Los Angeles Report
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 5/19/16
Date of Publication: 5/19/16
Hi Barons…
I’m walking down through the beautiful Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles, the second largest metropolis in America…and that over there is Union Station renowned as “the last of the great train stations” of our country. Los Angeles Union Station happens to be the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States. Inaugurated in May of 1939, Union Station’s original architecture includes a blend of European, early California, and Native American designs. More than 1.5 million users a year, and now you, can see it here in the ‘Waiting Room’ and the ‘Original Ticket Lobby’ area. This is ‘Los Angeles Plaza’, located in famous Olvera Street which is the oldest part of the city, and which is been named one of the top 5 ‘Great Streets’ of America. This is the area where the city of Los Angeles was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1781, a nice place to enjoy great food. This is ‘La Placita de Dolores’, also in Olvera Street, a place that celebrates Hispanic cultures, and where people enjoy themselves with live music on the weekends… Are you a fan of the Lakers, Clippers, or hockey’s LA Kings? Well, this is their home, the world famous Los Angeles Staples Center, also a place for Boxing and Wrestling, and concerts by top stars. With capacity for up to 20,000 fans, Staples Center has witnessed many NBA, and Stanley Cup finals. |
A Cultural View
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 4/24/16
Date of Publication: 4/24/16
*Picture was provided by jmsreports.org
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"Hi Barons, this is Omar Moreno reporting from Barrio Logan.
This is the 80 feet long neighborhood sign, inaugurated in late 2014. It measures 42 feet tall at its center, and has Mayan, Aztec and local Kumeyaay tribe designs. There’s a fish, representing the historical importance of the sea as a food source, and an ear of corn, a staple crop for Native Americans. Two pyramid shapes on the sign overlap, this is meant to represent the meeting of cultures. Barrio Logan is named after a congressman, John Logan, who in 1891 tried to provide federal funds so that a transcontinental railroad would end up in this area. The plan never materialized but the area was named Logan Heights. During the Mexican Revolution in the 1910’s many refugees from Mexico arrived in this area, and it came to be known since then as Barrio Logan. Barrio in Spanish means neighborhood. That’s a nice view of the Coronado Bridge. Half of Barrio Logan’s area is owned by the Port Authority of San Diego, and by the Naval Base of San Diego, the fourth largest in America’s navy, both of which provide thousands of jobs to the San Diego region. Long neglected, Barrio Logan finally began renovations in the past few years which includes the addition of brand new apartments, the Mercado Del Barrio Shopping Center, and the ‘Cesar Chavez Continuing Education Center’. This is Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park, inaugurated in 1971, as you can see it is right underneath the Coronado Bridge’s pylons, and has quite a few murals painted by Mexican-American artists" |
A View of Nature and Borders
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 4/19/16
Date of Publication: 4/19/16
Recently, reporter Omar Moreno had the opportunity to report on two Southern California parks close to the Mexican-American border. His report was as follows:
"Hi Barons, this is Omar Moreno, my next reporting segment covers a couple of California Parks in our Southbay area. So this here is Border Field State Park located about 15 miles from our own school, it is the farthest southwest corner of our United States, and it overlooks the Pacific Ocean. An excellent place for hiking and bird watching, and an important habitat for wildlife. Border Field State Park is positioned right next to the international border fence with Tijuana. Within it is the Friendship Park/El Parque de la Amistad, in which families from both sides of the border, separated for many reasons, can visit each other…with many limitations. Over the border fence is the city of Tijuana District called Playas de Tijuana. In fact we can see the famous city bullring from here. Also, over there is Border Monument number 258 Initial Point of Boundary Between U.S. and Mexico, which dates to the end of the Mexican-American War era in 1849. Alright, now I’m in the Tijuana Estuary National Park, a salt marsh that is considered the largest coastal wetland of Southern California. An estuary is an area of transition between river and maritime environments, it is the zone where a river and the sea meet inland. Ok so, conservation efforts in the Tijuana Estuary National Park are extremely important because this location is an essential breeding, feeding and nesting ground and key stopover point along the Pacific coast for many species of migratory and native birds, some of which are considered endangered species. In 2005 this local River Estuary Reserve was designated a 'Wetland of International Importance' by the United Nations." |
The Wisconsin Primary Yields New Winners
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 4/6/16
Date of Publication: 4/6/16
*Picture was provided by CNN
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On April 5, 2016 Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz won the Wisconsin primary giving both candidates a source of crucial momentum.The voter turnout rate at the Wisconsin primary was the highest since 1972; almost half of eligible voting-age citizens participated in the primary. Republican candidate Ted Cruz victory in Wisconsin allowed him to still remain competitive in the election by taking away a majority of delegates at the primary from Donald Trump. On the Democrat side, the win at the Wisconsin primary allowed Bernie Sanders to continue with his streak of recent wins across seven recent primaries which could contribute to gaining some super delegates in the future. All five candidates are now expected to be heading to the state of New York which is the next vital primary in the election. Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are the two candidates who are expected to win this primary but it is yet to be seen if either Ted Cruz or Bernie Sanders can pull a victory in this state.
