Globalism vs. Americanism
Down at the Chinese outlet store in Albany known as Wal-Mart, Chinese tires have so successfully undercut U.S.-made tires that the Cooper Tire factory in that south Georgia town had to shut down. Twenty-one hundred Georgians lost their jobs. The tale of Cooper Tire and what it portends is told in last week’s Washington Post [...]
Just Toss It In
As I was returning to Jacksonville last week from Tallahassee, my friend Rick called me with a proposal – “when you get back in town, let’s play a round of golf.” Now, let me be quite blunt. Everyone who knows me somewhat well will attest that I would rather do a billion other activities than [...]
What Do Election Results Mean for the Tea Party Movement?
Former House Speaker John Thrasher swept to an easy victory over arch-conservative rival Dan Quiggle in this week’s special election for State Senate District 8. The Republican primary result is expected to return Thrasher to the Legislature, but leaves questions about how much of a factor the grassroots conservatives and tea party organizations will play [...]
McBurney Pushing for Mandatory Civics Education
A Jacksonville Republican is renewing his push to require all Florida students to take civics. Rep. Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, has filed legislation that has failed for the past two years that would require middle school students to take a civics class and be tested on their knowledge. A testing system would be phased in, so [...]
Police Revamping Lineups
Police are transforming the way they conduct suspect lineups after a mounting number of wrongful convictions based on mistaken identifications. At least five states – Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia – and some major U.S. cities have revamped or started changing the way law enforcement officials use photo lineups to identify suspects. [...]
Tax Credit Deadline Looms
Time is fast running out for first-time buyers hoping to get a tax credit of up to $8,000, and Realtors say they’re seeing a marked upswing in interest as the deadline looms. Real estate groups also are urging Congress to extend the credit beyond its current deadline and expand the tax credit to up to [...]
Better Day Care, Smarter Kids?
Scientists have long known that poverty can inhibit a child’s intellectual development. But now researchers have found a possible equalizer — a good day care environment. High-quality day care for the youngest poor kids may be enough to offset negative home environments and provide them the foundation for good school skills, at least up to [...]
Emmys Struggle to Entice Audience
After killing at the Tony Awards, Neil Patrick Harris is an inspired choice to host Sunday night’s Primetime Emmy Awards. About that, most people agree. Everything else, though… Last year’s Emmy broadcast reached historic lows. Reasons vary. Cable wins too much! So say the broadcast networks. Network shows aren’t good enough! So goes the cable [...]
Thursday Night’s TV Picks
It’s the busiest TV night since the season ended, with multiple shows premiering or returning. Odds are Amy Poehler will be better served by her guest return to “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday” (NBC, 8 p.m. ET/PT) than by her star turn on her seemingly hopeless sitcom “Parks&Recreation” (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT). All plot [...]
Florida Lawyers, FSU Debate Death Penalty Woes
Juan Melendez speaks with some authority when he talks about the need to investigate wrongful convictions and make sure that everyone on death row really should be there. He knows many of the men on Florida’s death row. He was once one of them. “Believe me my friends, some of them are innocent,” said Melendez. [...]
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