Kandia Milton expected to plead guilty today

Title: "Kandia Milton expected to plead guilty today"

Source: Detroit Free Press

URL: http://www.freep.com/article/20091210/NEWS01/91210009/1318/Kilpatricks-deputy-mayor-to-plead-guilty-to-bribery?GID=Y+1h/MsdmT96HzAP98JdQCHffnMS5y4SYLpFoJJSSb0%3D

This story is from the Detroit Free Press. It talks about how former Detroit Deputy Mayor Kandia Milton is expected to plead guilty to a federal bribery conspiracy charge this afternoon. Milton was implicated when former Detroit police officer Jerry Rivers pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Detroit to bribery in connection with a real estate deal. Rivers told a judge he took a $50,000 bribe and split it with Milton and Milton’s younger brother DeDan Milton. Milton’s lawyer  confirmed that he expects the plea to take place this afternoon, and said that his client “violated the law, but it’s a minimal violation.” This story is important because the plea is coming from someone within former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s inner circle. It just shows how much corruption was going on in the city of Detroit. 

Vines assault East Coast dunes

Title: “Vines assault East Coast dunes”

Source: Detroit Free Press

Page Number: 8A

Date: October 32, 2009

This article is from the Detroit Free Press. It is about a fast-growing vine that was imported from Korea to stop massive erosion of sand dunes and how it is destroying dunes in the Carolinas and threatening beaches up and down the East Coast. The plant is called the beach vitex, and it is a woody plant with leaves and purple flowers. It was planted along the Carolina coast after Hurricane Hugo struck the beaches in 1989. This is an important article because it shows the effects that nature can sometimes have on itself.

Secret Santa

Title: "Secret Santa"

Source: CNN

URL: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/10/mip.thursday/index.html

This news story is a feature from CNN. It is about a man named Larry Stewart who died in 2007. Before he died, however, he spent years of his life anonymously passing out $100 bills around the holidays. He gave away nearly $1.3 million during his 20-years spent doing it. The story then talks about how on Wednesday, a new secret santa who was mentored by Stewart started following in his footsteps. In one day alone he handed out $14,000 around the metro Detroit area and has selected 20 other people to hand out cash with him. In total he plans to give away at least $500,000 of his own money.

Roman Polanski vs Vanity Fair

Title: "Roman Polanski Won the Libel Case Against Vanity Fair"

Source: Softpedia Entertainment

URL:http://news.softpedia.com/news/Roman-Polanski-Has-Won-The-Libel-Case-Against-Vanity-Fair-Magazine-5365.shtml

Date: July 25, 2005

This weeks assignment was to find a famous libel case. I chose this case of Roman Polanski vs Vanity Fair Magazine. The Oscar-winning director had a libel case against Vanity Fair magazine and the courts ruled in his favor. The magazine wrote that the director tried to seduce a Scandinavian model on his way to Sharon Tate's funeral by claiming he could make her "another Sharon Tate". Polanski said the Vanity Fair allegation was an "abominable lie" that made him appear "callously indifferent" to his wife's memory. According to a British newspaper, the Norwegian model Beatte Telle declared that Roman Polanski never tried to seduce her, as the magazine implied. 

"'Balloon Boy' parents to plead guilty"

Title: "'Balloon Boy' parents to plead guilty"

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

URL:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6555669/Balloon-boy-parents-to-plead-guilty-to-keep-mother-in-US.html

Date: November 12, 2009

This story is an update about the couple who reported their six year old son had floated away on a helium balloon when he was actually hiding in their home. The couple plead guilty to some of the charges and will be serving probation. Richard Heene, the father, will plead guilty in the alleged hoax to attempting to influence a public servant, which is a felony. The wife will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor. This story was important because this couple was at the center of an international media frenzy last month and I do think they should get in trouble for what they caused. 

"Granholm slashes $212M more from public schools"

Title: "Granholm slashes $212M more from public schools"

Source: Detroit Free Press

URL: http://www.freep.com/article/20091022/NEWS15/91022065/1318/Granholm-slashes--212M-more-from-public-schools

Date: October 22, 2009

This story was about how Gov. Granholm had to cut another $212 million dollars from the state's public schools due to poor tax revenues. The new 2009-10 budget for k-12 schools will now cut $192 dollars per student. I believe this story is important because it's a true realization of how bad the Michigan economy truly is. We hear about the economic struggles everyday but when it is presented in numbers and is affecting education for kids, it really hits close to home. I think it is sad that schools are being affected so hard by this. The children do not really understand the economic troubles and their education is suffering from the downturn.

