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.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
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.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
After Final Four, The Twin Cities Will Continue Hosting National Events
By JOE KELLY
After Virginia won the Final Four Championship hosted in Minneapolis against Texas Tech, The Twin Cities is still looking to place big events and bring more people to Minnesota, according to 5 Eye Witness News.
Meet Minneapolis told news outlets that the Twin Cities will soon host events including the NCAA Women's Final Four, USA Volleyball Open National Championships, the X Games, the NCAA Men's Wrestling Championship, and more. Previous events hosted in the Twin Cities include the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, the 2016 Ryder Cup, and Super Bowl LII in 2018, according to the Star Tribune.
The Star Tribune reported that along with Meet Minneapolis and Sports Minneapolis, The Itasca Project aims to bring in more nationally rotating events to the metro area, along with homegrown events large enough to attract non-Minnesotans. However, this project would need private and public funding to gain momentum.
Rockport Analytics estimates that the Final Four will bring in $142 million to the region, the Star Tribune reported. Super Bowl LII brought in $370 million in comparison.
The Star Tribune wrote that these two events along with the list of upcoming events from Meet Minneapolis have a large impact on Twin Cities music, art, infrastructure, and businesses.
After Virginia won the Final Four Championship hosted in Minneapolis against Texas Tech, The Twin Cities is still looking to place big events and bring more people to Minnesota, according to 5 Eye Witness News.
Meet Minneapolis told news outlets that the Twin Cities will soon host events including the NCAA Women's Final Four, USA Volleyball Open National Championships, the X Games, the NCAA Men's Wrestling Championship, and more. Previous events hosted in the Twin Cities include the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, the 2016 Ryder Cup, and Super Bowl LII in 2018, according to the Star Tribune.
The Star Tribune reported that along with Meet Minneapolis and Sports Minneapolis, The Itasca Project aims to bring in more nationally rotating events to the metro area, along with homegrown events large enough to attract non-Minnesotans. However, this project would need private and public funding to gain momentum.
Rockport Analytics estimates that the Final Four will bring in $142 million to the region, the Star Tribune reported. Super Bowl LII brought in $370 million in comparison.
The Star Tribune wrote that these two events along with the list of upcoming events from Meet Minneapolis have a large impact on Twin Cities music, art, infrastructure, and businesses.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Jury Is Now Set For Mohamed Noor's Trial
By Joe Kelly
A jury is now set for trial of former police officer Mohamed Noor who is charged for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk Damond, according to CBS Minnesota.
KARE 11 reported that the selection for the jury was prolonged after concerns that jury members were not fit to judge the trial without bias or other inclinations. The jury currently has 10 men and two women, six of them being people of color, while two men and two women serve as alternates, according to KARE 11.
Noor, 33, was charged with the murder and manslaughter of Damond in 2017 after she had called 911, 5 Eye Witness News reported. Damond had approached Noor's vehicle when she was shot.
Opening statements for the trial are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
A jury is now set for trial of former police officer Mohamed Noor who is charged for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk Damond, according to CBS Minnesota.
KARE 11 reported that the selection for the jury was prolonged after concerns that jury members were not fit to judge the trial without bias or other inclinations. The jury currently has 10 men and two women, six of them being people of color, while two men and two women serve as alternates, according to KARE 11.
Noor, 33, was charged with the murder and manslaughter of Damond in 2017 after she had called 911, 5 Eye Witness News reported. Damond had approached Noor's vehicle when she was shot.
Opening statements for the trial are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
The Daily's Look Into the Mueller Report (News Analysis Week 11)
By Joe Kelly
For this week's news analysis, I decided to listen an episode of the New York Time's podcast "The Daily" that covered Attorney General William Barr's decision on the Mueller report.
The story started with a recap of Barr's decision that the president and his team did not conspire with Russia to impact the election. They then discussed the apparent disagreement between Barr's four-page summary of the investigation and Mueller team's reporting. As the episode went on, the speakers went into the technicalities of the power that Mueller had as an independent investigator versus the power that Barr had in his own review of the investigation.
The podcast featured two guests that report for the New York Times, including Nick Fandos who covers Congress, and Mike Schmidt who covers national security. They are both correspondents in Washington D.C.
Near the end of the episode, the podcast featured audio clips from the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler, and his statement that there might be subpoenas for the full report if Barr doesn't release the full report. This amplified the story's urgency because everyone wants to see what might be evidence that the president is doing un-presidential things, even if those actions aren't enough to say there were high crimes.
For this week's news analysis, I decided to listen an episode of the New York Time's podcast "The Daily" that covered Attorney General William Barr's decision on the Mueller report.
