20 Everyday Things We Have Because Of NASA

NASA is often criticized for wasting taxpayer dollars. The $2.5-billion rover that recently landed on Mars has brought this issue to center focus once again.   
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-items-developed-by-nasa-2012-8#ixzz22uZVk4o7

To prove this point, every year since the mid-1970s, NASA has published a list of space technologies that have been integrated into everyday items. The tangible benefits span from life-saving medical devices to protective eyewear. To date, NASA has documented nearly 1,800 "spinoff" technologies. Here's a short list.

• Artificial limbs
• Baby formula
• Cell-phone cameras
• Computer mouse
• Cordless tools
• Ear thermometer
• Firefighter gear
• Freeze-dried food
• Golf clubs
• Long-distance communication
• Invisible braces
• MRI and CAT scans
• Memory foam
• Safer highways
• Solar panels
• Shoe insoles
• Ski boots
• Adjustable smoke detector
• Water filters
• UV-blocking sunglasses

NASA did not invent:

• Tang
• Velcro
• Teflon

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-items-developed-by-nasa-2012-8#ixzz22uZc3hs0

Drought's impact on food prices

Host of Romney event favors gov’t spending on infrastructure, jobs, alternative energy - The Plum Line - The Washington Post

Host of Romney event favors gov’t spending on infrastructure, jobs, alternative energy - The Plum Line - The Washington Post:

Today, Mitt Romney campaigned in Virginia at a company called Carter Machinery. I just got off the phone with the company’s CEO, James Parker, who spoke at the event, and he shared some views that might seem surprising.

Parker favors heavy government spending on infrastructure, which he sees as a valid means of creating jobs, favors paying for such spending with a gas tax, sees the federal stimulus spending in his area as a plus, and favors government investment in alternative energy.

To be sure, Parker was also very critical of Obama, and said he thinks Obama’s specific stimulus bill and leadership had failed. But his views on the proper role of government spending in securing the country’s future suggest the debate is a bit more complex than Romney’s soundbites would have you believe.

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Sen. McConnell Gets Sen. Barrasso to High-Five Him

Rick Perry's Texas gets plenty of money from the feds

The first rule of asking for extra federal dollars in Texas is to never make it seem like you are asking for extra federal dollars.

For Gov. Rick Perry, this is a tricky line to walk. Because as much as the Republican presidential candidate bashes the federal government in his campaign speeches, Texas gets a lot of money from the feds — and a lot of it is going to the health care system he insists Texas can handle on its own.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69072.html#ixzz1f1r4apHi

JPMorgan: These 11 Companies Will Get Crushed When The Government Cuts Back

JPMorgan: These 11 Companies Will Get Crushed When The Government Cuts Back: "Cutting $1.5 trillion from the nation's budget over 10 years is proving no easy feat. In private, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has been hammering out details of its coming bipartisan recommendations to little avail."

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N.J. floodwaters full of pollutants - video

Patterson, NJ - The flood water Hurricane Irene pushed into New Jersey's neighborhoods is full of industrial chemicals and fertilizer that will leave behind a toxic muck on streets and in basements. Michelle Miller reports.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/?tag=hdr;cnav#ixzz1WghdXU00

State Of Emergency Declared In Culpeper County, Virginia | wusa9.com

State Of Emergency Declared In Culpeper County, Virginia | wusa9.com: A state of emergency was declared in Culpeper County.  All town office were shut down and public schools in Culpeper will be closed Wednesday. Officials are inspecting buildings for any structural damage.

Irene Will Be A CAT 4 Hurricane When It Arrives In The U.S.

Irene Will Be A CAT 4 Hurricane When It Arrives In The U.S.: According to The Miami Herald, as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, Irene had sustained winds of 100 mph placing it firmly in the Category 2 class of hurricane.
Gathering speed throughout the week the storm is expected to hold wind speeds of 135 mph Thursday when it hits U.S. waters.

All The Candidates’ Federal Spending | Swampland

All The Candidates’ Federal Spending | Swampland: All of the governors, however, also have records of looking for federal funds to help balance their budgets, and in the case of Romney that includes the more than $300 million he lobbied for to pay for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Like most governors in office, he did what he could to use the federal government to balance his books. The biggest accomplishment in this regard was his success in convincing the Bush Administration to allow Massachusetts to keep getting nearly $400 million a year in special Medicaid reimbursements that were slated for elimination in 2003. His pitch: I will use the money to help fund a grand new experiment in state-based universal healthcare. (Don’t forget: Even the Bush Administration was excited by experiments with individual mandates back then.)

How Texas Gov. Perry Pursued Federal Aid He Now Decries | Swampland

How Texas Gov. Perry Pursued Federal Aid He Now Decries | Swampland: For the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill, for instance, Texas lobbyists successfully pushed to include an additional $47.5 million a year for four years, to help reimburse the cost of health care for undocumented immigrants. In 2005, the lobbyists fought to restore $200 million in funding for No Child Left Behind that had been cut by the Senate. About $14.5 million of that money was directed to Texas for “innovation programs.” The Texas lobbying operation also supported several earmarks, including direct funds for maintenance dredging in the Matagorda shipping channel and money to study the feasibility of a desalination project in Freeport.

All the Candidates Pork - TIME

I can't show the graphic but it is worth a look.

All the Candidates Pork - TIME: GOP presidential contenders want to cut federal spending. That wasn't always the case.

Dairy Herd Network - Texas drought hits $5.2 billion in losses - Latest News - Current Stories, Commentary, Markets

Dairy Herd Network - Texas drought hits $5.2 billion in losses - Latest News - Current Stories, Commentary, Markets: If you look back at 100 years of moisture levels, January 2011 until now is the driest period ever recorded. “The early to mid-50’s is the only time that comes close to being this dry and they had 2-inches more of moisture,” explains Kevin Lager, extension associate with the Texas AgriLife Extension.  “It’s going to take a lot of rain to catch up.”