February 2013 Archives

The number of diagnoses of mesastatic breast cancer in women between the ages of 25 to 39 been increasing by 2 percent every year since 1976 a study released on Tuesday said, news sources reported.

The Journal of the American Medical Association said this increase has been seen in women living in rural and urban places and belong to a variety of races and ethnicities, CNN reported.

Though the percentage of diagnoses has only increased by 2 percent every year since 1976 researchers are worried because the cancers that the patients were diagnosed with spread to all areas of the body making recovery very difficult, New York Times reported.

Though only 1.8 percent of all diagnoses of breast cancer are in women 20 to 34 the recovery rate is significantly lower, New York Times reported.

The survival rate of a five-year period has increased from 15 percent to 30 percent Dr. Rebecca Johnson, the study's lead author, told CNN.

"If women could be diagnosed earlier (before the cancer spreads), then each individual woman that that happens to stands to do a lot better, stands a better chance of living," Johnson told CNN news.

The identity of the St. Paul woman that was found dead in a tow truck was identified Sunday, news sources reported.

Brittany Clardy, 18, was found inside a tow truck in the Columbia Heights impound lot Feb. 13, Star Tribune reported.

Clardy was identified by Todd Schwartz, a man that worked with her mother, and Clardy's friends, Star Tribune reported.

Clardy was later officially identified by St. Paul police spokesperson Paul Paulos on Sunday, Star Tribune reported.

Clardy went missing on Feb. 11 after going to the grocery store for her mother and not returning, Star Tribune reported.

Ten days later Clardy's body was found "concealed" inside the tow truck, Anoke County Sherriff's office said to Pioneer Press reported.

Clardy worked as a teacher at a wife's child care program, Star Tribune reported.

"How could she be in an impound lot for eight days? I think we failed as a society. We didn't do due diligence in a search. I don't know if it would have changed the outcome, but she wouldn't have sat in an impound lot. It's disturbing," Beth Bowman a parent of one of Clardy's students said, Star Tribune reported.

In the ABC News article "Oscar Pistorius' Brother Carl Faces Culpable Homicide Charge" the author expands on a previous issue that has been in the news.

In previous reports such as the NY Daily News article "Bloody cricket bat at center of Reeva Steenkamp murder case: reports," the author summarizes the previous facts of the case such as who is being accused and how Steenkamp passed. In addition to the previous facts the author elaborates on the bloody cricket bat, which is now seen as being a weapon used in the death of Steenkamp.

In contrast the article written in ABC News they are expanding on a sidebar of the trials against Oscar Pistorius and talking about charges against his brother, which is not relevant to the case at hand. Though it is relating the article to a recent statement made by the attorney of the Pistorius family, the article does not seem news worthy because he is being for a trial from 2008. If the author wanted to inform the audience about the Oscar Pistorius trials they could have briefly mentioned that his brother was also being tried for a murder instead of dedicating a whole article to them.

Actress Anne Hathaway receives an Oscar for best supporting actress in Les Miserables Sunday, news sources report.

At the 85th Academy Awards Hathaway received her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, The Guardian reported.

Other actors that were nominated for Amy Adams, Sally Field, Helen Hunt, and Jacki Weaver, Huffington Post reported.

Hathaway starred as the character Fantine in Les Miserables and sang "I Dreamed a Dream," Huffington Post reported.

The judges said that Sally Fields was a distant second, Huffington Post reported.

Hathaway previous nomination was for her Best Actress in the 2008 drama Rachel Getting Married, The Guardian reported.

University of Minnesota announced that they would be offering free classes online Wednesday, news sources reported.

The University of Wisconsin- Madison and the University of Minnesota along with 29 institutions have with Coursera in offering online classes otherwise known as "massive open online courses" (MOOCs), Pioneer Press reported.

Five University of Minnesota professors have agreed to offer their classes online, Star Tribune reported.

Classes include Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics and Sustainability of Food Systems, Pioneer Press reported.

These classes will "make available to the broader public the expertise of our faculty," Karen Hanson University Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs said, Star Tribune reported.

A 19-year-old Winona State University student was found dead in his dorm room Sunday, news sources reported.

