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Generation recession
The Nation
11/05/2009
When David Thyme was an even younger man, his fantasies of early adulthood did not include a 9:30 pm curfew and a bed in Covenant House, a shelter for homeless youth. They also didn't include a recession so severe that his financially strapped father would ask him to help with rent - or kick him out when he couldn't find an entry-level job to do so.
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Ready to jump off the grid?
Oregonian
11/05/2009
Researchers believe the day is coming when the electricity you use will be your own. Instead of relying on large central generating stations - hydroelectric dams, coal plants and the like - scientists say we're moving toward an era of "personalized solar energy."
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Study: Options are key in sex ed curriculum
Washington Post
11/06/2009
Sex education programs that encourage teens to delay sexual activity but also teach them how to reduce their chances of getting pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease cut risky sexual behavior, increase condom use and lower the chances of getting the AIDS virus and other infections, an independent expert panel concluded in a report released Friday.
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From he-cession to housework?
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/05/2009
An estimated two million wives are now the sole breadwinners in families across America as more men than women have been laid off in this recession. Experts say that unemployed husbands are probably taking on more of the housework and childcare duties - for now. But they don't expect that change to stick.
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Climate change: Threat or opportunity?
Washington Post
11/06/2009
A curious debate has broken out among American environmental groups, as the Senate balkily starts to focus on the threat of climate change. Is this really the time to talk about shrinking glaciers?
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Democrats push climate bill without GOP
New York Times
11/05/2009
Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee pushed through a climate bill on Thursday without any debate or participation by Republicans. The move suggests that President Obama and bill supporters will have serious problems assembling the votes needed to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor, probably not before next year.
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Baucus votes against climate change bill
Missoulian
11/06/2009
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., was the only Democrat on Thursday to vote against a climate change bill that Democrats rammed through a Senate committee - but said he still supports the effort to limit greenhouse gases and pass a bill.
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Senate Democrats advance climate bill without GOP
Seattle Times
11/05/2009
Ignoring a Republican boycott, Senate Democrats pushed a precedent-setting climate bill through a key committee Thursday.
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Haggling over abortion compromise in health bill
New York Times
11/04/2009
US House Democratic leaders struggled Wednesday to strike a deal that would restrict the use of federal money to pay for abortions under sweeping health care legislation headed for debate on the House floor this week.
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Most common Clunkers deal: Old pickup for new pickup
Contra Costa Times
11/05/2009
The most common deals under the US $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program replaced old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage.
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3 senators join forces to rescue climate bill
Seattle Times
11/04/2009
A trio of senators with differing political views is working behind-the-scenes to rescue troubled climate legislation. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., together with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., are working in conjunction with the White House to patch together a bill that could pass the US Senate.
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Childhood poverty in US will worsen
CBC BC
11/04/2009
Nearly half of all US children will be on food stamps at some point during childhood and the current recession could push those numbers even higher.
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US pledges overhaul of tribal recognition system
Seattle Times
11/04/2009
With some American Indian groups waiting decades for formal recognition from the US government, federal officials pledged to overhaul the process but cautioned the changes could take two years to go into effect.
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New business group backs climate-change bill
San Francisco Chronicle
11/05/2009
A new group of businesses -- including retail giant Gap Inc. and several large utility companies -- joined the lobbying fray over climate change on Wednesday, arguing that Congress must pass legislation to limit greenhouse gases as soon as possible.
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Al Gore is my co-pilot
Los Angeles Times
11/03/2009
We're used to GPS car units telling us where to go. Now they also have the ability to urge us to be more eco-friendly drivers. So, would this be a handy service, or would it be more like having a grumpy Al Gore in the passenger seat?
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Views: Smart, green and humane
Vancouver Sun
11/04/2009
According to the latest UN population projections, the next 40 years will see an almost doubling of urban populations. This growth will offer both unprecedented challenges and great opportunities to cities around the world.
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Views: The cool factor matters
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/03/2009
Auto companies big and small are so focused on the technology of green cars – the hybrid drive systems, the batteries, the electric motors, the controllers and software that are the “brains” of the things – they seem to have lost sight of something very important: electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids need to grab buyers with their looks.
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Consumer group finds elevated BPA levels in food
Los Angeles Times
11/02/2009
A consumer advocacy group's analysis of canned goods has found measurable levels of the chemical additive bisphenol A (BPA) across a range of foods, including some that were labeled "BPA free." Children eating multiple servings of some of the tested food could get doses of BPA "near levels that have caused adverse effects in several animal studies."
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Study: Half of US kids will receive food stamps
USA Today
11/02/2009
Whether for the long term or for getting through a temporary financial crisis, half of American kids will live in households receiving food stamps before age 20, according to a study reported Monday in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
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Views: Want to cut emissions in the US? Change the discussion
Christian Science Monitor
11/02/2009
In times of war, the US government has successfully appealed to citizens' patriotism. That can work now, too.
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Many workers can't afford the flu
Everett Herald
11/03/2009
For millions of Americans without paid sick leave, the rule is simple: If you don't come to work, you don't get paid. That idea drives an untold numbers of carpenters, day care workers, servers, shopkeepers and small-business owners to their jobs each day. Swine flu symptoms or not.
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Coal-friendly stream buffer rule may take another year
Seattle Times
11/02/2009
The Obama administration says reversing a last-minute Bush-era surface mining regulation criticized as too friendly to coal companies is going to take at least another year.
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Dog's eco-pawprint vs. driving an SUV?
Seattle Times
11/02/2009
A New Zealand study claims a medium-size dog leaves a larger ecological footprint than an SUV. Sightline's Clark Williams-Derry disagrees.
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GOP senators balk on votes on climate change
Seattle Times
11/02/2009
Republican senators on Monday demanded additional studies on the cost and job impact of a climate bill before it is voted on by a key committee, exposing the sharp partisan divide in Congress over legislation aimed at addressing global warming.
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Obama urges 'bold innovative action' to create jobs
Los Angeles Times
11/02/2009
Convening a meeting of his economic advisory board, the president calls for a focus on three areas: increasing US exports, expanding green technology and rebuilding infrastructure.
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