Stephen Ward's Journalism Coursework

ASUN’S BUDGET INFLATES WHILE UNIVERSITY DOWNSIZES

At a time when several courses and even entire programs are on the cutting board at the University of Nevada Reno, one aspect of the college remains unscathed; The Associated Students of the University of Nevada. In fact, the proposed fiscal year 2011 budget shows an allocated dollar amount of $1,892,700.01, almost a five percent increase from the previous years allocated dollars.

This comes as a surprise, considering that the University is undergoing initiatives looking to erase colleges and even discontinue satisfying some students’ majors. With this being the case, one would expect the proposed budget to compensate for this fact.

The fiscal year 2011 proposed budget not only doesn’t take the budget crisis into account, but rather seems to ignore it completely by having a higher dollar allocation amount than ever established at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Many of the members of ASUN feel that this number is misunderstood, and that it’s not much of a raise at all, except for minute assistance for various sections of the organization.

Looking over the proposed budget, the only real adjustment in base salary for ASUN workers is the Unity Commissioners, whose pay might double in the coming year from $500 to $1,000.

This raise was requested by a variety of ASUN Senators, one of the most strong advocators being Senator Mitch Bottoset.

Here is an excerpt from an interview I had with Senator Bottoset:

The raise in salary is something that is believed to be highly practical to Senator Bottoset.

“I landed with that number, because, if someone in a position is having to do double the work, they should be receiving double the pay,” Bottoset said.

When asked if double the work was a necessary result of the hurting economy, Bottoset was steadfast in disagreeing.

Some aspects of the proposed budget are meant to save money, with some entities within ASUN being consolidated and conformed to meet the requirements of the student body. Molly Fronapfel, ASUN Director of Traditions, considers her department’s raise necessary because of the workload the department has taken over.

“We took on the responsibility for Mackay week, Beat UNLV week, all athletic initiatives and blue crew,” Fronapfel said. “It makes sense that we’re being more heavily funded.”

Overall, the ASUN fiscal year 2011 budget seems to be reflecting the demands of an ever-evolving student body. With departments being absorbed and the revenue of summer school students being included, ASUN appears to be doing all it can to feed the appetite of its constituents.

Traffic Court Poses Little Room to Budge

Entrance to the City of Reno Municipal Court

By: Stephen Ward

At 8:30 am, a throng of hopeful citizens file into a court room and position themselves in one of the seven rows available, each facing the state seal, to defend themselves against speeding tickets and other traffic violations.

The people set to stand trial are shown their constitutional rights through a video, explained in detail by the drone talking head of the judge on the screen.

After the video and briefing on procedure by a police officer, each individual summoned pleads their case, rife with explanations and excuses for why they were speeding or acting wrongly at that time.

Some come prepared with license, registration, and an articulate story. Others have no information with them, not even the citation issued. In most cases, the prosecutor isn’t in attendance.

One citizen is in attendance to attempt to reduce the ticket he was issued with a guilty plea.

Dimitri Duke, 23, turned right at a right light about a month ago when a sign clearly posted not to. To him, the charge was unfair and too steep for the seemingly petty crime.

“The price is definitely unfair for the citation issued,” Duke said. “I don’t mind pleading guilty as long as the fine is reduced.”

The majority of those in attendance aren’t worried about the logistics of their crime, but more interested in doing whatever is necessary to pay the least amount possible for the crime they committed. This seems to be the apparent reason for why no prosecutor is in attendance; the defendants aren’t interested in proving themselves right, but rather reducing the fine with traffic school or community service.

And for those in attendance, the lengthy proceedings seems to be reason enough for the citation to be reduced, with a tedious meeting that takes hours of their times being at hand.

Overall, the average day at a Traffic Court in Reno isn’t about debating the blame and legality of a situation, but rather on lowering the price the individual has been summoned to pay. With the economic condition of the country, it is of no immediate surprise that this is the case.

