Allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military is a step toward equality, advocates say, but a fight for other social changes such as gay marriage still lies ahead.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/19/132186375/gays-see-repeal-as-a-civil-rights-milestone?ft=1&f=1003
Homeowners hoping to save on utility bills may want to ask Santa for a storm door or insulation. Dec. 31 is the deadline for the energy tax credits that could cut your tax bill by up to $1,500. Science Friday runs down how to save some green this winter.
Miami’s city commissioners want to install slot machines at Miami International Airport to generate revenue, but under a Florida statute they must also install horse racing. Writer and humorist Dave Barry says though it would be great to have racing, it would be nicer to get the airport running first.
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106989033&ft=1&f=1021
As the eastern European nation of Belarus heads towards a presidential election Sunday, one of the few signs of opposition is on stage. The Belarus Free Theatre has been using its plays to highlight the current president’s human rights record and demand democratic freedoms. The acting troupe is unregistered and illegal, and their performances have come at a personal cost.
A 46-year-old research submarine named Alvin will be taken out of service for the next year and a half for modernization after more than 4,600 dives. Among its feats, Alvin found a hydrogen bomb, explored the Titanic and, most recently, visited the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/18/132136783/veteran-deep-water-sub-alvin-to-get-face-lift?ft=1&f=1007
Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” is a bittersweet tune about a couple leaving Saginaw, Mich., to discover their country. The lyrics to that 1968 song are now appearing on abandoned buildings around the city.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/19/132168299/finding-simon-garfunkels-america-in-saginaw-mich?ft=1&f=1003
The international community is turning up the heat on Laurent Gbagbo, Ivory Coast’s incumbent president who lost last month’s election. He refuses to concede and retains control over the military, the presidential palace and other key buildings. His rival and the certified winner of the election, Alassane Ouattara, remains holed up in a hotel.
This week marked another phase in the war in Afghanistan. The Obama administration completed a review of its war strategy. The conclusion: Progress is being made and American troops can begin to be withdrawn beginning next summer. Still, the administration concedes that gains are reversible.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/18/132162119/Making-The-U-S-Afghan-Strategy-Stick?ft=1&f=1004
A frequent unofficial envoy to North Korea, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is calling for it to show maximum restraint to planned South Korean military drills. He’s hoping the U.N. Security Council will deliver the same message in its emergency meeting.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/19/132181572/s-korean-exercises-prompt-emergency-u-n-meeting?ft=1&f=1004
Back in the 1990s, there were fewer than a dozen short-term tax provisions that had to be re-approved by Congress every year or so. By this year, that number had topped 140. And that has to change, say two Washington veterans — Mortimer Caplin, who ran the IRS under John F. Kennedy, and David Stockman, budget director for Ronald Reagan.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/18/132167168/beyond-the-tax-deal-targeting-the-code-itself?ft=1&f=1003
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