Monday, April 15, 2013
Depending on whom you ask, spring break just ended or happened weeks ago. Are the staggered spring breaks a good thing, or should schools aim to schedule their breaks at the same time?
It’s back to school today for students in Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties. Spring break for the three county school districts was held last week, and pupils are returning to the classroom for the last remaining weeks of school. But students in these three districts didn’t get to enjoy their time off along with all their peers from other school systems. For instance, nearby Bartow County held its spring break the first week of April. Spring break also varies for students at local colleges. While those attending Chattahoochee Technical College got their break from classes last week, students at Kennesaw State University and Georgia Highlands College took their break the first week of March—no classes were held at KSU March 2-8 while …
Sunday, April 14, 2013
In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line.
Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. "42" tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, …
The Obama administration says it is necessary in order to make home loans available to more people.
A story in The Washington Post last week has some economist scratching their heads. It reported that the Obama administration is urging banks to ease up on credit requirements and make home loans available to people with weaker credit. Wait, isn’t that what caused the problem in the first place? Many experts think so, including Ed Pinto, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former top executive at mortgage giant Fannie Mae. He told The Washington Post, “If that were to come to pass, that would open the floodgates to highly excessive risk and would send us right back on the same path we were just trying to recover from.” Nevertheless, the Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is engaged in efforts to …
In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line.
Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. "42" tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Five Gwinnett County firefighters were taken hostage Wednesday by a man who called 911, claiming he was having a medical emergency. Tell us if you believe arming fire personnel would have prevented this incident.
The city of Suwanee was in the nation's eye Wednesday after five Gwinnett County firefighters were taken hostage by a 55-year-old man who had called 911 claiming he was suffering from a medical emergency. Gwinnett officials on Thursday said Lauren Holman Brown likely planned the incident, as he told his hostages that he chose firefighters "because he knew (police) would come armed.” The incident ended when Brown was killed after exchanging gunfire with Gwinnett SWAT officers. An officer was wounded in the left forearm by a shot from Brown when police entered the house, according to a police statement; the injured officer returned fire, killing Brown. The firefighters who were held captive were treated for superficial wounds. Read more of …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A federal judge has ordered the FDA to make the pregnancy preventative available to women of all ages without a prescription. Tell us what you think of the decision.
- OPINION
-
Wednesday, April 10
A recent ruling by a federal judge in Brooklyn has renewed controversy on reproductive rights. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman overturned a 2011 decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that the morning-after pill only be available to girls under 17 years old via prescription. Sebelius’ ruling went against a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation that the pill be available to all women and girls over the counter. The U.S. Justice Department is likely to file an appeal of Korman's ruling. Reaction to the ruling has been varied. "Today science has finally prevailed over politics," Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. On the other side of …
Monday, April 8, 2013
News organizations are eliminating or considering the dropping of the term
“illegal immigrant.” Do you think the term’s use is acceptable?
A phrase that has seen common usage in the news over the last few years might become a rare occurrence in future news copy. As reported on Jim Romenesko’s blog on Tuesday, the Associated Press is no longer sanctioning the term “illegal immigrant.” Amid its changes to its stylebook, which prescribes proper usage of words and phrases in news copy, the news organization also stated that “illegal” should not be used in describing a person: The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally. … [W]e had in other areas been ridding the Stylebook of labels. The new …
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday marked the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Tell us if you believe we’ve reached his goal of equality for all races.
Forty-five years after his death, Atlanta still remembers civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King. King was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn. Thursday evening, 45 years removed from the hour King was shot, officials at Atlanta’s King Center were set to kick off "The 50 Days of Nonviolence," a campaign aimed at getting youths to abstain from violence in the waning days of the school year, Reuters reported Thursday morning. Many remember King for his “I Have a Dream” speech, where the activist spoke of the future he hoped for—the day when “all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last! Free…
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Georgia General Assembly was not able to pass a sweeping firearms bill that would have allowed gun owners to carry in churches, bars and on school campuses. Tell us if you think they should try again next year.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Wednesday, April 3
A proposal that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses and in bars died on the vine as the 2013 legislative session ended on Thursday. House Bill 512, which garnered much support across the state, sailed through the Georgia House of Representatives. However, its upper chamber counterpart, Senate Bill 101, could not muster enough support to pass before the close of the session. The issue over whether or not to allow firearms on the state's nearly 50 colleges and university campuses brought down the bill. However, supporters of the bill and the campus carry provision are confident the bill will return in 2014. A Kennesaw legislator was among those who pushed legislation that if enacted would have lifted bans …
Monday, April 1, 2013
Share with us your best stories on how you fooled someone, or how you were fooled, on a past April Fools’ Day.
It’s probably a good idea to keep your guard up today. It’s April 1, which means that to many folks, it’s April Fools’ Day—an unofficial holiday for pranks and practical jokes. Encyclopædia Britannica says the holiday potentially traces its origins to ancient Rome, though some believe its timing has to do with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the late 16th century, which saw the moving of New Year’s Day from March 25 to Jan. 1. No matter how far the observance dates back, it’s still going strong in the 21st century. While your likelihood of experiencing in-person pranks and jokes depends on whom you interact with, if you spend any time online today you’re bound to see or read at least one online. Many websites have made April …
Marlene Mitchell
1:55 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013
I have no skin in the game, as my kids are out of college now, but it might be nice to have some coordination. I remember having family vacations kinda come to an end at this point. more ›