The story started with a recap of Barr's decision that the president and his team did not conspire with Russia to impact the election. They then discussed the apparent disagreement between Barr's four-page summary of the investigation and Mueller team's reporting. As the episode went on, the speakers went into the technicalities of the power that Mueller had as an independent investigator versus the power that Barr had in his own review of the investigation.
The podcast featured two guests that report for the New York Times, including Nick Fandos who covers Congress, and Mike Schmidt who covers national security. They are both correspondents in Washington D.C.
Near the end of the episode, the podcast featured audio clips from the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler, and his statement that there might be subpoenas for the full report if Barr doesn't release the full report. This amplified the story's urgency because everyone wants to see what might be evidence that the president is doing un-presidential things, even if those actions aren't enough to say there were high crimes.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Minnesota toy chain Creative Kidstuff will go out of business
By Joe Kelly
Creative Kidstuff, a Minnesota-based chain of toy stores, announced on Wednesday that they will be going out of business, according to CBS Minnesota.
Creative Kidstuff will liquidate inventory and issue discounts for their products on Wednesday, KARE 11 reported. They will officially close on June 30.
The company employs around 150 people, CBS Minnesota reported. The chain has been around for 40 years and has six locations. These locations include Edina Galleria, Mall of America, Minneapolis-Linden Hills, Minnetonka-Ridgedale, St. Louis Park, and Grand Avenue in St. Paul, according to KARE 11.
"Our mission has always been making play joyful, educational, creative, and inspiring," said CEO Roberta Bonoff in a statement. "It's been our pleasure to be part of such a fundamental experience for all families."
Creative Kidstuff, a Minnesota-based chain of toy stores, announced on Wednesday that they will be going out of business, according to CBS Minnesota.
Creative Kidstuff will liquidate inventory and issue discounts for their products on Wednesday, KARE 11 reported. They will officially close on June 30.
The company employs around 150 people, CBS Minnesota reported. The chain has been around for 40 years and has six locations. These locations include Edina Galleria, Mall of America, Minneapolis-Linden Hills, Minnetonka-Ridgedale, St. Louis Park, and Grand Avenue in St. Paul, according to KARE 11.
"Our mission has always been making play joyful, educational, creative, and inspiring," said CEO Roberta Bonoff in a statement. "It's been our pleasure to be part of such a fundamental experience for all families."
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Minnesota Man Drowns in Florida Keys
By Joe Kelly
A Minnesota man drowned in the Florida Keys on Friday, Fox 9 reported.
The 71-year-old man, Michael John McCormick, was snorkeling with a family member before they were separated according to Adam Linhardt, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff's office. When the family member could not find McCormick, they called 911.
A boater picked up the family member and McCormick and brought them to Geiger Key Marina, Linhardt told news outlets. Paramedics performed CPR on McCormick, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
CBS Minnesota reported that there was no suspicion of foul play. An autopsy is underway.
A Minnesota man drowned in the Florida Keys on Friday, Fox 9 reported.
The 71-year-old man, Michael John McCormick, was snorkeling with a family member before they were separated according to Adam Linhardt, a spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff's office. When the family member could not find McCormick, they called 911.
A boater picked up the family member and McCormick and brought them to Geiger Key Marina, Linhardt told news outlets. Paramedics performed CPR on McCormick, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
CBS Minnesota reported that there was no suspicion of foul play. An autopsy is underway.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Opioid Bill That Seeks to Battle Epidemic Passed in State Senate
By Joe Kelly
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill on Monday that would make drug companies pay fees to help out the opioid crisis according to CBS Minnesota.
MPR News reported that the bill would ask for $20 million from drug companies each year, but the charges would end if the companies reach a court settlement in the future. The bill passed by a vote of 59-6.
CBS Minnesota reported that a similar bill was passed two weeks ago in the Minnesota House of Representatives with a vote of 94-34. According to CBS Minnesota, it is likely that some form of the opioid bill will be signed into law.
MPR News reported that Gov. Tim Walz plans to sign the bill, and wants a possible future settlement that focuses on addiction treatment instead of just a legal settlement.
"We'll figure out how to make it work," Walz told news outlets.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill on Monday that would make drug companies pay fees to help out the opioid crisis according to CBS Minnesota.
MPR News reported that the bill would ask for $20 million from drug companies each year, but the charges would end if the companies reach a court settlement in the future. The bill passed by a vote of 59-6.
CBS Minnesota reported that a similar bill was passed two weeks ago in the Minnesota House of Representatives with a vote of 94-34. According to CBS Minnesota, it is likely that some form of the opioid bill will be signed into law.
MPR News reported that Gov. Tim Walz plans to sign the bill, and wants a possible future settlement that focuses on addiction treatment instead of just a legal settlement.
"We'll figure out how to make it work," Walz told news outlets.
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