Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Summary Lead: In class assignment
A driver speeding by over 20 miles an hour died instantly when his car smashed into a utility pole along Broad Street, in Moscow yesterday.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Summary News Lead Example
China official ousted in milk scandal
By Seattle Times news services
BEIJING — China's chief quality supervisor was forced to resign Monday in the government's latest response to the tainted-milk scandal that has killed four infants, sickened nearly 53,000 children and implicated the country's biggest dairy producers.
Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, stepped down and was replaced by Wang Yong, according to the state-run New China News Agency.
Li and his agency have been under fire since reports surfaced two weeks ago that milk powder made by the Sanlu Group was contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. Since then, tests by the watchdog agency showed formula from 22 dairy producers was tainted with the substance, which also was found in pet foods that killed U.S. dogs and cats last year.
Four babies have died, and China's Health Ministry said 12,892 infants were hospitalized with kidney problems.
Officials said tests also have turned up melamine in liquid milk. At least 18 people have been arrested, including some who are suspected of deliberately adding melamine to milk to artificially inflate protein levels.
Melamine is poisonous when ingested and banned from food production.
Li's resignation was unlikely to placate the general public, which is angry about reports that seem to indicate officials were more concerned about negative publicity than protecting children's health. Outrage has also been fueled by an apparent double standard, especially on the heels of the Olympic Games, during which officials took extraordinary steps to reassure foreign visitors that China's food supply was safe.
"It's just changing the water without changing the herbs," said Bao Zhangyan, of Beijing, referring to a Chinese saying about herbal medicine in which the important ingredient is not removed. "This scandal is caused by the whole system so it's no use just replacing a single official."
Sanlu Group, China's biggest producer of powdered milk, and other major suppliers were exempt from inspections by the watchdog organization headed by Li. On Monday, state broadcaster China Central Television reported that Sanlu knew about complaints about its baby formula as early as December 2007, citing a State Council investigation.
Sanlu finally recalled 700 tons of the formula Sept. 11. Government testing then turned up tainted samples of powdered formula at 21 other companies, and the scandal exploded.
Millions of gallons of dairy products have been recalled in Hong Kong, elsewhere in China, and in Taiwan, Singapore and other countries. China's dairy products are not approved for export to the U.S.
The government fired the head of one large dairy company, and on Monday, fired the Communist Party chief in the city of Shijiazhuang, home of one of the dairy companies at the center of the scandal.
By Seattle Times news services
BEIJING — China's chief quality supervisor was forced to resign Monday in the government's latest response to the tainted-milk scandal that has killed four infants, sickened nearly 53,000 children and implicated the country's biggest dairy producers.
Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, stepped down and was replaced by Wang Yong, according to the state-run New China News Agency.
Li and his agency have been under fire since reports surfaced two weeks ago that milk powder made by the Sanlu Group was contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. Since then, tests by the watchdog agency showed formula from 22 dairy producers was tainted with the substance, which also was found in pet foods that killed U.S. dogs and cats last year.
Four babies have died, and China's Health Ministry said 12,892 infants were hospitalized with kidney problems.
Officials said tests also have turned up melamine in liquid milk. At least 18 people have been arrested, including some who are suspected of deliberately adding melamine to milk to artificially inflate protein levels.
Melamine is poisonous when ingested and banned from food production.
Li's resignation was unlikely to placate the general public, which is angry about reports that seem to indicate officials were more concerned about negative publicity than protecting children's health. Outrage has also been fueled by an apparent double standard, especially on the heels of the Olympic Games, during which officials took extraordinary steps to reassure foreign visitors that China's food supply was safe.
"It's just changing the water without changing the herbs," said Bao Zhangyan, of Beijing, referring to a Chinese saying about herbal medicine in which the important ingredient is not removed. "This scandal is caused by the whole system so it's no use just replacing a single official."
Sanlu Group, China's biggest producer of powdered milk, and other major suppliers were exempt from inspections by the watchdog organization headed by Li. On Monday, state broadcaster China Central Television reported that Sanlu knew about complaints about its baby formula as early as December 2007, citing a State Council investigation.
Sanlu finally recalled 700 tons of the formula Sept. 11. Government testing then turned up tainted samples of powdered formula at 21 other companies, and the scandal exploded.
Millions of gallons of dairy products have been recalled in Hong Kong, elsewhere in China, and in Taiwan, Singapore and other countries. China's dairy products are not approved for export to the U.S.
The government fired the head of one large dairy company, and on Monday, fired the Communist Party chief in the city of Shijiazhuang, home of one of the dairy companies at the center of the scandal.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Potential Article Topics
1. The grand-opening of Animal Haven for the Whitman County Humane Society will take place on October 4th. Animal Haven will serve as the adoption center for the Whitman County Humane Society. It is double the size of the current Pullman shelter and was made possible donations.
Animal Haven will have natural living spaces for up to 50 dogs and 50 cats, large animal facilities, its own surgery unit, space for training and education programs, administrative offices, and a space where new owners can get to know their next pet.
The previous shelter could not sustain as many animals nor provide them with the same level of living conditions.
This is a local story and this new facility can provide anyone with pet-ownership education, a new pet, or an adoption service for a pet they can no longer care for.
Contact Information:
Connie at the Whitman County Administration Office:
(509) 332-2246
Board Members for the new Animal Haven facility:
Susan Hardy-Gormsen at (509) 332-8768
2. The Orphan Acres Horse Rescue, in Viola, Idaho takes in horses that owners can no longer pay to keep or provide proper care for, but some question the ability of Orphan Acres to provide the horses with decent care.
With the downfall in our nation’s economy, luxury expenses, like horses are often the first to go when families reevaluate their budget. Hay prices are at an all-time high and many people can no longer afford to keep their horses, so they turn them over to the rescue.