Steadfast Integrity

By: Stephen Ward

It’s a warm, cloudless Monday afternoon in Reno, Nevada, which is quite the contrast to the state’s usual mid-February forecast of piercing cold temperatures and regular snowfall. The people occupying the world’s biggest little city seem to have forgotten the freezing days that plagued them a few days earlier. One man, however, is left with little room to overlook the harsh weather that recently came to pass.

His name is Officer Tom Mueller. Standing six-feet-tall, he is a 17-year veteran of the Reno Police Department, and has just gotten out of a physical therapy appointment after slipping on ice and injuring his neck.

Officer Mueller has spent nearly two decades working for the majority of the programs throughout the Reno Police Department. From crime to prevention to traffic patrol, Mueller has run the gamut and experienced nearly all aspects of what a police officer goes through. With his recent assignment to traffic enforcement, he sees nothing coming but what he has already come to expect; whatever comes.

At this point, protocol comes natural to him. When he is dispatched to an accident, he checks for hazards or injury. He calls for backup if necessary. He collects information and issues a citation if fault can be detected, and finally writes up all the required fieldwork and sends it off to his supervisor for authorization.  With this procedure occurring roughly two to five times a day, it starts to feel innate.

Mueller recollects his childhood, and having dreams of doing this. The typical good guy persona of the police officer always appealed to him, and at thirty-years-old he decided to shoot for his dream and become a police officer.

As far as goals are concerned, just getting through basic training is considered a prestigious accomplishment in his eyes. After all, a position in the police force was extremely sought after 17 years ago, much more so than what seems to be today.

“Just getting the job has always been considered an accomplishment by me,” Mueller says. “I don’t really recall anything throughout my career that stands as a brass ring, other than the opportunity to be an officer.”

This is a recurring theme throughout the interview with Officer Mueller, who talks about his current injury like it is all part of the job, adding that he was out six months earlier due to a knee injury, and that he plans on going back to work soon.

As for his future, the 47-year-old has no ambitions of slowing down or retiring.

“I’m at a point where I’m always seeking promotion,” he said. “I’ve been around a long time, but I still got a lot of time left.”

Although his career is filled with few highlights, it is the contribution that makes Officer Mueller an unsung hero. He goes to work everyday working toward the overall benefit of society, and keeps public service as a top priority. This is the basic essence of what being a police officer is about, and it’s an attribute he doesn’t gloat or solicit; it’s just a philosophy woven into his everyday mentality.

Traffic Enforcement Escapes Cuts; Staff Shortage Attributed

By: Stephen Ward

Reno Police Department's traffic division have reduced the number of officers sent out on patrol.

RENO — While Nevada’s economic downturn has crippled many of the Reno Police Department’s programs, the traffic division’s budget has remained virtually unscathed. Traffic Patrol received an approved budget of $6.2 million for the 2009/2010 fiscal year: a 0.2 percent increase from the previous year’s allowance, according to the Reno City Council Budget.

The truth is that traffic patrol has met its goals primarily because it is understaffed. Lieutenant Dave Evans of RPD’s traffic division said that 23 motorists were currently employed, which is two less than the department’s usual 25 officers on staff.

“When other departments have officers out on injury or going into retirement, we reposition our officers to account for them,” Lt. Evans said. “The reason our budget is level is because I’m understaffed, meaning less salaries.”

One Reno citizen feels the absence of traffic patrol presence immensely.

Nick Baker, a University of Nevada Reno student who works at the Summit shopping center in southern Reno, talked about his experience with the traffic enforcement’s staff shortage.

“There used to be a speed trap I passed everyday on my way to work on South Virginia and Damonte Ranch,” Baker said. “I used to slow down whenever I got to the intersection, usually seeing a bike cop somewhere on the street. I don’t think I’ve seen one there in months. I’m tempted to cross it off my radar.”

The reduction of traffic patrol officers on the streets differs from the common misconception that in rough economic times, the traffic division would have more officers on staff issuing more tickets to increase revenue for the program. Lt.. Evans emphasized that this isn’t the case, however.

