Number 3

The article in the Washington Post titled New Rules on Stem Cells Threaten Current Research was about how the new regulations on Stem Cell Research might hamper the work that has already been done in that field. During Bush’s Presidency, there were about twenty-one lines of stem cells that were aloud to be federally funded. Under the proposed changes, only two of those lines would be considered ethical to work on. Many scientists feel that the new policy would take away from all of the effort that was already put into the research.
I chose this article because stem cell research is still a controversial topic, and I prefer to know a little bit about controversial topics. For the most part, the passage was well written. Substantial background knowledge was given to help the uneducated reader, such as myself, better understand the subject. I would give it two thumbs up.

New Post, #2

The Washington Post article, Nuclear Cleanup Awards Questioned, covered the topic of nuclear waste and who is cleaning it up. In the past, many private companies had been hired by the federal government to dispose of nuclear waste. A few of these businesses were accused and found guilty of poor regulation of their nuclear sites as well as trying to cheat the government by skimping on taxes. The Energy Department was disappointed in how the waste situation was being handled and unsure of how to continue the challenging process of disposing of the contaminants. Now, however, President Obama’s stimulus plan is “opening a bountiful stream” of funding into cleaning up the mess that has been left behind. The issue with this new financial support is that a good chunk of the money is going back to those same companies that did not get the job done so many years ago. Politicians are questioning whether funding these companies is the right idea or not. Only time will tell.
I chose this article because the title caught my eye. Whenever the word “Nuclear” is in the first line or two of an article, I feel as though it should be read. Too many dangerous events could happen or be happening when something “Nuclear” is involved. The article itself was pretty well written. The author gave a good amount of background knowledge to the reader and gave her piece an easy flow by effectively using paragraphs. All in all, the article was a decent read.

It's been awhile...

It is a new quarter HHS, and means new blog posts. I chose to read an article titled An Iraqi Cleric’s Swift Rise and Swift Fall. This article was about how a wealthy businessman named Muthanna Youssef Hammoud was kidnapped in Thuluyah, Iraq. However, Hammoud was kidnapped back in October of 2006. The reason the article was in the Washington Post this week was because it was only recently that Iraqi and U.S. soldiers arrested the man who was believed to have been the mastermind behind the whole operation. His name is Nadhim Khalil, and he was a former insurgent leader and American ally. All of the controversy over this event was due to the vying of political power that went on in Iraq after Khalil’s arrest. The media blamed the departure of American Troops as a major factor in the recent event.
I chose this article because foreign policy interests me. There is always something going on overseas, and I feel somewhat responsible to know a tad about what is going on out side of the U.S. I honestly do not know that much, but by reading these articles I am hoping that some of the facts will stick. As a whole, the article was written fairly well. The author hit all of the main points left the reader wanting more. The only thing that I wish were different about it is that there was more background story. The author briefly discussed why the issue was important, but, as an uneducated reader, it left me wanting more.

The final editorial...for now

The editorial, tilted Food for Thought, was quite informative. It commented on President Obama’s new idea on food safety. The President is hiring some new faces to help head the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, in hopes that new management will help tighten up legislation concerning food regulation. The author commented on how Congress always seems to call for reform policies right after a food scare, like the contaminated peanut incident a while back, but never seems to follow up on all of its big talk. The author makes it clear to the reader that he/she believes that the change Obama’s team hopes to bring will be a positive step in the right direction for the Nation’s food industry.
The author makes a good point. After the peanut scare, many Americans hoped that the Government would step in and make the food of America safer to eat. Congress had given the idea to the people that something would be done. The fact that the new President is finally trying to clean up the food industry is a good sign to the citizens of this great country that the United States of America has a President who is willing to back his words with action. Now all Congress has to do is confirm his nominations so “they can get to work.”

Week 5 of the editorials

This week’s article, titled A Moral Stand, was a call for action. The author asked President Obama to make a decision concerning stem cell research. Obama had recently pronounced that “federal funding” could “go forward on a much broader scale”. However, the author of the article points out that the President’s decision was too vague to be of any substantial help. What the author truly wants is for the President to make a choice, no matter what it may be, and explain it to America.
I agree with the author that it is not too much to ask of the President to make a clear decision concerning this issue. I understand that Mr. Obama needs to be a little fuzzy about some of his specifics, because he does not want to upset any of the American citizens with his decision. However, he needs to let his country know just where exactly they are going on this path we call stem cell research. It is a difficult position that the President is in, and I, for one, am glad that I do not have to make this decision.

The 4th of 6 Editorials

This week’s editorial, Mr. President, Time to Rein in the Chaos, was about the nation’s economy. The author, Andrew S. Grove, commented not on the “what of the Obama team’s efforts but on the how”. Grove claimed that instead of trying to tackle too many “monumental problems” like the economy and energy and environmental policies, the federal government needs to tackle one issue at a time. Speaking from forty years of business experience, the author asked our president to “Rein in the Chaos” and make some decisions.
I whole heartily agree with Mr. Grove. It is always difficult to be the leader of a new order, and I think we definitely have the right man for the job. However, we have spent many months experimenting with the economy. It is time for a decision, a decisive course of action. No matter what the path may be, the country needs the President to lead us down it.

Editorial num. 3

This week’s editorial was about the University of the District of Columbia. It was titled Rejuvenating UDC. The University wants to become a standalone community college. However, UDC has been falling apart and is unsure how to fix itself. Well, that is not entirely true. The new President of the University, Allen Sessoms, proposed a “series of startling new ideas” for UDC. However, many of the students at the school are not anxious to back the plan because it would involve a “massive increase” in their tuition. The author also wanted to mention that furthermore, the Mayor of D.C. is not Mr. Sessoms’s biggest fan. With all the hurdles that the school must face, no one is very sure about what will happen to UDC.
Personal Opinion: I believe that if UDC wants to make a change, now is the time. There is an old saying that goes something like “there is no time like the present”, and I believe that there is a lot of truth in that. It is a shame that the proposed changes have to come at such a high price. However, if the University really needs them to better itself and to make the school more respectable, then I say that the students should buck up and pay. College is expensive. Period. If the students are not happy with where they are going, then they have the ability to go somewhere else.