At least 70 ISIS bodies dropped off at Syrian hospital, opposition says

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/19/world/meast/isis-kobani/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Throughout the past couple of days 70 bodies from the ISIS terror group have been dropped off at Syrian hospitals. Many of the bodies were dead on arrival. Nobody knows exctly who dropped the bodies off at the hospital, but some think that it was other ISIS members. These bodies had been killed by many car bombs going off in Kobani. Kobani is a city on the border of Turkey. The ISIS rebels have been trying to take over the city for a couple of weeks now. It is very important that the rebel ISIS group does not take it over. This war has become very heated. Do you think this could escalate into another World War? Do you think the U.S. should have stepped in like they did?

Over 48 million Americans live in poverty

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When people hear "The United States of America" they think of a great opportunity for anyone who can get into America. That may have been the case many years ago but today this is not the case. Over 48 million of the people in America live in poverty. I think that this is too many people that live in poverty for us to feel comfortable so we now need to take action and help save some of these people. Is this something the United States needs to focus on even with all of these other complications coming up right now? Or should the government put this aside and tend to other issues that are happening right now? Is there even a way for people to help this cause enough to make a difference because so many people are going into poverty at such a high rate?

Child is Given 3-D Prosthetic Hand

Jeff Powell, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill has been making prosthetic hands out of 3-D printers. Each 3D printed hand costs roughly less than $20. The project began this summer and is continuing to help children in the need of a prosthetic hand. Holden Mora, the first child in Chapel Hill to receive this hand, was deformed due to a birth defect. "I'm perfect one handed" The 7 year states but is currently learning how to be perfect two handed with his new hand. By showing Jeff certain bugs the hand may have, Holden also helps Jeff in improving his innovation. Jeff is also trying to start a non profit organization dedicated to giving children a hand a Prosthetic Hand similar to Holden's. What do you think about future prosthetic body parts being created by 3D printers? Do you think it will be effective?

Hong Kong Democracy Advocate Beaten

A videotape of the beating, along with pictures of the bruised body, of protester Ken Tsang adds to tension between protesters and the chinese government. Ken Tsang says he was "brutally" assaulted by police. A spokesman for the Hong Kong Police has said protesters have been violent as well, tossing objects, kicking, and pushing officers. One officer has had his shoulder dislocated after being pushed by a protester. Mr. Tsang was "accused of unlawful assembly and of obstructing a police officer".  Throughout history there have been cases of police brutality. Was Tsang asking for this treatment? Is it ever okay for police to resort to violence? How far is too far?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/world/asia/video-of-apparent-beating-of-protester-in-hong-kong-stirs-anger.html?ref=world&_r=0

Against Rules, Dallas Worker With Ebola Boarded Plane

Ebola is a disease that began in 1976 and has been spreading through West Africa and is now in the U.S. The man, who had recently flown from Africa to Texas that was confirmed to be infected with Ebola is now dead because he did not receive proper care in time. But since then there has been two more Ebola infected people(nurses) in the U.S.  One of them had boarded a plane to Dallas before being diagnosed with the deadly disease. Now the C.D.C's job has been made much harder since it might have spread to other people in different parts of the U.S. She shouldn't have boarded the plane since she was one of the nurses that came in contact with the first Ebola patient. Is there risk of others being infected? Has there been cases of Ebola in other parts of the U.S? Is there a way to prevent it? Is there a treatment for EVD? What is your opinion?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/us/ebola-outbreak-texas.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LedeSum&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1

Vicar: Dire Times For Iraq's Christians

The situation for Christians in Iraq has never been worse.  It is bad enough that they are being forced out of their homes, but they are also being tortured, killed, threatened, humiliated, and terrorists are now bombing sacred ground (churches).  Today, all of the churches in Iraq have been abandoned and more than half of the christian population has been cleared out either because of murder or because they have fled to other countries.  Though this is an article from a couple years back, many Christians are still being hunted down and prosecuted for their beliefs.  This sounds a lot like a genocide to me.  Have we not learned from our mistakes from the past.  Have we not learned from past genocides such as the Holocaust in the 1940's, the genocide in Armenia in 1915 (also a christian target), or even the Rwandan genocide in the 1990's? When will accept others no matter of where they come from or what they believe in?  What is your opinion? http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vicar-dire-times-for-iraqs-christians/3/

