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President Bush was meeting with the Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, and the treasury secretary, Hank Paulson, Friday to discuss ways of boosting the economy. A breakdown of Friday's official U.S. data showed that during December, manufacturing industries shed 31,000 jobs and construction businesses cut another 49,000. There were 31,000 more government jobs created and 44,000 were added in education and health services, but retail industries cut more than 24,000 jobs. Weekly hours of work were unchanged at 33.8 in December but overtime hours dropped to 3.9 from 4.1 in November. Intellpuke: You can read this article by Guardian Unlimited staff writer Larry Elliott in context here: www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/jan/04/economics.useconomy
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A Pair of Bosnian Cafés Compete on a Queens Corner
Something a Serbian-American friend once told me stuck in my head. "In Astoria, all the former Yugoslavians live side by side. Whatever part they played in old conflicts is left behind in the old country. They all speak the same language and eat the same food, and no one asks in the butcher shop, 'Are you a Croat?' 'Are you a Serb?', or 'Are you a Bosnian Muslim?'" Indeed, eastern Astoria has become a wonderland of Balkan food and culture since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the cessation of Bosnian hostilities in 1995. The corner of 42nd Street and 30th Avenue is a particularly rich hotbed of transplanted culture. Black Bull Meat Market (42-10 30th Avenue) anchors the neighborhood, and it's just the sort of butcher shop my friend was talking about, displaying homemade sausages and smoked meats in the refrigerated window case.
Cycling: Double joy for Iranian rider Hossein
GENTING HIGHLANDS: Tabriz Petrochemical's Hossein Askari won the sixth stage of the Tour of Malaysia held from Kuala Kubu Baru to Gohtong Jaya here, a distance of 122.2km, yesterday. It was double joy for the Iranian when he was also crowned King of the Mountain (polka dot jersey) in the Tour after collecting eight points at the Gohtong Jaya climb zone yesterday and finishing with an overall total of 16 points. Le Tua's Tonton Susanto, who finished the climbs with a total of eight points, was the runner-up. Hossein clocked 310:11 ahead of David McCann (Giant Asia Racing) who did 3'10:21 while red jersey holder Tonton secured third place after posting 3'10:23. .
Reign of Terror - The South Hill Rapist
The story: After 25-years in prison, convicted "South Hill" rapist, Frederick "Kevin" Coe, is scheduled to be released this September.Play slideshow: Launch In 1980, the city of Spokane lost its innocence. A rapist, preying mostly on woman living on the city's South Hill, had police frustrated as the mounting toll of victims began to attract media attention. The perpetrator was recast as the South Hill rapist and panic began to descend on the city. Finally in the spring of 1981 a break in the case led to the arrest of Frederick "Kevin" Coe whose father happened to be the managing editor of the Spokane Daily Chronicle newspaper. After two trials and having served 25-years in prison, Coe is scheduled to be released this September. Now state prosecutors are looking at filing a civil case that could keep Coe behind bars for the rest of his life.
Tollway bike project closer to reality
The dream of building a bicycle trail to run nearly the length of the Interstate 355 south extension now has some money behind it. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation announced that Roll the Tollway, the bike ride to kick off I-355's opening in November, raised $107,243. "The crazy idea that was thrown around of people riding on the tollway before it officially opened wasn't just a crazy idea," Rob Sadowsky, the federation's executive director, said. Local bicycle clubs, including the south suburban Folks on Spokes and the Blue Island Bicycle Club, will receive about $38,000 from the fundraiser for events and advocacy campaigns. But the bulk of the funds raised -- almost $70,000 -- will go toward construction of a 10.5-mile trail along the eastern edge of I-355. The project is estimated to cost $7 million.
Bicyclist killed; pickup driver faces DUI manslaughter charges
A bicyclist was killed Monday night on U.S. 41 when a pickup truck hit her from behind, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP reports that Robert James Bacon, 33, of Naples faces charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI property damage and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death. Maria Alba Alvarez-Hernandez, 38, of Naples was pronounced dead at the scene, which was near Imperial Golf Course Boulevard. FHP reports state both the truck and bicycle were southbound on U.S. 41, with the bicycle in its proper lane and the truck in another lane. Reports state the truck crossed into the bicycle lane and hit Alvarez-Hernandez's bicycle. The truck then fled the scene, FHP reports state. The reports do not say if there were witnesses to identify the truck, but troopers report that it was found and its driver has been identified as Bacon.
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