Following weeks of intense scrutiny of worker treatment at Apple’s Chinese suppliers, the tech giant granted Nightline’s Bill Weir unprecedented access to component-maker Foxconn. With over 1 million employees, Foxconn is one of the largest employers in mainland China, and makes parts for many technology companies including Intel, Dell, Nintendo, and, of course, Apple.

Weir, who toured a Foxconn factory in Shenzen, was struck by the insular lives of the 235,000 workers at Foxconn’s Shenzen plant.

Many of the workers are teenagers (Weir noted that no one looked over 30) who had come from small villages to labor over high-tech gadgets for 12 hour-long shifts. Not only do they work at Foxconn, but many of them also live there. Weir toured the dormitories, where employees pay $17.50 a month to live seven to a room. According to Forbes, Foxconn employees make about $1.78 per hour.

When asked about their lives at the factory, Weir noted that many of the workers shared complaints similar to any worker: the pay is too low, the food prices too high and they get tired. When asked what she thinks about during work, one young mother of two told Weir, “A lot of the time I think about how tired I am. I think about resting.”

Of course, it becomes obvious that working at Foxconn is not like working anywhere else, as soon as the infamous suicide nets come into view. These nets were installed between buildings after a spate of worker suicides in 2010. According to the segment, Apple CEO Tim Cook, then Apple’s COO, flew to Shenzhen following the series of suicides and put together a team of experts to examine the issue, and these experts recommended installing the nets. There have been 18 worker suicides at Foxconn since 2010, which, according to Nightline, is well below China’s national average.

Weir meets up with Auret van Heerdenan, President of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), an organization that Apple has asked to conduct “special voluntary audits” of the working conditions at its component makers’ factories. The auditor says one thing he looks in the workers are simply signs of curiosity and liveliness, such as looking up when he walks by. According to Forbes, the FLA is expected to post the results of the audit in March.

Weir reported several facts about productivity at Foxconn’s plant. According to his report, it takes five days and 325 hands to make an iPad and 141 steps to put together an iPhone. Weir notes he was surprised by how few machines were in place, and remarked that the gadgets seemed entirely assembled by hand.

Check out a clip from the segment below, and watch the full report on ABC here:

Could Mike Wallace soon be on the receiving end of deep bombs from Tom Brady? (Joe Robbins – Getty Images) Over the last two seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace has emerged as one of the top big-play threats in the league. But coming off a second-straight 1,100-yard season and his first Pro Bowl selection, Wallace may be on his way out of the Steel City.

The 25-year-old speedster is scheduled to become a free agent on March 3, and with facing serious salary-cap challenges ahead of them, the Steelers simply may not be able to afford him.

Wallace acknowledged that fact in an interview with SiriusXM Radio on Wednesday.

“[Pittsburgh is] where I would like to be, but we all know that it is a business and you have certain things you have to handle,” Wallace told Sirius NFL Radio, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “So if I have to go elsewhere, you know Pittsburgh will always be in my heart, but I have to do what I have to do.”

The Steelers could use the franchise tag on Wallace in order to keep him under contract for another season, but that would result in a hefty $9.6 million salary cap hit that would further hamstring the team for the 2012 season.

With 2011 team MVP Antonio Brown set to become a restricted free agent after next season, Pittsburgh could find it difficult to justify two major investments in receivers with similar skillsets. Emmanuel Sanders is also up for free agency in 2013.

If Wallace hits the market, there will no doubt be plenty of teams vying for the services of a player who averaged nearly 19 yards per reception in his first three seasons. The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers are two of a number of championship contenders who could use another vertical threat.

“Most definitely. Those are two playoff caliber teams. Super Bowl caliber teams,” Wallace said when asked about whether he would be interested in playing for the Patriots or 49ers. “I think that the right person or the right piece for those guys could put them over the top. All they need is one more piece … most definitely, those are Super Bowl contending teams.”

Should the Steelers part ways with Wallace, or is he too valuable to let go? If they don’t resign him, where do you think he’ll end up?

Honda recall targets 45,800 Odyssey minivans made in 2008 and early 2009. The Honda recall is due to problems with lifts that hold up the rear tailgate door.

