Don’t have time to read in-depth reports on the major news stories of the moment? Not to fear! Check the News Blog every week for a run-down of the top stories that matter to you and where to find out more.
Occupy Wall Street
A movement that started Sept. 17 by a group of activists claiming to stand against the United States' crippling debt and greedy corporate officials has gone viral as more protests pop up across the nation. As reported by the New York Times, the idea behind the movement was to camp out for weeks or even months to replicate the scale of protests in Egypt earlier this year. On Oct. 1, New York police arrested about 700 participants as they marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, as some claim they were coerced onto the bridge and subsequently arrested. Similar groups are now planning to march in areas of North Carolina.
Want to know more? *Read a column from the New York Times' Nicholas Kristof. *Watch a video that claims to prove police entrapment of the 700 arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. *Check out the group's website, which describes participants as "the 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent."
Look for a report on Elon students and alums involved in the movement in an upcoming issue of The Pendulum.
Anwar al-Awlaki killed
In the months following the death of Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda operative and American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki remained a close second target. He was killed in a drone attack Friday, Sept. 30 in Yemen and while his death is a huge blow to al-Qaeda's ability to function, many are questioning Obama's decision to deny a citizen the Constitutional rights to a fair and speedy trial and to be innocent before proven guilty by due process of law. The U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings in anticipation of potential anti-American attacks fueled by al-Awlaki's death. Want to know more?
*Read an article in the Wall Street Journal about al-Awlaki's importance. *Read an article in the Atlantic about violating al-Awlakis's rights as an American.
Amanda Knox freed
Amanda Knox, an American student jailed for the alleged murder of her roommate while studying abroad in Italy in 2007, was released Monday. Knox plead innocent and spent four years in an Italian jail before being sent home to Seattle and would have faced more than 25 years in prison had she been convicted. Knox's family is said to have incurred debt well over $1 million because of the cost of lawyers, legal fees, international travel to Italy and other expenses, and multiple organizations have been started to fundraise for Knox's family. Want to know more?
*Read a column from the Chicago Tribune on why Knox being wrongly targeted as the perpetrator *Watch the appeals verdict
Debate over the Jobs Act
Since announcing his plan to put America back to work in a joint session of Congress Sept. 8, President Barack Obama has traveled the country pitching the plan, boiling the complicated proposal into two simple meanings:- putting people back to work and putting money back in their pockets. Included in the plan is tax cuts for businesses who hire new employees, $4.4 trillion deficit reduction and the expansion of job opportunities. While many doubt the Republicans will support the plan, members of the president's own party are balking at the bill, proposing it be broken down into smaller chunks, making it easier to pass through Congress.
Want to know more? *Check out a graphic from the New York Times about the reality of the American Jobs Act. *Read a transcript of President Obama's speech to Congress announcing the Act. *Watch Obama's Oct. 1 weekly address speaking in support of his plan.
Look for a report on the Jobs Act and what it means for students in this week's issue of The Pendulum.