Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Disparities found in breathing in polluted air among Blacks and Hispanics (News Analysis Week 13)
By JOE KELLY
An article from the Associated Press covered a study that compared the amount of pollution that Blacks and Hispanics breathe to how much pollution they produce.
The Associated Press sourced the information from a study by the National Academy of Sciences. They interviewed a white biosystems engineering professor from the University of Minnesota, an African American public affairs professor from Texas Southern University and a white environmental engineering professor from North Carolina State University. None of them were involved with the recent findings. These sources were interviewed because of the range of topics they teach, their expertise on topics related to pollution and racial disparities, and the different regions each professor comes from.
The article included statistics that described the disparities between African Americans, Hispanics, and whites and how much pollution they produce compared to how much they breathe. Hispanics and Blacks breathe in 56-63 percent more pollution than they produce, whereas whites breathe in 17 percent less air pollution than they produce.
One quote from Christopher Frey, the environmental engineering professor, stuck out to me. He said, "Being able to quantify the inequity is a key step toward addressing and reducing inequity." This quote is impactful because it addresses a strategy to reduce inequity among races. Another point that was significant was a finding in professor Robert Bullard's research. Bullard, the professor from Texas Southern University, found that African Americans were 79 percent more likely to live in areas that have the highest levels of pollution. This finding further emphasizes the disparity between consumption of polluted air between racial minorities and whites.
The piece overall was effective in presenting the research findings in understandable terms, covering past research on the topic, and finding a diverse set of sources.
An article from the Associated Press covered a study that compared the amount of pollution that Blacks and Hispanics breathe to how much pollution they produce.
The Associated Press sourced the information from a study by the National Academy of Sciences. They interviewed a white biosystems engineering professor from the University of Minnesota, an African American public affairs professor from Texas Southern University and a white environmental engineering professor from North Carolina State University. None of them were involved with the recent findings. These sources were interviewed because of the range of topics they teach, their expertise on topics related to pollution and racial disparities, and the different regions each professor comes from.
The article included statistics that described the disparities between African Americans, Hispanics, and whites and how much pollution they produce compared to how much they breathe. Hispanics and Blacks breathe in 56-63 percent more pollution than they produce, whereas whites breathe in 17 percent less air pollution than they produce.
One quote from Christopher Frey, the environmental engineering professor, stuck out to me. He said, "Being able to quantify the inequity is a key step toward addressing and reducing inequity." This quote is impactful because it addresses a strategy to reduce inequity among races. Another point that was significant was a finding in professor Robert Bullard's research. Bullard, the professor from Texas Southern University, found that African Americans were 79 percent more likely to live in areas that have the highest levels of pollution. This finding further emphasizes the disparity between consumption of polluted air between racial minorities and whites.
The piece overall was effective in presenting the research findings in understandable terms, covering past research on the topic, and finding a diverse set of sources.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Bomb threat disrupts classes at the University of St. Thomas
By JOE KELLY
A bomb threat surfaced at the University of St. Thomas on Wednesday morning, the Star Tribune reported.
The University of St. Thomas Public Safety tweeted that the threat targeted McNeely Hall, but surrounding buildings are being evacuated as well. Students and faculty were redirected to other parts of campus while parents of students were emailed and said they could pick up their students if needed, according to KARE 11.
5 Eye Witness News reported the St. Paul Bomb Squad and the FBI are helping with the investigation but the threat is no longer immediate, according to the university. Authorities did not indicate the severity of the threat.
The bomb threat was discovered around 10:20 a.m., the Star Tribune reported. However, classes at the evacuated halls are scheduled to resume at 1 p.m., according to KARE 11.
A bomb threat surfaced at the University of St. Thomas on Wednesday morning, the Star Tribune reported.
The University of St. Thomas Public Safety tweeted that the threat targeted McNeely Hall, but surrounding buildings are being evacuated as well. Students and faculty were redirected to other parts of campus while parents of students were emailed and said they could pick up their students if needed, according to KARE 11.
5 Eye Witness News reported the St. Paul Bomb Squad and the FBI are helping with the investigation but the threat is no longer immediate, according to the university. Authorities did not indicate the severity of the threat.
The bomb threat was discovered around 10:20 a.m., the Star Tribune reported. However, classes at the evacuated halls are scheduled to resume at 1 p.m., according to KARE 11.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Suspect of throwing a child over balcony at MOA will appear in court on Tuesday
By JOE KELLY
The suspect accused of throwing a child over the third-floor balcony of the Mall of America on Friday was charged with attempted murder and will appear in court on Tuesday, CBS Minnesota reported.
The 24-year-old suspect, Emmanuel Aranda, had come to the mall with plans to kill someone, according to a complaint. His bail is set at $2 million.
"This crime has shocked the community," said Mike Freeman, the Hennepin County Attorney. "We charged Mr. Aranda with the most severe crime that the evidence allowed."
Aranda confessed immediately to throwing the child off the balcony and that he had thought about it before hand, according to CBS Minnesota. 5 Eyewitness News reported that Aranda was initially planning to kill an adult, but instead chose the child that day.
The child fell an estimated 39 feet, and 5 Eyewitness News reported the child is in critical condition with fractured bones and severe head trauma. A GoFundMe account set up for the victim's family has raised over $600,000, but the family is requesting privacy at this time according to a statement released by the Bloomington police.
The suspect accused of throwing a child over the third-floor balcony of the Mall of America on Friday was charged with attempted murder and will appear in court on Tuesday, CBS Minnesota reported.
The 24-year-old suspect, Emmanuel Aranda, had come to the mall with plans to kill someone, according to a complaint. His bail is set at $2 million.
