Breaking News

Earthquake in Chile

Molly Burns

The 8.8 earthquake that hit Chile Saturday, February 27^th has caused 700 deaths so far (although the count is going up every hour) and has left 2 million displaced. The death toll is expected to rise as about 60 aftershocks have hit Chile since the quake, one of which occurred Sunday at a magnitude of 6.1. According to the mayor of Concepcion (Chile’s second largest metropolitan area) 100 people are still trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building. Although the effects of the quake will be severe, strict building standards and the fact that the epicenter is farther from populated areas means that the long-term damage from the quake will be far less than Haiti.

Additional Reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/world/americas/01chile.html?pagewanted=1&hp

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8542122.stm

International

Sudan signs deal with rebel group

Molly Burns

On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, signed a framework ceasefire deal in Qatar with one of Darfur's main rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement, also known as JEM. According to the to the text of the agreement, obtained by the BBC, the deal includes an agreement for the JEM to cease fire at the midnight after the treaty is signed and an outline of a deal that would ensure power sharing “at all levels.” This would mean the rebel group will constitute a political party after the signing of a final agreement and members of the group would be offered government seats as well. The agreement will be an important step in achieving peace in the region, although the other main rebel group (the Sudan Liberation Army) has refused to enter negotiations. Although JEM has hinted that it may not sign the final deal due to elections coming shortly after the March 15^th deadline, officials have said further talks will continue and will eventually lead to the resolution. To learn more or to donate go to www.savedarfur.com

• Ceasefire: a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions

• Argument for: The agreement would be an important step in creating peace in the war-torn region of Darfur, especially because the JEM is one of two main groups opposing the government. Involvement of JEM members in the government will hopefully prevent further violence, as the JEM originally took up arms against the government on accusations that they were favoring people of Arab decent over African. According to the United Nations, as many as 300,000 people have died in Darfur (the region of Sudan that has been the focus of the conflict) since 2003.
• Argument against: No agreement can be a true resolution until all groups involved are included

Additional Reading:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/02/sudan-main-darfur-rebels-sign-power-sharing-truce/1

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/02/the-sudanese-government-and-the-most-potent-rebel-group-in-darfur-signed-a-preliminary-trucetuesday-raising-hopes-that-elect.html

-http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8530033.stm

United States

Waterboarding Lawyers Will Not Be Prosecuted

Paul C. Kadzielski

According to a recent report by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, lawyers John Yoo and Jay Baybee will not be punished for providing the legal arguments that allowed the Bush administration to legally justify waterboarding in the questioning of terrorists. The department was evaluating them to determine whether their advice concerning waterboarding was significant enough to charge them with a crime. The Bush administration had asked the Justice Department, where Yoo and Baybee were high-ranking officials, to define the legality of enhanced interrogation techniques after the September 11^th attacks in 2001. The Central Intelligence Agency and, to a lesser extent, the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the US agencies that conducted interrogations involving waterboarding. Only suspected terrorists have been waterboarded.

• Waterboarding: A type of enhanced interrogation where subjects are strapped to a board and put underwater for varying periods of time. By simulating drowning the subject is encouraged to tell the interrogator information.
• Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: A technique, such as waterboarding, where the subject being questioned is made to feel uncomfortable, but not tortured.

• Argument for not punishing Yoo and Bybee: They were just doing their job. They interpreted the law and applied it the best way they saw fit given the threat terrorism posed to America at that time. Waterboarding does not permanently damage subjects.
• Argument to punish Yoo and Bybee: Waterboarding has not yielded any actionable intelligence since it was allowed. Yoo and Bybee have merely sanctioned behavior that is technically legal but directly opposes the terms of the Geneva Convention and the 8^th Amendment, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment.

