Where to for Lotto Winner? Back Home to Help His Town - John M. Glionna

This is a very good story of a man who won the lottery in unbelievable fashion; he played numbers that came to him in a dream. A modest taxi driver, Ihsan Khan was amazed when he won the $55 million jackpot, which he took in one lump sum, and cleared just shy of $32.5 million. What he did with his money was even more amazing than his actually winning it; instead of staying in America to flourish, he went back to his hometown of Batagram, Pakistan, where he became mayor and helped fund earthquake relief efforts. Spending his money completely selflessly, he has saved many lives and given hope to many families. This is a truly heartwarming story of a very good person.

Bush, S. Korean President United on Nukes - Terence Hunt

This is very exciting and interesting news. The article covers the relationshiop between President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Both presidents have come together to make sure that the North Korean nuclear missle situation does not get out of hand. The article also states that Moo-hyun has been a strong supporter of Bush's Iraq policy, and has contributed the 3rd most soldiers behind the US and Britan. It is comforting to see that we are getting along with someone in the world. I know it sounds vague, but in a time where it seems like everyone is our enemy, its nice to read an article that actually talks about a relationship with another country, instead of a war. I hope that this sort of relationship is a trend, not just something that stands alone.

"Vegas mayor: Cut off vandals' thumbs" - Associated Press

This was a very short article, but what struck me about it was the content. The outrageous ideas that came from the mayor's mouth really struck me as one of the biggest stories I read this week. When in the position of mayor, it is important to realize that you are an elected officer that is representing the city you are appointed mayor of. Making such outrageous statements about cutting off people's thumbs off on television for graffiting and advocating the whipping of children for bad behavior is totally irresponsible. He has the right to believe in these things; but there is a time and place for such outrageous ideas, and it is not in the position of mayor.

Voter's Dislike 3 of Governor's Ballot Measures - Michael Finnegan

Finnegan reports that Props 75, 76, and 77 are all being voted down by preliminary likely voters. The Governor's problems do not end here - last year, his approval rating was at 69%, and it has now plummeted to 40%. He is hated by pretty much all democrats, and in a democratic state, that is quite taxing. His campaign efforts are unsuccessful, and things are looking very bleak for any of his propositions passing. 7 out of 10 Republicans say he is doing a good job, but that isn't enough in this state. I think it is fascinating how this job seems to be cursed - Grey Davis's popularity plummeted into oblivion, and the trend seems to be continuing with Arnold.

"U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Hits 2,000" - October 26th, Richard Boudreaux, Louise Roug, Paul Richter.

This was in my opinion the most important article I came across last week. It seems like only yesterday to me that we hit the chilling figure of 1,000 deaths in Iraq; now it is 2,000. Bush asks for patience, arguing that progress is being made and that these casualties aren't for naught. On the opposite side of things, protesters are doubling their efforts to try and end what they feel is an unnessecary war ASAP. The majority of deaths have come via car bombings. Regardless of ones feelings on the war, it is impossible not to feel some remorse over the loss of 2,000 American lives, especially when no end is in sight.

"Leinart Played Conquest in Clutch" - David Wharton, Sunday 16th of October

As an avid sports fan, there was no question in my mind what my article was going to be about this week. The Notre Dame game was absolutely insane, and easily the best college football game I have ever seen. After much review, I decided that this was my favorite article on the game. It basically pointed out how lousy of a day Leinart had - how many mistakes he made, how many opportunities he missed - but despite all that, he was still able to win the game when it came right down to it. Wharton makes the point that perhaps more importantly than stats is the ability to win the game in the clutch, which is exactly what Matt Leinart did on this amazing Saturday.

"Rain Adds to Quake Victim's Misery" - Today, by Paul Wilson.

As if the world was not emotionally drained enough after dealing with hurricanes Rita and Katrina, a much worse (more life tolling) tragedy has happened in Pakistan. The area was hit with a 7.6 earthquake, and was completely unready for it; the death toll is now at a stunning 23,000. 50,000 confirmed injured, and over 2.5 million are left homeless. As if this is not bad enough, heavy rains and hail are now hitting the area and making relief efforts much harder, and making more people lose lives. This article stands out as my favorite of the week because it does the terribly unenviable job of being the bearer of bad news. It does so with poise and emotion however, delivering the news but giving it a human feel, not just rattling off stats. I found it exceptionally powerful, and my heart goes out to the victims of this awful tragedy.