Lauren Walinski
Ricin is a deadly poison derived from castor beans which, once ingested, injected, or inhaled, causes the body to stop making proteins. Once it is in the body, it takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days to work, depending on the concentration and dosage. A lethal dose of purified ricin powder is only the size of a few grains of table salt. This is what it seems William Clyde Allen III had intended to send to the Pentagon and to the White House.
The Pentagon received two envelopes containing a strange substance, and the White House a third. This substance was later revealed through FBI testing to be a concoction made of castor beans. While not technically ricin, it could still be dangerous to ingest.
The White House envelope was addressed to President Trump. The two envelopes to the Pentagon had been addressed to Jim Mattis, the Defense Secretary, and Adm. John Richardson, chief of the US Navy. The would-be assassin, Allen, served in the Navy for four years.
Allen was arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, after his envelopes were intercepted by the Pentagon and White House mailing facilities. He has been indicted on seven counts.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Cosby receives three- to 10-year sentence
McAfee Madding
Staff Writer
The first high-profile conviction since the #MeToo movement put an international spotlight on women’s stories of abuse. Bill Cosby, comedian, creator and star of many long lasting television shows, started his career in Stand-Up Comedy in the 1960s before creating his own sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show in 1969. Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. In 2015 New York Magazine published an issue with 35 of the 46 accusers of Cosby, giving those victims a platform to tell their stories. These incidents happened between 1965 and 2008
Bill Cosby was one of America's greatest comedians, so when these victims stories came forward in the mid 2010’s, not only was it surprising because it was a sexual abuse scandal, but in this case the abuser was often nicknamed “America's dad.” Cosby has been affiliated with Temple University decades, he served on the board of trustees before resigning in 2014. In 1991 Temple University awarded Cosby an honorary doctorate, but they have finally decided to strip him of that title.
Cosby's first trial in June of 2017 ended in a mistrial, the latest trial in Norristown, Pa., took place on Sept. 24, 2018. “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others,” Constand commented about the incident. Constand was the only accuser that came forward and pressured any kind of charges towards Cosby. In this new age of the #MeToo movement created by, Tarana Burke, this is a small step towards justice for all victims of sexual assault.
Staff Writer
The first high-profile conviction since the #MeToo movement put an international spotlight on women’s stories of abuse. Bill Cosby, comedian, creator and star of many long lasting television shows, started his career in Stand-Up Comedy in the 1960s before creating his own sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show in 1969. Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. In 2015 New York Magazine published an issue with 35 of the 46 accusers of Cosby, giving those victims a platform to tell their stories. These incidents happened between 1965 and 2008
Bill Cosby was one of America's greatest comedians, so when these victims stories came forward in the mid 2010’s, not only was it surprising because it was a sexual abuse scandal, but in this case the abuser was often nicknamed “America's dad.” Cosby has been affiliated with Temple University decades, he served on the board of trustees before resigning in 2014. In 1991 Temple University awarded Cosby an honorary doctorate, but they have finally decided to strip him of that title.
Cosby's first trial in June of 2017 ended in a mistrial, the latest trial in Norristown, Pa., took place on Sept. 24, 2018. “Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others,” Constand commented about the incident. Constand was the only accuser that came forward and pressured any kind of charges towards Cosby. In this new age of the #MeToo movement created by, Tarana Burke, this is a small step towards justice for all victims of sexual assault.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Tsunami devastates Palu, Indonesia
Kennedy Fisher
Staff Writer
On Friday, Sept 28, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered a 20-foot tsunami that ruined Palu, Indonesia. The wave came crashing into Palu turning the town into a wasteland.The town was wiped of electricity,clean food and water.
A series of buoys connected to seafloor sensors designed to detect tsunamis had not been functioning since 2012 due to lack of funding.The soil turned into something similar to quicksand and swallowed town buildings whole.
Two thousand lives were taken due to the tragedy and 5,000 are still missing. About 70,000 people are now homeless and are camping in tents. Search and rescue are having trouble reaching all these people in time.
Rescue workers are also concerned about a 8,530 foot volcano in western Sumatra that had started erupting after being dormant for 400 years which took time away from the tsunami disaster. Although many people in New Hope may not feel not directly affected by this disaster, Charity Navigator offers many options for supporting organizations that are on the ground helping those in need.
Is Instagram Listening to You?
Lauren Hunt and Frany Barile
Staff Writers
You’re scrolling through Instagram and an ad pops up. To your surprise it is something you just talked about. This isn’t a coincidence. Instagram is now recording your conversations and using them to create ads better geared toward your interests.
There is speculation surrounding the idea of Instagram recording its users and using their conversations for advertising. To test this theory, users purposefully talk about a product without having the Instagram app open and see if the product shows up as an advertisement on their Instagram feed. For many people, the product is advertised on the app as soon as one day after they talked about it.
Instagram has become increasingly popular throughout the years. In Feb. of 2013, there were 100 million users. In June of 2018, that number rose to 1 billion monthly active users. This makes Instagram a hotspot for advertising. Instagram is listening, and the only way it can know about certain conversations among its users is to listen through their cell phone microphone.
