http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/europe/nato-montenegro-membership-invitation/index.html

My article is about the invitation to Montenegro to join NATO. The title is “NATO formally invites Montenegro to join alliance, rankling Russia.” I got the article from cnn.com. NATO was formed in the midst of the Cold War as a defensive alliance against the Soviet Union. Now, the alliance consists of 28 countries. Although the alliance claims to be a defensive alliance that is a threat to no one in particular, Russia has still been angered by the invitation to Montenegro. Russia has threatened to end cooperation with Montenegro if they decide to join the alliance. These events are important because a war between Russia and NATO would surely be the most destructive war in the history of mankind. During the Cold War, when communist countries and free countries were at a standoff, war was prevented by the principle of MAD, or Mutually Assured Destruction. The US and Soviet Union both had enough nuclear weapons to destroy all life on earth several times over, and, because neither country was willing to destroy itself in order to destroy their enemy, war never happened. Now, tensions between Russia and NATO have greatly de-escalated, but the recent conflict in Syria has been heating up relations as the rivals are supporting different sides of the civil war. This invitation to Montenegro has already angered Russia, and if Montenegro joins the wedge between NATO and Russia will be driven deeper, increasing the chances of a military conflict in the future. This event impacts the world because a war between Russia and NATO could very easily become a nuclear war, which would result in the end of the human race and most life on earth. No one wants this to happen, and this is the strongest incentive for the two sides to try and solve conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. The world has watched the US and Russia battle each other through proxy wars and propaganda campaigns for over half a century, but the two countries have never directly been involved in a military conflict as far as anyone knows, other than a few skirmishes between air forces. If war could be prevented in the later half of the twentieth century, then surely it can be prevented now, when so much progress has been made in mending relations between Russia and the US.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/politics/obama-isis-contained-decapitated-abc-news/index.html

My article is about the containment of the terror group ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The title is “Obama: ISIS not growing, but not ‘decapitated’”. I got the article from cnn.com. President Obama has announced that he doesn’t think ISIS is gaining strength, but also admits that the US plan has yet to decapitate the organization. Obama says that the plan from the beginning was to contain them, and that that has been a success. One method employed by the US is an attempt to stop the flow of foreign fighters to ISIS. This event impacts me because ISIS is one of the most dangerous terror groups around today. They are capable of will soon be capable of massive terror attacks in the US. These could affect me greatly if carried out successfully. The destruction of ISIS is necessary for any kind of world peace. They have done nothing but pillage and murder across the Middle East. This event impacts the world because thousands of humans have already been murdered by ISIS. Countless more have lost their homes, their property, and family members to ISIS. They will continue to expand and wreak havoc across the globe until they are all dead. The US should use greater force to annihilate them. As long as they exist, the world is in danger.

My article is about Yazidi refugees returning to their homes to fight ISIS. The title is “Driven by horrific memories, Yazidis prepare to reclaim their homes from ISIS.” Hundreds of Yazidis have been massacred by ISIS, and even more have been sold into slavery. Many Yazidi women have been killing themselves in captivity, believing that slavery under ISIS is a fate worse than death. About 5000 Yazidis have taken up arms to fight ISIS instead of continuing to run away. There are hundreds of ISIS soldiers still in the Yazidis homeland, and many will die before they leave. This event affects me because ISIS is one of the most prominent terror groups today. They are only getting bigger, and are a growing problem. The Yazidis are fighting to protect their homes, their families, and their sacred religious sites. Thousands of them had to climb a mountain to escape being massacred. ISIS is one of the greatest evils of the modern age and will kill as many people as it can for as long as it can. This event affects the world because ISIS continues to bomb, rape, murder, kill, and destroy as many innocent people as it possibly can. They should be exterminated as soon as possible. The Yazidis are only the first to have to fight to defend their homes. Soon, more and more people will be having to fight ISIS just to stay alive. In a matter of years, we may be fighting them here as well. Every day, they grow stronger and destroy more irreplaceable history.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/middleeast/yazidis-prepare-to-reclaim-homes-from-isis/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/americas/mexico-el-chapo-escape/index.html

My article is about the detainment of the group who helped drug lord El Chapo escape from prison. The title is “Group behind ‘El Chapo’ escape detained, Mexican attorney general says.” I got the article from cnn.com. The article is about the detainment of the group who helped El Chapo escape from prison. El Chapo was the world’s most powerful drug lord until he was arrested in February of last year. Last July, he escaped from a maximum-security prison by crawling out of a tunnel. Mexican authorities claim to have arrested El Chapo’s brother-in-law and others thought to be connected to his escape. 34 people have been arrested so far for aiding in the escape, but El Chapo himself remains elusive. I think that it’s pretty impressive that El Chapo was able to escape from a maximum security prison. I think he has to have some political connections in the Mexican government. Otherwise, his escape wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. It is well known that there has been corruption in the Mexican government for years. I think that it is important that El Chapo is detained because he is very powerful and very dangerous. He has probably been responsible for lots of deaths, as the drug cartel are some of the most vicious criminals in the world. This event could affect me if El Chapo and his cartel buddies decide to harvest my organs for profit, or sell me into slavery in some South American meth lab. Many people have suffered at the hands of people like El Chapo, and he must be detained. This event impacts the world because El Chapo is the world’s most powerful drug lord. He has the men, the weapons, and the influence to cause a lot of damage. The cartel kill whoever they want for any reason, and ruin thousands of lives by distributing drugs like meth and cocaine. The world suffers as El Chapo lives. The cartel have a lot of political influence in South and Central America, and El Chapo is among the most powerful.