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The Man Identified as 'Third Bomber' in Brussels Attack Is Released
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 3/29/16
Date of Publication: 3/29/16
*Picture was provided by The New York Times
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Journalist Fayçal Cheffou was identified by the Belgian government as an underground operative working with ISIS. Authorities from Belgium announced that Mr. Cheffou that he had been charged with terrorism and the news media labeled the man as the third bomber who participated in the bombing of the Brussels Airport. The arrest of Mr. Cheffou was supposedly a big achievement on part of the Belgian government, but it received much criticism from those claiming that the government had not acknowledged the lack of certain evidence before the bombings. As time went on, it appeared that the authorities lacked convicting evidence required to hold Fayçal Cheffou and as such released him. This information indicates that Mr. Cheffou was mistakenly identified as one of the bombers in an airport surveillance photo.
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Mayor of New York Micheal Bloomberg Will Not Be Participating In the Presidential Race
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 3/7/16
Date of Publication: 3/7/16
*Picture provided by New York Times
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On Monday, the mayor of New York, Micheal Bloomberg announced that he would not be entering the presidential race of 2016 out of concern for Donald becoming the GOP presidential nominee for the Republican party. Mr. Bloomberg has stated the following: “Over the last several months, many Americans have urged me to run for president as an independent, and some who don’t like the current candidates have said it is my patriotic duty to do so. I appreciate their appeals, and I have given the question serious consideration.” Nonetheless, Micheal Bloomberg has made it clear that he will not risk his candidacy paving the way for victory for both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Micheal Bloomberg has expressed his disagreement with Donald Trump's intent to prevent Muslim immigrants from entering the country and cause trade conflict with Japan, China and other countries. Mayor Bloomberg claims that America cannot turn away from the values that made this country great in the first place.
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Super Tuesday, One Step Closer To The Oval Office
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 3/3/16
Date of Publication: 3/3/16
*Picture was provided by CNN.
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This past Tuesday saw the increased momentum and fall of some candidates in the Super Tuesday primary. In total, 12 states participated in these major primaries: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton each won seven states in this major primary which will contribute to their ongoing momentum. With these showings thus far, it appears that both of these candidates will be the presidential nominee for their respective parties. While Trump and Clinton showed numerous victories at Super Tuesday, other candidates had less than stellar performances at the primary. John Kasich and Ben Carson, two other Republican candidates, did not win any states at the primary and candidate Marco Rubio only won Minnesota. Other candidates such as Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican Ted Cruz fared better in the competition. Both Cruz and Sanders won four states each which gives them the footing to remain competitive in this presidential race.
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Donald Trump's Campaign Gets A Boost From Chris Christie
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 2/28/16
Date of Publication: 2/28/16
Picture was provided by the Washington Times.
Former GOP presidential candidate, Chris Christie, endorses Donald Trump for president.
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In an unexpected turn of events, on Friday February twenty-sixth, Governer Chris Christie endorsed Donald Trump for president and promised to support his campaign through the remainder of the election. This announcement was met with shock from the political community and the media. Governor Christie claimed that his choice to support Mr. Trump was based on the fact that he seems to be the best choice for the Republican nomination and the most suitable candidate to take on Hilary Clinton in the election. By supporting Donald Trump, Chris Christie is effectively challenging attempts by the Republican Party to point out Mr. Trump as " an unsavory party crasher" which may give other politicians who support Trump the green light to endorse him. During the endorsement, Governor Christie, along with Donald Trump, repeatedly bashed Senator Rubio with insults to the delight of supporters. Mr. Trump has expressed his approval of Chris Christie going after Marco Rubio in a past debate which may hint at his interest in Mr. Christie's talent for bludgeoning the political opposition.
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Apple Opposed to Court Order
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 2/18/16
Date of Publication: 2/18/16
Picture was provided by the New York Times.
The CEO of Apple, Timothy D. Cook, expresses his concern with a court order that could have dire consequences in the future.
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During the month of January 2016, several government and business officials met in Silicon Valley to discuss the future of encryptions added on to technological devices. Some of the top intelligence advisers from the Obama administration met with Apple CEO, Timothy Cook, and a few other prominent leaders in technology. This meeting revolved around one particular issue, Apple was being asked by the FBI to unlock one of the phones used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino shooting. Apple was strongly opposed to this idea and in the end, the talks ended in nothing being resolved. When the talks achieved nothing, a federal magistrate judge, on behalf of the Justice Department issued a court order demanding that Apple comply with unlocking the phone as a matter of national security. This event has sparked a public battle between Apple and the Obama administration. Currently, Apple remains steadfast in its opposition of the court order because as Timothy Cook puts it, the governments request to unlock the phone is a "chilling breach of privacy". To unlock the phone, Apple would need to create a "backdoor" that would essentially go around its own security measures. This "backdoor" could make it easier for the government to conduct surveillance gathering which, according to Mr.Cook, could lead to a mass violation of public privacy. Apple plans to file an appeal to the court by the end of this week.
