Children as Young as 12 Eligible for COVID Vaccine

 https://www.nytimes.com/article/kids-covid-vaccine.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/600-000-children-ages-12-15-have-received-their-first-n1267795

This May, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12-17 year olds, which had been authorized for emergency use for 16-17 year olds since December 2020. As of May 18th, more than 600,000 children ages 12-15 received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with the age group in the US totaling to more than 17 million individuals. Both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also conducting studies on this age group. 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 3.9 million cases of COVID have been reported among children, which is about 14% of the total COVID cases in the US. Although younger patients are less likely to show severe symptoms, 308 children have died because of COVID-19, and thousands more have developed a multi-system inflammatory syndrome known as MISC. 

Despite lower death rates, children and teens are still at risk for COVID and need to be protected. Increase vaccine availability and increased vaccination rates among younger Americans increases the safety of institutions such as schools, and allows for a more likely return to normal life in the near future. 

In my opinion, the authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for younger age groups is good for combating vaccine hesitancy, as it allows the vaccine to be seen as more trustworthy to hesitant parents and adults thinking about whether to get their own shots. As more COVID vaccines become available for broader age groups, it would be interesting to see whether the overall vaccination rates in the US increase as well. Either way, these authorizations provide a hopeful light after a long period of trial and tribulation.

Discussion questions:

- How do you think the recent Pfizer authorization for younger age groups has affected school districts and other education systems?

- What other methods could be used to combat vaccine hesitancy? 

White House scrambles to reassure public after pause on Johnson & Johnson's vaccine

 

article link: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/13/politics/white-house-johnson-and-johnson/index.html

    On Tuesday morning April 13, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed President Biden and the public that health agencies across the US are recommending a  shutdown for the administering of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after several cases of extremely rare blood clotting. Officials claim that the shutdown will not affect the process of vaccinating Americans, as Pfizer and Moderna doses will be provided as replacements. Governors and Health Officials, however, still hold concern that the shutdown will deplete confidence in the vaccine that is so important for the US to come out of the pandemic.

    President Biden gave a speech midday Tuesday where he addressed the situation, saying,"There is enough vaccine that is basically 100% unquestionable, for every single solitary American." Although addressing concern over supply, he did not address the concerns over possible vaccine hesitancy from skeptical members of the public. As of now, all Federal Health cites, vaccination sites, and health centers were told to immediately stop giving out Johnson and Johnson vaccines. The Biden Administration is still on track to vaccinate 200 million citizens by the end of April.

    The possible negative effects of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine target women mainly under the age of 60. Dr.Anthony Fauci said on the pause that the main reason behind it was to warn physicians from giving people in the at-risk group the anticoagulant heparin which is potentially dangerous, and also mentioned that the FDA and CDC would find out whether there are more cases of blood clotting than the six known.

In my opinion, the fallout of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine could be potentially very damaging on vaccine hesitancy. Many Americans have already shown skepticism over the vaccines, and the negative side effects that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are showing are a cause for public dismay and distrust in the administering of the COVID vaccines which are brand new. Since the government is pushing the vaccines significantly, I do believe this could lead many citizens to be discouraged from attaining vaccines.

discussion questions:

- Do you believe it was rightful to pause the administering of Johnson and Johnson Vaccines?

- How do you think the pause will affect the process of Americans getting vaccinated?

Battling Asian Hate

As a result of the recent surge in violence against Asian Americans, including a brutal attack on a Filipino woman in New York City and shootings of six Asian women at spas in Atlanta, President Biden has detailed plans to stifle the rise of racism. His plans include increased accessibility of hate crime data by publishing a page focused on attacks against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He also plans to provide police with more training, and will have the FBI hold civil rights training for the public to encourage people to report hate crimes, as language barriers have historically made victims reluctant to report. To address the past crimes that have been overlooked, he also plans to support survivors of violence and assault that also face language barriers with $50 million in grants. 

The Justice Department will review how it can more effectively prosecute those who commit hate crimes against Asian Americans. Unfortunately, hate crime charges are difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt in court because establishing that the reason that victims were targeted was their race, specifically, is extremely difficult, especially since there is no common or unified anti-Asian symbol. Prosecutors are forced to rely on the use of racist slurs or remarks, or on the aggressor’s admission that their crime was a result of race based motives. 

