By Daniel DeMarco |Staff Writer| Pig virus continues to spread across U.S. (Jan. 18) A deadly pig virus has reportedly spread to Wyoming and California, bringing the total number of states affected to 22 since it surfaced in the country last April. The virus is not harmful to humans, but is having a heavy effect on the pork industry where numbers are estimated to be in the millions of pigs lost to the virus. Student Christian Barker said, “I think that says something about our food industry when every year there’s some crazy new virus killing all the animals.” Mystery rock recently found on Mars (Jan. 20) As part of an exploration mission, a rover on Mars discovered a … [Read more...] about Chronicle news briefs
economic
Obama advocates for pushing the penny out of circulation
By Angela Rodriguez |Staff Writer| During a recent online chat sponsored by Google, President Obama announced his support in retiring the penny and suggested the one cent coin is a “good metaphor” for some of the larger problems facing lawmakers as they seek to reduce the deficit. “I will tell you right now, this will not be a huge savings for government, but anytime we’re spending more money on something that people don’t actually use that’s an example of something we should change,” said Obama in the Google+ Hangout chat. The penny has long been criticized for being costlier to mint than it’s worth. According to the U.S. Mint 2011 annual report, the copper one cent coin costs … [Read more...] about Obama advocates for pushing the penny out of circulation
99 percent Occupy Capitol Hill, not Wall Street
By Suanna Gutierrez |Staff Writer| We the people can and should identify with the emotion that characterizes the voice of Occupy Wall Street. It is doubtful however that the nation will stand side by side with the broad and unorganized action that may or may not come from them. The Occupants’ “Declaration of the Occupation of New York City” states that they gather to express a mass feeling of injustice, that true democracy has been obstructed by economic power, that they have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debts in education which in itself is a human right, that they have constantly outsourced labor and used that as leverage to cut workers health care and … [Read more...] about 99 percent Occupy Capitol Hill, not Wall Street