Current Event #18: “Coronavirus: Monkeys ‘escape with COVID-19 samples' after attacking lab assistant”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

5-29-20

C Class

On Friday, May 29th, 2020, in Delhi, India, a monkey attacked a laboratory assistant and escaped with a batch of Coronavirus blood samples. The samples were from 3 patients, and they had to have their tests retaken. Soon after the tests were snatched, the monkey was spotted gnawing on one of the tests while sitting in a tree. Later, the tests were taken back from the monkey, and fortunately, they were undamaged. Because the tests were intact, it is assumed that there is no risk of the virus being spread to the monkey or any other animals. Apparently, monkeys are becoming a problem in urban areas of India, and they’re constantly stealing people’s belongings and sometimes destroying them. 

I think that if the monkey had stolen something a lot less important or dangerous, it would be funny. Since it was an important and dangerous object to steal, I’m glad that the monkey didn’t consume anything from the tests. The people were really lucky to have gotten back the tests without them being damaged or consumed.  I also kinda feel bad for the patients who had to retake their test because I’ve heard that they’re horrible to take. Like, they stick a cotton swab thing really far up your nose or something? I’ve seen videos of people crying because it hurt that badly, so I really do feel bad for the people having to take another test. 

Bibliography:

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-monkeys-escape-with-covid-19-samples-after-attacking-lab-assistant-11996752

Current Event #17: “Three-state manhunt ongoing for UConn student after killing, home invasion”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

5-28-20

C Class

University of Connecticut student, Peter Manfredonia, 23, is suspected of killing a 62-year-old man and seriously injuring another on May 22, 2020. He is also suspected of invading someone’s home and stealing multiple firearms. After stealing the firearms, authorities think that he went to the home of an acquaintance where a man was later found dead. They also think that Peter stole a car.  The car was eventually found close to the Pennslyvania border in New Jersey. The Connecticut State Police are working with the FBI to track him.  He was last seen in East Stroudsburg, Pennslyvania, and the police say that Peter is armed and dangerous and should not be approached. 

In my opinion, Peter doesn’t even look like the type of guy to commit crimes like this. I’m not saying that he didn’t do it, because he probably did, but he just looks like a nice guy to me. I hope that the police capture him before any more people get hurt. I wonder how he’s avoided the police for as long as he has. I imagine that it must be difficult when everyone knows what you look like and have been told to call the police if they see you. I also wonder what the motive of it was, because I wouldn’t want to throw away my entire life and my education to commit the crimes that he did. 

Bibliography:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/25/us/uconn-student-manhunt-killing-home-invasion/index.html

Current Event #16: “Father, 2 daughters rescued after boat capsized on Maine pond”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

5-25-20

C Class

At 1:30 pm on May 24th, 2020, on Parlin Pond in Maine, Gary French boat capsized. He and his two daughters were in the boat on the pond, when the weather began to be atrocious and the winds picked up. The terrible weather and the winds caused the boat to capsize and the three to fall into the water. They were still in the water when the owners of the camp that the pond was in found them after hearing one of the daughters screaming. Once the owners, Emily and Kris MacCabe, heard the screaming, they got into their boat and helped them. They were suffering from hypothermia in the water, but luckily, they did not need any further treatment. 

I’m glad that one of the daughters had screamed and was heard by the owners. Imagine if she hadn’t been heard, like what would have happened to them? Or imagine if the owners weren’t around? It could have been an even bigger disaster than it already was, so its a good thing that people were around to help. I’m also glad that they were saved quickly enough to avoid needing any more treatment for hypothermia. It would have been better if the boat didn’t capsize at all, but it’s pretty much unavoidable when the weather is as trashy as it is in Maine. 

