Contents
and contributors
CONTENTS: Pg. 4-5 Myths About Rape Pg. 6-7 Fake News On Trump Pg. 7 Political Popcorn Pg. 8-9 Why Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism Pg. 9 Clashing With Parents: Politics Pg. 10-12 Political Views: Republicans and Democrats Pg. 13 How to Make Your Own Protest Poster Pg. 14-15 Planned Parenthood Pg. 16-17 March For Science Pg. 18-19 Positive Current Events Pg. 20-21 Flint Pg. 22-24 Trumpcare Vs. Obamacare Pg. 24 Iowa Raising Property Tax to Fund Mental Health Care Pg. 25 A Guide to Gun Control Pg. 26-27 LGBTQ Safety
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n our first edition of Issue Magazine, we focused on Petty Problems. We looked at those small things that make us all tick, and the bigger underlying problems that are created from them. Now it’s time for us to go even deeper into this web of issues, and what better way to do this than in the the crazy world of American Politics. You will find us touching on a variety of topics, from the tense political climate, to actual climate change. So, start thinking about your own place when it comes to politics, because we are sure that you’ll be questioning it once you’re finished reading.
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Ramya Iyer
Abigail Schreiber
Virginia Jansen
Who are we?
Mina Testolin
We are a group of four eighth graders from Westside Middle School, Omaha, who set upon the task of creating a monthly magazine. Issue Magazine is meant for people like us, growing up in the information age, and its purpose is to pick apart and ask why we have the issues we do, and how the problems can grow at a community, country, or global scale. We also enjoy learning and telling you, our readers, about new problems, ideas, and perspectives. What do you have an issue with?
Sexual Assault Myths about Rape
A
merica is a rape culture. Though it’s not as severe as else where around the globe, we can clearly see women’s bodies sexually objectified in the content we take in. And we cannot afford to overlook this pattern. It’s this objectification, this lack of concern when it comes to people’s bodies, that contributes to the fact that someone is raped every five minutes in the U.S, according to the U.S Department of Justice. Now, sexual assault has become political, and for all the wrong reasons. You can tell that something is very wrong when your own president gets away with talking about “grabbing them [women] by the p****” by calling it locker room banter. Here are some commonly believed myths about rape:
MYTH: Sexual assault is often committed by strangers. FACT: According to the
Myths About
RAPE. Written by Abigail Schreiber with introduction by Ramya Iyer. Graphics and photography by Ramya Iyer.
Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network. Only 28% of sex offenders are strangers to the victim. Almost half of all sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance to the victim. 1/4 of rapes are committed by a current or former partner, 1% are committed by non-spouse relatives, and 6% are unknown.
MYTH: Men are not victims of sexual assault. FACT: About 3% of men have experi-
enced, attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. One out of every 10 victims of sexual assault are male.
MYTH: Perpetrators often go to jail. FACT: Out of every 1,000 rapes, only 6 perpetrators are incarcerated. Only 30% of rapes are reported to authorities.
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MYTH: Rape always involves physical violence. FACT: Rapists often take advantage of victims who are unable to con-
sent because they are drunk or high. Many people who are sexually assaulted are unable to move or speak due to fear. In 2010, only 12% of rapes involved a weapon.
MYTH: You cannot be raped
by your spouse or partner. FACT: Just because somebody has given consent to their partner once,
doesn’t mean that they have it again. If somebody says yes one time and says no the next time, it means no. Consent once is not consent forever.
MYTH: Men rape women because they are unable to
control themselves. FACT: Most perpetrators rape for power, not sexual gratification. If a man is sexually aroused, he does not need to rape someone to be satisfied.
MYTH: Women often ‘play hard to get’, and say no
when they mean yes. FACT:
No means no in all situations. When somebody says no at any time during sexual contact, it means that you need to stop. If you still continue after they say no, it’s rape.
MYTH: Women want sex if they are wear-
ing revealing clothing. FACT: Clothing does not equal consent. If a woman is wearing
a crop top and short shorts, it does not mean that you automatically have the right to have sex with her.
Call 1-800-656-HOPE, a central number sponsored by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National network if you are currently or have been a victim of sexual assault and need help.
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Donald Trump
Fake News
A
FAKE NEWS ON TRUMP
Created by Abigail Schreiber and Ramya Iyer. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
h Trump. For a man notorious of accusing the media of perpetuating fake news, he has racked up a large list of false statements himself, before and now in office. According to Politifact, 69% of Donald Trump’s statements were mostly or completely false. All of these false statements are influencing today’s society and teaching us to not question the facts behind comments. Inspired by Jimmy Kimmel’s Lie Witness News, we have interviewed people and asked them their opinions on false facts, all based on quotes from Donald Trump himself.