Additionally, since the First Amendment protects free speech rights, a person can not be punished for merely name-calling, verbally abusing, or using hateful speech; they can only be punished under hate crime laws if there are threats of violence or violent actions. Because of this, Biden’s efforts will likely not be enough to prevent anti-Asian sentiments from spreading and wreaking havoc on the Asian American community, but it is definitely a step in the right direction since it will decrease the amount of outright violence.

Article Link

Questions:

1. Do you think Biden is doing enough? What else could he do to prevent hate crimes?
2. How do we combat or punish anti-Asian speech without undermining First Amendment rights?

Biden giving media 'zero access' to border operations: photojournalist

 Article link

CNN, among other news stations, are calling out the Biden administration for refusing to allow reporteres access to the U.S's southern border with Mexico. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claims that the children at the border are being kept safe and that the Biden administration is being completely transparent. CNN reporter Pamela Brown notes that "as the situation at the US-Mexico border gets worse, the media is being kept from it.” With the situation at the border changing every day I believe that the media and the people have a right to know. In a country founded on freedoms such as freedom of press, the biden administration cannot be truly transparent while preventing the media and photographers from seeing what is happening at the border. Especially with there being a history of keeping children in cages at the border is it important for people to be able to reliably know what is going on, and the media is the only way for that to happen.

 Article link

1. Do you think the Biden administration should allow the press at the border and if so, why?

2. How important is the media in keeping the public informed?

3. How does the media keep politicians in check?

Georgia Representative Park Cannon Arrested for Knocking on Governor's Door as He Signed a Voting Bill

 

Image from NBC News  Shows Rep. Park Cannon escorted by police officers after she was knocking on Gov. Brian Kemp's door. 

Link to NY Times video of the arrest

Last Thursday, March 25, Georgia Rep. Park Cannon was arrested for knocking on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's door as he was signing a voting bill into law. According to a NY Times article, this measure corresponds as a blow at minority groups in Georgia, specifically Black Georgians, for the 2020 presidential election since Mr. Trump blames Georgia's expanded voter access for his defeat due to "widespread fraud." The other week in class we learned about the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated voter literacy tests, enabled federal examiners to register voters in states with a "history of discrimination" and that those same states must receive federal approval to change voting rules. However in 2013, it was ruled by the Supreme Court that states haven't shown evidence of discrimination recently and therefore no longer require federal oversight of voting procedures, or changes to them. Georgia's governor used this to his advantage and has enacted a law which "imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to give them food and water" which targets voters of color (CNN article). 

On Friday, President Biden "condemned the law as 'un-American' and 'Jim Crow of the 21st century'" and said, "You don't need anything else to know that this is noting but punitive, designed to keep people from voting" (NY Times article). 

From a CNN Tonight interview with Rep. Park Cannon's attorney, Gerald Griggs, it was revealed that Cannon was only trying to get "transparency" of the signing ceremony but was prevented of it, and now she's facing 8 years of prison on the basis of felony obstruction and disruption. It was also shown that Gov. Kemp responded to the situation with "you'd have to question or ask the Georgia Department of Safety about what happened there. It's unfortunate that a city state representative would actually stomp and kick a Georgia state patrol officer." Cannon was released from Fulton County Jail late Thursday night after newly elected Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock visited her, but she still is being charged. 

Questions:

1. Seeing the video of Rep. Cannon knocking on the door and then being arrested, I felt helpless and frustrated watching at home while the police put hand cuffs on her and escorted her out. Thankfully cameras on people's mobile phones came in good use to record the whole scene so we can know the truth. What do you think you would have done in that moment if you were Rep. Cannon or someone at the scene? 

2. What are your feelings or opinions on Georgia's new voting bill? What do you think this says about Trump's influence on Republican leaders and America's ability to move on from Trumpism? Do you see any similarities to the Civil Rights Movement events we learned about?

3. What do you think this says about America's ability to make progress from 1965? And when President Biden says "un-American," what does "American" and "un-American" mean to you?

Setbacks for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine

   Early Tuesday, March 23, 2021, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released a statement accusing AstraZeneca of “providing an incomplete view of the efficiency data.” This statement was released just hours after AstraZeneca stated and assured their vaccine is safe and 79% effective in protecting against COVID-19. This being said, both the NIAID and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the director of NIAID and President Biden’s chief medical advisor, do not put into question the safety of the vaccine. Both believe the vaccine is safe. Fauci states himself “this is likely a very good vaccine.” The NIAID did not say exactly how the outdated data could affect the clinical trial, but were just raising their concerns over the possibility of outdated and incomplete data. The AstraZeneca vaccine is not yet provided in the U.S, but it is provided in over 50 countries. The vaccine was highly popular in the United Kingdom and did have much success in it’s clinical trials. However, the vaccine is given a bad reputation after reports of serious side-effects, such as blood clots, were occuring in some patients. Some countries even halted the administration of the vaccine such as Germany, France, and Italy, but have since resumed, after additional research concluded the blood clots and the vaccine may not be linked. Unfortunately, both the accusations of providing false data and the serious side-effects have severely damaged the reputation of this vaccine and produced setbacks in further releasing the vaccine to more countries. There is still hope that the vaccine will be available in the U.S. by April, as it has been continuously reassured that the vaccine is safe. 