Mitchell Grierson was found dead by his roommate in their dorm at Morey Hall, Winona Daily News reported.

Police said no obvious signs of trauma and that all causes of death are being investigated, Pioneer Press reported.

Grierson enrolled at WSU in the fall of 2012 and was studying mass communication, Pioneer Press reported.

The vice president for student life and development Connie Gores said, "As we mourn the loss of this young man, I encourage everyone to reach out to those who may be suffering and come together to remember his life. Our companionship and support we offer each other may help us make peace with this tremendous loss. Please keep Mitchell's family and friends in your thoughts and hearts," to Winona Daily News.

The official Twitter account of Burger King was hacked Monday, news sources reported.

The account photo was changed to McDonald's logo, which was accompanied by the tweet "We just got sold to McDonalds!" the Star Tribune reported.

The account name was also changed to McDonalds, CBS News reported.

Burger King contacted Twitter to have the account suspended after the site had been hacked for an hour and 45 minutes and over 55 tweets had been sent, the Star Tribune reported.

The hackers were able to send links to celebrities and profanity to Burger King's 85,048 followers, CBS News reported.

Who the hackers are is still unknown, but McDonald's and other competitors were empathetic towards Burger King and the incident, the Star Tribune reported.

Burger King regained control of their site and sent out the tweet, "Interesting day here at BURGER KING, but we're back! Welcome to our new followers. Hope you all stick around!" the Star Tribune reported.

An African model died Sunday and Olympian Oscar Pistorius is a suspect in the ongoing investigation, news sources reported.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot four times and may have been hit with a cricket bat, New York Daily News reported.

Police are unsure about the details of Steenkamp's death, New York Daily News reported.

Steenkamp was spending the night at Pistorius' home when she was killed, CNN reported.

Pistorius has been charged with murder and will in court for his bail hearing on Tuesday, CNN reported.

Steenkamp will be cremated and buried in her hometown of Port Elizabeth Tuesday, New York Daily News reported.

In the Pioneer Press' article "St. Paul K-9 killer fatally shot by police had been charged in girl's sex abuse" is simple to read because of how well the story is structured.

The author first starts with explaining who was the killer and why his death is significant. Then the author moves onto where and how the shooting took place. Then the author ends with describing the victim of this case, the K-9 officer that was killed.

The story was effective in the sense the the reader could have read the first three paragraphs and known everything about the case, but I do believe that there is a more effective way to describe what happened to the K-9 officer.

What I do not like about this news story is how they spend a major portion talking about the K-9 who was killed. I think the story should have focused on the history of Anderson and ended the story with the thankfulness of K-9 officers and with the heartfelt quote from the police department.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian bypassed airport security with the help of an airline employee at JFK International Airport in New York Tuesday, news sources reported.

On a flight returning from Brazil an American Airlines employee allowed West and Kardashian to bypass airport security checkpoint for their flight to Los Angeles, USA Today reported.

The employee escorted the couple "through a non-public area in order to provide expedited access to their domestic flight," ABC News reported.

The couple was cleared for their flight, but only after a 50 minute delay, ABC News reported.

"This was a lapse in judgment by one of our employees. We're working closely with the Transportation Security Administration and speaking to the individuals involved to better understand what happened," American Airlines said in a statement USA Today reported.

A Minneapolis high school cafeteria fight sent four people to the hospital Thursday, news sources reported.

Police estimated that 200 to 300 students were involved in the cafeteria fight at South High, which was sparked by growing racial tensions concerning Somali-American students, Star Tribune reported.

During the cafeteria fight three students and a staff member were hospitalized. Otherwise the injuries others received were minor, police said to Pioneer Press.

No charges have been filed, but police stated that charges of rioting and disorderly conduct could be filed, Star Tribune reported.

After the cafeteria fight South High was put into lock down, Pioneer Press reported.

A St. Paul man died by police gunfire Tuesday after the stabbing a police dog to death, news sources reported.

Alden Patrick Anderson died after St. Paul Police were trying to arrest Anderson on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Pioneer Press reported.

When St. Paul police entered a home on the 700 block of Aurora Street to arrest Anderson he grabbed police K-9 Kody and stabbed him to death, 5 Eyewitness News reported.

