From the WASHINGTON POST: Fertility rates have dropped in many parts of the world in recent decades, but something particularly remarkable happened to the once-prolific family across Latin America.
Year: 2011
Rick Santorum Surges In Iowa Caucus 2012
From REUTERS: …[Mitt] Romney came in first place in the poll, ahead of Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who came in second. Santorum earned the support of 16 percent of Iowa voters surveyed by the news organizations, compared to 25 percent for Romney. Santorum has virtually moved to Iowa, concentrating his hopes on the state’s social […]
US Job Market Ends Year in Better Shape
From NEWSMAX / AP: …The number of people applying for unemployment benefits each week has dropped by 10 percent since January. The unemployment rate, 8.6 percent in November, is at its lowest level in nearly three years. Factory output is rising, business owners say they’re more optimistic about hiring and consumer confidence has jumped to […]
Presidents should help legislative branch to find common ground
The greatest attribute that any President could have would be the ability to get the members of the Senate and House to meet halfway and find common ground. Unfortunately, precious few of our Presidents have seen that as a virtue of their office. BOTH sides of the aisle are guilty of strong partisanship, and most […]
China push to put astronaut on the moon
From the FINANCIAL TIMES: …Although a manned moon mission is still some time off – Chinese experts say after 2020 – the statement highlights Beijing’s soaring ambitions just five months after the US retired its space shuttle programme . “Chinese people are the same as people around the world,” Zhang Wei, an official with China’s […]
Occupy Lancaster and FEMA aid for Katrina victims
Intelligence Journal Lancaster New Era article “After strong camp, group plans exit” reports that the ‘Occupy’ campers will leave on or before January 1st when their permit expires. Hearty congratulations to protesters for their public spirited, courageous and self sacrificing efforts. And praise to the City administrators for their understanding and proper handling of the […]
Can Juries Ignore ‘Immoral’ Laws by Nullifying Them?
From the DAILY BEAST: What can a jury do to protest an “immoral” law? Return a verdict of “not guilty” to nullify it… The basic idea of nullification springs from two bedrocks of the American system of jurisprudence: that jurors cannot be punished for and need not explain the verdict they deliver (which means nullification is to some extent in the eye of the beholder), and the “double jeopardy” clause of the Fifth Amendment, which prohibits a person from being tried twice for the same crime.
European shame over the Roma question
From ALJAZEEERA: …There are three problems. The first is that all of these strategies are prepared without the participation of Roma people. They do not reflect the views of Europe’s estimated 10-12 million-strong Roma population, and they cannot. The European Parliament has only one person of Roma origin. Around 10 per cent of the Bulgarian […]
A state of flux: Penn State board of trustees has much to fix at next meeting
From the HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS Editorial: … [The Board of Trustees is] entirely too large with 32 voting members, and some appointments are made for political reasons or to serve the interests of the state’s agriculture and business communities…
Second Mile youngsters are suffering from scandal
From the HARRISBURG PATRIOT-NEWS EDITORIAL: Since the grand jury handed down its indictments of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and two high-ranking Penn State University officials, headlines have focused on the varied individuals and institutions embroiled in the scandal. Little has been written about the other victims of this tragedy… The children […]
Geisinger bans nicotine for job applicants
From the WILKES-BARRE CITIZENS VOICE: …Starting Feb. 1, all job applicants – including for part-time and volunteer positions and students in Geisinger-based schools – will be tested for use of cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, nicotine patches and gum as part of routine drug screening… Two other hospital systems in the state, Susquehanna Health Systems […]
Paying for the news: Media companies push online readers to open their wallets
From the GLOBE AND POST: …In 2012, [paywalls are] moving from experimentation to operational,” said Ken Doctor, a U.S. media analyst and author of Newsonomics. The need for newspapers to quickly adopt a digital subscription model is gaining momentum, he believes, and it’s crucial that companies establish the value of digital content in the minds of readers now.
Obama Administration Asking Congress To Raise The Debt Ceiling
From the HUFF POST: The Obama administration says the federal government has nearly reached its borrowing limit – again. Treasury officials said Tuesday that the White House plans to request another $1.2 trillion in borrowing authority Friday. The increase is necessary, they say, because the government will be within $100 billion of its current limit […]
Egyptian Court Bans Army’s ‘Virginity Tests,’ Calls Them Degrading
From the DAILY BEAST: A court in Egypt has forbidden the Army from carrying out so-called virginity tests on female detainees. The verdict was delivered in the case of Samira Ibrahim, a 25-year-old marketing manager and activist brave enough to defy the country’s Army In March of this year, military forces violently broke up a […]