Local:  This article in New York Daily News says it is currently impossible for someone earning minimum wage to afford rent anywhere in New York City.  This is an extremely important local news story because New York City has one of the highest cost of living in the country.  In the past, the country has discussed raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour but people in New York City are asking for the minimum wage to be increased to $15.  The article points out that even if the minimum wage is raised to $15 someone only earning $15 an hour would be able to afford rent in only two neighborhoods in the Bronx.

This news story was covered effectively because it gave the statistics of the minimum wage in New York City, the cost of living in most areas of the city, and the hourly wage someone would have to make in order to afford the rent.  The article gave multiple quotes from New Yorkers saying they could not afford to live on their own.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/impossible-afford-nyc-rents-minimum-wage-article-1.2352294

National:  This article is about Kim Davis, the clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue  marriage licenses to same sex couples.  This is the most important national news story at the moment because of the historical events happening in the United States.  The Supreme Court of the United States declared the denial of marriage equality to homosexuals unconstitutional.  This means that Davis is going against the constitution and the Supreme Court.  This story was covered well however,  there could have been more detail about why the judge released Davis after only five days and why she couldn’t simply be fired.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/politics/kim-davis-same-sex-marriage-kentucky/index.html

International:   This article discusses the conflict within the nation of Turkey.  The Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) seeks an independent state in Turkey and is declared a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.  This story is a top international story because it involves Iraq, Syria, and ISIS: the most talked about war zones in the world today.  This article says Turkey is sending troops into Iraq to look for the rebels of PKK.  This story was covered effectively because it explains the relationship between Turkey and the PKK and has a quote from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/middleeast/turkey-iraq-kurds-pkk/index.html