May 9, 2008
State & Policy News
 Gas prices rattle America
Record high gas prices are prompting Americans to drive less for the first time in nearly three decades, squeezing family budgets and causing major shifts in driving habits, federal data and a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll show. USA Today Read the article.
Vietnam-era vet reports for duty
Army Spc. Tom Owens first joined the military during the Vietnam War when he was 17. He earned two Bronze Stars before leaving the service in 1992. National Public Radio Read the article.
Oil lobby reaches out to citizens peeved at the pump
Faced with a national outcry over the high price of gasoline and soaring profits for energy companies, the oil and gas industry is waging an unusually pricey campaign to burnish its image. Washington Post Read the article.
U.N. suspends Myanmar aid after supplies seized by Junta
The United Nations suspended relief supplies to Myanmar on Friday after the military government seized the food and equipment it had already sent into the country. New York Times Read the article.
Behind college raid, rising drug use on campus
The arrest this week of 96 suspects on drug-related charges, including 75 students, after a six-month sting operation at San Diego State University is shining a fresh spotlight on the issue of growing substance abuse at America's colleges and universities. Christian Science Monitor Read the article.
Facebook safeguards will protect young users
Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies. The Associated Press in CNN.com Read the article.America
Needed: A more efficient Legislature
A number of worthy ideas are before the committee, most of them gleaned from other states with the help of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Editorial in the Star Tribune Read the article.
Five things you need to know: where your tax rebate is really going
States across the country are facing deteriorating budgets. Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Nevada face budget shortfalls of more than 10%, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Minyanville.com (New York) Read the article.
Lawmakers push for better school nutrition
New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway, a physician and lawyer, and chair of NCSL's Health Committee, says legislators must do something. "There is an epidemic of childhood obesity that has tremendous implications for future health care spending and quality of life." Red Orbit.com Read the article.
Central New Yorkers give mixed reviews on "gas tax" holiday
New York is not the only state considering a gas tax cap. The National Conference of State Legislatures says lawmakers in Missouri and Florida are considering similar measures in their own states. WSYR-TV, New York Read the article.
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