News Post 31

Today I learned, in an article on CNN, about how Miami is free of locally transmitted Zika viruses. This also means that the state of Florida is officially clear of the virus! The article said that these cases began to show up in July in this area. The article also provided the many symptoms of the virus.

"Our state has no local transmission, so we welcome all tourists to come enjoy our weather and our beaches," Scott said. "This state is open for business."

According to this article, although the state has made a major milestone, the risk is not over yet. Due to the state being a popular destination for tourists, the virus can easily end up there again. The virus is very much still present in the state. Floridians should also especially be careful during the holidays which is a very popular time for tourists.

New Post 30

Breaking news on CNN says that Mitt Romney has just confirmed on facebook that he is not Trump's pick for secretary of state.

"It was an honor to have been considered for secretary of state of our great country. My discussions with President-elect Trump have been both enjoyable and enlightening. I have very high hopes that the new administration will lead the nation to greater strength, prosperity and peace."

Trump called Romney over the phone to deliver the news. During the 2016 election, the two had an ongoing feud. Romney made remarks about Trump calling him a 'fraud' and 'childish'. Trump responded back insulting Romney about his loss to President Obama and much more. Romney even asked for Republicans to unite against Trump during the election. This made it very surprising to many that Mitt Romney was even in the running for secretary of state. However, the two set their feelings aside and through multiple meetings discussed the possibility of Romney becoming the new secretary of State.

News Post 29

On CNN I read an article on Russia hacking GOP individuals prior to the election. Emails of democratic party groups were made public. Also the intelligence community thinks that the hacking was meant to influence the election in Trump's favor. There were also troll farms that spread fake news about Hillary Clinton. Even before the election, the intelligence community believed that Russia's intent was to aid Trump during the election. The FBI even argued on this issue. Some were concerned about the certainty of this assessment: "FBI is very conservative in its conclusions and typically doesn't give any definitive assessment if a conclusion can't be proven without a doubt. The CIA constantly has to make judgments based on an incomplete picture."

Regardless, they believe that Russia "engaged in criminal activity inside the United States."

News Post 28

Today I read an article on USA Today College about the legalization of Marijuana in 4 new states. On election day, four states(California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Maine) voted on whether or not they would legalize the use of marijuana. This article talks about how although the drug may be legal in your state, its recreational use on college campuses in not permitted. Some Faculty for the universities have said that though legal in some states, it is still illegal at the national lever therefore it should not be used on campus because it will effect the learning ability of the student. However, on other campuses some faculty is saying to loosen up on the restriction. Schools also wont budge on the restriction because of things such as federal funding. Many national organizations are pushing for reform on this issue.

News Post 27

Today I watched a video article on USA Today about New Texas Abortion Restrictions. on December 19th, a new law will go under effect that states that embryonic and fetal tissues must be buried or cremated regardless of religious beliefs. The rule is set to restrict women's rights to access safe and legal abortions by raising the reproductive health care.

News Post 26

On CNN, I read an article about how New Jersey Governor Chris Christie  turned down multiple positions on Trump's administration team. The positions he rejected included: Homeland security secretary, secretary of veterans affairs and ambassador to Italy, and many more. He had wished to be attorney general and since then has not been offered the position. The position has actually been offered to someone else.

Blog Post 25

I read an article on CNN about Climate Change. The article talks about Donald Trump's views on the issue. Trump says in an interview that "Nobody really knows if climate change is real." The article also states that Trump is currently deciding on whether or not the US will withdraw their commitment to limit environmental output. During his campaign Trump repeatedly called climate change a 'hoax' but now he is taking an interest in the issue.