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Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support. FOR THE WEEK OF JAN. 04, 2010 Air terrorism close call spurs urgent U.S. security reviews![]() ![]() The attempted attack remains in the news nearly every day. Find a follow-up article and see what fresh developments or comments are reported.
![]() Columnists, guest contributors and readers also continue discussing terrorism risks and responses. Pick a letter, forum post or opinion essay of interest and read a few sentences aloud.
![]() The latest scare provokes lively debate about security, passenger profiling and government actions. Look in news reports for a comment that you agree or disagree with and tell why.
Government agencies, airport screeners and airlines are taking much closer looks -- again -- at who's allowed to board planes in the United States or aircraft heading here. This latest terrorism alert follows federal charges against a Nigerian passenger accused of trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane approaching Detroit's airport on Christmas morning. President Obama says the 23-year-old African man was on a mission for Al Qaeda, the radical Islamic group that attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001. This time, plenty of clues about accused bomb-carrier Umar Abdulmutallab were missed. Britain refused to renew his student visa last May and put him on a watch list. In August, the U.S. National Security Agency overheard Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen (a Mideast nation) discussing a plot involving a Nigerian man. In November, the suspect's dad warned a CIA agent at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria that his son was being radicalized and had disappeared in Yemen. Then the would-be bomber paid cash for a ticket to Detroit and boarded his ocean-crossing flight with just a carry-on bag -- acts that should trigger close scrutiny, security experts say.
Obama acknowledged "a systemic failure has occurred" and ordered reviews of the federal terrorist watch list system, air travel screening and information-sharing among security agencies. Starting this week, U.S.-bound fliers from Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Yemen and other "countries of interest" are undergoing full body scans or pat-downs, explosive detection screening and a close search of carry-on luggage.
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Felix Grabowski and Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024
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