Author: Shelly W

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Canada Entertainment U.S.

Edge of a Revolution by Nickelback Inspired by Michael Brown Case

Edge of a Revolution by Nickelback Inspired by Michael Brown Case
Nickelback, Michael Brown

Chad Kroeger, the front man for the band Nickelback and a Canadian by birth, has said that the latest hit for the band titled Edge of a Revolution was inspired by the Michael Brown case as well as politics in America today. The band was working on the latest album called Fixed Address when the Michael Brown case hit the news. Media saturation on the case was very high when unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and the attention has not dies down since the incident. After the shooting the streets of Ferguson were full of rioters, and many were upset that police used what appeared to be military vehicles and equipment to stop the protests.

The grand jury in the Michael Brown case is expected to release the results of their investigation soon, and many believe that officer Darren Wilson will not be indicted and that further protests will occur. The court has promised to alert police to the verdict when it is delivered, and to keep the verdict secret from the public for 48 hours so that police have time to prepare for any expected protests. According to Nickelback member Chad Kroeger in an interview with Yahoo Music “The issue of the black boy who was shot by the white cop in Missouri was a major story and there was rioting like crazy. This was all happening right when we were working on the music. It definitely seemed like the seeds of revolution were being planted, and I wanted it to feel that way in the song.”

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U.S.

Pig Virus Drives Up U.S. Ham Costs as Farmers Create Fatter Pigs

Pig Virus Drives Up U.S. Ham Costs as Farmers Create Fatter Pigs
pig virus, U.S. ham costs

U.S. ham costs are exorbitant right now thanks to a pig virus that killed off millions of piglets. As a result of the losses pig farmers in the United States have been feeding the hogs more, and for longer periods, so that they are fatter when they go to market and the farmer gets more for the animal. Since ham is taken from the hind legs of a pig, and the pigs are much heavier, the animals are too fat for the standard 7 pound ham that many families serve on the holiday. Instead the hams are bigger and heavier, and therefore more expensive to purchase. Approximately half of all the ham consumed in the United States is eaten during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, and Americans will pay more for this treat this year because of fatter hogs.

Thanks to the recent pig virus which killed off most of the piglets born to pigs on farms in the United States the U.S. ham costs are up 26% this year, and that can mean a big difference in the cost of a holiday dinner for family and friends. The chief financial officer for the Michigan division of HoneyBaked Ham, Brian Mariuz, explained “This year has been a struggle for people that sell half hams because heavier hogs are coming to market,. Seven-pound hams are in the highest demand and in the lowest supply.” Higher prices also affect other countries which import ham from the United States, making it harder for some to afford ham for the holidays.

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Canada Economic

Fee Hikes for Canadian Passports Brings in Millions

Fee Hikes for Canadian Passports Brings in Millions
Canadian passports, fee hikes

The fee hikes for Canadian passports has managed to bring in millions of dollars for the government, but Canadian citizens should not expect the fees to decrease any time soon. Figures which were recently released by the Canadian government show that Canadians paid a total last year of $462.5 million in passport fees, but the government only spent $256.5 million in order to create the documents necessary for issuing passports. The funds paid to Passport Canada are managed differently than government agencies, and the law allows the entity to bank any surplus funds that are generated from the fee hikes on Canadian passports. According to Nancy Caron, a spokesperson for the Citizenship and Immigration entity “We are not forecasting any change to passport fees to cover revolving fund requirements at this time.”

Some are upset with the fee hikes enacted for Canadian passports, and these individuals point out that the program generated more than $200 million dollars and that the passport fees should be adjusted accordingly. The fee hikes for Canadian passports were substantial. A 5 year passport used to be $87 but that increased to $120, and those who want a 10 year passport now have the option of paying $160. In the fiscal year 2013-2014 Canada issued almost 5 million passports. When the fee hikes for Canadian passports were first introduced the reasoning was that these increases were essential. Canada Passport outlined the new structure for passport fees and explained that “At a time when Canadians are increasingly concerned about identity fraud, Passport Canada is quickly reaching a point where not only will new advancements be impossible, but the organization’s ability to maintain current operations will be jeopardized.”

