News for the week of March 28- April 3

Article 1 - "Nuclear Job Half Done" The New York Times. Ed. The Editorial Board. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/opinion/a-nuclear-job-half-done.html?ribbon-ad-idx=5&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article>

The Nuclear Security Summit took place in Washington D.C. on Friday, March 2, 2016. Fifty world leaders attended this meeting to discuss the distribution of 1800 metric tons of nuclear material stored in 24 countries. Some of the world’s superpowers, including Japan, China, The United States, and Great Britain, have all agreed to convert dangerous materials like uranium and plutonium into forms less suitable for use in the creation of weapons. Russian president Vladimir Putin refused to attend the meeting and continues to modernize Russia’s arsenal with disregard to the world's attempt to regulate nuclear weapons.

This article illustrates a sense of unity between the U.S. and its allies in that they all agreed to decrease their amount of nuclear material instead of creating more dangerous weapons so no country can overpower another with weapons of mass destruction. With rogue nations continuing to threaten world peace by continuing to build up their supply of nuclear weapons is a major global issue. The fact that Vladimir Putin did not attend the meeting clearly represents the tensions and power struggle between the United States and Russia. Since the Cold War, we have been in a race with them to acquire nuclear weapons, which is the opposite of Obama's goal to create a world in which there are no nuclear weapons. Another issue that is mentioned in the article is North Korea adding to its collection of nuclear weapons and the creation of missiles needed to launch them. The United Nations must apply harsher sanctions on North Korea to prevent Kim Jong-un from launching a nuclear attack.

Article 2 - Kaplan, Fred. "Nothing Like a Challenge to Bring Out the Hackers." The New York Times. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/03/30/should-hackers-help-the-fbi?rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Room%20for%20Debate&pgtype=blogs>.

In late March 2016, an external group of hackers hired by the FBI successfully unlocked the iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, who killed 14 co-workers at the Inland Regional Center during a holiday gathering. The FBI could not accomplish this without Apple's assistance, which was denied due to the potential weakening of the phone's security and compromising customer privacy. So the FBI turned to the hackers to accomplish this, but the question remains as to whether or not this is a good practice.

I disagree with Apple's decision not to help the government in this terrorist attack investigation because it is a matter of national security. Therefore, the government should hire patriotic hackers to find ways to access locked data when needed, defend our electronic information, prevent infiltration into our systems, and identify and patch any potential holes before bad hackers find them. The evolution of technology has made it easier for bad hackers working with criminals to steal digital information such as credit card, bank account, health care and other sensitive personal data for their financial benefit. The best way to stop the bad hackers is to recruit the good ones as the first line of defense, compensate them well and give them a good challenge.

Article 3 - Chappell, Bill. "Judge Strikes Down Last Same-Sex Adoption Ban In The U.S." NPR, 1 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/01/472667168/judge-strikes-down-last-same-sex-adoption-ban-in-the-u-s>.

Last Thursday, the last ban on same-sex adoption was overturned by federal judge Daniel P. Jordan III in Mississippi. This ban has been in effect since 2000, and the lawsuit was filed in 2015 by four same-sex couples, backed by two advocacy groups. This event has now made it legal for same-sex couples to adopt children in every state of the US. However, this ruling came the same week that House Bill 1523 was approved by Mississippi's senate, allowing businesses to reject services to same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs.

The action to allow same-sex adoption is a major step forward in the battle for gay rights across the United States. The country as a whole can finally accept that having a different sexual orientation should not prevent gay couples from being parents. However, this brings up the important question regarding the impact to children who are not raised in a traditional family with a mother and a father. In regard to House Bill 1523, this was a major step backward as this continues to allow discrimination against gay couples. All people should have the same rights, regardless of their sexual orientation.