Hot off the Press: 15 days and I'm outta here! edition

Seattle's iconic Elliott Bay Book Company bookstore may be leaving its longtime home in downtown Seattle: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-hometown-seattle29-2009nov29,0,4976336.story. The way the article puts it, I don't think it would be a bad move, especially the way it described the potential relocation area. At least it's not forecast to close for good. That would be tragic. Not only would Seattle have lost a daily newspaper in the last year, but also an independent source and venue of knowledge and ideas, and we need all those we can get now.

As unemployment increases, so does the number of motorists without car insurance: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus29-2009nov29,0,7233077.column. That type of insurance is, strangely, something most states require everyone to have.

I usually shun posting prominent national headlines, but I can't not give this attention. One in eight Americans, and one in four children, now use food stamp assistance: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html?hp. What blew my mind was this little graph: “From the ailing resorts of the Florida Keys to Alaskan villages along the Bering Sea, the program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day.” One quote says it all:

“This is the most urgent time for our feeding programs in our lifetime, with the exception of the Depression,” he said. “It’s time for us to face up to the fact that in this country of plenty, there are hungry people.”

Interest in public megaprojects, like the Erie Canal and the Tennessee Valley Authority, is low, but may be on the rise due to their potential effect on the economy: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weekinreview/29uchitelle.html?ref=us.

Amtrak ridership in Iowa broke a record this year: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091129/NEWS10/911290343/Amtrak-riders-break-record-at-Iowa-stops.

Reactions across Europe regarding the Swiss ban on minarets and the possible legal quagmire that may arise: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/europe-reacts-to-the-swiss-minaret-ban/?hp.

Recent reversals regarding health and environmental safety recommendations has one government agency in hot water: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/science/earth/30agency.html?ref=us.

Each holiday season, the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan displays a page of the original draft of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," which includes all his edits: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/a-christmas-rewrite-as-dickens-edits-dickens/?hp. Cool stuff. Not only do I love writing, but I love the entire writing process, editing included.

Despite having advanced degrees, race is still an obstacle for unemployed blacks looking for work: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/us/01race.html?ref=us.