The world at a glance . . . United States
United States
Spokane
Don’t let it snow: Frustration was mounting in Spokane this week after freak winter storms buried the normally arid eastern Washington city in 6 feet of snow. The harsh weather has snarled traffic, disrupted garbage collection, and frayed the tempers of many residents. Police are reporting incidents of “snow rage,” including one in which a man allegedly shot at a snowplow operator, apparently for honking at him. “People are getting upset, angry, stressed out because of all this snow,” said Staci Cornwell of the city’s mental health department. Storms since mid-December have dumped 78 inches of snow on Spokane. The city’s typical snowfall for an entire winter is 50 inches. Gov. Chris Gregoire has dispatched 200 National Guard troops to help with cleanup.
San Francisco
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Shooting stirs outrage: Leaders of San Francisco’s black community this week accused the city’s transit agency of hiding details of a fatal police shooting of an unarmed black subway rider on New Year’s Day. Oscar Grant, 22, died after being shot by Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is white. A video shot by a subway passenger shows an officer pinning Grant facedown just before Mehserle fires his gun. Mehserle, 27, has not yet given his account of the shooting, sparking suspicions of a coverup. The delay “raises questions about the integrity of the investigation,” said John Burris, a lawyer representing Grant’s family. Authorities promised a full investigation.
Sheridan, Wyo.
Tremors raise fears: About 500 small earthquakes have rocked Yellowstone National Park in recent days, raising fears that the ancient “supervolcano” on which the park sits could be nearing a massive eruption. The caldera, or crater, of the volcano is approximately 50 miles wide, and its geothermal activity powers some of Yellowstone’s most popular attractions, including the Old Faithful geyser. The floor of the caldera has risen more than 3 inches in the past three years, suggesting an eruption could be brewing. “It’s not business as usual,” said University of Utah geophysicist Robert Smith. “We are paying careful attention.” The last full-scale eruption occurred about 640,000 years ago, spewing tons of rock and dust into the atmosphere.
Tallahassee
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Another Bush for president? With one son about to leave the White House with historically low approval ratings, former President George H.W. Bush this week touted another son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, as a future president. Admitting that “right now is probably a bad time” to make that suggestion, Bush told Fox News that he considered his second son “as qualified and able as anyone I know on the political scene.” Jeb Bush, for his part, did not completely rule out such a scenario. Bush, 55, this week said he had decided not to seek a U.S. Senate seat in 2010, but he left open the possibility of future campaigns. “While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent times is compelling,” he said, “now is not the right time to return to elected office.”
Cincinnati
Bedbugs are biting: Cincinnati health officials are grappling with a bedbug infestation, with one in six citizens surveyed recently reporting at least one encounter with a bedbug in the past 12 months. City health inspectors can’t keep up with requests to check homes and offices for the pests. Bedbugs, reddish-brown insects about a quarter-inch long, all but disappeared from the U.S. in the 1950s, but they’ve made a comeback due to the explosion in international travel. Bedbugs rarely transmit diseases, but they’re hard to eradicate, and their bites can be painful and leave a nasty red welt. Officials had no explanation for why the problem seems particularly acute in Cincinnati.
Washington, D.C.
Obama’s tax plan: President-elect Barack Obama said this week he would seek around $300 billion in tax cuts for individuals and companies as part of a massive $775 billion economic-stimulus package. Obama wants to give a $500-per-person credit to Americans making less than $200,000 a year. He would do that by reducing the amount withheld from paychecks rather than mailing out rebate checks. Wealthy Americans would not qualify for the credit, but an increase in their tax rate, which Obama had earlier proposed for this year, would be delayed. Businesses would get tax credits for creating jobs. Some GOP lawmakers criticized the size of the plan. “We should not bury future generations under mountains of debt,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 13, 2024
Sunday's cartoons - the swing of things, fear of facts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
The news at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International
By The Week Staff Last updated