Tag Archives: News

Archeologists find related species

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By KARLI FEINSTEIN

Archeologists have discovered the bones of a distantly related species called Homo luzonensis in the Callao Cave on Luzon Island in the Philippines. The fossils of the species belonged to two adults and one child.

According to researchers, the extinct human species lived on what is now the island of Luzon around 50,000 to 67,000 years ago. This time period concludes that the Homo luzonensis lived throughout the same time as the Denisovans, Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and the small-bodied Homo floresiensis.

What makes the Homo luzonensis different from other species is their distinct premolar teeth. The teeth are said to be unlike any other species belonging to the Homo genus.

Seven premolars and molars were found to be minor and more simplified than those of other Homo species. Even though some of the attributes can be compared to Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, both the teeth and jaw characteristics abide distinct as far as the peculiar features they synthesize.

“These adult teeth are smaller than any hominin known,” said Debbie Argue, a paleoanthropologist at Australian National University.

Researchers haven’t found enough bones to estimate how tall the Homo luzonensis would have been. Besides the lack of knowing how tall they would stand, the Homo luzonensis display their own mix of different traits and characteristics. For example, one toe bone looks practically identical to early hominions living in Africa more than three million years ago. 

The discovery of these distinct species is growing speculation of the story of human evolution.                         

“The more fossils that people pull out of the ground, the more we realize that the variation that was present in the past far exceeds what we see in us today,” said Matthew Tocheri, a paleoanthropologist at Lakehead University in Canada.

Hearing about discoveries like this really make a person think about how humans ended up on earth. With the help of scientists and researchers, information about our world and the species who used to walk among it provide vital insight in the ongoing discovery of evolution.

Church changes rules for baptisms

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By RYAN GRILLE

CNN recently issued a report about the Mormon Church opening up baptism to children of same-sex couples. This marks a change from the church’s previously anti-gay policy regarding baptism from 2015. The article, written by Daniel Burke, is an excellent example of how to report on hot button topics.

First of all, the report involves a religious organization, namely the Mormon Church. Religion is a very controversial topic for many in the United States and it can be difficult to write about it without imposing personal beliefs. This article does a great job of writing about the issue without making a position statement. For example, it writes about the church’s policies and how others felt about it without the author making his own opinion about the matter known to the readers.

Secondly, it is a well-written article from a journalistic perspective. The author names his sources for his information and features quotes from various individuals. In addition, the author also includes several points to help readers who are otherwise uninformed to have a clearer idea what is happening and why.

For example, he clarifies the official name of the church, as well as establishing the background information regarding the change in policy. Specifically, he details the church’s previous 2015 policy and why the church decided to change its mind.

Overall, CNN has earned its reputation and one of the most reputable news sources in terms of the quality of its reporting. Anyone who is studying journalism should take time to read and study their article, and this report is a good example of why.

Georgia teachers bully student

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By CAMILA MUNERA

Yahoo! News published an article recently entitled, “Georgia teachers suspended after allegedly mocking student’s sexuality, teasing him about ‘boyfriend’.” The article is written by Mark Osborne from “Good Morning America.”

I for one, was very shocked to read this headline. I knew bullying still happened today in society but I would never expect it from teachers.  Osborne did a great job of making the article easy to read describing how Jean Mott, the mother of 14-year-old student at Shiloh Middle School located in Snellville, a suburb northeast of Atlanta, was devastated to see her son come home in tears. The son told the mother how he had been bullied by classmates because of two teachers’ comments.

The teachers’ comments included, “Your boyfriend was cheating on you while you were away. Oh, you two make a really good couple.” Not only did the teachers say this to the student, but they did so in front of the whole entire class.

The school has taken action by following through investigations and have suspended the teachers for the time being. Another investigation that is still ongoing is  being conducted by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. According to the article, the commission “has the ability to pull the teaching certificates for both teachers based on the outcome.”

I hope the school takes action and fires these two teachers immediately. With all the violence going on lately, I feel like school is the one place a child should enjoy going to as a place to learn and grow. Teachers should be there to inspire and motivate you, not bring you down. 

Women’s basketball enters post season

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By GIANNA SANCHEZ

March Madness is upon us and basketball fans everywhere are filling out their tournament brackets. It’s hard to be a fan of March Madness when your team didn’t even qualify, but there’s always the other side of basketball that people oftentimes are looking at: women’s basketball.