We asked a New Hope Solebury student, Kennedy Fisher, about her own experience with the new method of Instagram advertising. “I was talking about ordering some Domino’s Pizza with a group of friends. Later that afternoon, an ad popped up on Instagram for Domino’s. I don’t think it’s helpful, I think it’s just creepy.” Kennedy’s story is very similar to what most Instagram users experience.
This way of advertising could become the new norm. Although it creates more customized ads, is it crossing the line between personalized content and invasion of privacy?
Staff Writers
You’re scrolling through Instagram and an ad pops up. To your surprise it is something you just talked about. This isn’t a coincidence. Instagram is now recording your conversations and using them to create ads better geared toward your interests.
There is speculation surrounding the idea of Instagram recording its users and using their conversations for advertising. To test this theory, users purposefully talk about a product without having the Instagram app open and see if the product shows up as an advertisement on their Instagram feed. For many people, the product is advertised on the app as soon as one day after they talked about it.
Instagram has become increasingly popular throughout the years. In Feb. of 2013, there were 100 million users. In June of 2018, that number rose to 1 billion monthly active users. This makes Instagram a hotspot for advertising. Instagram is listening, and the only way it can know about certain conversations among its users is to listen through their cell phone microphone.
We asked a New Hope Solebury student, Kennedy Fisher, about her own experience with the new method of Instagram advertising. “I was talking about ordering some Domino’s Pizza with a group of friends. Later that afternoon, an ad popped up on Instagram for Domino’s. I don’t think it’s helpful, I think it’s just creepy.” Kennedy’s story is very similar to what most Instagram users experience.
This way of advertising could become the new norm. Although it creates more customized ads, is it crossing the line between personalized content and invasion of privacy?
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Hurricane Michael Tears through Florida, Leaving Extensive Damage
Amy Tao and Marina Skubin
Hurricane Michael has ripped through Florida, Georgia, and the Virginias, making it one of the strongest storms to hit the continental U.S
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 10th. Governor Rick Scott of Florida described Michael as “the worst storm that our Florida Panhandle has seen in a century”. It toppled trees, blew away fences, and bent stop signs almost parallel to the ground. The 155-mile-per-hour winds blew debris around the never ending rains. It was impossible to see the full extent of the damage because the waters were still rising, topping some buildings. By 2 a.m. Thursday, Michael, now a tropical storm, was 25 miles east of Macon, Georgia, lost strength, with winds at 60 mph.b
Around 7,800 people were seeking shelter in American Red Cross shelters on Wednesday night. 1.4 million people people across seven states have lost power. Local governments have placed dusk-to-dawn curfews across several states as they worry the death toll will rise from 19 people. Dozens are still missing as authorities desperately search through mounds of debris. A couple stranded in their home after Michael had written “HELP” using debris and fallen trees in an effort to be saved. Their niece spotted the signal after searching aerial maps by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The couple was eventually rescued by emergency responders from the NOAA.
Even though the storm is calming down, the damage it has will last for years to come. The estimated cost of damage left by the hurricane is around $8.1 billion. Randy June, a resident of Mexico Beach, was one of many victims whose entire neighborhood was destroyed. “We’re gonna rebuild somehow,” he said. “I just don’t know how yet.”
Hurricane Michael has ripped through Florida, Georgia, and the Virginias, making it one of the strongest storms to hit the continental U.S
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 10th. Governor Rick Scott of Florida described Michael as “the worst storm that our Florida Panhandle has seen in a century”. It toppled trees, blew away fences, and bent stop signs almost parallel to the ground. The 155-mile-per-hour winds blew debris around the never ending rains. It was impossible to see the full extent of the damage because the waters were still rising, topping some buildings. By 2 a.m. Thursday, Michael, now a tropical storm, was 25 miles east of Macon, Georgia, lost strength, with winds at 60 mph.b
Around 7,800 people were seeking shelter in American Red Cross shelters on Wednesday night. 1.4 million people people across seven states have lost power. Local governments have placed dusk-to-dawn curfews across several states as they worry the death toll will rise from 19 people. Dozens are still missing as authorities desperately search through mounds of debris. A couple stranded in their home after Michael had written “HELP” using debris and fallen trees in an effort to be saved. Their niece spotted the signal after searching aerial maps by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The couple was eventually rescued by emergency responders from the NOAA.
Even though the storm is calming down, the damage it has will last for years to come. The estimated cost of damage left by the hurricane is around $8.1 billion. Randy June, a resident of Mexico Beach, was one of many victims whose entire neighborhood was destroyed. “We’re gonna rebuild somehow,” he said. “I just don’t know how yet.”
Monday, October 15, 2018
Trump issues new tariffs
Ally Mangano and Nick Oz
Staff Writers
Recently, President Trump has been under fire for his new tariff comments and policies. Trump is no stranger to controversy, opposition, and being thrown into the fire, and continues to stand firmly behind his policies on tariffs.
