On today’s NOTICE News Daily: Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was recently admitted to the hospital for depression. We take a look at why some are calling that move courageous. Plus: A rare look at one of history’s most notable shipwrecks.
More info On…
Top Story: Senator Hospitalized For Depression
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic U.S. Senator John Fetterman, who flipped a Republican-held seat in last November’s elections just six months after suffering a near-fatal stroke, checked into a Washington-area hospital on Wednesday for treatment for clinical depression, his office said in a statement. >> Read the full story
More Information:
- An explainer on depression: its signs, symptoms and causes (from the Mayo Clinic)
- Teen Depression: More Than Just Moodiness (National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. federal government)
- An overview of the different kinds of depression from the National Institutes of Health
In Other News…
- Five Former Memphis Police Officers Plead Not Guilty In Death Of Tyre Nichols: Police video captured images of the officers beating and kicking Nichols, hitting him with a baton, spraying him with pepper spray and firing a stun gun at him on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop. The case has renewed a national conversation about race relations and police brutality. >> Full Story
- Tesla Just Recalled 362,000 Cars Over Self-Driving Software: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last week Tesla software allows a vehicle to “exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.” >> Full Story
- Cat Named ‘Lucky’ Found 1,400 Miles From Home After Two Years: >> Full Story on UPI
Rare footage of Titanic wreckage shot in 1986 released
Rare video footage showing the Titanic ocean liner on the floor of the Atlantic is being released on Wednesday, decades after the discovery of the wreckage and more than a century after the ship hit an iceberg and sunk.
The footage from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was shot about 2 miles (3 km) below the ocean’s surface, just months after explorers found the wreckage in 1985. Most of it has not been previously released to the public.
Since the discovery, several documentaries about the Titanic have showed footage of the wreckage scene. >> Watch more of the video
Discussion Questions
- What already came up as an issue for Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman during the campaign, that is now an issue once again, and how is it different now than from then?
- How could depression affect someone from functioning well in their profession or job?
- What’s at least one reason clinical depression isn’t something one can just “snap” out of?
- Why are Senator Fetterman’s colleagues praising him for seeking help?
- What issue are some Tesla cars having with its self-driving system, and why could that be dangerous?
- At the time, what’s at least one reason why it would have been so shocking that the Titanic sank?
Writing Prompts
- Some believe Senator John Fetterman’s “every-man” persona, (including how he dresses), makes him unique in political culture. However, this is a common theme that comes up in politics, and often helps the candidate. What types of things besides style might make a candidate seem “of the people”? Also, why would being viewed as an everyman be helpful politically?
- People in powerful positions, whether it’s politicians or celebrities, often impact those looking to them for guidance, or just casually noticing their behavior. What are some of the impacts that Senator John Fetterman publicly checking himself in for treatment of clinical depression could have on the masses?
- As with the self-driving technology of Tesla, people are often very eager for new technologies to work and work well, but similarly to Tesla’s recent recall, such optimism can be met with challenges. How should people feel about new technologies that come on the market but haven’t been out for very long? Should they put their faith in the companies that promote them? What could be some strengths of supporting new technologies, but also some drawbacks?