Personally, when I first read about the accusations that the data could be outdated and incomplete surrounding the vaccine, I was worried. The media has already damaged the reputation of this vaccine so much, that I think this new statement just increased people’s hesitations about the vaccine. All I have heard was that people were having really bad side-effects and given that the vaccine is not available in the U.S. yet, made even myself question whether or not I would trust the vaccine. However, after doing more research, it’s safe for me to conclude that this vaccine is safe and effective. I would still be hesitant if I were to receive it and I think doing more clinical trials would be beneficial to relieve any hesitations and doubts. 

Questions: 

What do you think about the accusations made by the NIAID? 

What are your opinions on the vaccine? 

If you could choose, would you want to receive this vaccine? Why or why not? 

Sources: 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-trial-data-prompts-concern-federal-agency-says-n1261789

https://www.today.com/health/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-trial-data-prompts-concern-federal-agency-t212594?icid=canonical_related

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/astrazeneca-says-u-s-trial-data-shows-its-covid-19-n1261702

U.S.-China Relations off to a rough start with the Biden Administration

 

                Image Source from CNBC

    Last Thursday, the first major meeting between the U.S. and China took place in Anchorage, Alaska. Relations had been worsening over the passing years under the Trump administration. The meeting was expected to be filled with a degree of tension, however the events that transpired don’t make it seem likely relations will be getting better under President Biden. 

    The meeting was spearheaded by Secretary of State Antony Blinken along with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on behalf of the U.S. While China sent Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councilor Yang Jiechi. During the opening remarks with the Press present, both sides took shots at each other regarding their actions in recent years. It started with Blinken, who voiced concerns about China’s actions regarding Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang. These concerns are duly noted, with China’s crackdown of Hong Kong Protesters in 2019, and increasing militaristic threats towards Taiwan. The ladder of which Xinjiang, being a reference to the Chinese “Re-education” camps for the Uyghur Muslims in the area. The response from the Chinese diplomats was what Beijing has been saying for years, which is that the U.S. has no business concerning itself with internal Chinese affairs. Yang then went on to point out the American hypocrisy. Emphasizing in particular “Black Lives matter” as being a prime example of the nation’s problem with human rights. The comments went on about things like aggressive American foreign policy, and the fragile state of American democracy. This was just the beginning of the meeting, and a similar pattern drove on for the course of an hour before the press left and the diplomats to get down to business.
    The significance of American-Chinese relations cannot be undervalued. Both countries will most likely be the leading nations for the remainder of the 21st century. As it currently stands, relations will only seem to get worse in years to come. While no one wants to see a war, I don’t believe that trying to become best friends with a totalitarian regime is the best course of action. The events of the past few decades have shown that the status quo of economic and diplomatic relations with China have not been in the American people’s best interest. As constant foreign outsourcing of American jobs has been a burden on many working families, and the main reason I think Trump was elected in 2016. On the flip side though, there obviously must be some sort of relationship between our two nations, to prevent chaos and tackle issues like Climate Change. However, I believe that in the coming years as relations and economic ties decay, that we will live through a “New Cold War” with China. Of course, regardless of what does end up happening, there is no doubt that the status of the U.S.-China relationship holds immense significance. Sources: Vox Politico CNBC CNN C-SPAN Questions: 1. What do you make of China's criticisms of the United States? 2. What approach do you think the U.S. should take towards China and what do you think will actually play out? 3. Given the current situation with increased violence towards Asian Americans, do you think that worsening relations with China will increase hate towards Chinese and Asian Americans alike?