March Madness is always significantly more talked about than Sweet Sixteen. Women’s sports in general are typically talked about less than men’s sports. This is typically because people believe that men’s sports are more entertaining. Looking at it from the financial perspective, significantly more money goes into men’s sports than women’s. Even comparing sport to sport, the top paid men’s basketball player, Stephen Curry, made $33 million in the 2018-19 season compared to women’s basketball player, Sylvia Fowles, who made a mere $109,000. This is a huge discrepancy in the pay that bleeds into the fan attraction.

This isn’t just at the pro level, however. Men’s college basketball gets out way more fans and viewers than women’s basketball does. A lot of people say that they do not watch women’s basketball because they don’t respect the organization. A key example of this happened this past Monday. ESPN was holding a selection show for what seeds, brackets and locations were chosen for this year’s Sweet Sixteen. The show was set to be held at 7 p.m. Around 3 p.m. that day, someone leaked the entire bracket, locations and seeds for the tournament. ESPN quickly tweeted saying that selection would be pushed up an hour, however, did not address the leak.

Teams everywhere started preparing for their numbers and were not too surprised when the official announcement came at 6 p.m. Many people who watch women’s basketball cited this as a reason why people do not respect the organization. It is hard to watch when little mistakes like this happen, especially coming from a national organization. Steps are being taken each year to improve the attendance and viewers for women’s sports, but until the same effort is put into women’s athletics as it is men’s, even from a broadcasting perspective, there will not be any equality coming any time soon.

Markle online abuse worries royal staff

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By CAMILA MUNER

CNN posted an article entitled “The racist online abuse of Meghan Make has put royal staff on high alert,” written by Max Foster.

Foster did a neat job with this article providing useful and interesting information. He not only provided factual information but related pictures and videos as well. 

The article emphasizes the vulgar online hate the Duchess of Sussex has received in the past few months after announcing her pregnancy. This has made Kensington Palace staff devote more time to target social media trolls by blocking abusive Twitter and Instagram accounts. 

It showed that most hate accounts were against Meghan Markle because she is of black descent breaking royal protocol.  Foster remarks how “Meghan and Harry’s forthcoming child will be the first known mixed-race baby in the royal family’s thousand-year history.” 

The article shows a very important and under-looked aspect of journalism that needs to be changed. Much of the hate Markle and also Kate Middleton receive is due to the news media. Foster narrates how “the pressure to produce ever more dramatic headlines to drive traffic is intense.” He also mentioned that Markle has had to deal with much more hate than Middleton had to when she first joined the royal family.

The media can sometimes illustrate the on-going issue of racism and selfishness in our society. Journalism should always be true and raw. I’m glad CNN posted an article discussing the lies told about the media such as spreading rumors of Markle and Middleton not getting along. 

Ivanka stirs debate over Green New Deal

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By CAMILIA MUNERA

Yahoo! published an article called “Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Fires Back At Ivanka Trump: I ‘Actually Worked For Tips & Hourly Wages In My Life.”

The article was originally published on the HuffPost and was just recently uploaded 10 hours ago. 

Ed Mazza, the person who wrote this article, did a great job of explaining the topic clearly, concise and to the point.

As many of you may know, Ivanka Trump is President Donald Trump’s daughter and advisor. She just attacked part of the Green New Deal. 

The deal, backed by Democrats, has job and wage guarantees, something Ivanka claims that Americans don’t want. Why in the world would Americans not want this?

Ivanka Trump told Fox News host Steve Hilton in an interview that “I don’t think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something,” she continues by saying that “I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last four years. People want to work for what they get.”

Ivanka Trump later clarified that she does in fact support a minimum wage but not for those who are unwilling to work. Ivanka was silent on the topic of  a “living wage” though for those who are willing to work. 

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was not happy with the statement as she expresses herself on Twitter. She fired back by saying

“As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live. A living wage isn’t a gift, it’s a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value they create.” 

I, for one, am really happy and thankful that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez spoke out because when a person like Ivanka Trump, someone in a high position says such a thing it’s truly harmful to our citizens.

Light should be shed on this topic because of the recent government shut-down, many government workers weren’t even being paid. A plan such as the Green New Deal would help prevent this in the future. 

Mazza also did a great job of providing pictures of the tweets Rep. Ocasio Cortez wrote and provided a video explaining the topic more in detail. 

