Talk Radio News Service
Monday, October 1
By Ed Zuckerman|10/1/2012 2:09 PM
Disappearing youth vote
The number of young voters expected to participate in next month’s elections will be substantially fewer than there were four years ago. According to a poll from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, the share of voters under age 30 who are following campaign news very closely is roughly half what it was four years ago (18%, down from 35%). Just 63% of young registered voters say they definitely plan to vote this year, down from 72% in 2008.
Happy New Fiscal Year
Taxpayers for Common Sense proposed $2 trillion worth of deficit reductions, such as eliminating the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and repealing beach replenishment, as an alternative to the $1.2 trillion across-the-board cuts that would take effect in the absence of congressional action. A report, Sliding Past Sequestration: Two Trillion in Common Sense Cuts to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff, celebrates the October 1 start of the government’s fiscal year.
70,000-year-old icicle
An ice core drilled from an ancient Antarctic ice sheet is more than 70,000 years old, say scientists working at the National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver. A team of scientists and engineers drilled more than two miles to retrieve the sheet’s oldest ice.
Health care statistics
The U.S. Census Bureau said in a report that working-age adults made fewer visits to doctors in 2010 than they did in 2001. On average, working-age adults made 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses, or other medical providers in 2010, down from 4.8 in 2001. And, among those with at least one such visit, the average number of visits declined from 6.4 to 5.4 between 2001 and 2010.
Freedom of Information Act online
The National Archives and Records Administration, teaming with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dept. of Commerce, launched an online system to expand the public’s access to the Freedom of Information Act. It allows users to submit FOIA requests, track their progress, communicate with the processing agency, search other requests, access previously released documents, and file appeals to unresponsive decisions. Ironically, the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed an FOIA lawsuit to compel disclosure of emails that were exchanged between EPA officials through private accounts.
TV can harm children
Although studies suggest that “background television” can be harmful to children’s cognitive functioning and social play, a survey conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics says the average child is exposed to nearly 4 hours of background television during a 24-hour period. The report said children from the poorest families were exposed to nearly 6 hours per day.
First Monday in October
The U.S. Supreme Court opened its new term by clearing hundreds of review petitions and other matters from its caselog. An 88-page order lists hundreds of cases that were routinely disposed on the first day of the high court’s new term.
Hybrid fuel efficiency
An 18-month evaluation showed significant fuel economy benefits for hybrid electric delivery vans compared to similar conventionally fueled vans, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said. During the on-road portion of the study, the hybrid vans demonstrated a 13% to 20% higher fuel economy than the conventional vans.
Green gets green
The Federal Election Commission certified $160,389 in matching funds to the Stein for President committee. It brought to $260,389 the total amount of taxpayer funds for the committee that raises and spends funds to promote Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential nominee. Two other candidates—former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson—have qualified for taxpayer funds.
Army uniform procurement can’t hide
Since 2002, the military services have introduced seven new camouflage uniforms with varying patterns and colors—two desert, two woodland, and three universal. Presently, the Army is developing new uniform options and estimates it may cost up to $4 billion over five years to replace its current uniform and associated protective gear. An examination by the Government Accountability Office concludes that the Army should develop clear policies and procedures to promote a more effective uniform development program.
Heart health is skin-deep
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a heart defibrillator that helps restore regular heart rhythms with leads that can be implanted just under the skin, instead of being connected directly to the heart. The Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator (S-ICD) System is a small battery-powered device that constantly monitors a person’s heart rhythm and can deliver a therapeutic dose of electricity to restore the rhythm when it senses that the heart is beating dangerously fast (tachycardia) or chaotically (sudden cardiac arrest).
Original Publication URL: http://www.talkradionews.com/for-immediate-release/2012/10/01/monday-october-1.html
Discussion
Sign Up for Updates
