News App Critique - Google Play Newsstand

Google Play Newsstand is Google's flagship news app, commonly found as a default app and widget bundle on most Android devices. Sourcing from hundreds of mainstream news outlets, independent publications, magazines, journals, and online sources, Newsstand allows the user to customize what and how much they see. The app provides constantly updated information, while letting the user browse through the use of categories, or based on search queries, so the user may view information on the same subject from multiple sources on the same page. 

The onboard widget is size-customizable and can be set to auto-update as well, giving the user up-to-date information directly on their phone's front page. 

A notable perk of Google Play Newsstand is its access to subscription-based sources, giving the user several free articles from each per month. Other options include size-customizable "cards" -the panel each article appears on-, localized news sources, bookmarks, and downloadable content, allowing the user to view content when offline. 

Hollywood Vampires Star Studded Debut

All rockers are legends in their own right. However, the debut of the Hollywood Vampires is eccentric and then some. Consisting of faces from well known rock groups and even the silver screen, the band took the stage at the Roxy Theatre last Wednesday. Created by Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, the band incorporated Aerosmith's Joe Perry and took off. Playing with friends like Dave Grohl, Slash, and one Sir Paul McCartney, the project always pulls a full house and leaves hundreds with nights they will never forget.

Rolling Stone: http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwz9XLlCU

41 Killed in Twin Bombings - Beirut

Before noon (CT) two suicide bombers attacked a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut, Lebanon, allegedly on motorbikes. The attacks were claimed by Daesh, the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Over 40 have been killed by the blasts, while over 200 were injured, the majority of which are in critical condition.
The attacks have been speculated as "a return to a campaign of attacks that targeted the group’s strongholds between 2013 and 2014, ostensibly in revenge for its military support for Syrian President Bashar Assad." Considered the most deadly of the attacks on Hezbollah strongholds, the blasts "hit a narrow shopping street in the Burj Al-Barajneh neighborhood that is also home to a street market."

Arab News: http://www.arabnews.com/news/834411

Snow: Bad for Ice

It's been snowing in West Antarctica. Though this would seem natural for the iciest place on Earth, it's actually detrimental to the preservation of the Antarctic ice sheet. According to researchers, "Annual snowfall has mounted 30 percent in West Antarctica over the last century, but the extra powder has not spelled good news for the melting ice sheet."
It appears that increased storm activity in warmer waters has driven warm water currents toward the Antarctic, causing an increase in thinning. From data gleaned through examining ice cores, which can measure snowfall up to the early 1700s, researchers found that annual snow accumulation increased 30 percent between 1900 and 2010. Researchers said, "in the last 30 years of the study, the ice sheet gained nearly 16 feet more water than it did in the first 30 years of the studied time period."
From the 300 year long record, researchers have noticed that melted snow accumulation is increasing rapidly, suggesting that a "point-of-no-return" is near.

Discovery News: http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/snow-mounts-in-antarctica-but-ice-loss-continues-151105.htm

Citizenship

"Citizenship" brings thoughts of Starship Troopers to mind. In the film, citizens are civilians that enlisted with the Federation, were honorably discharged, and then given franchise and other perks. Citizens could vote in Federation elections, have lower or no college tuition or fees, and were allowed to have more than two children.

Obviously, we don't live in such a political system to have restraints on our voting rights or number of children, but lately, the concept of citizenship has become an important issue in America. By law, children born within the borders of the United States are granted citizenship, regardless of circumstances. However, the state of Texas has passed legislation that allows the state to deny birth certificates to children of immigrants born within the country if the parents don't provide their own identification. Though it is called an effort to safeguard personal identity and provide accurate healthcare, no viable options have been presented to give these children the healthcare or education they need.