Separations still common at border

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By CAMILA MUNERA

In an article posted on CNN by Priscilla Alvarez on Feb. 22 reads the headline, “At least 245 children separated from families since Trump admin said it would stop doing so.” I am very happy CNN decided to post the article because I feel like many people have stopped talking about this topic and it’s vital that people know. This is a painful immigration issue that needs to be fixed. I understand that immigration laws should be enforced, but not in such a harsh way.

Children should never be separated from their parents unless that parent is causing them harm. Alvarez did a very good job at getting to the point quickly and not making the article way too long. She provided a helpful video and links to anyone wishing to receive more information about the matter. 

It mentions how an immigration lawyer stated that “family separation never ended.” Sources have found that between late June 2018 and early February of this year, the administration has identified over 245 children that have been separated from their families. Four children are still under additional review.

The court will hold a hearing this Thursday upholding the concern of the separation of families. 

Administration has uncovered even more information regarding children being separated from their families. In a Health and Human Services Inspector general report it reveals that thousands of more children have been separated than previously reported. Thus indicating the number reported was false. 

The government’s response is soon to come this Thursday at the hearing. 

Opinion-based news now dominates

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By GIANNA SANCHEZ

A lot has changed since Donald Trump has become president, especially in the world of news. Many of the main news outlets that American viewers used to trust have now turned into public enemy No. 1.

To be completely honest, at this point, I cannot even remember how it used to be. Maybe news was polarizing then and no one noticed, but it is especially polarizing now. While news used to be publicized as only stating facts and communicating information, many news stations have turned into a contest.

Fox News and MSNBC are some of the more common networks referred to by the president. Fox News is usually mentioned in President Trump’s favor, while MSNBC is more looked at as the anti-Trump cable network. This is up for interpretation, however, and it is up for the public to decide which to watch and support.

After watching a video titled, “Cooper: Trump Declared emergency, headed to Mar-a-Lago,” I started thinking about the idea of opinion based news. The video showed Anderson Cooper questioning Donald Trump’s sincerity regarding the national emergency. Cooper even mentions that Trump headed over to West Palm Beach for a few days to relax rather than work at the White House.

The video mostly presented facts. It said when Trump arrived, what he had been doing and the results of Trump’s declaration of emergency. Cooper does not add his opinion too much in the video and he even says some comments in Trump’s defense. While the reporting was done well, I think Cooper did mildly insert his opinion through the tone and delivery of facts in the story.

People trust reporters and anchors to deliver the news. I would expect that most people would also want the news to be delivered in an unbiased way. The news should provide information, while viewers should shape their own opinion about what they saw. Without the trust and hope for unbiased reporting, we stray farther and farther away from what people want and become too reliant on opinion rather than facts.

Parkland victims reflect one year later

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By CAMILA MUNERA

The New York Times published an article on Feb. 14 remembering the Parkland Incident. It is the one-year anniversary since the devastating and heartbreaking shooting that happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Fla. The article written by Patricia Mazzei is beautifully written since it not only outlines the horrific events that happened this day but also shows the lasting impact one year later. 

In the article, photographs are taken by Eve Edelheit. These photographs I believe are the strongest element of this article and why photography is so important in journalism. In a series of interviews nine members from the Stoneman Douglas community including students, teachers, police officers and parents reflect on this tragic event a year later. In each segment of the article there is a photo of the person interviewed and beneath is their story. 

I love the way Mazzei approaches this matter because instead of writing an article explaining all the horrible events that occurred that day again— she let the people who actually experienced it be able to shine and tell their story. Reading these stories are extremely impactful hearing all the different things these people had to go through. It is important to know these stories because after this school shooting occurred, many citizens wanted to see a change but shootings in America and around the world continue today. 

The photographs are mostly candid, showing the true emotions the person felt. This article felt very raw and that I could relate to these people interviewed on an emotional and personal level even though I haven’t been what they have been through. It shows again and again the courage people have when violence outbursts occur and how we all must come together in order to remain strong. I hope journalism continues to use this approach of photography and journalism merged together because it makes the article and the story itself more relatable and interesting. 

How much should we cover the shooter?

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

It has been one year since the worst mass shooting in United States history. On Valentine’s Day 2018, tragedy disrupted the happiness and love at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

According to authorities, a former MSD student brought his semi-automatic rifle into a freshman building where he shot and killed 17 students and faculty in less than 10 minutes.

