Typing with Taryn

“Companies Are Cutting Back on Maternity and Paternity Leave.”

The lede of this article is “Many employers are shrinking the number of paid weeks of maternity and paternity leave they will offer.” I think the author wrote a good lede by explaining what the article is going to be about without completely giving away all of the information.

Some employers are shrinking the amount of paid leave they offer parents. In 2020, the paid maternity leave was 53%. This is now a much smaller 35%.

Paternity time has been shrunk as well. The paid leave was 44% in 2020, whereas now, it is 27%.

While statistics are important, this article seemed to have had too many. We didn’t read a quote from someone whom is experiencing these problems. I would have enjoyed to see more real-life examples earlier on in the article.

I did enjoy reading how some companies are retaliating against this, although. WSJ wrote “As some companies take leaves away, others are expanding benefits, widening the divide between workers who have parental supports at work and those who don’t.”

This quote made me want to look more into what the decision-making process looks like on the managerial side of a company.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-surprising-benefit-some-companies-are-taking-awayparental-leave-11661125605

I talked to Jennifer Braunschweig who is the Office Manager in the Morningside Business Department. I had walked into the Business Department and was immediately greeted with a smile by Jenn! When I asked for her autograph, she was more than happy to write it on my paper for me. She asked what class it was for, so we began having a conversation about this class, Fundamentals of Journalism, and all it entails. Jenn and I had a very pleasant conversation, I would give it 5 stars. 🙂

I had also run into Jerenia Hanson in the Business Department and had a conversation with her about a current news event. I asked Jerenia if there was any event going on in the world that was affecting her personally, and she mentioned how inflation was something she has had to take into consideration. Hanson said “It’s easy to notice things are much more expensive than what they used to be. I have a bit of shopping problem, but now with inflation, I notice I am more opposed to buyings things immediately when I see them.” Jerenia also said she noticed how groceries used to be anywhere from $30-40, but now are closer to the $60-$80 range. Jerenia was friendly and more then willing to stop what she was doing to have a conversation with me!

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at the age of 96, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch. Citizens of England are in mourning over this passing.

As people are mourning, they have to deal with the unfamiliarity of adjusting to a new leader. For decades now, citizens have been used to Queen Elizabeth’s tribals of success. Now, many things will be changing for the United Kingdom, and some are not sure how to feel about it.

With the heartache surrounding the Queen’s passing, many people are paying their respects at the palace.

Thousands of people gathered around Buckingham Palace after the news had spread. There was an intense silence when the flag was lowered to half-mast in honor of the Queen. 

The Queen was sick prior to her passing, and her doctors reported that she was on immediate medical supervision. After hearing this news, the Queen’s family traveled to Balmoral to visit her.

This information has not only shocked Great Britain, but other leaders around the world as well. 

President Joe Biden stated, “Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.” President Biden also had flags flown at half-mast at the White House in honor of the Queen. 

Queen Elizabeth has made a tremendous difference on her nation during her ruling, which is why many citizens are taking her passing to heart. Her death marks the end of a beautiful era.

The Queen was a symbol of stability and class for all who saw her. Reuters quoted Queen Elizabeth in a speech saying, “I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.” 

Many citizens of the United Kingdom are questioning what will happen for them. Things such as the country’s national anthem, currency, and flags. People of England have been used to these items being surrounded around the Queen.

Adjustments such as these have left many concerned and confused. These changes may leave some citizens unsure of how to feel.

Thousands of flags with EIIR (Elizabeth II Regina) must be replaced. These flags also have the “Queen’s colors” which must be changed. 

There are also approximately 4.5 billion sterling banknotes with Queen Elizabeth’s face on them. These are estimated to take two or more years to replace.

The national anthem says, “God save our gracious Queen” which now must be changed, in theory, to “God save our gracious King.”

Seeing the impact Queen Elizabeth’s passing had on not only England, but the entire world shows how much of an impact she had on her nation. Her ruling will be remembered for many years to come.

Daughter of locally prominent attorney arrested for DUI last night.

