Research Blog : current events

The Health Care Reform Act turmoil

SuDocQueen@evpl — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:33:00 GMT

Opinions and concerns abound about this issue, sometimes to the point that the facts get obscured. Can I separate all the facts from the fiction? Nope, I can be duped and sucked in as easily as the next person. But I can tell you where to go to form your own opinions undiluted by anyone else with an agenda. Thomas from the Library of Congress is an excellent site for following legislation and the workings of Congress. As a matter of fact, Thomas has made it easy for people right now. You don't even have to search for the House's health care bill. They've put up a direct link on the very front of their website. From that link, you can then read a summary of the bill, see what Committees it's been referred to, see who is sponsoring it, and read the bill word for word yourself. Be warned, the bill's over 1,000 pages long and very dense to read! That doesn't mean I think it's not worth reading; I'm just saying don't expect to skim through it on your lunch hour unless you belong to Mensa. :)

You can also get some very useful links from Congressman Brad Ellsworth's "Online Office." He has the PDF of the full bill, just as Thomas does, but he additionally has links to the committee work being done on the bill.

And while we're talking Congressmen, if you want to share your opinion, do you know who to share yours with? Indiana's Senators are Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar, while Evansville's Congressman is Brad Ellsworth.

Lastly, here's on other place I like to go when I'm inundated with opinions, http://factcheck.org/. They appear non-partisan to me. They've debunked pro and con statements surrounding the health care debate. And, their website/services don't exist solely for the health care debate (it just looks that way right now :). Take a look at their Archives or Ask Factcheck to see some of the other political issues they address.

An unusual perspective on world news

googler@evpl — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:10:00 GMT

Even news junkies might not know about all the global news they're missing. GlobalPost is here to change that. Founded by two media veterans, this site aims to "redefine international news for the digital age ... relying on the enduring values of great journalism: integrity, accuracy, independence and powerful storytelling." They've assembled a staff of journalists living in the 53 countries they report on. And special attention is given to geographic areas that Americans so often hear almost nothing about. The site is rich with multimedia and offers an easily browsable context for today's important world stories.

You'll find important, fascinating stories here -- dip in to the site as you have time, and share what you find.

Explore Issues of Global Importance with New Database

Bufkinite@evpl — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:56:00 GMT

Need up-to-the-minute information on child labor? Want to have an idea about current world opinion regarding the US military's use of torture? Are you concerned about nuclear weapons in failed states falling into the hands of international terrorist organizations? Are you confused by the proliferation of different and conflicting information about global climate change and sea-level rise?

Information on all of these issues and much more is available through a new database called Global Issues in Context. Available through the EVPL database page, this resource offers global news and perspectives on issues and events of international importance, like the ones outlined above, and provides background information on them, placing them in the proper sociopolitical, religious, and cultural context.

Searching Global Issues in Context can take place in a variety of ways, starting with simple keyword searching in a single search box. There is also a clickable world map, where choosing a particular country then links to issue portals where that country is mentioned.

Global Issues in Context has a great deal of multimedia components, including extensive audio and video clips from such places as NPR, PBS, CBC, and NBC news; interactive maps, and links to world newspapers.

TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS: Global Issues in Context's conten is aligned to state and national social studies and science standards and is up to date. Thus it can be used across the curriculum. It also encourages and develops critical-thinking skills by providing students a variety of pertinent global perspectives on the issues.

Check out this resource; it will broaden and deepen your understanding of current events and issues affecting countries and people around the world.

New Webzine Looks at Area Lifestyle Trends

potentate@evpl — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:55:00 GMT

Evansville Intelligencer is a new webzine launched in April 2009 with content on area health, dining, society, natural and architectural sites, and politics. It's free, easy to use, and readers may comment on the posts.

Do Not Flush!

wag.mado@evpl — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:28:00 GMT

You may remember a time when it was common practice to flush outdated/unused medications down the toilet. Well, that practice has caused some disturbing consequences resulting in the FDA promoting guidelines on proper disposal of drugs. There are still a few drugs that should be flushed, but the majority are to be disposed of following specific guidelines in order to safeguard life and protect the envioronment.

If you want to dispose of things once a year, you can always take your unused meds and other toxic substances to "Tox Away Day" at Robert's Stadium on September 12, 2009. A list of environmental pollutants can be found on the City of Evansville's website along with the hours they will be accepting materials for disposal. Tox Away Day is for Vanderburgh and Posey County residents only.

Maybe you are interested in learning more about what type of pollutants are making their way into our water. If so, you can listen to NPR's Fresh Air for April 20, 2009 where Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Hendrick Smith reports that disturbing chemicals from our everyday activities are showing up in water supplies around the globe. He is interviewed by Terry Gross to promote PBS's Frontline - Poisoned Waters, which airs on Tuesday April 21, 2009.

Since protecting our environment can seem like a monumental task, many people decide to start with small basic steps and gradually add something new each year. As Earth Day approaches this week, maybe each of us can add one thing to our daily routine which would help lessen the burden on our beautiful planet. And, what a better time to do it than now.

