In an article done by CNN, the reporter writes about the recent settlements the U.S. Senate has approved for minority farmers.

For this anlysis, I talked to an african-american friend of mine, fellow University of Minnesota student, Jordan Becker. Jordan lives near me in Dinkytown.

Within the article, the report does move past stereotypes and discusses how the government is paying back billions of dollars towards many races of farmers.

"The report does a good job sticking to the news of the settlements and avoiding the discrimination lawsuits that brought them," Jordan said.

The article brings in quotes from President Barack Obama and other notable people such as the president of the National Black Farmers Association. By bringing in these quotes, it shows how the settlements are paying back such damages done by these 'stereotypes'.

The article ends by describing how multiple people from all political parties are supporting this bill.

This display of reporting shys away from any kind of discrimination and instead focuses on how the government is fixing and repaying damages done by stereotypes and discrimination.

The U.S. Senate has approved $1.15 billion to settle discrimination claims brought by black farmers against the Agriculture Department more than a decade ago, CNN reported.

The senate also approved $3.4 billion for American Indians who said the Interior Department had been swindling them out of royalties since the 19th century, USA Today reported.

To pay for the settlements, the money would be taken from a surplus in nutrition programs for women and children and by extending customs user fees.

Cases include the 1997 Pigford v. Glickman case against the U.S. Agriculture Department, which was settled out of court 11 years ago. Under a federal judge's terms dating to 1999, qualified black farmers could receive $50,000 each to settle claims of racial bias.

Freezing rain that fell late Saturday night left layers of glare ice across the metro area roadways, Kare 11 reported.

The freezing rain led to 438 crashes across the metro area during late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, the Star Tribune reported.

About 75 of the 438 reported accidents in Minnesota involved injuries, police said.

Only one accident involve a fatality, which occurred in Meeker County, south of Lichfield, police said.

A Jupiter-like planet has been found orbiting a dying star on the edge of our own Milky Way galaxy, Universe Today reported.

The planet is orbiting a star 2,000 light years from Earth; both are believed to be part of the Helmi stream, which is a group of stars that remains after its mini-galaxy was devoured by the Milky Way, Yahoo reported.

The planet is slightly larger than Jupiter and its home galaxy is believed to have been devoured some six to nine billion years ago, scientists said.

"Because of the great distances involved, there are no confirmed detections of planets in other galaxies. But this cosmic merger has brought an extragalactic planet within our reach," Rainer Klement, of the Max Planck Institute of Astronomy, said.

A Brooklyn Center police officer was injured Tuesday night when his squad car was struck by a minivan, the Star Tribune reports.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. at the intersection of Brooklyn Boulevard and 51st Avenue North, police said.

Shannon Karjalahti, 33, drove a van into the driver's side door of the squad car, KSTP reported.

Karjalahti has nine convictions on his driving record and was drunk at the time of the incident, police said.

The officer suffered a broken collarbone and a broken pelvis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told the makers of seven caffeinated alcholic beverages Wednesday that caffeine is an unsafe food additive to alcholic beverages, CNN reported.

The federal government could seize the products if the companies don't change their current form and remove the caffeine.

The move came after a year-long review into reports of hospitalizations and deaths, Businessweek reported.

One of the main arguments against the beverages is that the caffeine can mask the effects of alcohol, leaving drinkers unaware of how intoxicated they are.

Four Loko, a popular caffeinated-alcohol beverage, was among the companies that received warning letters from the FDA.

In an article by CNN, a reporter uses numbers to show the relationship between teenage salt intake and health risks such as hypertension and other heart conditions.

The numbers are rather overwhelming, saying that a reduction of only 3 grams of salt a day can lead to a 68 percent decrease in the number of teens with hypertension.
Since they are dramatic, the statistics fit well in the story and get the point across.

The reporter placed all of the raw details in the beginning of the story, which could be done differetly. If the statistics were spread out, the reader would have an easier time going through the story.