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The Sudden Death of a Supreme Court Justice
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 2/14/16
Date of Publication: 2/14/16
Picture was provided by the New York Times.
Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia dies at age 79.
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On February 13, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia died in a luxury hunting resort in West Texas. Judge Scalia was found in dead in his room by the resort's owner. Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara pronounced the judge dead of natural causes, although no autopsy was ordered on the body. Since this event, various conspiracy theories have popped up throughout the internet due to suspicion on his untimely demise. Regardless of the cause of his demise, the death of justice Scalia has sent shockwaves throughout the political community which will end up impacting the 2016 presidential election. President Barrack Obama plans to nominate another judge that will take the place of Justice Scalia in the Supreme Court which makes many Republicans concerned. If the president appoints a liberal judge to the position, the balance of power in the Supreme Court will shift and quite possibly, the type of policies that are implemented in the nation will have a more liberal approach. However, President Obama has yet to nominate a candidate and the Republicans in Congress claim that they will deny the president's candidate a place in the Supreme Court which seems to indicate that gridlock will prevent anything from being solved. Already, Republican candidates who are running for president claim that the position for judge should not be filled in until president Barrack Obama leaves office.
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The Paris Climate Deal: A Landmark Climate Accord Approved In Paris
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 12/12/15
Date of Publication: 12/12/15
Picture was provided by The New York Times.
World officials celebrating the passing of the Paris Climate Deal signed by 195 countries on December 12/12/15.
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Today in Paris, on December 12, 2015, the representatives of 195 nations reached a landmark climate accord that will require every country involved to lower planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to help counter the most serious effects of climate change. This accord is significant because it is a monumental breakthrough on an issue that has disrupted decades of international efforts to confront and regulate climate change. This historic accord has been worked on by United Nations diplomats for nine years and introduces a universal agreement for climate change for many of the world's countries. The accord will require action from every country regardless if it is rich or poor. It is evident that, much like all plans, this resolution will not resolve global warming on its lonesome, but it will cut global greenhouse gas emissions which will help stave off severe environmental consequences around the world. According to this plan, every nation will be legally required to meet up every five years, starting in 2023, to publicly announce how they are doing in cutting emission levels through the use of a universal accounting system.
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San Bernardino Shootings: A Shocking Tragedy In A Tight-knit Community
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 12/3/15
Date of Publication: 12/3/15
Picture was provided by NPR.
An investigator looks at a SUV that was involved in a police shootout with suspects, in San Bernardino, Calif., on Thursday. At least 14 people are dead and 17 wounded after a shooting Wednesday morning in San Bernardino.
Jae C. Hong/AP |
On December 2, 2015 a shooting broke out at a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Two people, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married couple, opened fire on fellow coworkers, killing fourteen and injuring twenty-two. Both assailants escaped in a black SUV but eventually they were cornered by the authorities and proceeded to exchange fire with police. The attackers were killed in the ensuing gunfight and a manhunt ensued for any other possible gunmen that could have participated in the crime. It was later determined that these two people were the only ones who participated in the shooting. Police inspected the home of the culprits and discovered that Farook, who was born in the U.S. and worked for the county, and Malik, a Pakistan national, had an arsenal of ammunition and pipe bombs in their Redlands home. Apparently, both of them obtained weapons from a friend of Farook, Enrique Marquez who bought the guns used in the attack. It was reported that Enrique Marquez entered a mental health facility after the massacre. Authorities reported that Farook and Malik began plotting this attack before they became engaged and before Malik moved to the U.S. last year. Investigators have found that the couple supported ISIS but they are still in the process of finding out if they actually met with any ISIS leaders or had orders relayed to them.
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Creation Of An Anti-ISIS Coalition, A Challenge For France
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 11/20/15
Date of Publication: 11/20/15
Picture was provided by the New York Times.
