Everyday billion of people suffer with diabetes. Whether if be type one or type two, people every where are suffering from diabetes. In the state of Nebraska there are a total of 174,000 people who are diagnosed with diabetes and every year 8,000 more are diagnosed. (factual)

In order for people with diabetes to maintain a healthy lifestyle with this disease they need their proper dose of insulin. (factual) Insulin is a medicine that helps regulate blood sugars.(factual) If the insulin levels are too high or low it can cause a person’s blood sugars to become too low or high and cause symptoms and even health risks. (causal)

One main issue with insulin is the price per bottle. USA today asked the top 3 insulin brands their cost and they ranged anywhere from $200-$400, but does not say if that’s with or without insurance. The rise of insulin prices across the nation have cause diabetics to either ration, skip, or refuse to start taking the medicine to begin with. (causal) People who have started using insulin and then quit can eventually suffer from severe health problems. (causal)

People who are taking less doses or are cutting out insulin all together who need it are potentially putting their body through severe health issues. Not taking insulin can cause a diabetic to experience complications like heart disease, stroke, amputation, kidney disease, blindness, and in extreme cases death. (causal) Some users are even opting to an older version of insulin for cheaper, but it’s not as effective.

One way states are working towards combatting these high insulin prices is by putting a copay cap on insulin. So far, there are eight states that are considering the Insulin cap bill in 2020. (factual) In Nebraska, Senator Bolz proposed bill that would cap insulin prices at $100 in Nebraska. (factual) The problem with the bill and why many aren’t too excited about it is because the bill is only applied to people with insurance having to pay a copay for their insulin. People will no insurance are still paying the full price for insulin and aren’t including the $100 copay cap if the bill goes through. (value)

Insulin is a vital medicine diabetics need to survive. Passing bills to have a copay cap for insulin at $100, won’t be enough until insulin is affordable for all. (policy claim) Users with and without insurance shouldn’t have to worry about if they can afford their next bottle of insulin or worry about rationing it, they should only worry about getting their proper dosage at a reasonable price.

One of my favorite things to have come around recently was Uber and Lyft rides. It’s so convenient when traveling to bigger cities, countries, and even just to the bars to avoid the dangerous drinking and driving.

There’s always the fear though of getting into a car with a stranger. The fear of being kidnapped, it’s not actually your Uber driver, but the car matched the description, or in some recent cases the fear of being sex-trafficked. Riders should always be cautious when taking these services and so should the drivers. Drivers are also at a high risk for violence during their shifts picking up strangers.

There are some Uber and Lyft drivers that have started carrying some sort of weapon to help them if they are ever attacked during a ride. We may be scared to get into cars with strangers who we hope will take us to our destination safely, but they’re also scared to have strangers get in their own car. You never know what kind of person is going to show up in your backseat. It could be some drunk friends needing a ride home from the bar, it could be someone needing a ride to the airport, or it could even be someone who’s going to try and rob you. You just never know.

Sexual assault is the most commonly reported for Uber. Anywhere from physical aggression to unwanted kissing and touching was reported to have happened to 42% of Uber drivers and not the passengers. There have been grand-theft auto cases, robbery cases, and even a murder case of a driver who got caught in a gang-related crossfire.

Uber and Lyft companies have started installing an “emergency button” on the app for drivers that are worried. This app can track license plates, location, and car model and sends it to a 911 dispatcher. At least Uber and Lyft are trying to take precautions to protect both their users and drivers.

Some drivers have said to install security camera or a window divider to help stop crime, but some people will push past those barriers to commit a crime. Uber and Lyft rides are known to be safer and cheaper than taxi rides, but it never hurts to be a little prepared for the worst to happen when picking up strangers to take them to their destinations.

I hope the best for all my past and future Uber and Lyft drivers. They’ve taken me to the airport, picked me up so I didn’t have to walk miles to my destination, and allowed me to have fun with my friends without worrying who was going to be driving home. It also saves on finding and paying for parking, so that’s a plus! They just want to get you safely from point A to B. They just want to feel safe. Anyways, be nice to your Uber and Lyft drivers.

