Homework - EMT's refused to help dying lady

Click  HERE  to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the question.

Brooklyn (12/9/09) - Two emergency medical technicians (EMT's)  have been suspended, as the city Fire Department investigates allegations that they chose not to help a dying pregnant woman just steps from their Brooklyn headquarters.

EMT's or emergency medical technicians are the people who drive up in the ambulance and save you if you are injured.

Eutisha Revee Rennix collapsed while working at an Au Bon Pain restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn on December 9. 

Rennix's co-workers say the two off-duty EMTs, Jason Green and Melissa Jackson, were buying bagels at the shop. They responded to pleas to help Rennix by saying others should call 911.

"Coworkers went over and asked them to help them in the back, and they refused and said they were on their break," said Cynthia Rennix, Eutisha's mother. "They told them to call it in. In the meantime, they were having their breakfast, and they bought their breakfast and they left."

A Long Island College Hospital emergency crew arrived minutes later but did not have the equipment to revive Eutisha Rennix.

Rennix's child, who was due in March, died after her mother. They were buried together last Friday.

Eutisha Rennix also leaves behind a three-year-old son, Jahleel.

The FDNY said Monday that the two EMTs have been suspended without pay, pending further investigation.

When asked if there was a case of burn out in the department, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said their actions were unacceptable no matter what.

"Burn out? They were sitting there having coffee, how can they be burnt out?" said the mayor. "They're human beings. Somebody's dying down the street and they say help them, and they just sat there. There's no excuse whatsoever, as far as I can see. I don't know what kind of burn out you can have."

Bloomberg added that the first responsibility of all EMS and FDNY workers is to save lives.

Jeff Samerson, a representative from the EMT and paramedics union said that the EMTs followed protocol.

"[Jackson] called 911. She didn't have an ambulance. She didn't have equipment. She does not work in the field as an active EMT in an ambulance," he said. "She is a dispatcher. She works as an emergency medical dispatcher. [Green] is also a dispatcher. These are people that are not in the field, that have not had patient contact in years. And they did the best they could."

Questions:

1) Where did the story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is an EMT?

4) What are the two EMT's names?

5) Why are the EMT's in trouble now?

6) Should the EMT's have helped the lady?

7) What was is excuse the EMT's are trying to give now?

Info from NY1

Homework - Polar Bears Go Swimming

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Brooklyn, NY (12/20/09) - For one group of New Yorkers, the season's first snowfall was the signal to head to the beach in Brooklyn.

The legendary Coney Island Polar Bear Club saw in the icy cold Atlantic Ocean Sunday morning.

The club swims in the water every Sunday from November through April.

In addition to the exercise and cool thrills, they also raise money for the charity organization New York Cares and a camp for sick children.

While most New Yorkers would not even dare go near the ocean this time of year, veteran swimmers say it's a thrill unlike any other.

"I mean the first time I came down here I was apprehensive, nervous, scared, but once I went into that room over there in the [New York] Aquarium, it was amazing," said Polar Bear Club Vice President Tony Nastro. "There's an energy that comes from the people that do this, that just makes you feel you're in the right place, you're doing the right thing."

The club plans to ring in 2010 with a swim on New Year's Day.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did the story take place?

3) When does the club swim in the water?

4) Why do they swim in the cold water?

5) What is the name of the club?

6) How is the club going to celebrate the new year?

Info from NY1

Homework - Taking Away Section 8?

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (12/17/08) - Section 8 is a voucher that the government gives you to pay the part of your rent that you can't afford. 

Some New York residents hoping to use Section 8 vouchers to help pay for their housing may be out of luck.

The New York City Housing Authority is taking away more than 3,000 Section 8 vouchers. Each voucher gives about $800 a month toward housing to people who need it.

The vouchers have already been given to people who were counting on them to help pay their rent  costs and now the vouchers are not worth anything.

Housing officials said they had to take the vouchers back because Congress cut $58 million from its Section 8 budget last spring. 

"They knew this in May. They didn't let anybody know. People were walking around thinking they have an affordable housing unit, the potential for that, and they don't," said Manahattan Borough President Scott Stringer. "And I think right before Christmas, New Yorkers who are most vulnerable deserve better."

An agency spokeswoman said officials waited more than six months to cancel the vouchers with the hope that funds would be restored and more apartments would become available.

NYCHA officials said they are trying hard to get funding to meet the demands for the program. The people in that program could now end up homeless.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is section 8?

4) How many vouchers is the city taking back from people?

5) How much money does each voucher give a month to people that need it?

6) How much money got cut from the Section 8 budget?

7) What could happen to the people in the program now?