Postal Service Struggles to Accelerate Delivery

 

Postal workers are heavily struggling to continue delivering packages, during Christmas and New Years time it delivered around 62% of mail on time, and they still only deliver at 84% accuracy, considerably less than their 96% target. This stems from a myriad of underlying issues, most noticeably the pandemic and the Trumps's politicization of the organization. The postal service is reaching a turning point, it is at the brink of heavy financial losses, polarizing leadership, and it is difficult to determine if the Biden administration can save this service. The agency cannot fix its finances without fixing the delivery problems, but cannot fix its delivery problems without fixing its finances. Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general, is currently working on a plan to fix the company's finances, which includes not using planes for letters and flat mail, and lengthening the standard delivery time for first-class packages from three to five days. This approach prioritizes accuracy and reliability over speed, and aims to balance the Postal Service's books. The service is also trying to shift its approach to packages over letters, but this plan is going to gain serious resistance from Democrats in Congress as DeJoy already has a rocky relationship with them from his operational changes during the election's influx of mail-in ballots. Recently, the Postal Service has been bleeding money, and has become unreliable for most citizens, and currently there is no end in sight.

Questions:

        1. Considering the prominence of other package delivery services, does the Postal Service even need to be fixed? If yes, how should the Postal Service be fixed?

2. Should the Postal Service weigh reliability over speed or vice-versa and why?

3. How should the Postal Services respond to new innovations in package delivery, such as drones, in order to improve?

Miami Beach Declares State of Emergency

    Miami is a common Spring Break destination for college students, but this year even more so because Florida is one of the states in the country that is almost completely open with few COVID regulations, despite the growing number of infections. Large groups of people from across the country are flocking to Miami beaches in hopes of “forgetting” about COVID. Additionally, although Miami city requires people to wear masks in public, the state of Florida has raised its mask mandate, making it difficult for local officials to penalize people who do not wear masks. This has created the “perfect storm,” and on Saturday, March 21, Miami declared a state of emergency because the local officials could not handle the growing crowds in the city. An 8 p.m. curfew has been announced and is going to last at least through April 11. A recent report revealed that Miami police have arrested 1,000 people since February 3, with 51% of these arrests being non-Florida residents. In some cases, the police have used violence, shooting pepper balls, similar to paintballs, into maskless crowds out past 8 p.m. There have been no injuries reported, but as people continue to defy the city’s laws, police continue to resort to violence. 

I do not think that people should be traveling far for Spring Break and they should avoid COVID hotspots, such as Miami, Florida. I understand that people are tired of the pandemic as we just hit the 1 year anniversary, however, people need to continue to be responsible, wear masks, and social distance until vaccines are more widely distributed. I do not think that lifting the state mask mandate helped the situation in Miami, and I believe that Florida should re-establish the state-wide mask mandate. This will not only help officials regulate mask-wearing, but it will also keep people away who only go to Miami to “escape” mask-wearing and the pandemic. 

Questions:

1. Do you think re-establishing a mask-mandate in Florida will help the situation in Miami?

2. What other measures should Florida take to control the spread and the increase in vacationers?

3. Would you put yourself at risk by traveling to Miami this Spring Break?

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/20/us/miami-beach-crowds-clevelander-covid/index.html 

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/states-mask-mandates-coronavirus.html#California 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/21/miami-beach-state-of-emergency/ 

Tiktok Reveals NCAA's Biases Against Women

Women's sports, like many other industries, has long been treated as subordinate to men's athletics. In fact, the whole idea that the default name for sports (i.e. NBA) is for men while WNBA must specify that it's for women is a prime example of how our society views women's sports to be second priority, less than average. Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince recently took to Tiktok to expose the double standards she experiences with weight rooms. NCAA provided her team with a meager stack of dumbbells while the men's team received a giant room filled with state of the art squat racks, weights, and facilities. Her video was an up close look into some of the daily challenges that women face in sports. In response to the bad publicity, the NCAA made a major upgrade to the women's weight rooms. However, this is just a start. Women have historically dealt with worse foods, poorer facilities, less accurate COVID testing, the list goes in. 

I think it's imperative the NCAA make long term change instead of just material efforts to combat the bad publicity. This subordinate treatment to women is just one aspect of the institutionalized sexism that plagues society and a lot of measures must be taken to reverse the effects. When such a big organization like the NCAA openly treats women as less than men, it sets a precedent for all the people that watch and participate in sports to do the same. I think NCAA should actively do more to advertise women's sports, provide them with equal facilities and treatment, and invest more money and effort into women's sports than ever before in order to equal the playing field.

Discussion Questions:

What are ways that NCAA can work to improve their treatment towards women?

What message does it send younger generations?

How has social media affected our view of the NCAA?

How can men stand up for women in cases like these?