President François Hollande of France, center, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday. Mr. Hollande is trying to show diplomatic initiative although he under pressure at home to act strongly against the Islamic State. Credit Charles Platiau/Reuters
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The recent attack conducted by ISIS terrorists on France has shown that the threat to international security is not only real, but quite alive and present. This attack has brought up the possibility that the United States, Russia, and France might form an alliance to combat the ISIS threat but so far, it seems as if the possibility for an alliance remains purely hypothetical.There has been effort put forth to make an alliance, particularly by President François Hollande of France, however, these efforts are starting to unravel due to national interests causing the three countries to "look out for themselves". Mr.Obama and President Vladimir Putin already have a large quantity of friction between one another since Russia's annexation of Crimea and interference in eastern Ukraine. On Wednesday, French diplomats in the U.N. began working on a draft measure that would authorize force against ISIS but just as they was about to share their measure with other U.N. diplomats, Russian diplomats came forth with their own measure that emphasized cooperating with the governments of the nations who were affected by terrorism. As expected not everyone is in agreement in terms of accepting each measure. Although President François Hollande is under immense pressure to take action against ISIS, he is trying to take a diplomatic approach to the problem. All countries in the European Union have voted unanimously to support France but this action does not obligate them to contribute military support or intelligence sharing to France's problem. Only time will tell if something can be worked out to deal with the threat of ISIS.
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Amidst Student Protests, University Of Missouri President Resigns
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 11/13/15
Picture was provided by CNN
The President of the University of Missouri, Timothy M. Wolfe, giving his resignation speech in front of students and press officials.
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This past Monday, November 9, 2015, Timothy M. Wolfe, the President of the University of Missouri, resigned after months of student and faculty protests over racial tension and other prominent issues. One of the main reasons why these protests began can be attributed to the fact that the student president, who is African-American, received many racial epithets that originated from throughout the student population.These protests culminated in the form of a threat from the Missouri football team to boycott future football games. Many speculate that this was the final push that prompted Timothy M. Wolfe to resign due to not wanting to cause financial damage to the University of Missouri. Some such as Governor Jay Nixon were pleased with Timothy Wolfe's decision to resign, stating that, "Tim Wolfe’s resignation was a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation on the University of Missouri campus, and I appreciate his decision to do so”. The student faculty was especially pleased with this decision because they believe this will facilitate positive change to occur in terms of racial issues. One can only wonder if this will embolden students at other colleges across the nation, who are also experiencing racial issues, to take action and protest against school authority.
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Russian Plane Goes Down Over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 11/6/15
Date of Publication: 11/6/15
Picture provided by Independent News
The wreckage of the A321 Russian airliner in Wadi al-Zolomat, a mountainous area of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula AFP/Getty Images
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Last Saturday, a Russian plane went down over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, resulting in the death of 224 people. Tragically, all 217 passengers and seven crew members died in the crash; most of the passengers were Russian. According to French media, the plane's recovered black box shows that the Russian plane was downed in an explosion. Many public officials worldwide agree that there is a strong possibility that the aircraft was brought down by an explosion, among them are Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and President Barack Obama. This possibility is backed up, in terms of being likely, by President Vladimir Putin when he agreed with the head of Russia's security service to suspend all flights to the country of Egypt. The plane was returning from the the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, near the southern tip of the Sinai, on a flight to St. Petersburg, Russia. The plane made an abrupt disappearance from radar about 23 minutes into the flight, at 6:20 a.m. local time. Insurgents allied with ISIS have been fighting Egyptian forces in the Sinai region, which makes ISIS look like the most likely guilty party in this situation. President Vladimir has vowed to make whichever party is responsible for the attack, pay severely. However, there have been no leads as to who orchestrated the attack. Nonetheless, investigators all across Europe remain vigilant in their search for the guilty party.
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A View Of Our Native San Diego
By Omar Moreno
Date of Publication: 10/30/15
Date of Publication: 10/30/15
Picture was provided by Omar Moreno.
Omar Moreno atop a roof of a Downtown San Diego building that has an overview of the Bay Area.
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On October 24, 2015, reporter Omar Moreno stood atop one of the most prominent buildings in Downtown San Diego that overlooks the Bay Area. He gave a brief overview of some of the famous landmarks that surround the general area, adding that people should feel thankful to live in this beautiful region.
When introducing the scenery, Omar Moreno began his narration as follows: "Hey Barons, this is Omar Moreno and I'm here reporting from one of the high rise buildings in downtown San Diego, on a beautiful cloudy day. As you can see this is a beautiful view of the downtown area where we can observe a swath of the city, including the bay." Omar Moreno introduced some significant landmarks throughout the narration: "To my right, we can see some of the courts, Horton Plaza, the popular Gas Lamp quarter, and the recently built Main Library among other landmarks.Behind me, we can observe the Coronado Island with the iconic and historic Coronado Hotel, and the Coronado Bridge, and of course we can not forget the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Hey, did young know that from here we can even see our neighbor city of Tijuana, Mexico?" Finally to conclude the video, Omar Moreno showcased some of the bay area that is utilized by the military: "Over here we can see some of the military installations of the navy, which has a very large presence in this area. Quite a stunning view wouldn't you say? I think we should feel privileged to live in the San Diego area." |