First off, what do you think about Trump? "Well, I’m a liberal. Not much I can say there. I just don’t like Donald Trump."
"I guess its just annoying to see politicians like Trump keep campaigning. We're already a 100 days in!"
Fake Fact #1
"I support Donald Trump because he’s our president now. I mean I’m annoyed because he’s kinda racist, but he’s our president and we have to deal with it."
Are you proud that Trump has started to reform murder rates, which have been the highest in 47 years? "I feel like that’s a good thing, wait… they have been?! I didn’t know about that. I don’t think that should be the primary focus of the president."
"I suppose that’d be good. I did not read this in the news."
"Yes I am. I fully support him with that."
On February 7th, 2017, Donald Trump stated “But the murder rate is the highest it’s been in, I guess, from 45 to 47 years." The reality is that the national homicide rate is a lot lower than its peak in the 1990s, according to statistics from the FBI.
Fake Fact #2
Trump has successfully gotten research that states that climate change is false, and is cutting off funding to stop it. Is this good? "Absolutely not. He needs to keep researching, that’s not true. I was sad when I read all of this in the news because Donald Trump is a bad president for the country. I think I saw this on Fox News? Actually no it was MSNBC, sorry."
"No, because the climate is important. He should talk to more Americans and do more "Yea, I’ve sorta seen this in the news, and I agree with him." studies."
Trump has been vocally against climate change on many instances. In 2012, he tweeted that "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” In 2015, he also tweeted "It's really cold outside, they are calling it a major freeze, weeks ahead of normal. Man, we could use a big fat dose of global warming!”.
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Fake Fact #3
When Obama was president, 14% of non-residents were registered to vote. Trump has begun to shrink this number. Thoughts? "That’s sad. Obama was the first black president, but Donald Trump is a joke to me." (we re-ask the question) "Well I don’t really know."
"I’m assuming this is more in rural areas. I’m not sure it would be good because the voters aren’t expressing themselves in the right ways. I’ve kind of seen this in the news."
"I don’t think that’s fair, wait, actually I do agree with that. They are not citizens and shouldn’t be able to vote.
While at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, on Oct. 23rd, Donald Trump claimed that “14 percent of noncitizens are registered to vote”. Trump was citing a study proven to be completely false, and only 56 cases of noncitizens voting in elections have been reported from 2000 to 2011.
Fake Fact #4
Trump has found out that Twitter, Google, and Facebook are burying the FBI criminal investigation of Hilary Clinton, and he’s filing a lawsuit against them. What are your feelings on this? "That’s ridiculous because other people use these companies. It could be fake, a lot of information there could be fake."
"The president shouldn’t be suing a company for something like that. Like it’s bad if they were hiding information… but still, it’s just weird."
"I sort of agree with that, but at the same time, people actually use these companies, so I don’t know."
On Oct. 30th, 2016, Trump tweeted "Wow, Twitter, Google and Facebook are burying the FBI criminal investigation of Clinton. Very dishonest media!" Trump and the rest of the Republican party have produced no evidence for this.
Political Popcorn Written by Virginia Jansen. Graphics by Ramya Iyer.
Everyone needs a snack, especially when it comes to those late election nights when you are waiting for the results. This patriotic popcorn will lift your spirits and give you enough energy to scream at the TV when a state doesn’t go the right way.
1) Start by making your popcorn. It must be unsalted so there is no contrasting flavor to the sweet ganache.
Ingredients: Popcorn (I would suggest using unsalted microwave popcorn, but you could also make it on the stovetop) Ganache: 6 ounces white chocolate 1/4 cup heavy cream Blue Food Coloring Red Food Coloring
2) Then make your ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in small heatproof bowl. Set over warm water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Stir very frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat and hot water; stir until smooth, pressing out any lumps with back of spoon or a rubber spatula. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat cream just to a simmer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; all at once, add about two-thirds of hot cream to melted white chocolate. Gently stir to incorporate, then beat or whisk until smooth, scraping bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. Gradually stir in remaining cream. 3) Now that you’ve made your ganache, separate into 3 bowls of equal size. 4) Put one aside. 5) Take one of the bowls and add blue food coloring to get your desired shade. 6) Repeat the process with your red food coloring now. 7) The next step is to mix your ganache in with your popcorn. Split the popcorn into three equal portions. Mix each ganache in with their own popcorn and place them in your fridge. 8) Once they are cooled and the ganache is solid on the popcorn, take it out of the fridge and mix the colored popcorn together. Then enjoy!
