QUOTATION OF THE DAY
"They don’t look like polar bears. But it does not matter. I will Photoshop them when I get home."　　北極グマっぽくない。でも、そんなこと、どうでもいい！

DECEMBER 19, 2016

（１）All This Talk of Voter Fraud? Across U.S., Officials Found Next to None
Despite Republican claims of widespread violations, it seems that credible allegations（主張） of illegal voting were exceedingly rare.

（２）Hungry, Thirsty and Bloodied in Battle to Retake Mosul From ISIS
Up to a million people are trapped（陥れる） inside Iraq’s second-largest city, where the brutal urban war of attrition（消耗） is proving to be tougher than expected.

（３）Insurance Policies（保険証書） on Slaves: New York Life’s Complicated Past
In its 19th-century beginnings, New York Life Insurance sold 508 policies covering slaves. Their descendants are grappling（掴む） with it.

（４）Senators Push to Broaden Inquiry on Election Hacking
A bipartisan group, including John McCain and Chuck Schumer, called for the creation of a select committee on cyberactivity to lead the investigation.

（５）Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village
The bears that come here are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding.

KAKTOVIK, Alaska — Come fall, polar bears are everywhere around this Arctic village, dozing on sand spits（岬）, roughhousing（大暴れ） in the shallows（浅瀬、洲）, padding down the beach with cubs（獣の子） in tow（引き船） and attracting hundreds of tourists who travel long distances to see them. At night, the bears steal into town, making it dangerous to walk outside without a firearm or bear spray. They leave only reluctantly, chased off by the polar bear patrol with firecracker shells and spotlights. On the surface, these bears might not seem like members of a species facing possible extinction. Scientists have counted up to 80 at a time in or near Kaktovik; many look healthy and plump（ふっくら）, especially in the early fall, when their presence overlaps with the Inupiat（イヌピアと族） village’s whaling season. But the bears that come here are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet（北極では他の場所の２倍の速度で温暖化が進んでいる）, and the ice cover is retreating at a pace that even the climate scientists who predicted the decline find startling（ぎょっとさせる）. 続く
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60-Second Civics: Episode 2739, State Legislatures
Every state has executive, legislative and judicial branches.
Which state has a unicameral legislature?
a. North Dakota
b. North Carolina
c. Nebraska
d. Oklahoma
Good job! Choice c is correct.