Homework - Councilman Martinez Going to Jail

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (12/15/09) - Former Manhattan Councilman Miguel Martinez was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to stealing tax dollars.

The former councilman will also repay the $106,000 he admitted to stealing from funds meant for low-income housing and arts programs in his district.

He will be on two years' probation following his sentence.

Martinez, who was first elected in 2001 to represent parts of Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill, resigned in July and pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering.

When he spoke in court, Martinez said, "I stand here before you remorseful and shamed for the offenses I committed." He also apologized to his family, three children, constituents and the City Council, and said if he could go back in time he would "do things differently."

Martinez is expected to enter prison on January 4th.

Neither the former politician nor his attorneys spoke to reporters outside the courtroom, but supporters said they were saddened but thought the sentence was just.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is the name of the councilman who is going to prison?

4) How many years is he going to prison for?

5) How much money did he steal?

6) When is he going to go to prison?

7) What area of the city did he represent?

Info from NY1

Homework - Juvi going down?

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Albany (12/14/09) - The state's troubled juvenile justice system has been examined by an internal task force created by Governor Paterson. The task force is now calling for juvi to be reformed, claiming thousands of kids are at stake.

Guarded juvenile institutions across the state are supposed to
help hundreds of New York's troubled youths and prevent them from recommitting the crimes that landed them inside.

But a new report finds the state facilities are not working for 12 to 15 year olds.

The task force says that Juvi costs more than $200,000 per kid and is not doing a good job.

"New York State is harming its children, wasting money, and endangering its public," the task force said in its report. "This cannot continue."

At four facilities, the federal justice department found guards routinely used force as their first response, breaking bones and teeth and causing other injuries.

At one facility in upstate Fulton County, a 15-year-old Bronx boy died -- a homicide but there were no criminal charges.


One of the biggest problems, the report finds, is a matter of distance. Three quarters of admissions come from New York City. But often times, they are taken far from home.

For kids at a Delaware County facility, home was about 125 miles away.

The state is trying to shut down the worst Juvi spots but people say that you can't just take away the jobs of the people that work there and putting dangerous criminals back on the street is bad for public safety.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is Juvenile Detention supposed to do for the kids?

4) What did the state department find that the guards are doing to the kids?

5) How much does Juvi cost per kid?

6) What happened to the 15 year old bronx boy?

7) Why is the state having a hard time shutting down the worst Juvi spots?

Info and video taken from NY1

Homework - Siberia is Sinking

 

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Yakutsk, Siberia (12-10-09) -   

Climate change is slowly melting Siberia's permafrost. 

Permafrost is the ice under Siberia's soil that is supposed to be permanent and never melt. Well, now because the temperature of the Earth is rising, the ice that is never, ever supposed to melt, is melting.

This is forcing local people like Avetik and Ludmila Nasarian to rebuild their houses to deal with the regular flooding. Every year, this couple has to raise the floor in their house so that they are not walking around in a bunch of water. Every year summer comes a little earlier and is a little hotter. 

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is permafrost?

4) What are the couple named?

5) What does the couple have to do in order not to have to walk around in water?

Info from the Guardian

homework - Kid Lost On Bus

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Brooklyn, NY - Officials are looking into how a 5-year-old autistic boy from Brooklyn ended up on the wrong bus as he was heading home from school this week.

Helen Morell says her son, Elijah Salinas, usually arrives home from PS 108 around 3:10 p.m. However on Monday, he didn't show up when he was supposed to.

"It was hell. I was so scared. I was so scared something had happened to him," Morell said.

Morell says she called the school and the bus company but got nowhere. She says someone placed her son on the wrong bus, and is now looking for answers.

"I was just praying that nothing happened. But I was terrified that
they might have left him on the bus sleeping," Morell said.

She blames a breakdown in communication and says somebody from either the school or the bus company should have realized the mistake.

"I blame the school. They should have known to put the baby on the right bus. They should have put him on the right bus. They have a sheet where they're supposed to read which child goes on which bus," Morell said.

Morell says the driver eventually realized the mistake and returned her son nearly two hours late.

A spokesman for the Atlantic Bus Company says there is no indication any of its employees did anything wrong.

The Department of Education says it's investigating. Disciplinary action is also said to be pending.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the name of the kid that got put on the wrong bus?

4) What was his mothers name?

5) How long did it take for the bus driver to realize the mistake?

6) Whose fault do you think it is? The bus company or the school's? Why?

Info from NY1

Homework - ACS Worker Shot in the Bronx

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

The Bronx (12/7/09) - Police in the Bronx are continuing their investigation after an ACS worker was shot and killed Monday morning outside her apartment building while taking her children to school.