Honda is recalling nearly 46,000 Odyssey minivans due to problems with falling rear doors.

The issue is with the two gas-powered tailgate struts (support rods) that raise and hold up the power tailgate of those vans equipped with them. Sometimes, the struts fail to hold up the tailgate.

The Honda recall, announced Wednesday, involves 2008 and early 2009 Odyssey EX-L and Touring vans, some 45,800 vehicles in all. The company will begin sending out recall notices March 13. 

“A strut failure may result in the tailgate closing under its own power, possibly unexpectedly, with the potential risk of injury and inconvenience to users,” American Honda said in a press release detailing the recall. “Two injuries have been reported related to this issue.”

The struts use pressurized gas to support the back hatch when it’s open. When that gas leaks, they fail, and the hatch closes on its own, potentially conking someone in the head.

The problems, or “early life failures,” as Honda is calling them, are the result of a manufacturing flaw. The vans came from Honda’s manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Ala., which also makes Honda’s Pilot SUVs and Ridgeline pickup trucks.

Starting March 13, Odyssey owners can determine whether their vehicles need repair by visiting recalls.honda.com or by calling the company at (800) 999-1009 and selecting option 4. Honda will also be mailing notifications at that time.

Until then, if you have a 2008 or 2009 Honda Odyssey, be careful around your car’s back end, and watch your head. Both reported (minor) injuries were a result of the tailgates striking their victims.

If your van is affected, you will be able to take the car to your local Honda dealer for a free repair of the faulty tailgate struts. For further information, customers can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety hotline at (888) 327-4236, or on the web at www.safecar.gov.

This isn’t the Honda Odyssey’s first recall in recent years. In 2010, the company recalled 344,000 of the 2007-08 minivans due to a braking problem. In 2011, another 33,341 2011 Odysseys were recalled for faulty windshield wipers.

But her latest decision — a musical pairing with the man who three years ago left her bloodied and bruised — has left some questioning her judgment.

On Monday, after days of teasing, Rihanna and Chris Brown debuted two songs featuring each other. Brown sings and raps on the remix of Rihanna’s sexually charged song “Birthday Cake,” and she appears on a new version of his upbeat tune “Turn up the Music.”

Fans have been split about the topic: Some support Rihanna and Brown’s collaborations, others condemn it. The topic was still trending on Twitter on late Tuesday, with plenty of tweets criticizing Rihanna for embracing her former abuser.

Rihanna seemed to address the controversy Tuesday when she won best international female artist at the Brit Awards.

“At times when I feel misunderstood, my fans always remind me that it’s OK to be myself,” Rihanna said.

But Bill Werde, editorial director of the music trade publication Billboard, says Rihanna’s decision to make music with Brown could disappoint some of her supporters.

“I think there are people out there that feel betrayed (by) Rihanna,” he said. “She has every right to be an individual … she has every right to date who she wants to date and be with whoever she wants to be with. She’s a grown woman. But you just need to recognize that then the fans have every right to feel how they’re going to feel about that.”

Emails to both Brown and Rihanna’s record labels asking for more information on the songs went unreturned Tuesday, and while Rihanna’s representative had no comment, Brown’s publicist did not return a request for comment.

When rumors about the collaboration sparked last week, both stoked the talk about it. Brown tweeted: “Let them be mad!!!! We make music. Don’t like it, don’t listen!” On Tuesday, after weighing some of the negative feedback, he tweeted: “You are not GODS to judge us. U have no say! Positivity & LOVE! My fans make a difference.”

The release of the songs comes three years after Brown attacked his then-girlfriend on the eve of the Grammys, leaving her with a split lip, a black eye and other injuries.

Later that year, when she addressed the assault in an interview with ABC, she went into detail about how Brown punched and bit her during an argument that turned violent. She said Brown had “no soul in his eyes” and she had no idea how the beating would end. She also warned other women facing domestic violence to not let themselves become blinded by love.

“I think the existence of these (songs) show that she’s still kind of struggling with that, as many humans would,” said Werde.

