The deadly Capital riot and what this means for Trump

January 28, 2021 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Grace Blumer-Lamotte

Image taken from: https://www.ky3.com/2021/01/09/explainer-who-has-been-charged-in-the-deadly-capitol-riot/

On January 6th, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington. They were trying to overturn the 2020 election.

The 2020 election had results of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris winning for the term. It was a deadly riot because 5 died and dozens were injured: 4 rioters and 1 police officer.

Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died from getting hit in the head with a fire extinguisher thrown from a rioter.

The 4 rioters who died were Ashli Babbitt, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyland, and Benjamin Phillips. Babbitt was an Air Force Veteran, and she died from being shot by a Capitol Police Officer. Greeson suffered from a heart attack and fell to the sidewalk. Boyland died from being crushed by fellow rioters. Phillips suffered a stroke and died.

You may be wondering if people are going to get charged. According to Durkin Richer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C., which handles both local and federal cases in the district, had filed 17 cases in federal court and at least 40 others in the Superior Court by Saturday. The cases in Superior Court mainly have to do with things like curfew violations and gun crimes.

Did Donald Trump do anything to persuade the rioters? Trump encouraged the supporters to storm the Capitol and “fight” for what they demand, but according to Durkin Richer, the Federal Office cannot legally confirm that he “Illegally incited violence because he didn’t specifically call for people to storm the Capitol”.

The U.S. House impeached Donald Trump for the second time for “Inciting Deadly Capitol Riot”. Trump was the first president to be impeached twice in 245 years. The night of the impeachment, Nancy Pelosi said that Trump was a threat to “Liberty, self-government and the rule of law”.

Getting To Know/History

How did Joe Biden get into politics

January 28, 2021 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Caden Ligman

Image taken from: https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-joe-biden-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3

On January 20th, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Before running for president in 2016, and 2020, Joe Biden served two terms as vice president behind Barack Obama, who was president for 8 years, beginning in 2008.

Biden has had a long career in politics, capitalizing on it by becoming the oldest president ever at 78 years old.

Joe Biden was born on November 20th, 1942. He grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and his parents were both blue collar workers.

Growing up, Joe struggled with a stutter and was made fun of at school. To get over his stutter he would practice for hours at a time, reciting poems in the mirror.

After graduating high school in 1961, Joe began his college studies at the University of Delaware where he studied history and political science. During his first few years in college, Joe developed a strong interest in politics. This was the beginning of his interest in politics and the spark that would ignite his political career.

After graduating from college and law school in 1968, he moved to Wilmington, Delaware and began practicing law. Joe quickly became an active member of the Democratic Party in 1970, when he was elected as a councilman in New Castle County, Delaware.

Joe’s first big political break came just two year later when he ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 1972. Biden and his family worked tirelessly on his campaign and he won his seat in an upset victory over J. Caleb Boggs. Biden served in the U.S senate from 1972-2009.

Biden’s presidential ambition started in 1987 when he ran for president. He ended up dropping out of the Democratic primary after there were reports that he had plagiarized part of his speech.

This was only the beginning of his presidential hopes. In 2007, Biden ran again for president but dropped out early in the race after receiving a low number of votes during the early caucuses. A few months later however, Biden was chosen by Barack Obama to be his vice president.

The rest is history, Biden served alongside Obama for two terms and ran for president once again in 2020, defeating Donald Trump and becoming the 46th president of the United States.

“True bravery is when there is very little chance of winning, but you keep fighting.”

― Joe Biden, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose

School Life, Science/Nature

The effects of marijuana on teens

January 28, 2021 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By Nora Doyle

Image from Scientific American — Image taken from: ‘Scientific American’

Consuming marijuana has become more and more normalized in the teenager age group. It’s become more and more common in college, high school, and even middle school students.

Teens use it for multiple different reasons. It can be used in a party situation, or for fun, as a coping mechanism for different mental illnesses, or even just when they’re bored. These are all reasons that teens smoke weed according to Mentalhelp.net. Another major reason is peer pressure, and wanting to be accepted by other kids.

Teens tend to believe that smoking weed isn’t bad for you or has any negative effects on their bodies or brains. But in reality, according to the CDC, marijuana can have permanent effects on the developing brain.

The CDC says that frequent, or long-term, use of marijuana is often linked to students dropping out of school due to how it negatively affects learning abilities and paying attention. It causes difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and also affects the memory.

As for the effects on mental health, the CDC says that it increases the risk of mental health issues including depression and anxiety. Although marijuana is sometimes known for helping these issues, it makes it harder for the body to produce the chemicals and hormones that make you happy naturally. This is why teens become reliant on weed for their mental health, but it also has the opposite effect.

When it comes to long term physical effects, according to Teendrugabuseuse.gov, it truly affects the lungs and breathing ability. Smoke from marijuana can irritate the lungs and cause a chronic cough. Although, the possible worst symptom is that it can affect women’s ability to have a healthy baby. Excessive smoking of weed can decrease the male’s sperm found and delay ovulation in women so it makes it harder to get pregnant.

Despite what you may hear about marijuana, it is not good for a teen’s developing brain and body. Stay away from weed as much as possible and learn ways to avoid peer pressure.

You don’t need to smoke weed to fit in.