Your task is to extract the thesis of an opinionated news article by selecting some of its text segments. The thesis is a summarization of what the author wants to persuade the reader of. Your answer should consist of segments of the given text. Note that you are not allowed to combine different sentences.

Input: Consider Input: North Korea: An 'act of war' over a movie? At his press conference on Friday, President Barack Obama said that Sony "made a mistake" by not releasing its film "The Interview" on schedule . He said:"We cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States." The dictator in question is North Korea's Kim Jung-un . Sony acted following both a major hack of its computer files and, more ominously, a threat that any US showing of the comedy film that culminates in the assassination of Kim, could produce another 9/11 type attack . The threat was issued on December 16 by an outfit calling itself, the "Guardians of Peace" , which also claims to have been behind the hack attack on Sony . It promised a "Christmas gift" for the American people . Within 48 hours of the threat, and following pleas by companies owning most of the cinemas in the US, as well as by the shopping centres in which the cinemas are situated, Sony pulled the film , which is quite a coup for whoever orchestrated the assault on the company . The original hack cost Sony an estimated $170m while withdrawing the film will cost the company another $45m it cost to make plus whatever the film would have taken in at theatres and from home release . This is a big deal . It is worth noting that it is not 100 percent positive that Pyongyang is behind the Sony hack or the 9/11 warning . Yes, the FBI asserts (with its customary assurance) that North Korea is guilty on both counts but leading cyber security experts say (with equal certitude) that the evidence of North Korean responsibility is sketchy at best . As for the North Korean regime itself, it flatly denies any involvement while at the same time issuing threats against the US that are even more blood curdling than the one issued by the "Guardians of Peace" (who may or may not be the North Koreans themselves) . Whoever the culprits are, they did not inflict major damage on the US . Contrary to those who are screaming that by pulling the film, the US surrendered the concept of freedom of speech , it is not the US government that pulled the film . In fact ,  Obama said that if Sony had talked to him first, he would have told the company to show the film as planned . But Sony did not talk to Obama because its decision to withdraw the film had nothing to do with the US or its national interests but with the financial interests of the multinational corporation itself . Multinationals do not, for reasons implied in the very term multinational, act with an eye on any flag . These are businesses and profit, not patriotism, is their guide . It is, therefore, ridiculous to accuse the US of yielding to the threat of a foreign dictator . It didn't . Sony did and , from the point of view of its shareholders, it probably did the right thing . Losing $45m in production costs for "The Interview" is nothing compared to Sony's potential liability if some catastrophe occurred at a showing of the film in Los Angeles or Washington, DC . This is not to say that there are no foreign policy implications of this debacle . Sony's decision to make a comedy about the assassination of the North Korean head of state was a terrible idea that has only worsened the US' already terrible relations with this very unstable nuclear-armed nation . If reports that a State Department official read the script and approved of the assassination scenario are true , that is troubling . Driving an already unbalanced head of state off the deep end is clearly not something diplomats should sign off on . Of course ,  certain elements in the US government want to see an increase in tensions with North Korea, and maybe even an attempt at "regime change" . Although Obama was careful to say that North Korea's purported actions constituted "cyber vandalism" but "not an act of war" , Senator John McCain, who becomes chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee next month, said on Friday that it is indeed an act of war to which the US must respond . Former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich agrees , as do eager warriors in both political parties, those who promoted war with Iraq and now oppose a nuclear deal with Iran . Those two countries are, of course, charter members of former President George W Bush's original "Axis of Evil" regimes that he and his allies wanted eliminated . The third member was North Korea .

