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Fast and Furious Fizzles

• October 22 , 2011
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Sometimes, a sting operation can backfire and someone winds up getting stung. In this case of “Operation Fast and Furious,” the mastermind of the sting, known as the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is still trying to remove the stinger.

Operation Fast and Furious was a covert operation designed to track illicit gun smuggling operations from Mexico into the US and take down arms networks. The idea was rather simple. Similar to placing marked currency notes in the hands of criminals, and following the movements of the money in order to trace illegal activity, the idea was to follow the movements of certain firearms, hoping that ATF agents would eventually be led to the ringleaders of arms trafficking rings in the US.

ATF agents allowed the guns to “cross” the border into Mexico and then coordinated efforts with Mexican agents to follow the guns. The main problem was the inability of the ATF agents to keep track of the arsenal, and a portion of the guns simply disappeared into the Mexican underworld. Some of them reappeared later in violent crimes in the US.

The Senate has voted almost unanimously to remove funding for the program and other similar law enforcement programs that lawmakers consider “foolish.” In a recent ABC news interview, President Obama has vowed to find out what actually happened and make sure it gets corrected.

Article written by Chaim Katz

The Turkey Chronicles

• October 21 , 2011
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Thanksgiving, the national holiday that is celebrated by people of almost every faith, is a scant month away. When families and friends get together to celebrate, their dinner will, inevitably, focus around the roast turkey. Side dishes and garnishes change from home to home but the turkey remains the centerpiece.

More than 240 million gobblers will be raised for this year’s festivities, with nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey being processed for the holiday. The question, still unanswered, is how much the public will pay for all that turkey.

In 2010, wholesale turkey prices hovered at almost $1.10 per pound. This reflected a nearly 28% jump in turkey prices since the previous Thanksgiving. As retailers are now finalizing their orders, the public awaits the seasonal price.

According to the National Turkey federation, the public can expect higher prices this year. Growers raise the birds based on statistics of previous years. However, consumption is expected to decline this year, as many families find themselves tightening their belts. Reports from local religious organizations indicate that many families will be combining their dinners with other families in order to reduce overall expenses. As such, two families may dine on one larger bird, rather than two individual birds. This can leave retailers with a potential surplus. To avoid this, they will order less, pushing the surplus to the growers. They, in turn, will be forced to raise prices to cover any potential losses.

In order to avoid this chain of events, eat turkey. The more you eat, the less you will pay.

Article written by Chaim Katz

Go for the Gold

• October 21 , 2011
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Northeast Elementary Magnet School in Danville, Illinois appears, from the outside, to be similar to most other elementary schools in America. The unassuming, drab, 50′s era building is located in a quiet, blue-collar neighborhood of this city of 30,000, approximately 150 miles south of Chicago. But, never just a book by its cover; the excitement is inside the school.

Northeast Elementary is the first elementary school in the nation to be awarded the Gold Medal by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The medal was awarded for the school’s innovative program to reduce childhood obesity.

Over the last decade, childhood obesity in the US has reached unprecedented levels, and currently the US has the highest obesity rate in the world, leading to the highest rate of diabetes. Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes and the rate is growing.

The Northeast Elementary program combines physical activities throughout the day, every day. The cafeteria only serves fresh fruit and veggies, low-fat or no-fat milk, no sodas or fried foods and no gooey desserts. Candies and other sweets are not permitted at classroom birthday parties, and foods are never used as rewards.

To date, two other schools, neither is an elementary, have won similar awards. The Alliance hopes to make Gold Medal presentations a regular event.

Article written by Chaim Katz