Current Events Report

What Happened in Our WorldNovember 2015

Section 2 Social Studies

Some Fantasy Sports Are Considered

GamblingBy Luke and Jaclyn

By Associated PressOctober 20th, 2015

NewsELA

SummaryCongressman Jim Leach says that all

fantasy sports are considered gambling; it’s only outlawed in five states. In Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Washington, and Montana fantasy sports are outlawed. Jim Leach is trying hard to persuade people to further outlaw fantasy sports. A law was made in 2006 that outlawed many online gambling but not fantasy sports.

Passage From The Article

“A former lawmaker says online fantasy sports is actually gambling.

Jim Leach should know. When he was in Congress, he wrote a 2006 law

that made most Internet gambling against the law. Gambling is when a

person bets money on agame. Fantasy sports, though, was allowed under

the law.”

Fantasy sports are not gambling. Fantasy sports takes skill and is

for fun. Gambling is betting money beforehand and mostly luck.

SurpriseOne thing that really surprised us is that all fantasy sports are outlawed in five states. Poor Cardinals and Saints fans! Lots of people are into fantasy sports and they care about it very much. The people in those five states that are like that must feel very upset and not like the people who outlawed it in their state.

First Lady Announces U.S Pledge to aid Pakistani Girls’

Education

By Beatriz and Grace

Article written by Associated Press Published- 10.27.15

Summary

The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, is running an organization called Let Girls Learn to help girls worldwide have an education. First of all, the Pakistani government has promised to spend twice as much money on education. This will send more girls to school and they have also promised to hire more female teachers. Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif, the wife of the prime minister of Pakistan, stood next to Michelle Obama when she made this announcement. America is not the only Country contributing to this organization, other countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have also contributed and have promised more than $800 million combined. In the end, this shows that the world does care about education!

Grace And Beatriz

"We shall not rest until every girl is learning and in school. We shall not rest until every mother is confident that her daughter will have a better life than what she had," Kalsoom Nawaz Sharif said.

This quote explains that Sharif really wants the best for the young girls in Pakistan. It also shows that Sharif is very determined and confident that this will work and the girls from Pakistan and all around the world can all have an education. This is important because it is very good to have high hopes for education.

Grace And Beatriz

Quote

Going Further/Affect

Beatriz: The effect this had on me was this: I found out that the world really does care about education! Of course, I did know this before, but I thought that some places really just cared about themselves. It’s also great that the First Lady was so brave and didn’t do what most others would do; sit and watch.

Grace: The effect this has had on me is very large. I think that it is truly amazing that the First Lady of the United States of America is standing up for girls rights in other countries. It is inspiring that she has started an organization that has raised an enormous amount of money for the cause. I could only dream of forming such a great organization for the wonderful cause of educational rights for girls from all over the world.

Nick and EthanMilk in India By Smithsonian

institute/tween tribune

Date published - By Yirmiyan Arthur Associated Press

October 30, 2015

SummaryTo the people of India, cow’s and milk are sacred for many reasons. In india cows are a special thing to them because they believe that there god came down in a form of a cow and now they protect all cows from harm. India is the world's largest milk producer in the world with United States right behind them. The Indians eat lots of milk related products such as the famous Ghee. This is a spread that you can put on bread and other things. To conclude the people of india love to use milk for many different things.

A passageMany dairy operations are quite small. In a rural corner of India's northeastern Indian state of

Assam, 24-year-old Srimoti Mandal milks her three cows in the early morning, getting an average of about 6 liters per day and selling it for about $3.50. With her husband unable to work

because of asthma, she depends on the milk to support her family of four, which includes two young children.

In this passage, it mentions a woman who milks her cows every day and lives off of the small profit they get from it. This shows how anyone with cows can make a company and how little you will earn. The small family relies on the milk to run the entire family. This is how milk is so important to the people of India.

