In The News

British News Sites Seek Out Readers in the US

Eric Pfanner July 15, 2006
Americans are flocking online to read feisty articles of the British press. Online sites of the Times of London, the Guardian and the Sunday Times all have substantial circulations in the US. ''They got all these readers without even trying,'' said journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, as reported by Eric Pfanner in the New York Times. Sophisticated search engines assist readers...

Unlike General Motors and Delphi, Most of America's Manufacturers Are Thriving

July 14, 2006
Well-publicized woes of companies like General Motors could give the impression that all US manufacturing is struggling. Predictions that manufacturing would suffer setbacks after the IT boom played itself out several years ago failed to materialize. US manufacturers have been innovative in charting many areas for increasing productivity, not simply coasting on the momentum of the boom. Profits...

The Immigration Equation

Roger Lowenstein July 14, 2006
Many US opponents to immigration base their opinions on worries that immigrants pose competition for struggling unskilled workers already earning low wages. Economist George Borjas, a native-born Cuban who immigrated to the US in 1962, has compiled empirical evidence showing that the influx of unskilled, undocumented workers into the US does threaten working-class Americans, particularly those...

States and Towns Attempt to Draw the Line on Illegal Immigration

Miriam Jordan July 14, 2006
Angered at the federal government’s failure to pass a bill addressing illegal immigration, many states and towns throughout the US have taken matters into their own hands. Recognizing a galvanizing issue, legislatures and communities propose crackdowns on illegal immigrants. Those favoring more stringent policies argue that illegal immigrants pose a burden on social services and taxpayers....

Immigration – and the Curse of the Black Legend

Tony Horwitz July 12, 2006
In the current US debate on illegal immigration, one argument stresses the threat posed to a unique culture by the “’invasion’” of aliens. Many assume that this culture, as evidenced by the recent push to make English the country’s official language, is based on an Anglo heritage. Many forget that US history includes Spanish exploration and settlement, according to author Tony Horwitz. Prejudices...

Wildfire Increase Linked to Climate

Robert Lee Hotz July 10, 2006
Climate changes – and not just land-use or forest management practices – are responsible for an increasing number of wildfires, researchers conclude after studying 34 years worth of data. The scientists also blame greenhouse gas emissions and other types of pollution for wildfire seasons that lengthen with every passing year. Wildfires affect much of the western US, but are most prevalent in the...

Rival US Labs in Arms Race to Build Safer Nuclear Bomb

Ralph Vartabedian July 7, 2006
US scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California gear up for a replay of the fierce competition that marked the development of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Yet observers and policymakers continue to debate the expediency of restarting a new weapons program. Supporters claim that diminishing reliability of the US...