The numbers are attributed in the story to sources such as the University of California and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At least seven people were killed and twenty others injured Sunday during an explosion at a resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, CNN reported.

Four of the dead were Canadian tourists and one minor was also killed, authorities said.

The incident was likely caused by a buildup of natural gas that somehow ignited, but the official cause is still under investigation, BBC reported.

Two Americans were among the injured and have been hospitalized, police said.

Thieves broke into a vehicle of a federal officer and stole his semiautomatic rifle and body armor vest late Friday, ABC news reported

Along with the .223 caliber rifle and vest, about 100 rounds of ammunition, binoculars, a digital camera, GPS units and a Sony recorder were stolen, the Star Tribune reported.

The federal agent's vehicle was unmarked and items were also stolen from three family vehicles in the driveway on the same block, police said.

"We want the rifle back. We are very concerned that it is on the street," Stillwater Sgt. Jeff Stender said.

A 17-year-old drove her car into oncoming traffic on a major southwest metro highway Thursday, struck a car head-on and killed the driver, the Star Tribune reported.

State Patrol said the crash occurred about 7:30 p.m. Thursday on Hwy. 169, just north of Jordan, when the girl's car crossed the median and hit a northbound car, WCCO reported.

Zachary Anderson, 27, of St. James, Minn., was killed during the accident, family members said.

Anderson's passenger, friend Will Sizer, 28, sustained non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The teenage driver was also hurt but is expected to survive, police said.

Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli prime minister, has been in a coma since 2006 and has been moved from a hospital to his home in southern Israel, BBC reported.

The 82-year-old suffered a series of strokes four years ago and has since been comatose with no change in his condition, Al-Jazeera reported.

The move is a result of a change in medical thinking that prefers to see long-term patients treated 'in the community' rather than in hospitals, hospital officials said.

Sharon is expected to be returned to a hospital for regular check-ups.

The creator of the famous "Garfield" comic, Jim Davis, has issued an apology for a strip that ran on Veterans Day, the Washington Post reported.

The strip depicts a spider's thoughts as Garfield is about to crush it with a rolled-up newspaper, "If you squish me, I shall become famous!" read the thought bubble.

"They will hold an annual day of remembrance in my honor, you fat slob," the spider continues.

The last square shows the spider at a teacher's desk, as he addressed a group of spiders: "Does anyone here know why we celebrate 'National Stupid Day?'"

The cartoonist said the strip was created almost a year ago, CNN reported

"I had no idea when writing it that it would appear today - of all days," Davis said.

In an obituary done by the New York Times, Frosty the Clown recieved a traditionally styled article.

The lead begins with his name, Glen Little, followed by his claim to fame, Frosty the Clown with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. This lead works well with the obituary and sources, such as Mr. Little's wife, were used to confirm the death. Other sources included Mr. Little's protoges, who gave insight into his worklife, which is what he was known for.

The structure of the obituary differs from that of a resume because the obituary follows his life for what he was known for, a clown. The reporter adds in personal touches with quotes from coworkers, but does not simply just list his accomplishments.

Overall, the obituary follows the classic lead, claim to fame, and biography structure.

Three boys, who are believed to have been abducted by their fathers, have been found safe in the Netherlands, police said.

Brothers John and George Silah were arrested and accused of abducting their three sons from their homes in Los Angeles, California in July of 2008, CNN reported. Alexander, 14, Greg, 12, and Zaven, 11, were taken to a shelter in the Netherlands to be reunited with their mothers, police said.

John is the father of one of the boys and George is the father of the other two, ABC reported.

A woman was critically injured around 6:15 p.m. Friday when she was struck by a car, the KSTP news reported.

The Stillwater woman was running across the street near the 5800 block of Neal Avenue in Oak Park Heights when she was struck by a Ford Excursion, the Star Tribune reported. Erin Cran, 26, is listed in critical condition, police said.

The driver of the vehicle is a 47-year-old Forest Lake woman, who was not injured, police said.