Sandra Ramos, who founded the women’s shelter Strengthen Our Sisters in 1970, says she hasn’t seen many abusers change, and that victims — like Rihanna — get “caught up in this cycle.”

“She should be working on herself and not allowing herself to be near her addiction, her temptation, who’s this guy that purports to be charming when he is a batterer,” Ramos said. “He could have killed her.”

After Brown pleaded guilty to a felony charge, he saw his career plummet: A former Billboard artist of the year, he lost endorsements and his third album, “Graffiti,” released 10 months after his attack, was a commercial disappointment. A restraining order prevented him from being close to Rihanna and he was put on probation (which remains in effect). Since then, he’s returned to the top of the music charts, releasing a slew of hit songs and the album “F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies),” which won him his first Grammy this month. He also made his physical return to the Grammys, the same night Rihanna performed (the restraining order is no longer in effect). Brown performed twice at the show, which drew criticism.

But now Rihanna may face criticism as well. Werde, who expects the songs to find success, says he doesn’t believe she’ll lose any of her endorsements, but adds that image could change.

“This will be white-hot for a few minutes in the big scheme of things and then it will die down. But what’s going to be left behind is the complicated residue of who Rihanna is as a role model,” he said.

Even before the songs were officially released, Billboard addressed the matter in open letters to Rihanna and Brown. In Rihanna’s letter, Billboard said her pairing with Brown was “not cool, to a whole lot of people.”

“Young girls look up to people like you to guide them through circumstances too complex for them to tackle on their own, and by granting Chris Brown an iota of tolerance, you implicitly encourage others to consider doing the same,” the letter read. “‘With great power comes great responsibility’ is a schmaltzy sentiment, but it’s fitting here — like it or not, you have a different level of power than most of us schmoes because of your pop superstardom, and a different level of responsibility in your personal life than in your music because of the tabloid-infected culture we live in. It’s a burden that is not fair to you, or anyone in pop culture, but it’s one you have to accept.”

Rihanna is currently a spokeswoman for Nivea, and has endorsed CoverGirl and Gucci in the past. In November, she said in an interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that her goal is to be her true self, and not necessarily a role model to others.

“I used to worry about it a lot, but then I realized the message I really want to send is not perfection, it’s individuality,” she said.

___

Online:

Cupcakes inspired by the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake.

posted February 22, 2012 at 2:57 pm EST

In Rio they have Carnival, in the New Zealand it’s Shrove Tuesday, in the UK it’s Pancake Day, and in New Orleans it’s Mardi Gras. Here in Washington, D.C. it’s just the Tuesday after President’s Day … but hey, we’re only 1,084 miles from The Big Easy, so I’m going to listen to some jazz and blues, eat a gaudy green/purple/gold cupcake, and wish a Happy Mardi Gras to you all!

These cupcakes are inspired by the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake. The King Cake actually originates from the Epiphany celebration that traditionally falls on January 6 (12 days after Christmas) and recognizes the day that the kings (Magi) arrived in Bethlehem and Jesus was baptized. In the Southern United States, the King Cake is a part of the entire Carnival season of celebrations (a party a week – woohoo!), which last from Epiphany to Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent.

King Cakes are usually circular twists of brioche-style bread decorated with traditional Mardi Gras colors. They’re sometimes filled with cream cheese or fruit. They also tend to have a plastic baby, bean, orange peel, or nut hidden inside – whoever finds the hidden treat is the “king” of the party, or has to make the cake for the next party. (I didn’t hide anything, but you definitely can!)

Since I’m not actually a Southerner, I hope you’ll forgive me for adjusting this traditional treat and making my own mini version: King Cake Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling. Keep in mind that the cake is actually a yeast dough, so it’s bready like brioche. After baking, the cream cheese filling kind of disappeared … so though it added some extra richness and flavor you could skip it altogether if you would like.  

King Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese FillingInspired by Baking BitesMakes about 15 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

2-1/4 cups all purpose flour1/2 cup sugar2-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (.25-oz)1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup milk (any kind), warm (100-110 degrees F.)1/4 cup vegetable oil2 eggs and 1 egg yolk room temperature (save the white for the filling)1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

1 4-ounce cream cheese (1/2 block), room temperature3 tablespoons sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1 egg white1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Line cupcake tins. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine 3/4 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Stir to combine.