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Opinion Vaccines
WH
Y
s e n i c c a V
DON'T Cause Autism.
Written by Abigail Schreiber. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
I should not have to write this article,
because there is no scientific evidence whatsoever saying that this is an issue. It is frightening that people still argue these statements. But even with no facts backing up their beliefs, worried parents and hipsters across the nation will say the terrifying words, “Vaccines cause autism.” As I said before, there is absolutely no evidence from reliable or legitimate sources saying that vaccines cause autism. This situation all started with a British guy named Andrew Wakefield. In 1997, Wakefield, not knowing how much of an idiot he was, published an article saying that the MMR vaccine causes autism. This vaccine treats measles, mumps, and rubella. Another thing that Wakefield didn’t know was that his medical license would be taken away because of this article. The article published in The Lancet had procedural errors and ethical violations. Even though this article was completely false, people took it seriously. Look what you’ve done now, Andrew. You’ve ruined America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, there is no link between vaccines and autism. In 2013, a study looked at the number of antigens, which are substances in vaccines that produces antibodies, from vaccines in young children. Through this study it was discovered that the number of antigens from vaccines is the same between children with and without autism. The CDC found that thimerosal does not cause autism. Thimerosal is an ingredient in vaccines that is mercury-based. Most vaccines since 2001 are thimerosal-free. Research from nine studies funded or conducted by the CDC have found thimerosal does not cause autism. Also, the Health and Medicine Division (HMD) of the National Academics of Science, Engineering and Medicine, previously know as the institute of medicine reviewed many studies on this subject. In 2004, they looked at over 200 studies and in 2011, more than 1,000. Through looking at these studies they concluded that
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vaccines don’t cause autism. There are multiple ways to explain why the rate of autism is continuing to increase. First of all, the meaning of having an autism spectrum disorder had changed a lot since people were first starting to be diagnosed with autism. There are many people who are considered autistic now that wouldn’t have been in the 1940’s. In 1952, autism-like symptoms were
"There are many people who are considered autistic now that wouldn’t have been in the 1940’s." just classified under childhood schizophrenia. In the
Opinion
1960s, it was thought to be caused by unloving mothers. Nowadays, autism is considered as a developmental disability and the cause is unknown. There are many forms of ASD, including autistic disorder and Asperger syndrome. Many studies show that it is most likely to be caused by genes. Some studies also show that the older the parents are, the more likely it is that the childhood will have ASD, which also explains the rise of autism throughout the years. If you are still denying these many, many facts debunking your theory of vaccines causing autism, I don’t care. Thousands upon thousands of fact-based studies are out there saying that vaccines do not cause autism. All of this is because of one completely false article published in the 90s. Have fun getting measles, hipsters.
Parents
CLASHING With Parents
Part 2 Written by Mina Testolin.
POLITICS. I
f you and your parents have different political views, you know how hard it can be getting through the day without a fight. For example, If you have a liberal point of view, and your parents are more conservative then it can be really tough. Say one day, you’re in the car with your dad. You guys pass an anti-Trump protest on the way to the grocery store. If you do not support Trump, then you may say something in support of the protestors. Say your dad does support
Trump. He may find your comment offensive or disrespectful. This can turn into an argument when all either of you wanted was a peaceful trip to the grocery store. He may feel like you’re attacking him or his point of views, and you may feel like he’s narrow-minded and not open to listening to your opinions. If you and your parents have a good relationship otherwise, this probably hurts you both. In instances where you fell divided by your political views, there’s a good chance it was an avoidable scenar-
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io on both sides. I’m not implying that you should totally avoid contact with your parents, fearing that you’ll argue, but sometimes it’s best to not say anything. There are other ways to avoid conflict besides avoiding your parent completely. You could let them win arguments, which isn’t quite as interesting as arguing until you win or someone cries, but then neither of you have to get hurt. You could try to give them the facts on your side, and if they listen, you should give them a fair chance as well.
Views
Republicans and Democrats
Climate Change
Republican views on global warming vary quite a bit throughout the party. Moderately, global warming and its significance is recognized. What the party is divided on is whether human activity had anything to do it. In the most extreme cases, some Republicans don’t believe humans had anything to do with it. They may believe that this is the natural progression of the state of our planet. Some just don’t believe the climate is changing at all. On the other hand, in 2004, Republican President George W. Bush’s Clear Skies proposal to reduce power plant emissions was supported by the party. Clear Skies aimed to reduce 70% of hazardous gas emissions, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mer-
“Democrats believe that climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our national security, and our children’s health and futures, and that Americans deserve the jobs and security that come from becoming the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.” -Democratic Party Platform Democrats are committed to curbing the effects of global warming. They have also taken action towards stopping it. Under the Obama administration they issued new fuel-economy standards, the first meaningful increase in decades. They also increased the use of solar energy twentyfold and tripled the electricity produced by wind power.
