NEWS
Thursday, 09 March 2017 00:00
TEENS COULD BE BANNED FROM TEXTING!
Well, while driving that is. A new Arizona bill, SB 1080, that is currently making its way through the Legislature would ban teenagers from texting while driving for the first six months of their license. Arizona is currently one of four states that does not have a statewide law on texting while driving. Legislatures have been working on passing a bill for the state for the last ten years and many believe that this new ban will be the gateway for Arizona to have a stricter law for all drivers. Let us know how you feel about the new possible law in our What do you think? section.
Thursday, 02 March 2017 00:00
THANKS TO SEUSS
Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday! For us it is hard to imagine a time without the Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham but back in the 1950s children were taught to read using dull books called Dick and Jane. Thankfully, Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, changed all that when he was commissioned by a textbook publisher to write a children's book for the classroom that used 255 words a six year old could understand. Dr. Seuss took to the challenge and added his own whimsical flair to create the Cat in the Hat story we all know today. The whimsy of his work engaged readers, while the brilliance of his writing style taught them to read by rhyming familiar site words with unfamiliar phonetic ones. To date Dr. Seuss and his collection of works are still among the most celebrated and recognized in the world and are still teaching young readers. Thank you Dr. Seuss and happy birthday!
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. -Dr. Seuss
Thursday, 23 February 2017 00:00
FAKE NEWS
The term "Fake News" has gone rampant, from social media to television news casts; however, while the term has hit the spotlight, fake news is not a new concept. In fact fake news has been around for centuries, if not since we developed the written word. Over the years it may just have become harder to spot, especially on the internet. Today, there is so much information at the tips of our fingers, literally, that we easily trust what we see on the internet and the things our friends post, and that may be part of the problem. We take these posts and blogs at face value and often do not look any further than what is written. Luckily there is help! Learning How to Spot When News is Fake, is an article that gives you some easy tips to help you determine if you are reading "Fake News" or the real deal. Check it out!
Tuesday, 14 February 2017 16:10
VALENTINES, LOVE AND ARIZONA?
February 14th is commonly known for Valentine's Day, the celebration of love adorned with flowers, candy and hearts; however, it is also the day that Arizona became a state! On February 14, 1912 Arizona became the last of the continuous states to join the United States of America. In celebration of becoming a state The Arizona Republic has created a slideshow of 100 thing you might not know about Arizona. Check it out while eating those candy hearts!
Wednesday, 08 February 2017 00:00
SOJOURNER CENTER BATTLES TRAFFICKING
Sojourner Center, a domestic violence shelter in Arizona, is filing a lawsuit against a website known for adult advertising claiming that the site created victims of sex trafficking on their online marketplace and that they knowingly concealed the illegal activity to increase their profits. Sojourner Center stated that it has helped at least 15 women and children who were offered for sex on the site and details their accounts in the lawsuit. Click here for more information about the Sojourner Center lawsuit or here if you would like more information about sex trafficking.
Friday, 27 January 2017 00:00
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
President Trump signed an executive order today that banned citizens from seven countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, from temporarily entering the United States. An executive order is a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch of the government having the force of law. To read the executive order in its entirety go here.
Tuesday, 17 January 2017 00:00
INAUGURATION DAY
The nation officially has a new president this week. On January 20th, 2017 the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, was sworn in as president. Every four years a president is elected in November but they do not officially become President until Inauguration Day. This allows the president-elect to select their administrative staff, solidify their platform policy and make general preparations for taking office. In the past the Inauguration Day was not held until March but thanks to the 20th Amendment the date has been officially set as January 20th since 1933. See the text of the 20th Amendment here.
Thursday, 12 January 2017 00:00
WE THE PEOPLE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Arizona We the People State Competition was held on Friday, January 13th at Mesa Community College. The We the People program simulates congressional hearings where students testify as constitutional experts in front of panels of esteemed judges; often legislatures, judges and lawyers. Ten high school teams competed in the competition from all across the state but this year the title went to Hamilton High School. Hamilton will be traveling to Washington D.C. to compete in the 30th anniversary of the We the People National Finals against over 1,000 students from across the nation. Second place, who also has the ability to travel to D.C as a wildcard, went to Corona del Sol and third place went to Sunrise Mountain High School.
If you would like to get involved with the We the People Program talk to your teachers to see if you have a program at your school. Need more information about how to get a team started? Click here and fill out the contact us form.
Thursday, 05 January 2017 00:00
UBER TO THE RESCUE
Many teens think of Uber as an easy way to get from point A to point B without having to ask for a ride. But, for one teen it changed the course of her life. A 16 year old girl was rescued from her pimp when her Uber driver called the police after overhearing a suspicious conversation. Thanks to him one less person is suffering this fate. Many teens do not believe that this sort of thing can happen to them or people they know but with the advent of the internet it is even easier for young people to get into the same situation as this 16 year old girl. Learn to recognize the "Signs of Human Trafficking" here.
Tuesday, 13 December 2016 00:00
MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
Starting January 1, 2017 minimum wage will increase to $10.00 an hour. What does this mean? If you are not currently receiving at least $10 per hour you may be getting a raise. Congratulation you! However, there are a couple of exceptions so before you race off to speak with your boss read this article to see if it applies to you.
More...
Thursday, 22 December 2016 00:00
FIREWORKS
The New Year is quickly approaching and with it the local firework tents are popping up all across Arizona. The laws surrounding fireworks are particularly complicated because they are different from city to city and also by the types of fireworks that are permissible. To make things a little easier this season LawForKids has created My Streets section that has many of the local fireworks laws listed, just follow this link.
Tuesday, 20 December 2016 00:00
MOBILE BANKING ARE YOU SAFE?
This time of year people are spending more and now with the convenience of technology we can check on our phones to see how our bank balance is doing. But is it safe? It turns out the answer is a little more complicated than yes or no.Luckily, Safe & Secure Mobile Banking, has the answers for you in detail so you can protect yourself while still keeping your finances in check.
Monday, 12 December 2016 00:00
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
If you wanted to, do you think you could sing Adele’s “Hello” or Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” record it, make copies, sell it for money, and keep all the profits? Do you think you could open a restaurant, put a big Golden Arches out front, and call it “McDonald’s”? Do you think you could take apart a Samsung Galaxy S, figure out how works, open a factory, and sell your own smartphones?Do you know that by doing these things you’d be breaking the law? And, if so, do you know why? If not take a look at the new Intellectual Property section on LawforKids to learn more about the laws and ideas that make up intellectual property.
Friday, 09 December 2016 00:00
MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE GONE WRONG
The mannequin challenge like so many challenges before it has gone viral. Everyone is doing it! But this week the mannequin challenge resulted in the arrest of a couple of challengees who posted a video of fake gunfight. The video, which was posted and reposted thousands of times, ultimately found the way into the hands of the local sheriff's office who wondered if all the 19 weapons shown were possessed legally. After executing the warrant the police officers found more than just some illegal weapons and arrested Terry Brown and Kenneth Fennell White on charges ranging from being a felon in possession of a firearm to possession of drug paraphernalia. This particular incident happened in Alabama, but the same charges exist here in Arizona. So, the next time you think about participating in the mannequin challenge remember who can view that trending feed and check out the laws section to be sure you don't become the nightly news.
