San Mateo County Gun Buyback

This month, San Mateo County will host another Gun Buyback which has been seen in other counties in the Bay Area. In 2018, the county had held two of these events that were very successful. They also had evaluated responses from previous surveys to help make this year much more efficient. The events have been hosted by Citizens for a San Mateo County Gun Buyback, who founded the event last year along with the San Mateo County Sheriff, the Redwood City Police and the Belmont Police Chief. Weapons are bought from residents and local citizens and paid for their guns depending on the type. Handguns, shotguns, and rifles will go for $100 and assault rifles for $200 cash. It will be held in San Carlos, December 14th, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Chick-fil-A in the Peninsula

After the first try, Chick-fil-A was shot down in Redwood city after trying to open the franchise in the Peninsula after San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa opposed the location of the chain here because of the social issues the company's president and chief operating officer, Dan Cathy's stance against the LGBQT community. Because of the recent controversy it has created over the years for the company, they took the initiative to donate to other organizations working with hunger, homelessness and education. The nearest Chick-fil-A is in Sunnyvale, which many people still make the trip to enjoy the chain restraraunts food and service. The last one that was supposed to open was set to open in August. This past October, the permit was granted to open a new location at 546 Whipple Ave.

The Faroe Islands

The chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean located between Iceland and Norway will be "closed" due to over-tourism. The island has a population of 50,000 people and gets 110, 000 tourist annually a year. This spring access will be limited and the island will be "Closed for Maintenance." It isn't the issue of too many tourism or the same experience places like Rome or other destinations go through but more aimed to develop projects to protect the island's nature. Maintenance projects will work to preserve and create infrastructure to better prepare for the islands’ tourism influx, like building paths and installing signs. In a Washington Post article, its discusses the experience it offers being like no other tourist destinations where there is a McDonalds or Starbucks or a Louie Vuton store which the island prefers. The Faroe Islands will host 100 volunteer positions for the second Closed for Maintenance weekend. The first implementation brought in volunteers from 25 countries with an age range of 18 to 75 years old.

Radiation

The Los Angeles Times published an article this past summer in July covering the discovery of radiation and radioactivity in parts of the Marshall Islands that was found in a study done by Columbia University. Researchers found that the soil on four isles of the Marshall Islands contains concentrations of nuclear isotopes that exceed those found near nuclear power plants, Chernobyl and Fukushima. The islands where these toxins have been found are uninhabited. Researches have also found high and variety of contamination in the fruit as well as in the underwater sediment. The contamination due to the nuclear testing has even been shown in the coconut crabs, big clams, and coconuts.

Coffin Leaking In the Pacific

During the Cold War, the Pacific suffered from nuclear testing done by the United States and France from 1946 to 1958. In the Marshall Islands, the Bikini and Enewetak atolls were ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons when they were under U.S. Administration. A hydrogen bomb "Bravo" in 1954 was apart of these 67 which is the most powerful ever donated by the United States, 1,000 bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima (imagine the damage done considering the immediate and later consequences in Japan). The issue of climate change and global warming, especially Sea Level Rise has been the most significant issue at hand as of now, however, the Pacific Islanders still need help from the effects of the nuclear testing and the fallout. Dramatic consequences are in relation to health and the poisoning of waters in some areas, who UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres shares. The Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine shares her concern about the risks of radioactive materials that are hidden under a concrete dome in the areas used for testing. Constructed in the 1970s on Runit Island, used as a dumping ground for waste from the nuclear testing, 18 inches thick, cracks have developed in the concrete and is threatened to break with possibilities if hit by a cyclone. 

NCAA Athletes to Bank Off Name

Over the years there has been the constant argument whether or not college athletes should be paid or earn subsidies from sells of tickets or their last name on the back of jerseys. These college athletes have been restricted from any of the money profited by these universities considering these are kids going to school with athletic scholarships and could hardly afford anything. A recent article shares, "There is potentially a whole lot of money for college athletes who become household names, and subsequently brand names. California’s assembly recently amended and passed Senate Bill 206, also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act. Under it, 24,000 college athletes from 54 schools would no longer be barred from earning money from the use of their names, images, or likeness. The Senate is set to pass the amended version in the coming days, and then to Gov. Gavin Newsom to become law." The NCAA's position on the potential legislation worries the organization because it'd result in California would be the first state to allow college athletes to get paid for the use of their name and image. The bill has been sent to the Governor's desk to be signed. Twitter polls and media has indicated many people are in favor of this and believe its overdue. 

Tolls Go Cashless

A couple years ago in 2013 the Golden Gate Bridge decided to close the cash lanes and kick off a FasTrak only bridge in order to keep movement and flow of traffic steady. The influence of the Golden Gate Bridge had lead to the decision of seven California state-owned Bay Area Bridges, Carquinez, Benicia, Antioch, Richmond, Bay, San Mateo, and Dumbarton bridge in joining the FasTrak only movement. The CalTrans toll takers and the government agency say 200 of them will be affected when the toll lanes are eliminated. A $4 Million dollar contract for an all-electronic tolling system was given the green light by the metropolitan transportation commission. The commissioner Randy Rentschler, mentions,  "We have enough FasTrak customers where cash toll payers are kinda getting in everybody's way." Drivers must pay with FasTrak only and those who do not have FasTrak photos will be taken and sent a fine in the mail. This will apparently save time and money however, a civilian comments, "everythings being automated...the way you save money is by release of the people." A toll worker shrugs her shoulders when interviewed by a reporter when asked about how she felt on the issue. They will be starting with the Carquinez to test it out and eventually the Bay Bridge last.