Political Views:
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS Written by Mina Testolin and Virginia Jansen. Graphics and layout by Ramya Iyer.
Foreign Aid
Most Republicans believe that foreign aid is like welfare for countries. They think the U.S. should take care of their finances before all else, and they disagree with the idea of giving money to other countries unless there is a direct benefit to the United States.
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Democrats believe it is important that the U.S. provides aid to disadvantaged countries around the world. This includes raising the budget for foreign aid in order to provide assistance to others. By doing so they hope to close the gap between rich and poor countries. They also hope that by aiding these countries it will not only help them short term but also to build infrastructures that will help their economy in the long run.
Government Spending
Immigration
Planned Parenthood
The Republican party has almost always followed a low government spending and minimal involvement approach. They believe that we should reduce government spending as much as possible. In addition to lowering government spending, Republicans believe that the government should ask for minimals taxes, only enough to keep the essential functions.
The GOP believes that immigration reforms are needed. They’ve always been divided by the extent to which immigration laws should be restricted, but all together they believe that the system needs to be in place to make sure immigrants who enter the country illegally won’t have access to the same benefit as those who enter lawfully. They believe in devoting extra resources to keep out people who try to enter illegally and also keeping track of those who enter and leave. They believe requiring them to enter legally is important to the safety of Americans.
Republicans plan on defunding Planned Parenthood after the Affordable Care Act is replaced. Most Republicans are against Planned Parenthood because of their objections to abortion. The most controversial part of defunding Planned Parenthood is whether or not it will actually curb abortions.
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Since money is always one of the most controversial topics in any government system, it most definitely is one in ours. The Democrats views on the federal budget are trying to include a more disciplined budget structure. They dislike the larger budget cuts proposed by the Republicans and opt for smaller cuts which they believe will benefit the economy as a whole.
“Democrats believe immigration is not just a problem to be solved, it is a defining aspect of the American character and our shared history.”' -Democratic Party Platform Democrats feel that immigration is something to embrace about our nation. They say that they are fighting for every person who is threatened by Donald Trump’s stance against immigration. They pushed for the DREAMers as a way to guarantee that children of immigrants can start their life here.
Planned Parenthood is a very controversial subject, more so than any other topic that is discussed or debated over. The reason for this is that it touches on not just political but ethical values. As a whole, the democratic party seems to be very much for keeping Planned Parenthood and protecting the reproductive rights of women everywhere.
Views
Republicans and Democrats
Tax reductions are important to Republicans and they believe that budget surpluses have overrated Americans that hinders the growth of our country’s economy. They want to limit the top margin’s rate because they believe it punishes the people who work hard and have dealt with their money well.
Taxes
Welfare
Social Security
The Democratic Party believes in cutting taxes for the middle and lower classes and raising them for the upper class. Their opinion is that there should be a complete overhaul of the tax code and system. They think that tax codes should be brought back to the way they were in the 90s, because that was a very prosperous time for the United States.
According to the Republican party, religious organizations and other charities are helpful in promoting the development of welfare, so they support their tax exemptions. They also believe in extending welfare as far as possible. The party believes that welfare should be taken up a notch to greater things instead of a way of life.
Democrats are determined to end poverty in the United States. Their views start with aiding those in immediate need, and then extending to rebuild the economy as a whole. They believe in partnering with faith-based organizations who already have programs in place to help the needy. They also really want to bridge the gap between the 99% and 1%.
Most Republicans are against the current form of Social Security. While Social Security does represent ideas, such as government spending and redistribution of wealth, which the Party is generally against, very few Republicans will argue that Social Security should be done away with.
In 1935, FDR created Social Security. In 1965, LBJ created Medicare. Ever since, democrats have fought to protect these as cornerstones of The American Dream. they believed that Social Security is something worth protecting and something that Americans earn.
The topic of these vouchers in the United States is an issue of much contention. School vouchers are given to parents by the government and are applied to tuition at a private school that the child attends in place of the public school which the student otherwise would have attended. One of the major reasons that Republicans support school vouchers is that they bring free market economic concepts into the school system. The ability for parents to select the best school for their child will lead schools to compete to be the best.
School Vouchers
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Although traditionally school vouchers were something supported by far right wing conservatives, they are now more popular with Democrats. According to a poll published by Education Next in August of 2016, Democrats are more likely to support vouchers than Republicans. 56% of Democrats say they support universal vouchers which would provide school vouchers to all families regardless of income level.