Investigators say Lakisha Scriven, 30, was killed by a single gunshot to the head at close range around 7:30 a.m. in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, as she walked from her apartment to her car.

Her two daughters, ages 8 and 5, were unhurt.

Witnesses say they heard the children screaming and crying following the shooting.

"It's a very sad situation because now I can hear these kids voices in my head," said one witness.

Scriven lived in a building on Furman Avenue off of East 237th street. 

The Administration for Children's Services says Scriven was a child welfare caseworker and that her children have been placed in the care of family members.

Neighbors say police had been called to Scriven's apartment several times because of domestic fights.

The police said they are looking into whether the shooting was because of an affair gone wrong or a love triangle.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the name of the case worker that was shot?

4) How old were her two daughters?

5) Who has her children now?

6) Why do the police think she was shot?

Info and video from NY1

Homework - $200,000 for a flight!!!

NEW YORK, December 7  - Virgin Galactic, a U.S. space tourism company, will show the public on Monday its first commercial space vehicle. The space plane holds 6 people at a time and is called SpaceShipTwo.

The showing ceremony, will be held at the Mojave Spaceport in California.

During a demonstration flight, a  mother ship is expected to bring SpaceShipTwo  15 kilometers up into the air.

The first customers are expected to start flying aboard the space plane in 2011, paying $200,000 for a seat.

A total of 300 people across the world  have booked tickets for flights on the space plane. 

Another 85,000 people have filed flight applications on the agency's website.

For $200,000, the space plane will take the passengers to a height of 68.3 miles.  The flight will take  2.5 hours with a five-minute period of weightlessness, when passengers will be able to release themselves from their seats and float around the cabin.

The Virgin Galactic plans to operate a fleet of five of these space planes.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is the name of the space tourism company?

4) How many people does the space plane hold?

5) What is the space plane called?

6) How much does a flight cost on the space plane?

7) How high will the space plane go?

8) How many people have already booked their tickets?

Info and picture from Rionovosti

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (12/3/09) - The court gave two small businesses a big victory over Columbia University on Thursday. The court said that property owners can't be forced to give up land the school needs for a project.

Eminent Domain is when the government makes you to sell your business or your house to somebody.

In 2001, Columbia began efforts to create a $6 billion campus in Manhattanville. The school partnered with the city and the state to use eminent domain to force the  neighborhood businesses to sell their shops to Columbia University.

Columbia already owns or controls about 91 percent of the 17 acres it needs. But two businesses stood up to the expansion, including Tuck-it-Away storage.

"The state and Columbia had no desire to compromise, they wanted it all. And it's the basic principle, in fact, that every small child learns from their parent just because you want something doesn't mean you can take it. And unfortunately Columbia has yet to learn that," said plaintiff Nick Sprayregen.


Columbia declined to comment on the ruling.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is Eminent Domain?

4) Why was Columbia University forcing the neighborhood businesses to sell?

5) What did the Court say?

Info from NY1

homework -Gay Marriage Rejected

Click HERE for the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Albany, NY (12/2/09) -  The State Senate rejected a bill for gay marriage Wednesday.

The Marriage Equality Act was rejected by a 38-24 vote. 


Among the eight Democrats who voted against gay marriage were Queens Senator Hiram Monserrate and Bronx Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.

The senators debated on the bill for almost three hours, but most who spoke were in favor of gay marriage.

"This legislation would merely provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers equal rights in New York State," said Manhattan Democratic Senator Thomas Duane who is the only openly gay senator.

Democratic Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson  revealed her support for the bill by saying  for the first time that her late brother was gay, and that by supporting the bill she would be giving New Yorkers civil rights that her own brother never enjoyed.


Diaz pointed out during the debate that same-sex marriage is still controversial nationwide.
"Every state of the nation, the majority of the states of the nation [where] the people got the opportunity to vote on this issue, the people have rejected it," he said.

 51 percent of New York State voters support same-sex marriage, while 42 percent do not like it.

In New York City, 61 percent of voters support same-sex marriage while only 33 percent don't support it.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many senators voted against the Marriage Equality Act?

4) How many senators voted for it?

5) Name 2 senators that voted for it.

6) What percent of NYC voters support same-sex marriage?

7) What percent of NYC voters do not support it?

Info from NY1

homework -Gotti Got Off

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (12/1/09) - After 11 days of talking about it, the jury in the fourth trial of alleged mobster John "Junior" Gotti were unable to reach a decision, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial Tuesday.

All three of Gotti's previous racketeering trials also ended with juries that could not make up their minds.


This jury said twice before that it was deadlocked, but each time the judge sent them back to work.

Prosecutors say Gotti, the 45-year-old son of a deceased mob boss of the same name, ordered or participated in several violent attacks, including three murders.