Additional Reading:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/20100220JUSTICE/20100220JUSTICE-OPRFinalReport.pdf

http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/texts/doc_geneva_con.htm

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/faculty/yooj/

http://www.law.unlv.edu/faculty/jay-bybee.html

http://news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/doj/bybee80102ltr.html

The Hill

Health Care Reform

Julia Newman

On February 22, 2010 President Obama came out with a revised healthcare plan. This comes right before Thursday’s bi-partisan health care summit. The revisions of the Health Care Bill aim to please both Republicans and Democrats. The proposal aims to be a compromise between the House of Representatives and the Senate respective versions of the bill in hopes the new bill will be more “passable.” The White House claims this plan would give coverage to 31 million Americans and would give the middle class a large tax-cut. The new plan includes no public option which was has been heavily favored by liberals and controversial. Obama’s proposal would bar insurers from charging higher premiums based on a person's gender or medical history or denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. This plan also provides $40 billion in tax credits for small businesses to help them provide health care options for their employees. One of the key differences of this plan is that it gives the government new authority to block excessive rate hikes by health insurance companies.

• Premiums: The periodic payment made on an insurance plan
• Tax credits: Tax benefits

• Argument for: This plan hopes to help many of the 46 million uninsured Americans (number provided by the White House). This plan is more of a compromise than the previous one and may be able to garner larger support.

• Argument against: There is no public option. Some believe this bill is more a compromise than actual progress in the health care debate.

Additional Reading:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/22/obama.health.care/index.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/Issues/health-Care

California

Clash On Gas Tax Package

Jennifer Halligan

California Democratic State Senators have halted a plan to alter the way gasoline is taxed in the state due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s intent to veto it. The plan would suspend tax breaks for some corporations and intended to allow local authorities to raise gasoline prices in order to pay for mass transit. The Governor’s spokesperson expressed the administration’s belief that the tax increase would not help with the state’s economic or employment problems. Legislators are now working with the Governor to craft a plan that both Democrats and Republicans can agree on.

• Veto: the power to stop a piece of legislation

• Democrats believed the plan would have helped mass transit after budget cuts took away funding, and also free up money for general spending
• Schwarzenegger’s spokesman said that the plan would not cut spending or create jobs, and thus is not a priority; and that the suspension of tax breaks for corporations would destroy jobs.

Additional Reading:

- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2010/02/under-threat-of-veto-gas-tax-package-on-hold.html

- http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/23/BAP51C5FL6.DTL

Los Angeles

City Officials Are After LA Cannabis Sellers

Jennifer Halligan

Los Angeles has been cracking down on marijuana sellers throughout the city. Last Thursday, city prosecutors sued three groups of dispensaries and evicted 18 others from their stores. The city also sent letters to landlords encouraging them to evict dispensaries from their properties. Local, state, and federal law enforcement officials have been participating in under-cover investigations in order to catch sellers of marijuana. The owner of popular Venice-area shop Organica was charged Monday, February 23, with 24 felonies, including selling, buying, and transporting marijuana. The case has the possibility of testing the state’s lawful permission of the selling of marijuana.

• Dispensaries: Clinics where medicine is given out
• Evict: Throw out; expel

• Much of the conflict between marijuana sellers and city prosecutors stems from confusion over what California’s medical marijuana ordinance means, and whether or not it actually prohibits the over-the-counter selling of medical marijuana.
• City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich has made it a goal to stop the spread of cannabis shops since his election in May 2009.
• Argument in favor of legalizing marijuana: People who are in favor of legalizing marijuana say that it will help clear prison space, and that being able to tax it will help the economy. They also minimize the health risks and emphasize the positive use fo medicinal marijuana.Argument against legalizing marijuana: People who are opposed to legalizing marijuana emphasize the health risks and immorality of using a mind-altering substance.

For Further Reading:

-http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medical-marijuana19-2010feb19,0,1809780.story

-http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medical-marijuana23-2010feb23,0,6008675.story

-http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/06/local/la-me-marijuana-confusion6-2010jan06

Local Cultural Events

Hikes

Julia Newman

Los Angeles is not an accessible city by foot. Usually we have to take cars and or buses (preferably something with wheels) to get from place to place. By the week’s end, what could sound better than a hike? The ability to get some exercise while taking in some amazing Los Angeles views are only a couple perks of taking a hike. One of the most famous hikes to do in LA is the hike to the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park. The Hollywood sign was built in 1923 on Mount Lee, the tallest peak in LA. Then it was rebuilt in 1979. Each letter stands at 50 feet high and 30 feet wide. It’s incredible to see up close! The link below takes you step by step in planning a hike to one of the most iconic signs in the world.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2101700_hike-hollywood-sign.html

