1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. a) For what reasons is Governor Newsom scaling back the construction of a rail system in California?
b) What did he say he will do going forward?

3. a) How many miles did California plan to build?
b) How many miles will they instead build?

4. a) What did the state forecast the cost would be in March 2018?
b) What did they warn the cost might actually be?

5. a) What did a state audit issued in November say about California’s High‑Speed Rail Authority?
b) What did The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general’s office in August 2018 note about state’s funding for the project?

6. California received $3.5 billion from the Obama administration for the project in 2010.
a) What is your reaction to the problems with the California rail project?
b) Do you think the federal government should give California the $40-60 billion additional funding it needs to build a high speed railway? Explain your answer.

7. Consider the following:

The estimated cost of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico is about $25 billion. President Trump scaled back his initial request and in a compromise asked Congress for $5.1 billion.

U.S. military in Afghanistan costs about $45 billion every year.

Congress this week offered the president $1.5 billion. In comparison:

In December 2018, the U.S. pledged:

• $5.8 billion in aid and investment for strengthening government and economic development in Central America
• $4.8 billion in development aid for southern Mexico

The U.S aid aims to promote better security conditions and job opportunities as part of a regional plan to allow Central Americans and Mexicans to remain in their countries.

• Republicans and Democrats in Congress allocated $500 million for Lebanon to build a wall on its border with Iraq.
• Rebuilding New York's Tappan Zee Bridge (re-named the Mario M. Cuomo bridge after the former governor, who was current NY Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo’s father) cost $4-5 billion.

a) Why do you think Democrats - now in the majority in Congress - refuse to approve President Trump’s request for $5.1 billion?
b) Why do you think Republicans in Congress did not allocate funding for the border wall before last year’s budget (when Republicans were in the majority)?