Current Events #3.3

1. How many percent increase of his salary paid as a bonus COULD have Mark Houser gotten according to his contract?Mark Houser could have gotten a 200% increase on his salary under his contract.

2. What NON-TEXTUAL clues are evident in the political cartoon on page A7 help the viewer to understand the artists perspective?
-the sarcasm of this piece
-the stereo typical dumb trucker look of the character
-the phrase on the shirt
-the second speech bubble as kind of an afterthought 

3. What is the so-called 'Merry Christmas Law?"
The 'Merry Christmas Law' is under the first amendment and states that "no school official in Texas can silence a biblical reference to Christmas. This is an attack on religious liberty."

4. Why is Whole Foods being removed from the Nasdaq-100 index?
Whole Foods is being removed from the Nasdaq-100 index because the Whole Foods market cap has dropped from $22 million to about $9.9 billion in the past three years, and "the Nasdaq-100 index is composed of the 100 largest non financial companies companies."

5. What is so special about Harry Potter yoga?
Harry Potter yoga is special because it is a yoga class with Harry Potter decorations everywhere, and the participants pretend they are in Harry Potter world, transforming into features or casting spells with their wands.

6. Long Response
The DNA analysis lab at the Austin Police Department has officially been shut down. The staffers working to get it up and running again after its temporary break didn't meet expectations and as a result the lab will not be in use. Two of the staffers were sent to a different location to continue working with hopes of getting the lab running again. The lab was using out of date protocols which were skewing the results of the lab. I think it is crucial for the teams to use the newest and proper protocols in order to get the most accurate results. When dealing with crime, you can't run the risk of accusing the wrong person or mixing up results. It's important that the staffers chosen to leave left because they weren't qualified for the job of DNA testing. If they didn't meet the department's expectations of following correct procedures and continued to defend their outdated protocols, then it is for the better that they were asked to leave. The lab closed in the first place in June due to operational issues, and is unable to get running gain due to four scientists on the staff there. Not having a DNA testing lab in our police department will affect our safety department as well as our community as a whole. Tricky cases that require DNA tests will be delayed and hopefully labs in nearby cities or police departments will be able to assist our police. I do not think that our police department should be running a DNA testing lab if we do not have the proper staff to work it. I think having the lab would be good, but that requires having a staff that meets expectations.