“All of the money allocated from traffic citations is put into the Police Department’s general fund,” Lt. Evans said. “The money returned is a tiny portion of the department’s roughly $63 million budget. Our focus is on reducing injuries and fatalities by quickening response times for accidents, not issuing citations and pissing off citizens.”

This shift in policy is affirmed by the 2009 calendar years total of eight traffic fatalities, which is almost half the total fatalities that occurred in 2006 and 2007. Also, the 2009 calendar year’s approximately 10,000 issued speeding tickets is less than the number of speeding tickets issued in the last two years.

Although the traffic division appears to be staying afloat, it is still susceptible to vicious cuts and allowances to be recalled if needed.

“I’ve been having weekly meetings focusing on dealing with the current financial crisis,” Lt. Evans said. “Our budget has simply been a moving target the last few months.”

Overall, the future of the traffic program of the RPD appears stable, even with the ominous state of Nevada’s economy. At this point, the division can only share the common hope of all those in the state; that the economy’s turbulent condition will soon be over.

Modern-Day Wonder Years

Sheltered, confident, and pressured to succeed. These are a few of the characteristics of the Millennials, the generation born in the window of the years 1978-2000, noted by William Strauss and Neil Howe. Being a constituent of this specific segment of time, I look for parallels between the conclusions the research of Strauss and Howe have drawn and the qualities that assemble my demeanor. In short, the traits they outline in their book Millennials Rising: The Next Generation have an abundant degree of merit in regards to my personal life and the features I attribute with my personality.

The first trait that immediately applied to me was the sheltered aspect of the Millennial generation. Throughout my entire life, my parents have practically held my hand through everything. I don’t have stories of breaking bones or venturing into prohibited terrains, mainly because my youth was monitored vigilantly by my parents. It seems that restricting my freedom for the sake of maintaining their perception of safety was a justified means to an end. Along with the immediate examples of being withheld from certain physical activities, the choices that drastically shaped the person I am and my future endeavors are stained with my parent’s fingerprints. My decision to attend college in Reno came primarily from my father’s ambitions of me obtaining a degree in medicine, and my reluctance to adopt his desires only led to an argument where his wisdom through seniority overruled my dissents. Those are a few ways in which the sheltered aspect of the Millennial generation relates to my life.

Another characteristic that is predominant in my life is confidence. I feel a strong sense of entitlement to an extent that can be labeled as effrontery. I consider my college degree as the embodiment of all my potential jobs and possibilities, and expect nothing less than a stable job and healthy income upon my graduation. I also feel closely connected to my goals and aspirations, and refuse to diverge from them for any reason, regardless of the practicality.  My goals are what motivate me, thus giving them stern priority in my life. I also have a history of being headstrong and feeling that I am always right. This confidence was restrained dramatically once I started going to college, however. The workload and diverse sections of knowledge drug my perceptions of well roundedness to the ground, to a more realistic and reasonable idea of where I stood logically.

Yet another trait that pertains to my life is the pressure I feel to succeed, which ties in immensely to the previous characteristics discussed. My parents pressed their own sense of success upon me at an early age, advocating that an ample supply of money to my name and a stable life of conformity is what makes me a good or bad person. Those who experienced hardships and didn’t finish school were frowned upon by my parents, and I was always implored by them to strive for a life more scholarly. This emphasis on success in school is yet another trait imputed to the Millennial generation. In addition to the stress of achieving a predetermined view of success, I have maintained a full schedule since as early as I can remember. My life consists of a laborious set of duties and chores that have been habitually drilled into my daily regime, such as making my bed and putting everything away that I lay any trace of identifiable prints on. These chores always seemed awkward to me growing up, with my parents telling me to leave my mark on a world that I was directed to clean up as if it was never occupied. Besides these tedious duties, I keep a tight knit schedule of school and work, with my free time during the weekdays designated for studying or working out.