CDC Reduces School Guidelines on Distancing to Three Feet

Picture link

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday that K-12 students can now remain 3 feet apart instead of the original 6 feet in classrooms, given that other safety measures like mask mandates are still enforced. Along with this update, the CDC also withdrew their recommendation for physical barriers like partitions in schools, and recommended that schools begin to screen athletes and students who participate in extracurricular activities for Covid-19 symptoms. The CDC also specifies that the changes do not apply to teachers or staff because of the higher rate of transmission for adults, and adds that communities with high rates of transmission should still remain 6 feet apart in middle and high schools, if they are not in cohorts. The CDC claims that these recommendations are backed by recent studies. 

Although the CDC’s recommendations do not set the rules for schools, it is likely that more districts will begin to implement these changes, which will allow for more students to learn in-person at once. These changes come at a great time, as more and more schools are beginning to open back up for hybrid or in-person instruction, like Aragon will in a couple weeks. 

However, there is some opposition against the change, most notably from Becky Pringle, the president of the largest teachers union in the United States. Pringle voices her concern, stating that the CDC did not establish with certainty that the changes are backed by science and can be executed in a “manner that does not detract from the larger long-term needs of students,” emphasizing that it is “not the time to let our guard down.”

I personally disagree with Ms. Pringle’s concerns and trust that the CDC has backed their findings and recommendations with the proper evidence to best ensure the country’s safety; while I know it is too soon to “let our guard down,” I do know that many younger kids are suffering and losing valuable months of their education and time to develop their social skills by not being in person, so I think that if the CDC clears it as safe, then we should jump at the opportunity to teach more kids in person.

Wall Street Journal article link

Questions:

1. Do you think that we should continue to play it safe in middle and high schools if possible, in order to best minimize infection? Or do you think the CDC's new recommendations should be implemented in all K-12 schools?

2. How do you think this change will impact teachers?

3. Do you side with Ms. Pringle's concerns about the science behind the decision? Do you think that schools can continue to enforce other safety measures as well as this one?

The US need to do more about China's Uighur genocide

 

            Starting in 2017, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its massive crackdown against Muslims in the northwest Xinjiang region violating every provision in the United Nations' Genocide Convention. It is estimated that up to 2 million Muslim minorities have been placed in detention centers across the region where former detainees allege they were subject to indoctrination, sexual abuse, and forcibly sterilized all under the guise of "counter-terrorism".      

      

            The Muslim Uighur population in Xinjiang speaks their own language and sees themselves culturally and ethnically closer to Central Asian nations, but the mass migration of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) into the region has threatened their culture and livelihoods. In 2009 a series of riots in Xinjiang's Capitol broke out as Uighur protesters expressed their desire to create an independent state resulting in 200 deaths. In Beijing's eyes, all Uighurs were labeled as potential terrorists or terrorist sympathizers, as well as blaming Uighurs for attacks over the next years. The CCP has labeled them as "weeds" and "tumors." One government directive allegedly called on local authorities to "break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections and break their origins."

         The CCP continues to deny the truth behind the camps labeling them as “vocational education and training programs”. It is reported that in these camps they would separate children from their families and indoctrinate the Uighurs by making them praise the CCP, learn Mandarin and Han Chinese culture, all while forcing them to denounce Islam and Uighur culture, with punishments including starvation and death. Officials have since destroyed thousands of mosques and destroyed traces of their culture under fabricated lies and false reasonings. In December 2020, research done by BBC revealed up to 500,000 "workers" being forced to pick cotton with new factories being built within the grounds of the "re-education" camps.

        The US, as well as other western nations, came out to denounce the CCP for their genocide of the Uighurs, but as many know this means absolutely nothing to a Communist Dictatorship that can control the media and all information. The US ban on cotton imports from China has not been enough to fully pressure China and the US and other free nations need to take a firm stand against what could very possibly be the Holocaust v2. The west must impose huge sanctions against all imports from China unless they can prove that it was not tied to forced labor camps, as well as boycott the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. The "Free World" must not let the Xi regime get away with the genocide of more than 12 million people or we would see the destruction of liberty and justice worldwide.

1.) Do you believe that the camps are justified?

2.)What should the US do to pressure China into not committing genocide?

3.)Do you think that democracies should compete in the 2022 winter Olympics if China still refuses to stop?

Sources:

U.S. sanctions for the Uyghur genocide are hurting China. But they aren’t enough.

