Is the President of Zimbabwe Sick?

 "Zimbabwe's leader of 30 years returned to Singapore for a medical check, his fourth visit there this year, his spokesman said Friday, as questions about his health raised uncertainty about the country's political future"
Original Article

Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe is not 87 years old. People have been noticing that Mugabe has been looking weaker and weaker. He has been having more medical check ups recently than he has in the past and this is staring to make people concerned. "Eldred Masunungure, director of Zimbabwe's Mass Public Opinion Institute, said recent questions about Mugabe's health raise uncertainty, but that even if the elderly president were to die, his military-political machine would remain strong."

Housing Market Falls

"Sales of new homes fell in February to the lowest level on records dating back nearly half a century, a dismal sign for an already weak housing market" 
Original Article 

According to researchers, the housing market has fallen severely. In the month of February, new home sales fell 16.9%.  More homes than normal have been foreclosed and the housing market is failing. The estimate is that there will be three million home foreclosures this year nation wide. People do not expect that the housing market will turn around any time soon.

Radiation in Water Warning

 "Radioactive iodine detected in the capital’s water supply spurred a warning for infants on Wednesday and the government issued a stark new estimate about the costs of rebuilding from the earthquake and tsunami that slammed into the northeast of Japan this month."
Original Article 

There has been a warning put out by Ei Yoshida, head of water purification for the Tokyo water department, saying that infants should not drink the tap water in Tokyo due to possible radiation. "He said iodine-131 had been detected in water samples at a level of 210 becquerels per liter, about a quart. The recommended limit for infants is 100 becquerels per liter. For adults, the recommended limit is 300 becquerels." This warning is making people even more worried than they already were. Profesionals say that there could possibly be no danger for infants to drink the tap water but they would like to be safe and not have them drink it or have parents use it to make the baby formula.

Where Will the Radiation Go?

"Ten days after an earthquake and tsunami crippled a nuclear plant inJapan, officials are detecting abnormal levels of radiation in what may seem like a scattershot assortment of foods: milk from Fukushima Prefecture, where the reactors sit; spinach from Ibaraki Prefecture to the south; canola from Gunma Prefecture to the west; and chrysanthemum greens from Chiba to the south. Shipments of the milk and spinach have been banned."
Original Article

     Experts are not sure where the radiation will be going. The radioactive materials can move very easily through out the world, based upon the weather patterns. 

"It’s natural that people worldwide will be monitoring for this — just in case it is far worse than we now expect,” said F. Ward Whicker, a professor emeritus at Colorado State University who developed a leading model for following radiation through the food chain.

Fear Creeps Over Zimbabwe

"The warning signs are proliferating. Journalists have been harassed and jailed. Threats of violence are swirling in the countryside. The president’s supposed partner in the government has been virulently attacked in the state-controlled media as a quisling for the West. And the president himself has likened his party to a fast-moving train 
that will crush anything in its way."
Original Article


     President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is now planning his next election. 22 months ago, the regional leaders have been pressuring Mugabe and the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, to share the power. Mugabe refuses to share power with his rival and he has made it very clear. 

Walnut Creek School Districts

"Walnut Creek School District's board decided Monday to get behind the governor and pass a resolution that urges tax extensions be placed on the June ballot."
Original Article

     Researchers are saying that if the tax extension is not on the bill, "K-12 funding throughout the state could be cut an additional $4.8 billion, or about $800 per student." In my personal opinion, I do not really see the problem with having a little less money for our schools. Yes, our class room sizes may grow or we may not be able to afford everything that we may want, but we could be in a lot worse situation. When you look at things with the bigger picture in mind, it may not seem that bad. Schools in other states have classes of up to 40 children and schools in other countries have classes with about 80 children in them. We are a very privileged area and I do not think that the world will come to an end if this does not get on the ballot.

Schools in the Bronx have a New Plan

"The Bloomberg administration’s signature strategy for low-performing schools has been to shut them down, a drastic move that often incites anger and protests from teachers, parents and neighborhood officials. Since the beginning of the mayor’s first term, more than 110 schools have been shuttered or are in the process of closing." 
Original Article 

     In the Bronx, New York, many schools are starting to be shut down due to low performance. The schools now are trying something new. They will be replacing the Principles and a good amount of teachers at the schools. This strategy is called "turnaround". "The plan involves a middle school and a high school in the South Bronx; the schools were not named because their staffs had not been notified. The schools would be controlled by the Education Department, managed by Green Dot and staffed by unionized teachers, as is the norm in the 17 charter schools run by Green Dot Public Schools, a separate organization that Mr. Barr founded. Among those schools is a high school in the South Bronx that opened in 2008."

Gas Prices Rise Rapidly

"The increase in energy prices is beginning to resemble the rise in 2008. But this time, the American economy may be better prepared for higher fuel costs." 
Original Article 

Gas Prices have been rising fast. They have risen one third in the past year and "oil costs more than $100 a barrel for the first time in more than two years." Many people believe that the rise in gas is due to the "fears of extended Middle East supply disruptions and increased demand from an improving global economy." People are much more prepared this time for the high gas prices, unlike in the past years. People have traded in their gas guzzling cars for bikes and energy efficient cars.