Journalist Jadyn

Alice Klien || NewScientist

You might actually be losing your mind. Almost half of all dementia cases could potentially be prevented or delayed by adopting 12 health measures. The biggest known risk factors for dementia are smoking, excess alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, head injury, depression, hearing loss and exposure to air pollution, as well as lack of exercise, education and social contact.

Minimising these 12 risks could potentially prevent or delay up to 40 per cent of dementia cases globally, according to the review of the latest evidence by 28 leading dementia experts from around the world.

For example, it is found that individuals can partially protect themselves by not smoking, drinking less than 21 units of alcohol per week, maintaining a systolic blood pressure of less than 130 mmHg, avoiding activities that could lead to head injuries, using hearing aids if needed, eating a healthy diet, and exercising and socializing regularly.

In addition to making recommendations for individuals, governments too can protect their populations from dementia by providing primary and secondary education for all children, improving air quality, promoting healthy behaviors, and discouraging smoking and heavy drinking.

In some higher-income countries, including the UK, US, and France, dementia rates in older people have fallen in recent decades, possibly due to improvements in education, nutrition and health care. This suggests that preventative health measures can have an impact on dementia, in the same way they have helped to reduce rates of lung cancer and deaths from heart disease in many higher-income countries

However, there is a limit to how much you can prevent dementia with lifestyle interventions, because the brain inevitably starts to shut down in very old age, especially in people who live past 100 years of age

Kaamil Ahmed || The Guardian

Almost 100,000 children under the age of five are at risk of dying in Yemen as the country slides back into a hunger crisis. An analysis preformed by UN agencies says the coronavirus pandemic, economic problems and conflict have led to the highest levels of malnutrition ever recorded in parts of the country.

The overall serious malnutrition in southern Yemen has risen 10% this year, according to the study, but rose to 15% among children under five years old. Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food security crisis. If the war continues the country can expect to face an irreversible situation and risk losing an entire generation of its young children.

This news story does a really good job at making the public aware of a huge problem amongst the citizens in Yemen. Reporting on such a huge topic is very vital especially in trying to reach out for help and spread awareness. I also like this story was very straight to the point and gave the necessary facts that weren’t too drawn on, but still gave all the context that is needed to understand this topic and its seriousness.

BBC NEWS

Netflix added just 2.2 million new subscribers, as the surge of demand for its services prompted by the pandemic faded. The number of international subscribers to Netflix has already overcome those in the US and the growth overseas continues to be critical. The strongest subscriber growth occurred in its Asia Pacific region, which accounted for more than one million new subscribers. The shutdown in film and television productions has placed a major focus on how Netflix and its competitors will get hold of new offerings to keep their members.

Netflix has been relying solely on the production of original content and this content might keep customers, but it costs a pretty penny. Consumers are also now expected to burn through content at a faster rate which would create a cash flow hole, but luckily the slowdown in production has helped its profits. The firm reported a record $790 million in quarterly profit, as revenue increased more than expected to $6.4 billion. The firm also claimed that its profit margins have improved for the same reasons.

Overall this pandemic has been very harsh on most companies due to all the changes. This article does a good job of spreading some positive outcomes that have come about through all the mess. I think this is good for boosting morale and keeping companies heads up. Hopefully people will continue to push through and look at the bright side.

Andrew Freedman || The Washington Post

The planet just recorded its hottest September since at least 1880. The data, released Wednesday, shows that 2020 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, with the possibility of tying or breaking the milestone for the hottest year, set in 2016.

In addition, 2020 is likely to be the hottest year when a La Niña event was present in the tropical Pacific Ocean. This climate phenomenon is characterized by cooler-than-average ocean temperatures near the equator in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, and it tends to lower global temperatures slightly. These trends are all consistent with rapid global warming driven primarily by human emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average global temperature in September was 1.75 degrees above the 20th-century average, surpassing previous records for the month that were set in 2015 and 2016 by about 0.04 degrees. The 10 warmest Septembers have occurred since 2005, and the seven warmest Septembers have occurred in the past seven years.

In the United States, September was a month of devastating climate events, as massive wildfires broke out amid record heat in California, Oregon and Washington. Climate change is already heightening wildfire severity and size in the West, with these trends expected to continue. NOAA also found that three large areas of the globe have had their warmest year so far that include: Europe, Asia and the Gulf of Mexico.

