Addicts putting pharmacies under siege

Drugstore robberies are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. One particular pharmacy in Seattle, Washington has been robbed six times now. On June 3, a man wearing a bulky black sweatshirt entered into Mike Donohue's store and passed the pharmacist a note saying that he had a gun and wanted them to give him all their OxyContin. OxyContin is a drug used to relieve very serious pain but due to its high addictiveness it has become popular amongst drug abusers. When Mr. Donohue received the note he drew a Glock 19 armed with 15 hollow point bullets and immediately ran to the front of the store, aiming the gun at the thief's head. Donohue screamed "down" at the man but instead he raced out the door with the armed pharmacist chasing after him. The man got away but was later arrested. He has pleaded guilty to attempted robbery as well as a successful armed robbery at another store.
CBT's
This article is a good representation of the CBT Sin. It shows how totally depraved we are as a result of our sinful nature. Due to our sin, God has had to create law and government to restrain us, although He wants us to submit to Him. Situations like this do not please God in anyway. If we are to serve and submit to Him we must also obey our temporary rulers until Christ returns to rule over us forever. This is how this CBT applies to this situation.
Read the full article here.

In death, a 13-year-old becomes a symbol of Syrian opposition

On April 29, people near Daraa, Syria advanced on the city looking to bring an end to the horrendous military siege going on there. These people wanted to bring Daraa many important supplies because the military rule there was so bad that bodies were left in the streets and secret medical clinics had to be established. On April 29 Daraa citizens were fired upon without reason by local security forces. Many were killed or wounded while still countless others were detained. Of the many detained was a young child named Hamza. Hamza was separated from his father during the shooting and on May 29 he was returned home. Unfortunately, despite his family's hopes, Hamza was given back to them dead with the body in terrible condition. His whole body was covered in bruises and he received several gunshot wounds to the chest on top of other injuries. No one is certain precisely what happened to young Hamza but the three gunshot wounds are extremely likely to be the primary cause of death. The death of this boy has brought much attention to the Syrian government and their terrible brutality against their own people.

CBT's
This situation demonstrates the CBT of sin. It shows how totally depraved we are due to our sinful nature. Without God mankind will continue to do things such as this. This is why God has had to intervene and set up government to help restrain us. Ultimately, we must make a conscious decision to serve Him and turn from our evil ways if we truly want to not see more things like this.

See the full article here.

May 21, 2011, and Other 'Judgement Days' That Have Come and Gone

Since at least Roman times people have been claiming to know the day of Christ's return. In Matthew 24:36 the Bible says that no one knows the time except the Father. May 21 is the most recent attempt to predict this apocalyptic event. As you can probably tell Christ's words in Matthew 24:36 have held true. Apparently Harold Camping, the man who created this conspiracy, had predicted years ago that the end of the world would be September 6, 2011. According to one of Mr. Camping's spokesmen, his original prediction was wrong due to some verses in Matthew 24 that through him off. Harold was significantly more confident in the May 21 prediction and spent large amounts of money advertising his claim. There have been many others who think the know when Christ's return.
Journalism?
This article is a good example. The author's intent in writing this article is to force people to form there own opinions on this event. This makes people more self sufficient and self-governing. Also, it informs people of what is going on in the world and what people are interested in. This is why this article is journalism.

CBT's
This article shows the CBT of Salvation. Harold Camping honestly wants to witness to people and draw them to Christ. Unfortunately his means of doing this are sinful and probably leading people astray. God wants Christian men like this to lead men without trying to do it with sinful methods like violating scripture. This is how the CBT of Salvation applies here.

See the full article here.

Conservative group sues over bin Laden death photos

As we all know the U.S. killed al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. The U.S. government has denied public access to videos and pictures regarding Bin Laden's death. This has caused a great deal of tension between the government and some political groups. This tension finally came to a climax when a conservative watchdog group called "Judicial Watch" filed a lawsuit demanding the release of the material. The Department of Defense has been asked to comply with Judicial Watch. On May 3, the day after Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, Judicial Watch made requested that they be given access to the material but were denied. It has recently been discovered that within the past week some members of Congress have been allowed to view this same material. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch claims that the Obama administration said they do not intend to comply with the Freedom of Information Law and wants to remind the Obama administration that they are not above the law. President Obama claims that the photos are not being released so they cannot insight anymore acts of violence or be used as propaganda.
Journalism?
This article is a good example of journalism. It gives us information and insights into what appears to be a very difficult situation. It is a battle of who said what between the Obama administration and Judicial watch. This shows us what is really going on in our government and the silly struggles they have. It makes us more self sufficient by forcing us to think for ourselves and decide whether we feel the Osama Bin Laden pictures should be released or not. This is why this article is journalism.

