The Dunker Daily

Analysis-Large Data Sets: Twilight of the Twinkies

2012-12-10T02:59:26Z

In this article from the Economist, the author examines the afterlife of the Twinkie. With the Hostess company in bankruptcy, the world supply of Twinkies has reached the edge; from this time on, there will only be a decrease.

Twinkies have a very extended afterlife, so after the collapse of the company, aspiring entrepreneurs snatched up as many as they could and have been selling them on Ebay. Prices range between $0.40 to $100,000, with the average being around $2000. The most common bid is around $3.

In order to handle the amount of information in this range, the author has created a chart showing the range of prices x number of Ebay listings within that price range. A simplified chart like this is the most convenient way for a reader to digest such a large data set.

Family grieves death of 2-year-old in accidental shooting

2012-12-09T23:57:37Z

A Minneapolis two-year-old was accidentally killed on Wednesday after his 4-year-old brother was playing with a loaded handgun he found in their parents bedroom, according to the Star Tribune.

Someone in the house called 9-1-1 after shot were fired. Two-year-old Neegnco Xiong died in the ambulance. Parents Kao Xiong and Ma Vang were immediately taken for questioning and the other three children were taken into protective custody, according to the Star Tribune.

A vigil was held on Saturday to honor the boy, and the boys' father spoke, according to CBS Minnesota.

Father Kao (Lue) Xiong pleaded guilty to charges of negligent storing of firearms, according to the Star Tribune. Sentencing will be on December 13.

Australian radio hosts' prank may have led to nurse suicide

2012-12-09T01:32:27Z

Two Australian radio hosts have come off the air indefinitely after a prank call to the hospital treating pregnant Kate Middleton may have led to the suicide of the nurse who answered the phone, according to the New York Times.

On Tuesday, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, hosts of the 2Day FM show, called the King Edward VII hospital where Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is being treated for acute morning sickness, according to Reuters. The pair successfully convinced a nurse, Jacintha Saldanha, 46, that they were the Queen and Prince Charles asking about her medical state, according to the New York Times.

On Friday, Saldanha, a mother of two, was found dead after a suspected suicide, according to Reuters. The radio hosts were immediately taken off the air and are currently receiving counseling, according to the New York Times.

"I spoke to both presenters early this morning, and it's fair to say they're completely shattered," said Rhys Holleran, the network's chief executive, quoted on The Lede blog. "These people aren't machines, they're human beings. We're all affected by this."

Gay marriage finally lands on Supreme Court floor

2012-12-09T00:49:11Z

Several gay marriage cases have been brought before the Supreme Court, and decisions are expected by summer, according to the Pioneer Press.

One of the two cases comes from California, will likely establish or reject a constitutional right to same-sex marriage in the state, or nationally, according to the Star Tribune. The other case, from New York, will challenge the federal law preventing same-sex couples from receiving the same benefits of heterosexual couples, even in states that recognize the marriage, according to the Pioneer Press.

While the trend seems to be an increase in support for legalizing same-sex marriage, many supporters are nervous about the issue being in front of the Supreme Court. Nine states now allow same-sex marriage, but 41 still do not, and 30 of those have a ban written into the state constitutions, according to the Huffington Post.

"Mindful of history, I can't help but be concerned," said Mary Bonauto, director of the Civil Rights Project at Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, according to the Huffington Post.

Sen. Franken pushes bill against stalker apps

2012-12-07T23:41:14Z

Senator Franken used Thursday's senate hearing to provide examples of the importance of cracking down on "stalker apps," according to the Star Tribune.

During the hearing, according to the Star Tribune, Franken read the homepage promises of the app ePhoneTracker: Worried that your spouse might be cheating?" "Track every text, every call and every move they make using our easy cell phone spy software..."

Other companies, such as EasyCell Spy Phone Software promise similar, according to Secrets of the City.

Franken's bill would require consent before providing collected data to a third party, as well as make it a crime to use a stalking app, according to CBS Minnesota.

"Tens of thousands of women are stalked annually through the use of GPS technology," Franken told the committee, according to CBS Minnesota.

Iran captures American drone, Navy denies

2012-12-06T01:23:12Z

Iran claimed to have captured an American unmanned drone on Tuesday, and displayed it on national broadcasts, though American Navy says that all aircrafts in the region have been accounted for, according to the Washington Post.

The conflicting accounts have led to controversy about intelligence and reconnaissance efforts in the region. According to the Washington Post, there have been doubts about the capture of the drone, because of its good condition, despite its lightweight carbon-fiber body.