Although I found many similarities to the results found in Strauss and Howe’s book, I felt that I strayed from a plentiful amount of characteristics related to the Millennial generation. For instance, I don’t consider myself team-oriented whatsoever. I go about my life with my personal convictions as the primary focus, and am ruthlessly cut-throat in the business dimension of my life. If I try to make friends, it’s to create outlets that will lead to my own personal benefit. Although I wouldn’t throw someone under the bus to make myself look better, I don’t feel any sense of camaraderie with anyone in the work world. In addition, I prefer to work alone rather than in groups in classes. Another trait I feel doesn’t fit me is the closeness with my parents. Even though we get along, I no longer hold any devotion toward their desires for my life, and consistently argue with them when their opinions are expressed in a condescending manner.

Overall, I feel that the characteristics highlighted in Strauss and Howe’s book have a great deal of accuracy in accordance to my life. Despite the few exceptions, I would be comfortable saying that I agree with their depiction of the Millennial generation based on how the attributes relate to me.

Concurrent Life Experience

The only classmate I shared a concurrent life experience with was Josh Intlekofer, who worked at Albertson’s as a courtesy clerk when he was 16. We both view the job in the same fashion; a low paying duty that showed us the lower areas of the vocational food chain. The managers didn’t care for us and they frequently appeared to be on power trips. Tedious chores and inconvenient hours were also a part of the experience. Overall, it taught us to appreciate every job after that and to be humble in the other aspects of our life.

As for everyone else in the class, I was unable to find a connection regarding similar life experiences. No one traveled to the same places I did, and everyone seemed to be a lot more active in their high school life than I was. In addition, no one who played a musical instrument ever played a show or went to any similar concerts as me.

Josh Intlekofer

My interview with Josh was conducted in person in the front of the Ansari Business Building on campus. I learned that he is a social smoker and that he smoked casually in high school. He went to the state championship for wrestling his sophomore year of high school, but stopped because he got ran over by a car after he got his license that year. He looks up to his parents, except for his dad who he rarely talks to. The best weekend of his life was when he went to visit his brother at Notre Dame. The best concert he ever went to was the Warped Tour in Ventura, CA in 2006.

Lindsay Toste

My interview with Lindsay was also conducted in person in the front of the Ansari Business Building. Lindsay is 19 and was born in San Jose, CA. Her birthday is November 4. She came to Reno with her mom and graduated high school from Galena High School.  Before that, she lived in San Jose and went to an all-girls high school. She had a good childhood with two half-brothers. Her parents divorced when she was 15, which was hard for her. She has been playing basketball, soccer and softball since she was three. She was in a two-year-relationship with a boy that went to an all-boys-school in San Jose. Her most significant life experience was when she went to Europe her senior year of high school. Her first job was at a lan video game center.

Vanessa Browne

My interview with Vanessa was also conducted in person in the front of the Ansari Business Building. She is 20-years-old and was born in Houston, TX where she lived until she was 10. From there she moved to Reno. She wants to go to graduate school in California or Washington after graduating from UNR. It took her four tries to get her driver’s license, and then two days after finally getting it she flipped her car. She has traveled all over the world, including Ireland, Spain, London and Mexico. Her favorite bands are The Beatles, Smashing Pumpkins and Animal Collective. She loves to read graphic novels and casually smokes.

Devin Seidel

My interview with Devin was conducted in person in the RSJ reading room. He is 24-years-old and constantly strives to better himself. He considers an achievement to be the fact that he doesn’t let his family be complacent. He looks up to his older brother a lot, who is 28 and lives in New York. His most memorable childhood experience was when he was in the first or second grade and he rode a go-cart under a bus. He writes rhymes and loves rappers such as Big L and Biggie Smalls. He also likes to play football, but didn’t play in high school.

Lucas Pakelel

My interview with Lucas was also conducted in person in the RSJ reading room. He is a 19-year-old sophomore that was born in Bakersfield, CA. He has been living in Reno since he was four. He enjoys hanging out, performing hula-hoop spinning fire and going to raves. He used to be in Tribe Vibe and dance with fire a lot, but he stopped because the group became pretentious and it ruined the fun for him. He attended Burning Man, which he considered to be the best experience of his life. He liked being in a city of 41,000 people that were considerate and open-minded. The experience made him want to live life in a better way. He also enjoyed not having any responsibility for a week. In 10 years he’d like to be in a management position and be comfortable.

