Friday, May 6, 2005

Current Facts 8

Fox News Damage
Fox News anchors and reporters injected their own opinions into 73% of the network's stories about Iraq last year, according to a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. In contrast, 29% of the war reports on MSNBC and 2% of those on CNN included the journalists' own views.-Washington Post
Taken from "The Week," March 25, 2005, Vol 5, Iss 200, pp. 18.

Fatality Rate
The Chevy Blazer has the highest fatality rate in accidents, according to a study by the insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Mercedes E-class has the lowest.-Bloomberg News
The Week Magazine, April 1, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 201, p. 36.

Marshmallow Peeps
Consumers buy 1.2 billion Marshmallow Peeps a year. About a third of the chick shaped confections are bought not for eating but to be used in science experiments or arts and crafts projects.-Fortune
The Week Magazine, April 1, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 201, p. 36.

Happy MRI's
Brain scans performed by magnetic resonance imaging have an intriguing side effect: they cheer people up. Doctors at Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital began noticing last year that MRIs left people with bipolar disorder in much better moods. So researchers said up an experiment in which they put stressed out rats through MRIs. The rats also “behaved as if they had received an antidepressant,” Dr. Bruce Cohen tells Reuters. MRIs create vivid pictures of the brain and other organs by surrounding the body in a powerful electromagnetic field. Up to now, scientists had insisted that these fields had no lasting impact on living tissue. But if MRI scans can make rats and people less depressed, says researcher William Carlezon, it suggests that magnetic fields can alter the biology of the brain, and “may cause other effects we don't understand yet.”
The Week Magazine, April 1, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 201, p. 21.

Screeners
An internal report concluded that the Transportation Security Administration's airport screeners had made no improvement in detecting weapons since 2003. Undercover investigators carried fake weapons and explosives past screeners in 15 airports in tests conducted from November to February.
The Week, April 29, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 205, pp. 6

Judges

The majority of judges on 10 of the nation's 13 federal appeals courts were appointed by Republican presidents.-The Christian Science Monitor.
The Week, April 29, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 205, pp. 16

Taxes

For the first time ever, a majority of US taxpayers this year paid their taxes electronically. With far fewer taxpayers relying on the US Postal Service, many of the post offices around the country ended the tradition of staying open until midnight on April 15.-USA Today
The Week, April 29, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 205, pp. 16

CEO's
The salary of the average CEO increased 12.6 percent in 2004, not including stock options. The average worker got a raise of 2.6 percent.-Associated Press.
The Week, April 29, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 205, pp. 34

Yelling

Yelling at customer service representatives might get results. A unit of FedEx and more than a dozen other companies are using new software designed to detect angry callers and immediately patch them through to managers.-Fortune
The Week, April 29, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 205, pp. 34

Low Crime Places more in Prison

While the U.S. crime rate has fallen over the past decade, the number of people in prison and jail is outpacing the number of inmates released, the government reports.

Bendable Concrete
"PhysOrg is reporting that scientists from University of Michigan have developed a new type of fiber-reinforced bendable concrete. The new concrete looks like regular concrete, but is 500 times more resistant to cracking and 40 percent lighter in weight. Tiny fibers that comprise about 2 percent of the mixture's volume partly account for its performance. Also, the materials in the concrete itself are designed for maximum flexibility. Because of its long life, the Engineered Cement Composites (ECC) are expected to cost less in the long run, as well."
Taken from Slashdot

Inflation Over Wages
For the first time in 14 years, inflation is outpacing the average American worker’s wage increase. Prices in 2004 were up 2.7 percent, while wages rose only 2.5 percent.-Los Angeles TimesTake from the Week, April 22, 2005, Vol. 5, Iss. 204, p. 36. The following excerpt taken from BlogPulse. The Financial Times finds that U.S. wage earners are losing ground at the fastest rate in 14 years. The Labor Blog offers some theories about who gains from these numbers (and if you guessed Corporate America, you'd be right). If United Airlines can weasel out of its pension commitment, how many other corporations soon will be lining up behind it?

Lobby Growth
Lobbying in Washington has quietly grown over the past years into a multi-billion dollar industry, according to a new report by the Center for Public Integrity. Since 1998, lobbyists have spent nearly $13 billion to influence members of Congress and federal officials on legislation and regulations. According to federal records, lobbying expenditures are expected to be at least $3 billion for 2004, doubling 1998 expenditures. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce tops the list of big spenders, paying out over $193 million to 24 firms since 1998. The Altria Group (formerly known as Philip Morris) spent over $125 million since 1998. CPI's extensive database includes information on all registered lobbyists, top clients, issues lobbied, and tracks the revolving door between lobby firms and government posts.
Source: Center for Public Integrity, April 7, 2005