A new type of e-cigarette is taking over the lives of a younger generation. Ever since the JUUL vaping stick has been introduced more teens have been picking it up. People are ditching the cigarette and the bulky vape machine and picking up a device that’s easier to carry around and smoke indoors. The sleek design makes the JUUL look like a pen or a USB drive, which allows users to hide their constant puffs from the nicotine stick. Creators of the JUUL stick purposely designed it to look unlike an actual cigarette because it makes users not associate the product with the negative stigmas tied to cigarettes.

Teens across the nation are getting their hands on these JUUL devices and it is turning vaping into an epidemic. These teens that are exposing themselves to these toxins, even if not the same as a regular cigarette, are exposing themselves to various health risks. Dangers of Vaping states that JUUL pods contain 5% nicotine and is equivalent to one package of cigarettes. Most teens are smoking at least a pod a day. Most users claim that using a JUUL is a safer alternative, but still contains an addictive substance and can often lead users to pick up smoking cigarettes.

The reason these JUULs are such a big product now, besides the small design, is the flavored pods that can be purchased. Flavors of JUUL pods that are being banned are fruit, dessert, and mint flavored pods. JUUL labs have already stopped selling their flavored pods and were not affected by the ban put in place on February 6. Teens were buying these flavors to get their buzz, while making it feel like they weren’t inhaling nicotine. Menthol and tobacco flavors are still going to be sold in stores. This ban is a step in the right direction, but as most have already pointed out, teens will find a way to continue to get their fruit flavored nicotine pods.

These products were first introduced to help adult smokers quit or at least cutback on smoking. More and more teens are picking up this bad habit to help them relax throughout the day. A study done by the CDC says that in 2019, there are 27% of high school students and 10% of middle school students who have said to have used an e-cigarette. For high school students that was a 1.6% increase from when the study was done in 2011. It doesn’t seem like a big number, but that’s another 1.6% that is exposing their body to harmful chemicals being released when they use an e-cigarette.

These teens are inhaling big doses of nicotine while their bodies are still developing and are more than likely to risk serious health problems. JUULing: Cigarettes for the next generation wants e-cigarette users to understand what they will put their body through by using a product with nicotine in it. Nicotine can affect the users eyesight by impairing the pigment in their eyes that is needed to see, it can increase the risk of infertility, it can cause the body to develop metabolites which increases cell division and can cause tumor and cancer development. These JUULs and other e-cigarettes are still a new invention and potentially putting long term effects on a person’s body that are unknown.

Another law that is being put into place across the United States is raising the tobacco age to 21. A total of 18 states have already implemented the age being raised to 21 and a total of 530 cities and counties have followed since. Without proper enforcement these underage kids are going to get their hands on nicotine products. Whether it be clerks failing to check IDs or people buying for underage persons in order to make some quick cash off of them, these kids are going to get nicotine products one way or another.

An old way to enforce the proper way to sell to people was to have undercover stings at places who sold tobacco and alcohol, but weren’t very effective. One way to enforce proper identification and sales of these products would be to give penalties to places who sold to underage persons. Eventually these penalties would lead to temporarily removing the license to sell and hopefully this will encourage owners and clerks to simply check a person’s ID or don’t sell to them if they refuse to show one.

It needs to be known to all the potential dangers of using these nicotine products, especially in the youth. Policies like enforcing a strict age on selling these products and banning products from being sold might help slow down the JUULing epidemic that the country is facing.

A new type of e-cigarette is taking over the lives of a younger generation. Ever since the Juul vaping stick has been introduced more teens have been picking it up. The sleek design makes the JUUL look like a pen or a USB drive, which allows users to hide their constant puffs from the nicotine stick. Creators of the JUUL stick purposely didn’t design it to look like an actual cigarette because it makes users believe they are doing better by not smoking an actual cigarette or reminding them of one.

People who are using these JUULs and other forms of vapes are going to become addicted because of the nicotine that is in these vapes. (definitional) JUULing isn’t an alternative to help people quit smoking, often times it encourages it. Most teenagers and even middle schoolers are vaping and because of this the legal age for purchasing tobacco should be raised to 21 across all states. (policy claim)

An article that talks about teens JUULing at school and what it means, warns that these e-cigarettes may contain less toxins than a regular cigarette would, but could still expose users to cancer-causing chemicals. Since the JUUL hasn’t been around as long as normal cigarettes have, it’s not entirely clear the long term health effects it has on a person. It’s not going to be the same health effects as a typical cigarette, but there are going to be health risks from using the JUUL (causal). One JUUL pod is equal to one pack of cigarettes, which is easy for consumers to smoke.