During the immediate aftermath of the shooting, survivors, which included students David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and Jaclyn Corin, launched a campaign called the “March For Our Lives” to end gun violence around America. Additionally, they vowed to never forget the lives lost by making sure their names are always brought up in commemoration.

After the shooting, the news media goes through the usual script of covering a mass shooting: explaining what happened, the lives lost and background of the shooter. However, many of these young activists are calling for the media to stop glorifying mass shooters.

Most recently, USA Today published a story in honor of the one-year anniversary of the shooting. In doing so, the reporter, John Bacon, highlighted all the key figures at the center of the shooting to discuss where they are today, which included discussing the young student activists and the shooter along with an image of him in court.

In response to the article, David Hogg appeared on MSNBC where he said, “They’re [USA Today] one of the best news organizations at making shooters famous in the first place. They always plaster the shooter’s face everywhere. They always give them several hundred pages of coverage.”

Hogg advocating for news media outlets to change how they cover mass shootings is part of the broader campaign called “No Notoriety” that began as a result of the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting. There have been studies done to show that many mass shootings are repetitions of each other as perpetrators see the news coverage of the shooting and want the notoriety of being a school shooter. These aspiring shooters who hope to achieve fame see that is a real possibility through the news media. Thus, this campaign is calling for the news media to stop naming and showing pictures of the shooter.

News media outlets face difficult decisions in covering mass shootings. Now, many, such as Anderson Cooper, are pledging not to name the shooter during coverage or release any images. However, the American news media have the responsibility to keep the public well informed about what is happening around the globe and nationally. Yet, they need to be responsible in reporting. Instead of focusing on who it was, the news media must focus on why or how it happened.

We should use the news media coverage surrounding mass shootings to better understand why this keeps on happening and find the solutions to prevent them from happening in the future rather than as a means to talk about the shooter. When the media glorifies and identifies mass shooters, the victims are hurt twice: once by the perpetrator and the media. Since it seems as though mass shootings are going to be a constant in the U.S. for years to come, news outlets need to do their jobs but must be mindful of the victims and their families because their wounds are consistently reopened due to reappearing images and identification of the shooter in the news.

Cannabis ad won’t air during Super Bowl

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By GIANNA SANCHEZ

The Super Bowl is this Sunday and it’s something many people look forward to watching each year. It’s that special time when sports fans and non-sports fans can share a day together. Some people watch it to root on their favorite team, some to watch the halftime performance and thousands of others to see what creative commercials advertisers came up with this year.

So far, it has been said that companies like Pepsi, Doritos, Bumble, Budweiser, Kia, M&Ms and Olay are for sure advertising in this year’s match-up. There’s one company, however, that tried to advertise, but will not be offered the chance to do so.

Acerage Holdings attempted to buy an advertisement for this year’s Super Bowl. The company is different from many other advertisers, since this one sells medical marijuana. The company has offices in 15 states and was hoping to “create an advocacy campaign for constituents who are being lost in the dialogue,” said Acerage President George Allen.

Medical marijuana is currently legal in more than 30 states. However, it is still federally illegal. News outlets titled their articles similar to Time, saying “CBS Blocked a Medical Marijuana Company.” Articles like these, however can come off as misleading.

The title makes it seem as though CBS is blocking the company due to moral values or relating it to their beliefs on medical marijuana. Farther down in these articles, you can find the statistics that point out the true reason CBS is “blocking” the advertisement is because of the legality of it.

While critics are attacking CBS for not allowing the ad to run, it might have been rejected by the FCC anyway. The FCC regulates all broadcast and radio air time. While in some states, you might see a marijuana commercial run on the air, the drug is still not federally legal. The Super Bowl is one of the most watched programs of the year, and to advertise something that is illegal in 20 states, would most likely not be allowed.

Before everyone goes to fight CBS for blocking this advertisement, they should think about the legality of the situation, and the true backlash that CBS will probably be avoiding with this decision.

Michael coverage varies across board

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By ISABELLA VACCARO

Six people died in the wake of Hurricane Michael, which decimated Florida’s panhandle, flooded the Carolinas and continues to cause mass destruction on the Atlantic Coast. Entire houses were uprooted and more than one million people were out of power.