Defense attorneys say Gotti quit the mob in 1999 and never took part in any murders, named in an indictment, which was handed up in 2008.

"There was general agreement that he was in organized crime for many years. In his early years. But the withdrawal in 2003 was the primary problem that we couldn't come to a decision on. Six felt he did not. Five feel he did withdraw. One was undecided," said one juror.

Jurors in his three previous trials were also unable to come to a verdict.


Gotti remains out on $2 million bail.

Questions: 

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) Who is on trial?

4) How many days did the jury talk about the case?

5) What did the judge have to do on Tuesday?

6) What did the prosecutors say?

7) What did the defense attorneys say?

8) How many trials has Gotti had in total?

9) What amount of bail is Gotti out on?

Info and video taken from NY1

homework - More Gun-related Deaths!

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

The Bronx (11/30/09) - It's a scene all too familiar in the Bronx. Family and friends crying over the death of a loved one killed by a bullet. This time it's 17-year-old Issi Dominiguez. He was shot in the head on Sunday when a gunman fired into a group he was with. They were leaving a party on Tiebout Avenue in the Fordham section.

"He was a helpful gentleman, he would always help all of the older ladies with the groceries. He was a good boy. He didn't deserve this," said the victim's cousin Alexus Drakeford.

The 17-year-old's family and friends say he was going to high school and was never in trouble. They say those who know what happened should come forward and tell the police.

"You better snitch, we are going to find him. We are going to find whoever did it, I don't care," said the victim's friend Ruthie Gomez.

Dominiguez wasn't the only shooting victim this past weekend in the Bronx. Police report at least five people were shot, two of whom were killed.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been battling gun violence and the sale of illegal guns and says more has to be done by politicians and the community.

Bloomberg said. "We try to improve our schools that will, long-term we think, reduce the crime rate."

"I would like for you to report to the governor, mayor, the borough president, the City Council -- give our kids jobs. Get them off the street, they have no place to go. We need community centers for them," said community activist Louella Hatch.

Questions:
1) Where did this story take place?
2) When did this story take place?
3) What was the name of the teenager that was shot?
4) How many people were shot in the Bronx this past weekend?
5) The teenager was shot walking home from a party. His friends want anyone who knows something to "snitch". How do you feel about that? Would you tell the police if you knew who shot him? Why or why not?

Info and video from NY1

Homework -Cell Phones in School?

Read the story. Answer the questions.

WESLEY CHAPEL, Florida (Friday, 11/27/09): High School teacher Ariana Leonard's  students waited in their seats for her to tell them what to do.

"Take out your cell phones," she said in Spanish.

The teens pulled out an array of colorful flip phones, iPhones and SideKicks. They divided into groups and Leonard began sending them text messages in Spanish: Find something green. Go to the cafeteria. Take a picture with the school secretary.

Leonard's class at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, a middle-class Florida suburb about 30 miles north of Tampa, is one of a growing number around the country that are abandoning traditional policies of banning cell phones. Instead teachers are using them to teach  class lessons. Spanish vocabulary becomes a digital scavenger hunt. Notes are copied with a cell phone camera. Text messages serve as homework reminders.

Much more attention has gone to the ways students might use phones to cheat or take inappropriate pictures. But as the technology becomes cheaper, more advanced and more ingrained in students' lives that way of thinking is changing.

Today's phones are the equivalent of small computers — able to check e-mail, do Internet searches and record podcasts. Meanwhile, most school districts can't afford a computer for every student.

"Because there's so much in the media about banning cell phones and how negative phones can be, a lot of people just haven't considered there could be positive, educative ways to use cell phones," said Liz Kolb, author of "From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning."

Even districts with tough anti-use policies acknowledge they will eventually need to change.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the High School teacher's name?

4) What did she use cell phones to do in her class?

5) Why are cell phones against the rules in most schools?

6) Why are some schools letting students have their phones during school?

7) What is your opinion? Should we let students have cell phones in schools? Why or why not?

Info and video from Yahoo

homework - Illegal Gun Bust

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

New York City (11/23/09) - Undercover New York City Police Department officers have removed dozens of illegal guns off city streets after busting a Florida-to-New York gun trafficking ring.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the police announced the bust on Monday.

They say it took undercover cops three months to arrest Ryan Woodard, 27, and Watson Joaquin, 22, for buying the weapons at gun shows in Florida, then taking them to Brooklyn to sell illegally.

"I don't know how many murders you have to have before people say enough is enough. Or maybe they will start to realize that it could be them or their child," said the mayor.

Both both men were found guilty of multiple sales of a firearm in the first degree. They face up to 25 years in prison.

