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Biran Mahmoud

Staff Writer

Americans are dealing with inflation and increased prices. What does that mean for us?

According to CNBC Inflation kept increasing in March, the prices for consumer goods jumped by 8.5%, according to the Labor Department — states that this has been “the largest year-on-year increase since February 1981.”

     Because of the Covid lockdown, the Russian war, and many other factors gas prices started jumping, and since then they only went down a little on 2/19/22 from 4.35$ per gallon across the USA down to 4.09$ on 3/30/22, After that, it started climbing again to 4.60$ per gallon on 5/34/22. 

     The gas price is becoming an issue because many people are dependent on using their cars to get to work and live their lives. According to CBS, there are places in the USA the gas prices are higher than the minimum wage stated by the federal government which is $7.25

 Per hour

     The USA has become too independent of other countries’ Oil and resources when in fact there is enough oil on the  US land that The USA could become energy independent. According to Worldometer, The USA has 35 billion barrels in reserve, so we have our own instead of depending on other countries’ oil. 

I don’t own a car myself, but I see gas prices affecting Philadelphia when I walk around the city I see gas prices over 4 dollars close to 5 in some places.  Going on car rides is one of my family and favorite things to do and gas prices being this high is saddening. 

     Gas is not the only precious resource Americans are struggling with. “In February, Abbott Laboratories, maker of popular baby formulas, closed a manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan, after it recalled infant formula products when a federal investigation started after four babies taking the formula developed bacterial infections, two of whom died. Abbott has said there is no link between its formula and the illnesses.” However, their pause in production has meant that many retailers have been out of stock of formula — 43% at the start of May, according to The Guardian.

     A lot of families mothers are struggling with feeding their children the government hasn’t provided any solution that would last. 

So what can be done?

The federal government should find a solution to the increase in food prices because many people will have little to eat. There are temporary solutions according to  UW medicine families could feed the baby cow milk but because cow milk has low amounts of iron so there is the option to talk to a pediatrician for getting vitamin supplements for the baby. 

Staff Writer:

Aylin Echandy

Men are planning to overturn Roe Vs Wade!

The abortion topic is sensitive to some and open to others, but it isn’t about how people feel but instead about woman rights to make decisions. 

There is an outroar of rage in the U.S due to the leak of a Supreme Court draft decision suggesting if women have the right to decide what to do with and to their uterus; whether they can make the decision of an abortion. 

A quick history lesson: Roe Vs Wade took place in 1973 and was a landmark decision of the U.S Supreme Court in which the Court ruled whether or not it protects a pregnant woman’s liberty and freedom to choose to have an abortion without the government saying it’s forbidden. 

Over the last few weeks since hearing the news there have been protests all over supporting the idea that women should be able to determine what is done to their body without the consent of men, who by the way don’t have uteruses and will never have to face the question of whether they need an abortion. 

Personally, I believe that having access to abortions is essential because birth can lead to death due to how dangerous giving birth is. In addition, Not everyone can support raising a child, not everyone is fit to be a mother, not everyone’s baby has appropriately entered the uterus, and not everyone has conceived consensually. 

My opinion is influenced by the facts. 

Roe vs Wade is planning on banning aborts at six weeks or more, which isn’t even justice because it can take up to three weeks or more for a woman to go through the process of becoming pregnant. Even if pregnant, the hCG hormone produced by the placenta cannot be fully detected that soon; every woman’s body is different. Pregnancy symptoms may or may not occur that soon, even if this overturning gives women little time to decide or gives no time at all for the decision, since the decision is being made for them.  This act of banning abortions is humane because risks are being overlooked and abortions are being jumped to the conclusion of murder. The government doesn’t know the risks of women being pregnant, they only know what they want to hear. 

Birth is the closest thing a woman can have that is naturally close to death. Women die from giving birth because of the amount of blood that is lost, risks, or from things going wrong. There are statistics that prove African- American women are more subject to death than any other race. To ban abortion would lead to a warcry for those who will lose their relative due to the circumstances of birth. It is unfit and unfair to force a woman into a life or death situation, knowing that the baby is the only thing being cared about. So by women being forced to give birth, the world will lose more women. 

The possibility of women’s lives being put in danger — which includes the challenge of raising an unwanted child — brings up many difficult questions. 

What will happen after the mother dies? Who will supply if the mother is in need? What if it is an ectopic pregnancy? What if the woman is a rape victim? What if it was incest? What if postpartum or pregnancy depression leads to suicide? These are the questions that flow through my mind when I think of the Supreme Court banning abortions. 

What will happen when the Supreme Court rules that women do not have the right to have an abortion, but can’t answer the questions above? Being told that aborting isn’t a women’s right can be a life or death situation for women. 

Andre Doyle

Staff Writer

I have a confession to make: when I started writing this column, I thought that I make too much money at my job.

How could that be, you ask? Well, I currently make $25 an hour employed at Footlocker as a junior. I started at $12 an hour two years ago. Compared to others at my age, and younger this may seem like a lot compared to $8, or $12 an hour. My friends tease me all the time about my wages, saying I’m lucky. 

So do I really make too much money? 

I did the research, and here are a few reasons I think my wages are reasonable:

One is inflation, which is where “ the increased cost of consumer goods, and services such as gas, food, and housing.” In President Biden’s recent speech he claims there will be food shortages, wage cuts and increased inflation rates stating “ Inflation rates have noticeably increased, and wage cuts have been set in place which is helping ukranians to defend our democracy.”

Biden also uses the Ukrainian war as a major result of food shortages in the US stating “ feeding those who are left hungry around the world because Russian atrocities exist, the American farmers understand Putin’s War has cut off critical sources.” 

Another is the taxes I pay. In the US, there are already taxes in place for people over the age of 16 and over with the tax rate being 3.07% in Pennsylvania .  Me specifically, in the summer I work forty  hours in a week that’s $1,000 but not minus taxes. Minus taxes I would make $970.30, which is still a good amount, now subtracting Bidens wage cuts I now would have $920  which is way less.” 

And with prices increasing due to inflation that’ll mean things being less in demand, at a higher price due to a  “ lack of resources.” Inflation has risen to 8.5% over the course of 12 months with it being at its peak today. 

Lastly, I think my wages are fair because it’s not as though lowering my wages would increase them for teens in other jobs.