2009-10 budget for K-12 schools

Missing Colorado boy found safe at home

Title: "Missing Colorado boy found safe at home"

Source: Detroit Free Press

URL:http://www.freep.com/article/20091015/NEWS07/91015034

Date: September 30, 2009

I caught this story earlier on the news today and thought it was really interesting. I thought it was police related because police were involved trying to get the boy down safely.A six year old boy from colorado was thought to have floated off in a helium balloon, however this story released says that he was found safe at home hiding in a cardboard box in the garage attic. The news was a frantic mess earlier today when the boys brother told his parents and the police that he saw the six year old get in the balloon before it took off. But at the time they heard news he was in the balloon, the flight was already fifty miles away and 70 feet in the air. I watched as they still thought he was in the balloon and had no way of getting him down safely. I am glad he was at home. This story was something that happened all day and many people were involved across the country.

"Man Arraigned in Westland Wife's Death"

Title: "Man Arraigned in Westland Wife's Death"

Source: Click on Detroit

URL: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21161196/detail.html#

Date: September 30, 2009

I chose to write about this story because it is very close to home. The woman murdered is a close friend of my family and her husband, who allegedly killed her has been arrested. Sarah Williams was murdered outside of Chatters bar in Westland, Michigan. She was leaving work when her husband supposedly ran her over with her own car and then proceeded to beat her with a crowbar until she was dead. He then threw her body in the dumpster and fled the scene. Hours later when someone found her in the dumpster, they rushed her to the hospital where she died hours later due to her injuries. She has a seven year old daughter. She was married to this man for a year. The same day she was murdered she had packed up her stuff from their house earlier that day with plans of leaving him. After the murder, George Williams, her husband, left comments on his facebook saying things along the line of "What have I done? I feel sick and want to die." This story is a tragedy and the article that he was arrested and is in jail is settling information after such a heartbreaking story. 

"James Ellroy Divulges a Few Dirty Secrets"

Title: "James Ellroy Divulges a Few Dirty Secrets"

Source: National Public Radio (NPR.org)

URL:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112977266

Date: September 22, 2009

This article is a profile on James Ellroy who is a crime writer. Currently he is writing a book called Bloods a Rover which is supposed to re-write American history as if every conspiracy theory from the 1960's were true. Ellroy is thrilled to write the novel and excited about the fact that he can write history to his own specifications. He believes that the themes and circumstances of the decade provide a great source of material. In his writing he can disappear into a world where he can assassinate public leaders, get high off whatever drugs he want, and get paid for doing it. This article offers a good profile on a person with an interesting background.

"Court denies Kilpatrick bid to cut his restitution to $6 a month"

Source: Detroit Free Press

URL: http://www.freep.com/article/20090917/NEWS01/90917040/1318/Court-denies-Kilpatrick-bid-to-cut-his-restitution-to--6-a-month

Date: September 17, 2009

This article is about how Kwame Kilpatrick was denied a bid to lower his court-ordered restitution payment by 99.9%. Instead of paying 6,000 dollars he tried to only pay $6. He was denied due to "lack of merit". This story is very newsworthy because the initial story about Kilpatrick headlined for many months. I think he should have to pay every penny of the restitution and I think that the fact that it was already lowered by 50% is not very justified. What Kilpatrick did affected many people in so many negative ways so updates on this story are important for people to hear about.

“Climate-change technology risks 'catastrophic' outcome”

Source: Birmingham Post

URL: http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/40435

Date: September 3, 2009

This article is about the chance that “climate-changing technologies” could have a negative effect on our environment and mankind if they are not used responsibly. The technologies are designed in order to cool the Earth and prevent global warming, however research shows that they are risky and un-proven techniques. A possible technique includes fake trees that take carbon dioxide out of the air and spray sulphate particles into the atmosphere in order to scatter sunrays. This article is important because it reminds us of the dangers of global warming and also talks about the consequences humans could face if they try to affect the environment in too many ways. 

University of Michigan Breaking NCAA Rules

I found this story in the Detroit Free Press. It is about University of Michigan football players claiming that the program violates the NCAA rules that limit how much time teams can spend on training and practice sessions. The coaches are currently denying all allegations however there will be an internal investigation. This story is news worthy because, as a fan of University of Michigan football, this could greatly affect the reputation of the team. In addition, if the allegations are in fact true, something should be done about breaking the rules in order to look out for the welfare of the players.