Kevin Vania

My interview with Kevin was conducted over the phone while I was sitting in my car. Kevin is 20-years-old and is an English major with an emphasis on Literature. He is from Anchorage, Alaska. He is into summer sports and enjoys the weather of Alaska during the summer. He has only been back home three times in the last three years. He was raised Catholic but doesn’t currently practice the faith. He doesn’t go back because of the summer after his senior year. He was jumped by a group of people and was in a wheelchair for the remainder of the summer. It was the worst experience of his life. This situation made it hard for him to do the things he used to love. He recently started snowboarding again, which made him happy. He is currently listening to Kid Cudi and other rappers. In five years, he wants to be starting a career and know what he’s doing with his life.

Ali Zugel

My interview with Ali was conducted over the phone while I was at home. She is 19-years-old and was born and raised in Reno. She graduated from Manogue high school. She loves fashion, shopping, and doing yoga. This is the first year she has been serious about yoga, even taking a class at school for it. It’s a way of relieving stress for her. She also loves her 35 lb. Pitbull Terrier mix, Girl. She has worked in retail her entire life and feels that fashion is a way of expressing one’s self. She is her own motivation because she never really had any parental figure in her life. She loves 90s rock and rap.

Renelle Pinero

My interview with Renelle was conducted over the phone while I was at home. Renelle is a 21-year-old sophomore that was born and raised in South Lake Tahoe. Her hobbies include poetry and playing guitar. She has been playing guitar for two years and is self-taught. In high school she was a part of the yearbook committee and regrets not being more outspoken and outgoing. Her family is close and she has lived with her 6 cousins her entire life. She considers them to be her brothers/sisters. She is motivated by her trips to the Philippines and seeing what her family had to go through in order to provide her with the life she has. Her best experience is starting UNR, since she bounced around community colleges in California for a few years prior to starting at UNR.

Sabrina Loureiro

My interview with Sabrina was conducted over the phone while I was at home. Sabrina is a 21-year-old junior with a Political Science major. She likes to try new things and do outdoors activities. She went to an all-girls school in Sacramento and swam and played water polo there. She was also part of the Liturgy club. She is inspired by her Dad, who is originally from Peru. She also derives motivation from people who don’t believe in her. Her best experience is coming to college and learning to be independent. She wants to go to graduate school. She loves 90s alternative rock, like Third Eye Blind and Smashing Pumpkins. She works for 4-H at the university.

Valerie Skinner

My interview with Valerie was conducted over the phone while I was at home. Valerie is a 21-year-old junior and is majoring in Journalism, and she wants to go into broadcasting. She was born in Sacramento and raised in Grass Valley, CA. Success motivates her, along with genuine happiness. She loves to snowboard and ski, and draws a lot. She used to be an art minor. She did cheerleading her first year of high school, and then did soccer her sophomore year. When she was in the 8^th grade she went to school in Santa Barbara while living with her mom. She loves punk music like Rise Against and Rancid. She went to UNLV for two years while she lived with her dad. She describes her best experience as studying abroad in Australia, where she was completely independent and learned a lot about a different culture.

Amber Lewis

My interview with Amber was conducted over the phone while I was at home. Amber is a junior at UNR that is currently deciding whether she wants to major in English or Journalism. She loves photography and doing anything outdoors. She has two sons that also go to UNR, Jacob and Spencer.  Her family is what inspires her, along with the fact that she returned to school. Her best experience is the birth of her two sons, and she says that she wouldn’t trade motherhood for the world. She wants to travel to Egypt one day because of her infatuation with Egyptology. In five years she would like to be out of school. She wants to write for private publications and would like to write her own autobiography.