The police took 28 semiautomatic pistols, three assault rifles, and three sawed-off shotguns. They were often sold fully loaded, ready to be fired.

City leaders want criminals to know these guns have no place in New York neighborhoods. 

"We have to get the guns out of the hands of criminals and out of the hands of children,” Bloomberg said. 

Officials also used Monday's announcement to talk about the city's Gun Stop program. In this program, you get $1,000 for giving the police about some information about someone carrying an illegal gun. 

Anyone who wants to give the police some information about an illegal gun can call 1-866-GUN-STOP or 311.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) Name the two guys that got arrested.

4) How many years could they go to prison for?

5) How many guns did the police take off the criminals?

6) Where did the two guys get the guns?

7) Where did the two guys sell the guns?

8) How much money do you get if you give the police some information about illegal guns?

Info and video from NY1

Homework - 9-11 Suspect to Plead Not Guilty

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (11/22/09) - A lawyer for one of the September 11th terror suspects says the men plan on pleading not guilty when their trial begins in Lower Manhattan.

Lawyer Scott Fenstermaker says the terror suspect Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, and the others will not deny their role in the attacks. Instead they are going to  explain why they did the attacks.

Fenstermaker says the suspects will tell the jury their political views and their feelings about how America treats the world.

Earlier this month, the Attorney General announced the suspects would be tried in a downtown federal court that's located just a few blocks away from the World Trade Center site.

Some people have criticized the location of the 9-11 trial. They say that having the trial so close to the World Trade Center is just going to cause a whole lot of drama.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What are the terror suspects going to plead?

4) Name one of the terror suspects.

5) Where will the trial be held?

6) Why have some people criticized the trial location?

7) Do you think that this is a good location for the 9-11 trial? Why or why not?

Info and video from NY1

homework - Sexual Harassment on the 4,5, or 6 train

Click HERE for the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

New York City (11/19/09) - The City Council is investigating ways to reduce sexual harassment in the subways they heard from the NYPD that there's been a four percent increase in the number of sexual harassment complaints filed over the past year.

The chief of the Transit Bureau says sexual harassment most common on the number 4, 5, and 6 lines in Manhattan and occurs  during the morning and evening rush hours.

Complaints are up 4%t from last year -- 564 last year, 587 this year

Many women NY1 spoke with say they've come to expect sexual harassment when riding the train.
"Sometimes when it's really crowded like now, a guy will come hold the bar and push against you. Usually, I just quickly move," said one female subway rider.


The NYPD believes many women aren't reporting sex offenses on the subway either because they're ashamed or they think that the police won't find the guy.

Police say the most important weapon in their fight is getting women to report crimes.

Authorities say if you're harassed on the subway you should report the incident immediately and if you can, snap a picture.

Police say cell phone photos have been instrumental in catching suspects.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How much percent has sexual harassment increased this year?

4) How many complaints did the police get last year?

5) How many complaints this year?

6) What should women do if they are being sexually harassed on the train?

Video and info from NY1

Homework - Gender Discrimination at B&H

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Manhattan - One of the nation's largest camera and video retailers was slapped with a $7 million lawsuit Wednesday over accusations it failed to hire or promote females.

Four women are suing B&H Photo and Video, saying they were not hired or promoted because of their gender.

Three of the women say they recently applied for jobs and were turned down.

The fourth, Nakisha Cushie,  says she's been refused a promotion for a better paying sales job.

"I was very upset, I didn't find it fair that they told me I couldn't get the job because I am a woman," said  Nakisha Cushnie.


This is not the first time B&H has been the target of a discrimination lawsuit. Two years ago, the federal equal opportunity employment commission accused the company of failing to hire and promote hispanics.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How much is B&H being sued for?

4) How many women are suing B&H?

5) What did Nakisha Cushie say B&H refused to give her?

6) Do you think women should have the same chance to get promoted as men? Why or why not?

Homework - Everyone Should Get Sick Days

Click HERE for the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

New York City - The City Council introduced a law on Tuesday that would make all employers in NYC  give paid sick days to their workers.

Public officials from the White House on down have encouraged those with flu symptoms to stay home. But what happens if you don’t get paid sick days and cannot afford not to go to work?

"Think about going to breakfast in the morning, and ordering a bagel, and getting a side dish of H1N1(swine flu), because the person who served it was not feeling well," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

The City Council held a hearing Tuesday on a bill that would require all employers in the city to provide up to nine paid sick days.

On one side, the local business owners  say that they can not afford to pay for sick days. They say this would  force them to cut salaries and benefits, lay off workers or relocate altogether.

