April 2012 Archives

I choose to use a story named Crossing the Line at the Boarder. I found it at pbs.org.

I am slightly confused about what we are supposed to do, but I believe it has to do with the videos that go with the story.

The computer is able to show examples about what is being written in the story. This is a great advancement because it allows the story to come to life for the reader. It is the old saying that "a picture is worth 1000 words."

PBS did not need to use a person to take these shots. The video is exactly what the story is about. The writing is also less, so the video from the computer is what the story is about.

There is an opportunity to blog on the article. The words just go with the pictures.

The New York Times reported a couple of staples in New England's seafood caught will no longer be sold in grocery stores. This has fishers upset.

Whole Foods says the ban will help replenish fish stocks, which have become very low in the last decade. The deadline has been moved up.

The roles are in affect for the entire country, but it is being responded to harshly in New England because of how important it is to their economy.

ABCNews.com reported that fishing for certain types of seafood is becoming rare. It is necessary for the industry to continue being strong because of other economic issues.

Another key element of seafood, lobster, has been on the decline recently.

The Star Tribune reported NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in the Twin Cities Friday talking to state legislators.

Minnesota Gov. Mak Dayton stood with Goodell while urging te importance of getting a deal done for the new stadium. He days it is important that members from both parties in the government work together on the issue, said Dayton.

Fox News reported that concerns over the feasibility of a new stadium are intensifying. There are several different potential sites on the table.

The Metrodome has been the home of the Vikings since 1982. Football has been in Minneapolis since 1961.

The Pioneer Press reported the northern Minnesota city saw a lease get purchase by an aviation company to bring between 225 and 250 jobs.

Danny Martinez, an executive from AAR Aircraft Services, was the man who signed a letter of intent on a lease. The salaries from the jobs created will pay between $30,000 and $80,000 dollars.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness referred to AAR as a "world-class company." It is exciting to see jobs coming to Minnesota."

Aviationpros.com reported AAR is based out of Illinois. The work to lure AAR to Minnesota began more than a year ago when Duluth officials began lobbying several plane maintenance organizations.

CNN reported the countdown to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England has reached the closing kick.

Things seem to be on track for the start of the games. Venues are on pace to be completed within budget, and tickets are being sold.

London, who upset Paris, France for the right to host the games, will be the first city to host the Olympics three times. The recent financial hardships of the world provide an interesting challenge that is somewhat reminiscent of the 1948 games when London hosted the world after the completion of WWII

The BBC reports key athletes from Great Britain dealing with injuries. The host country always hopes to do well on home soil. Great Britain athletes are feeling the pressure. Coaches say, "our athletes need to improve."

Writer's Note: I will be in London for the Games.

The Star Tribune reported the TV host died of a heart attack Wednesday morning in California, his spokesman confirmed.

Dick Clark was known for being the host of American Bandstand and New Year's rockin' eve. He was 82.

Clark had a big time career. At one point, he could be found on all three major television stations. Clark was listed on Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans.

CNN.com reported that Clark suffered a mild heart attack in december of 2004. He also had Type 2 diabetes.

Ryan Seacrest is now the host of Clark's New Year's Eve show. He called Clark "a true gentleman."

The National Hockey League Playoffs began Wednesday. Sixteen teams are fighting to win the Stanley Cup.

TSN.ca reported "we have seen it all" in the first four days of a tournament that takes two months. In order to win the Stanley Cup, a team must win four best-of-seven series against quality opponents from the league.

Each of the eight series in the first round have played two games and every road team has managed to win at least one game, tsn.ca reported.

Two teams that are among the favorites to win the cup, Pittsburgh and Vancouver, lost their first two games at home. CBC.ca reported that these two teams face a critical game on the road Sunday.

The playoffs have already included two double-overtime games.

The Star Tribune reported that Minnesota teachers have ratified a new two-year deal.

The deal means that teachers will receive a pay raise in exchange for working longer hours. Among the voters, 83% agreed to the new changers, Lynn Nordgren, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers said.

The deal means that the school year will be adding for more days, and the school day will last 15 more minutes.

KSTP reported that some parents are upset that the school year was only extended by four day. They wanted to add 35 days to the calendar.

Both sides say they would have liked to have seen different aspects of the agreement, but that this ways the best deal that both sides could agree to, according to the report.

CNN reported a baby girl was found alive inside of a nailed coffin in Argentina.

Luz Milagros Veron was found weighing 1 pound 12 ounces. She is now in intense care inside of a hospital. She is in stable condition, officials say.

Veron was born three months early. She had no vital signs, hospital director Dr. Jose Luis Meirino says.

Fox News reported Veron was found alive in the morgue nearly 12 hours after she was pronounced dead.

Veron's first name means "Miracle Light." This comes after doctors had giving the death certificate 20 minutes after Veron was born.

