Current Events Activity 3.2

   Damaris Benitez

Period-6

11/20/2015

1.   The House of Representatives passed screening procedures on refugees from Syria seeking resettlement, seizing on the stemming fear of the Pairs attacks and the threats to Obama's Middle East policy. I think this measure is really popular at the moment because it relates to the Pairs Attacks, which have been all around the news lately. The next step after the bill according to the article is to take up the measure on Thursday, however the White House said they are going to veto the bill, that requests for an explicit authorization of force against the Islamic state. Obama responded by feeding  the tensions with the congress and presidential candidates by dealing with their concerns and lashing out at them for only allowing in the Christian refugees and not the Muslims. The Obama administration feels like this going to hurt the US foreign policy efforts. They say this because they look back at the history and realize that the US has been allowing immigrants and refugees to enter the US for a long time. They think that this is not needed because they really seem to want to focus on helping others. 

2.  On Thursday, the Austin City Council passed, to ease the regulations for building garage apartments, bringing an end to the land use of the city. They have argued that relaxing regulations on these "accessory dwelling units" and the stopping of construction work for other neighborhoods. The objection Kathie Tovo rose about was the stopping of construction along with other council members. Pio Renteria, spoke up about the backyard cottage he leases to attend his own property and how it helped him stay with it for a really long time. I do not have much of an opinion on this topic just because i do not own my own property. 

3.  I could not find the icon, however I believe I am zoned to either LASA or Regan... I forgot. However, McCallum is way better.

4.    The FDA announced on Thursday that the fish salmon is okay to eat, even if it is genetically engineered, and clearing it to make way for US markets and family tables. Consumer and environmental groups have opposed this action by saying that studies showed that wild salmon might be affected if the genetically engineered fish were to escape rivers and oceans. The process took so long because it was the first of its kind to be approved. The reaction was the executive is delighted and somewhat surprised by the approval after all this time. According to the graph genetically modified products are doing okay.

5.    Yes, and the proposal was that they would block Austin's government from spending money to help Syrian refugees resettle inside the city or otherwise assisting them. Casar said that if they were going to do anything it would be to support the families of Syria and Alder gave a situation that supported Casar and his statement. 1,225 refugees arrived. Comparing rattlesnakes to refugees, I found that pretty rude. The TX democratic party was not really surprised.

6.   Holiday was believed to have committed a murder by killing his daughter and two half sisters by burning a house down. Texas has executed 13 convicted killers this year, including Holiday. Which is half of what the other 49 states have done combined. Sween believed that Holiday's execution should be appealed because his court attorneys gave up on him and the case after the case was refused to be reviewed in June.  Holiday's trail attorney filed an appeal saying that the conviction and some trial testimony were both improper. The Texas Attorney General overturned each appeal.

7. I choose the story on B5, the one on UT expanding in Houston and UH being really mad about it.

      UT bought about 300acers, in order to expand in Houston. UH, doesn't seem very happy about it, instead they argued on how UT should've gotten their consent, and agreement of buying land on what they call "UH porperty". However, the land is not UH's because if it was, it more likely would not have been for sale, and UH is kind of showing how they are scared that if UT expands UH would lose students. UT had the right to buy the land, and UH can't really stop them from doing it besides complain that they don't like having other universities around them. Clearly, they are worried about the students UT would take and the students Rice University has taken.