Current Events

article: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/obama-on-social-security-changes/?scp=2&sq=Social%20Security%20Act%20Today&st=Search

other site that helped: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_Act_of_1965

Summarize: Obama and McCain dispute over the changes in the Social Security Act guidelines: helpful cuts for the elderly is playing a huge role in this debate, and bettering the system in general. Obama wants to make changes in the Social Security Act, mainly focusing on the elderly: if they have an income of $50,000 a year or less, he believes the income tax shouldn't apply to these people, meanwhile he wants to place a limit on the payroll tax. These two changes that Obama wants to make greatly differ from McCain's. McCain did support private accounts for Social Security which is what the American people had under George W. Bush and this isn't a very reliant system. McCain states that the system doesn't need to be changed, and the guidelines for the elderly in place already are enough.

Analyze: When the Social Security Act was first introduced in 1935 it didn't have any coverage that had to do with medical benefits, but it did give the American people benefits such as old - age pensions, unemployment reimbursement, and helped blind children. Since 1935 the Social Security Act has played a huge role in American society, and has attempted to benefit the elderly. To this day, as shown in the article, elders are still being cared for and there are still kinks in the system that need to be worked out. The history of the Social Security Act goes on for eternity, but each administration has tried to improve the act. This goes to show how the New Deal still effects Americans today; if the Social Security Act wasn't created in the New Deal, then we might not have it today, or we may not have critiqued it to such a level. Overall, it's quite obvious how Acts of the New Deal are still in place in society today.

FDR's innauguration

FDR's main message to the American speech:
He is prepared to use his authority to help the current economic situation. He says multiple times that he will use this "constitutional authority" which shows that he has plans that abide by the constitution, and doesn't want to cross into other levels of power. He wants to take action right away to help the crisis, and if congress fails to help him then he will go the extra mile. He basically is telling the American people he will do whatever he can, and whatever he thinks is best as soon as possible.

Homework on Great Depression

I did the second link on the graph with the different ethnic groups, and how this recession has affected them individually and as whole.
The first graph that is shown is of all races combined, and you can see since January of 2007, the number of unemployed has continued to increase. The most dramatic increase is from January of 2009 and September of 2009. But, what I noticed is that even today different ethnic groups are effected more so than others. This also occurred during the 1930's depression. You would think by now that our society as a whole has changed enough, and on to a new level and mind set, to the point where it doesn't matter what ethnic group you belong you. Obviously, this isn't the case. African American men and women of all ages, and based upon all different education levels have a higher unemployment rate (it's almost 15%). This current problem occurred during the 1930's, when African Americans and Hispanics were hit even harder by the recession. But, this graph does show that the more education the African American person has, helps their unemployment rate decrease. This goes to show how education is a big role in society, yet today a lot of African Americans aren't given the same opportunities (very common in New Orleans public school system).
The Hispanic unemployment rate isn't as high as the African American rate, but it's close enough. The difference though between this ethnic group and the African Americas: Hispanics don't have to be a high school graduate necessarily, and their unemployment rate is 15.1%, compared to 27.2% of African Americans without being a high school graduate. These two percentages shows how ethnic problems are still a huge problem in the U.S. which does relate back to the 1930's Great Depression. Racism is a common theme in American history, that still sadly stands strong today in our society.

Ideas for newspaper

I was thinking an interview with Babe Ruth. Maybe after one of his big games, like the 1916 World Series game and using a quote or two i have from him from my research notes.