Add in warm milk and oil, then beat mixture for 2 minutes at medium speed. The paddle attachment works the best for this recipe. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next. Add in the vanilla extract and an additional 1/2 cup of flour and beat for 2 more minutes at medium-high speed.

Stir in all remaining flour (creating a thick batter, rather than a standard dough), then cover the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

For the filling, beat together all ingredients at high speed until smooth and fluffy.

Scoop about half the dough into each cupcake tin (about 3 Tablespoons per cupcake). Using a spoon, add dollops of cream cheese filling to each cupcake.

Spoon the remaining batter over each cupcake, trying to cover the filling (you won’t be able to completely cover it, which is fine). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (under a lamp, in a 100 degrees oven, on top of the dryer, etc.) until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake cupcakes for 15-18 minutes. 

Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar2 tablespoons butter, softened2-3 tbsp water3/4 tsp vanilla extractfood coloringsprinkles

Beat all ingredients except food coloring until smooth, adding more water or powdered sugar as necessary to reach a drippy but not liquid consistency. 

Scoop out 1/3 of the icing into a separate bowl and mix in food coloring (as you can see, I went with purple).

Spoon white frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Using a fork, drip purple frosting on top, then immediately decorate with sprinkles!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Jason Campbell isn’t likely to be playing for the Oakland Raiders in the fall. (Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images)

The unfortunate news that quarterback Jason Campbell and Jenny Montes had called off their wedding at the last minute has a silver lining: it reminds people that Campbell is likely to be a free agent professionally as well as personally.

Campbell hadn’t heard his name mentioned very often recently in the context of football moves, not with the future of Peyton Manning being a topic of daily debate and discussion and drama. But Campbell — hard to believe he’s 30 — is expected to become an unrestricted free agent when the market opens March 13. He is fully recovered from the broken collarbone that ended his second season with the Oakland Raiders, prompting them to sign Carson Palmer.

“I understand, things are gonna happen,” Campbell said in a SiriusXM NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon in January (via DC Sports Bog). “This is not my first rodeo. I’ve gone through some things. I understand from a business standpoint, things are gonna happen and I’m never surprised or shocked about anything.

“People forget, the game that we play, it’s not a guaranteed game. There’s nothing guaranteed. In each year that you play, it’s not about the contract; you’re basically playing from year to year. So your object is always to improve, and your object is always to help lead your team and get your team to where you want it to be.

“And I always look for improvement, I don’t never get too comfortable, don’t never get too settled, because things can change in an instant. Things can change in a quick minute. And that’s what I’m always trying to tell the young guys: don’t get too comfortable, don’t ever just stop pushing yourselves, because there’s always someone else pushing right behind you. There’s teams and people looking to always improve their franchise. So the minute you get comfortable will be the minute you have to make a sudden move or a sudden change. So always stay on top of what you’re doing.”

Campbell, as Washington Redskins fans will remember, has been fairly indestructible, a characteristic that should endear him to some team — even if only as a backup. And, after four so-so seasons in Washington, he was succeeding in Oakland; the team was 4-2 when he was injured Oct. 16. In Campbell, teams know they would be getting: a durable guy who has shown he can adapt to multiple offensive coordinators and will complete roughly 60 percent of his passes. In the right system, and we cannot stress that enough, he can have success.

And, perhaps, a long-term football relationship.

London (CNN) — Just one decade after the European single currency was launched amid fanfare and fireworks, its future continues to look uncertain as the debt crisis that engulfed Greece, Ireland and Portugal threatens the entire bloc — and the wider global economy.

In a bid to resolve the crisis, a majority of European leaders in December reached a deal for a new intergovernmental treaty to deepen the integration of national budgets. Britain refused to back the agreement while three other countries — Hungary, Sweden and the Czech Republic — said they would consider the plan.

European leaders were optimistic that a proposed fiscal compact, designed to ensure that governments do not spend beyond their means and rack up unsustainable debts, could be signed by the end of January.