DIY
Protest Posters
Written by Mina Testolin and Virginia Jansen with help with photography from Aayushi Chaudhary. Layout by Ramya Iyer.
How to Make Your Own
Protest Poster
1) Find a phrase. Obviously, you want this to be appropriate according to whatever event/protest you are attending. Virginia chose, “The climate is changing, why aren’t we?” and Mina chose “Your hate does not belong in our house.” 2) Gather your materials. We used 12x18 poster paper and an assortment of permanent marker colors. We also had a ruler, some pencils and an eraser 3) Trace out the phrase on a piece of sturdy paper with pencil. You can use stencils or just freehand it. Erase any mistakes until you're happy with how your message looks. 4) Go over it with ink. Mina traced her letters in black permanent markers and Virginia did hers in red and black. 5) Add another element if you please. Mina added a quick sketch of the White House and Virginia added an ocean. Make sure it is related to the phrase. 6) Once you are finished coloring everything in, protest
your little heart out!
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Opinion
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood.
Written by Abigail Schreiber. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
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W
hen I first read an article that quoted Donald Trump saying, “I would defund Planned Parenthood because I’m pro-life,” I laughed. This reasoning is idiotic, because Planned Parenthood has been saving lives for 100 years now. It has spent 100 years providing health care services for STD treatment, contraception, cancer screenings, and abortions for women. It is not just women who are provided services by Planned Parenthood. Men are provided with STD testing, testicular cancer screenings, condoms, vasectomies and many more things related to men’s health. The amount of male clients from 2003 to 2013 has increased by 99%. Members of the LGBT community are also helped by Planned Parenthood. Transgender patients are able to receive hormone-replacement therapy at Planned Parenthood clinics. Although right now not many clinics provide this service, the number will only rise due to demand for easy access to hormone therapy. The reason why Planned Parenthood is hated by many people is because it provides abortions. I have even heard people call it a “murder factory.” The reality is that only 3% of its services are abortion services, but 100% of its services help the 1 in 5 American women who go to Planned parenthood at least once in her life. Planned Parenthood does not cause women to get abortions- it does the exact opposite. 197,000 abortions were
prevented by its contraceptive services in a single year. Most people believe that a prevented pregnancy is better than an unwanted pregnancy, whether you are pro-choice or pro-life. As of 2016, almost one-third of Planned Parenthood’s services are contraceptive services, and 80% of its patients receive service to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Dear Mr. Trump: If you defund Planned Parenthood, millions of women across America lose access to their healthcare provider. Planned Parenthood is more than just abortions, it's cancer screenings, pregnancy tests, and every-
"Dear Mr. Trump: If you defund Planned Parenthood, millions of women across America lose access to their healthcare provider." thing else related to women's health. You do not care about women if you are running around taking away their rights and grabbing them by the p****. You are not pro-life if you are taking away healthcare from the living the help those who aren't alive yet. There is a difference between being pro-abortion and pro-choice. Even if you believe that abortions are morally wrong, which is fine to believe, you should know that you cannot and should not control the choice of those who want one. So as long as you are going to say that you are pro-life, please specify who you are prolife for, because it clearly isn’t for the lives of women.
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Photography
March for Science
OMAHA
March for Science O
Written, photographed, and formatted by Ramya Iyer.
n April 22, 2017, Earth Day, people marched in over 600 cities across the world. They marched to “defend the role of science in policy and society�, as stated by the March For Science movement. In Omaha alone, hundreds of people marched through Elmwood Park towards Aksarben once Earth Day activities finished up. As a yearly Earth Day goer who lives right in the Elmwood neighborhood, I just had to grab my camera and follow along.
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Current
Positive Current Events
POSITIVE Current Events
Written by Virginia Jansen. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
S
ure the world can be pretty awful sometimes. Every time you look on the news you see something terrible. And while you should be aware about these things, it doesn’t mean the world is a completely horrible place. Everyday people around the world do great things for others. Whether it’s helping a stranger on the street or saving a little animal. Here are some amazing positive current events happening all over the world.
A horse with health problems saved his own life by painting. Metro was once a successful racehorse, but he had been struggling with health problems for a long time due to bone chips in his knees which caused permanent damage. Artist Ron Krajewski and his wife Wendy adopted the retired racehorse in 2009. Instead of leaving the horse in a pasture for the rest of his life, Ron introduced him to painting. Metro was soon creating works that Ron judged were good enough to put up of sale at a local art gallery. All four of them sold out on the same week they are put on display. The sales of the paintings have gone to raising money for a drug for his knee which will keep him alive longer.