Users of the JUUL or another type of e-cigarette are putting themselves at risk. Teens that are JUULing are risking their important brain development period because they want to smoke. (factual) Exposing the young body to such high amounts of nicotine can eventually lead into doing other and more dangerous drugs. (Causal)

The more the JUUL is used the more it triggers the dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is linked with pleasure so kids are thinking by using their JUUL they are increasing their pleasure levels and want to JUUL more. Now, JUULing at a young age can increase the chances of an early nicotine addiction. (Factual) Early nicotine addiction is being linked with numerous mental illnesses like mood disorders and impulse control. (Causal)

Raising the age requirement to buy tobacco from 18 to 21 won’t stop these underage users from finding ways to get their next JUUL pod. (Factual) Users have other sources like fake I.D.s and people who are willing to buy the products for them. Yes, this is and always will be a constant battle, but there may come a time when everyone decides they don’t want to support giving these teens a nicotine addiction.

In order to stop sales to these teens, retail sellers need to be more strict when people are purchasing tobacco products. Retailers need to be checking I.D.s with everyone to ensure no underage person is being sold tobacco. If we don’t hold these sellers accountable, they will never change their ways and continue to sell these addictive products to minors. (factual)

The more the users take a hit from their JUUL the more the disrupted the person’s body is going to feel. (Factual) Juuling: Cigarettes for the Next Generation has found that tobacco and nicotine are the leading cause to preventable cancer. Inhaling tobacco and nicotine will constantly cause the body to deteriorate over time and eventually causing many physical and health problems. (Causal)

Ending this JUULing and vaping epidemic can happen as long as retailers are willing to help control who they are selling to. Inhaling tobacco and nicotine is bad for everyone, but if we can prevent these teens who’s minds and bodies are still developing from starting these bad habits, then it’s one more step in the right direction to ensuring these kids have long and healthy lives. (Causal).

I don’t blame you if you’ve been to SeaWorld because I’ve been there too. Unfortunately, I was 10 and with my parents so I didn’t get much of a say of where I went or not. It’s cool in theory though. You get to see all these big fish do some tricks in the water and depending on where you sit you might be in the splash zone.

The problem with SeaWorld isn’t the price to get in, the parking, or having to walk around all day in wet clothes because your child INSISTED on sitting in the splash zone, it’s the fact that we’re forcing these big, magnificent creatures to be in such tiny tanks for the rest of their lives.

Many of these killer whales are held in captivity for their entire life and they aren’t allowed to be in the proper environment they need to be healthy and survive. An article I found talks about why killer whales don’t belong in captivity and it explains just that. These killer whales act out of boredom and being cooped up in a tiny environment.

There is also a really great documentary called Blackfish that talks about a famous whale named Tilikum. He was in captivity since he was a baby and had a tendency to pull people into the water out of boredom. Tilikum pulled in a SeaWorld trainer back in 2010 and accidentally drowned her. People were furious, but being in captivity for long periods of time will turn these killer whales aggressive. They don’t have any freedom or learn social skills when they only interact with a trainer who starves them and then bribes them with food to perform new tricks.

These whales aren’t getting enough exercise from swimming around in their small pools. Most of these whales kept in captivity are suffering from dorsal fin collapse, which could be caused by the fact they are only given a small space to swim around in, the fact they’re spending more time at the top of the water rather than swimming below the surface, and aren’t getting the same protein from the frozen fish they’re fed compared to the fresh fish they would hunt in the wild.

So, if you’re the type of person that has to see all of these amazing creatures before your life ends, the best way to do it is by seeing them in their natural habitat. It’s also an excuse to take a vacation to a place these creatures are usually found. Don’t give places like SeaWorld your money. They treat their animals like crap and only care about the profit they bring in and not the well-being of the animals.

