1. Current Events By: Arlena De La Rosa

2. Infants in Afghanistan fed Opium "People use opium as drugs or medicine. If a child cries, they give him opium, if they can't sleep, they use opium, if an infant coughs, they give them opium."

3. Opium contd. January 24, 2011 / Balkh, Afghanistan Aziza, a resident of northern Afghanistan, feeds her 4 year old son opium as if it were a normal food for children to consume People there aren’t educated No real medical care in their area & medicine is expensive Cycle of addiction is passed on through generations Closest government- run drug rehabilitation center is a 4 hour drive away

4. Mom sent to jail for sending kids to better school “All I wanted to do was help my daughters escape our crime-ridden neighborhood”

5. School contd. January 26, 2011 / Ohio Kelly Williams-Bolar sent kids to an elementary school in a neighboring school district using her dad’s address 10 day sentence  school officials said she was cheating, getting a quality education for her daughters without paying the right taxes to fund it Private investigator followed and caught her and was ordered to pay $30,000 for tuition “They wanted to make an example of me”

6. Fake vet mutilates puppies Fake vet performed ear surgery on this puppy, which resulted in infection

7. Fake vet contd. January 26, 2011 / Monterey County $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man posing as a licensed veterinarian Latino man who went by the name of Damian Maldonado Performed surgeries in people’s backyards using scissors and fishing line If found, he will be charged with “practicing veterinary medicine without a license and various other violations for cruelty to animals.”

8. Making a Difference: Community Pet Rescue “Our new group will focus on a spay-neuter program and pet rescue. We’re going to keep animals from being euthanized or mistreated,” Annie Ellis said.

9. Making a Difference: Community Pet Rescue January 26, 2011 Friends of Fairmont Animal Shelter (FOFAS) closed in June due to budget cuts Volunteers start new community pet rescue group (CPR) with Annie Ellis, a longtime volunteer CPR received permission to use the old FOFAS building as their new shelter They work directly at the shelter, house extra animals, give shots, and do spay-neuter clinics

10. Quiz: #1 The closest drug rehab center is ___ hours away from Balkh. A. 1 B. 2 C. 4 D. 8

11. Answer C. 4

12. Quiz: #2 Why did Kelly Williams-Bolar lie about her address so her daughters could switch schools? A. She wanted them to go to a better school B. She was stealing money from their old school C. Her daughters were causing trouble at their old school D. The teachers at their current school were mean

13. Answer A. She wanted them to go to a better school

14. Quiz: #3 If taken into custody, Damian Maldonado will be charged for: A. Practicing veterinary medicine without a license B. Animal cruelty C. Fraud D. A & B

15. Answer D. A & B

16. Quiz: #4 What is the name of the new pet rescue group? A. Friends of Fairmont Animal Shelter B. Community Pet Rescue C. Dusty Paws D. Tri Valley Animal Rescue

17. Answer B. Community Pet Rescue

18. Political Cartoon

19. Sources http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/20/af ghan.opium.kids/index.html?npt=NP1 http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/mom- jailed-for-sending-kids-to-better-school-23973624 http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/01/26/fake- vet-sought-in-botched-puppy-surgeries-in- monterey-county/ The Castro Valley Forum http://www.politicalcartoons.com/Default.aspx