Since so many people are converting into milk producers, lots of businesses are falling and families are turning poor. They are getting poor because their not getting money from what they are doing so they don’t get any money which is a necessity to live.

The Affect

Syrian Poets bear witness to violence: “There’s nothing civil about a war”

Article by The Los Angeles TimesSeptember 10, 2015

By Isabella and Emily

Summary

This article is pretty much about musicians and poets telling what they think of the war and that “there’s nothing civil about war”. Most poets write their poems about war, violence, bombs, and betrayals to tell people how they feel about this. Now, that these poets wrote these poems, in bars and markets, these poems flourish through the people and their culture. Even a rapper wrote a rap about the wars going on!

“Quote”“Poet Amal Kassir summons the shattered

orchard on her grandmother’s farm. Her

poem "My Grandmother's Farm" describes a

farm taken over by a violent "tyrant."

My grandmother knows Syria better than

anyone.

It is the arthritis living in her knees.

She had a farm whose dust she knew by

name.

… And the tyrant,

The dirt is waiting for him.

Like the rest of us,

He will learn his grave,

Feel the weight of the entire country on his

chest.”

Poet Amal Kassir wrote this poem during the war when her grandmother was farming and was taken over by a “Tyrant”. This pretty much means that people are suffering terribly because of the war going on in Syria. This impacts the article because it shows what Poet Amal Kassir is feeling about this.

Going Further: Affect

This story or article makes us feel sad and disappointing. The reason we’re responding this way is because poets and musicians are literally writing about the war, the bombs, and the violence. When the rapper wrote his poem about people dying, It made us feel terrible and depressed. These poets and musicians are standing up for what’s right, and we think that’s a great way for them to express their feelings.

University of Missouri president quits over

campus racial complaints

Author:Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staffDate: 11/11/15 Copyright 2015

By Cam and Ella

SummaryIn the University of Missouri the president of the school says, “I will resign over racist complaints from the football team”. Several racist comments were yelled at several black people on the university. Such as, when a young black boy from the university was in his car a boy drove by in his pickup truck yelling racist comments. Tom Wolfe (president of the school) is currently doing nothing to stop these comments even though he said he would stop it. Several of the black people are threatening to drop out of school. Other boys are saying they will not play football in their next game(Tigers versus Brigham Young University) which would cause them to cancel (1 million dollars would have to be spent to cancel this). Food strikes and sit-ins are set into action. The racist comments began to get physical when a white boy draws a swastika in a dorm bathroom to show white power. Also a black boy had been shot over racist comments. Matters begin to get horrible and gruesome so people begin to step up beginning the end to this madness.

Quote and Summary“ ….The protests began after after the student government president, who is black said in September that people in a passing pickup truck shouted racist insults at him….” “..... Also a swastika was recently drawn in a dormitory bathroom. The swastika is originally associated with the German Nazi Party and has long been used as white power….”

Summary - Several colored people in the campus are revolting against the comments made by white people to colored people. The white people are responding by leaving marks of swastikas to show they have power over the colored people. This quote is important because without this quote we wouldn't know what the swastika means and why it is important also we wouldnt understand why people are revolting. The quote shows why colored people are angry. This impacts the whole essay because it is explaining how the white people are acting

Going FurtherQuestion: Explain the emotional affect on you. Answered by Cam: The emotional effect on me is I think Wolfe is not using his power right and letting these things happen. I feel like it's deja vu. It's already happened and it's very hurtful emotionally and physically. If I was wolfe I would have already stopped it by day one. Now it's gotten out of hand with the walk outs and the sit downs and people drawing swastikas in the bathrooms I mean come on! I hope Wolfe gets what he deserves and the people who are harassing are removed from the school immediately.

Paris is target of deadly attacks that were planned across the

city by Washington Post 11.16.15

By Madison And Ryan

Summary

A terrorist group called ISIS (Islamic State) attacked the most popular destination in France, Paris. On the night of the attacks 132 people died and 350 people were injured. This was the deadliest attack in Paris since World War ll. The killers targeted professional soccer games, concerts and cafes. Citizens and tourists hid inside while French police and military went into the streets.