Output: At his press conference on Friday, President Barack Obama said that Sony "made a mistake" by not releasing its film "The Interview" on schedule


Input: Consider Input: #YouTubeAsksObama: GOP desperately needs a 'Glozell' moment. Republicans who mock President Obama's interviews with the three popular YouTube Internet stars make a serious mistake . While the Obama White House is completely incompetent and weak , they know how to spin everyday Americans . The Washington media crowd, including conservative media, preaches to the choir of news junkies . The idea that you can win a modern presidential election without being modern is what should be mocked . How can it be that some Republicans still don't understand that young people aren't watching"Meet the Press" or "Fox News Sunday"? In fact ,  news junkies are watching less"Meet the Press." Young people are getting their news from YouTube, Facebook and Ellen . And Team Obama has largely monopolized the playgrounds where Millennials are hanging out . The YouTube interviews inside the White House were an easy home run for the president's communications team . The White House must love the ridiculing they are getting from conservatives, too . The more out of touch Republicans seem, the easier their job to spin young people becomes . The Internet stars who interviewed Obama have a combined reach of thirteen million people - and most of them aren't following politics . They are 'gettable' and Democrats are reaching them . Republicans need to change their elitist attitudes -- and fast . Voters aren't as informed as we want them to be and the Democrats have figured out how to reach them with simple messages . I am not sure how anyone could criticize the president's outreach to thirteen million people . After all ,  one YouTube host informed the president that during the State of the Union address, the most Googled question in America was"How old is Obama?" Hank Green, a wildly successful vlogger with his brother, who regularly reaches 2.4 million people through their YouTube videos, started off the round-robin interviews by thanking the president for welcoming him to his house . Obama, showing incredible connectivity with his audience responded with an analogy that every young person understands . "I'm actually leasing (this house), and my lease runs out in two years. I hope to get my security deposit back," said Obama . Green, who was born in 1980, focused his questions on what young, non-news junkies are thinking about their government . Green asked whether something can "really get done in Washington," how drone strikes make sense and whether or not more sanctions can work on a country like North Korea . His questioning was serious . Green also asked one of the smartest questions Obama has had over the last six years . Green told the president,"I don't smoke pot... I think it's bad for my brain... but I'm for legalization.... how do we move forward out of this legal gray-ness?" It was a way of forming a question many in the White House press corps have never thought about . Green finished the interview by sharing with Obama a receipt for a prescription drug medication that he said cost $1,100 but because he enrolled in ObamaCare now costs $5 . The moment was a strong message for the millions watching . The president didn't miss the moment either and said of ObamaCare,"We had some bad hiccups initially... but the website works really well now." Glozell Simon, a 52-year-old comedian who goes by the name Glozell Green and reaches 3 million people, was up next . Glozell surprised the Washington crowd by first asking,"Why didn't the government help Sony feel protected and safe enough to release the film on time?" She went on to tell the president she cut off the hoodies from her husband's sweatshirts because of her concern for his safety , and then asked a question about Cuba because many of her Cuban friends have concerns over Obama's new friendship with Castro . Glozell, who although is wildly creative and funny, was completely respectful of the situation . She asked about same sex marriage and Obama's legacy and gave her followers a peek at the president answering easy, soft questions . The president looked and sounded relatable . Bethany Mota, a 19-year-old YouTube star who regularly reaches eight million people was the last interviewer . Mota also asked informal but serious questions on education, cyber-bullying, Boko Haram and China . Obama told her,"your voice is more powerful than the president of the United States." And I am sure her young female followers agreed . Mota, too, asked the president a question in a way traditional reporters have failed to ask . "I was just in China and couldn't access the apps and websites I could back home," Mota said . Obama gave her a non-answer that made him look knowledgeable but likeable . She also said,"I never really followed politics that much... why should the younger generation be interested in politics?" The president again spun a good tale about the need for young people to get involved so they can go to college . Eight million young women now think Obama wants them to go to college . It was a brilliant move by the president . Obama finished the round of interviews by taking a selfie with the three and adding this eye-opening insight into his reason for going around the White House press corps and sitting down with YouTube stars . Obama told them:"This is the power of what the Internet is all about... you can create content and there' s not all these barriers to entry... suddenly you get millions of people who are listening to you." Republicans are bound to lose the next presidential election again if they can't communicate with new voters . Millions of people walk into the voting booth and vote for someone they like . News junkies and Washington types casually refer to this as"Who would you want to have a beer with?" The sentiment is accurate but the analogy should be updated to"Who do you want to make a YouTube video with?" I think President Obama is weak, bored with the office, and an incompetent leader . But he sure knows how to go around the White House press corps .