Lewinsky Admits Sexual Relationship with President

By Stephen Ward

WASHINGTON — Monica Lewinsky, former intern to Clinton’s Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, confessed to having numerous intimate encounters with President Clinton this morning during her testimony before a federal grand jury.

In her testimony today, Lewinsky provided graphic details to the relationship, remembering specific dates and where the encounters occurred. She also provided evidence that White House aides were aware of the relationship and took measures to cover it up.

Lewinsky also admitted to lying in a sworn affidavit earlier this year, when she denied having a sexual relationship with President Clinton. Lewinsky was given immunity from prosecution for her grand jury testimony.

Lewinsky testified that the sexual relations began on Nov. 15, 1995 and lasted until May 24, 1997, though talks of ending the relationship surfaced as early as February of 1996.

In her testimony, Lewinsky shed light on how the relationship first developed, which began with “intense eye contact.” After a few casual run-ins and brief exchanges at various White House functions, the two became intimate when the President invited Lewinsky to his study where he took her to his back office.

Lewinsky testified that President Clinton then asked if he could kiss her. She said yes, and he complied. Later that evening, Lewinsky testified that she met the President again around 10 p.m. and at this encounter, engaged in oral sex with the President.

In addition to the sexual relations that occurred, the President and Lewinsky developed a friendship and spoke on the phone frequently, according to Lewinsky’s testimony. Lewinsky also said that the two exchanged gifts and notes with one another regularly.

Lewinsky then shifted focus on when the relationship began to dissipate. After leaving the White House in April of 1996, she was having trouble finding a job and was given council from Mr. Vernon Jordan, President Clinton’s close friend who had various connections in New York. Jordan was notified on numerous occasions about the affair Clinton and Lewinsky were having, but seemed disgruntled and gave Lewinsky the impression that he did not want to know any details about their involvement.

The subpoena Lewinsky received in the Paula Jones case caused an upset within the President and Lewinsky’s relationship, primarily disturbing Lewinsky because of the note taken about the hat pin the President had given her. In an attempt to mask the gifts, the President had given her, Lewinsky said that she put a portion of the gifts she received from the President in a Gap bag and gave it to Betty Currie, the President’s personal secretary.

A key contributor to the uncovering of their relationship was Linda Tripp, who was a friend of Lewinsky’s that worked in the Pentagon. Tripp wore wires to one public conversation that she had with Lewinsky. In her testimony, Lewinsky said that she became fearful that Tripp would “rat” her out.

The affidavit Lewinsky signed was filled with lies, stating that they had no sexual relations.

Lewinsky finally wrapped her testimony up stating that she was under the impression that the President expected her to deny the accusations, like they had done in the past.

The testimony is pivotal in the case and will undoubtedly serve as an incriminating force in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

IN THE NEWS TONIGHT, BETTY CURRIE, PRESIDENT CLINTON’S PERSONAL SECRETARY, TESTIFIED BEFORE A GRAND JURY TODAY AND ADMITTED TO BEING COACHED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON IN REGARDS TO CLINTON’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MONICA LEWINSKY, AS WELL AS GIVING LEWINSKY A CODE NAME AND NOT LOGGING THE CALLS SHE MADE TO LEWINSKY ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT.

CURRIE’S TESTIMONY INCLUDES LEWINSKY’S LABEL OF A “STALKER” AMONG PEERS AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THE PRESIDENT’S CONCERN WITH HER JOB HUNT IN NEW YORK AFTER LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE.

CURRIE ALSO TESTIFIED THAT THE PRESIDENT MET WITH HER AFTER HE BECAME AWARE OF CURRIE’S SUBPOENA AND ASKED HER QUESTIONS REGARDING HIM AND LEWINSKY’S RELATIONSHIP. ACCORDING TO HER TESTIMONY, THE QUESTIONS CLINTON ASKED CURRIE SUGGESTED SPECIFIC ANSWERS THAT HE WANTED HER TO GIVE, WHICH CURRIE RESPONDED TO HIM WITH. THESE QUESTIONS INCLUDED WHETHER OR NOT LEWINSKY AND CLINTON WERE ALONE AND THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON NEVER HAD SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH HER.