Canyon Entrance to Griffith Park:

2800 Canyon Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90068

From 405N-

-Take the Santa Monica Fwy exit

-Keep right at the fork to continue toward I-10E/Santa Monica Fwy and merge onto I-10E/Santa Monica Fwy

-Take the State 110N exit on the left toward Pasadena

-Merge onto I-110N

-Take the Hollywood Blvd exit

-Slight right at N Van Ness Ave

-Take the 1^st left onto Canyon Drive

International

US Rocket Accidentally Kills Afghanistan Civilians

Molly Burns

Sunday, February 14, 2010 - A stray American rocket missed its target and hit a house killing 12 Afghanistan civilians including 5 children, according to military officials. The missiles intended target was a group of Taliban insurgents who had attacked U.S. and Afghan forces, wounding one American and one Afghan. The incident occurred in Marja, Afghanistan, an area of rural villages where the Taliban have had strong control during the ongoing 8-year War in Afghanistan. The deaths occurred on the second day of Operation Moshtarak, an offensive of 15,000 American and British forces aimed at breaking Taliban control in the area and replacing it with the democratic Afghan government. Avoiding civilian deaths has been labeled as an important part of America’s war strategy and in addition to apologizing to President Hamid Karzai for the deaths; American Commander Stanley McChrystal is also suspending the use of the rocket used until an investigation has been conducted.

• Insurgents: Members of an armed rebellion against a recognized authority
  
• The Taliban: Currently a strong revolutionary movement, the Taliban originally governed Afghanistan from 1996 to late 2001. While the Taliban was replaced by the Karzai administration through Operation Enduring Freedom (the official name for the War in Afghanistan) it still has lingering political power at the local level. Much of the fighting right now in places like Marja aims at removing that power.
• War in Afghanistan: The ongoing conflict between US and British forces against the Taliban.
• Hamid Karzai: Current President of Afghanistan
• Argument for: Intense fighting like Operation Moshtarak can be successful at breaking the hold that the Taliban still has over civilians in parts of Afghanistan.
• Argument against: Attack enemy positions so close to villages poses a threat to the citizens that live there.

Additional Reading:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/newsid_10050000/newsid_10057600/10057656.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/world/asia/15afghan.html?scp=1&sq=US%20rocket%20kills%2012&st=cse

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/world/asia/13afghan.html

United States

Obama's New Nuclear Power Plants

Paul C. Kadzielski

            United States President Barack Obama announced on February 16^th that the United States Department of Energy is authorizing 8.3 billion dollars in loan guarantees to build two new nuclear power plants in Georgia.  The loan guarantees cover 70% of the total building costs of the two new plants, which will be built as an extension to an existing facility. The utilities company receiving the loan is Southern Company.  It has been over 30 years since the last nuclear power plant was built in America. The Obama administration claims that the plants will provide an estimated 3,500 temporary construction jobs and approximately 800 permanent jobs.  In his remarks, President Obama stated, "Whether it’s nuclear energy, or solar or wind energy, if we fail to invest in the technologies of tomorrow then we're going to be importing those technologies instead of exporting them." Estimates vary but the plants are expected to come online between 2016 and 2017. 

•  Loan Guarantees: when the national government guarantees that a loan will be repaid.  If the loan is not repaid then the national government pays off the loan.

• Argument for: Nuclear energy is a safe and efficient way to provide energy.  The loans will also help boost the demand for highly trained professionals and the local economy. The plants will cut carbon emissions drastically.  The Nuclear Energy Institute says that the chance of a default on this specific loan is low.
  
• Argument Against: Nuclear power produces nuclear waste, which is dangerous for a minimum of thousands of years.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that loans for nuclear energy have over a 50% chance of defaulting and the government cannot afford to risk 8.3 billion.
  
•  How it affects LMU Students: The Obama administration plans on investing approximately 54 billion in nuclear energy.  These projects will require workers with advanced degrees in math and science.
  

