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STAAR Test/Schools Cancelled

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The STAAR test is a standardized test that is given in Texas schools to students from Elementary to High school. It is state- mandated, meaning that public schools whom receive funds must give this test. However, private schools and homeschooling students are not required to take it. The STAAR Test is a big thing here, however most schools have been cancelled for the remaining of the semester meaning students would not be prepared to take such important test, which determines if they are promoted or not. According to the article, Governor Greg Abbott made this decision final. He canceled the state’s requirements while public schools face the prospect of long-term closures to combat Covid-19. Yet, in order to help students, most schools are setting their students to work from home. Yet, another issue arrives. Many students from the district HISD, are considered low-income, meaning they might not have access to an electronic device nor wireless internet at home.  Link to ...
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Stimulus Check

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Many individuals have been fired or laid off due to the Covid-19. We are headed towards recession. Our president has decided to provide a stimulus check. It still just a proposal. The senate has passed the bill. Now, the house is set to vote on it this Friday, then the president. Yet, it is not official yet. The idea is to help alleviate the financial distress many families are going through. The idea is that singles who earn less than $99,000, head of households who earn less than $112,500, and marries couples filing jointly who earn less than $198,000 will each qualify for $1,200 and $500 per child. Meaning a married couple will qualify for $2900. Supposedly the stimulus check is a refundable tax credit for 2020 and there will be nothing to pay back. Yet, it sounds too good to be true. I personally believe there is a catch somewhere. We shall see when we file our taxes in 2020, yet it will also benefit many families who are currently struggling.  Link to article
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COVID-19

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                                                  What is COVID-19? Also known as the   corona virus. The   corona virus  has now become a pandemic. Some of the symptoms include fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. We have now surpassed other countries with the number of cases. As always, the United States wants to be first. As of today March 26th, there are 83,545 confirmed   cases,  and 1,201 deaths. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)   website  there is an outbreak of a respiratory illness that first started in Wuhan, China which eventually spread faster than we had imagined. In my 24 years, I do not recall the city closing down besides hurricanes obviously, but not for something like this. Schools have been cancelled and we are currently in a stay home or...
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Spanish Flu

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                                       The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. It was one the deadliest in history. According to the article, It affected 1/3 of the world population and approximately 20-50 million deaths. The flu or influenza attacks the respiratory system and can be transmitted through the air and can be inhaled. This flu also affected World War I servicemen. The shocking facts are that more soldiers died due to the flu than during the battle. In fact, there were no effective vaccines to treat the flu. The first official vaccine did not appear until the 1940s. It was not until 2008 when they discovered what made the Spanish flu so deadly, the flue caused the victims bronchial tubes and lungs to weaken. There have been a few more deadly flu pandemics, but not as deadly as the Spanish flu. However, it does seem that new viruses and diseases are developing and affecting us w...
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National Anthem-Super Bowl

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What is the national anthem? The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States written in 1814 after witnessing the bombardment during the war of 1812. It is very important because it represents our traditions, history, and our beliefs. However, respect is often shown by standing up during the national anthem. During the Super Bowl, Demi Lovato performed the national anthem. Yet, it was noticed by speculators that Jay-Z and Beyonce sat during such performance, which cause controversial. It was deemed as disrespectful, while other thought it was a form of silent political statement. There were lots of mean comments towards them, yet some supporters mentioned how he was supporting Collin Kaepernick’s fight against injustice. In Collin Kaepernick preseason team of 2016, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback sat and later knelt during the anthem to help raise awareness of racism and police brutality, yet was blacklisted from playing and later filed a lawsuit for su...
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MLK Assassination?

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                                                                                                                                       Was Martin Luther King Jr murdered by RAY or THE DOCTOR? During MLK day, as I was looking over my news feed on Facebook I came across an article that mentioned how he was shot by James Earl Ray but his family believes Ray was not his killer. On April 4th, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was shot while giving a speech. However, his family believed Ray is innocent and that it was a government setup. Even though, MLK protests were passive they were not seen that way by the authority. According to the article,Ray ...
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Looping Sketchbook

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Black Ants and Buddhists                                                  In the book Black Ants and Buddhist written by Mary Cowhey, she accounts her early career as a community activist then as a teacher. As a community activist she helped individuals who were being unfairly treated because of their background. She even helped individuals learn English, each of their English lesson ("words for getting hurt" and "words for where you live") consisted of dialogue individuals used to defend themselves in their communities. These classes were then known as the "Survival English classes", these classes not only helped these individuals but also Americans because they began to consider labor issues more globally which also included immigrants. Mary Cowhey also had an encounter with Paulo Freire work which had an impact in her life. As a teacher, she knew she wanted...
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