"This crime has shocked the community," said Mike Freeman, the Hennepin County Attorney. "We charged Mr. Aranda with the most severe crime that the evidence allowed."
Aranda confessed immediately to throwing the child off the balcony and that he had thought about it before hand, according to CBS Minnesota. 5 Eyewitness News reported that Aranda was initially planning to kill an adult, but instead chose the child that day.
The child fell an estimated 39 feet, and 5 Eyewitness News reported the child is in critical condition with fractured bones and severe head trauma. A GoFundMe account set up for the victim's family has raised over $600,000, but the family is requesting privacy at this time according to a statement released by the Bloomington police.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Assault and Armed Robbery on Campus
By JOE KELLY
A former University of Minnesota student was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint on campus Sunday night, KARE 11 reported.
According to the Department of Public Safety's Timely Warning, the victim was walking on Pleasant Street Southeast around 11 p.m. when three males in ski masks and dark clothing approached. Two of the males assaulted and robbed the victim while the other male held out a gun.
The suspects took the victim's wallet and ran away, the Timely Warning reported.
The victim said that the suspects were in their late teens, but could not provide additional details, according to KARE 11.
A former University of Minnesota student was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint on campus Sunday night, KARE 11 reported.
According to the Department of Public Safety's Timely Warning, the victim was walking on Pleasant Street Southeast around 11 p.m. when three males in ski masks and dark clothing approached. Two of the males assaulted and robbed the victim while the other male held out a gun.
The suspects took the victim's wallet and ran away, the Timely Warning reported.
The victim said that the suspects were in their late teens, but could not provide additional details, according to KARE 11.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Uber's Journey to an IPO (News Analysis Week 12)
By JOE KELLY
For this week's news analysis, I will look at an article by Mike Isaac and Kate Conger from the New York Times that summarizes Uber's financial situation before a potential initial public offering.
Isaac and Conger first wrote that Uber's offering could be valued at $100 billion, which is up from its last set value at $76 billion. They also included Uber's revenue in 2018 was $11.3 billion, but Uber ultimately lost $1.8 billion. They compared Uber's offering value to Lyft's, who went public for $24 billion. Isaac and Conger mentioned how Lyft's value dropped below its IPO this month, and that Uber's value may do the same due to concerns about its profitability.
The writers needed to have the ability to analyze business financial reports along with stock market shares. Isaac and Conger then needed to generalize those numbers into a narrative about how well Uber and other companies are doing. Isaac and Conger not only needed skills for analyzing data, but they needed experience with covering the stock market, IPO's, and white-collar businesses.
There was no use of interactive graphics or other tools to engage the reader in Isaac and Conger's article. However, in a related piece that was linked in their article, Stephen Grocer compared Uber and Lyft in four charts that included bookings, revenue, earnings/losses and costs and expenses. Although they weren't interactive, the charts showed the information in a way that was easier to understand.
For this week's news analysis, I will look at an article by Mike Isaac and Kate Conger from the New York Times that summarizes Uber's financial situation before a potential initial public offering.
Isaac and Conger first wrote that Uber's offering could be valued at $100 billion, which is up from its last set value at $76 billion. They also included Uber's revenue in 2018 was $11.3 billion, but Uber ultimately lost $1.8 billion. They compared Uber's offering value to Lyft's, who went public for $24 billion. Isaac and Conger mentioned how Lyft's value dropped below its IPO this month, and that Uber's value may do the same due to concerns about its profitability.
The writers needed to have the ability to analyze business financial reports along with stock market shares. Isaac and Conger then needed to generalize those numbers into a narrative about how well Uber and other companies are doing. Isaac and Conger not only needed skills for analyzing data, but they needed experience with covering the stock market, IPO's, and white-collar businesses.
There was no use of interactive graphics or other tools to engage the reader in Isaac and Conger's article. However, in a related piece that was linked in their article, Stephen Grocer compared Uber and Lyft in four charts that included bookings, revenue, earnings/losses and costs and expenses. Although they weren't interactive, the charts showed the information in a way that was easier to understand.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
First Image of Black Hole Revealed
By JOE KELLY
A global team of astronomers revealed the first ever image of a black hole on Wednesday, supporting Einstein's theory of general relativity, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The image required nine telescopes from eight different laboratories on four continents focusing on the galaxy semi-continuously for 10 days, the New York Times reported. In the image from Event Horizon Telescopes, a dark circle sits in the middle of a bright orange ring.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this is the first direct evidence of a black hole, as astronomers have only been able to gain indirect evidence of them by observing gravitational waves coming from the center of galaxies. Any other image shown in books, magazines or online have been artist interpretations of black holes.
The black hole caught in the image is located in a galaxy in the Virgo constellation, Messier 87, which is 54 million light years away, according to the New York Times and NASA. It is 6.5 billion times as massive as our sun, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A global team of astronomers revealed the first ever image of a black hole on Wednesday, supporting Einstein's theory of general relativity, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The image required nine telescopes from eight different laboratories on four continents focusing on the galaxy semi-continuously for 10 days, the New York Times reported. In the image from Event Horizon Telescopes, a dark circle sits in the middle of a bright orange ring.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this is the first direct evidence of a black hole, as astronomers have only been able to gain indirect evidence of them by observing gravitational waves coming from the center of galaxies. Any other image shown in books, magazines or online have been artist interpretations of black holes.
The black hole caught in the image is located in a galaxy in the Virgo constellation, Messier 87, which is 54 million light years away, according to the New York Times and NASA. It is 6.5 billion times as massive as our sun, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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