I compared CNN’s coverage of the storm to the Sun Sentinel’s and found that although both provided similar information, the presentation and angles were completely different. While CNN’s presentation was much more conducive to acquiring facts quickly, the Sun Sentinel’s coverage almost read as a narrative, using its locality to its advantage with stark Florida references that evoked emotion in its readership.

Even the two news sources’ headlines differed vastly in the message that they sent. The Sun Sentinel’s headline, “Hurricane Michael wipes out Mexico Beach, Fla., in ‘apocalyptic’ assault” plays on the drama of the hurricane and sends the message that the storm has passed, devastatingly, leaving Florida in distress.

CNN, on the other hand, headlined its coverage, “Michael’s not done yet — path of destruction stretches north from Florida,” stressing that although the storm departed Florida, it is still a threat to other coastal states like Virginia — obviously taking a more national lens to the story.

Furthermore, the Sun Sentinel uses similes and metaphors to tell the story of how Michael ripped through the panhandle and shook the worlds of many. Instead of delving right into the hard facts, and after a heart-wrenching anecdotal lede, the author writes, “Boats were tossed like toys. The streets closest to the water looked as if a bomb had gone off.”

CNN, instead, hits the ground running with an inverted pyramid-style beginning, stating in the lede exactly where the hurricane hit already and where it is headed, as well as mentioning some of its effects, like flash floods. CNN also writes a bulleted list of “Key Developments” for readers who want fast facts about the storm, providing the route of the storm, how many power outages there are, who died and more.

Contrarily, it makes sense that a Florida newspaper would only focus on the effects of the storm in Florida, and the narrative style makes for a more interesting, though saddening read. The Sun Sentinel even includes an anecdote about a couple searching for their elderly mother in the ruins of the storm, inserting a quote portraying the way the wife called out for her mother: “Aggy! Aggy!”

Both news sources do a good job of capturing the severity of the storm, but for the Sun Sentinel, the focus was in the past, whereas CNN makes sure to send a message that the storm is still highly threatening. It is always interesting to note how many different ways the same story can be covered based on the location and audience of the news source.

Limousine crash kills 20 people

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By NOA ISRAEL

A limousine carrying 18 people crashed last Saturday night near Albany, N.Y., killing all 18 people in the vehicle, including the driver, and two pedestrians.

The 2001 Ford Excursion limousine is said to have run through a stop sign while on the way to one of the passengers birthday celebration in Cooperstown going at least 60 m.p.h. and colliding with a parked car, killing two more people nearby. Four sisters and a newlywed couple were among those who died in the limousine. Initially, the cause of the crash was unclear, investigations went underway to determine if it was a technical malfunction or driver error.

Investigators discovered the driver of the vehicle, Scott Lisincchia, did not have proper licensing and was only permitted to carry 15 passengers. It was also later determined that the Ford Excursion limousine had failed to pass previous inspections and that the company was made aware — on multiple occasions — of the issues regarding the vehicle.

“The operator of the limo company, Nauman Hussain, was arrested on Wednesday in a “controlled traffic stop” because state police feared he was trying to flee,” ABC News reported yesterday. In his car, police discovered suitcases which Hussain excused as for hiding from death threats. He was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminally negligent homicide for putting a vehicle that did not pass inspection and driver with improper license on the road.

The crash  is the deadliest transportation crash since 2009 and has brought together hundreds of mourners. The first funeral, of the youngest woman aboard — Savannah Burese — took place Thursday afternoon. The next funeral for the victims involved is set to take place Friday for four sisters and three of their husbands.

Student killed after school bus overturns

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By NOA ISRAEL

A school bus in Mesquite, Texas, overturned Wednesday afternoon resulting in the death of one student and injuries of others on board.

At 3:45 p.m., after retrieving the students from school, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus rolled into a ditch, hitting a power line on the way down, causing a fire.

Fox 4 News was at the scene of the accident interviewing bystanders who witnessed the incident. One man, Donald Hodge, who was on the way to pick up his daughter from school, saw it burning.

“It was fully engulfed. I was like, ‘Wow, there’s kids on there,’” Hodge explained. “Oh, it was bad. It was like a house in flames.”

First responders and civilians who witnessed the accident rushed to bring the 42 students trapped inside to safety. The school library was set up for triage and a place for worried parents to reunite with their children. Multiple students and first responders were taken to the hospital with non-serious injuries. However, it was later reported by Mesquite Independent School District that one student — whose name has not yet been released — had in fact died from injuries sustained in the accident.