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Teen uses doritos for cheesy promposal, and Dorito’s sends them to prom in style. In March, Shaedon Wedel asked his best friend’s little sister Carlie, who has Down Syndrome, to prom. Carlie loves Doritos so to make the proposal even better he decided to include Doritos in the theme saying “I know I’m NACHO typical Dorito but iI’m going to be cheesy and ask: Will you go to prom with me?” When the chips company heard about the proposal they sent two Doritos helicopters to fly them to the dance.
Spaying and neutering is up, animal populations in shelters are down across the US The U.S. has seen a massive increase in the amount of spaying or neutering procedures as outreach and subsidization programs. According to the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs there are currently there are around 12.6 million spay/neuter surgeries performed on cats and dogs every year. Those spay and neutering numbers is the cause of the drop in shelter animal intakes in the U.S.
A wild stag visits elderly woman’s home twice a day. For the past four years, Flippen, a wild stag has been visiting an 81-year-old’s home time a day. Mette Kvam of Aurland, Norway, return the affection by petting his head and feeding him snacks. The animal sometimes even sleeps outside the house until their next meeting.
Body-cam shows police officers rescue ducklings from storm drains. While on patrol, Sergeant Adam Carroll noticed a mother duck pacing near a storm drain and went to check it out. That’s when he discovered the ducklings that fell into the drain and were stuck there. He decided to conduct a rescue and all of it was caught on camera.
Little girl gets new prosthetic leg and great response from friends. Anu, a seven-year-old girl from Birmingham, England comes to school one day with a new prosthetic leg. This one is a specially made blade for sports, so she can still run and play to her hearts desire. When she came to school for the first time with it, her friends gave the most accepting and amazing reaction. This story makes you realize how accepting of diversity the new generation is.
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Communities
Flint
FLINT. Written by Abigail Schreiber. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
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F
October 16, the city switched its water supplier back to the Detroit Water Supply, but the pipes lint, Michigan is a town located 70 were already destroyed. miles north of Detroit. 41.2% of Flint’s residents That December Karen Weaver, the mayor of live below the poverty line. The median houseFlint, declared a state of emergency, and vowed hold income is $24,862. The town is 56.6% African-American. The drinking water has contained to fix the water crisis. In January of 2016, Obama also declared a state of emergency. To this day the lead and other toxic substances since 2014. Citiwater is still unsafe for drinking. The residents of zens of Flint have had toxic tap water for the last Flint are as you read this forced to use bottled wathree years, and very few people are doing anyter for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Many Flint thing about it. residents are fighting for cleaner, safer water, inThis situation started when Flint started looking for cheaper water resources in 2012. The cluding Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny, who is more commonly known as Little Miss Flint. city planned to switch their water supplier from In an interview with Teen Vogue, the the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department 10-year-old activist showed what it is like mak(DWSD) to the Karegnondi Water Authority ing dinner without the ability to use tap water. (KWA). In April 2013 the state treasurer authoHer mother, Loui Brezzell said that, “You can’t do rized Flint to make the switch to the KWA. The next day, the DWSD ended its contract with Flint, anything without stopping to remember what you have to do instead of turning on the tap.” Mari exeffective April 2014. Until the KWA was ready for Flint to connect their pipelines, the city’s new plained how her family has to get bottled water a few times a week to use for simple everyday activwater source became the Flint River. ities. On April 25, 2014, Flint made the official switch to the Flint River. Residents began to com“You can’t do anything without stopplain about the condition of the water in May, and ping to remember what you have to in August, E. coli and total coliform bacteria were found in the water. Citizens were instructed to do instead of turning on the tap." boil they water before using it. Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality supposedly fixed There is also the fact that thousands of Flint resthe problem by increasing chlorine levels in the idents might lose their homes because of the wawater. ter. More specifically, because they refuse to pay In February 2015, studies found high level their water bills. They refuse to pay for dangerous, of lead in the homes of residents. In the home of poisoned water, and for that they could lose their Lee Anne Walter, the water had a lad content of 104 parts per billion, which is almost seven times homes. The mayor of Flint is currently trying to change this. the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for To sum up this entire situation, Flint, Michlead in water. As before, the city was told to relax and that Walter’s home was an outlier. People igan has not had clean tap water in over three years. Since April 24, 2014, the people of Flint continued to use the water until that September. have been living without easy access with someOn September 24, high lead levels were found in the children of Flint. 4% of children had thing necessary for human life, and little has been elevated blood lead levels, which was 1.9% higher done to change that. The city is still a long way away from having healthy water. If you would like than it was before the switch. The next day, Flint issued a lead advisory. Free water filters and test- to help, go to www.helpforflint.com to find ways to donate and speak up for Flint, Michigan. ing were provided to all citizens in October. On
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Health Care
Trumpcare vs. Obamacare
Trumpcare vs. OBAMAcare A detailed overview
Written by Virginia Jansen. Graphic and layout by Ramya Iyer.