Bibliography:

https://www.wmtw.com/article/father-2-daughters-rescued-after-boat-capsized-on-maine-pond/32660180

Current Event #15: “You can't get your own mug filled at Starbucks anymore because of coronavirus”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

3-6-20

C Class

On March 4, 2020, Starbucks announced that they will not be filling cups that you bring in for a while. Because of this, they will not charge you for the cost of the paper cup that the drink comes in. The reason behind not filling people’s personal cups is the fear of spreading the Coronavirus. They are hoping that this situation will only be temporary, but they are still unsure.  Starbucks has also increased how thoroughly they will be cleaning their stores and suspending all business-related travel, such as large meetings. Not using paper cups has stopped millions of pounds of paper from going into landfills, so hopefully, the Coronavirus dies down and Starbucks can continue to do what they’ve been doing since 1985. 

Wow. I started this current event on March, 6th, and today is April 27th. My opinion has obviously changed from before, due to the fact that a lot of worse things have happened because of the Coronavirus. At the time I wrote this, I thought that it smart, but maybe a bit too precautious.  Now I know that they did exactly the right thing and it was a really good idea to not fill personal cups and increase cleaning. I’m glad that they were so cautious and helped prevent the spread of the virus. I’m hoping that the Coronavirus will slow soon, because I’m very bored at my house and I’m gaining weight. Although I want the Coronavirus to slow, it has been doing great things for our environment, like decreasing the number of cars creating pollution by forcing us all to stay home. It also does things that are bad for the environment, like not allowing us to use reusable cups. The reusable cups have prevented so much paper from going into the landfills, so Coronavirus is really trashy and needs to be slowed down. 

Bibliography:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/04/business/starbucks-coronavirus/index.html

Current Event #14: “A bullet remains lodged in the vertebrae of a 7-year-old girl, shot during a drive by shooting in Waterville”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

3-5-20

C Class

On February 29th, 2020, Emaleeah Frost, a 7-year-old girl, was eating a snack in her bedroom when she was shot by a bullet that missed her spinal cord by an inch. She was immediately flown to a hospital in Portland. A GoFundMe account has been made to cover her hospital expenses, and $14,500 has been raised so far for her. The bullet currently still remain lodged in her vertebrae. Although the police have spent the weekend searching for the person responsible for the attack, they still have not been found yet. Back in October of 2019, a woman was shot and killed on the same block, causing people to worry about the rising crime rate in the neighborhood. 

I think that shooting a little girl is horrible. I hope the person who attacked her gets caught quickly and gets a long prison sentence. No one deserves to be shot at for no reason, especially when the bullet could have possibly killed her. Hopefully, enough money will be raised to cover all of the hospital bills. I’m also hoping that she recovers fully and won’t have any problems healing after the incident. I really wish that the crime rate doesn’t increase at all, because if this happened to someone I knew, and became a common thing, I would be terrified and upset. 

Bibliography:

https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/UPDATE-7-year-old-girl-remains-hospitalized-police-say-condition-is-stable-568344151.html

Current Event #13: “Police Kill Murder Suspect, Snarl Freeway Traffic for Hours”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

3-4-20

C Class

A 27-year-old man named Madison Adams killed his mother, Guadalupe Adams on January 2nd, in Bakersfield, California. The motive of the murder is still unknown, due to the fact that Madison is now dead. After committing the murder, Madison drove about 200 miles through the Mojave Desert in a 2017 Nissan. Officers that were asked to watch out for him found his car parked on a freeway’s shoulder in Nipton, near the Nevada state line. San Bernadino and Nevada Highway Patrol called for a traffic stop, and then the officers proceeded to open fire on Madison. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and it was unknown if he was carrying a weapon or not. Due to this, there was a traffic jam with cars in lines between 5 and 8 miles long, where people were waiting in their cars late into the night. 

In my opinion, even though Madison murdered his own mother, the officers should not have killed him. They could have peacefully brought him to the police station or held a trial to see what his sentence in prison would be. Since they were unaware of whether he was armed or not, I feel that they had no reason or right to kill him. It does not matter if he was a murderer or not, they shouldn’t have opened fire. He could have just suffered in prison where he belonged, instead of being shot and inconveniencing so many people that were in the traffic jam. They also shouldn’t have shot him because now no one knows the motive of the murder. 

