One thing that is in the news this week is the possibility that hurricane earl will hit the eastern seaboard and devastate the coast. Governors in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland are preparing for the worst and have ordered a state of emergency. Many actions are being taken to avoid loss of life and property.

Citizens are being advised to stock up on food and medicine. Disaster plans are in the works and advisories are expected. The only question now is whether the hurricane will actually hit the coast or stay out in the ocean. I hope it slides by us!

The people of Pakistan are struggling to overcome the effects of the massive flooding they have received over the last couple of weeks. Authorities have been hard-pressed to get relief to the outlying districts that need the most help. The floods have been estimated to have taken over 1,100 lives already. The death toll is still rising.

The United States is offering help in the form of money and assistance. The final toll of the disaster is not likely to be known anytime soon. Troops have been deployed to help distribute the food and water that is desperately needed. The threat of disease is now a concern as the rescue effort goes on. I hope these people will be able to recover from this dire disaster.

The spilling oil from the Deepwater Horizon is still spewing out of the pipe even though it has been capped. While the effort to cap the pipe is finally somewhat successful as some of the oil is being captured, there is still a long way to go. BP crews are working to capture more and more oil as time goes by. The problem is that the environment is being overwhelmed by the oil slicks.

Animals, plants, and humans are feeling the effects of the oil and the outlook is not good. Experts say it could many years for the damage to go away despite the massive cleanup that is planned. BP continues to claim that it will pay for the damages and set things to right. I sure hope they keep their promise!

One article I read recently was all about how some gangs are running criminal enterprises from behind bars. Many gang leaders are locked up but are still able to give directions to their fellow gang members who are still on the outside. This was somewhat normal but now the anti has been raised as alliances with Mexican Drug Cartels have been discovered.

There have been examples of inmates using the language of Nahuatl (The ancient Aztec Language) to communicate with others in order to fool the censors. Many inmates already had ties to fellow Mexicans and so the relationship seems a natural step forward. Authorities fear that the problem will only worsen as time goes by due to budget concerns. I think it’s a shame that something more can’t be done!

It is always good to hear news about a hero. One such man is David Benke. He is a math teacher at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colorado. This is his story. Near the end of the school day, a man started shooting a rifle at students in the parking lot. Amid all the confusion, Benke made a decision. He took action and ran toward the shooter and tackled him, he then held him there until police arrived.

The shooter was a 32 year old man named Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood. He is currently in jail with one million dollar bail set by a judge. He has a history of criminal activity and faces attempted first degree murder charges. I’m glad that Mr. Benke was able to stop this man before further damage was done.