Veron was really cold when she was found. A worker described her as "like holding a bottle of ice."

The Star Tribune reported the fire that broke out in north-central Minnesota has now been contained.

The fire burned 1,600 acres near the town of Nimrod, Minn. Investigators said they think the fire was started by a vehicle.

No injuries have been reported, but the blaze did burn a fire and cause near by residencies to evacuate.

HometownSource.com reported the Minnesota National Guard went to Nimrod on the orders of Gov. Mark Dayton.

Spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard said a tough-to-stop fire was expected because of the lack of precipitation over the last year.

The Star Tribune reported Authorities in Florida have arrested George Zimmerman, who captained the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman, 28, was sent to jail in Sanford, Fla. He could face a life behind bars, authorities said.

Prosecutor Angela Corey said that the state of Florida does not arrest people based on public pressure, rather based on facts. Zimmerman will plead not guilty, according to his attorney Mark O'Mara.

The New York Times reported that Zimmerman faces charges of second-degree murder for the death of the 17-year-old.

The case has drawn attention from all over the world. Celebrity African-American figures like Barack Obama and LeBron James have commented on the story.

I looked at a story from CNN on a former Egyptian spy applying for the elections which are May 23.

I asked Karim to comment. he is Egyptian. He is a student at the University of Minnesota. He did not want his last name going on a public blog.

Karim says the story does not have biased. He says it sticks with the facts. Karim also pointed out that the story was written by a man who he believes is Muslim, possibly Egyptian. This helps eliminate bias that might come from a writer from the outside with no direct feel for the situation.

The quotes in the story come from information that is public. This allows for words not to be taken out of context. The story does a nice job with accurately describe the situation.
The situation is tricky, but it does not go out of its way to add fuel to stereotypes.

There is stress in the country, so readers must also come in to reading the story with an open mind according to Karim.

Minnesota is already down in Tampa, Fla. on the eve of their National Semifinal.

There opponents will be the Boston College Eagles. The Boston Globe reported the Eagles have won 17 games in a row.

They are solid on defense, and they have gotten great starting goaltending from first-year starter Parker Milner. The Pittsburgh native has taken over the duties from John Muse. Muse, who graduated last year, won two national championships during his time in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The Star Tribune reported that the depth of both the Gophers and Eagles set them apart from many teams in the country. Both teams can roll three forward lines and get production.

Boston College has been on this stage two years ago. No current Gopher had played in an NCAA tournament game until this year's regional against Boston University.

The winner will advance to Saturday's final against the winner of Ferris State and Union.

The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team won the national championship Monday night.

They defeated Kansas University's Jayhawks by a score of 67-59.

ESPN reported that it was the Wildcats' eighth National Championship all-time.

Coach, John Calipari, won his first national championship. He had been close so many times before at the University of Massachusetts and Memphis.

Anthony Davis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He is just the fourth freshman to win the award. The most recent was Carmelo Anthony. In 2003, Anthony lead his Syracuse team over the same Kansas team that Davis and the Wildcats beat last night.

The Lexington Herald Leader reported that thousands of fans flocked to Rupp Arena to celebrate the championship on Tuesday.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday the British Parliament will be presented with a proposal to increase the rights of the government to "snoop" on their citizen's internet behavior.

Officials say that the new provisions are key to combatting terrorism and other threats. The plan has yet to have been outlined, but it is believed to give the government more power than the government in the United States.

Opposition to the plan say citizens of Britain will be under too close scrutiny. They are very suprised that it is being considered.

The BBC reported that countries with similar rules to the ones being considered typically block social media sites. Other countries that have similar rules are Iran and China.

The Pioneer Press reported Monday that a 17-year-old boy crashed a semitrailer on a highway in Kansas.

Adam Kerber of Jordan, Minn. was the driver of the semitrailer. He was in critical condition after the crash. In total, the trailer was carrying 18 people. The 13 people that were not killed in the accident, were injured.

The crashed killed five members of Kerber's family. Pauline Kerber, 46, is a mother of 12 in critical but stable condition. She is also a widow.

The Star Tribune reported that the accident happened about 70 miles southwest of Kansas City on Highway 35.

The Kerbers were on there way to see a motorcycle race.

CNN reported that nine people were shot at a Christian college. Six are believed to have died, police say.

The event happened at Oikos University outside of Oakland, Calf. Many of the victims were being treated at Highland Hospital.

Shoots broke out at around 10:30 a.m. The police believe they have the suspect in custody. He was arrested in a nearby town.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that seven where killed and three others were injured. Students ran from the building as a SWAT team came into make sure the shots stopped.

A witness said that six shots were fired by the gunman. The witness said he heard another person say "He has a gun." This is still a developing story.