Bibliography:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2020-01-09/probe-partly-shuts-highway-near-california-nevada-line

Current Event #12: Maine schools prepare for potential coronavirus outbreak

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

2-27-20

C Class

People in Maine are preparing for a possible outbreak of the Coronavirus after researchers have said to expect the Coronavirus in the United States. The schools are spraying and cleaning the buses, wiping down all the surfaces, making sure everyone washes their hands, and sending anyone home if they feel unwell. Although there are currently no confirmed cases in Maine, people are saying that the spreading of the virus is inevitable. Dr. Dora Mills says that Mainers should prepare for the storm as we prepare for blizzards. Dr. Mills has said that we should have enough food and supplies in our homes to last for at least 3 days, and stay home as much as possible. Some schools in Maine are saying that when an outbreak occurs, the schools will be shut down for a certain amount of time.

To me, the fact that people are saying that Maine will have an outbreak, and it is a matter of when, not if, really terrifies me. I’m really hoping that the outbreak is somehow slowed and doesn’t reach continue to spread so quickly. I’m also hoping that the researchers are wrong and that the United States will not have a huge outbreak as they’re saying. Imagine not even being able to leave your house or go anywhere or socialize with anyone. I think I would literally die of boredom, but on top of that, I would be worried for all of my friends and family that could possibly get it if we have an outbreak. If the outbreak happens and the schools are shut down for certain amounts of time, I wonder if they would add the time missed onto the end of the year, or if we would make it up in some other way?

Bibliography:

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/life/wellness/maine-schools-prepare-for-potential-coronavirus-outbreak/97-fb08149d-9a55-4ac0-93fa-b279208c0cf5

Current Event #11: “Corona Virus Cases Seemed to Be Leveling Off. Not Anymore.”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

2-12-20

C Class

Right now, just in the Hubei Province, there are 48,206 people infected with the Coronavirus, with 14,840 new cases found just on Thursday. The death toll at the moment is 1,310, and 242 of them are recent. People thought that the outbreak may have been slowing, but after the numbers continued to drastically increase, it was clear that it is not slowing. It is highly contagious and will be hard to get rid of, as one person can infect a lot more people, and it spreads very quickly. People are accidentally infecting others before they themselves are even aware that they have the Coronavirus. Due to how contagious the virus is, The United States and Australia have denied entry to noncitizens who have recently traveled to China, and some airlines have canceled flights. 

I think that the Coronavirus is terrifying to think about, especially with the number of people that have died in the recent outbreak in the Hubei Province. I hope that the outbreak slows soon, and eventually ceases to exist. The fact that so many innocent people are unaware that they have the virus is frightening. I think that denying entry to the people who had recently traveled to China and canceling flights was a really smart idea to make sure that as few people as possible become affected by the virus. Hopefully, people come up with more ideas to avoid the coronavirus, and then it could slow down and eventually stop, or at least be uncommon for someone to have. In addition to how many people have died, the fact that it’s extremely contagious makes the Coronavirus even more alarming. 

Bibliography:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/health/coronavirus-cases-china.html

Current Event #10: “Climate Change Is Ravaging the Arctic, Report Finds”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

12-13-19

C Class

In the past 6 years, the temperatures have been the highest ever recorded in the arctic region. This region has been warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, and is causing researchers to take an interest in it. Iceland and Alaska both set records for their highest temperature in July, and Norway had temperatures about 10 degrees higher than average. In other parts of the Arctic, temperatures could possibly reach up to 23 degrees higher than average. On top of that, 95% of the Greenland Ice sheet has thawed and is causing the sea level to rise, and Greenland is losing ice 7 times faster than it was in the 1990s, which will add about 3 inches to the sea level by the end of the century. Researchers say that if the permafrost continues to thaw, it will cause even more permafrost to thaw, and will begin a cycle of thawing.