Anderson was charged with sexual conduct with a fourteen-year-old girl that became pregnant in March 2006, Pioneer Press reported.

Mayor Chris Coleman spoke Tuesday regarding police K-9 Kody's death, "My heart goes out to Officer Longbehn and his family as they cope with the loss of Kody. Kody was Officer Longbehn's eyes and ears on the front line and served Dave, the Saint Paul Police Department, and our city with honor for seven years. K-9 dogs take on whatever task is asked of them, oftentimes amidst the worst of circumstances. I thank him for his sacrifice for the city, I am thankful for the safety of Officer Longbehn and other officers involved in this incident, and I will remember Kody fondly as a good partner and companion for Officer Longbehn and the City of Saint Paul," 5 Eyewitness News reported.

American Airlines and US Airways agreed to merge Wednesday creating one of the largest carriers in the United States, news sources reported.

The new merger will be officially announced Thursday morning, Huffington Post reported.

The merger between this company will take the name of American Airlines, New York Times reported.

The merger between American Airlines and US Airways will become one of top four airlines in the United States. American Airlines and US Airways will be competing with United, Delta and Southwest. These four airlines would control more than 70 percent of the market, New York Times reported.

When combined the company will be worth $11 billion, Huffington Post reported.

Before the merger can become official America's bankruptcy judge in New York, US Airways shareholders and the Justice Department's antitrust division must approve of this new deal, New York Times reported.

Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday his future resignation that will occur on Feb. 28, news sources reported.

Benedict announced said that his position, "both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," New York Times reported.

Benedict resignation is the first to occur in 600 years, Huffington Post reported.

Benedict was elected in 2005 after the death of John Paul II, New York Times reported.

A new pope is expected to be elected by Easter, Associated Press reported.

In the Pioneer Press' article, "Minnesota ranch in refuge from sex trafficking," there are signs of poor attribution.

In the article the author cites an article from Minnesota Public Radio, but does not offer any other attribution within the story. The story is short and brief and does not offer many details about the story. In comparison to the article written by Minnesota Public Radio, there is a noticeable difference in the amount of work that was put into the story.

The Pioneer Press story seems as if they transcribed a summary of the article written by Minnesota Public Radio and did not include any additional information. If the information was found elsewhere it is not noted in the article.

The article in the Pioneer Press would have been better if more sources were used in addition to the Minnesota Public Radio article.

Minnesota lawmakers begin the second step in providing more safe houses for teenagers that are victims of sex trafficking at the capitol Sunday, news sources reported.

The first step in this process occurred in 2011 when Minnesota passed a Safe Harbor law, Minnesota Public Radio reported. This law states that all children under the age of 16 are considered victims when they involved in prostitution and other sexual exploitation, not delinquents, Pioneer Press reported.

One of the safe houses mentioned was Heartland Girls' Ranch in Benson, Minnesota. Founded 20 years ago a number of girls were sent to Heartland Girls' Ranch because of abuse, neglect, and now most recently sexual exploitation, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Instead of being sent to juvenile detention centers counties pay $169 a day for each of these girls at the Heartland Girls' Ranch, Pioneer Press reported. Though the Safe Harbor law does become active until August of this year, there is no proposal for the $13.5 million that is needed to facilitate more establishments like Heartland Girls' Ranch in Gov. Mark Dayton's budget, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

S&C Electric Company claimed responsibility Friday for the power outage at the Superbowl in New Orleans, news sources reported.

The device that was installed earlier in 2011 to prevent the blackouts. The Superdome has not had any prior problems until the game between Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, New York Times reported.

S&C vice president, Michael Edmonds, told CNN that the relay's setting was too low, which caused the to trigger when there was an overload in electricity, CNN reported.

CEO Charles Rice said, "Rest assured, the Superdome is fully functional," CNN reported.

New Orleans plans on bidding on hosting the Superbowl again in 2018, New York Times reported.

Stuart Freeborn, the makeup artist for the Star Wars film series, died Tuesday in London, news sources report.

