SAMANTHA PANGRAZIO
STAFF WRITER
Texas concealed-carry gun law causes controversy
A Texas gun law taking effect in August is already causing controversy between the government and public college campuses. The law authorizes those with permits “to carry a concealed handgun while on the campus of a public, private, or independent institution of higher education,” according to Fox News. University of Texas-Austin president Gregory Fenves said he will comply with the law, but he claims the law has a loophole that will allow him to ban firearms in dormitories. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that a ban on guns in dorms would be a violation of the law.
For further reading: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/19/showdown-looms-in-texas-over-universitys-reading-campus-carry-law.html?intcmp=trending
Author Harper Lee passes away at 89 years old
Harper Lee, the beloved author of the American classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” died Feb. 19 at the age of 89, reported CNN. A statement from Harper Lee’s family said, “…Ms. Lee passed away in her sleep early this morning. Her passing was unexpected.” Lee published “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1960. It was an immediate best-seller with more than 30 million copies sold. The novel is a story about justice and race in a small Depression-era town in Alabama where Atticus Finch defends a black man who was accused of rape. It is a popular work of literature in schools across America and continues to sell millions each year.
For further reading: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/19/entertainment/harper-lee-obit-feat/index.html
Apple defies judge’s orders to unlock iPhone of San Bernardino shooter
California-based tech giant Apple was ordered last week by a judge to allow the U.S. government to obtain access to the locked iPhone of San Bernardino terrorist, Syed Farook. Apple has not complied with the judge’s orders because “it would have to create a new version of the iPhone operating system to circumvent key security features on Farook’s phone,” stated a CNN article. Federal authorities have asked Apple’s help by filing a request in federal court attempting to force Apple’s compliance with the judge’s order. There is much debate on both sides about what rights people have to privacy and whether the government can mandate a breach in that privacy.
For further reading: http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/18/us/san-bernardino-shooter-phone-apple-reaction/index.html