In my opinion, I think that climate change is an important issue that needs more awareness. I feel that if something isn’t done soon, effects from it will be irreversible and become an even larger problem than it already is. It also scares me that climate change is so severe and all the problems being caused by the ice melting. To me, this issue is very important and I’m hoping that awareness is spread and more people find ways to help and prevent climate change. I’m afraid of what will happen if people continue to ignore this ongoing concern and assume that it isn’t important or fake. I hope people realize the severity of this situation and begin to help out in any way possible, such as cutting down on all of the pollution that they put into the earth.

Bibliography:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/climate/climate-change-arctic-warming.html?auth=link-dismiss-google1tap

Current Event #9: “Taped confession details how Sharon Carrillo and husband abused daughter before death”

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

12-10-19

C Class

      In February of 2018 in Belfast, Maine, Marissa Kennedy, a ten-year-old girl, died. She died on the way downstairs into the basement to watch “Despicable Me”. Earlier in the year, Marissa’s step-father, Julio Carillo, was convicted of her death and was sentenced to 55 years in prison due to Manslaughter, but it is unknown if he was the true reason Marissa died. Her mother, Sharon Carillo, has stated that she and her daughter were victims of domestic violence at the hands of Julio, but afterward, she admitted to them both constantly beating her child with a belt for the three months leading upMarissa’s death. Sharon told the detectives that the beatings had just gotten out of hand, and originally started as a punishment. Marissa’s mother and step-father had beaten her so much that she was unable to walk or talk correctly, but they assumed she was faking the severity of the beatings and continued to abuse her. 

     My opinion on this subject is that Julio and Sharon are disgusting people and deserve to sit in prison for a very long time. I hope that Marissa gets the justice she deserves, even if she isn’t alive to witness it. I think that nobody should ever do that to someone and that it’s disgraceful if they think that’s a solution to any bad behavior. I hate that people just let it “get out of hand” because there is so much that you could do as a punishment instead of harming a ten-year-old child. An example of different punishment could be grounding the child or having do chores or something, not taking your anger out on them. I wish Marissa didn’t have to die in such a horrible way, and I wish that she didn’t have to suffer the amount that she did before she died. 

Bibliography:

https://bangordailynews.com/2019/12/10/news/midcoast/taped-confession-details-how-sharon-carrillo-and-husband-abused-daughter-before-death/

Current Event #8: A Forecast for a Warming World: Learn to Live With Fire

Current Event #8: A Forecast for a Warming World: Learn to Live With Fire

Elizabeth Bernard Whittaker

11-20-19

C Class

On the 20th of October to the 24th of October this year, there were at least 300 wildfires in San Fransico, California alone. The largest of the fires was the Kinkaid fire, which damaged 16,000 acres in Sonoma County within hours of starting. There were very small amounts of opportunity to put out the fire due to the winds speeding through it and causing it to blaze through forests with extreme speed. Although the fires only actually destroyed a couple dozen buildings, large amounts of people were affected by it. North of Los Angelos, about 50,000 people were evacuated because of the fires being blown into the canyons of Santa Clarita, which put many people’s lives and homes in danger. The fires also forced buildings and schools to be closed to keep everyone as safe as possible.

My opinion on this subject is that it’s horrible and dangerous. I wish that the fires would stop because they’re seriously harming the environment, and right now, I don’t think the environment can handle this much damage. With global warming, the Amazon Rainforest burning, climate change, and pollution all happening, the environment seriously cannot handle the damage being done to it. The fires are extremely dangerous from what I’ve read, and even the tiniest of sparks can cause catastrophe. I think that it’s horrible and I and hoping that the climate will change for the better and make it safe for people to live in their homes without the constant fear of fires. I feel bad for the people who live in California and have to suffer through the blazing fires all surrounding them and threatening their safety. 

Bibliography:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/climate/california-wildfires-climate-change.html