First independent report into Xinjiang genocide allegations claims evidence of Beijing's 'intent to destroy' Uyghur people

Who are the Uighurs and why is the US accusing China of genocide?

Controversy in the British Monarchy

 

The Royal Family has been all the rage as allegations of racism were brought up in an interview on Oprah Winfrey's show where she interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The combination of British Royalty and potential for new gossip was bound to draw attention and the couple did not fail to disappoint the American public. 

In the interview, Markle revealed that she had a phase where she suffered from suicidal thoughts and depression while pregnant. The description of the couple's experience with the royal family was depicted as very oppressive and the two took on the role of a victim. The real shock that sparked controversy was when Markle exposed the royal family's concerns over the potential skin color of her baby being too dark. 

Understandably, the accusation drew a lot of outrage from the British public while it also brought a lot of support for the couple. Many feared that the monarchy would lose public support which has resulted in lots of negativity towards Markle and Harry for slandering the royal family's name after leaving to prioritize their marriage. America has also drawn a lot of criticism for trying to involve themselves by expressing their opinions on matters that don't concern them whatsoever. The Queen addressed the interview with a caring and regretful tone, stating that she was saddened to hear how Harry and Meghan felt about their experience with the royal family. Personally, I understand why the British are concerned with having a monarch be accused of racism because prejudiced ideals being present in someone as powerful as the Queen is not desirable. Anger at those stirring up more confusion and speaking out on the subject is also understandable, it doesn't make sense to try to get involved in something that doesn't affect you and you have no part of. Fortunately, everything seems to be going back to normal as the Queen is back to work and the topic is starting to disappear from headlines.

1.) What is your reaction to the accusation of racism among the British royal family? Do you think it's worth concern?

2.) Do you think the British public is right to be mad at Meghan and anybody voicing their opinions on the matter?

3.) Do you feel as if the couple was premature or unwise in taking the interview and why?

Source

Postal Workers Aren't Being Given Vaccines in Majority of the States

    With the release of the Covid Vaccine, California has rolled out a plan to administer the vaccine. However, postal workers aren't on the current or next phase for receiving vaccines. According to the plan, Phase 1A, the people who are supposed to be receiving the vaccine right now, consists of healthcare workers and long-term care residents. Phase 1B, the people who can get vaccinated if there are supplies for such, consists of people 65+ years of age and those who work in agriculture, food, education, children, and emergency services. Postal workers don't fall under either of those phases meaning that they aren't going to receive the vaccine for some time (the first two phases combined contain roughly ~15 million people). 

    Only about 22 out of the 50 states are administering shots to the postal workers, meaning less than half of them. According to the president of the American Postal Worker Union, Mark Dimondstein, they are being deprioritized in order to give the vaccine to others, even though they are also considered essential workers. However, there is hope as the rate of vaccination is increasing to over 50%; as of Saturday, there's an average of about 2.5 million shots a day compared to the 1.6 million average.

Questions:

1. Apps like Amazon remind you to stay 6 feet away from the worker and often, the deliveries are just dropped off at the door; do you think that postal workers should be prioritized into Phase 1B since they're considered essential workers? Why or why not?
   
   
2. How much do you think the vaccine will affect the postal system? Will it help aid it or will nothing change?

Sources: 

(New York Times) Fewer than half of states are giving vaccine access to U.S. Postal Service workers.

(covid19.ca.gov) Vaccine Schedule

The Murder of Breonna Taylor: One Year Later

By: Mia Dang

Today, March 13, 2021, marks the one-year anniversary since Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police officers in her own apartment. Taylor’s death has completely sparked national attention over the past year–– and rightfully so. Her story has helped fuel a bigger movement that has allowed millions of people to advocate against police brutality, racially-motivated murders, and systemic racism. With the rise of social media and Black Lives Matter protests, the fight against racial injustice has erupted all around the world. However, while it is amazing that more people are bringing awareness to the countless victims who have died from police brutality, justice has yet to be served. 

For those who are unaware of Taylor’s story, here is a brief description: Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician from Kentucky, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, woke up to the sound of loud banging at their door. Outside of her door, a group of plainclothes police was prepared to raid Taylor’s apartment, as they mistakenly believed that her apartment was connected to a local drug-dealing investigation. These officers, Brent Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove, were given a “no-knock” warrant that allowed them to enter her residence without any immediate prior notification. Fearing that it was Taylor’s ex-boyfriend attempting to break in, Walker repeatedly asked for identification and grabbed his legally-owned firearm when they failed to give a response. The cops broke down the door, causing Walker to shoot at one of the officers. The police officers responded by firing over thirty rounds, with six of which hitting Taylor. Due to a lack of medical attention for over 20 minutes, Breonna Taylor died almost immediately at the scene. Also, there were no drugs were found in her apartment.

