Editor's Take: July 22, 2008
Credit: Tambako the Jaguar, Flickr.com
40 Newspapers in 4 Minutes
The wolves are back. First, confirmed howls recorded in Washington
and now, howling in Oregon.
But not everyone is pleased. Just ask local
ranchers.
Also today: Canadian libraries make a comeback in a tough economy. But what's the same economy doing to women in the workplace? And what happens to Oregon's economy when social security numbers are required for workers? It's not pretty.
Finally, one prodigal salmon spurs a BC celebration.
Editor's Top Picks
Your editor today is Anna Fahey | View All Today's News
First Wolf Pack is Confirmed in Oregon
Juneau Empire
07/22/2008
Oregon has its first wolf pack since the predator was wiped out by bounty hunting a century ago.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf coordinator Russ Morgan heard at least two adults and two pups answer his howls under a bright moon in the pre-dawn hours Friday on the Umatilla National Forest in northern Union County.
Go to article.
Many In White House Reversed On Greenhouse Gases
Fortune
07/22/2008
Bush administration officials, including the energy secretary, had originally agreed that greenhouse gases posed a danger to the public and should be regulated under existing clean-air laws but later reversed course amid opposition from Vice President Dick Cheney's office and the oil industry, a new congressional report says.
Go to article.
Libraries all over Canada Thrive in Internet Age
Vancouver Sun
07/22/2008
Business is booming at Canada's major public libraries, which credit everything from the high price of buying books to social networking.
"People say libraries are dying because of the Internet,: said Beth Barlow, chief librarian at Surrey Public Library.
"But we're finding a lot of growth in people who get library cards, and a continual growth in the circulation of our materials."
Go to article.
Cutting Consumerism for Conservation
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
07/22/2008
As the economy worsens, one group of Americans is turning to an Earth-friendly way of life as a hard-line strategy for saving. The Compact started a few years ago in San Francisco as a group of people who vowed to shun consumer culture for a year in the name of conservation.
Go to article.
Salmon's Return Spawns Celebration in BC
Toronto Globe and Mail
07/22/2008
It might not have seemed like much to get excited about when a lone salmon returned to the Coquitlam River last week, but news spread quickly through the small Kwikwetlem community and people were soon racing to the water to see for themselves.
There, in a trap near the base of a dam that had apparently exterminated the Coquitlam's sockeye run in 1905, rested a single male fish in prime condition and ready to spawn.
Go to article.
Oregon Solar Industry Approaching Solstice
Oregonian
07/22/2008
At least three big solar companies are considering Oregon for manufacturing plants that, along with the unannounced expansion of an existing project, could provide thousands of family-wage jobs.
Go to article.
Kitsap Considers Curbing Employees' Driving
Kitsap Sun
07/21/2008
Kitsap County government can save gasoline with a few explicit policies related to vehicle use, according to a new committee established by the Kitsap County commissioners.
Furthermore, the county can help its employees save gasoline, and money, with some changes in their work schedule.
Go to article.
For Sick Nuclear Workers, Denial of Compensation
Rocky Mountain News
07/22/2008
The U.S. Department of Labor, which runs the nuclear worker compensation program, list 77 conditions that it says have no known link to toxic exposure, including prostate cancer -- a condition compensated by the VA for veterans exposed to toxins.
Sick nuclear workers call this the "no pay" list. They view it as another tactic that bureaucrats have devised to deny them the benefits congress intended for them.
Go to article.
Undocumented Worker Ruling Could Rattle Oregon's Economy
Oregonian
07/22/2008
As a federal court decision nears that could require employers to verify workers' Social Security numbers, Oregon employers and economists are trying to gauge the possible economic impacts.
The most recent analysis says the state could lose up to $656 million in tax revenues and 173,500 jobs -- a huge rock in Oregon's economic pond that could ripple beyond undocumented workers to the services, businesses and industries they support and spend money on.
Go to article.
Poor Economy Slams Brakes on Working Women
New York Times
07/22/2008
Across the country, women in their prime earning years, struggling with an unfriendly economy, are retreating from the work force, either permanently or for long stretches.
For the first time since the women's movement came to life, an economic recovery has come and gone, and the percentage of women at work has fallen, not risen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
Go to article.
