2012: A Better Year, Unless Europe’s Debt Blows It Up
Last New Year’s Day, most economic forecasters were predicting a good year ahead. But 2011 turned out to be another disappointment for stock investors and home sellers, and a discouraging time for job seekers. Now, as 2012 begins, economists are hoping their crystal balls are working a bit better. Most are seeing a brighter picture. [...]
The Changing Face Of America’s Chinatowns
The Chinese New Year begins on Jan. 23. On that day, people will celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Chinatowns across the country. The neighborhoods known as Chinatowns sprang up in the U.S. during the Gold Rush. But since then, they’ve seen gradual yet significant changes — not so noticeable to the average visitor, [...]
2011: An Extraordinary Year For Gay Rights
This year was an extraordinary one for many things — especially gay rights. In September, the end of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy allowed gay, lesbian and bisexual people to serve openly. And just this month, two female sailors became the first to share the Navy tradition of a “first kiss.” This summer, [...]
Banana-Sam At Large: Monkey Stolen From S.F. Zoo
The reward for Banana-Sam is now up to $5,000. The squirrel monkey was abducted from his cage, officials say, and the San Francisco Zoo is beefing up security to keep an eye on the rest of their animals. The San Francisco Chronicle reports Banana-Sam was likely stolen late Thursday or early Friday by vandals who [...]
No Excuses: Robots Put You In Two Places At Once
Mike Fennelly isn’t easily surprised by cutting-edge technologies, but when he started as an IT guy at a Silicon Valley start-up called Evernote, he was caught off guard by a robot rolling around the office. “It was slightly disturbing for not really knowing what the robot was for at the beginning and then going, ‘Oh, [...]
After A Year of Struggles, Obama Finds His Footing
Even as President Obama relaxes with his family in Hawaii over the holidays, he knows what’s on the horizon when he returns to work in Washington. He will start where he left off, facing new skirmishes with Congress over a push to extend a temporary cut in payroll taxes. That temporary extension was approved just [...]
Peanut Prices Make A Go-To Snack More Expensive
It’s lunchtime at the Barber home in Macon, Ga. Three-year-old Samuel has just gotten up from his nap, and he’s hungry for a creamy peanut butter sandwich. Carol Barber says Samuel eats peanut butter for lunch almost every day. He’s not the only one; she has three other little boys. Millions of Americans love peanut [...]
For Gingrich, A Week Of Attacks And Falling In Polls
It’s been a week of marathon campaigning for GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich: five or six campaign events each day, hitting Rotary meetings, pizza restaurants and coffee shops. With the caucuses just days away, it’s time for closing arguments in Iowa. Gingrich says his is that he’s a supply-side conservative with experience both in balancing [...]
Midwest Learns To Manufacture More With Less
CEO Eric Treiber walks out onto the factory floor of Chicago White Metal Casting. Workers are busy making aluminum, zinc and magnesium metal parts for cars, swimming pools and farm equipment. The floor’s a lot louder than it was a few years ago. At Chicago White Metal Casting, revenue is up 4 percent from 2010 [...]
Obama’s Grade In Foreign Policy 2011: ‘Incomplete’
One of the most important things to understand about global affairs is how much lies beyond any one country’s control, even for the most powerful country in the world. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the limits on American power were especially apparent this year. “American power has always had [...]
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