"Pile on another expense to us, you’re gonna put people out of business. You’re gonna encourage people to move their business out of New York City. I’m a mile from New Jersey. It’s a hop over the bridge. And it’s very tempting," said Tom Scarangello of Scaran Heating & Air Conditioning Owner.

On the other side of the issue is a bunch of people like labor groups and elected officials. They say almost half of the city’s workforce has no paid sick days. 

Mayor Bloomberg said "Everybody would love to be able to have paid sick leave, and at the same time, it’s true that a lot of small businesses probably can’t afford it, and so we’ve got to find some ways of balancing those two things." 

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What did the city council want to give all NYC workers?

4) What did the business owners say about the law?

5) What did the Mayor think about the law?

6) How many sick days would the new law provide?

Info and video taken from NY1

homework - Army Mom Refuses to go to War b/c of Child

 Read the story. Look at the picture. Answer the questions.

SAVANNAH, Georgia (Monday, 11/16/09). – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her baby son while she was overseas.

Alexis Hutchinson, 21, claims she had no choice but to refuse deployment orders because the only family she had to care for her 10-month-old son — her mother — was overwhelmed by the task, already caring for three other relatives with health problems.

Her civilian attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said Monday that one of Hutchinson's superiors told her she would have to deploy anyway and place the child in foster care.

"For her it was like, 'I couldn't abandon my child,'" Sussman said. "She was really afraid of what would happen, that if she showed up they would send her to Afghanistan anyway and put her son with child protective services."

Hutchinson, who is from Oakland, Calif., remained confined Monday to the boundaries of Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, 10 days after military police arrested her for skipping her unit's flight. No charges have been filed, but a spokesman for the Army post said commanders were investigating.

Kevin Larson, a spokesman for the Army, said he didn't know what Hutchinson was told by her commanders, but he said the Army would not deploy a single parent who had nobody to care for his or her child.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What is the name of the army mom that is facing charges?

4) Why was she arrested?

5) Why did she refuse to go to Afghanistan?

6) What would you have done in the same situation?

Click HERE to watch a slideshow about army life.

Info, pic, and slideshow taken from Yahoo News

Homework - Bk Bar Fight Leaves One Person Dead

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Cypress Hills, Brooklyn - An investigation is underway into a police involved shooting in Brooklyn that left one man dead and two others injured early Sunday morning.
It happened inside a packed sports bar on Norwood Avenue in Cypress Hills.

Police say a large fight broke out, with people throwing bar stools before shots were fired.

One of the officers fired three shots at Donovan Wilson, 19, when they saw him walking out of the bar with a gun. He was treated at Jamaica Hospital.

Officers later returned gunfire at Kevin White, 43, who began shooting inside the bar. The officers fired one round, striking White in the neck. He was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.

Witnesses say the officers identified themselves when arriving on scene.

A third individual was also struck.

The police took three guns from the scene.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many people died?

4) How many people were injured?

5) What was the name of the guy who died?

6) How many guns did the police take from the scene?

7) Some people say that crimes like this bar fight just prove that there are too many guns on the street. What do you think? Should regular people be allowed to own guns? Or should ONLY the police be allowed to carry guns? Defend your answer.

homework - Coney Island sold for $96 million

Click HERE to watch the video. Then read the story and answer the questions.

New York City - Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday that the city will buy most of the Coney Island boardwalk for $95.6 million, and said he will make it a permanent amusement area.

The city will purchase 6.9 acres, mostly situated along the waterfront, making 11 acres of a proposed 12.5-acre amusement park public property.

The mayor also said in the City Hall press conference that 10 acres would be ready for business by next summer.

City officials want to turn the area in several years into a year-round entertainment destination with hotels, restaurants, retail space and a new roller coaster.

Sources tell NY1 that private developer Joe Sitt will retain 6.5 acres in Brooklyn to build hotels, restaurants and stores.

The group "Save Coney Island" says the city needs to purchase all the land or Coney Island's future will still be at risk.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) when did this story take place?

3) How much is the city buying the 10 acres in Coney Island for?

4) What does the city plan to build on the land?

5) How many acres did Joe Sitt keep?

6) What does the group "Save Coney Island" think?

Pesky Pirates Still Taking Ships on African Coast!

Click HERE to watch a slideshow about the Somali pirates. Read the story. Answer the questions.

STORY:

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Pirates have hijacked a Panamanian-flagged ship with 18 crew off the east coast of Africa 10 days ago.

 The Juba General Trading Company had hired the ship to carry cargo from the United Arab Emirates to Mogadishu, Somalia.

There are 18 people on board. 

When the company called the ship, a pirate answered the phone and said it had been hijacked. He said that the bandits were demanding a $3 million ransom. The man refused to give his name for fear of arrest. He said the ship was captured 10 days ago about 60 miles off the Somali coast.

