Blog #4

In the Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzik wrote an article about the legislature contemplating pulling the plug on Medical Board. The board does its share that it needs to, but it has become a danger to the community. Many patients have died, doctors have continued to work after their malpractice has surfaced, and clinics have been open for years after dangerous conditions have been identified. The board is facing a crisis of its own, it is up for legislative re-authorization, the legislature is talking about taking out the current membership and their executive director. The board stands by while its program is falling to pieces, and the medical centers which they have opened are becoming nonexistent. People are dying in the hands of these doctors, and they are the ones who are suppose to keep the patients safe, this the board should already know but it came to them out of know where and seemed a bit odd. The medical board agreed to accept tougher disciplinary action, but never fulfilled that promise. The board executive, said that tougher disciplinary action was not needed unless a patient complained  about a doctor. The medical board has all the power it needs to start investigations on its own, it just chooses not to.

Blog #3

In the Los Angeles Times, Garrett Therolf wrote an article about problems in the foster care agency. Auditors found out that the workers at Teens Happy Homes, the private foster care agency was buying beer and cigarettes with the money given by the government for child care. They would also write checks to themselves worth thousands of dollars and keep no receipts. The county board of Supervisors tripled the value of the agency and continued its contract. Besides the agency using the money on everything except the children, they also repeatedly abused and neglected the children. Many people had opinions about this, some said that if this continues then Teens will be shut down, and serious actions will be taken. Philip Browning, director of the Department of Children and Family Services, said that he will figure out what is the issue and try to fix it immediately. Beautina Robinson, who is Teens chief executive also grew up in foster homes, and knows what living in that type of situation is like. Because Teens is a private group it is loosely monitored, and is audited once a decade. In 2003, there was a sewage problem which destroyed most of the financial records of the agency, and the amount of records that was found showed a sense of chaos. There was $46,000 worth of beer and cigarettes bought from the government money for child care, and the company bookkeeper, wrote $13,000 in checks to herself. The auditors told county officials, to consider contracting with this agency again, but the agency retained its contract, and the auditor never went to the agency for further examination.

Blog #2

In the Los Angeles Times, Ken Dilanian and Brian Bennett wrote an article about the suspects confessing that they were the only two involved in the bombings of Boston. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ,19 one of the surviving suspects of the bombings of the Boston Marathon, told FBI officials that he and his brother had no help from other terrorist groups. Federal agents asked many questions to the suspect, trying to figure out the reasons behind the bombings, and shortly after they read him his charges and Miranda rights. He now remains in the Boston hospital. Officials concluded that the older brother,  Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26 who died earlier that week from a shootout with the police, had not met with Islamist militants on his six month trip to Russia. Experts say that the two brothers had been working alone, were self-radicalized, and had gathered bomb recipes from several websites. Terrorism expert Brian Jenkins, says that the brothers fit a description or pattern of alienated young men who embraced Islamic extremism on the internet. However, investigators continue to look into Tamerlan's trip to Russia, where he met with a militant whom the Russians are tracking. The FBI had interviewed Tamerlan in 2011, because of the Russians request, however they did not find any reason to continue the investigation. FBI was not aware of Tamerlans travel, because of his misspelled name on the flight information. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, on Tuesday told a Senate panel, that the US Customs and Border Protection, was alerted when Tamerlan boarded a flight to Russia. And by the time he returned from Russia all investigations was closed.

Blog #1

In the Los Angeles Times, Michael A. Memoli has written an article about Vice President Joe Biden, saying a few words about the suspects and the victims. He begins by stating that the terrorists have seen over and over again that the American people are not afraid and are heroic, especially the ones in Boston. At the memorial service on Wednesday for the police officer who was killed because of the attack Sean Collier, Biden spoke on behalf of the heroic police officer, and said that the two terrorists Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev  were cowards. He makes it clear to all listening that the American people are not intimidated and that we will not bend for anyone. The memorial service had thousands of people, police officers, there were speeches, silence at times when needed, bagpipes and music from Boston native James Taylor, and a flyover by police helicopters. Rob Rogers, Sean Colliers' brother said that he loved law enforcement, and would have loved to have seen the arrests of the criminals. "He was born to be a police officer, and he lived out his dreams," Rogers said(LA Times). John DiFava, said that he felt betrayed by the society they try so hard to protect. However he was honored to have such an amazing officer working with him, one whose goal was to prevent issues from becoming problems. MIT's president  L. Rafael Reif, said that many students wrote notes for Colliers memorial service, some about him, and one in particular caught his eye, and it said that out of uniform it was as if Sean Collier was a student, because he blended in so well with the geeky style of the students. "He truly was one of us," Reif said(LA Times).