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21 Apr 2010 11:01

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U.S.: North Dakota has lots of jobs. But why is homelessness up?

  • 19% increase in homelessness from 2008 to 2009 source
  • » But why? The reason might surprise you – as will the deceptiveness of the number above. In 2008, 832 people were homeless. In 2009, 987 were. That’s a far cry from your average major city. The state has 4 percent unemployment, so there are plenty of jobs. But there aren’t enough homes for people to live in, causing some to make do, for example, in cars parked in Wal-Mart parking lots. There are waiting lists for homes in the state. How crazy is that?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2010 11:05

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U.S.: Debt-ridden California owes a lot of money in pensions

  • $500
    billion     amount the state owes in
    pensions, according to a Stanford
    University study
  • 2,000%
    increase     the amount California’s
    pension burden increased between 1999 and 2009 source
  • » Why is this bad for California? David Crane of the L.A. Times notes that this pension burden is what’s really holding the state back. Because they have this huge albatross on their back, they’re forced to cut other, arguably more important things, like education.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Dec 2009 09:17

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U.S.: Oklahoma could start treating abortions like sex offenders

  • Because shaming people out of getting abortions is really the right way to go. A court case will be the deciding factor in creating a law in Oklahoma that will put information about abortions in an online database on a Web site. While names won’t be named, those who plan to get the abortions would have to fill out a lengthy questionnaire which asks them why they’re getting the abortions. Some fear that the questions will be detailed enough that they could identify the mothers. State Sen. Todd Lamb is the guy behind this overly invasive legislative crapfest. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jul 2009 21:51

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U.S.: Obama’s citizenship was brought to a vote in the House; he won

  • 378-0 commemorate that, folks from Hawaii source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jun 2009 18:31

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U.S.: Gay marriage continues its New England revolution in NH

  • New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch signed the latest bill legalizing gay marriage, making them the sixth state to legalize it. source
  • However, Lynch had one caveat – which was agreed to – protecting the rights of those opposed to gay marriage. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2009 13:09

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U.S.: The Terminator is complaining loudly about California’s budget

  • $6 billion is how much Arnold wants to bail out California source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Apr 2009 10:36

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U.S.: Norm Coleman drags the Minnesota Senate seat fight out – again

  • The Minnesota tradition in law [is] to enfranchise people, and their decision disenfranchises many Minnesotans whose votes have been wrongly rejected.
  • Norm Coleman • Who has bitterly fought Al Franken in a tightly-contested senate race that should have ended six months ago, considering it’s almost May. With just a couple hundred votes separating the two, Franken was declared winner in a court decision, but Coleman filed an appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court. You know, we understand why Coleman’s fighting so hard, but there has to be a point where you just give it up out of respect for a state which hasn’t had proper representation for nearly four months. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Apr 2009 11:56

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U.S.: The most unloved N.Y. governor ever: David Paterson

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2009 11:43

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U.S.: Live in New York? Make a lot of money? Hope you like taxes.

  • $300,000 or more income bracket that will be getting a big fat tax increase from New York state source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jan 2009 20:49

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Offbeat, U.S.: Decades later, love hasn’t torn Virginia apart yet

  • 40 age of Virginia’s state slogan; Va. is for lovers, y’know source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
 
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