Press Release

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct08/threatletters_102308.html

From the FBI, there is a release about a hoax involving threatening letters sent to banks nation-wide.

I would interview the FDIC (Federal Desposit Insurance Corporation) or another one of the affected institutions, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Mother Pleads Guilty to Putting Newborn In Plastic Bag

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1236698,mother-guilty-newborn-bag-102208.article

MOTHER PLEADS GUILTY TO PUTTING NEWBORN IN PLASTIC BAG

The Chicago Sun-Times

This article goes back to a case from 2007, where a newborn baby was found wrapped in a plastic bag. Alsina Shelton, 24, of Cook County, pleaded guilty to one count of both aggravated battery and aggravated assault last year, although there was no agreement reached with the prosecutors. On Wednesday, October 23^rd, Shelton pleaded guilty to the charges of placing her newborn son in a plastic bag and sealing it shut. Shelton said that she thought the infant would die within 10 minutes, but when paramedics arrived, they were able to revive the newborn on the way to the hospital. Sentencing will take place November 13^th, and Shelton is facing 3 to 7 years in prison.
This is an example of a good crime story because, not only does the headline emotionally grip the reader, it is a follow up to a previous large news story. Shelton is a local criminal, since she is from Cook County. The lede answer who, what, when, where, and why, and puts the most important information at the front of the piece. It is such a shocking crime, one that is very rare, and also is emotionally disturbing because it involves the intentional harming of a helpless newborn. The article also tells of proceedings and what will happen next, because it tells about her sentencing and possible punishment. Readers like to hear the conclusion, and how justice will be served.

Article Review

N. Korea Allows Nuclear Inspectors

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Article Review

www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-AS-Koreas-Nuclear.ntml?ref=world&pagewanted=print

The lede in this article is a summary lede, because it gives the reader what the article is going to be about.  It tells when, where, what, who, and why.  The article is “hard news” because it has immediacy to it (less than a 24 turnover…reported on Monday, about Monday).  The next paragraph is the elaboration of the lede, because it expands upon the plans of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The killer quote follows in the fourth paragraph, which quotes a restricted IAEA document.  Most sources from the article draw from the IAEA, United Nations (such as Secretary-General and his spokeswoman), the Pyongyang plant, and diplomats (one of which remains anonymous for coming forward with confidential information).  The nut graf comes in the ninth paragraph, because it tells us why we, the reader, should care.  This paragraph shows North Korea’s position, in which they choose not to cooperate with IAEA officials.

The remainder of the article provides background history and information pertaining to the situation with North Korea and their nuclear power.  Seven paragraphs from the end, the article discusses plans for the future, in which North Korea will most likely reenter six-party talks with the U.S., Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan. 

The article fizzles out at the end, and has a fact-based ending.  Although the ending doesn’ t look toward the future, it finishes up saying how the Pyongyang plant cut itself off from government-level contacts with South Korea, which ends the article in the present-day situation.  

Article Analysis

Fed Considers Plan to Buy Companies' Unsecured Debt

By Edmund L. Andrews and Michael M. Grynbaum

The New York Times

7 October 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/business/07markets.html?ref=business&pagewanted=print 

This “New York Times” article discusses the current credit market and stock situation.  It outlines the Federal Reserve’s plan, currently being discussed with the Treasury Department, to restart the nation’s financial system.  The story is a chronological narrative, because it goes through the current economic decline from the beginning by exploring the stock market plunge, oil prices, and international markets.

The article draws its sources from the U.S. government by quoting officials, investment strategists, and current and past members of the Fed.  Not only does it talk about the situation in the United States, it draws upon statistics in Europe to back up the claim that the world economy is deteriorating.  It also gives the reader an abundance of facts and figures to demonstrate the market’s downfall. 

The urgency in which the article was published makes it “hard news.”  It was published on October 7^th, and clearly discusses the events of Monday, October 6^th.  The article also tells what happened, and the factors leading up to it.  Starting off with a summary lead, the rest of the story takes on the inverted pyramid structure.  The lead is a summary because it tells what happened to whom, and why.  In this case, the Fed is proposing a plan to recharge the economy because the stock and credit markets are crashing.  The paragraph following the lead holds the lead elaboration because it tells what the Fed’s plan of boosting the economy is, and what the result would be.  The nut graf follows shortly in the fourth paragraph, because it shows the background information of the economy’s decline, why the story is newsworthy, and why the reader should care.  The stock market figures affect real people, and therefore make them want to read on. 

Ed Yardeni’s quote in the eighth paragraph talks about how the credit crisis has become global, making it the killer quote.  This quote sets off the remainder of the story, which discusses how the economic problems facing the U.S. are affecting the rest of the world, followed up by quotes from various current and past government officials.  The article fizzles out, because it references a following article.  Aside from that, it finishes with a quote from George Bush, who says that “we don’t want to rush into this situation and have the program not be effective.”  This quote attests to what the article was trying to say, and provides an appropriate close from the president, who has the most power over any national decision.  

Biden Takes Digs at McCain While Palin Attempts to Keep on Track

BIDEN TAKES DIGS AT MCCAIN WHILE PALIN ATTEMPTS TO KEEP ON TRACK

By Brit Sumyk

In Thursday’s much anticipated vice presidential debate in St. Louis, Democrat Joe Biden outlined the Obama plan to rebuild the economy, as Republican Sarah Palin attempted to defend her running mate and digress toward issues such as the war and environmental reform.

Biden stressed the notion that Democratic nominee Barack Obama had warned the government of the looming subprime mortgage crisis.  By pointing out that John McCain had, within two hours, switched his view on the economy under the Bush Administration, Biden tried to show that McCain is out of touch with what is occurring in our nation.  Throughout the financial questioning, Palin continuously tried to divert attention from the economy and onto energy and the environment. 

During their discussion of how to handle the financial issue of health care, Biden said that McCain’s recommended health care credit as “the ultimate bridge to nowhere.”  In reference to McCain’s plans of deregulation, Biden said that “he voted for deregulation, and [deregulation] is why we are in the crisis that we are in.”

Throughout the debate, Biden took repeated stabs at McCain rather than Palin.  He continued to bring up various shortcomings of McCain instead of attacking Palin’s weaknesses.  Biden did, however, challenge Palin’s statements and strategies coming from the McCain camp.  He did not bring up Palin’s political inexperience, but did welcome comparisons between the accomplishments of himself and Barack Obama to John McCain. 

Biden also made strong comparisons between McCain and Bush, and said that he “[hadn’t] heard anything yet” to differentiate the two Republicans’ policies.  On the topic of the economy, Biden said that Bush’s economic strategies over his terms in the presidency have been the worst economic policies in U.S. history, a statement supported by the present-day economic crisis.

Poll results from iReport.com show that Biden came out the victor of the debate, taking 51 percent of the vote for which candidate performed the best.

 

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New Connecticut Ban Raises Concern

By Brit Sumyk

KALAMAZOO, Mich.--A ban on hand-held radar guns was ordered by Connecticut State Police yesterday because of a potential link between the radiation waves emitted by the devices and cancer.  

State police spokesman Adam Berluti said that "the feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue.  The whole situation is under review."  

The emitted radiation is believed to be of concern because troopers could develop cancer from the long-term exposure to the radiation waves emitted by the devices.  Affected by this ban are 70 radar guns, which will be withdrawn from service.  However, radar units will still be used by state troopers with transmitters mounted on the outside of their cruisers.  

Coming two months after three municipal police officers filed workers' compensation claims saying that they had developed cancer from using the hand-held radar guns, the ban is considered to be the first of its kind by a state police agency.  

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