Cathy Wensen, a 22 year old senior at Vanderbilt University, was arrested last night. This is her third arrest in a six month time period.

Her father, Jim Wensen, is a well known attorney in their town. With this being her third arrest, many people are questioning whether or not this will impact Jim’s business in a negative way.

Cathy Wensen was this year’s homecoming queen, is a straight-A student, and has been a cheerleader. On paper, the Wensen’s seem to be the perfect family – however Cathy’s actions recently seem to be portraying another story.

The family has not released any public statements regarding the situation.

New curriculum change for Backwater State University students to be expected for fall of 2023.

Recent studies have shown only 20% of students have taken a math course. A mere 15% of the students opted to take a foreign language course. With this information, the university president, David French, decided to make some changes.

“We feel that these new course requirements will allow us to turn out better-educated persons,” French said to the press.

These requirements include 1 math, 1 computer science, and 1 foreign language course in their 4 years at the university.

With this expectation, students will hopefully be more involved with other education buildings throughout campus.

Plane crash at Kennedy International Airport leaves 5 people deceased Thursday night.

The TWA jet in New York had forty-five passengers aboard along with several crew members. Two of the passengers were Backwater State University professors. Associate professor of rural sociology, John Dumont, and associate professor of English, George Johnson, both escaped injury free.

More information about the other passengers and crew members will be released to the public in a couple days.

A tragic barn fire in Chicago leads to a stampede of horses on the loose, and several dead one day before the opening of racing season.

This one story, wooden barn was suspected to be burnt down via arson around 4 in the morning. Albert Ramos, a jockey from Miami, sorrowfully watched the arson squad clean up the remainders of the scene.

Officials are questioning whether this fire was a purposeful attack or not. Fire chief Jim Connery stated, “The fire exploded near the center of the barn. Flames were shooting out of the building when we got here. The fire is definitely suspicious.”

With racing season nearly underway, this puts many jockeys and fans questioning what truly happened to these beloved horses. Was this attack purposeful?

More updates to come from this travesty among the horse racing world soon.

Crime rates spike and terrorists are at an all time high surrounding the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

OPINION ON STORY

OBJECTIVE? WHY ITS TIMELY?

Prior to 9/11/01, crime rates had dropped well over 60% from the 1990’s. Terrorism typically was not a common fear in the United States. After the strike on the Twin Towers, everything had changed for the citizens of America.

While terrorists haven’t been able to come anywhere near as intense as 9/11, we have entered a new era of terrorism which concerns many American’s.

Cities all around our country are losing police day by day as well. Police are retiring, taking leaves of absence, and so much more all due to these painstakingly high crime rates. Recruitment for the police officers are depleting as well.

Not having these forms of safety on the streets can leave American’s in these cities feeling unsafe and unprotected.

Fortunately, history has shown that there can be hope for the troubles America goes through. Leaders who chose to use their voice and influence in a positive way can help make common citizens feel safe in their own country.

Time will tell if these leaders advocate for the greater good of our land; for now, though, our streets are not as safe as they once were.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/9-11-anniversary-leaders-understand-safety-governments-job

“After a Summer of Grief, It’s Back to School in Uvalde”

Classes resumed on Tuesday in Uvalde where a mass shooting occurred in May. This tragic shooting took the lives of 19 students and 2 teachers.

Some of the local families in the town are choosing to home-school their children after the incident, and others are sending their children to private schools. However, most of the parents do believe returning to public school would be an important part of the children’s healing process. 

The school refused to discuss the student’s return other than this written statement – “Creating routines and structure can profoundly impact our ability to heal from loss and process grief. As our community continues to recover from the tragedy we experienced, our priority is ensuring that our students, families, and staff can return to teaching, learning, and essential school activities without disruption.” 

School administrators decided to delay the start of the school year from the usual mid-August return in order to have enough time to add additional security measures. They added new eight-foot fences as well as more security cameras and replacement door locks. Teachers have also been given specialized training with state police officers.

Pictured: Kimberly Rubio helping her son, Julian, put his shoes on before the first day of school in Uvalde, Texas.