CBTs
This article demonstrates the CBT of revelation. It shows how we must be willing to accept others and their beliefs. Judicial Watch should be able to accept that President Obama does not want the material released and come up with a better reason to file for a lawsuit; a reason that does not involve accusing the Obama administration of something with absolutely no evidence. This is how the CBT of revelation applies to this situation.

Read the full article here

10-Year -Old Charged With Murdering Neo-Nazi Dad

A young boy in Riverside, California has gotten himself into a lot of trouble. Last Sunday at approximately 4am Jeff Hall's ten year old son shot him to death. Jeff Hall was leader of the National Socialist Movement and often led rallies outside Jewish synagogues. The motives behind this boy's actions are uncertain but mental stability is definitely at question. Consequently investigators are looking into factors that could influence a young person's mental state. It is possible that child abuse or neglect caused this boy to go on this violent rampage and there may be some truth to that statement since there were reportedly 4 recent cases of Child Protection investigations at the child's home. The boy is being held at a juvenile detention center until his court date on May 18, where a judge will decide what is to happen next. According to Matt Hardy, the boy's defender, crimes like this amongst young children are extremely rare and almost unheard of. Jeff Hall Had four other children who are all now being held in protective custody.
5 W's
Who: Jeff Hall, 10 year old son
What: Murder
When: Last Sunday
Where: Riverside, CA
Why: No one knows yet

Journalism?
This article is a great example of journalism. It informs us of things that we need to be aware of in our community such as parents that are possibly abusive to their kids. It also encourages us to be more involved in the community and try to make everyone's lives better. This is why I consider this article journalism.
CBT's
This articles shows the CBT of Sin. It shows how totally depraved people are without God and that it is impossible to do good without Him. Situations like this are a direct result of our sinful depravity. If the people in this article had been Christians things would have ended up a lot different and the children involved would all still have their father. This is how the CBT of Sin applies to this situation.

See the complete article here.

Gamers fuming over Playstation hack

On tuesday the company, Sony Computer Entertainment released that one of their online systems has been hacked into and the personal information of as many as 70 million people may have been stolen. The Sony Playstation Network, used by Sony's Playstation 3 for many online capabilities has been down for over 7 days now and many gamers are angry that Sony did not release this information sooner. Sony claims that they notified the community as soon as they could but apparently for many people that was not soon enough. While it is uncertain if any credit card information was stolen Sony says that they cannot rule out the likelihood of this and they advise anyone who had entered in their credit card information to keep track of their bank statements for illegal activity. Sony expects that their services will continue to be down for as long another week.


5 W's
Who: Hackers, Gamers, Sony staff
What: Personal information
When: April 17-19 and April 26
Where: Worldwide
Why: Someone wanted to hack Sony to steal information

Journalism?
This article cannot be considered journalism. While it is extremely helpful for the 70 million people who use the Playstation 3 system for gaming or watching movies, it is essentially worthless for everyone else. Also, this does not teach  people anything about themselves other than that there are plenty of people looking to scam others. The article fails to make us more self governing. The only journalistic attribute found here is that it informs the rest of the world of dangers such as scamming.

CBTs
In this situation it is very easy to see the CBT of sin. The person or group who has invaded the privacy of so many people shows how depraved man is without the help of God. As a result God has had to create things such as laws to help restrain us from doing wrong to each other and in this case stealing. I hope to see that the people who have hacked Sony are caught but that they are treated justly for their actions.

Read the full article here.

Navy successfully tests prototype ocean-going laser weapon

Recently the U.S. Navy tested a newly developed laser weapon. They tested the laser on a small boat and successfully destroyed the vessel. This is the first successful test of any high energy laser weapon. According to Michael Deitchman this new weapon is dangerous over a mile away and is good at getting the attention of attacking boats. This weapon is extremely unique and can be adjusted depending on the target's range. Prior to this experiment lasers had only been considered a futuristic weapon for land and air units. Based on the results of this test experts are reevaluating their prior thoughts. This new concept will be evaluated by the Navy and Defense Department where they will decide if the project is worth continuing with development.
5 W's
Who: U.S. Navy and Defense department
When: April 14, 2011
Why: Weapon developers have made a successful laser
Where: Off the coast of California
What: High Energy Laser

Journalism?
This article is a good example of journalism. It makes Americans more informed on new inventions and leaves them to form their own opinions about them. Also, it encourages average people to try new things because they never know if they have thought of something truly genius that could change the world.

CBTs
This article applies to the CBT of growth. God has blessed us with countless things such as technologies like this. It is our responsibility to make sure that we are using these blessings to show how great He is to others. The soul purpose in God blessing us with these things is so that we can bring glory to Him through them. If we do not then  He will be less likely to give us similar blessings in the future.