Several factors involving the planning before the botched raid were already questionable, such as the dismissal of the ambulance an hour before the raid––which goes against standard practice––and the lack of clarity over how the officers actually obtained the warrant. But the aftermath, or lack thereof, is what millions of people are furious about. Hankinson was fired by the Louisville Police Department, Cosgrove received a letter of termination, and Mattingly was placed on administrative reassignment. The grand jury gave Hankinson three criminal counts of wanton endangerment because he shot blindly through the apartment and ended up shooting through a neighboring residence. The jury did not issue any charges against Mattingly or Cosgrove, who were responsible for firing the rounds that killed Taylor. Attorney General Daniel Cameron later announced that Mattingly and Cosgrove were “justified in their use of force,” meaning that ultimately, no formal arrests were made and the three officers that carried out Taylor’s murder were never charged with anything directly connected to her death. 

Breonna Taylor’s story serves as a prime example of the countless times that police officers haven't been held accountable for their actions. Taylor was an aspiring nurse, a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, and an innocent black woman whose life was fatally taken away from her as a result of police brutality. It should not and cannot take another story like Breonna Taylor’s for people to recognize that changes must be made.

GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

When you take a look at the news or any other media outlets, do you ever notice more stories being written about protester lootings and fires, rather than the actual racial injustice and police brutality that sparked the protests? If so, do you think there is a reason as to why this happens?

In our recent history lessons, we have learned about the important and extremely prominent role that the youth has played in movements from the past, such as the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham. How has our generation been able to garner change and contribute to the different movements in today’s world?

In what ways has the rise of social media changed the effectiveness of protests, movements, and activism across the nation/world? Without such common use of social media, do you think you would’ve been aware of these issues? 

SOURCES:

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/13/973983947/a-year-after-breonna-taylors-killing-family-says-theres-no-accountability

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54210448

https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56387446

Judge Reinstates Third-Degree Murder Charge against Derek Chauvin in George Floyd Case

    

    On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin. A Minneapolis police officer - who was supposed to be committed to protecting his city and its people - kneeled on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, who slowly died all while saying "I can't breathe". This past week, the trial for Chauvin began, which will hopefully bring justice and closure to the family who lost a loved one. 

    Chauvin was already facing second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, which essentially meant that Floyd's death was "unintentional" and the result of Chauvin's "culpable negligence". On Thursday, March 11th, Judge Peter Cahill reinstated a third-degree murder charge against Chauvin, which he previously rejected in October of 2020. A third-degree murder charge usually applies in cases where one's crimes are reckless and nonspecific - like randomly firing into a crowd of people - which is why this charge was initially dropped. However, in light of a new precedent set by an earlier case, the third-degree charge can be applied to Chauvin's "depraved" actions.

    Essentially, this means that since these are differing charges, the jury will have more to vote on, allowing for a compromised verdict (where some charges are found guilty and others not guilty) instead of an all-or-nothing decision. Personally, I believe this is more than justified, not just because of the potential sentencing or outcome. I think that only pursuing Chauvin on second-degree charges sends the wrong message: that George Floyd's death was accidental and not the result of systematic racism. A tone needs to be set that racially motivated crimes should not and cannot be tolerated in America, especially among a task force that is suppose to protect American citizens. If we allow Chauvin and others like him to only be charged with "accidental" charges, we also excuse hate crimes and hateful mindsets, which should not be tolerated. Moreover, I believe that Chauvin is deserving of a lengthier sentence for his crimes, which a third-degree charge would provide. 

Do you believe that Chauvin's third-degree charge is justified? Why or why not?

What verdict would you return if you were on the jury?

Do you think a prison sentence is enough, or should further action be taken? What kind of action would that be? 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/11/us/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-charges/index.html

The Problems With Fast Fashion

 

The Problems With Fast Fashion

An issue that has been going on for a while but really took over during 2020 and the pandemic is fast fashion. Fast fashion is when clothes are mass produced, and cheaply made and often go for extremely cheap prices. Some examples of fast fashion stores are places like Shein, Zara, H&M and Romwe. Many other places (i.e. Brandy Melville) also use techniques used by these fast fashion companies, however the prices for their clothing items are higher. Not only is fast fashion not environmentally friendly or sustainable, it is also made unethically. About 60% of fibers found in these clothing items are made from synthetics derived from fossil fuels, and since 85% of clothes end up in landfills, the clothes will remain for a while: up to 80 years or more. And when being produced, hundreds of gallons of water is used just to make one shirt, or one pair of jeans, and the fast fashion industry produces about 10% of the globe's carbon emissions. 

