Westlake Word

By Kathleen Bennett

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People are quickly being infected with COVID-19 in the Eastern hemisphere, while the death toll rises because of the Coronavirus within the last two months. The death toll is rising because this virus is very contagious and is spreading rapidly by human interaction.

By JESSICA MOTTA

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Amazon, a popular company specializing in delivering products to consumers has begun to receive backlash two decades after starting up. In the New York Times article, “Activists Build a Grass-Roots Alliance Against Amazon,” by David Streitfield, a resistance group, called Athena, is beginning to form and take control of the media.

By AVA DISALVO

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In recent years, the world has unfortunately seen a large rise in the amount of children and teenagers who end their lives early by committing suicide. Suicide, now the second leading cause of death in young adults, has always been present - but never at this rate.

By DEANNA REYNOLDS

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On January 3, 2020, the head of Iran’s security machinery, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani was killed by an American drone strike near the Baghdad airport. Suleimani was the leader in Iran’s efforts to shape the axis of Shiite influence around the Middle East.  

By KATHLEEN BENNETT

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In Australia, there have been massive and destructive fires that are harming many people and animals, as well as homes. Without putting out these fires, Australia is going to be in serious danger.

By AVA DISALVO

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Vaccines play a very large and important role in today’s society. Yet, some people seem to be against them. This causes people to wonder, should we vaccinate our children?

The answer is yes, for a multitude of reasons. But first, let's discuss some of the incorrect reasons why people do not vaccinate their children. 

By DEANNA REYNOLDS 

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What does the process of impeachment entail?  What is currently happening with President Trump’s impeachment? Over the past few weeks, America has witnessed history being made as House Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have moved to impeach Trump, and have published two articles of impeachment.  But, here is a brief summary before we dive in.

An impeachment means to level charges against a government official.  Being impeached, does not mean to be removed from office, it is essentially a statement of criminal charges against government officials.  The charges may be brought up against a president for any “high crimes or misdemeanors,” as stated in the Constitution. In general, impeachable offenses are usually those in which an official, or president, abuses office when it results in harm to the citizens.

By DEANNA REYNOLDS

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With twelve people running for the democratic nomination, many people have never heard the name “Pete Buttigieg” before.  As one of the many candidates, his name can get lost in the sea of online articles and information. However, he is becoming more prevalent in the media due to his status and his campaign. As of October 29, 2019, he is the 4th top polling democratic candidate.

By SAMANTHA LUBART

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The first set of laws ever written, the Code of Hammurabi, was based on the principle of "an eye for an eye." One would think that as civilization and society advanced and progressed, this simplistic idea would be put to rest, but this mindset still persists in the modern American justice system in the form of capital punishment.

By ANGELICA ALVAREZ

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Today, the Amazon Rainforest has been a heated topic because of the many destructive forest fires that have shocked the world. The Amazon Rainforest plays a significant role in our ecosystem and in climate change.

By JESSICA MOTTA

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Popular sporting goods store, Dick's Sporting Goods, has taken over $5 million in military style semi-automatic rifles off the shelves and destroyed them. Chief executive, Edward W. Stack commented that the stores are reviewing whether it could continue to sell guns in its over 720 stores.

By REBECCA CROSS

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Global sea levels are a central issue in today’s news as they have risen in the recent century, and scientists predict similar results in the future. NASA reports, “Global sea level rose about eight inches in the last century. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and is accelerating slightly every year.”

By ANASTASIA TCHERNIKOV

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“When the trees die out, the marsh is going to take over. We just don’t know how to slow it down” Matt Hurd, a regional forester with the Maryland Department of natural resources, says (Root).

By SIENA EDWARDS

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CBD, cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive agent in marijuana,  is now being used to treat heroin, cocaine, and opioid drug addictions because the need for treatment is on the rise.

Since 2000, nearly 400,000 Americans from an opioid-related death alone. That number is only slightly smaller than the number of soldiers that died in World War II.

By ANASTASIA TCHERNIKOV

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In an effort to lessen the number of abortions in the US, Georgia passes the “heartbeat bill” to ban abortions when a heartbeat is first recognized in a fetus.

This “heartbeat bill” in Georgia seeks to ban abortions after a heartbeat, essentially 6 weeks, before a woman could even know that she is pregnant; however, this does not include situations with rape, incest, or times when the mother is in danger. This type of restriction, instead of an outright ban, is a more favored and more successful strategy when trying to limit abortions.

By REBECCA CROSS

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By the year 2030, the United Nations aims to eradicate global hunger as they assert their goals of “Ending hunger, and ensuring access by all people to safe, nutritious food,” the UN global issues’ page, “Food,” states. Historically, The United Nations has taken this goal very seriously. Therefore, on Monday, when the food agency threatened to halt food aid in Yemen, many reacted in disbelief.

By SIENA EDWARDS

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Philosophers have devoted their lives to figure out life's unanswerable questions. They have tried to figure out why people are here or what our purpose is. However, there is one question that people ponder quite often: what is the meaning of life? I myself have contemplated this question and  I have looked at it from quite a few different angles. I have tried looking at it through different perspectives. I have come to a conclusion about what I think the meaning of life is. The meaning of life is simply to live it.