The latest hijacking means Somali pirates are holding 11 ships with more than 200 people being kept as hostages, including a British couple seized from their personal yacht late last month.

QUESTIONS:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many people were on the ship?

4) How much ransom are they demanding?

5) How many ships do the pirates have in total?

6) How many people are they holding in total?

Info and slideshow from YAHOO!

homework - Fire in Queens Kills 3

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Queens - The house fire that killed three people in Queens early Saturday morning is raising concerns over the city's 911 dispatch system.

Fire investigators say the flames broke out around 2:45 a.m. inside the basement of a home on 65th Street in Woodside.

Fire officials say two people died in the house and one later died at Elmhurst Hospital.

The Uniformed Firefighters Association says precious response time was lost when firefighters were sent to the wrong address.

Under the new Unified Call Taker system, 911 operators dispatch firefighters directly instead of first transferring calls to the Fire Department.

In this case, fire officials say a dispatcher entered the wrong address by mistake, sending one unit down the street and delaying it about 40 seconds.

The fire department says errors are common with the new call system and even small delays

 can cost lives.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many people died?

4) What did the 911 operator do wrong?

5) How many seconds was the fire department delayed?

Info and video taken from NY1

homework - Parade for the Yankees

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

New York City - More than two million people are expected to flood the streets of Lower Manhattan Friday as the city celebrates the Yankees' World Championship win with a ticker-tape parade.

The parade starts  at 11 a.m. in Battery Park City and ends at City Hall.

The MTA recommends taking the 1, R, or W lines to Rector Street, or the E to the World Trade Center. You can also take the 2 or 3 train to Chambers or Wall Street and the J train to Broad Street.

After the parade, the team will receive keys to the city at City Hall.

This will be the Yankees' first parade since 2000 when they beat the Mets to win their third straight championship.

The sidewalks along the parade route along Broadway are open to members of the public.

About 500 lucky fans were given free tickets to see the Yankees get their keys through a giveaway earlier on Thursday.

For those without seats, there will be a large screen TV set up near City Hall Park.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many people are going to the parade?

4) What trains can you take to get to the parade?

5) Where will the parade begin?

6) Where will the parade end?

7) How many fans got free tickets?

Info and video taken from NY1. Due Mon 11/9

homework - Bloomberg is still the mayor.

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

NYC - Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg won against William Thompson to win a third term as mayor Tuesday night in a race that turned out to be closer than many had expected.

 Bloomberg finished with a 51 percent to 46 percent lead over his William Thompson.

"Today voters from every borough, and every background, every neighborhood and every nationality. From every party and every persuasion went to the polls and they chose progress," Bloomberg declared during his victory speech.

During his concession speech, Thompson thanked the dedication of his volunteers.

Bloomberg's re-election was made possible last fall when City Council members approved a controversial bill striking down the city's  two-term limit law and extending it to three terms.

 Bloomberg will now join Koch, Robert Wagner and Fiorello La Guardia as the city's only three-term mayors.

The victory makes Bloomberg the first New York City mayor elected to a third term since Ed Koch was elected for a third time on November 5, 1985.

Bloomberg spent $100 million of his own money on his campaign, which works out to be about $200 per vote.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) Who won the election yesterday?

4) How much percent of the vote did Bloomberg get?

5) What law had to be changed in order for the mayor to run?

6) How much money did Bloomberg spend on his campaign?

Video and story from NY1

homework - American wins marathon for 1st time in 30 years!

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

NYC - For the first time in nearly 30 years, an American man won the New York City ING Marathon on Sunday as tens of thousands lined the route to cheer on participants from across the city and around the world.

Meb Keflezighi, 34, crossed the finish line just before noon finishing with a time of 2:09:15.

Keflezighi is the first American man to win the race since 1982. The East African native came to the U.S. with his parents when he was 12, and began running with his junior high school in San Diego. He won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics.

In Sunday's women's race, Derartu Tulu, 37, of Ethiopia crossed the finish line after pulling ahead in the final mile.

New Yorkers lined the streets early to cheer on more than 40,000 runners who made their way through the five boroughs.

"Awesome crowds here. We love New York," said one runner.

"I think it's very emotional, all these people are here for a single cause, to cheer people on and being excited about people running, people of all different countries and ethnicities -- I think its a gathering everyone gets together and is happy about it," said one spectator.

The race started out on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Bridge and made its way 26.2 miles through the city before finishing in Central Park.

Top finishers on both the men's and women's side took home $130,000 in prize money.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) When was the last year that an American won the race?

4) What is the name of the man who won the race?