Orphan Acres is run by volunteers and its owners. With over 50 horses to care for, the rescue cannot afford to provide each horse with proper care. It is a no-kill facility, but some of the horses have unattended and infected wounds making them nearly immobile, some suffer from blindness and during the winter months not all horses have shelter forcing them to stand in knee-deep mud.
It would be interesting to hear the opinion of Latah County’s livestock investigator regarding the rescue. This story is also somewhat local and in a close enough vicinity that it would be easy for members of the community to get involved.
Contact Information:
Orphan Acres Horse Rescue:
(208) 882-9293
Idaho Livestock Investigator, Amity Larsen:
(208) 799-503
3. Washington State University’s annual Street Fair is happening September 26, 2008. It is an event put on by the Student Entertainment Board (SEB) during which all varsity sports set up tables on the mall. The main goal is to raise student awareness about these varsity sports and hopefully student involvement.
The event happens every year on the Friday before homecoming weekend and it caters to homecoming by getting students excited about campus life and the coming weekend.
Since this year the President Election is happening, there will be voter registration. There will also be a DJ and free Coke products.
Sources:
Renae Dahlquist (509) 335-3503
SEB (509) 335-9444
1. The grand-opening of Animal Haven for the Whitman County Humane Society will take place on October 4th. Animal Haven will serve as the adoption center for the Whitman County Humane Society. It is double the size of the current Pullman shelter and was made possible donations.
Animal Haven will have natural living spaces for up to 50 dogs and 50 cats, large animal facilities, its own surgery unit, space for training and education programs, administrative offices, and a space where new owners can get to know their next pet.
The previous shelter could not sustain as many animals nor provide them with the same level of living conditions.
This is a local story and this new facility can provide anyone with pet-ownership education, a new pet, or an adoption service for a pet they can no longer care for.
Contact Information:
Connie at the Whitman County Administration Office:
(509) 332-2246
Board Members for the new Animal Haven facility:
Susan Hardy-Gormsen at (509) 332-8768
2. The Orphan Acres Horse Rescue, in Viola, Idaho takes in horses that owners can no longer pay to keep or provide proper care for, but some question the ability of Orphan Acres to provide the horses with decent care.
With the downfall in our nation’s economy, luxury expenses, like horses are often the first to go when families reevaluate their budget. Hay prices are at an all-time high and many people can no longer afford to keep their horses, so they turn them over to the rescue.
Orphan Acres is run by volunteers and its owners. With over 50 horses to care for, the rescue cannot afford to provide each horse with proper care. It is a no-kill facility, but some of the horses have unattended and infected wounds making them nearly immobile, some suffer from blindness and during the winter months not all horses have shelter forcing them to stand in knee-deep mud.
It would be interesting to hear the opinion of Latah County’s livestock investigator regarding the rescue. This story is also somewhat local and in a close enough vicinity that it would be easy for members of the community to get involved.
Contact Information:
Orphan Acres Horse Rescue:
(208) 882-9293
Idaho Livestock Investigator, Amity Larsen:
(208) 799-503
3. Washington State University’s annual Street Fair is happening September 26, 2008. It is an event put on by the Student Entertainment Board (SEB) during which all varsity sports set up tables on the mall. The main goal is to raise student awareness about these varsity sports and hopefully student involvement.
The event happens every year on the Friday before homecoming weekend and it caters to homecoming by getting students excited about campus life and the coming weekend.
Since this year the President Election is happening, there will be voter registration. There will also be a DJ and free Coke products.
Sources:
Renae Dahlquist (509) 335-3503
SEB (509) 335-9444
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
News Site Comparison
With the upcoming election on the forefront of most news media right now, I was not surprised to find this subject in the headlining article for both The Drudge Report and The Huffington Post. In fact, both of those sites showed little else outside of the two presidential candidates and McCains unexpected running mate. Although I have not yet used either of these sites regularly, I already prefer The Huffington Post for its more organized layout. Both of these news sites put the most shocking article at the top of the page, undoubtedly to grab the reader's attention.
I do not think that either of these news sites adhere to the "Murrow Standard" of being fair and balanced. The Drudge Report makes no effort to mask its outrageously conservative bias and likewise for The Huffington Posts bias toward the Democratic party. This is apparent in headlines from The Drudge Report, like "Thompson Speech to Defend Palin, Rip "Panic" Among Dem-friendly Media...", or "Sarah Palin has Chosen to Exploit Her Own Daughters Pregnancy!" from The Huffington Post.
Currently, when I read news sites I go to CNN. While I don't doubt that any journalist cannot always right a completley unbiased story, on a more largely used news site like CNN such bias would not be so tolerated. I think news sites like The Drudge Report or The Huffington Post are just fine if you want to read articles written by those with a like opinion, but it not the most reliable source for fair or balanced day-to-day news.
I do not think that either of these news sites adhere to the "Murrow Standard" of being fair and balanced. The Drudge Report makes no effort to mask its outrageously conservative bias and likewise for The Huffington Posts bias toward the Democratic party. This is apparent in headlines from The Drudge Report, like "Thompson Speech to Defend Palin, Rip "Panic" Among Dem-friendly Media...", or "Sarah Palin has Chosen to Exploit Her Own Daughters Pregnancy!" from The Huffington Post.
Currently, when I read news sites I go to CNN. While I don't doubt that any journalist cannot always right a completley unbiased story, on a more largely used news site like CNN such bias would not be so tolerated. I think news sites like The Drudge Report or The Huffington Post are just fine if you want to read articles written by those with a like opinion, but it not the most reliable source for fair or balanced day-to-day news.
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