Source:  http://www.salon.com/2015/10/23/trumps_birthright_citizenship_insanity_isnt_going_away_how_texas_is_trying_to_screw_over_the_children_of_immigrants/

Listening Posts

The task of setting up listening posts for news media is a tricky one, as multiple posts are needed in an area for a more encompassing, non-biased understanding and report of current events. I found that Facebook groups are an effective means of gathering information from different perspectives of a story, as they bring together people of similar interests, but often with differing opinions and viewpoints. Many of today's events such as shootings, police brutality, and political events tend to elicit the creation of Facebook groups, typically in remembrance of someone who died or to discuss viewpoints on the events that took place. A drawback to this system is factional division among those involved. Hypothetically, a strongly right-wing republican isn't as liable to participate and contribute to a Bernie Sanders support group on Facebook, nor a strongly liberal democrat on a Trump support page. However, by following information from groups on differing sides of an issue, one can piece together a whole story with a rather small margin of error.

'08-'09 Burglary trend on SAU Campus

From April 2008 to February 2009, SAU's campus was subject to several burglary cases. On multiple occasions, similar items were stolen from the same building.

• April 2, 2008 - Rider Rink - Speaker system
• April 14, 2008 - Greene Hall - Computer, multiple gaming systems, multiple games
• July 29, 2008 - Rider Rink - Unknown items
• September 5, 2008 - Village - $170 cash, iPod
• December 18, 2008 - Wilson - Unknown amount of money
• February 4, 2009 - Wilson - Wallet

All information from SAU Police Department Timely Warnings Crime Alerts

     https://web.saumag.edu/police/timely-warnings-crime-alerts/

Record Enrollment Set at Southern Arkansas University... Again.

SAU has broken several of its own records this fall, including overall enrollment, residence hall enrollment, and new student enrollment, putting the university at the height of popularity in Arkansas. The student count this year topped out at over four thousand.  Of those four thousand, over seven hundred are international students. The university is quickly becoming a hotspot on the maps of both the region and the world at large.

http://amppob.com/sau-announces-record-enrollment-for-fall-15/

Hometown News - El Dorado

Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of the late post-apartheid African president Nelson Mandela, made an appearance at El Dorado's 10th Annual SouthArk Lecture series. While there, Mandela raised several points about needing Americans and others to take an interest in African society and culture, to drop fears of visiting and to encourage motivation for change and improvement in African homes and villages. Mandela's tour through the U.S. seeks to encourage people to contribute to the effort of an improved Africa and better global impression.

Nelson Mandela's Grandson Visits El Dorado - Story | Central Arkansas - Little Rock, Pine Bluff | ArkansasMatters | KARK and KARZ

24 Hour Twitter Observation

On 4 September 2015, the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo was witness to an act of desperation, then immediately an act of sacrifice from an unexpected savior.

Following posts from twitter on the event, one can see the story spread from Sao Paulo to greater Brazil, then to more English speaking countries as news organizations pick up the story. A man followed a woman, seen below, to the steps of a cathedral in Sao Paulo after watching her withdraw money from an ATM. After pulling a gun and taking the woman hostage, the man attempts to handle the situation, literally in front of a growing crowd of onlookers. As police arrived and attempted to diffuse the situation, the man and woman begin to struggle. He pushes her to the ground, exposing his back to the 61 year old homeless man, Erasmo Francisco Rodriguez de Lima. He tackles the gunman long enough for the woman to flee down the steps. Unfortunately, the gunman succeeds in shooting Erasmo at least once in the chest, as seen in the video.

 Strangely, this event didn't receive much worldwide coverage. News organizations like CNN's Breaking News Twitter account have no links to the story at all, focusing on political news and Kim Davis updates in the days following the shooting, while independent twitter users and YouTube personalities covered the story rather quickly.

MM2003 Assignment 1: What is News?

 What is "news?" I'm reminded of a phrase, "If I haven't heard it, it's news to me." News is information that has been newly discovered. Hence the "new" part of news. In today's society, news is what we see on the TV, hear on the radio, or discover on our personal devices. It's information relevant to all who view it, rather than smaller scale information. 

 "Did you hear? Tom broke his leg!" This is relevant to Tom's friends and family, but not to society en mass. This is small scale news.

"Did you hear? There's a manhunt going on in Illinois for three guys who murdered a cop!" This is relevant to those in the town in question, the friends of those involved, the residents of Illinois, and the U.S. at large. 

 News is information relevant to all.