By REBECCA CROSS

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In 2017, data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics demonstrated 1,688,780 new cases of cancer and 600,920 deaths in the United States due to cancer, according to The Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 

Almost every individual is aware of someone who has been plagued by cancer and connected to the heartbreak involved. Therefore, scientists and researchers consider the solution to the cancer epidemic prominent as The Cancer Journal for Clinicians asserts, “Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide and is the second leading cause of death in the United States.”

By PETER MARDJONOVIC

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Many people want to be able to understand foreign languages for reasons as simple as understanding someone in a nail salon or to understanding an international business call. However, people who speak one language usually wish to understand but never take the steps to learn.

By ANASTASIA TCHERNIKOV

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How far is too far for college admissions?

Recent college admission scandals involving actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, and others have arisen in the media. William ¨Rick¨ Singer, accused of receiving bribes in order to cheat on college entrance exams, also falsified athletic records for students to get into schools such as, UCLA, USC, Stanford, Yale, and Georgetown.

By SERA MISHRA

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When you ask any adolescent what superpower they would want to have, almost every time they will say they want to fly. Humans have become obsessed with touching the sky, but as our aspirations raise higher we cannot forget to ground ourselves as well. As the Wright Brothers flew their first plane, they spurred a phenomenon and cultural revolution. Ironically, soaring too high is where Boeing went wrong in their endeavors as their planes plummeted to the Earth on October 29, 2018 and March 10, 2019.

By REBECCA CROSS

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The environment has proven to be an important issue among many Americans for quite some time. Recently, much attention has been brought to the environment, specifically, in the form of The Green New Deal. While many rally behind the glistening promises of the deal, others have expressed concern in regards to the finances and logistics.

By BRANDON MARTINEZ

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On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont publicized that he would be giving it another go, launching his campaign for the 2020 United States presidential election.

By PETER MARDJONOVIC

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder, better known as OCD, is estimated to impact the lives of about 2.2 million Americans. Signs of this disorder occur in individuals as young as 7 years.

By SIENA EDWARDS

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Weed, cannabis, marijuana; call it what you want, but changing the name does not change the truth.

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Marijuana is an illegal drug in forty out of the fifty states, but in ten states, it is legal for recreational usage. Marijuana is destroying people and disrupting nations.

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In this world, everyone wants more money; and so, the government is trying to make Marijuana legal for recreational use in more states. Marijuana is killing thousands of people and people can not be trusted to use it safely. Marijuana should not become legal in any more states.

By ANASTASIA TCHERNIKOV

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Why is drug overdose rising in women? The drug overdose death rates in US women rose 260% in 2 Decades and the rate of drug overdose deaths from opioids increased by an enormous 492% among women aged 30 to 64.

​By REBECCA CROSS

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The sound of McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell make the mouth water immediately to most. Fast food has been a staple of American culture for a significant amount of time.

By PETER MARDJONOVIC

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Jayme Closs was like every other teenage girl in America: she went to school; had friends and a loving family; had her own interests and her own goals to fulfill in life.

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But, what happened to Jayme Closs on October 15, 2018 was not something every other teenage girl in America experienced.

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Jake Patterson, 21, kidnapped Jayme Closs and is accused of killing her parents, James and Denise Closs.

By AIDAN PRAY

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The Government Shutdown

With a recent government shutdown coming to an end, and another in the shadows, many wonder why it occurs and what the effects are.

​By CHARLOTTE CATARINA

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During the government shutdown, many employees were not being paid, one of which being the Transportation Security Administration, otherwise known as the TSA.

​By NICOLE IZZO 

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With taxes high and prisons overpopulated, states are speculating on the best course of action to minimize the return of criminals and reduce crime rates.

By EDMUND GRECO

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Journalist Graeme Wearden summarizes current events concerning foreign trade relations between the United States and China in “US and China put trade war 'on hold.’” The article explains recent developments in the quasi “trade war” between the two countries, which the White House recently announced will be ending, thanks to talks with China.

By EMILY PENSABENE

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On May 19, 2018, many people around the world tuned into the Royal Wedding, known as the Modern Wedding.

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The wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry actually went against tradition because their wedding was held on a Saturday, royal weddings are supposed to happen on a weekday, according to Vogue.

By EMILY RUBINO

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“‘Have you met James? James saved a lot of lives.’”

On April 22, James Shaw Jr and a friend found themselves seated at their local Waffle House in Nashville. Moments later, NPR reports, four people sitting around them were fatally shot by Travis J. Reinking, a 29 year old construction worker.

By MICHELLE FLYNN

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The world anxiously awaited the arrival of the newest addition to the royal family. Speculation over gender and which name the family would choose for the smallest member of the family surrounded the media buzz for the length of the Duchess's pregnancy. Finally, the world has to wait no longer. 

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have welcomed a baby boy!

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BY EMILY PENSABENE

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Just who is Allison Mack? She is an actress, most well known for her role on the show, “Smallville,” and works with a women’s group named, Jness, run by Keith Raniere, who is also connected with the website, Nxivm. Raniere’s group focuses on teaching women to accept men as polygamists, according to FrankReport.