Terminally Ill Brittany Maynard Thanks Those Supporting Her 'Death with Dignity'

http://www.people.com/article/brittany-maynard-death-with-dignity-update

It is a sad idea to think about, but everyone dies. For some people death is a way to remember the amazing life that they lived, but for some death is a burden and is anticipated to end pain and suffering. For people like Brittany Maynard death is a burden, most 29 year old women are thinking about marriage and the life ahead of them, not wanting to die. Mrs.Maynard is diagnosed with stage 4 gliobastoma which is a rare type of cancer that causes tumors in the brain. This is known as a terminal illness, which makes her eligible of the option of physician assisted suicide, which is where the patient chooses death and end their own life with the help of a doctor.  Physician assisted suicide has been a nationwide debate for very long and is only legal in a few states, and stirs up many mixed feelings from people.This article makes you really think about living everyday to the fullest and not taking anything for advantage, because it can be gone any second. What do you guys think?

Art Shell Reflects on Becoming NFL's 1st Black Head Coach in Modern Era

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Shell becoming the first black coach since Fritz Pollard in the 1920s was what started this progression of more diversity within the coaches (and assistant coaches) of the NFL. Since he became a head coach 25 years ago, the number of black coaches had been, for the most part, increasing. In 2006, 22% of coaches were black; in 2001, the NFL reached their highest percentage yet -- 25%. However, in 2014, there is now only 6%. What could have caused the percentage to drop so much in just 3 years? The percentage of black football players, on the other hand, is currently around 70%. Could it be similar to people having the mindset when slavery was legal in America that blacks are inferior in intellectual areas and, more recently, better suited to certain sports rather than being a coach because they are, as Dean Cromwell said, “closer to the primitive”? What do you think?

ISIS: Even Worse Than the Hype

The group known as ISIS doesn't need the little things such as computer hackers and such because it doesn't need them. They have plenty of small arms to help contribute to what it doesn't have. ISIS strikes fear into the heart's of people, but at least the US doesn't have to deal with a wide-spread hack attack. Just about 4,700 civilians dead and 6,500 wounded from June 1st to August 31st, all of which included human rights abuse of all kinds and were Iraqi and Syrian. However something that is a bit different is that the bullet shells used for this all of this, 20% of those were made in US factories. Another shocking fact is that 42% of the total arms ISIS is using came from the US between 2009 and 2013. This piece can be related back to the Holocaust and how the Germans abused the human rights of just about everyone who was supposed to be "eliminated", mainly the Jews of course. They took away everything that had and tried to turn them into people they weren't, and if they didn't obey, they were killed on the spot indefinitely.

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Boston Herald apologizes for Obama cartoon after backlash

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/politics/boston-herald-cartoon/index.html?iref=allsearch

The Boston Herald newspaper has released a cartoon that has caused much controversy. It was created to describe the nature and casualty of the recent White House intrusion. In the cartoon, the intruder, a white man, offers Obama watermelon flavored toothpaste. There is a popular stereotype that black people enjoy watermelon, so there is a question as to whether the comic was either racist or simply ignorant. I believe that the cartoonist, as well as all the editors - except for one - were being racially insensitive, if not completely racist. It has been said that the cartoonist and Boston Herald intended no inference of racism, and are deeply apologetic. It seems inexcusable to me that something so sensitive as this could slide by and be claimed as a non-offensive mistake while we are in a time of healing from the terrible time of racism that has always existed in history. Do you think that the newspaper and cartoonist were truly unaware of the racist implications that the cartoon has? Or do you think they are now just apologizing as a way to let the stigma of Obama's skin color not be taken offensively?

Ebola Is Diagnosed in Texas, First Case Found in the U.S.

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Ebola is a disease that has been spreading through West Africa since its first outbreak in 1976. A man, who had flown from Liberia to Texas last week, was recently confirmed to be infected with Ebola. As the first person in the U.S. diagnosed with this virus, he is currently isolated in the hospital and receiving treatment. For the most part we have been taught about the widespread transfer of diseases from country to country, a significant historical example would be from the Columbian Exchange (the diseases that were spread from the Europeans to the Native Americans). As for now, I feel as though the health officials are doing a fair job of keeping the disease from spreading, but it's hard to say. After all, it only takes one person to start the epidemic here. 

What do you guys think? Should we be worried about the infection spreading? Is the government doing enough to prevent it?