Students on the bus at the time explained how they, along with first responders, worked to help the student who has passed away, but were not successful. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined and an investigation into the incident has begun.

Air Niugini plane crashes into sea

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By MIRIAM RUIZ

All passengers are in good condition after Air Niugini plane crash-landed in the ocean.

Due to poor weather conditions and little visibility, Air Niugini Boeing 737 flight crashed in the sea near Micronesian Island on Friday. It has been reported that the pilot missed the runway yet it is not certain if the plane passed over it or if it detoured before even reaching the runway.

“Dozens of airline passengers were forced to swim for their lives,” said Bark Wilkinson and Hillary Clarke on an article published by CNN news. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/09/28/asia/air-niugini-micronesia-intl/index.html

Luckily, the aircraft stayed afloat long enough for the passengers to get out through the emergency exits where after they were helped by local fishermen on boats to bring them to safety.

Reportedly, the water was reaching the passengers’ waists. After everyone on board successfully evacuated the plane, the water reached below the window line. Many witnesses of the accident claimed how fortunate they were in that it was daylight at the moment of the incident, giving the passengers a greater chance of surviving.

The reporting on this incident has been focused on the safety and well being of the individuals on board. As of now there have been no serious injuries reported. Further details will be available soon as the investigation of the crash continues.

Kavanaugh hearing sparks news frenzy

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By NICOLE LEMBO

On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the first woman to accuse him of sexual assault, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, testified in front of the U.S. enate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C. The hearing lasted almost nine hours.

During her time on the stand, Ford was questioned on the details surrounding her alleged encounter with Kavanaugh when they were both teenagers. Ford claims Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh denied these allegations and remains firm that he is innocent.

As one could imagine, the day’s events sparked a news media frenzy. Major news outlets were covering the hearing with minute-by-minute updates, political pundits took to Twitter to voice their opinions and millions of Americans tuned in to watch the story unfold.

As to be expected, there was major division among the more conservative and liberal news networks, such as Fox, CNN and MSNBC regarding who is truly innocent.

However, in a CNN article titled, “How Fox News is covering Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony” instead of defending Kavanaugh as many may expect of Fox, it discusses how the Fox News commentators watching the hearing believed Ford was actually a credible witness.

Also according to CNN, during Ford’s testimony, Judge Andrew Napolitano stated, “The president cannot be happy with this.” Yet, after the hearing, President Donald Trump, who had been watching all day, tweeted, “Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!”

Rite Aid shooting news raises questions

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By ISABELLA VACCARO

Three people were shot and killed at a Rite Aid distribution center in Maryland yesterday. Unfortunately, as the years tick on and the number of mass shootings multiplies, each tragedy holds less and less weight in the eyes of the American public. 

Perhaps one of the more unique facts in this story is that the shooter was a woman — usually it is more common to see male gunmen. CNN.com, in its coverage of the act, used a headline that mentioned that a woman had shot the victims, and they wrote a lede that began with “A woman killed three people and wounded three others…” to be as specific as possible. 

It seems fair that a news source, if they have knowledge of who the gunman was, to state it immediately in the story. NPR clearly didn’t think so. Their headline read, “Multiple People Killed And Wounded in Maryland Shooting,” and their lede began with “Three people were killed…” 

They do not even identify the shooter until paragraph two, completely disregarding the need here for a classic summary news lede — with all the most important facts right at the top. 

It seems any news source would want to capture readers, no matter how morbid the topic, by providing an angle that might differentiate this shooting from every other story we read. 

Nevertheless, CNN and NPR both provide sound facts from law enforcement, which give the reader a clear vision of what exactly happened. However, CNN, in the second paragraph, explicitly asserts that the shooter was a “disgruntled employee,” which is an important fact to know when pondering the reason for the murder. 

NPR, on the other hand, does not come out and say that the woman was an employee, simply stating in the fourth paragraph that the “shooting may have been tied to a work-related grievance.” Unclear over whether this woman had actually worked for the Rite Aid or not, I had to seek other sources after reading NPR. 

CNN’s coverage was overall crafted more strategically and organizationally than NPR’s which made for an informative and easy read, with no loose-ends to tie up in your mind. 