For years now the state of our planet has only gotten worse. From massive forest fires to major oil spills. We’re not doing much to protect our environment and that needs to change. There are many environmental problems and an article labeled, Environmental Problems, names 15 current major problems we should be concerned about. The two problems that I find the most concerning, maybe because people think it’s a hoax, is climate change and global warming.

The main cause of climate change is a rise in the temperature in the atmosphere. The temperature of the air rises because of the burning of fossil fuels which releases harmful gases into the air. These harmful gases can cause glaciers to melt, dramatic changes in seasons, massive floods, and even can cause dramatic weather patterns.

People don’t believe that climate change is real because they can’t see these changes happening. The temperature of the planet is increasing, but since people can’t see the temperature rising significantly or see the impacts of it directly, they don’t believe climate change is real. CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, in case you were wondering.

One of the disasters that is happening because of climate change is a glacier the size of Florida in Antartica is found to have warm water underneath it causing the glacier to melt. The glacier melting is also causing the sea levels to rise. The article titled, Temperatures at a Florida-Size Glacier in Antarctica Alarm Scientists, should have everyone alarmed. The glacier was forecasted to completely collapse in a little over a century, but because of the temperature rising of the water the glacier could be collapsing sooner than expected.

Glaciers are disappearing, snow is melting faster, the oceans are heating up, sea levels are rising, and even ocean acidification are all caused because of the amount of carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere and of course absorbed into the ocean.

People are definitely seeing these signs and are still just avoiding the fact that these disasters are happening because of climate change. Getting rid of these big factories that are emitting these carbon dioxide fumes into the atmosphere will help slow these effects of climate change down.

If we want to keep the planet alive and thriving then we need to make big strides to ending carbon dioxide emissions into the air. We need to quit dumping garbage into the oceans. We need to stop using one time plastics and start using reusable items like garbage bags and Q-tips. As a whole we need to be aware of the damage we are doing to the environment and make changes. We need to be aware of the problems our planet is going through.

Hopefully, this post added some insight to people that we need to make some drastic changes. Always remember reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Years ago a new tobacco product was introduced that made those big, bulky vapes a thing of the past. Teens everywhere are picking up the new e-cigarette called the Juul. Basically it looks like a USB thumb drive that is easy to hide and hold. In the article, Op-Ed: Let’s call this youth vaping crisis what it is: A Juuling epidemic, the spread of using e-cigarettes for high school students increased to almost 80% from 2017-2018.

Students are showing signs of agitation, high emotion, and are unable to sit through class periods without taking a hit or a puff of their Juul. Some people that I know that Juul will secretly take a puff and blow it inside their shirt or sweater so professors and employers don’t see the smoke it produces.

These tobacco companies are creating an epidemic among the younger generations. These e-cigarettes are easily accessible at almost any smoke shop and gas station across the nation. And these Juuling companies are tricking the users into thinking that using e-cigarettes are better than smoking actual cigarettes. Users think just because they can have different flavors for the e-cigarettes and they aren’t lighting up an actual cigarette then it’s safer for them.

One step lawmakers have been taking is raising the legal age to purchase and use tobacco to 21 from the age of 18. So far, the tobacco purchase age is only raised across 19 states entirely. According to STATE BY STATE, there are over 540 cities and counties across 31 different that are also implementing the new tobacco law. Nebraska cities aren’t required yet to enforce the new tobacco law, but some cities and certain businesses across Nebraska are. Hawaii was the very first state back in 2015 that implemented the law to raise tobacco selling age to 21.

A few smoke shops in Kearney aren’t selling tobacco to persons under the age of 21. Store clerks are simply turning these underage people away while also not informing them which stores are selling to persons above the age of 18.

This is something that I like hearing. Not all stores are required, but some still decided to raise their age limits. Why help these teens get even more addicted to something so toxic to them? Why tell them where they can get these addictive e-cigarettes and who will actually sell it to them? I understand that we can’t raise the age to 21 across the whole United States yet because that takes time, but it’s nice seeing these small steps in the right direction.

One think I don’t understand is how these teens are wasting so much money just to get a quick little buzz. I had a roommate who had a Juul and she promised to quit a handful of times. Every time she declared she was done she would throw the stick in the garbage and put out in the trash bin. Not even a week later she’d be back puffing on another mint flavored Juul pod. On the Juul website, each stick is $14.99 unless you get the limited edition aqua or onyx color. A pack of four Juulpods are $15.99 and I’ve seen people with all different kinds of flavors and colors of Juulpods and sticks. People are wasting so much money on something they’re so addicted to. In my opinion, I’d rather spend my money on a vacation or a nice evening out.