But while solid demand at recent debt auctions in Italy and Spain calmed some investors, a Reuters report Friday that said ratings agency S&P could downgrade several eurozone countries at some point sparked a fresh bout of worries.

Why ratings agencies take center stage in crisis

Before the December summit, economists had feared that if European politicians failed to reach a consensus the eurozone crisis could trigger a global slump. Some went even further — Alain Juppe, ex-French prime minister, told French media that the crisis “raises the specter of a return to violent conflict on our continent.”

Many analysts saw it all coming of course, arguing that one fiscal system could never work for 17 EU countries that adopted the euro, serving more than 330 million people.

The flaws were exacerbated after some countries were suspected of fudging their numbers, including Greece which in 2004 admitted it gave misleading information to gain admission to the eurozone. The crisis exploded after Greece revised its figures to show its 2009 budget deficit would be 12.7% of gross domestic product — far higher than the eurozone limit of 3%.

The bloc — whose financial fractures may not have been apparent during the boom years — then began to unravel.

After Greece’s dire numbers were revealed, investors panicked and the country was unable to raise money to fund itself. The country was forced to take a €110 billion bailout from its eurozone peers and the International Monetary Fund.

But Greece’s bailout, rather than stemming the panic, served as a harbinger to the debt crisis.

Eurozone debt crisis glossary

The European Financial Stability Facility, or European bailout fund — set up to deal with further financial stumbles — was quickly tapped again.

Ireland, felled by a black hole in its banking system, was forced to take a €67.5 billion bailout package in November 2010. After the markets then closed their doors to Portugal, it was also forced to take a €78 billion bailout.

The troubled nations implemented austerity measures to try to rein in their hefty piles of debt, but confidence in the bloc’s ability to stabilize itself continued to fall.

The crisis may yet engulf Italy, which makes up 17% of the eurozone economy. Greece, Ireland and Portugal make up less than 6% between them.

And so Europe’s politicians and officials have desperately tried to sort out the mess by coming up with ideas including boosting the bailout fund, bringing the disparate economies closer financially, and tapping other markets for funds.

Their previous measures proved ineffective, as the markets — and the world — remained unconvinced at the bloc’s ability to survive in its existing form.

Germany and France, the largest economies in the bloc, led the call for EU countries to unite and find a joint solution. Now the majority of member states have come up with a new deal to be ready by March 2012.

Why does euro mean so much to Germany?

The 17 members of the eurozone that share the single currency have agreed on an intergovernmental treaty to deepen the integration of national budgets, and six other EU nations support this plan. Another three have agreed to consider it. They have also agreed to hand over the running of the Europe’s bailout funds to the European Central Bank and to add €200 billion to the International Monetary Fund.

Britain remains isolated by the deal that will now be tested by the markets.

NEW ORLEANS — By dawn on Wednesday, stately St. Charles Avenue, where tens of thousands spent Mardi Gras feasting, drinking and scrambling for beads, was cleared of mountains of trash left behind by revelers.

New Orleans’ iconic green streetcars again clacked along the tracks, and in the French Quarter stragglers mustered what energy they could as the exodus of visitors began.

Later, churches in the heavily Catholic city filled with the faithful as Ash Wednesday ushered in the season of Lent.

At the international airport, officials reported a steady outflow of visitors, many draped in beads they’d snatched at the stream of parades that reached its peak on Fat Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said the trinkets were a headache for TSA security officers but passengers were moving along nicely to waiting aircraft.

Traffic on streets around hotels was backed up Wednesday as cabs picked up departing tourists. Bourbon Street was immaculate with debris removed and streets washed down. It was mostly deserted except for a long line of beer and liquor delivery trucks restocking depleted bars.

In Jackson Square, tarot card readers and artists read books or dozed at their stands outside St. Louis Cathedral. Among the few people who wandered through the area were some with black ash smudges on their foreheads, signs of Lenten repentance.

Colin Tyler, who takes visitors on tours of the French Quarter in his mule-drawn carriage, said the trade during the Carnival season was tremendous.

