Mustang Sallys

 

Ride Sally Ride

Mustangs are heading into their sixth decade. The iconic car has a strong history in the United States, but the brand is continuing to innovate and push forward.  With the United Auto Workers strike making the headlines, it is important to remember that unions fought for more than just higher wages.  The labor movement has set an example other national organizations could learn from— and has taken steps to make sure workers are protected regardless of race, sex, sexuality, religion, nationality or legal status.

North Korea

Concerns about North Korea’s chronic food shortages are growing, with multiple sources suggesting this week that deaths due to starvation are likely.

Some experts say the country has hit its worst point since a 1990s famine known as the “Arduous March” caused mass starvation and killed hundreds of thousands of people, or an estimated 3-5% of what was then a 20 million-strong population.

Trade data, satellite images and assessments by the United Nations and South Korean authorities all suggest the food supply has now “dipped below the amount needed to satisfy minimum human needs,” according to Lucas Rengifo-Keller, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Even if food was distributed equally – something close to inconceivable in North Korea where the elite and military take priority – Rengifo-Keller said “you would have hunger-related deaths.” And in the past year it has spent precious resources carrying out a record number of missile tests.

1) Why is travel to North Korea so difficult and highly discouraged? 

2) What would you tell the people of North Korea about America if you had the chance?

3) Do you think a game like basketball could bring peace and understanding between our two nations?

Top Secret

The documents spread out on the carpet at Mar-a-Lago, their classification markings clearly visible, are tiny drops in a tsunami of secrets kept by the U.S. government.

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin asked John Fitzpatrick, who managed the flow of classified documents in both the Obama and Trump White Houses, "Do you have any estimate of how many classified documents there are?"

1) How many classified documents are there?

2) Has it become harder or easier to classify information?

3) How did the 9/11 attacks affect classification? Why?

4) What is the 'Freedom of Information Act?'

5) What powers does the President have regarding classified documents?

6) What is the process a document has to go through in order to be 'declassified?'

 

9/11 Through Comics

 

"Some things are beyond words. Beyond comprehension. Beyond forgiveness.”

Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man #36 opens on a two-page spread with Spider-Man at ground zero shortly after the towers collapsed. Examine the comic panels linked here and then write down responses to the following questions (or work in pairs) and then discuss as a class.

1) Look at the visual evidence and describe how Spider-Man is feeling — what does he look like? How does his reaction mirror that of how you think many Americans felt?

2) Analyze his words. What do they mean? Do you feel like something like this attack is beyond comprehension now?

3) Why can he not forgive? Should he? What do you think he will do?

4) What did America do? What would you do?

5) We see parts of NYC and Ground Zero – GPS coordinates are even given. Use Google Earth and look up these coordinates – what is there now?