Entry #5 Local Story Respond

 In the article "Ducey: Why Arizona needs more college grads" Ducey expresses his attempt to make an improve to the Arizona education since the benefits of holding a college education will create a better economy for Arizona.

As a current student in the Arizona system I have to admit that I have first had experience of this poor education system. I have had teachers who were clearly unqualified to be in that career path but yet are trying to teach me about math. I had to miss weeks worth of school when the "Red for Ed" movement was around because Arizona does not take care of their own. I have had to learn online due to the pandemic and had to teach myself chemistry all because the teachers were not given the tools to help provide students with the help they desperately needed at that time

I am more than happy that Ducey is taking action to improve this states long developing issue. Arizona is known for a place of retirement and living out a life, I hope one day it becomes a place where it is known for starting life's and creating people who can have a impact on society through the education and degrees they have received. Ducey is pushing this movement through not only himself but wants everyone to take action. We need government officials, corporate executives, parents, grandparents, and neighbors to come together and take a new look at how we might connect the economy and education.

Entry #6 March Madness NCAA Tournament

 

The 2023 NCAA Tournament was among the most chaotic March Madness tournaments we've ever seen. A 16 defeated a 1 for just the second time ever, and a 15 seed moved on to the Sweet 16. Besides that, this tournament is the first time all four No. 1 seeds have been eliminated before the Elite Eight. Although this type of results are uncommon, there was a year with that was even crazier and holds the most upsets in NCAA history.

 

The most upsets that happened was 19 and occurred in 2014, according to the NCAA. A game where the winning team's seed was at least two seed lines lower than the losing team is referred to as an upset. The first round of the 2014 tournament had three No. 12s, three No. 5s, two No. 11s, and a No. 14 all advancing.

No. 11 Dayton faced off against No. 6 Ohio State in the second round of the South Regional. The game was held on March 20, 2014, in Buffalo, New York. Dayton pulled off the upset, winning 60-59 in a thrilling finish. Ohio State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but Dayton's defense held strong and prevented the Buckeyes from getting a good shot off. No. 10 Stanford faced off against No. 7 New Mexico in the second round of the South Regional. The game was held on March 21, 2014, in St. Louis, Missouri. Stanford came out strong in the first half, taking a 32-20 lead into halftime. New Mexico made a run in the second half, but Stanford held on for a 58-53 victory.

The Sweet 16 saw little change before the Final Eight: No. 7 UConn defeated No. 2 Michigan State, No. 8 Kentucky defeated No. 2 Michigan

The 2014 Final Four semifinals were full of upsets as No. 7 UConn defeated No. 1 Florida and No. 8 Kentucky beat No. 2 Wisconsin. The remaining teams UConn and Kentucky were both Cinderella stories and looked to face off in the National Championship Game.

UConn entered the game as a No. 7 seed, while Kentucky was a No. 8 seed. This marked the first time in NCAA history that two teams seeded No. 7 or lower had made it to the championship game. The game started off with a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away in the first half. In the second half, UConn continued to play well and stretched their lead to double digits. Kentucky made a late run to try and come back, but UConn held on for a 60-54 victory. The victory marked UConn's fourth NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, and the second under head coach Kevin Ollie. Shabazz Napier was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player,

Entry #4 Popular Film Franchises

Hollywood has always relied on popular film franchises as many of them have evolved into cultural phenomena that have had a variety of effects on pop culture. Here is a brief overview of some of the all-time biggest film franchises.

Rocky/Creed (1979-present)

Sylvester Stallone developed the script for the first film and the success was attributed in part to its inspiring story of an underdog who overcomes nearly impossible obstacles to realize his dream, as well as to its classic training sequence and famous soundtrack. As a result of the initial film's popularity, eight more were made with Sylvester Stallone staring as Rocky Balboa until passing the role to Michael B. Jordan in Creed. The Rocky franchise has grossed a total of $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office (Prior to Creed III). 

James Bond (1962-present)

The first James Bond film, "Dr. No," released in 1962, starred Sean Connery as the smooth and clever British agent. Since then, the series has generated 25 motion pictures, with Bond being portrayed by six different actors. The films have made nearly $7 billion in worldwide box office and are renowned for its classic themes, weaponry, and bad guys.

Star Wars (1977-present)

The Star Wars franchise began with the 1977 movie "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope," which introduced audiences to a galaxy far, far away and launched a cultural phenomenon that continues to this day. The franchise has produced 11 movies, including the main saga, spinoffs, and standalone films, and has grossed over $10 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their epic space battles, iconic characters, and philosophical themes.

Indiana Jones (1981-present)

The Indiana Jones franchise began with the 1981 movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark," starring Harrison Ford as the adventurous archaeologist who travels the world in search of ancient artifacts. The franchise has produced four movies, with a fifth film "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destin" set to be released in 2023, and has grossed over $2 billion worldwide (Prior to "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destin"). The movies have become known for their thrilling action sequences, humor, and sense of adventure.