America’s Bank Crisis –Quick Information Links

seeker@evpl — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:08:00 GMT

I just had a question from a person who wanted some quick Internet sites to follow the recent bill, "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" that was approved by the Senate October 1, the House October 3, and signed into law by the President . Here's a 1 page summary of it: http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/latestversionEESASummary.pdf .

Some news sites that I follow have some good up-to-date articles: CNN Money Magazine - special issue on America's Money Crisis, Google News - recent news articles on the Wall Street Crisis, and NPR's Economy Section news.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures individual bank accounts. Find current news of failed and merged banks, and under Top Search Results, find Failed Banks List, reports of Conditions & Income and Thrift Financial Reports for your bank, or use "Edie the Estimator" to calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for your deposit accounts.

And finally, what will it cost and how will it impact federal finances? Here's the Congressional Budget Office Analysis: http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=173

Get inspired to vote: American history art exhibition at Louisville museum

dsrs@evpl — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:49:00 GMT

Based on this Courier-Journal review by Louisville attorney Richard Clay, I'm going to take a break from incessant TV election campaigning and get truly inspired to vote by visiting the Speed Art Museum. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery" runs from now through January 4, 2009. Check the Planning a Visit page for directions and other suggestions for organizing an easy, top notch day trip.

While we're on the subject, here's a link from the library catalog to Vote: the Machinery of Democracy, an online, interactive exhibition from the National Museum of American History.

Battening down your financial hatches

googler@evpl — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:37:00 GMT

Lifehacker has a good article on making sure you're in the best shape possible for any economic downturn. They recommend making sure your savings are FDIC insured, continuing to reduce your debt, not panicking about your investments, and recession-proofing your career, among other things. There are lots of links to all the financial experts they're drawing from. Well worth a read!

A blog I recommend for personal finance in general is Get Rich Slowly -- they always have sensible advice.

Paul Newman, 1925 - 2008

dsrs@evpl — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:59:00 GMT

Paul Newman is an iconic figure in American film, and his life, times, and work figure significantly in the EVPL collection. To be reminded of the breathtaking good looks and inspirational pursuits that made him a star both on and off the screen, take a look at Paul Newman, a Life in Pictures, edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier & Pierre-Henri Verlliac.

Here's what our Biography Resource Center database has to say about him.

And what will happen to Newman's Own, the food company founded by the actor in 1982 to fund his philanthropic causes? CNN Money.com speculates in this article published earlier today.

"The Big Picture": photos in the news

googler@evpl — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:27:00 GMT

I've been looking for a good reason to link to The Big Picture, and Hurricane Ike is it. The Big Picture is a remarkable photo blog from the Boston Globe, intended to highlight quality imagery of current interest. This site is worth checking out daily -- every time I visit, there's something that makes me say "Wow."

Foundation Center tracks Katrina aid

dsrs@evpl — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:01:00 GMT

On the third anniversary of the Gulf Coast devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Foundation Center has put together a comprehensive portrait of the United States philanthropic response to the crisis. This will be the first in a series of special reports from the Foundation Center on current events and the field of philanthropy.

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library is a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection.

Nielson Media Research blog

googler@evpl — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:33:00 GMT

Nielson, the ratings company, has recently launched a pretty interesting blog. In addition to expected posts about television viewership (over 211 million viewers watched the Olympics, a new record), they also provide an interesting quantitative perspective on other current happenings ("Obama's text message reaches 2.9 million").

Indiana Economic Digest – New! -- Indiana Business News Stories Online

seeker@evpl — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:08:00 GMT

A new Indiana business news source has just gone online. Do you need to know who's hiring, who's firing, and what programs the local, state, and federal government is pushing? Indiana Economic Digest is a daily collection of business, housing, health and development news stories from daily Indiana newspapers. You can check out the most recent state-wide news or look for stories in your county or region. You can concentrate on a business topic or a government category. Read it all or sign up for email updates on the topic or region of your choice at http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net .

Fact-checking the election ads and coverage

googler@evpl — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:41:00 GMT

There are a number of nonpartisan websites that can assist in determining what's true, what's misleading, and what's just plain wrong in both the media's election coverage and the candidates' own ads.

FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. They do fairly in-depth analyses, explaining fully why something is misleading, and frequently provide audio and video links to the content being checked.

PolitiFact is a service of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly Inc. This site features a "truth-o-meter," a graphic that rates the truthfulness of the ad or claim. While usually not as in-depth as FactCheck, the content on this site is well-organized and accessible in a variety of ways (you can browse by candidate or subject, among other things).

The Center for Public Integrity is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan, non-advocacy, independent journalism organization" that uses examines political and campaign issues in depth. These folks also have a Buying of the President site which looks at how money influences presidential campaigns.

The Fact Checker is a blog from the Washington Post that analyzes campaign statements in a similar way to FactCheck.org and PolitiFact, prompted by reader suggestions. Submit a question there if you're wondering about a claim that isn't being addressed on the other sites.

What's an "Ozone Alert" and how should you respond to one?

Bufkinite@evpl — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:49:00 GMT

A recent number of days where Evansville issued Ozone Alerts have resulted in questions about just what that means, what health risks there are, and how a person should take care of themselves during an Ozone Alert.

The city of Evansville has a page on its web site explaining what events will result in an Ozone Alert being issued, and other useful information in living through it.