T he American Health Care Act of 2017 has been called by many names, Trumpcare, Ryancare and Obamacare-lite. Although this bill is supposed to be an improvement upon Obamacare, there are many people who doubt that. What we can all see is that there are many changes between the American Health Care Act and the Affordable Care Act, so here are some of the most important ones:
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The Individual Mandate
Under Obamacare the individual mandate requires all eligible citizens to have health insurance. This makes coverage affordable nationwide.
The individual mandate will be removed under the American Health Care Act. This may eliminate one incentive for people to sign up for health insurance.
Currently in the marketplace, consumers can see all pricing and coverage information in detail.
Trump has called for price transparency under his plan, but the details of it have not yet been released.
Price Transparency
Pre-Existing Conditions People who earn up to 4x the federal poverty line can get cost assistance to buy insurance on the marketplace. Out of everyone signed up for health care, 85% of people qualify.
Medicaid Funding
People with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage or charged higher insurance rates under Obamacare.
Trump likes the pre-existing condition requirement of the Affordable Care Act, but the pre-existing conditions may become more expensive under his plan.
The American Health Care Act may include federal subsidies to help people buy insurance, but these subsidies would be based on age rather then income.
Cost Assistance
Current Medicaid funding is based on an open-ended matching system. The federal government guarantees at least $1 for every $1 spent by the state.
Trump has proposed block-granting funding to Medicaid. This means that states will get a lump sum of federal money to fund their programs as they see fit.
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Health Care
Trumpcare vs. Obamacare
Tax Deduction In the past there has been lots of bipartisan support for overseas drug importation in the past. As it stands, there are no provisions in the Affordable Care Act that specifically address this.
Health Savings Accounts Current laws under Obamacare include complex regulatory and licensing issues. This keeps insurers state-bound because states have different needs for their insureds.
Currently, people can only deduct medical expenses if the costs exceed 10 percent of the household’s adjusted gross income.
Under the American Health Care Act, people may be able to deduct the full cost of their health insurance premiums from their federal tax returns each year.
Trump has discussed the idea of allowing people to purchase prescription drugs from foreign countries. He believes this will lower costs.
Prescription Drugs
Individuals have the opportunity to use health savings accounts under the Affordable Care Act, but most people choose not to because they require high-deductible health plans and significant funding.
Health Savings Accounts plan to be strengthened under the American Health Care Act.
Trump wants to remove barriers so that insurance companies can sell across state lines under the American Health Care Act, a move that he believes will spur competition and drive down costs.
Interstate Insurance Sales
Iowa Raising Property Tax to Written by Mina Testolin. Fund Mental Health Care On April 5, 2017 lawmakers in Iowa’s separate House and Senate committees started woking on a bill that could allow a county to raise property taxes in the 2018 fiscal year for mental health services. The proposed legislation would begin from the current maximum property tax allowed to be imposed across all counties of $114.6 million statewide. The House and Senate measures would make the mental health funding on
a regional basis equal instead of the current statewide basis. It would also add a growth factor to each regional per capita amount while maintaining a $47.28 spending cap. The proposal also obligates regions to spend down fund balances but keeps the 25 percent limit on cash reserves. “This isn’t just a tax issue. This is an issue of life or death,” said Travis Stanley, pastor of Norwalk Christian Church, one of several speakers addressing House and
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Senate subcommittees. Sen. Randy Feenstra told attendees they need to support this legislative change if they want to address inequities that have appeared in the regional system. “This is the last train out of town,” said Feenstra.” This is the bill. If we don’t move this bill this session, nothing gets done and we stay status quo. So if we want that, that’s fine. I’m trying to create something to try to help resolve a problem.”
Guns
A Guide to Gun Control
a guide to
Gun Control A
Written by Virginia Jansen. Layout by Ramya Iyer.