There is a possibility that the drone was taken from the sea or from another country in the region that uses drones, according to the Washington Post.

According to the Reuters, White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "We have no evidence that the Iranian claims are true."

Russian snow causes 125-mile traffic jam for days

2012-12-02T23:48:58Z

Snow outside of Moscow has had vehicles trapped on the road for more than two days, according to Reuters. Police have said that field kitchens are running, but many of those trapped said that supplies were not reaching them. In the subzero temperatures, many are running out of gasoline to heat their cars.

Efforts to remove the snow were showing signs of progress, according to CNN. By Sunday evening, the jam line was down from 125 miles to 34. In other areas, a lane on each side had been partially cleared, allowing trucks to crawl along at 3-6 mph.

Snow and traffic problems in December are not new to Russians, but many had other complaints as well, according to CNN. According to many social networking sites, cafe's along the route were taking advantage of the situation by raising prices. Many gas stations ran out of fuel, and trucks were not getting through to refill them, according to CNN.

The Emergencies Ministry was on site offering what help it could, including psychological help for those struggling to cope, according to CNN.

Wyo. teacher's sacrifice hailed as heroic after son attacked classroom

2012-12-02T04:36:09Z

Casper, Wyo police are calling Casper College teacher James Krumm a hero for saving his students after his 25-year-old son attacked him in his classroom Friday, according to the Star Tribune. Christopher Krumm of Vernon, Conn. shot his father with a bow and arrow, stabbed himself, and then fatally stabbed his father, according to NBC. Both men were dead or dying when police arrived, but all of the student had already escaped.

Before driving to the college, Christopher Krumm had fatally attacked his fathers live-in girlfriend outside of their home. The body of Heidi Arnold, 42, lay outside the home for 11 hours, NBC quotes neighbor Heather Maier as saying.

"He told me his dad gave him Asperger's (syndrome), that his dad shouldn't have passed it on," said the younger Krumm's neighbor in Conn., according to NBC. "He said his dad should be castrated. I didn't know him that well, he just kind of said it out of nowhere, so that kind of threw me off a little."

Many factors still unknown in killing of Cold Springs officer

2012-12-02T00:17:35Z

Cold Springs police officer Tom Decker was responding to a call of a potential suicide when he was killed behind a local sports bar, according to the Star Tribune. Local community college student Ryan Michael Larson, 34, is being held as a suspect.

According to the Huffington Post, investigators believe the killing to have been an ambush, but would not elaborate. The officer had been wearing a bulletproof vest, but according to the Star Tribune, Decker had been shot in the face.

Larson had a permit to carry a weapon, and owned several guns, but according to the Star Tribune, many who knew Larson were surprised by the news that he was a suspect. Jeff Scoles, who owns the bar with his parents and had spent much of the day with Larson, said he hoped Larson is cleared. "I don't see him as a murderer," Scoles said, according to the Star Tribune.

Secretary of State nomination of Susan Rice proves controversial

2012-12-01T02:56:48Z

President Obama's nomination of UN Ambassador Susan Rice has caused many key Republican leaders to speak out, according to the Baltimore Sun. Most of the objections to her nominations relate to her interviews after the September 11th attack on the embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

Immediately following the attack, Rice was interviewed by a variety of news outlets, but had been assumed to be speaking according to a prescribed set of talking points. According to the Star Tribune, as more details came to light, it seemed that much of the additional information she had provided was false. According to NBC, many are also accusing Rice of being responsible for many security failures in Africa while she served in the State Department as head of the African region. A series of events, like the 1998 bombing of two other embassies.

Ruth Marcus, columnist for the Washington Post, believes there are subconscious gender-based objections coming into play as well for some of the primary objectors. She quotes Rice's colleague David Rothkopf called her "hard-headed and prickly," but added, "The nonsense that she is somehow not qualified for the job is indefensible. . . .As for her temperament, raising it is pure sexism. Why is she called abrasive, when clearly, similar toughness was hailed in our most powerful and respected secretaries of state -- from Henry Kissinger to George Shultz to James Baker?"

With the looming "fiscal cliff," the controversy around this nomination has even broader implications, according to the Baltimore Sun. Not even into his second term, the president is being forced to exercise the already limited "political capital" for a nomination that has never before been such a point of division between the parties.