Hispanic population exceeds 50 million, firmly nation's No. 2 group.

Recently the Hispanic population in the U.S. has exceeded 50 million. Hispanics are 16.3% of the nations total population. This is a significant large percentage when you consider that the African American and Asian population combined is only 18% of the nations total population. The largest population of people in the U.S. is White at 64%. According to Nicolas Jones, chief of the bureau's racial statistics branch, our nation has gotten more diverse. The U.S. is growing at a slower rate. Since 2000 the population in America has grown by 27.3 million. More than half of this growth was from Latinos. U.S. Census Bureau officials refused to say how much illegal immigration affected the rise in population. This Hispanic population is now widespread throughout the U.S. 


5 W's
Who: U.S. Census Bureau 
When: March 24, 2011
Why: Latinos are coming to the U.S. 
Where: Everywhere in the U.S.
What: Immigrating


Journalism? 
This article is most definitely journalism. It makes people more self sufficient by informing them with info about the U.S. population. It is the readers job to decide whether they think this influx of Hispanics is a good or bad. I lean to say it is good as long as they are here legally. Also, it encourages us to look at the nation as a whole and not just our city. 


CBT's
The CBT of Evangelism applies to this article in several ways. First of all, no matter what race we are we need to be respectful to people of other ethnicity. God has told us that we are to love one another regardless of what they have done to us. Secondly, Christ commanded us to be disciples of all nations. This also includes people of all nations regardless of what nation they are in. This is how the CBT of Evangelism applies to this article 

Rob Lowe Can't Join 'Two and a Half Men,' NBC Boss Says

Famed actor, from the popular TV show "Two and a Half Men," Charlie Sheen has caused himself a lot of trouble recently. His immoral lifestyle, of constant partying, has resulted in the loss of his role on "Two and a Half Men." As the television show's staff begin searching for some one to replace Mr. Sheen with, rumors have arisen that Rob Lowe might be offered the job. Executive producer of "Two and a Half Men," Mike Schur said that these rumors are not true and should be disregarded. Another actor who was allegedly considered for the position was John Stamos. This rumor is also said to be false. Read the full article here.

5 W's
Who: Charlie Sheen, Mike Schur, Rob Lowe, and John Stamos
When: March 10, 2011
Why: Charlie acted immorally and ultimately lost his job.
Where: Internet
What: Charlie Sheen's former position on "Two and a Half Men"

Journalism?
This article is not journalism. The author's intent in writing this piece is to inform the reader of recent news about the issues with Charlie Sheen and "Two and a Half Men." This gossip does not make people more self governing, think for themselves, or aware of the world they live in. It does not leave the reader questioning anything. This is why I do not consider this article to be journalism.

CBTs:
For this article I think the CBT of Salvation for Social Sciences applies perfectly. This article is the perfect example of people who have fallen and need the gospel. Charlie Sheen's immoral lifestyle has resulted in his own demise and now he is dragging other people into it such as the staff of "Two and Half Men." As Christians, we have the responsibility to reach out to people in situations like this and lead them to God. This is how this CBT applies to this situation.

Airline apologizes for carrying pork on Israeli flight

I find this article to be quite humorous. A British airline called EasyJet accidentally loaded the wrong food onto a plane before it left from Tel Aviv. The jetliner was flying from Tel Aviv to the UK and a large population of the travelers on board were Jewish. The plane's staff members were unaware that they had been stocked with food that was primarily all non-kosher and consequently many passengers were angry. The only food item given in the article that caused the issue were some ham and bacon baguettes. The crew on board the jet did not serve any of the pork to passengers but many of them were still annoyed.

5 W's:
Who: Jews flying from Tel Aviv to the UK on a budget airliner.
When: February 23, 2011
Why: Jews were mad that they could not eat most of the food on the plane.
Where: Tel Aviv, Israel
What: Ham and bacon baguettes that the Jews would not eat.

Journalism?
I think this article can absolutely be considered journalism. It make us think for ourselves and consider the needs of those around us who may be of different religious beliefs and backgrounds. Also, it encourages us to watch our actions more closely so we make sure we do not offend someone else. This is why I know this article is journalism.

Click here for the article.

Jessica Alba is Pregnant

Famed actress  Jessica Alba along with her husband Cash Warren just found out they are going to have a second child. In June 2008 Jessica Alba gave birth to her and Cash's first daughter, Honor. At the time of Honor's birth Jessica and Cash had been married for about a month. Early Wednesday, Cash and Jessica posted on social networking sites that they were expecting another baby. Overall the couple is very excited about this announcement.