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Health U.S.

Iowa Student Takes a Stand Against Weighing Teens in School

Iowa Student Takes a Stand Against Weighing Teens in School
weighing teens in school, student takes a stand

An Iowa student takes a stand against weighing teens in school, and as a result the student was sent to the principal because she refused to be weighed by a teacher. The weighing and measuring of students in the United States has become almost commonplace as schools attempt to measure the Body Mass Index of their students, and this practice is very controversial with some students and parents. Many believe that this is something that a parent and physician should take care of, and that schools have no place in this type of medical process or in any determination of abnormal weight. When 13 year old Ireland Hobert Hoch was order to step on the scale she refused, telling a local newspaper that this practice not only made her uncomfortable but was also uncomfortable for other female students as well.

After Ireland decided to speak out and refuse to participate in weighing teens in school she was punished by being sent to the principal’s office. When the student takes a stand school administrators are rarely happy, and that was the case with Ireland Hobert Hoch. Instead of admitting that they may be in the wrong school personnel offered to weigh the 13 year old in another location, like the nurse’s office or the front office, however Hoch refused. “I don’t feel like it’s their business,. I feel like it’s my doctor’s and my mom and my own business…I don’t even know (how much I weigh) right now.” Heather Hobert Hoch, Ireland’s mother, agrees with her daughter that weighing teen sin school is not appropriate. Heather believes that this is something that the family physician should do instead.

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Politics U.S.

Can US Congress Stop President Obama From Acting on Immigration?

Can US Congress Stop President Obama From Acting on Immigration?
US Congress, President Obama

President Obama, the elected leader of the United States, is moving forward with his plans to act alone on immigration and to make major changes using an executive order. After the midterm election results this is a bold move, and perhaps a foolish one as well. Can the US Congress stop the president though, or are they helpless to do anything about the move that some say is presidential overreach? The United States Congress does have some options, but none that are without drawbacks and disadvantages though. Congress does control funding, and it is possible that the new Republican majority in both houses of the US Congress may decide to keep President Obama from any real changes to immigration by cutting off his access to funding for the programs that he is planning.

From all the reports so far neither President Obama nor the US Congress wants to shut down the government. This happened last year when both parties could not agree, and both sides received some blame and lost credibility and trust with the American public. This is not a scenario that anyone who is elected to their current position wants to revisit. There is talk of suing the president, but some believe there is a better solution. If the US Congress passes laws that make the executive orders from President Obama obsolete then this could be a winning solution for Republicans. A law restricting the number of work permits or green cards, or even a law requiring that immigration laws are enforced as written could solve the issue.

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Breaking News Canada

No Charges Brought Against Speeding Quebec Police Officer for 5 Year Old Killed in Crash

No Charges Brought Against Speeding Quebec Police Officer for 5 Year Old Killed in Crash
Quebec police officer, 5 year old killed

Officials recently announced that the Quebec police officer who was speeding and caused a crash that resulted in a 5 year old killed and an older sibling being seriously injured will not face charges for the incident, something that many Canadians are upset about. To add insult to injury not only will no charges be brought but no explanation will be offered to the public about the lack of charges. The family of the 5 year old killed and the teenager injured are very unhappy with the outcome. The officials in the case did say that the family will be told why there will be no charges against the Quebec police officer, but no explanation will ease the pain of the family members or bring the yoiung boy back.

The Quebec police officer responsible for the crash that ended with the 5 year old killed was speeding, and was doing 120 km/h in a zone that is posted at 50km/h. The officer slammed into the car carrying the 5 year old and his family, and the impact was hard enough to knock the vehicle off the road. Witnesses who saw the crash have stated that the police officer did not have his sirens or lights on even though he was traveling at a very excessive rate of speed, and the department has said that the Quebec police officer was on routine patrol when the accident occurred. The 5 year old killed in the crash suffered massive head injuries, and he succumbed to these injuries 4 days after the crash occurred. Renel Bellance, who is the boy’s grandfather, told Quebec Morning “Since my little son died, I no longer live. It really hurts. I wonder what happened to life.”