Although initially approached with much opposition, China has responded just as Trump, and those who sided with him, hoped. China has agreed to cut import tariffs on about 1,600 products as of the turn of November. On America’s end, Trump is aiming to stop China from controlling the U.S. economy. China, on the other hand, is thinking more politically than economically as they seem to be biting at Trump’s bait. They are working on overall domination rather than just doing so from an economic standpoint. Lowering these tariffs can help the Chinese in other facets, such as real estate. This may lead the housing bubble to pop in China, which would make homes more affordable for generations to come, starting with young, developing families. Additionally, these actions serve to provide China with motivation to progress in terms of research, technology, and more. The competition from foreign companies may just in fact drive China to do better themselves, thus becoming more productive domestically. These resulting changes may just serve to boost China’s economy and make them more progressive for the long haul.
This scenario has seemed to follow Trump’s ideal path, as China forces American companies into doing business in China to transfer technology and intellectual property, threatening the U.S. economy. However, China has shown that this may be helping them just as much, if not more so.
Staff Writers
Recently, President Trump has been under fire for his new tariff comments and policies. Trump is no stranger to controversy, opposition, and being thrown into the fire, and continues to stand firmly behind his policies on tariffs.
Although initially approached with much opposition, China has responded just as Trump, and those who sided with him, hoped. China has agreed to cut import tariffs on about 1,600 products as of the turn of November. On America’s end, Trump is aiming to stop China from controlling the U.S. economy. China, on the other hand, is thinking more politically than economically as they seem to be biting at Trump’s bait. They are working on overall domination rather than just doing so from an economic standpoint. Lowering these tariffs can help the Chinese in other facets, such as real estate. This may lead the housing bubble to pop in China, which would make homes more affordable for generations to come, starting with young, developing families. Additionally, these actions serve to provide China with motivation to progress in terms of research, technology, and more. The competition from foreign companies may just in fact drive China to do better themselves, thus becoming more productive domestically. These resulting changes may just serve to boost China’s economy and make them more progressive for the long haul.
This scenario has seemed to follow Trump’s ideal path, as China forces American companies into doing business in China to transfer technology and intellectual property, threatening the U.S. economy. However, China has shown that this may be helping them just as much, if not more so.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Judge Brett Kavanaugh Scandal
Cheyenne Carr
Staff Writer
Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to be a Supreme Court justice back in July. Recently, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward and said that 36 years ago Kavanaugh sexaully asaultted her. Back in summer 1982, Dr. Ford alleges that Brett Kavanaugh assault her at a high school party. She claimed it was a small party and that people were drinking alcohol when Kavanaugh pinned her down onto the bed, groped her, and tried to remove her clothes and bathing suit while covering her mouth. She also said that his friend Mark Judge was in the room and that they were both laughing at her. Kavanaugh says he “categorically and unequivocally” denied the allegations made against him from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
On Sept. 27, 2018, both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh Appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and were questioned by senators and outside prosecutor Rachel Mitchell. The hearing went on for days. Ford discussed the personal difficulties she had after the alleged assault. Kavanaugh claimed the allegations were false, however, he did admit to drinking with his friends and attending parties in high school but he didn’t know anything about the allegations.
With still no conclusion, an FBI investigation into the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh ordered by Mr. Trump. He gave the F.B.I a week, they interview many people. Since it was not a criminal investigation, FBI agents will not be able to get search warrants. Witnesses can refuse to cooperate, but talking to the FBI agents is a powerful motivator to telling the truth.
It was a close vote, 50-48. After weeks of these allegations the Senate has finally come to a conclusion. After seven background checks on Kavanaugh, a week of FBI interviews, and a hearings for days, the senators have voted to make him an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.
Staff Writer
Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to be a Supreme Court justice back in July. Recently, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward and said that 36 years ago Kavanaugh sexaully asaultted her. Back in summer 1982, Dr. Ford alleges that Brett Kavanaugh assault her at a high school party. She claimed it was a small party and that people were drinking alcohol when Kavanaugh pinned her down onto the bed, groped her, and tried to remove her clothes and bathing suit while covering her mouth. She also said that his friend Mark Judge was in the room and that they were both laughing at her. Kavanaugh says he “categorically and unequivocally” denied the allegations made against him from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
On Sept. 27, 2018, both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh Appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and were questioned by senators and outside prosecutor Rachel Mitchell. The hearing went on for days. Ford discussed the personal difficulties she had after the alleged assault. Kavanaugh claimed the allegations were false, however, he did admit to drinking with his friends and attending parties in high school but he didn’t know anything about the allegations.
With still no conclusion, an FBI investigation into the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh ordered by Mr. Trump. He gave the F.B.I a week, they interview many people. Since it was not a criminal investigation, FBI agents will not be able to get search warrants. Witnesses can refuse to cooperate, but talking to the FBI agents is a powerful motivator to telling the truth.
It was a close vote, 50-48. After weeks of these allegations the Senate has finally come to a conclusion. After seven background checks on Kavanaugh, a week of FBI interviews, and a hearings for days, the senators have voted to make him an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.
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