This article cannot be considered journalism. It does not do anything to make people more self sufficient or self governing. The entire purpose of it is to entertain average people who are interested in celebrities and their lives. The article does not say anything that could possibly make people think for themselves, and is extremely informative. Overall, this article is essentially worthless coming from a journalistic viewpoint. 

This article applies to the CBT of Evangelism in social science. It shows how God's specific law for how we are to act towards one another must be obeyed. Cash and Jessica should have waited to have children until they were married. As a result of their sin their child is going to have to go through life telling people that she was born  only a month after her parent's marriage. This is how the CBT of Evangelism applies to this situation.
To see the full article click here.
(Yes I know this is an extremely odd choice of article)

Three boys arrested in playground rape of Banning girl

On Thursday three thirteen year old boys were arrested. The three juveniles admitted to raping a thirteen year old girl that attends Nicolet Middle School with them. When the girl managed to get away from the group of boys she told police exactly who the boys were then went to the hospital where she received treatment for her injuries. The three boys are currently being held at Juvenile Hall until they are charged. Due to the severity of this crime it is possible that they will be tried as adults but the case must be reviewed by the Riverside County district attorney's office and probation department first. Due to this attack police are trying to encourage parents to keep better track of their children after school and not allow their students to walk alone.

This article is a good example of journalism. It informs people about a situation that everyone needs to be aware of without showing any sort of bias. Also, it encourages people to do things that could protect their children such as having them walk home in groups. At the same time this article makes people think for themselves. Parents need to decide what safety precautions they think are necessary and what they allow their children to do. This helps make people more self governing. Also, by explaining what the boys have done and what their consequences have been so far informs people about themselves and the evil things people in society do. This is how I know this article is journalism.

This situation is an example of the CBT Sin. As we see through this story,  mankind is naturally depraved and sinful. It is impossible to do right without the help of Jesus Christ because our nature is to do evil. These three boys are showing their sinful nature here and will be held accountable for their actions and treatment of this girl. As a result of circumstances and issues like rape, child molestation, and other terrible things political leaders have established law and government. Although all these things fail to stop people from doing evil, they make a big difference. This is how the CBT of Sin applies to this situation.

Article for Three boys arrested in playground rape of Banning girl

Islam has Dark Side

The Article:

Islam has Dark Side

I read the comments of the chairmen of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley, Hadi Nael, with reservation.

He and his backers say that arguments against sharia law are the results of lies and fear ("Anti-mosque group will not sue," Jan. 29). 

I believe that Muslims  do have a constitutional right to practice their religion, but my arguments and beliefs against Islam come from having spent part of my career in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Perhaps Mr. Nael and his backers should realize that some of the opponents to Islam have seen the religion up close and don't like it. 

By Scott Bonnar. 

Summary: This article is about the Islamic communities found in Temecula Valley, California. The Islamic community has accused local non-Muslims of lying to create controversies against their sharia law. The man writing this article is angered by these claims and is writing this piece to show his frustration to other people. 

This article cannot be considered journalism. The author does not follow many journalistic principals and is ranting about what he thinks of Muslims. Although Mr. Bonnar does not hate the Islamic people, he is very definitely against them. This is why I do not consider it to be journalism.

U.S. Debt crosses $14 trillion mark

Recently our nation's debt has exceeded a total of 14 trillion dollars. This amount of debt is truly ridiculous and is coming near to maxing out or national maximum debt law. The debt cap is currently set at $14.294 trillion but many politicians are looking to raise that number. Republican lawmakers are trying to use this crisis as a way to force the U.S. to undertake some well needed spending cuts in order to prevent this imminent disaster. I disagree with many of the the Unites States' spending choices and these cuts could help people now and the future generations of America. According to the U.S. Treasury, the debt cap could max anywhere between March 31 and May 16. Provided the government fails to raise the cap many federal benefits and programs will lose their funding causing many other problems within the nation.

In addition to hurting our nation internally, it would also hit our economy extremely hard and most likely cause another huge economic downturn. Some of the issues that would indefinitely  result include hyperinflation and defaulting on many loans to nations such as China. Failing to pay these loans  would severely hurt international relations and potentially put us at risk of retaliation. 

This situation saddens me as I have seen many times throughout history where our nation has experienced periods of huge economic success. Our current situation is an unfortunate result of the choices our leaders have made. Although I do not completely agree with the idea of increasing the debt cap, I believe it may be our only option in order to prevent another economic and potentially international crisis. Overall, this situation is extremely tough and I hope politicians make the right decision.


Thanks to CNN for this great article.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/20/news/economy/debt_record_high/index.htm?hpt=T1