Last semester I studied abroad in Ireland, (I know those study abroad kids just won’t stop) and traveled to a few countries while I was there. One country that I’ve been to before, but wanted to experience again when I was older was France.

In France we saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and even Disneyland. One of the most breathtaking sites was the Notre Dame Cathedral. The outside was filled with intricate architecture all around and the inside was covered in candles and stain glass art. Walking through the inside there’s church pews, lighted candles for people’s prayers, hundreds of people looking and admiring the inside of the church. So much to see and take it, but you want to give others a chance to see the cathedral as well.

Just a few short weeks after we visited the cathedral there was a terrible fire that ruined the tall spire on the building. The city has been flooded with protests and this fire didn’t help the city’s spirit.

There were multiple platforms in which people were collecting money to help restore this beautiful landmark. And between my friend’s and I there were different feelings on the matter. Some were upset that there was so much money raised in a short amount of time for a church, while others were excited that the church could be restored. I get both sides. I get wanting to restore such a beautiful place, but also why aren’t we able to raise $1 billion dollars to help stop climate change or help find shelter for the homeless like we did to rebuild the cathedral?

I’m just shocked that I was able to see something so beautiful and so soon after it was in flames. I’m glad I was able to see it in all its glory since now there’s also talk that it won’t be restored to it’s original state.

Anyways, if you ever get the chance to go to France stop the at the Notre Dame Cathedral. You won’t regret it! P.S. the photo on the main part of my blog is of the cathedral!!

Here is a link to the editorial I analyzed: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-01-19/ceqa-exemption-affordable-housing

Growing up in a small town in Nebraska, I didn’t see many homeless people or people struggling with housing. I came from a town that helps each other when we’re struggling. We offer work when we can or work with people till they can get payments for housing.  When visiting bigger cities like Seattle it’s completely different from my small hometown. I see the little colonies made of tents and tarps and people on every corner asking for spare change. There are people on every corner begging for money or some kind of help. It’s a strange sight to see coming from a small town.

Bigger cities like Los Angeles are also covered in tent cities filled with people that have no permanent housing, but with a new bill some areas are changing. An editorial in the Los Angeles Times warns that the state of California is going to make it harder to block homeless and affordable housing for its citizens, which is a step in the right direction.

Before I analyze this editorial and go into my comments on it, I want to give some background behind it. This will make it easier for myself and hopefully others to understand. So far, just from the title I can tell I can get behind this idea. Why make it harder for people to find shelter when they’re already struggling? We should be helping people who are struggling because that’s what I would want from others if the roles were reversed.

A new bill, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), that was signed a few months ago by Governor Gavin Newsom is going to make building homeless housing faster and easier in the city of Los Angeles. Eventually, they want to expand the bill to the state of California. The bill will also block any lawsuits from people trying to block these homeless shelters being built in their neighborhoods. The city wanted to put a 154-bed shelter on an abandoned bus yard and someone tried filing a lawsuit against it. A judge threw it out. Many shelters have been requesting the same protection to help give these people a warm place to stay.

Assemblyman Miguel Santiago is proposing the Assembly Bill 1907 that would protect these shelters and housing projects that are for low-income renters. A bill like this would assure low-income and once homeless dwellers that they will continue to have a warm house to live in. The bill if passed would be terminated in 2029

A bill like CEQA would take some of the worry off of the residents living in the shelters and low-income housing so they can focus on getting a better paying, stable job that will help them to focus on providing for themselves and their family. Sometimes I don’t understand why some states and cities make it so hard for homeless people to have shelter. I don’t understand why some places try to make it hard for any person to be successful. Sometimes it’s just hard enough focusing on paying bills, living a healthy lifestyle, and having enough time to enjoy yourself. I feel like I‘m struggling with working two jobs, being a full-time student, and paying bills.