Suspect in custody in near-campus sex assault case

2012-11-29T17:26:08Z

A police sketch released Tuesday has led to the arrest of a 48-year-old male who matches a sketch of the man who sexually assaulted a young woman in the early morning hours of Nov. 19th, according to the Star Tribune.

The man was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant after he was reported for approaching women in the parking area outside of Regions Hospital in St. Paul, according to CityPages.

Once in custody, one of the officers recalled the sketch and proceeded to detain the man. He remains in custody in Ramsey County, according to the Star Tribune.

No charges have yet been filed against the man in relation to this case, but he does have a record of domestic abuse. If charged and found guilty, he could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to forty thousand dollars, according to City Pages.

Analysis-Meeting: US defends "enormous" climate efforts at UN talks

2012-11-27T07:09:55Z

In this Associated Press story, the reporter discusses how the US made a better show for itself during recent UN talks about the environment. In the past few presidential terms, the US has been accused of hampering and delaying the processes. This round, the Obama administration explained what measures were already being taken, which is a change from the past administrations.

Rather than extensively discuss the meeting, the AP decides to discuss the purposes and goals of the talks. That is the true significance of the gathering in the first place, so writing about that information makes what would have been dull documentation of an event into a story about the enormity of the need for the talks and the implications they may have on future policy.

The AP also goes a little bit into the history of the discourse, referencing similar but unsuccessful events in Copenhagen three years ago.

To add relevant but also more intensity to the story, the AP also discusses the relationship between the talks, the environment, and recent major natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy.

Because minutes from even a high profile meeting such as this one by the United Nation will likely always be dry and full of jargon, it was important for the AP to spend most of the story discussing the daily relevance of this issue, as well as possible results.

Number Analysis: A Race Against the Clock, Again, in Package Delivery

2012-11-12T05:28:32Z

The best place to find articles overfull of numbers is the business section. In this story in the New York Times, there is a debate about the efficiency and efficacy of promising incredibly quick delivery times for packages.

The numbers do not overwhelm the reader, because most are separated into smaller digestible pieces, like flat rates or specific hours of delivery. It does get a little bit more complicated when explaining prices of service based upon how much it costs to outsource specific deliveries, and different minimum orders in an effort to just not lose money in the process.

The reporter does not list his sources, but it does not seem necessary as most of them are rates probably taken or a least factored directly from the different companies' order forms.

Overall, the reporter did a fairly good job of keeping the numbers manageable, because under the circumstances the numbers were the most important part of the story-telling.

Silent Inmate Baffles Authorities

2012-11-12T05:09:47Z

The female inmate has been in custody for months, but still refuses to respond to police questioning, including her own name. In court, she only responds to Jane Doe, according to the Star Tribune. Eventually authorities were able to identify her using fingerprints lifted from a glass.

According to the Pioneer Press, the woman is believed to be 37-year-old Tammy Antoinette Thomas, but she has refused to confirm this information.

"We don't know where she is from but her ... name came from a Texas arrest," said spokesman for the Anoka County sheriff's office, Lt. Paul Lenzmeier. The search for her identity also uncovered several arrest warrants out of Wisconsin, but Lenzmeier did not know details about the warrants.

The part that most confuses authorities is that if Thomas had cooperated, she would likely be finished with her sentence already. WIthout her help, the courts cannot rule her as competent to stand trial, and the entire case is delayed, according to the Star Tribune.

"If competency issues can't be resolved, some serious injustices could incur," Former Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner said. "The system is flummoxed by this case, and I can understand why."

Culture Analysis: Witnesses tell of organized killings of Myanmar Muslims

2012-11-12T04:24:59Z

In Reuter's article about ethnic killings in Myanmar, the author chooses to open with avery human anecdote about the origin of the massacres: a dispute between a husband and wife. The story is about ethnic divisions, but beginning with a human element brings it onto a more relatable level.

In so many stories about ethnically-based massacres, there are many sweeping generalizations about the differences int eh cultures and general details of why each side feels motivated in their actions.

For this story, Reuters had several reporters on the ground reporting with great accuracy specific movements of each side. They were about to actually speak with individuals directly involved and affected by the conflict.

As far as the structure of the story, there are several sections, each about a somewhat different scenario, and each titled with a quote from the ground. For example, "We Had No Problems Before" tells about an attack on a Muslim village, but through the eyes of a Buddhist farmer who saw the villagers fleeing.

The story tells of bloodshed, but does not seem to objectify or stereotype the victims. The reporters sought to write this as a human drama rather than a political conflict.