South Sudan

Warfare in South Sudan is becoming a major problem.  Bor and parts of Unity state are continuously clashing.  There are preparations beginning in Ethiopia involving peace talks.  As of now, conditions for refugees are extremely poor and are becoming to be a very serious issue.  People do not have clean water and are becoming very sick.  About 75,000 people in Awerial refugee camp are experiencing the deterioration of their living conditions.  The bishop of Bor, Ruben Akurdit Ngong, fled the area because of the fighting.  He has described the area as a war zone that is strewn with dead bodies everywhere.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25573882

Five Organ Transplant

Adonis Ortiz, a three year old boy from Tampa, Florida was born with an extremely rare defect, causing some of his organs to form outside of his body.  After his family received a call from Jackson Memorial Hospital, Adonis and his family were rushed to Miami so the procedure could be preformed.  Doctors told the family there was only a 50/50 chance that the boy would survive.  Miraculously, the five organ transplant was a success.  The baby received a liver, pancreas, stomach, small, and large intestines.  He is still in Miami recovering from surgery, but is in stable condition.  

Stick it to the poor

Apparently, our governments is coming up with ideas to ruin the lives of millions of people across our country.  Congress will basically start kicking people out of their homes early next year.  The idea is, if you can't pay for your house without government assistance, you don't deserve to live in one.  All in all, about 3 million disabled senior citizens and families will be affected by this.  Our government is also making budget cuts for the SNAP benefits, which means people who lean on the help of the government for food stamps will be deprived of this necessity.
 http://news.yahoo.com/stick-poor-congressional-strategy-080500785.html 

Shark Attack in Maui

While fishing from his kayak, the unnamed victim was attacked by the shark.  He and his companion, also unnamed, were fishing for bait fish with artificial lures when the shark bit the foot of the man as he dangled it in the water.  After falling into the water, the shark came up and bit again on the thigh of the same leg.  Said companion then tried to stem the severe bleeding by tying a tourniquet to the man's leg.  A rescue boat was called quickly and arrived within a few minutes.  Once back to shore, the victim was rushed to a hospital, but it is believed that he died on the rescue boat on the way to shore.  This is the 13th shark attack in Hawaii this year, and the 8th in Maui alone.
 http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/02/us/hawaii-fatal-shark-attack/

Decked out Wheelchair

A 9 year old boy from Cleveland, Ohio, Stephen Gibson, was the proud owner of a completely personalized neon green wheelchair.  Fully equipped with light-up wheels, Gibson's wheelchair was his pride and joy.  On Sunday, Stephen and his family realized their garage had been broken into and the chair had been stolen.  Stephen, who suffers from cerebral palsy and scoliosis was described to be "ecstatic" when his wheelchair was returned to a local police department, despite being slightly broken.  A local medical equipment supplier, Ivacare, has offered to replace Stephen's old chair with two brand new ones! Another neon green chair with light-up wheels, and the second is a sporty chair so Stephen can use it to play basketball.

 http://news.yahoo.com/stolen-custom-neon-green-wheelchair-returned-ohio-boy-232738818.html

Opium sky rockets in Afghanistan

After a record opium harvest in May, many farmers are continuing to plant and harvest poppies.  Khan Bacha believes that poppies are the only reasonable crops he will be able to sell in order to properly provide for his family and pay his bills.  "People are poor, families are big. Wheat is no good," Bacha said. "The only thing that is good is poppies. They are gold."  When last harvested in May, Afghanistan produced 6,000 tons of opium, which is 49 percent more than the combination of all other countries in the world.  

Legalization on the Rise?

There is talk about a vast majority of states adopting the idea of the legalizing of marijuana.  States such as Colorado and Washington have already voted for the recreational use of the drug, for adults 21 and older.  Other states such as Michigan and Maine, have begun talk about legalizing marijuana within certain city limits.  Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper said in a statement, "We are grateful voters approved funding that will allow for a strong regulatory environment, just like liquor is regulated. We will do everything in our power to make sure kids don't smoke pot and that we don't have people driving who are high. This ballot measure gives Colorado the ability to regulate marijuana properly."  

http://news.yahoo.com/legalize-marijuana-us-135155352.html