Quote

“We are going to lead war” said French President Francois Hollande

This quote means that if ISIS wants to have a war they will get one. President Hollande is saying this because he is angry about the attacks on Paris. France must join together if they want to stop ISIS.

Going Further

The attacks on Paris went worldwide. The Newsela article is just one in thousands of articles. This article relates to the attacks in Kenya. The attacks in Kenya relate except the Kenyan attacks were not worldwide and no one mourned the people who died. The complete opposite happened with france. People changed their social media profile pictures to the eiffel to or pictures of paris. There was even a #Pray for Paris. In conclusion the attacks in Kenya and Paris were very alike and different at the same time.

Obama’s rule and purpose and

proposed law would help ex-inmates get

hired By: Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on Nov. 17th, 2015

Presented by:Sami Smith & Joe Gora

Summary

President Obama want for interviews or applying for a job easier for ex-prisoners. There is a debate between the President and government whether they should add this rule. First, Obama pushes for non-inappropriate questions during interviews. Second, when for a job, they would talk about their skills and what they can do instead of the past criminal life. Also, services and organizations help to prevent prison population.

(We have a small quote)

Obama says:

“Folks deserve a chance to get through the door first.”

What we think:

We thought that this quote means that people should not be judged first before they are introduced. Personally, all of us don’t have any experience with this topic but we think that this is a smart idea. Past-prisoners should apply to jobs should be seen on their skill and “knowledge.”

Article’s quote . . .

The affect this project had on us was that we feel that it is not fair for ex-inmates to have a hard time finding a job. We feel this way because even if these people were in jail they were let out for a reason. It is unfair that these people are being asked questions about their time in prison, instead of why they want the job. This is the affect this subject has on us.

Affect

“At Least 19 Dead in Terror Attack on Mali Hotel”

Article By: Baba Ahmend Date Published: 11/22/15

By: Emma Callanan and Caroline Sheridan

Summary

The article At least 19 dead in terror attack on Mali hotel is about a terrorist attack led by a subgroup of ISIS. The terrorists killed eighteen citizens and one Malian soldier. The attacks took place in the Radisson Blu Hotel early Friday morning on November 22, 2015. These attacks took place because a small group of Muslim extremist, known as the Mourabitounes, want Malians to live under their rule of Islam and want to control the country of Mali.

Quote“The gunmen belong to an extremist group known as the Mourabitounes. They are one of several groups that is trying to take over Mali. They want Malians to live under their brand of Islam.”

This quote is important to the article because it gives background information on the terrorists and their belief structure. It introduces the Mourabitounes, their terrorist actions, and the agenda behind these attacks. The Mourabitounes goal is to take over Mali and force everyone to live and think according to their beliefs.

Going Further

Affect: This passage is very emotional because groups like the Mourabitounes and ISIS are destructive and want to cause violence for the sake of making others accept and follow their beliefs. These extremists want to take over the world and make everyone live their lives according to their religion. “There are other Islamic extremist groups like the Mourabitounes, though. They include al-Qaida, which launched the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York. The Mourabitounes once worked with al-Qaida. Another Islamic extremist group is ISIS, the group that recently attacked Paris, France. It is also called Islamic State.” This paragraph from the article is gives examples of other terrorist groups and what their overall agenda is for the attacks and violence they commit.

