Donald’s Trump travel ban ruling.

As people waited on the opinion of the president, he said nothing about this misfortune and didn’t even share his compassion. Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s senior advisor justified the silence of Donald Trump by saying that he doesn’t tweet about everything. But by now we all seem to be too familiar with Donald Trump’s tweets, and so is Seth Meyers, the host on Late night, who called Trump out for his silence.

“Oh, he doesn’t tweet about everything?” Meyers said on “Late Night,” “It sure feels like he does!” Seth Meyers scrolled through Donald Trump’s tweets and pointed his tweet attacking Nordstrom, right after his intelligence briefing.

Nordstrom is an American chain of luxury department stores which announced they were no longer going to carry Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. Donald Trump tweeted “Ivanka has been treated so unfairly.” Many journalists strongly acknowledge Donald Trump’s lack of priorities and ethical behavior. The New York times brought up how Trump breaks Tradition by “singling out companies for criticism like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, automakers and news organizations.”

Donald Trump keeps constant attention on his family business, he gets overprotective when it comes to the family name, but when it comes to real issues he seems to lack the ability to make statements to show acceptance and give the nation a state of tranquility.

Donald Trump and his administration keep showing how business oriented they are instead of focusing on political issues. This only builds up continuous criticism instead and lack of trust in everything they say.  For example, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump and White house official promoted Ivanka Trump’s clothing line in a television interview and is continuing to receive criticism on ethical violations.

“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” Conway said “Ivanka Trump has a wonderful line, I own some of it. I fully, I’m gonna just going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today everybody. You can find it online.” This unacceptable comment proves the lack of orientation of Trumps administration on topics that actually matter through the use of unfair business practices. This is a Potential violation of Federal ethics law that bars the use of public office for public gain.

As we still wait on his opinion on the shooting in Quebec, silence can be stronger than words, suggesting that Donald Trump does not have an interest in commenting about the shooting because he doesn’t care.

The focus in the White House needs to be prioritized and stabilized on important issues, as the distraction on personal matters gets more attention than it should. Clear opinions and solutions need to be shared more, as this will give everyone more intellectual topics to read and talk about, instead of the constant dramatic and ridiculous affairs.

Studying abroad is more than just study

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By VERONICA SPAGNA

Thinking about studying abroad?  Whether it’s for a semester or for the summer, these programs are more than just leaving the country but will open up a new part of you.

University is an experience, it is not just about studying and doing your homework, you get so much more out it. By being exposed to new situations and challenging who you are, you keep finding more about yourself and others. As someone who has lived in different countries, I can say that living in another country opens fascinating areas of your mind.

Many students who have studied abroad or are studying abroad are willing to share their experiences. There is a Web site where UM students write their stories on the study abroad programs called Global Reach University of Miami stories. The link is: http://blogs.univmiami.net/student-stories. These blogs are a great way to get a better idea of the meaning of the program.

On the Global Reach website, students share their stories on exploring the world. They talk about the ups and downs that they encountered while being in a new country, they share their ways of coping and adjusting with the issues. Learning how to overcome new obstacles, gets your brain to increase the development of problem-solving skills.

Studying abroad will allow you to experience new styles of education and will educate you on a personal level.  These programs give you the chance to see the world, come into contact with new cultures, meet new friends and find out more of your interests.