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/image/131054988141

“He likes when I give him hugs.”

i like this Humans of NY post because it reminds of me of being a little kid, when you’re always happy for no particular reason, and can have fun in any situation.

A drug and alcohol awareness forum will be held next Thursday for parents and community members after a recent poll discovered that a large number of Leaguetown students have illegally consumed alcohol and drugs.

After the worrying results of the poll, Principal Davis Weeton organized a series of speakers including former addicts, law enforcement officials, and a motivational speaker.

“Sam White, a 1999 Leaguetown graduate will also speak,” Principal Weeton said. “He was featured at one of the February assemblies at the school. He started using drugs and alcohol as a freshman in high school.”

Some parents incorrectly believe that their children wouldn’t even considered taking illegal drugs or drinking alcohol.

“I was shocked by the survey results,” Robert Deadmon, parent of a high school student, said. “I thought that maybe the kids just lied to shock the school, but then I sat down with my son, a junior. He told me he’s tried several different alcoholic beverages and considered buying Xanax from a friend.”

Still, some students remain strong on their beliefs that drinking won’t ruin your future.

“Sure, those speakers had good messages, and were kind of scary, but most students don’t drink or use that much,” Kiki Deeds, senior, said. “Drinking on the weekends isn’t going to turn you into an addict.”

The results of the poll has raised concern among many parents about the situation, and they want to know what they can do to help.

“I plan on attending the meeting on Thursday. I have a freshman and a senior. I want to know as much information as possible.” Stephanie Mulshoe said.

Students at Leaguetown believe the polls are accurate, and many are willing to openly discuss the substance abuse issue and their role in it.

“The results didn’t surprise me. You can get alcohol any weekend in Leaguetown, and I’ve been offered Xanax at several different parties,” junior Robert Earl said.

Not all students are a lost cause when it comes to substance and alcohol abuse, however; after Sam White, spoke in February, more than 500 students pledged to be drug and alcohol free.

“I know it’s just a piece of paper,” White said, “But at least we have them thinking about saying ‘no.’ At least we’ve told them it’s all right to say ‘no.’”

Following a district-wide server hack, the yearbook staff has found itself scrambling to acquire computers to complete the yearbook and meet their February 27 deadline. The school board will vote on renting computers on February 6.

If the staff miss their deadline, then the school tradition of Yearbook Day will be ruined and the school will have to pay a fee for being late with the yearbook.

“If the board does not approve the $500 expenditure, I am not sure what we will do. I would rather not think that way,” Stephens said.

If the staff misses the deadline, the yearbooks will likely not come in before the end of the year, jeopardizing the school’s tradition of Yearbook Day, where seniors sign each others’ yearbooks, eat, and play games.

“We have to get our yearbooks before school is out. Yearbook Day is one of the highlights of our senior year,” senior Reggie White said.

However, things aren’t looking good for the yearbook staff or the senior class; especially if the school board votes against renting the computers.

“Our yearbook representative warned us that if we didn’t make the deadline, the chances of the book arriving before summer break were slim,” yearbook editor Alexis Zavia said. “We were confident this would not be a problem. In fact, before this computer hacking problem, we were ahead of schedule.”

Seniors at Leaguetown High School still have their fingers crossed, and hope that they get to experience the same tradition as Leaguetown seniors have for 22 years.

“Yearbook day is more popular than prom,” White said.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/06/politics/russia-syria-isis/index.html