With these continuous trends in global warming the world can be at serious risk. If the public is not made aware of this particular situation we can only expect to see things get worse. By covering stories like these, journalists are doing their part in spreading awareness. Global warming is not something that should be taken lightly and if we don’t put an end to increasing the air pollution soon, our world will be in severe danger.

Yesenia Aguilar died after being hit by a driver suspected to be under the influence on Aug. 11 in Anaheim, California. The 23-year-old woman, who was 35 weeks pregnant, was walking on a sidewalk and holding hands with husband James Alvarez when a driver who suspected to be under the influence of drugs, jumped the curb striking and killing her.

Aguilar was then rushed to the hospital, but she passed away later that day. Doctors were able to deliver her daughter via emergency C-section, although the infant was in critical condition from the trauma of the accident. Baby Adalyn Rose “defied all odds,” and left the NICU three weeks later.

This tragic story pulls at the heart-strings of all readers. It also reinforces the importance of following the law and encourages sober driving. Tragic accidents like these are very important to report about, because it makes the public aware of these realities.

Climate change is a major obstacle for nearly every country in the world, yet 15 year old environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, takes it on head first. Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist. She is known for her youth and her straightforward speaking manner, both in public and to political leaders at assemblies, in which she criticizes world leaders for their failure to take sufficient action to address the climate crisis.

During one of her famous speeches at the UN Climate Change COP24 Conference, Thunberg expresses the saddening truth about climate change across the nation. She states, “You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess, even when the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake.” This quote refers to the lack of attention our world leaders are giving to the climate crisis and instead are focusing on keeping polluting companies running for the profit.

Thunberg believes that to stop the climate change we need to “pull the break” on building and continuing to grow large industrial businesses that only profit the few rich people that make up the population. Greta claimed “Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of money. Our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury.” She believes that we need to start to consider the rest of the world and how it will function after all the damage is done.

She goes on to express her worries for the future and how further generations will continue to develop these problems and create a never-ending cycle. Thunberg said,” The year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you. Maybe they will ask why you didn’t do anything while there still was time to act.”

From social distancing to wearing masks, Morningside’s Cantabile Choir has taken CDC guidelines very seriously. There have been an endless amount of changes made to the program by our director, Joshua Nannestad, in order to keep performers and fans safe from this wide-spreading disease.

Director Joshua Nannestad said, “It’s rough. The largest challenge is spending the majority of preparation time on things that aren’t normally part of a director’s job. The fear around singing and aerosols is preventing many choral programs from operating at all at this time. We are lucky to be able to rehearse, but the constraints are daunting.” He also describes how it is difficult to find enough space to allow forty to eighty people to stand 6 feet apart. The latest advice they have received recommends clearing the rehearsal room after 30 minutes, and most choir rehearsals are longer than that. Some choirs are rehearsing outdoors, as we have been, but weather will be a complicating factor soon. Ultimately, when the space is secured and a short rehearsal can happen, the masks and distance make it difficult for me to assess each singer’s progress and assist with their growth.

Nannestad also said in regards to ZOOM class, “They certainly aren’t my favorite! I have taught several classes on ZOOM for the last six months and I find the atmosphere to be less conducive to discussion and response from the students.” As found through practice, musicians cannot sing or play together over ZOOM because of latency issues. In an usual ZOOM meet choir members are expected to join an online session when there becomes a large number of exposures within the group. During this online session performers are expected to listen to the music attached in an emailed file and sing in their own personal spaces while they are on mute.

Student Emma Endrulat, expressed multiple concerns she has experienced with choir this year. She said, “It is extremely hard to learn pieces in such a short time together and when introducing new parts of the song it is especially hard when classes are online.” Members of the choir now seem to have more responsibilities than they would have pre-COVID. Putting in extra work outside of class and being sure to listen to the music before practice, so they aren’t going in completely blind. Endrulat also added, “Yes, I do believe these guidelines are definitely a need for the betterment of the choir overall, but they make it awfully difficult for us to get the choral experience.” She elaborated that the choir experience consists of performances, full practices, and retreats. All of which got cancelled this year due to the pandemic.

Emma was asked about her thoughts on what it is like singing at home with parents and/or roommates. To this she responded, “At times it can be extremely awkward, especially when having to sing out.” She also mentioned how a lot of times roommates have different schedules and singing while one is sleeping or busy can be very disruptive and cause conflict between the two. I asked her if there would be a better way to go about conducting practices and she said, “For what we have there really is no better way, but online practices can honestly just be more confusing and frustrating than if we didn’t even have practice at all.”