Output: The Washington media crowd, including conservative media, preaches to the choir of news junkies


Input: Consider Input: High School: Islamic vocabulary lesson part of Common Core standards. Parents in Farmville, North Carolina want to know why their children were given a Common Core vocabulary assignment in an English class that promoted the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith . "It really caught me off guard," a Farmville Central High School student who was in the class told me . "If we are not allowed to talk about any other religions in school - how is this appropriate?" The Islamic vocabulary worksheet was assigned to seniors . "I was reading it and it caught me off guard," the student told me . "I just looked at it and knew something was not right- so I emailed the pages to my mom." "In the following exercises, you will have the opportunity to expand your vocabulary by reading about Muhammad and the Islamic word," the worksheet read . The lesson used words like astute, conducive, erratic, mosque, pastoral, and zenith in sentences about the Islamic faith . CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW TODD ON FACEBOOK FOR CONSERVATIVE CONVERSATION! "The zenith of any Muslim's life is a trip to Mecca," one sentence read . For "erratic," the lesson included this statement:"The responses to Muhammad's teachings were at first erratic. Some people responded favorably, while other resisted his claim that 'there is no God but Allah and Muhammad his Prophet." Another section required students to complete a sentence :. "There are such vast numbers of people who are anxious to spread the Muslim faith that it would be impossible to give a(n)___ amount." I spoke to one parent who asked not to be identified . She was extremely troubled by what her child was exposed to in the classroom . "What if right after Pearl Harbor our educational system was talking about how great the Japanese emperor was?" the parent asked . "What if during the Cold War our educational system was telling students how wonderful Russia was?" The parent said the material was classwork disguised as Islamic propaganda . "It's very shocking," she said . "I just told my daughter to read it as if it's fiction. It's no different than another of fictional book you've read." A spokesman for Pitt County Schools defended the lesson  - noting that it came from a state-adopted supplemental workbook and met the "Common Core standards for English Language Arts." "The course is designed to accompany the world literature text, which emphasizes culture in literature," the statement read . The problem is it's emphasizing a specific culture and religion - and the school district acknowledged there were concerns "related to the religious nature of sentences providing vocabulary words in context." "Our school system understands all concerns related to proselytizing, and there is no place for it in our instruction," the statement goes on to say . "However, this particular lesson was one of many the students in this class have had and will have that expose them to the various religions and how they shape cultures throughout the world." I asked the school district to provide me with a copy of vocabulary worksheets that promoted the Jewish, Hindu and Christian faiths . The school district did not reply . I also asked for the past or future dates when the students would be given those vocabulary worksheets . The school district has yet to reply . The student I spoke with told me they have not had any other assignments dealing with religion- other than the one about Islam . Why is that not surprising? Based on its official statement, Pitt County Schools seems confident that the vocabulary lessons are in compliance with three Common Core standards related to literacy . If you want to look up those standards , reference CCSSELA- Literary L11-12.4. A, 12.4. D and 12.6 . Since the Common Core folks seem to be infatuated with sentence completion - let me try one out on them . Use "Islamic" and "proselytizing" in the following sentence : Somebody got their ____ hand caught in the ____ cookie jar . UPDATE : I asked the school district if there had been similar vocabulary assignments about Judaism, Christianity or other religions . I also asked for the exact dates of those assignments . Here's the reply I received from the school district :. "The class recently finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel . As part of the study of this book, students were exposed to Judaism . I'm told that one of the next couple of lessons that will be taught in this class includes an examination of Psalm 23 as part of the lesson . Additionally ,  the workbook in question has another vocabulary lesson with words used in a passage about India's three great beliefs (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism) . Keep in mind that this workbook is just one of numerous resources used in the course . Students are exposed to various cultures, values, and beliefs through the reading of multiple types of literature, but teachers certainly aren't advocating for any of them." Notice how the school district dodged my question?


Output: Parents in Farmville, North Carolina want to know why their children were given a Common Core vocabulary assignment in an English class that promoted the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith For "erratic," the lesson included this statement:"The responses to Muhammad's teachings were at first erratic. Some people responded favorably, while other resisted his claim that 'there is no God but Allah and Muhammad his Prophet."