My article is about Russia’s involvement in the Syrian civil war. The title is ¨NATO says Russian ground troops in Syria, Turkey’s airspace violated again.¨ I got the article from cnn.com. The Syrian civil war has been going on for almost 5 years between Assad’s government and the rebel forces who want him removed. About 200,000 people have died since the violence started in 2011. To make matters worse, the rise of ISIS has created a three way war between Assad, the rebels, and ISIS fighters as they take over large parts of Syria. Now, Russia’s involvement is becoming more and more serious. Russian war planes, navy ships, and even ground troops are moving into position around Syria. The biggest problem, however, arises from Russia’s alleged violation of Turkey’s airspace. Turkey is a member of NATO, an organization created to counter Soviet aggression during the Cold War. Russia claims to be establishing a military presence in Syria to fight the Islamic State, but many have suspicions that Russia is instead helping Assad’s government and attacking rebel forces. This would mean Russia is assisting a government who used chemical weapons on its citizens, arrested and tortured school children for writing anti-government graffiti, and fired on protesters. I believe that Syria’s civil war should be left to Syria. I doubt that Russia is in Syria to fight ISIS. They probably are launching some attacks on ISIS, but I think their main reason for having such a strong military presence in Syria is to help Assad defeat the rebel factions. US officials at the Pentagon believe that Russia is attacking rebels, rather than ISIS. If Russia helps Assad, then the rebels will likely lose, though it will take a while to defeat them because it is several, as many as 1000, different factions are fighting the government. And if the rebels lose, things in Syria will only get worse, as Assad will want to punish the rebels. Also, the Syrian government used chemical weapons, a violation of the Geneva Convention, and on civilians. There are some times when other nations need to step in; just as we had to step in to stop Hitler, we need to step in to stop Assad and Russia before things get even worse in Syria. If Russia and Turkey go to war, the US goes to war as well, according to the rules of NATO. The US backs the Syrian rebels and, of course, Turkey, while Russia backs Assad. If something isn’t done quickly, things could get bad.This event affects me because I will probably die if Russia starts shooting nukes at us. This event impacts the world because it could possibly grow into a much bigger conflict. The nation of Syria has been torn apart, and civilians are suffering. If Russia begins to openly attack rebels, the US will have to respond accordingly, and Russia is not known for backing down. While Russia is no longer the superpower Soviet Union, it is still a major threat to the US and its allies if a war was to start. The world will be severely impacted if this situation escalates.

My article is about how Nepal has banned inexperienced climbers from attempting to scale Mount Everest. The title is “Nepal bans novice climbers from Everest, considers more limits.” I got the article on cnn.com. Climbing Mount Everest was once among the most prestigious achievements an adventurer could put under his belt, but in recent years, wealthy, inexperienced climbers have been hiring professional guides to essentially carry them to the top, using oxygen tanks and other equipment. This has turned Everest into a competition of who can afford to pay someone to take them up the mountain, instead of who can train hard enough and climb with enough dedication to reach the summit. “We must maintain the glory of Everest climbing,” M. K. Sapkota, joint secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism said. On the climb, where the air gets so thin that it is nearly impossible to breathe without the use of oxygen tanks, people who haven’t trained adequately enough often die; the death rate of those who attempt to climb the mountain is around 5-6%. The mountain has also become littered with trash left behind by climbers, raising environmental concerns as well as safety concerns for the climbers. Now, anyone who has not reached the summit of a different mountain of at least 21,325 feet tall will not be allowed to attempt to climb Everest. Nepal is also considering placing age limits and limits on handicapped climbers in the future. Although I don’t like to see governments keeping people out of places, I think that these restrictions will be better for the mountain and will reduce the number of deaths of climbers. When inexperienced people enter one of the most hostile places on earth, they often die horrible, painful deaths when something goes wrong. These restrictions will also return climbing Everest to what it once was; a great accomplishment, a test of manhood, that only the greatest of climbers could do. Environmentally speaking, the mountain will also be better off now than before, as the bulk of the litter on the mountain was likely left by inexperienced climbers who carelessly left their garbage behind as they headed for the summit. This event affects me because I have considered climbing Everest in the future, and now if I want to do it I’ll have to climb another mountain first. This impacts the world because the summit of Everest is literally the top of the world, and now it is harder for people to get to it. The mountain will be better off. Less people will die attempting to do something they really shouldn’t be trying to do in the first place. However, Sherpas will be making less money and the economy of Nepal will be impacted. A large amount of tourism to Nepal is by people who want to climb Everest, and those people won’t be visiting as much now that experience is required to climb it.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/29/travel/nepal-everest-limits-feat/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/middleeast/stampede-hajj-pilgrimage/

This article is about the stampede in Saudi Arabia that killed over 700 people. The title is “Stampede kills more than 700 at Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.” The article came from cnn.com. A stampede took place during one of the last rituals of the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, killing at least 700 and injuring almost a thousand more, at the latest count. The ritual the Muslims were performing before they began to trample each other is known as “stoning the devil.” This is not the first time large amounts of people have died during this ceremony; in 1990, another stampede killed 1,426, and only 13 days ago a crane collapsed and killed over 100 at the Islamic Grand Mosque in Mecca. Pilgrims were walking to the pillars to perform the ritual when the crowd surged, causing many people to fall down. It is unknown what caused the crowd surge. When i woke up this morning, the death toll was only around 100. Now, it is over 700. This event demonstrates how dangerous crowds can be, and how easy it is to be trampled when people start to panic. This event makes me apprehensive about going places where there are large crowds that might turn into stampedes. I already feel claustrophobic when I’m walking in a crowd; now I will be worrying about an event like this happening. This event impacts the world because a large amount of Muslims died during one of their most sacred rituals. Even after the route was made safer after previous deaths, it clearly is still not completely safe. Many Muslims will be dissuaded from participating in this ritual in the future for fear of getting caught in the middle of something like this. Some may be angered at the Saudi government for not ensuring a safer pilgrimage for Muslims.