TresSugar

Front Page: Los Angeles Wildfires Double in Size

TresSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:00:38 -0700

Wildfires near Los Angeles have doubled in size. The fires have destroyed more than 50 homes as of now, but some people still refuse to evacuate. -CNN
Kidnap suspect Phillip Garrido was convicted of a similar crime in 1976, but he only served 11 years of his 50-year sentence. - Los Angeles Times
The EU has banned the manufacturing and importing of old-fashioned light bulbs with hopes of encouraging people to switch to energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. - BBC News
Nearly one-third of cocaine seized in the US is laced with a dangerous veterinary medicine. - AP
A new study suggests that a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet, exercise, and breastfeeding, could prevent 40 percent of breast cancer cases. - The Guardian

Justice Served? Homeless Arsonist Ordered to Pay $101 Million

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:01:00 -0800

Steven Emory Butcher sleeps in a tent, but the law seems to think he's a millionaire. After setting fires in 2002 and 2006 that destroyed 160,000 acres of national forest, the homeless man was sentenced to four years in prison and $101 million in fines.

While in prison, the arsonist will have to pay $100 each year toward his fine. Once he's out, he must contribute $50 a month for the rest of his life. Right now Steven lives on government disability insurance, but if he gets a job, his payments will be adjusted accordingly.

Since the law requires anyone who has damaged property repay the cost of the lost property to the victim, the judge ignored how much Steven could afford. While it's crucial to send a message to arsonists that such destructive and dangerous activity will be punished, do you think the punishment fit the crime in this case?

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Front Page: US Invests $250 Billion in Banks, Wildfires Rip Through Southern CA, McCain's Economic Proposal

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:59:16 -0700

$250 Billion Bank Investment:
President Bush announced this morning that the government plans to invest $250 billion into banks, a move that he says is essential to stabilize the financial system. In exchange for the money the government will get an equity stake in the banks. It's the plan promoted by economists in the excellent This American Life episode explaining the crisis. Henry Paulson also delivered remarks on the plan today.

Wildfires Rip Through Southern CA:
Over 1,000 firefighters are battling blazes near Los Angeles. The fires have claimed two lives and thousands more have been evacuated. With flames fanned by the Santa Ana winds, Gov. Schwarzenegger says, "Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour, which is why it is so important that residents in the areas surrounding these wildfires heed warnings from public safety officials to evacuate."
McCain to Announce Economic Proposal:
John McCain will be revealing $52.5 billion in new economic proposals today, specifically aimed at helping seniors, workers, and the unemployed - those the campaign has said have been hurt worst by the crisis. In addition to the plan, three new tax measures, including a 50 percent reduction on the capital gains tax on stock profits will be announced. McCain's plan comes a day after Obama announced his own.

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China to Rebuild Devastated City Somewhere Else

LibertySugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:15:00 -0700

Following the recent earthquake, China plans to rebuild one of its worst-hit cities, Beichuan, in a completely different location. Of the city's 161,000 residents, at least 7,227 died in the quake. The region's Communist Party Chief said:

Safety is the top priority in selecting a new location and reconstruction. We plan to build a monument and a memorial to commemorate the quake victims on the previous location.

The questions of when and where to rebuild devastated areas often comes up after a natural disaster. Following the wildfires in Southern California last Fall, actress Jamie Lee Curtis summed up one line of thought:

We live in a drought, we build houses too close, and then we're shocked when this happens? This is not an act of God. This is an act of man.

After Hurricane Katrina hit low-lying New Orleans, some critics spoke out against the idea of rebuilding the city, which could eventually be hit by a similar hurricane. They argued that New Orleans, built like a bowl and located bellow sea level, is geographically susceptible to similar flooding in the future.

Are humans foolish to build cities in places that are prone to natural disasters? Would China's plan to choose a new location work for a place like New Orleans? How should we mitigate risks of destruction and death, when every place is susceptible to some form of random devastation? How risky is too risky?

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On Fire: Australia Battles Deadliest Natural Disaster in History

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:58:31 -0800

Victoria, Australia is welcoming cooler weather, as authorities say it will take several more days to contain blazes that have killed over 100 people.

