Current Stories
We talk about issues that really matter.  Feel free to send us your comments or contribute your own story.



Aug 12 -- US Slipping in LIfe Expectancy Ratings -- LiveScience.com
Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries. Countries that surpass the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands. A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier.

Aug 12 -- World's Best Medical Care? (Editorial) -- NY Times
Many Americans are under the delusion that we have “the best health care system in the world,” as President Bush sees it. But the disturbing truth is that this country lags well behind other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care. According to a report from the World Health Organization, the US ranks a dismal 37th, just after Costa Rica and just before Cuba. (Download the full report here - PDF)

Aug 10 -- Analysts See "Simply Incredible" Shrinking of Floating Ice in the Arctic -- NY Times
The area of floating ice in the Arctic has shrunk more this summer than in any other summer since satellite tracking began in 1979, and it has reached that record point a month before the annual ice pullback typically peaks, experts said yesterday. The situation has nearly reached the tipping point, where more ice will have melted than can be recovered over the winter.

Aug 9 -- Stone Age Settlement Found Under English Channel -- LiveScience.com
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient human settlement under 35 feet of water in the chilly English Channel. The settlement is estimated to be about 8,000 years old and comes from the period when human civilization as we know it was just emerging. The site should provide many clues about our past.

June 25 -- Big Coal (Book Review) -- NY Times
Despite its outdated image, coal generates half of our electricity, far more than any other source. Each person in the United States consumes, on average, 20 pounds of coal every day to keep the electricity flowing. Coal accounts for nearly 40 percent of America's carbon dioxide emissions and it provides more than two-thirds of the energy for China.

May 4 -- GOP Contenders Embrace Reagan Legacy -- AP
In a debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Thursday, the leading candidates for the Republican party tried to align themselves with the legacy of one of the worst presidents in American history.  Are they referring to the "legacy" of running a deficit of several trillion dollars, creating tens of thousands of nuclear warheads and directly instigating mass genocide in Central and South America?

Apr 25 -- New "Super-Earth" Found in Space -- BBC
Scientists have discovered a new earth-like planet about 20 light years away.  About 1.5 times the size of Earth, scientists estimate the surface temperature at 31-104 degrees, meaning the planet may have liquid water on its surface.

Mar 1 -- Species Under Threat:  Honey Bees -- Independent
All across the US, honey bee populations have been in sharp decline over the last few months.  Scientists estimate the decline at as much as 60-70% in some areas.  No one knows what has caused the massive death toll.

Feb 14 -- UNICEF report ranks well-being of British, U.S. children as last in industrialized world -- AP
No child left behind?  The world's wealthiest country is last in child welfare.  Something isn't right...

Feb 2 -- UN report from the IPCC acknowledges humankind's impact on global warming -- Guardian
Thanks to the latest UN report, the US government finally recognizes what scientists have been agreeing about for decades.