The article states that in a count done in 2019 for the state of California had over 150,000 homeless people who are unsheltered. This was a 16% increase from the year before. There’s so many people sleeping in cars and on sidewalks, and states need to realize this is a serious problem. We’re in a crisis and we need to do something to fix it or the situation is only going to get worse.

There is a growing number of homeless residents living in the state of California. If the state wants to slow that number down, then the state needs to make an effort to expand on the number of low-priced housing units. In the state of California one in three households are spending more than half of their income on rent. This leaves most families so close to losing their homes. Sometimes I fear if my rent every went up or if I decided to live on my own and not with roommates I wouldn’t be able to afford my rent. It also scares me since I want to move to Washington how it will affect me. Will I be able to afford a small home with a minimum wage job? Will I have to work more than full time and possibly have more than one job? I even worry about this kind of stuff like money and housing while living in Kearney where the rent isn’t that high.

If California built more housing that was reserved for low-income families then it would help get homeless people off the streets and could help prevent some of these low-income residents from ending up homeless. Most low-income families struggle to keep up on payments but giving them the option of this housing has potential to help these residents from becoming homeless. The state has already put up billions of dollars that is going towards the development of the affordable housing it’s just a matter of keeping these projects away from bureaucracy.

CEQA was formed over 40 years ago and is used as a way to inform, protect, and empower the public by forcing these building developers to expose the environmental effects and potential harm the projects might cause. This bill is important to keep residents informed of what people of power are trying to do in the area. Bills like CEQA help keep these higher up people dependable. It has also been vital to making numerous projects better since the start of CEQA.

Residents of California don’t have to worry about CEQA every being a problem, just about how the laws are being used or often times, abused. It often seems that people with power are known to abuse their power to get what they want, even if it means taking away potential housing opportunities for some people. Some people are known to slow down projects with costly lawsuits that aren’t doing anything to manage environmental protection.

CEQA projects still have to meet state standard codes, local ordinances, and building standings. Just because it’s a program that can build houses fast, doesn’t mean they can do it without proper regulations. Builders still have to check for environmental issues like soil contamination and earthquake faults that are going to potentially damage the future homes being built there. Since there are some CEQA exemptions that make it so they don’t have to go through all the steps to build housing, it makes it a little easier and faster to get people off of the streets and into an actual home. This is ideally the main goal, get as many people off the streets and into safe housing as quickly as possible.

Overall, I think this bill is going to be successful. Not just for the process to building these low-income housing faster, but for providing a secure place for these people to live. It will take off some of the stress from these low-income and no income families and give them a much-needed break. This bill will benefit some of the residents who need help the most.

1. https://twitter.com/EcoFriendlyMa An account run by a mother who gives eco-friendly tips and tricks and shows how she lives eco-friendly. She also has many DIY (do it yourself) crafts that are low cost and also eco-friendly.
2. https://twitter.com/obscuracrimepod A crime podcast twitter account that posts some of their podcasts and also links to articles of big crimes that happened. One article was mentioning Ted Bundy’s famous VW Beetle.
3. https://twitter.com/AP_Magazine An account giving tips and tricks into new photography techniques. There are links to other discussions and tutorials on how to take different kinds of photographs.
4. https://twitter.com/digitalps This is another photography account that gives more tips for beginners in the photography world. There are links to articles for almost every post.
5. https://twitter.com/diyphotography A third photography page I follow that again gives tips and tricks for photographers. It has insights to lenses and equipment for cameras.
6. https://twitter.com/BarackObama I enjoy following Barack Obama because even though he isn’t the president anymore he still is actively doing good for our country and many others. He’s spreading awareness for many topics that might not be getting all the attention it needs like the bushfires in Australia.
7. https://twitter.com/TheOceanCleanup An account dedicating to the ocean clean up. They have job openings and videos about their machines they use to clean up the ocean.
8. https://twitter.com/PeaceCorps This account shares stories of people who have worked for the Peace Corps and their experiences there. (Fun little fact I considered joining the Peace Corps after graduation.)
9. https://twitter.com/DomVisuals A photographer based in Omaha, NE. He has breathtaking photos and is kind of just an inspiration for me.
10. https://twitter.com/falloutboy one of my favorite bands that I follow on Twitter. They give song and tour updates along with promoting other people they enjoy in the music industry.