U.S. resistance to Syrian refugees sparks comparisons to WWII Jews' plight- By Newsela (11/25/15)

By Matthew Deacon and Hailee Fonseca

Summary

The article U.S. resistance to Syrian refugees sparks comparisons to WWII Jews’ plight is about how the Americans would not accept the Jews during WWII and are not accepting immigrants now. The article starts off by telling how it was for Jewish immigrants during World War II by showing the results of an interview with someone who came over from Germany. This person, Sol Messinger, tells how when he was just seven, he boarded a ship that would take him to St. Louis in hopes of freeing Germany. However, when he reached America, they would not accept him and the other ship members so he had to turn back. The article goes on to tell how a similar problem has arised now with countries not wanting to allow Syrian immigrants. Although President Obama is allowing 10,000 immigrants to come over, the tons of people are not being stopped. Finally, the article is tied up by going back to World War II and how Luis Gutierrez had regretted prohibiting Jewish people from Germany. To sum it up, the article is about the similarities between the problem of accepting immigrants to America.

Passage From Article“...On Nov. 13, the Islamic State group killed 130 people in Paris, France. Also known as ISIS, the extremist group wants to start its own country under its version of Islamic law. Its fighters have taken over parts of Syria and Iraq. Millions of people have fled, causing a massive refugee crisis. President Barack Obama has announced a plan to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year. Most of them are Muslim…”

The quote informs people (If they had not already known) of the terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS, also noting the Islamic State’s goal to start a country under its own law. The quote then states the ISIS fighters have taken over some countries (Syria and Iraq). As the quote continues on, it tells the reader that many have fled the countries due to living in such a war zone, but as more people flee there are larger numbers of people that have to be taken in by countries. Lastly, the quote states President Barack Obama’s plan to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees. The importance of this quote would be to inform the reader of present events of ISIS and what we are doing to the refugees. In the full article it compares how we now do not want more refugees as there might be undercover terrorist, to the same way we did back in WW11 where we did not want Jews as they may be Nazi spies. As time continues, there have been more refugees taken in and since 9/11/2001, we have taken in over 784,000 refugees, only 3 imposing a threat.

Going Further - PersuasionI found the article persuasive in general. Although the article was informative, it

changed my mind of Syrian refugees. The article had statistics, saying that since 9/11/01 the United States of America has taken in over 784,000 refugees, only 3 imposing any threat. If we minimized the number to 10,000 refugees (which is what the US plans to take in) there would likely be no threat. The word “likely” is always going to have its small probability of the worst happening, and that's what the government is thinking of, as there is screening going through every last one of the 10,000 refugees. Continuing on to its references to WW11, there was a poll mentioned. Within it, most Americans, did not want Jewish children, because they could wind up spies. Later on, the US regretted not saving the Jews. As I continued reading, the Jewish refugee that was being interviewed said he thinks the same thing will happen in the US. We will take in less refugees, but later regret it as they did not impose any threat to the country. In conclusion, I was personally quite paranoid of terrorists entering the United States as refugees, but the statistics and historical references really changed my mind.

Fast Food Workers Fight For Higher Wages by

NewsELA Staff 11/25/15

Slides by Robby Feulner and Joshley Calix

Summary

This article is about how fast food workers want to be paid fifteen dollars or more per hour. These people think it is unfair to be paid under fifteen dollars an hour. Because of their beliefs, they started a program promoting the idea of being paid more than fifteen dollars an hour. They complain that under fifteen dollars is not enough money to support their families and ask for more. Often the members of the campaign “fight for fifteen” protest specifically outside fast food restaurants like McDonald's. The fight for fifteen continues as it approaches its four year mark and have made many protests and are progressing and getting higher wages.

Quote from ArticleQuote from Dominique McCrae, a fast food worker from North Carolina:

‘ "We just want to be able to support our families," McCrae said.’

We think this quote is important because it shows the attitudes of the workers. They aren’t greedy and want more money for spending. Most of these workers are hardworking parents who need a job to support their families.

Suprise

I’m not surprised that people in the fight for fifteen campaign don’t like their wages, I’m surprised that they have not reached their goal yet. The fight for fifteen campaign has been around for three years, made multiple protests, and is getting lots of attention. They must do something quick or they might not reach their goal of fifteen dollars an hour.