After a long contentious fight, proposition 37, a California ballot proposal to require labeling of genetically-modified food, was rejected on Tuesday. With 95 percent of the vote counted, 47 percent voted for the proposal, while 53 percent opposed it. Supporters of the bill maintained they had a “right to know” what was in their food, while opponents argued that labels would lead to price hikes. The proposition gained notoriety for the gulf in advertising spending that separated... Read More
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that a tsunami is unlikely in the aftermath of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked Guatemala on Wednesday, causing tremors as far away as Mexico City. Guatemalan authorities said they had received preliminary reports of one death, while a local radio station in the town of San Marcos reported that eight people were in the hospital after a local school collapsed. While no significant damage was reported in the Mexican capital, its mayor, Marcelo Ebard,... Read More
After closing unexpectedly last spring, Mammoth Mountain's June Mountain Ski Area has announced that it will reopen for the 2013-14 season. "Carl Williams [the mountain's general manager] is going to be working closely with the community on working to define a more clearly-identified market niche for June," CEO Rusty Gregory said. "That will involve both the Mountain and the community." Gregory said that they would attempt to cater to "young families." The ski area announced its closure after ... Read More
While we haven’t colonized the moon (yet), you could vote from outer space today. Yep, the NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station have the option of voting via an electronic ballot, beamed up by Mission Control in Houston. Astronauts fill out the ballot and beam it back down to Mission Control, where it is sent directly to the proper authorities. In 1997, a bill was passed in Texas that made the process possible. In 2004, Leroy Chiao became the first American to vote from... Read More
Sources revealed today that a Russian attack submarine was given safe harbor in a Florida commercial port during Hurricane Sandy after being detected 200 miles off the American coast. Though the Sierra-2 class submarine was armed with torpedoes and anti-submarine missiles, U.S. defense officials claim that the sub posed no threat to an aircraft carrier strike group that was conducting exercises in the Atlantic at the time, or King’s Bay Naval Submarine Base north of Jacksonville. The sub... Read More