“It was really great business-wise, but it’s not always easy for us,” Tyler said. “Ninety percent of our customers were drunk.”

With the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament and French Quarter Festival coming soon, he expected a lucrative spring.

Three women from Bonaqua, Tenn., sat at a table at Cafe du Monde eating beignets and sipping coffee with beads around their necks.

Lou Ann Bryan said this wasn’t her first Mardi Gras but her two friends were newbies.

“It’s too wild at our ages,” Bryan said. “We’re all retired.”

Normally about 15,000 passengers fly out of New Orleans on a regular day. Thousands more were expected to go out on Wednesday, airport spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said.

“We’re pushing through a lot of bodies,” Wilcut said. “Some are in better shape than others this morning. It’s a pretty quiet group.”

As party-weary visitors headed home, many recovering locals replaced Fat Tuesday’s merrymaking with the reverence of Ash Wednesday.

It was standing room only at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in the business district. As bells chimed, the faithful — many in business attire, suits and high-heel shoes — filed through the doors to receive ashes.

George Cenac, an engineer who works nearby, said Ash Wednesday is a day for reflection and repentance.

“It’s an important thing to do today,” Cenac said. “Catholicism is built into the fabric of this city. It’s who we are.”

Niccole Gordon, who was headed to the airport for her return flight to Chicago, said St. Patrick’s was a welcoming place where she could begin to atone for Fat Tuesday’s excesses.

“After all the fun I had, I definitely needed to come receive ashes and prepare for Lent,” Gordon said.

St. Patrick’s seats about 500 and pews were full during midday Mass. An extra priest and two deacons were brought in to deliver ashes to the hundreds of judges, lawyers, restaurant workers and hotel employees who took time from their workday to go to church.

___

February 22, 2012 02:26 PM EST

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

According to sources at Pocket-Lint.com that are attending the Panasonic conference in Hamburg, Germany, a Blu-ray 3D version of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace is being prepped and will be available to purchase sometime this spring. Their sources could offer no additional information about the release.

The idea that Phantom Menace is coming to Blu-ray 3D is not a surprise. Fox and LucasFilm releasing it in a timely manner is. The typical three-month window from theatrical debut to home video would put Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace on Blu-ray 3D in stores in early May. That falls into the territory of late spring and pushes the boundary of summer.

Other rumors floating around the Internet suggest that Fox will release Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones in 3D to theaters this August, roughly six months after Phantom Menance commenced its theatrical run. Fox and/or LucasFilm could be exploring this idea in fear that interest in 3D is waning, which some data suggests it is., or perhaps the shelved live-action television series is penciled in to begin its run in 2015 after Return of the Jedi would complete its 3D theatrical run.

If the rumor is proven true in the coming months, and it’s a long ways from that, the entire release schedule for all six Star Wars films to retrun to theaters in 3D would be condensed from six years to three. I’m sure the license holders that have to plan, develop and manufacture product for each release would love half the time allotment.

Teen atheist Jessica Ahlquist appeared live on CNN this morning in an interview with an anchor on Starting Point. The heroic 16-year-old girl has been the focus of hatred and violent rhetoric from the side of the rabid religious right in the United States over the removal of a prayer from her high school.

The young girl addressed questions about threats she had been recieving since her name became a part of media headlines. Jessica Ahlquist said that you never really get used to hearing “how bad you are” and that the death threats always hurt her feelings. She’s just getting at a point now where she can simply just cope with it. She also expressed how it’s pathetic that a congressperson referred to her as an “evil little thing,” and she is correct! Watch a clip of the video below:

Jessica Ahlquist is using the term “evil little thing” as a positive, which is a great way to fight fire with fire. Instead of allowing the words of ignorant and hate-filled adults, she and her friends have started selling t-shirts with the phrase on it. Good for them!

It seems that this young girl is not only proving to be an icon for atheism, but for American patriotism and liberty as well. While some are offended that a prayer was removed from the wall of a public school, it’s important to abide by laws that prohibit such religious display by a public government-funded facility. Jessica did the right thing and this extra exposure given to her by CNN is only going to catapult her even farther into a life of success!

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