One perspective on gun control laws the many people don’t consider is whether or not they are lot of things are unclear in today’s world, racist. Most gun control laws are frequently directed including gun control, which can be very confustowards the inner city, where there are majority black ing. Whether you are for or against gun control, it’s and hispanic neighborhoods. Many people think important for everyone to know the facts. I will be this is pushing a racist ideology that people of color breaking down all of gun control down to a basic are more dangerous than white people and therefore guide for easy understanding. need to be controlled by gun laws. Gun control obviously starts with guns. FireA large reason people own guns is because of arms are classified into three different categories, self defense. It is a big part of the conflict over gun handguns, rifles and shot guns. A semi-automatcontrol because many people believe gun control ic firearm fires one bullet each time the trigger is laws will take away their ability to affectively defend pulled, ejects the shell of other bullet and automatthemselves. According to the National Rifle Associaically loads another bullet for the next pull of the tion, guns are used for self defense 2.5 million times trigger. a year, and this statistic works in favor of people The real question on gun control is if the Secagainst gun-control. The problem is that this number ond amendment includes unlimited permission for was gotten from a 1995 study has been largely doubtanyone to own a gun. Conservatives tend to agree ed due to flaws in data-collection, and the scientists that the Second amendment protects individual gun who led the study themselves stated that in up to 64% ownership and that more gun laws would infringe on of their reported defensive gun use cases, the guns the right to bear arms, whereas liberals lean towards were carried or used illegally, including cases where the opinion that the Second Amendment is not an the victim was actually the aggressor, as reported by unlimited right to own guns. Both sides seem to take the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The point the argument back to the colonial times, where Reis that there is a lot of uncertainty and speculation publicans argue that guns have been an American when it comes to both spectrums of the gun control tradition since before we were America and Democrats argue that certain gun control laws have been in ". . .a lot of the argument boils down place since then as well. to personal ethics and beliefs." Another huge controversy surrounding gun control is if it will help stop crime or not. The progun control side believes that gun control will reduce debate, and a lot of the argument boils down to pergun deaths, using the fact that guns were the leading sonal ethics and beliefs. cause of death by homicides and suicides and sayWhether you think that gun control is someing that if you limited ownership of guns then these thing that should definitely happen as a way to make statistics would go down. Those against control claim the United States a safer place for all or something that gun control laws will not deter crime but gun you feel infringes on the constitutional rights of all ownership does. They use the statistic that after states citizens, or you believe something completley differpassed shall-issue laws the death rate in shootings ent, I hope this guide helped inform your opinion. went down 84 percent.
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LGBTQ
LGBTQ SAFTEY
Lesbian: A female who is attracted to other females. Gay: Someone that is attracted to a person of the same sex (may be specifically used for males).
Bisexual: Someone who is attracted to both genders.
Transgender: A person whose personal identity and gender doesn’t correspond with their birth sex.
Queer: An umbrella term for anyone who doesn’t identify as heterosexual or cisgender.
SAFETY. Facts by Mina Testolin with definitions and layout by Ramya Iyer.
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The facts: (statistics provided by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs) In 2015, 44% of LBGTQ victims were turned away from emergency shelters, of which 71% because of the gender they identified as. Not only are LGBTQ people at high risk for domestic violence, with the current political climate, they have to worry about more hatecrimes and funding cuts for emergency shelters that will actually take them in. In addition to being turned away from shelters, the LGBTQ population is less likely to report crimes against themselves. Certain subpopulations of the community are also even more likely to experience violence. 77% of LGBTQ reports were made by people of color in 2015, and transgender women in the LGBTQ population are reported to be three times more likely to report sexual and financial violence. The Centers for Disease Control also found that lifetime levels of sexual and physical violence among lesbians and gay men were higher than those of straight women and men in 2013. Around 61% of bisexual women, 47% of bisexual men, 44% of lesbians and 40% of gay men reported experiencing domestic violence, compared to the still high 35% of heterosexual women and 21% of heterosexual men. Many LGBTQ victims don’t feel safe reporting crimes against them if they’re not out or if they worry that they’ll be excluded from getting treatment at a shelter. When reporting, many victims may change the name or gender pronoun of their abuser. State laws do prohibit domestic violence shelters or programs from turning down people based on their gender identity or sexuality but most shelters still don’t want to welcome LGBTQ victims. Shelter directors say that it’s difficult to include LGBTQ in their programs because other residents may hold negative attitudes. In addition, many shelters do not have programs for LGBTQ victims. Because Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America and there is a Republican majority in Congress, many LGBTQ advocates are worried that funding for victims of violence will be cut. If the funding is cut, it will jeopardize programs that are necessary for this community. In the past, Trump has also proposed removing funding from some health programs that are important to the LGBTQ community as well. There are little-to-no LGBTQ specific shelters. Along with that, there are no state bills related to domestic violence access to shelters pre-existing or in the works but it is possible that the California LGBT Caucus will consider these issues in the near future.
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