Arrest at Barneys New York stirs talk of institutionalized racism
Last week, Trayon Christian, 19, was arrested by undercover police officers and jailed on suspicion of fraud for purchasing a $350 Ferragamo belt at Barneys, New York luxury store. He filed a lawsuit because although Christian showed police his receipt for the purchased item along with his debit card and identification, police still claimed that he wouldn’t be able to afford such an expensive purchase.
Medicare chief apologizes for Medicare website’s shortcomings
On Oct. 29, Medicare chief Marilyn Tavenner testified at Capitol Hill at the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Tavenner apologized for dysfunction on the website for new sign-ups. The main problem is that health care plan cancellation notices are affecting small businesses and individuals who are purchasing private insurance. She asserted that insurers are responsible for cancellation letters that have reached 14 million people purchasing individual policies. Officials say this is not a problem because new, possibly even less expensive and better plans can replace the cancelled ones.
Rim-Fire Fully contained
As of Oct. 24, the Rim Fire has been 100 percent contained and the cost to date is $127.350 million — though the cause is still under investigation. The Rim Fire began Aug. 17 and is the third-largest fire in California history. It has burned a total of 257,314 acres of the Stanislaus National Forest. The remnants of the fire continue to be managed by the Groveland and Mi-Wok Ranger Districts on the Stanislaus National Forest with 42 personnel remaining on the scene.
Syrian Polio outbreak; high-risk internally and globally
There have been 10 polio cases confirmed in northeast Syria, according to a U.N. health agency in an interview with the Associated Press. Polio was last reported in Syria in 1999 and has since spread due to lack of vaccinations, access to health care and basic hygiene. The U.N. has implored the Syrian government to allow the U.N. access to immunize the approximately 500,000 children that have never been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease. In partnership with the World Health Organization, they hope to immunize the 2.4 million children of Syria. Due to the collapse of various Syrian medical and governmental organizations, polio immunizations have not been available in the country since before the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
U.S. National Intelligence Director testifies at House Intelligence Committee Hearing
At the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 29, National Intelligence director James Clapper asserted that spying on other countries and at home is justified because it is commonplace. His testimony was in response to allegations that the National Security Agency has pushed into unethical boundaries by surveilling some 35 national leaders from allied countries. The hearing was meant to address the possibility of making changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in so far as that Tuesday, President Barack Obama ordered a review of the various US surveillance programs.
— Gabriella Hamlett
