By: Giselle Hernandez

Unnoticed, the animal kingdom is slowly decaying under our noses, the beautifully bold square lipped rhino has met its decimation.  

    Rhinos, a species that dates back further than a millenium, have been endangered since the 20th century due to poaching.

    Poaching is the illegal act of hunting wildlife, especially those which are on the endangered species list, and trading them for profit. .

    These rhinos typically in groups of 14 run the planes of Africa, mothers protecting their young while the males protect their territory.

     There is a high demand in Asia and Japan for rhinoceros horns, being the biggests consumers of this illegal product, they use them as symbols of wealth and riches, and even break them down to be used in traditional Chinese medicine.

     The northern white rhino population decreased astonishingly fast, leaving only 15 of them by the end of the 1980’s.

     On March 2, 2018, the last of the white rhino subspecies were reduced down to three, spending their time roaming in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, a striking moment in history for these beings.

    Two of which were female and one male, on march 19th the last last male Northern white passed away at age 45 from and infection on his leg which was too painful to bear.

    With only two females left, they have come to an official extinction, the idea of reproduction is impractical.

    The giant herbivores are being guarded around the clock to live out the rest of their lives in peace without the threat of poachers.

    The illegal trade of wildlife not only has an impacting effect on biodiversity as these animals are being swept away, it may also affect the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, feeding into climate change.

    This is because rhinos feed on tons of grass per day, It helps maintain the Savanna Grasslands.

    Now with a whole group of subspecies wiped out, The grasslands won’t be maintained and certain Little Critters who live among the grasslands will be at threat with their ecosystem.

    In relation to carbon dioxide, these grasslands help maintain carbon levels by soaking it in by a process called photosynthesis.

     Ultimately  the White Rhino population helped maintain the grasslands, in which the grasslands helped maintain CO2 levels, which is why rhinos are an important part in the ecosystem.

    Scientist are trying to find a solution to this dilemma, but they collected eggs from the male rhinoceros when he was still alive, they are hoping to try and reproduce them synthetically.

    The fact that the 2nd biggest mammal is critically endangered, shows that laws need to be enforced on hunting and higher wildlife surveillance to prevent poaching.

By: Rachel Soo

It’s like the hunger games, but smaller and with adults.

    17. That’s the number this year, so far. 17 declared  presidential candidates for the 2020 elections. 17 not-so-young hopefuls, each aiming to win the metaphorical crown of the United States of America.

    Of the notable contenders, all but one are Democratic. We’ll save our odd one out for last.

    Let’s start with the minority, females. This year, there’s only 4 running.

    We have Elizabeth Warren, senator of Massachusetts and star of the spectacle that went down in October, when President Trump called her out on Twitter for claiming that she was Native American on her application to law school.

    Kirsten Gillibrand is also in the running for candidacy. She’s been a senator for New York since 2009, but with her radical change in stance regarding the subject of illegal immigrants, it’ll be very interesting to see how she runs this race.

    Kamala Harris, one of California’s very own senators, is running for the top seat as well, and is currently wrapped up in claims regarding her past as a progressive prosecutor. Her past actions raise question regarding her ethics when it comes to criminal justice.

    Our last female contender is Hawaiian representative Tulsi Gabbard. Like two of the other women running alongside her, she too has a her own share of controversial opinions and has recently publicly apologized for her previous anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.

    Moving on to the men that are in the running for this next year’s election we have Joe Biden, former Vice President and Senator.

    Biden served for 8 years as our country’s Vice President under President Barack Obama, and some fear that his growing popularity is only a result of nostalgia for the party that occupied the White House last.

    We have John Delany and Richard Ojeda running, representative from Maryland and senator for West Virginia respectively.

    Delaney was the first of the democrats to announce his candidacy, and even though he’s shown his boldness and taken initiative, many feel as if he fits the stereotypical ‘rich and white’ mold too well.

    Ojeda has taken to a different showing of gut. He’s known currently as the ‘Trump-voter’, for having voted for President Trump in the 2016 elections, and he’s approached the pro-life vs. pro-birth discussion with guns blazing.

    The former US secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro is also fighting alongside them for the presidency, but concerns regarding his lack of foreign policy experience seem to be emerging from every which way.

    Of our notable contenders, our only Republican representative is one whom we all know very well. He’s a successful businessman, and he has a following that’s probably just as large as the group that opposes him.

    That’s right. Our current president, Donald Trump, is reapplying for the position he currently holds.

    However, seeing how the last four years have gone, it’s impossible to tell if he, like the three presidents that came before him, will have a second term.

    So, let’s recap:

    Elizabeth Warren lied to get into law school, Kirsten Gillibrand hates loves immigrants, Kamala Harris is just looking for power, and Tulsi Gabbard is a reformed homophobic.

    Joe Biden is out-of-date, John Delaney is too wealthy and too white, Richard Ojeda is the Trump-voter, and Julian Castro doesn’t know what he’s doing.

    Also, Trump.