CURRIE’S TESTIMONY WILL PLAY A MOMENTOUS ROLE IN THE CASE AGAINST LEWINSKY AND PRESIDENT CLINTON.

Starbucks is so Vain-ti

Carly Simon, the beloved singer that tugged the world’s heartstrings in the 70s, is filing a lawsuit with one of the nation’s most successful corporations in an attempt to pull herself out of a financial hole.

After signing with Hear Music, Starbuck’s record label, Simon anticipated (pun intended) a flashing comeback with her economic tribulations demolished and a new chapter in her life able to begin.

She recently spoke of her financial struggles with the New York Times, saying that she owes money on her house in Martha’s Vineyard, that she had lost money in the stock market, and had attempted to sell her West Village apartment, but couldn’t find a buyer. It appears the effects of the recession can be felt in the real estate market of the rich and famous, as well.

Simon is most commonly known for her hits from decades ago such as “Anticipation” and “You’re So Vain,” along with her narrative lyrics regarding her trials and tribulations as a young woman and her marriage to music star James Taylor. Her music also refers to her relationships with other famous musicians, like Cat Stevens in the song “Hello Big Man.”

Simon’s new album, “This Kind of Love,” was expected to reclaim her stardom and glamour in the music industry. The label, according to Simon, discussed an advance in $750,000 to $1,000,000 and wooed her into the deal by promising to stack her album at the cash register at Starbucks stores and play it frequently.

This differs prodigiously from what actually happened. Just five days away from the album’s release date, Starbucks greatly reduced it’s corporate involvement with the music industry, and Simon only received $575,000 of the advance, which has already been spent by the struggling canary.

And so the lawsuit has been filed by Simon, who charges the company in the suit with “unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices.” Her album continues to receive poor reviews, and has only sold approximately 140,000 copies.

Sanja Gould, a spokesperson for Starbucks, says the company hasn’t seen her lawsuit but “we are disappointed to hear that she may be taking this action.”

It appears this is yet another tragic end to a relationship for the seemingly misfortunate life of Simon, who has more songs about heartbreak than Mr. Rogers’ closet had cardigans. Hopefully, the star will receive some form of retribution for the chance of revival she lost at the gigantic corporation’s expense.

Gunfire Erupts at California Border Patrol

Police said two Mexican men were arrested Wednesday on federal human trafficking charges.

Three vans pulled into the U.S. border station at San Ysidro at 3:30 pm Tuesday, according to police. The three vans first tried to drive past the first line of customs and border protection booths. When border agents halted the first van, the two others sped up and veered across the lanes, looking for a clear roadway to enter the U.S.

Lt. Kevin Rooney, supervisor of the San Diego Police Homicide Unit, told the NY Times “the two vans backed up, wheels spinning, and drove together at a high rate of speed across the inspection area.” Rooney also told the NY Times that three border agents opened fire on the vans when the vehicles were “barring directly down on them.” Police said the vans did not return fire, and that one van driver and one passenger were taken to a hospital in San Diego with gunshot wounds, one being a serious injury.

Mexican police said the driver of one van had escaped back across the border to Mexico and was now under arrest. Three vans contained “score of Mexicans” trying to enter the US illegally, according to police. Michael Unzueta, special agent in charge of immigration and customs enforcement in San Diego, told the NY Times Wednesday “It tells you how brazen these smuggling organizations are becoming.” Unzueta also told the NY Times that violence linked to human smuggling was rising because it had become dominated by organized crime groups in Mexico.

A recent study by Wayne Cornelius, co-director of a center on migration at the University of California, San Diego, found that 28% of Mexican immigrants surveyed in 2009 had slipped into the U.S. through a border station. 52% of these had hidden inside a vehicle, and 39% used fraudulent documentation. Cornelius study also revealed that smugglers charged $5,000 a person to get someone across a border station and $3,000 a person for crossing outside a station.