Woman in 9/11 photo hires photographer

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By MIRIAM RUIZ

A woman in a famous photograph and the man who took the picture reunited on her wedding day, 17 years later.

On the tragic day of 9/11, photographer Phil Penman snapped a historic photograph in which Joanne Capestro is shown moments after escaping the 87th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York, where she worked as an executive assistant. Seventeen years later, the woman in the famous photograph contacted Phil Penman to have him as her wedding photographer.

The image on 9/11 captured by Penman is well recognized because of the details and rawness that are noticed in the photo. In an article written by Nicole Darrah, published by Fox News, the popular photograph is described, “Capestro and her friend, who are seen covered in debris, ash and dirt”. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/20/woman-in-famous-911-picture-employs-same-photographer-for-her-wedding.html

Joanne Capestro wanted to employ Penman as her wedding photographer so that he would be with her on “the best day of my life and the worst day of my life” said Capestro.

Fox News reported this emotional story in a respectable way since the article is based on such a sensitive topic and sad memory. The story shows the beauty and bond between two people that came along over time after experiencing something so tragic and unforgettable.

Seventeen years later, surviver of 9/11, Joanne Capestro, stood alongside Penman in a moment of happiness and joy.

Partisanship rules during confirmation

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By NICOLAS IPARRAGUIRRE

This past week, the already contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation process of nominee Brett Kavanaugh has become embroiled in controversy since allegations of sexual misconduct were revealed. The accuser, Dr. Christine Ford, wrote to her local representative and senator in July regarding an incident that occurred when she and Kavanaugh were in high school.

Since the allegations have been made public, much of the news media on both sides have failed to examine all of the facts in the case in favor of repeating talking points from politicians on each side.

For conservatives, many commentators have stuck to the talking point that until there is more information, nothing can be done. While usually delivering a message that does err on the side of caution, news media commentators on the right have failed to acknowledge that since it is unlikely facts can be discovered within the next week.

Waiting for more information would lead to a vote on Kavanaugh before the credibility of the allegations can be confirmed. In a tweet after the allegations surfaced, Ben Shapiro, founder of the Daily Wire tweeted, “The point here isn’t that we should DISBELIEVE all women. We should give women the presumption of truth — but then we should ask for supporting details and evidence if we actually give a good damn about due process or truth itself.”

This carefully crafted message ignores the issue that additional information will be difficult to ascertain, and that this line of thinking will lead to Kavanaugh’s confirmation prior to the discovery of any corroborating evidence for the allegations.

For the left, many news media commentators have repeated the Democratic talking points that ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley should halt the nomination process and institute an FBI investigation. The only issue with this idea is that the Senate does not actually have the authority to order an investigation from the FBI, as it exists as an executive branch agency.

One member of the news media who has been an example of simply reporting the facts has been Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow, famous for his investigative work exposing allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Farrow’s reporting on the subject featured a detailed account of the allegations against Kavanaugh, along with reporting that the allegations have been known to senator Dianne Feinstein since July.

With information difficult to come across for extremely serious allegations regarding a Supreme Court nominee, Farrow has simply informed the public without inserting his own opinion and allowing the facts to inform the public as to where the situation stands.

Rabid racoons found at Zoo Miami

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By JENNIFER HUDAK

Zoo Miami visitors have been put on notice after six raccoons with rabies were found. The raccoons have since been euthanized in order to prevent the spread of the disease.

According to Communications Director Ron Magill in a statement to the Miami Herald, the zoo’s 3,000 animals on its 740 acres have all received rabies vaccinations and also have been checked since the initial discovery of a rabid raccoon on May 15.

This scare comes after several alerts have been issued throughout Miami-Dade County regarding other raccoons found with rabies.

Rabies alerts are issued when the disease is discovered. If no additional cases are found within the 60 days following the initial alert, the alert is cleared. The state health department extended its warning another 60 days with the most recent finding on Sept. 8.

In early July, the first alert was issued throughout many parts of south-west Miami-Dade. Officials thought the situation was under control until another raccoon tested positive for rabies in early August.

The affected areas were within the boundaries of SW 152nd Street to the north; SW 187th Street to the south; SW 117th Avenue to the east; and SW 137th Avenue to the west.

This warning has now extended to the Zoo Miami property and its’ surrounding neighborhoods.

Miami-Dade Animal Services continues to monitor the situation closely.