George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars films said, "[Freeborn] brought with him not only decades of experience, but boundless creative energy. His artistry and craftsmanship will live on forever in the characters he created," CNN reported.

Freeborn was 98 when he died, but had a life full of success. He worked for more than 75 films including Doctor Strangelove, Space Odyssey, and Oliver Twist, New York Times reported.

The University of Minnesota- Twin Cities and TCF Bank along with other schools and banks across the country are being scrutinized by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, news sources report.

These inquiries began Jan. 31 when the CFPB announced that there were going to begin "launching an inquiry into all the financial products being marketed to college students around the country," the Star Tribune reported. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group there are almost 900 institutions in the United States that have contracts with banks, Star Tribune reported.

The University of Minnesota announced in June that the current contract agreement with TCF Bank will be extended until 2023 and there is an additional six-year extension option, MN Daily reported.

At the University of Minnesota alone more than 36,000 active TCF Bank accounts have been opened for its students, MN Daily reported.

University of Minnesota's CFO and Treasurer Richard Pfutzenreuter said in response to the inquiry, "We think our card relationship with TCF Bank on the U Card is one of the best relationships in the country," Star Tribune reported.

TCF spokesman Jason Korstange also responsed to the inquiry and said that TCF has "a very open relationship with the University of Minnesota and expect to continue it for a long time," MN Daily reported.

Lindsey Vonn, defending gold medal Olympian, needs reconstruction knee surgery after falling during the super-G race in Schladming, Austria Tuesday, news sources report.

After medical personnel assisted Vonn for 12 minutes she was airlifted to a hospital. Vonn suffered two torn knee ligaments and a lateral tibial plateau fracture, United States ski team's medical director said to New York Times.

Dr. Tom Hackett, a team physician for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association, told the New York Times the future for Vonn looks optimistic. "We've had a lot of skiers and snowboarders come back in a year and do very well, " Hackett said.

In a special interview Vonn told the Denver Post that she was unable to train prior to the race Tuesday because of the weather conditions. Many other contestants were unable to finish the race because of the "extreme situation" the weather had caused, USA Today reported.

Vonn "is expected to return to racing for the 2013-14 Audi FIS World Cup season and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi," the Washington Post reported.

In the Pioneer Press's article, "6 sue over roles in suspended law enforcement drug training program," the author did not demonstrate how to accurately report information.

In the article the author stated that the plaintiff was asking for $2 million in damages from the Minneapolis Police Department. According to both Minnesota Public Radio and Star Tribune and the articles they wrote about this incident, the amount of damages that the plaintiff is demanding is incorrect. The actual amount that the plaintiff is requesting $1 million in damages.

When this occurs it is hard to rely on the publication for accurate information in the rest of the story. Though no other information seemed to be incorrect when cross referenced with the articles written by Minnesota Public Radio and Star Tribune, it is a must that reporter should double check the facts that they received.

Six Twin Cities residents filed a lawsuit to sue the Minneapolis Police Department on Friday in response to the allegation that MPD paid these individuals large amounts of marijuana and observed their behavior, news sources report.

The plaintiffs include Adam Laguna, Michael Bounds, Forest Oliver, Daniel Bell, Wia Day, and Zachary Lorenz, which may of these individuals are homeless, the Pioneer Press reported. The plaintiffs are asking for $1 million for the damages they have received, in which individuals like Bounds suffered from epilepsy and schizophrenia, Star Tribune reported.

All these individuals suffered from the effects of the Drug Recognition Evaluator program (DRE). This program is consisted of over 200 police officers in Minnesota, but has since been suspended, the Star Tribune reported. The program allowed the officers to give individuals drug and observed their actions while they got high, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Attorney Nathan Hansen claims that his clients were treated like "human guinea pigs," which infringed upon their dignity, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson, wins The Associated Press 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player award on Saturday, news sources report.

Other nominees for this award include Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, Pioneer Press reported. Peterson won by 11 1-2 votes "from a nation wide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL," Star Tribune reported.

The new MVP's achievements include rushed 2,019 yards and was short by nine yards breaking Eric Dickerson's record, Star Tribune reports.

Also on Saturday Peterson won Offensive Player of the Year award, Star Tribune reports.