Fast fashion is also not ethically produced, and much of the clothes worn are made by people who don’t earn enough money to live. Many people who work producing these clothes labor for hours and hours a day and only about 2% of workers earn a living wage. And about 85% of the workforce is women, and garment workers rights’ are usually not protected. Not only do they not earn enough, the factories and places they work in are extremely unsafe and unsanitary with accidents happening frequently. In 2013, an accident with the Rana Plaza clothing manufacturing building collapsed, and over 1,000 people were killed and over 2,500 people were injured. 

There are many different ways to combat fast fashion, and most of them are pretty easy. Instead, a good way to buy cheap clothes is to thrift. There are many thrift stores around the Bay Area, and it is easy to find where. Thrifting clothes are more sustainable and the clothes are still cheap but often high quality. Another way is to buy clothing from sustainable places. A quick google search can provide a list of sustainable clothing shops to buy from, and even on instagram there are many ways to find sustainable clothing. And when you are done with an item of clothing, instead of throwing it away, give it to a local thrift store, or donate it, or hand it to your younger sibling. By making a few small changes, it is not too challenging to avoid fast fashion. 

I believe that the only acceptable time to purchase from a fast fashion company is if you absolutely need clothes and you can not afford to buy a shirt from anywhere else, or don’t have the time to go out and thrift one.

Article 2

Questions: 

1. What do you think about the “fast fashion” trend going on? 

2. Are large hauls from fast fashion places harmful?

3. When is it okay to purchase from a fast fashion brand?

Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach

Mohammed bin Salman, Crowned Prince of Saudi Arabia

Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach

New York Times

In October of 2018, a journalist from the Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi, was murdered and dismembered in Saudi Arabia. The crowned prince Mohammed bin Salman rejected any accusations of his direct involvement, which Trump later backed, supporting his Saudi Arabian foreign policy agenda. Recently, Biden revealed that American Intelligence discovered that the crowned prince directly approved the murder. However, the Biden Administration will not take action against Saudi Arabia in fear of severing ties, in the midst of China’s high potential of influence in the region. 

Above is the third page of the Intelligence Report on Mr. Khashoggi’s murder

There are many critics of Biden’s decision to take a mild stance against Saudi Arabia, but it really plays into the larger motif of being reliant on oil-producing countries. Biden is trying to right former wrongs since he has withdrawn troops from Yemen, however, more needs to be done. The United States is responsible for many humanitarian crises in the Middle East, where they should be apologizing and being held responsible yet there’s no one willing to chastise the greatest military in the world. The imminent threat of being overpowered by other economies is real, but I think morality should be more important than economic benefit. 

1. Do you think that Biden should take a harder stance against Saudi Arabia? If yes, how so? 

2. What should Middle Eastern foreign policy look like?

3. What role should economic benefit play in allying with countries?

4. What does this specific event expose about the US’ foreign affairs?

Biden breaks campaign promises in Syria Drone Strikes

 https://www.salon.com/2021/02/27/bidens-reckless-syria-bombing-this-is-not-the-diplomacy-he-promised/

President Biden authorized a series of air raids on Middle-East based Militia groups, bipassing Congress in order to authorize the strike. Claims made by the Biden Administration, such as that they were following up on Iraqi intel or that they were trying to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, have been disputed by Iraqi and Syrian officials. The strikes were done in response to a rocket attack in Northern Iraqi that left a US contractor and an unknown number of Military personal dead. Certain members of both major Political parties in the US have praised the attack, as well as making claims about it being different then under the Trump Administration. 

Personally, this is a very concerning occurence and could threaten the already precarious situation in the region. The attack is reckless, and goes against earlier campaign promises by Joe Biden that he would attempt to use diplomacy before using force. The "Return to business as usual", as this appears to be, is against what a majority of Americans want, and is deeply troubling when it comes to the Middle East situation. All in all, this is very much so a problem for the American status in the Middle East and elsewhere, especially considering other failures to live up to campaign promises from the President. 

1. Do you think that the Strikes was justified? 

2. What is your response to the Strikes?

3. What is your opinion on the Biden administration due to the Strikes?