Who assaulted whom?
LAST WEEK, THE Fulcrum reported on a questionable incident involving the alleged assault of Hugh Styres, a down-and-out resident of the Ottawa streets, by two police officers who had been called to remove Styres from the sidewalk where he was sleeping. A Special Investigations Unit probe, which concluded mere days ago, has found both police officers called to the scene guilty of assault. In light of the incident—and the growing number of accusations of this kind being levelled against the Ottawa Police—who do you think is a bigger danger to Ottawa residents: The fear-mongered homeless population, or the police?
How dangerous is apple juice, really?
TELEVISION PERSONALITY MEHMET Oz is being accused by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of over-dramatizing and potentially fabricating his facts. On a recent episode of his popular show, Dr. Oz, Oz claimed tests conducted by a New Jersey-based private facility found dangerously high levels of arsenic in popular apple juice brands. Responding to the subsequent anti-apple juice hysteria the show sparked, the FDA assured Americans their own tests of the same brands, and even the same batches, no arsenic was found. Is Oz getting desperate for higher ratings, or is the FDA hiding something?
The more you have, the more you pay
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK Obama has announced his intention to propose a new tax hike for Americans who earn over $1 million annually. If approved, those that break the million mark will be taxed at least the same amount as Americans in the middle-income range. Many high-earning U.S. residents have avoided paying mid-range taxes as money earned through investment is taxed at an extremely low rate. Is Obama inciting “class warfare” as one politician has accused him, or is he finally finding a way to bridge the gap between the poor and the wealthy in America?
Italian PM apparently into paying for sex
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER Silvio Berlusconi has repeatedly assured the media he has never exchanged money for sex. Contrary to these claims, new evidence in an investigation surrounding the prime minister reveals not only is he in the habit of exchanging goods and favours for sex, but he is at the centre of a prostitution ring that has been draining the money of Italian taxpayers in order to pay for and fly around a number of models and sex workers. Is the media mogul and politician within reason for spending money on upwards of 20 sex parties, or should Berlusconi fess up and step down so someone more responsible can take over politics in Italy?
Care to comment? Tell us what your opinion is at Thefulcrum.ca/category/opinions/.
—Jaclyn Lytle