    The future of America rests in your hands. Choose wisely.

By: Kaycie Adams

With minimum wage rising, the question is raised on how the economy is being changed in California.

    Imagine a world where sugar cost four cents a pound, eggs were fourteen cents a pound, and coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

   These weird, low prices you never see, (not even for a single piece of Party City candy) were the reality 100 years ago.

    Imagining these prices today seems impossible, right? The average box of sugar now costs $1.69 per pound.

    Minimum wage is rising, and its due to the economic situation surrounding California. The cost of living has increased dramatically recently, and as the minimum wage continues to rise towards fifteen dollars an hour, this weird utopia seems more and more likely.

    On January 1st, 2019, a company with 25 workers or less increases from $10.50 to $11. Companies with over twenty five workers now pay employees a minimum of $12 per hour.

    One might see this as an incredible thing, to have a higher minimum wage. However, if you look at the statistics over the years, the bigger picture of a rising wage is a scary thought.

    1n 1919, a cook earned only 60 dollars a month. Based on inflation rates, that would be about $870.89 a month today.

    As high schoolers, that seems like a great amount of money. But in the real world, this number is nowhere near enough to be able to afford anything.

    A studio apartment in Los Angeles costs a minimum of $1,600 a month. Between food, transportation expenses, bills, and other living expenses, that is over $2,000 a month. This $870.89 is nowhere near close enough.

    Many years ago, two adults could put their savings together and buy a house and pay the mortgage on it before the kids went to college and could pay for said college.

    But this isn’t the 80’s anymore. Raising minimum wage is a necessary evil that comes with a rising inflation rate on goods and services.

    Being able to afford basic necessities is something we all deserve. There is no one wage to give everyone, when an apartment’s rent in Los Angeles is the same as a monthly mortgage on a 4 bedroom house in Texas.

    Understandably, as California high school students, buying a 4 bedroom in Texas isn’t high on our list of priorities right now. But something that is a priority to us is college.

    The raising of minimum wage affects us in all parts of daily life, including outside of work. One seen example of this is how despite wages rising, business must raises their prices in order to keep up with the increase in paychecks.

    Senior at Mission Viejo High School Emily Robinson comments that “I’m kinda in the middle, I’m happy I get paid more but prices go up. So technically we aren’t getting paid more”.

    So even though you make an extra few dollars every paycheck, this money isn’t yours to invest, save, or even use on a rainy day. It slowly goes back into your everyday purchases.

    Yes, minimum raise rising sounds like a good thing. A great thing almost. But in the end, it doesn’t affect us as greatly as we would hope.

By: Eja Fromm

The Protests occuring in France are causing chaos throughout the country. These protests were sparked over the rise in gas prices.

    In France, the Yellow Jackets are a group of protesters causing destruction and chaos over the increase in gas prices. Originally, the protest began as an online petition before it took to the streets.

    From empty tear gas bottles all over the streets to graffiti on a national monument, the country is chaotic. Masked protesters wave the French flag as they set Paris ablaze.

    The majority of angry citizens are middle-class. France already has the highest gas prices compared to the rest of the world with an average of six dollars per gallon.   

    Most of suburban France uses a car in their everyday life.. New York Times interviewed a protester who stated, “The nearest train only runs once an hour. Most everybody uses a car to get to their destination.”

    On December fourth, 378 people were arrested as there were over 280,000 people protesting. The political crisis has caused millions of dollars in property damage.

    On January 1st, the tax on gasoline went up around 12 cents per gallon. In 2020, the taxes will go up another 5 cents.

    President Macron has refused to back down on the increase. His argument is that it will help decrease Frances dependence on fossil fuels and convince more people to buy more energy efficient vehicles.

    Residents of France have taken a poll and found that only 26% of French people favor Macron, claiming “We’re fed up with the rising prices and the cost of living.”

    In France, a citizen who earns about $30,675 per year is taxed at 30%, while in the US they would pay 12% in federal tax.

    Famke Krumbmuller, an expert in French politics stated, “That is the challenge when reforming France. Whenever the reform is a little bit ambitious you’ll have the entire streets against you.”

    As of December 23rd,  the number of protesters has decreased dramatically. Many were tired of being attacked with tear gas and water cannons.

    A video of a policeman surrounded by protesters spread widely as the officers pulled out a weapon after being pushed off his motorcycle. He didn’t fire but it shocked many in France.

    Many claimed the holidays weren’t as festive as usual. Most of France wasn’t in a good mood during those times.

    One of the major monuments that was defaced was the Arc de Triomphe. Damage to artifacts alone cost 1.15 million, graffiti not included.

    The chaos is continuing to occur. For instance, on January 16th a protesting fireman was shot in the head by an officer, and is now in a coma.

    This past weekend marks the eleventh week for the protests. Across the country there were about 32,000 protesters and 8,000 in Paris. These protests have inspired similar ones around Europe.

    The Yellow Jacket protesters are still causing major fear across France. For now, Macron has asked for a national response on how to respond to the chaos.