On site last weekend, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd proclaimed: "Hell and all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the past 24 hours." These residents can thank a record breaking heatwave and perhaps arsonists for the hellish experience.

Australia's federal government will be there to help pick up the pieces, and the tab, for those who suffered damage, thanks to a $10 million disaster relief fund. Each adult will get $1,000 and an extra $400 for each child. Victims can apply for other grants, such as a re-establishment grant, totaling $26,000.

Do you think governments should pay for disaster relief and reconstruction?

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Headline: Wildfires Scorch Virginia, the Carolinas, South Korea

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:55:07 -0800

Firefighters are battling at least 100 brushfires that still rage over Virginia and the Carolinas. Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia has declared a state of emergency as half of his state's counties are burning. Though no deaths have been reported yet, fires displaced scores of residents - the largest fire reached 400 to 500 acres in Bedford County near Roanoke. County officials reported at least 10 fires burning there. The National Guard has been mobilized, sending 100 troops to help control the flames, which have been fanned and spread by the 50 to 60 m.p.h. winds gusting across much of the South. Virginia is set to hold its presidential primary tomorrow.

Firefighters also battled flames in South Korea today as the Namdaemun, which is Korea's top national treasure and oldest wooden structure, was engulfed by flames. It suffered major destruction in the blaze.

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Front Page: US Jobless Rate Hits 25-Year High

TresSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:01:32 -0700

US jobless rate hits 25-year high. - Reuters
FEMA kicks Hurricane Katrina survivors out of trailers. - New York Times
Pakistan presses all-out assault on Taliban. - Bloomberg
Thousands ordered to leave homes as Santa Barbara wildfires rage on. - CNN
Congressional Democrats may not agree to Obama's $17 billion budget cuts. - MSNBC
Former US soldier could face death over raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and killing her and her parents. - CNN
US warns of consequences for North Korea nuclear test. - Reuters
Wesleyan student slaying suspect surrenders to police after seeing his picture in the paper. - Huffington Post

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Front Page: White House Wants to Bridge Divide on Abortion

TresSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

White House begins effort to bridge divide on abortion. - Wall Street Journal
Afghans protest against US airstrike that killed dozens of civilians. - Reuters
Blackwater security firm's era ending in Iraq. - CNN
Bush attorneys who wrote terror memo face backlash. - AP
GM posts loss and burns through $10 billion. - Reuters
Obama seeks increase in domestic spending. - AP
US retailers see signs of easing in sales slowdown. - New York Times
Wildfires in Santa Barbara force homeowners to evacuate.- AP

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Front Page: Suicide Attacks Kill at Least 75 People in Iraq

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Two suicide-bomb attacks in Iraq killed at least 75 people today and injured 113. They targeted a quiet residential neighborhood and Iranian tourists. - New York Times
Amidst this wave of violence, the suspected leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq was arrested. - AP
President Obama is pushing for more legal protections for Americans who use credit cards. - San Jose Mercury News
Voter turnout in South Africa has been huge. ANC, the ruling party, looks headed for an easy victory. - LA Times
Wildfires in Myrtle Beach, SC, have destroyed homes near the popular beach area. - AP
A Senate intelligence report shows that Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney approved waterboarding as early as 2002. - CNN
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith got so passionate yesterday condemning torture that one of his expletives had to be bleeped. - Huffington Post

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Pulitzers Can't Afford Award For Writing on Financial Crisis?

TresSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:03:55 -0700

It's a big day for people who write articles that get awards - the day the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes are announced. (The Pulitzer Prize is considered the highest national honor that can be bestowed to newspaper journalists, literary writers, and composers.) This year all the hoo-hah is over what won instead of who.

So what did win? Here's the breakdown for journalism awards:

Three awards for the presidential election
Two political sex scandals
Two humanitarian crises
Two on people's right to know
One on the Iraq war
One on the environment (wildfires)
One on art

I'm hardly the first to point it out, but the glaring omission is there's no award for coverage of the financial crisis. Maybe because nobody saw it coming? There's no Pulitzer for Best Hindsight.

Is it crazy that articles on sex scandals received two awards while writing on the worst recession since 1982 was ignored? It might be, but who really cares about Pulitzer Prizes? This guy?