BBC News - Swiss ask whether animals need lawyers

BBC News - Swiss ask whether animals need lawyers: "Swiss voters will go to the polls on Sunday to decide on a proposal to appoint state-funded lawyers across the country to represent animals in court. Supporters of the initiative say such lawyers would help deter cases of animal cruelty and neglect, by making sure that those who did abuse or neglect animals would be properly punished."
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I guess the Swiss must have a lot of extra money lying around to even be considering this. Thanks to Marty Muloski for the link.

FOXNews.com - California Considers Tracking Animal Abusers Like Sex Offenders

FOXNews.com - California Considers Tracking Animal Abusers Like Sex Offenders
Having solved all of California's other problems, the state legislature has made time to do this?

Banks shuttered in Fla., Ill., Md., Utah - Yahoo! Finance

Banks shuttered in Fla., Ill., Md., Utah - Yahoo! Finance: "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over Sun American Bank, based in Boca Raton, Fla., with $535.7 million in assets and $443.5 million in deposits. Also seized were Bank of Illinois of Normal, Ill., with $211.7 million in assets and $198.5 million in deposits; Waterfield Bank in Germantown, Md., with $155.6 million in assets and $156.4 million in deposits; and Centennial Bank in Ogden, Utah, with $215.2 million in assets and $205.1 million in deposits."
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I guess these bank closings are another "lagging indicator" in this glorious economic revival that we are experiencing.

'Chop, chop from the top!'

'Chop, chop from the top!': "“Chop, chop from the top! Don’t balance the budget on the backs of the students and staff!” chanted students, staff and faculty Thursday at the University of Illinois’ Chicago campus.

A financial crisis at UIC, precipitated by the state’s budget crunch, continues to foment uncertainty on campus. Recent cuts have been made at the university, including furlough days for faculty. Now, some employees are losing their jobs."
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I saw some of this after teaching my classes yesterday. Decent sized group and lots of noise. There is huge resentment against the UIC administration right now among students, staff, and faculty. I assume the same is true at the Urbana-Champaign and Springfield campuses. People perceive them as overpaid, underwhelming, and out of touch. I think many people wonder why these people get paid $200,000 to $400,000 per year, and get the best staff, resources, and other support, but still have no idea how to protect this institution from disaster. All they do is look down the ranks and cut the people who make the place work.

Poll: 86 percent say government 'broken' - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

Poll: 86 percent say government 'broken' - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com: "Wide majorities of Americans do not trust elected officials and think the federal government is “broken,” according to excerpts of a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday.

Eighty-six percent of the 1,023 Americans surveyed nationwide said that the government is “broken” compared to only 14 percent who said it is not.

However, only 5 percent of the 86 percent who think government is “broken” believe that it “cannot be fixed.”"
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Those two sentiments in combination--government is broken but it can be fixed--mean that the Democratic Party should expect to be the target of voter rage in November, at the federal and state levels. The only way people can vote to "fix" government in our two-party system is to vote for the party that isn't currently in control. Unless there is some major good news on the economic front between now and election day, the Democrats are in trouble. I see no way such news can be forthcoming. The employment picture just can't turn around by then. Some indicators are positive, but voters don't care about the Dow-Jones average.

New ghost towns: Industrial communities teeter on the edge - USATODAY.com

New ghost towns: Industrial communities teeter on the edge - USATODAY.com: "Whether it's textiles in the Carolinas, paper in New England or steel in the Midwest, most industrial cities and mill towns 'are on pins and needles,' says Donald Schunk, an economist at Coastal Carolina University. 'Day to day, week to week, any manufacturing facility seems vulnerable. People don't know if they'll be there.'

That's true in:

• Georgetown, S.C. (pop. 9,000), where the closing of the local steel mill last year left International Paper as the last major private employer.

• Madawaska, Maine (pop. 4,000), where workers voted last month to take an 8.5% wage cut to keep the financially strapped paper mill going.

• Glenwood, Wash. (pop. 500), where flat lumber prices and rising land prices are crippling the forest products industry."
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If you add up all the seriously troubled states, cities, and CIDs, it starts to look like a whole lot of ordinary people are going to be wondering who to blame.

Scientists defend warning after tsunami nonevent - Science- msnbc.com

Scientists defend warning after tsunami nonevent - Science- msnbc.com
Right, wrong...who cares. The important point is...THE DEBATE IS OVER, YOU TSUNAMI-DENIERS!

Help for Donna Berger's blog! Here is the label of my shirt!

In answer to numerous queries, I have managed to locate the magic shirt that I was wearing in my online photo. Now if Donna Berger can find one, she can have herself photographed wearing it and make her condo law blog exactly like mine (see below).

California is a greater risk than Greece, warns JP Morgan chief - Telegraph

California is a greater risk than Greece, warns JP Morgan chief - Telegraph: "Jamie Dimon, chairman of JP Morgan Chase, has warned American investors should be more worried about the risk of default of the state of California than of Greece's current debt woes."
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And the state comptroller says he may have to start paying state workers with IOUs again.