 

Additional Reading:

-http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/02/obama_wants_to_invest_in_nucle.html

-http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_in_the_united_states

-http://www.energy.gov/

 

The Hill

Joe Biden Warns

Julia Newman

 

            On February 10, 2010, “The Larry King Show.” aired a recent interview of Vice President Joe Biden. In the interview, Biden discussed current issues such as job creation and the recent December terrorist attack.  However, the moment that has received the most attention is when Joe Biden stated that he believes future terrorist attacks on U.S. soil are likely to occur.  Although Vice President Biden clarified, “the idea of there being a massive attack in the United States like 9/11 is unlikely.”  Biden believes that future attacks from such terror organizations as al Qaeda will be smaller yet still devastating.  Despite this statement, he expressed extreme confidence in the Obama Administration’s ability to curb future attacks.  He stated he is confident in the abilities of the United State’s intelligence and security departments.

 

• December terrorist attack: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, of Nigeria attempted to blow up 278 passengers and the crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
• Al Qaeda: an international terrorist network founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s. It seeks to rid Muslim countries of what it sees as the profane influence of the West. This organization planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks.

• Possible reasons for Joe Biden admitting that future terrorist attacks are likely:
• The public looks to the President during a crisis or time of worry, therefore giving the President more power.
• Joe Biden is simply repeating facts from gathered intelligence.
• Biden is trying to warn the public.

 

Additional Reading

-http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0210/biden_talks_to_larry_king_90d419ff-f85a-4f56-b5fc-a2238cd87df4.html

- http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/11/biden.terror.assessment/index.html?iref=allsearch

- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34592031/ns/us_news-security/

 

California

California Jailbreak

Cristina Fard

 

          

 

       Law enforcement officials recently released more than 1,500 “low-level” criminals from county jails across California. The massive release was due to legislation passed last year by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that was designed to reduce the state prison population in light of the state’s economic crisis. The original legislation was meant to cut the state prison population by 6,500.The recent release, however, has left county officials across the state in controversy. The deputy sheriff’s union in Sacramento filed a suit against the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department to block the releases, after seeing Orange County release more than 300 inmates in the last few weeks. Sacramento County ordered a temporary halt of the early releases after a county judge stated that the legislation only applied to state prisons and not to county jails.Now, official responses from Sacramento, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties have stated that their legal departments advised them that the law did in fact apply to county jails. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has not released any inmates because L.A. County law requires that most male inmates serve 80% of their sentence. Officials of the LAPD insist that the new legislation will not effect that requirement. 

• “Low level” criminals: Offenders, who were jailed because of non-violent crimes and drug possession. 

• The release of the prisoners would be in an effort to cut prison costs and improve state budgets.
• The new law seems to have not yet effected its intended target, as the state prison system has yet to release any prisoners.

 

Additional Reading:

-http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-early-release11-2010feb11,0,3369998.story

-http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/

Los Angeles

The “Save the Peak” Campaign

Jennifer Halligan

 

          In the past week, Los Angeles residents may have noticed a change in the famed Hollywood sign – it didn’t say Hollywood any more.  As part of a campaign to make Cahuenga Peak, where the sign is, city property, LA City Councilman Tom LaBonge and representatives from the Trust for Public Land covered the letters, altering them to say “Save the Peak.”  The campaign is a response to the news that the land around the Hollywood sign has been targeted by private property owners who want to put houses on the mountain.  The Trust for Public Land, which is based out of San Francisco, has agreed to purchase the land for $11.7 million and give it to the city of Los Angeles to prevent the development and make the peak a part of the bordering Griffith Park.  LaBonge and the officials from the Trust are hoping to raise the requisite amount of donations by April 14, 2010. 

• Trust for Public Land: “A land conservation and open space resource for landowners, government agencies and community groups interested in protecting land for human enjoyment.”- http://www.tpl.org
• Those who campaign for the peak becoming city property cite the sign’s historical relevance as well as the location’s use for hikers and wildlife. 

• The alternative is that there would be private homes on the peak near the sign.
• Donations can be made at http://www.savehollywoodland.org/

 

 

 

For further reading:

-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/save-the-peak-campaign-gets-good-response-new-fundraising-numbers-to-be-released-this-week.html

-http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/12/local/la-me-hollywood-sign12-2010feb12