Top Three National News

11/30/11

CBS News:

Stocks surge on central banks' liquidity plan
Stocks soared in morning trading Wednesday after major central banks acted together to support the global financial system by cutting short-term borrowing rates. The central banks take pressure off the banks in order to increase the reliability between trading partners.

Cain may not call it quits after all
After Cain set off speculation he was about to withdraw with a Tuesday morning conference call in which he said he was "reassessing" his candidacy after one woman's allegation of an affair with Cain, signs later in the day seemed to indicate that the candidate it is not willing to quit yet. He has assured several times that he will stay in the campaign.

200 arrested as cops raid Occupy LA camp
More than 1,400 police officers, some in riot gear, cleared the Occupy Los Angeles camp early Wednesday, driving protesters from a park around City Hall and arresting more than 200 who defied orders to leave.

Top Three National News

11/21/11

FOX News:

Congress May Try Blocking Cuts if Debt Panel Fail
The Congress will have to get a plan by the end of today to cut $1.2 trillion. If the don't get to a deal, the cuts will be made from the defese budget and from entitlement and domestic spending. Republican senator accused Obama for not involvement.


New York City Police Arrest Alleged Terror Suspect
A supposedly Al-Qaeda sympathizer has been arrested in NYC, and it remains in police custody. He is considered to be a "lone wolf", as mayor Bloomberg has said. 


Police Search for Missing Orlando Mother Who Disappeared After Appearance on Court TV Show
The police is looking for a woman from Florida, mother of three children. The woman, Michelle Parker, has dissapeered last Thursday being on TV, in a Court show.

Top Three National News

11/15/11

CBS News:

Occupy protesters regroup in NYC 

The Occupy Wall Street movement has vowed to reorganize and occupy Zuccotti Park after being removed in the morning. Apparently the police is not willing to let the demonstartors reenter the park. There is a strong support and belief in the movement that makes it strong. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had stated that the park won't be open until the city adresses the restraining order.

Girl trapped 2 days in wrecked car with dead dad

In North Carolina, a girl has spent two days inside the crashed car, after an accident in the highway that killed his father. The 9-year-old girl, Jordan Landon was sent Sunday to a hospital. An apparent cause of the accident could be the excessive speed, but family members completely disregard that fact, saying that dad Doug Landon was a good father.

McQueary on sex abuse: "I made sure it stopped"

The Penn State football assistant coach Mike McQueary complained about the criticism against him and his teammates because the Sandusky sexual scandal. In an email to former teammates, McQueary says that not all the truth has been told and that he did the possible to stop any sexual abuse when he saw it, back in 2002. On the other hand Sandusky denies all allegations.

Top Three National News

11/11/11

CBS News (cbsnews.com)

Poll: Cain tops 3-way race with Romney, Gingrich

In the Republican race for presidential election Herman Cain goes on top followed by Romney and Gingrich, who are tied. Gingrich still winning votes slowly while Cain and Romney have lost support. For most republicans is still early to decide and the electoral race is open to changes.

Report: Paterno sought criminal defense lawyer

Joe Paterno is thought to have contacted an attorney to protect him. Although there are no charges against him related to the sexual scandal in Penn State he could be involved in a civil case.

Veterans Day: Tax credits and tips for job seekers

The new Obama's jobs plan seem to be succesful in congress, and it would help veterans, who have difficulties to be integrated in labor market. The bill will give economical help to companies hiring veterans. The skills of veterans can be important for business.

Top Three National News

11/9/11

CBS news (cbsnews.com)

Paterno retiring amid child abuse "tragedy"
Joe paterno, the Penn State football coach, has declared that he will retire at the end of the season. Paterno feels frustrated and devastated  by the consequences of the sexual scandal of Jerry Sandusky, assitant coach, who has been charged with sexual harassment of children. Paterno has not been accused or charged, but along with other staff from the athletic association of the school, he has been thought to have a lack of "moral responsibility" for not stopping Sandusky. The school board of trustees might make Paterno leave inmediately.

Mississippi's "Personhood Amendment" fails at polls
The "Personhood" iniative in Mississippi, which stated that life begins in fertilization has been rejected by more than 55% of voters. The iniative would have done changes in the free-abortion rigth.
The different social and religious sector have been divided because of this initiative. There is a special concern that the anti-abortion laws would affect fertility treatments.

Voters across nation stick largely by incumbents

A big group of new law proposals have been rejected by a high percentage of voters. For example, the "Personhood Amendment" in Mississippi, or new Ohio initiatives related to bargaining rights of public employees, have been defeated by the voters.

Manufacturing Consent

11/4/11

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media is a documentary film production that shows and explains Noam Chomsky's ideas related to the Media. Noam Chomsky is a linguistic and philosopher, considered one of the most important thinkers in our era.
The film illustrates the ideas shown on Chomsky's book Manufacturing Consent, which basically consists on the analysis of today's media based on the propaganda model.
Its main thesis is that the Media, instead of serving the audience with reliable, true and balance information, is used as way of gaining profit and as an instrument for the elites to control the mass.

The documentary covers deeply some examples of this biased media, and Chomsky's arguments. For example, Chomsky shows how the media gives more coverage to one story than to another very similar to it, because of different reasons related to politics. This is the case of the coverage of the genocide in Cambodia, which was greatly covered by the American media, compared to a similar massacre that was going on at the same time in East Timor. East Timor was being invaded by Idonesia, with economical and military help of the United States. The Media did not want to cover a genocide in which the US was involved.

This and many other examples are given in the film, illustrating how the media in the democratic system shapes the image of the world's reality that the audience gets.

My opinion of the movie is that it helps us to look at the media with other perspective and shows the big corruption of it. But I also think that the documentary was dense and a bit too long, and at some points it gets boring for the average viewer.