The sweeping health care overhaul legislation signed by President Obama is expected to have have a significant impact on Americans across the board, including you. (3/22/10 ABC News, Huma Khan) … Read Article
1. Discuss those whom the bill benefits immediately, according to the article.
2. Discuss those whom the bill benefits by 2014 when it is fully implemented.
Hidden fees touch a nerve with many travelers—especially those who have had problems with rental cars. Here’s a detailed look at five serious issues raised by readers about their experiences. (3/26/10 ABC News, Ed Perkins) … Read Article
1. List the five serious issues raised by consumers about their car rental experiences.
2. Discuss the “collision damage coverage” experience of the customer who had his “first-ever accident …” What do you think about the New York State regulation requiring only insurance companies to take responsibility for claims?
Posted in Bureaucracy, Public Safety, Student Issues
Under the nation’s healthcare reform plan, the nation’s Medicaid system will grow as one of the main organizations to implement the goal of expanded medical coverage. From a financial standpoint, some states will be winners and some will be losers in this new arrangement. (3/28/10 ABC News, Ron Scherer) … Read Article
1. Discuss the confusion in Arizona regarding the cost of Medicaid expansion.
2. Name the so called 11 “expansion states.” Discuss how New York and Maine are expected to benefit from the reconciliation bill.
In the wake of U.S. travel advisories warning tourists about violence at the Mexican border, business owners in the Mexican town of Rocky Point find themselves fighting to attract American tourists. (3/16/10 ABC News On Campus, Lindsey Reiser) … Read Article
1. Rocky Point, Mexico is usually a popular spring-break destination for college students, but last year businesses in Rocky Point lost near-crippling numbers of visitors. Discuss what caused the drastic decline in the number of visitors last year.
2. Discuss what business owners are doing to attract more vacationers to Rocky Point this year.
In a recent poll we asked MPSL students their opinion on Democrats’ decision to pass a health care bill without the support of Republicans. The result: 35% said yes, Democrats should pass the bill without the support of Republicans; 57% said no; while 8% are unsure. In a similar poll by Washington Post, 47% of Americans say they trust Democrats to do a better job handling health care compared to 34% who trust the Republicans. Results were retrieved on 3/29/10, 8:00 PM PST.
Democrats have decided to try and pass a health care bill even without the support of Republicans. What do you think?
Carmen Lookshire is halfway through her first year of college, but she already has her studies mapped out – and is looking at graduation in just two more years. (3/21/10 ABC News, Amanda Paulson) … Read Article
1. Our society “suffers form under-education” says Diane Ravitch. Discuss why many educators object to a three-year college degree.
2. According to the article, what seems to be driving the three-year college degree idea? What do you think about this move?
While they may be called four-year institutions, schools like the University of Texas at Austin have more than a few undergraduates who stick around longer. (3/17/10 ABC News On Campus, Xorje Olivares) … Read Article
1. Discuss the University of Texas plan to crack down on students who stay too long to obtain their degree.
2. Del Bosque said, “If a person wants to learn, then let them learn. Why should there be a time limit?” What do you think about Del Bosque’s comment?
Thousands of new students are flocking to the nation’s community colleges during what some economists are predicting will be a long recession. (3/3/09 ABC News, Susan Donaldson James) … Read Article
1. Other than the recession, discuss the factors that are contributing to community colleges’ boom in enrollment.
2. Discuss the reasons why older students are seeking college degrees in this new economy.
Over the past two years, Teach For America—a nonprofit organization that places college graduates in teaching positions in underprivileged communities—has garnered record numbers of applicants … from colleges across the country. (5/6/09 ABC News, Sabina Kuriakose) … Read Article
1. Discuss how Teach for America and Americorps are similar for college grads in the services they provide.
2. Who runs Teach For America and Americorps?
With hundreds of thousands of young people spending their spring break in Mexico, Bill Whitaker reports on the major upswing on drug related gang violence. (3/15/10 CBSNewsOnline)
1. What, according to Brian Jenkins, is the intention of the drug related violence in Mexico?
2. Why, in spite of the reported violence, do students keep going to Mexico for spring break vacation?
