The Smoke Signal

By Staff Writers Evangeline Chang & Helen Wang

Local — Fremont Police Department using cell phone tracking
The Fremont Police Department received permission on March 7 during a Fremont City Council meeting to use a device to locate and track anyone they are searching for by their cellphones.. The device, a cell site simulator, identifies the connection strength and relative location of cell phones within a certain range. Many are concerned about the invasion of privacy that these devices pose, making the situation controversial. However, these types of surveillance technologies are tracked and kept records on how many times they are used.

National — Vote on Healthcare Bill called off
House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew President Donald J. Trump’s new proposed healthcare plan on March 24 right before a scheduled vote due to insufficient support from both political parties. The proposed plan, Trumpcare, would get rid of Obamacare and let states choose how to allocate Medicaid funding. During an interview with the Washington Post, Trump said, “We couldn’t get one Democratic vote.” According to Ryan, there will not be immediate plans to repeal Obamacare, and Trump and Ryan will now be focusing more on tax reforms.

International — London attack kills five and injures 50
Khalid Masood attacked the Palace of Westminster in Birmingham on March 22, killing four and injuring 50. Masood drove toward pedestrians on the Westminster bridge, hitting them indiscriminately, and ran towards the Houses of Parliament with a knife. He fatally stabbed Police Officer Keith Palmer before he was shot dead by armed officers. While Masood has been convicted of public order offenses and possession of weapons before, he has never been convicted of terrorist offenses. Police are still investigating the incident including potential accomplices.

Quirky — Ramadan Adwan gives clients haircuts with fire
Ramadan Adwan, a barber from the Rafah refugee camp located in the Gaza Strip, sets his customers’ hair on fire in order to dry their wet hair. “The experience strengthens the hair, but it’s not permanent as with chemical products. It’s just temporary to show a good and nice style,” Adwan said. The idea first came about because there is limited access to dryers due to the Gaza Strip’s frequent power cuts. Adwan’s method has spread across the Gaza Strip and is now being imitated by others.

Photos by cdn.cnn.com, cnbc.com, newindianexpress.com, pulseheadlines.com