Payton's Perspective

Star Gymnasts give senators an unsparing account of the FBI’s failures on Larry Nassar Investigation.

The article details the ongoing court case of Larry Nasser at the senate judiciary committee and the failures of the FBI to properly investigate the claims of four elite gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols, and Aly Raisman.

The article starts by detailing the events leading up to the court case, then provides quotes from each of the victim’s testimonies stating that “The FBI made me feel like my abuse didn’t count” The article goes into detail stating that the FBI failed to further investigate allegations made by these athletes leading to continued unchecked abuse. The reports filed by these gymnasts were not filed until months after the incidents had occurred.

I believe the author was very objective in the way they wrote this article. Nasser was already convicted at the time of this hearing. The question was not whether he did it, the question was whether the FBI did their job in investigating and protecting these athletes. If any opinions were given, they were direct quotes from the victims themselves. Further down the article, the author uses quotes from representatives defending the FBI’s actions. I believe they did this to ensure the integrity of the article, ensuring it did not come across as one-sided.

I liked how the article was organized, the structure made it very easy to follow along. The author put the facts of the case upfront and then selected a quote from each of the witnesses’ testimonies to place throughout the article. It was very informational, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the situation.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/simone-biles-mckayla-maroney-aly-raisman-senate-fbi-investigation-11631723958?mod=hp_lead_pos8

Nurses being fired across the United States over the Covid-19 Vaccination.

Shortly after the creation and FDA approval of the Covid-19 vaccine, hospitals across the country are implementing mandates on healthcare officials to get vaccinated. Healthcare workers from all areas respond with opposing views.

Peter Ramjung in a report from News@Noreastern.edu states that “Healthcare workers have been gradually coming around to COVID-19 vaccines, with one-third more people vaccinated since earlier in the year, but 27 percent of them are still unvaccinated, and 15 percent of the unvaccinated group are firmly opposed to immunizations.” The groups are divided into already vaccinated and strongly opposed to getting the vaccine. 

According to Ranjung those healthcare workers opposing the vaccine are either resigning or being dismissed from their positions. Skepticism surrounding the vaccine is now becoming a roadblock in the health care industry with it keeping nurses and doctors away from patients in need.

The reasons presented behind anti-vaccination are valid and healthcare professionals are demanding they be acknowledged. In an interview from yahoonews.com’s Marquise Francis, a Huston Methodist Hospital nurse, Jennifer Bridges, stated “I’m not anti-vax. I’ve had all my other vaccines, but this one was rushed, and it didn’t have the proper research,” Bridges said, adding, “I would rather take my chances rather than get the shot.” Under normal circumstances, it can take upward of 15 years to create a safe vaccine, and research for the Covid vaccine started in only March of 2021.

Others are worried about the reliability of the vaccine. With reports of the need for booster shots are we worried about breakthrough cases of Covid in people who received the vaccine? According to Francis the answer is a shaky no. “More than 156 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of July 2, according to the CDC data tracker. Only a tiny fraction of people who have been vaccinated experience breakthrough cases.”

Another concern that many health care professionals are wary of is Myocarditis and Pericarditis. Both are known as severe inflammation of the heart and existing cases are known to be caused by the Covid vaccine. Both conditions are considered a rare side effect of the vaccine, but many health care professionals have deemed that it is a worthy cause for concern citing it as their reason for refusal of the vaccine.

Protests and boycotts of hospitals are being staged to combat the implementation and execution of the Covid-19 vaccination mandate. Nurses and doctors around the United States are being pushed out of their livelihoods and what many consider their “calling” in life. Uncertainty looms around the future of healthcare and the freedom to choose whether to be vaccinated.

https://news.yahoo.com/nurses-fired-for-not-getting-covid-19-vaccine-explain-their-rationale-202817653.html

https://www.wisn.com/article/some-nurses-willing-to-pay-hefty-price-to-not-get-covid-19-vaccine/37343992#

WOODBURY COUNTY, IA- 

Three injured, one dead in a two-car collision just two miles outside of Sioux City.

An Iowa man, Moyer Quick, was killed in a two-car collision heading east on Highway 28 at 11 a.m. Yesterday morning.

Quick collided with a truck driven by one Randy Radin of Swan Lake, IA. Three survivors were transported to Sioux City General. The two passengers were Dorothy quick of Sioux City and Maxine Steuerwald of Lawton were said to be in “good to fair condition” while randy was deemed to be in “Critical Condition” with a fractured skull and internal injuries.

An Iowa highway patrolman, Patric Stewart, stated that “Both vehicles were proceeding in a westerly direction on the two-lane highway. Quick passed the Radin vehicle but his rear-end struck Radin as he completed the pass. The impact sent both vehicles into the ditch on the north side of the road. Quick’s vehicle rolled once.” Further details of the accident are awaiting further investigation.

Sweetwater County Continues Effort to Become Home to Nuclear Plant

The article states Rocky Mountain Power and Terra Power have plans to house a Nuclear Power Plant somewhere within the state of Wyoming, location yet to be determined. The author goes into detail about the overwhelming support the project has received from local colleges, businesses, and politicians. With the current lull of the oil, gas, and coal industries the author states that this could be an exciting opportunity for the residents of Sweetwater County to rebuild its employment opportunities and allow the community to continue to grow.

While the author gives several positive endorsements from local businesses and prominent politicians, it gives no statements from the residents living within Sweetwater county. It allows no opportunities for a counterargument as to why this may not be an ideal opportunity for the community. Rock Springs is a budding community with many families and life long residents who should allowed the opportunity to speak out on this matter.

This article seems to be skewed towards one side of the issue. By presenting a counter opinion the author could have only stood to strengthen the facts provided within the article previously. Instead of providing several statements about how this would be good for the community, it presents no challenges that may arise nor does it explain the complications that come with the addition of a nuclear plant to a community full of people. It would have been enlightening to see some statistics about unemployment in the area to bring facts into an otherwise faceless article.

Hello! My name is Payton Miller. I am a sophomore at Morningside University studying Mass Communications and General Psychology, born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming. I hope to one day become a photojournalist and write for a reputable news company. My biggest dream includes traveling and taking pictures for National Geographic magazine!

~Instagram~

@tspj_photography

@p_miller01