Jurassic Park (1993-present)

The Jurassic Park franchise began with the 1993 movie of the same name, based on the novel by Michael Crichton, which introduced audiences to a world where dinosaurs were brought back to life through genetic engineering. The franchise has produced six movies, with a short-film "Battle at Big Rock" and has grossed over $5 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their groundbreaking special effects, thrilling action, and exploration of ethical and scientific issues.

Harry Potter (2001-2011)

The Harry Potter franchise began with the 2001 movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, which introduced audiences to a magical world of wizards and witches. The franchise produced eight movies, with a spinoff series, "Fantastic Beasts," set in the same universe. The story has also been adapted to a video game based in Hogwarts and the lore within the series with the game "Hogwarts Legacy". The franchise has grossed over $9 billion worldwide and has become known for its immersive world-building, memorable characters, and exploration of themes such as love, friendship, and good vs. evil.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-present)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe began with the 2008 movie "Iron Man," which introduced audiences to a world of superheroes and villains based on the Marvel Comics characters. The franchise has produced 31 movies (Prior to "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"), with more planned for the future, and has grossed over $22 billion worldwide. The movies have become known for their interconnected storylines, post-credit scenes, and memorable characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and Thor. This film universe only continues to grow and has recently adapted original tv-shows and specials. Marvel and Disney have content planned for the next decade with "The Multiverse Sage".  

Batman (1989-present)

Over the years, numerous films have been made featuring the Caped Crusader, each with their own unique take on the character. One of the most iconic interpretations of Batman was by actor Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 1989 film "Batman" and its sequel "Batman Returns" in 1992 . Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, featuring Christian Bale as Batman, was also highly acclaimed for its more realistic and gritty take on the character. Ben Affleck took the role of the worlds greatest detective in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", "Suicide Squad", "Justice League", and "Zack Snyder's Justice League". Both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton will make their final appearance as Batman in "The Flash" releasing 2023. The most recent addition to the Batman film universe is Matt Reeves' "The Batman" released in 2022 starring Robert Pattinson as a younger, more inexperienced Batman.

Entry #3 Slanted Reporting Quest

 

According to the website AllSides in the section of Left AllSides Media Bias Rating exhibit bias in ways that significantly support liberal, progressive, or left-wing ideas and/or policy goals. The political spectrum's most liberal media bias rating is called a Left bias. CNN can be categorized as "left-wing news." 

History of CNN

CNN was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner as a 24-hour cable news channel, the first 24-hour news channel at the time .A CNN official claimed in April 2016 that the network "is no longer a TV news network," but rather "a 24-hour global multiplatform network." In terms of online news and information distribution, CNN is a global leader. CNN depends largely on its global team of approximately 4,000 news professionals, which is staffed around-the-clock, seven days a week, at its world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and in locations all around the world. The CNN website offers the most recent multimedia technology, including live video streaming, audio packages, and searchable archives of news items and background data. All day long, the website receives continuous updates. Almost 100 million American homes have access to CNN. 

How is CNN "Left" ?

The website describes how CNN is a Left media bias rating as showing favor towards the following:

• Generous government services (food stamps, social security, Medicare, student-loans, unemployment benefits, healthcare, education, etc.)
• A rejection of social and economic inequality
• A belief in systemic oppression and a need for the government to step in and rectify the wrongs it has committed
• Federal laws to protect consumers and the environment
• Federal laws against discrimination
• Federal laws protecting equal rights
• Tax increases on the wealthy
• Government regulation of corporations
• Keeping abortion legal and accessible
• A belief that some groups of people suffer disproportionately greater amounts in society due to identity characteristics, including race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion
• Decreasing military spending and intervention
• A belief in individualism and the protection of personal freedoms
• A belief in generous immigration policies
• A belief that the role of government is not just to protect rights, but to provide for its people and end suffering
• A belief that government should prevent wealth from concentrating in the hands of a few
• A belief that all humans have a right to healthcare, housing, clean water, a living wage
• A belief that all people deserve help when they have fallen on hard times
• An embrace of empathy, compassion, and tolerance as guiding values
• A belief in the importance of multiculturalism and representation of diverse cultures and races in media, positions of political power, and corporations
• Concerns about hate speech
• A belief in “live and let live,” i.e, that the government should not intervene just because someone is acting in ways someone else does not approve of, provided they have harmed no one else
• A belief that corporations, if left unregulated, may do harm to workers, society and the environment in the pursuit of profit

Does CNN give Fake News?

The term "fake news" has now been used countless times by the media, politicians, commentators, and regular people. Whether the allegations are true or not, CNN in particular has been the target of false news allegations. CNN reported on June 22, 2017, that Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci has connections to the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which was the subject of a Senate investigation. He wasn't, and CNN later ran back the report. Three of the reporters who wrote it quit. Several such instances of CNN publishing fake news that fit this definition were found by Intercept (Left media bias).