Students aware of Four Loko risks, keep drinking

An emerging issue across the United States is the drink call Four Loco and the effects it has on drinkers. The drink is a larger size can that contains tons of caffeine and is equivalent to five beers. All of this in one can for around three dollars somehow leads to people drinking way too much and getting sick. The debate has already to begun on the dangerous drink and has been banned in some areas. The tools of government have already been put in use. Some towns have made regulations to ban the sale of these drinks. Other places have just begun by notifying people of the dangers of the drink. Either way the government has already stepped in to regulate the problem.
-Will Kalish
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/14/maryland.four.loko/index.html

Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cell Phone?

It has been determined that holding a cell phone against your ear as well as stuffing it in a pocket against your body may be hazardous to your health. The warning against this hazardous behavior is only mentioned in fine print in the little slip of paper that you toss aside when you open your phone, so therefore the warning is generally missed by an awful lot of customers. Since health issues arise from ordinary use of this hardware, it affects not only a large span of customers but also a huge industry. Brain cancer is one of the major concerns, but overall there has not been a general increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. This poses a public problem because now that people are more aware of the dangers of cell phones, the demand for cell phones may decrease and therefore hurt the industry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/14digi.html?src=me&ref=general

Kilee Imlay

Panel Seeks Social Security Cuts and Higher Taxes

The commission on reducing the national debt devised a plan that calls for deep cuts in domestic and military spending, a gradual 15 cents a gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax, limiting or eliminating popular tax breaks in return for lower rates, and benefit cuts and an increased retirement age for social security. This relates to our in class discussion on tax expenditures, or special provisions in the income tax system that provide financial incentives to individuals. This plan would reduce the cost of living, including social security, but the issue of equity arises in that the government is making budget cuts in other areas and while taxes are being increased gradually it could make a world of difference to low income individuals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/us/politics/11fiscal.html?scp=1&sq=tax%20expenditures&st=cse

-Kelly Neary

Backers of Legal Marijuana Find Silver Lining in Defeat of California Measure

This article talks about the recent Proposition 19 that would have legalized marijuana in California. Even though marijuana hasn’t been legalized yet, with about 48% supporting the proposition it shows that there’s hope for 2012. The main debate is how much tax revenue would have been made if marijuana were to have been made legal. This topic connects to what Birkland discusses as social regulation, rules and regulation that improve and benefit well-being of Americans. Citizens won’t vote to legalize marijuana until they are told that it is not threatening to health and well-being to their families. Yet, many believe the campaign was a success because it educated people and brought the issue to the mainstream.

Eizabeth Sziler


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/us/14pot.html?ref=todayspaper

Social Security Judge A Dangerous Profession

Judges who hear social security disability cases are receiving more and more threats of violent nature. They are receiving these threats due to denial of coverage/benefits or delays in processing. There were over 80 threats to harm or kill administrative law judges or staff over the last year. Nearly 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify for benefits, with many having to wait more than two year to see a initial payment. Judges blame this hostility on claimants becoming desperate after years of fighting for money to help make ends meet. No judges have been harmed this year, there have however, been previous incidents: A judge in Low Angeles was hit over the head with a chair during a hearing, a judge in N.Y. was punched by a claimant when he arrived to work. In January, a gunman killed a security guard during a furious gunbattle at a Nevada federal courthouse. There are about 1,400 administrative judges that handle Social Security appeals, at about 150 offices across the country, many are leased office buildings instead of proper government buildings. They lack the proper security and steps are being taken to improve the effectiveness of office security.

Hayden Wolf

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_go_ot/us_judges_threats;_ylt=AtzCjuCPvJ.S0f.edP1lZVas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtMDU4azRkBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMTE0L3VzX2p1ZGdlc190aHJlYXRzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMTAEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNzb2NpYWxzZWN1cmk-

Watchdog Planned for Online Privacy

After many past administrations have avoided internet privacy laws, Obamas staff has taken the initiative on creating internet regulations. With the amount of personal information available on the internet and the increase in social networking this type of law is a necessity to keep the internet safe and private. Currently there is no law in the United States that protects online users except the FTC "which can take action only if a privacy-violating action is deemed "deceptive" or "unfair."
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which is responsible for ads on the internet, is already trying to argue against any new type of privacy laws stating that "We believe we are living up to consumer-privacy expectations and are very advanced in privacy protections and innovations."

What actions should the United States take? Should they adopt stricter regulations like Canada or Germany?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703848204575608970171176014.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews

Ambition is curbed, but Democrats still have a lame-duck agenda

As Democrats head into the lame-duck session they will have to pick and choose carefully which issues they try to push through congress. When Republican’s take over the House Democrats will most likely not be able to pass many of their reforms such as the repeal of the “don’t-ask don’t-tell” policy and cap and trade environmental policies. Republican’s don’t plan on standing down or compromising once they take control of the House, they feel the American people are now behind them. Because of this it is important to the White House that Democrats put the right issues on the decision agenda to enact as many policies as possible before the party loses their majority standing in the House.

Kate White

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lame-duck-20101113,0,3743650.story