February 2019

Illuminati; Friend or Fiend?

By Leila Khan

Illuminati; Friend or Fiend? ‘Annuit cœptis’ This is the motto of the popular organization known as the Illuminatiam, more commonly referred to as the Illuminati. Though it is frequently the topic of conversation, the meaning of this group and its motto are generally unknown. Some say the Illuminati is just an idea brought to light by the government to silence those who wonder what really happens at Area 51. Others have claimed that the Illuminati is a satanist cult that wants to control the world and its people. However, according to Illuminatiofficial.org the vision of the organization is a future with a “unified planet without national borders, governed by the best and brightest of the human species, in which all people, in all places, can live in Abundance.” This and the Illuminatiam motto, Annuit cœptis, which means ‘we approved our undertakings’, suggests that the Illuminati has good intentions and does not wish to rule the world through satanic means or to hide the fact that aliens do exist. In fact, Illuminatiofficial.org emphasizes the fact that we are not alone in our universe and that we must rise to the top of we are to survive for much longer. Don’t forget to read my other (yet to be written) article, Aliens; do they exist and what do they want?

The Government Shutdown

Vinay Vasa

February Edition

The government shutdown happened just recently and is life threatening. The last time the government shut down was in 2013 when Barack Obama was president. That was 6 years ago and it lasted 16 days and started on Oct. 1 to Oct. 17. Many people are not getting paid and are going against it or are on strike. Many people who work for the government are not going to work and that is holding up time at airports and many areas. Many area are closed including aquariums, museum, parks and many areas that are the government’s. The good thing is the Food and Drug Administration are still working and are inspecting our food though some FDA inspections stopped.

President Trump (The 45th President) did this because the government was not paying for the wall that will border Mexico and United States. Donald Trump has said Mexico will pay for the wall but we do not know that yet. The government was supposed to pay 5 billion dollars to the wall as USA Today says.

A government shutdown is government offices that can no longer remain open due to lack of funding. According to Today, this government shutdown has been the longest government shutdown ever and 800,000 federal workers didn’t receive a pay. The Washington Post and abc news say 53% blame the president and GOP (Grand Old Party which Donald Trump controls) and 29% blame democrats.

It has been a hard time for people working for the government and all we can hope for a better future.

Mary Poppins Returns Review

By: Emily Purdy

The new movie, Mary Poppins Returns, has been a huge hit on the big screen attracting both adults and children alike. The story is based in London, the hometown of Michael and Jane Banks, which were the main characters in the original Mary Poppins. In the original movie, Mary Poppins, the practically perfect nanny, becomes Michael and Jane’s nanny and could do all sorts of magical things. In the new movie, Michael still lives in London and has just lost his wife. He along with his three kids, Annabel, John, and Georgie, are all very upset and don’t have much fun anymore. Then they are faced with more bad news, they don’t have enough money to afford to continue to live in their house. They are given five days to get enough money together. Meanwhile, Mary Poppins magically appears and shows the kids how to have a little fun, with the help of the lamplighter, Jack. The kids learn how to see the good part of every situation along the way. This movie was given a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and is rated PG. It is a great movie and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a musical (and magical) adventure.

Airpods: The Real Truth

By Yash Gupta

Think about it. Everywhere you go, you see one thing. AirPods. Released by Apple Inc. on December 16, 2016, these wireless earbuds started a new generation in earbuds.

You may be thinking: Oh! Everyone has them! What is the harm? But small wireless earpieces can cause a big change to an everyday user. Concerning health, this can be a big issue. Dr. Devra Lee Davis, founder, and president of the Environmental Health Trust, a nonprofit research and education organization focused on environmental health hazards says, “We have no proof of safety. The fact is that wireless earbuds still place a microwave transmitter next to the head and as a result these microwaves penetrate into your skull and brain,” he says, “Yes, they are considered ‘low level’ microwaves as they do not cook your tissue, but these very low levels have been shown to cause biological effects.”

Elaborating on what Davis said, the microwave transmitter that is placed in the earbuds emit radiation. The radiation gets into your body and can cause things such as cancer. If the AirPods are right next to your head, they can cause brain cancer. If you are someone who has them, but rarely ever uses them, this is not a big risk for you. But as of September 2018, almost 47% of the United States had AirPods and were satisfied greatly. This number was calculated after Apple conducted a survey last year.

Next time you think about buying AirPods, think about the real cost. Not the $159 that Apple charges, but the risk of cancer that lies in these wireless earbuds.