5) How long was the race (in miles)?

6) Where did the race start?

7) Where did the race end?

8) Who won the women's race?

Story and video taken from NY1

homework - Yankees WIN!!! YES!!!!

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

Yankee Stadium, The Bronx: The New York Yankees have tied up the World Series following Thursday night's 3-1 win against Philadelphia.

After an RBI single by the Phillies' Matt Stairs, the Yanks fired back with homeruns by Hideki Matsui and Mark Teixeira.

The Bronx Bombers added one more with a Jorge Posada RBI single in the seventh.

AJ Burnett threw solid, pitching seven innings and striking out nine. But it was Yankees closer Mariano Rivera who came in to seal the deal.

Rivera pitched two solid innings in relief, striking out Matt Stairs for the final out to tie up the series at one game apiece.

Thursday night's win in the Bronx was a welcome sight for Yankee fans who sat through a disappointing and rain-soaked Game 1.

"I feel great right now. I go to school in Massachusetts, I drove all the way down. Took about four hours. It was worth every second," said one Yankees fan.

"It was awesome game. They came through and Teixiera had a great home run. Matsui had a home run, and they made up for Game 1. It was a great time," said another Yankees fan.

The Yankees now head to Philadelphia for Game 3 of the series, which takes place Saturday night.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the final score?

4) Which two Yankees players hit home runs?

5) When and where will Game 3 of the series take place?

Info and Video from NY1.

Homework - Yankees LOSE!!!

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Yankee Stadium, The Bronx - The New York Yankees suffered a 6-1 loss Wednesday night against Philadelphia in Game 1 of the World Series.

The Phillies came out strong with a pitching lineup that kept the Yanks losing for most of the night.

Raul Ibanez drove in two runs with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead.

Philadelphia brought in two more runs in the ninth before the Yanks managed to put one on the board, thanks to an error by the defending world champs.

Chase Utley hit two homeruns against the Bombers' ace CC Sabathia.

It was a pitcher's duel for most of the game, but Cliff Lee outplayed Sabathia by going all nine innings.

Wednesday night's loss in the Bronx left many fans disappointed.

"We weren't getting hits, man. You can't win a game, if you can't hit a ball," said one Yankees fan.

"The first wins ok. It's ok, we're gonna come back. We're gonna come back," said another Yankees fan.

Game 2 of the World Series takes place tonight at Yankee Stadium where AJ Burnett will go toe-to-toe with former Met Pedro Martinez.

Questions: 

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What was the score?

4) Who drove in the first two runs?

5) Where and when will game two take place?

Info and video from New York 1.

homework - Swine Flu vaccines available in schools today

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

New York City - The first phase of H1N1 immunizations in city schools will get underway this morning.

More than 100 elementary schools across the city will begin the giving vaccines to children during regular school hours.

Health officials are saying there will soon be enough doses of the vaccine to go around.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say more than 22 million doses of the vaccine are now available, meaning that 8 million doses have become available in the last week alone.

"Eventually, there will be enough vaccine for all who want to be vaccinated to get vaccinated," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. "We wish we had more vaccine available now, we wish it had been available weeks or even months earlier but we are beginning to get to a significant increase in the availability."

The second phase of immunizations at city schools will begin on November 4 and the third will begin November 9.

The city will also run free public H1N1 vaccination clinics on weekends in each borough for middle and high school students.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many elementary schools will be giving the vaccines today?

4) When will the second phase of immunizations begin?

5) When will the third phase begin?

6) What website should you go to if you want to find out more information? (on video)

Info and video taken from NY1.com

homework - Minivan crash in Queens

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Queens, NY - A child died Monday after two minivans crashed in Queens.

Police say a van with at least six children inside crossed the median and crashed into another van at the intersection of Dunkirk Street and Brikerhoff Avenue in St. Albans just before 5 p.m.

Five children were taken to the hospital, but as of late Monday their conditions were unknown.

One witness said it appears one of the drivers was speeding.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How many children were taken to the hospital?

4) At which intersection did the crash take place?

5) What did the witness say?  (on video)

homework - Couple arrested for beating child to death

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Story:
New York - A  mother and her boyfriend were held without bail Sunday after being charged with second-degree murder for the beating death of the woman's four-year-old son.

Police arrested Myrna Chenphang, 25, and her live-in boyfriend, Steven Dadaille, 26, on Saturday after the medical examiner declared Jayden Lenescar's death a homicide.

The Crown Heights couple gave written and taped statements blaming each other for the boy's death.

Both are due back in court next week.

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) What were the couple charged with?

4) What was the name of the boy?

5) What borough is the family from? (Answer in video)

Info from NY1