Senior Post 1

(Intern Journal 4/22)
Today was a bunch of scheduling related tasks. I sorted schedule requests on and off all day. I made regret calls to people who had requested scheduling events which the Congresswoman could not attend. And finally I sorted out all of the requests that had to do with Congression Honorary Committees. I have sort have become the 'scheduler's intern', doing all the work that she needs done.

Current Event 4

Last week President Obama introduced his new appointee for the United States Supreme Court, federal judge Sonia Sotomayer. The appointing was positioned just after Congress took a week-long recess, to allow for Sotomayer to get into the spotlight with as little criticism from Republicans as possible. Her chances of being elected as a new court justice look good, as she is a favorite among democratic congressmen, who currently hold a strong majority in both houses. Now getting out into the spotlight for the first time (and with Congress coming back into session), Sotomayor will gain a good sense of whether or not her appointment will go through. Though right now thing are looking up, politics always has a way of shutting people down.

Current Event 3

Recently a France Air Jet went missing over the Atlantic Ocean. It was on its way to France from Brazil. Contact with the plane was lost when it reached the middle of the Atlantic. Brazilian military pilots report that they found plane seats, buoys, and other airplane debris yesterday on the course of the France airline. No signs of life were reported. Though without a serial number the debris cannot be confirmed as belonging to the airline, it is fairly certain that the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, possibly due to bad weather. Though conditions were bad, with thunderstorms raging, the plane was supposed to be fit to endure lighting and other harsh weather conditions. The cause of the crash is still not completely known, but investigations on the matter will continue. Two passengers missing aboard the flight were American citizens, who had been living in South America for the last year. It is a truly tragic event, and hopefully further investigation will reveal the cause of this disaster.

Current Event 2

An appeals court on Sunday released reporter Roxana Saberi for charges of being a suspected spy for the united states. After being stationed in Iran to gather information, she was arrested under the suspicion of leaking privileged information. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, and had served out 3 months of her sentence before being able to appear before the appeals court. Originally arrested for buying wine(which is illegal in Iran) she was then charged with espionage. This case has earned her world-wide attention, and sheds light on the falsly accused reporter's dire situation. Hopefully she will soon be released and allowed to come back to her home in the United States.

Current Event 1

Obama recently proposed new gas emission requirements/goals for his presidency. By 2020 he wishes to reduce our carbon emissions by 50%, and creating stricter MPG for cars. 35 miles to the gallon will be the average within 10 years, even for trucks and SUV's. These emission requirements will force car manufacturers to make the average MPG of their vehicles at least 35 miles per gallon or face fines and penatlies(steep ones too). Obama is already starting on this plan and it will continue to develope throughout the course of his presidency.

Editorial #5

Again Obama pushes for advanced research in the field of stem cells. He has already started to pass legislation to allow the process to begin, but still is much left to be done. Obama will have to repeal all of the limitations on stem cell research set forth by former President George W. Bush. Although criticism started out potentially high, Obama has gained many followers in this proposition. Hopefully research on stem cells can commence soon and Americans will be able to reap the benefits of these studies.

Editorial #4

This week Obama is extending stem cell availability for research. Obama says that he is planning to almost fully repeal the halt put on stem cells during the Bush Presidency. The opportunities far outweigh the costs, states the newly elected President Obama. Although Obama faces criticism from many scientists and Republicans. He is conviced thought, along with his "expert group of scientists", that Numerous types of diseases can and will be cured within a few short years with access to stem cells. I fully support Obama in this motion, feeling that with what potential stem cell research holds, America cannot afford not to invest in this research.