Overall both interviewees are still very unsure how to feel with having choir this year. It is a very different experience for everyone. Many other schools have cut this program and COVID-19 has made practices much more complicated leaving them to have no other choice. Morningside is doing the best it can with its current health situation and practices are still a joy for all participants.

Steven Postolka, graduate of Morningside College, arrives back to Morningside’s Campus to discuss his occupation as a lawyer with Professor Fuglsang’s Journalism class. Throughout his discussion Postolka describes his experience with both private law practice and governmental law practice.

Postolka is from Sioux Rapids and graduated with a degree in Mass Communication and Political Science from Morningside College in 2011. After, he went to law school at the University of Iowa and graduated in 2014 with a degree in law. Postolka then went and worked in private practice at Spencer, IA for four years. He is now currently working with the Sioux City government.

Postolka described that in private practice things can be bit more difficult. Every client is different and no matter what, it is your job to represent them. One of the hardest things Postolka has had to do is telling a client that their battle can not be won. His example was, “One time I had a client who knew he would raise his baby better than the mother was capable of, but I had to tell him that unless there was any proof of the mother’s instability there was no way he would win custody.” It’s always hard to upset a client and not be able to help them in ways they need.

When it comes to Postolka’s experience working for the government, it seems to be a little easier. He says this is because he has a set client. Postolka is currently in charge of representing the five-member council of Sioux City. He says that overall the hardest part about being a lawyer is knowing the people represented will always have the final decision in their law suit. He described this experience as, “always the client’s case, never your case.” This means that as a lawyer, all you are able to do is educate and guide their client. You can not make the final decisions for them.

John Wagner, Felicia Sonmez, Colby Itkowitz, and Amy Wang || Washington Post

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Wednesday that it would add “additional structure” to the remaining oppositions between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden after last night’s chaotic debate in Cleveland, saying “more orderly discussion is needed.”

The announcement came as both candidates returned to the campaign trail, and Biden called Trump’s behavior at the debate “a national disgrace” during a stop in Ohio. Meanwhile, several GOP lawmakers urged Trump to address his refusal during the debate to condemn self-described white supremacists. Democrats widely implicated Trump’s remarks.

Tuesday night’s debate was extremely frustrating to follow. The back and forth banter and interruption between both candidates was childish and overwhelming. This article does a great job at summarizing the outcomes and stating what is to come next. In further debates there will be a better system to keep this chaos from happening again and allowing for the public to have abetter understanding of the candidates and what they support. This system will hopefully fulfill its duty and the public will be able to clearly understand what is being said for both parties.

Sara Kiley Watson || Popular Science

According to this article Craig Spencer, the director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University, shared his long-term impacts of a 2014 Ebola encounter, which to this day, leaves him struggling with concentration and memory. He wrote on twitter, “In discussions I’ve had with many COVID long-haulers, both in the ER and online, I’ve heard so many people describe symptoms similar to what I experienced in the months after my illness, the fatigue, ‘brain fog’, and feeling better some days and worse the next.”

In research done by the CDC at the end of July, over 30 percent of COVID-19 patients had not returned to normal health conditions two or three weeks after testing. Out of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, who typically have milder cases of illness, one in four still hadn’t full recovered weeks after testing. Even some children were still feeling the infection take a toll on their health months after infection. The symptoms were far-ranging, from depression to myocarditis.

Because there hasn’t been enough reliable, rapid testing, Spencer says it may be harder for some long-haulers to access necessary healthcare if they never officially received a positive test. “It will ultimately be hundreds of thousands of people who will suffer these symptoms of chronic or long COVID-19.” Reported health concerns after “recovering” from COVID-19 include: cardiac, respiratory, kidney, neurological and mental health issues.

Overall this story is extremely informational and eye-opening for the public. There are huge numbers of people in the U.S. and all over the world who have been diagnosed or even experienced COVID-19. This article really opens up about how the Corona Virus does not only have short-term symptoms, but rather that it can take a long-term toll on your mental and physical health. This disease is clearly not something that should be taken lightly and maybe more people will realize the risks of being exposed to this disease and start following CDC guidelines more carefully to ensure the best and healthiest life for them and others.