YubaNet.com

NOW Political Action Committee Endorses Lois Herr in Bid to Oust Pitts

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:11:08 PST

The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee is proud to announce our endorsement of Lois Herr for Congress in Pennsylvania's 16th District. Lois is taking on the all-important challenge of unseating Rep. Joe Pitts, co-author of the outrageous Stupak-Pitts Amendment. Lois rightly called this amendment "a direct attack on the freedom and privacy of American women."

Responding to Public Pressure, NID Postpones Approval of Canal Encasement Project

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:11:59 PST

After hearing eleven residents voice concerns about impacts to wells, groundwater sources, septic systems, riparian and wildlife habitat, and property values -- and with numerous other concerned citizens present at the Nov. 18 board meeting -- Nevada Irrigation District's directors agreed to send the proposed Newtown Canal project back to staff for further review. "We need to review all this material that came subsequent to this meeting," President John Drew advised, referring not only to comments heard during the public hearing but also to numerous letters previously received by NID but not provided to board members until the morning of the hearing. "I can see the possibility through continued communication that this issue could be resolved," he added. CEQA documents on the proposed project indicate a mitigated negative declaration is being recommended.

Mountain Equipment Co-Op Among Top "Green" Retailers Worldwide

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:45:02 PST

Using solar panels and geothermal heating as energy sources, creating “eco ambassadors” to lead environmentally friendly initiatives at work are some of the “green” activities that 15 of the world’s top eco-friendly retailers engage in regularly, according to a new report published by Ryerson University’s Centre for the Study of Commercial Activity (CSCA).

Children's rights not yet a reality

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:42:25 PST

Children's rights advocates are taking 20 November, the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), to highlight legal advances, but say when it comes to education, healthcare and protection in conflicts and natural disasters, children are often the first to be deprived of their rights.

More must be done to tackle global ‘crisis’ of road traffic deaths, says Ban

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:41:31 PST

With traffic accidents causing the deaths of more than one million people every year, more than malaria or diabetes, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged greater efforts to better protect the millions upon millions who travel the world's roads every day.

Winter Blasts into Tahoe with Nearly a Foot of New Snow

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:18:56 PST

Winter blasted into North Lake Tahoe yesterday when temperatures plummeted and a powerful storm hit the region late afternoon and into the evening. When all was said and done, Tahoe ski resorts woke up this morning to just under a foot of new snow, 10 inches, at their upper elevations.

UN disaster expert knows first-hand what Copenhagen failure could entail

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:05:36 PST

Among those keeping a close eye on the outcome of next month's climate summit in Copenhagen is the head of the United Nations body dealing with disaster risk reduction, who has seen first-hand the devastation wrought by increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters aggravated by climate change.

UNICEF's State of the World's Children Report

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:04:34 PST

A special edition issue of UNICEF's flagship The State of the World's Children report, tracking the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the challenges that remain, was released today on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Convention's adoption by the UN General Assembly.

Scientists call for radical change in how conservation research is funded and organised

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:56:16 PST

In a paper published on 19 November by the journal Nature, scientists from the University of Kent, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of Stellenbosch have declared that the current system for conservation research and funding is flawed. Consequently, it is failing to help guide biodiversity conservation in developing countries.

Loma Rica Ranch Announces Temporary Closure of Organic Farm Market

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:48:57 PST

Carville Sierra, Inc., project manager of the Loma Rica Ranch planned development, announced the temporary closure of the neighborhood's Organic Farm market. The region's ongoing economic struggles were cited as the primary reason for the shuttering of the Organic Farm, which is still viewed as a central part of Loma Rica Ranch's plans to build a healthy, sustainable environment for its residents.

New Book of Landscape Photography Focuses on Climate Change in the Sierra

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:21:59 PST

Elizabeth & Olof Carmel are partnering with the Truckee Donner Land Trust to host a book launch event for THE CHANGING RANGE OF LIGHT at the Carmel Gallery in Truckee, California on Saturday Dec. 5, 2009 from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. Signed copies of THE CHANGING RANGE OF LIGHT and BRILLIANT WATERS will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds of every sale donated to the Truckee Donner Land Trust.

More than powerful! German research computer QPACE is the most energy efficient in the world

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:17:43 PST

At the 2009 Supercomputing Conference in Portland, Oregon (USA), the high-performance computer QPACE (QCD Parallel Computing on the Cell) was recognized today as the most energy-efficient supercomputer in the world. QPACE is at the head of the Green500 list, which provides a global ranking of energy-efficient supercomputers.

New Method to Measure Snow, Soil Moisture With GPS May Benefit Meteorologists, Farmers

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:15:45 PST

A research team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder has found a clever way to use traditional GPS satellite signals to measure snow depth as well as soil and vegetation moisture, a technique expected to benefit meteorologists, water resource managers, climate modelers and farmers.

American Society for Indexing Golden Turkey Award For Palin’s Going Rogue

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:01:32 PST

The American Society for Indexing (ASI) wishes to present its Golden Turkey Award for misadventures in indexing to Sarah Palin and HarperCollins for Going Rogue. In these days of Google and full-text search, many people don't realize how crucial the art and science of indexing still is.

Alabama School Reverses Decision To Bar Lesbian Student From Attending Prom With Her Girlfriend

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:58:09 PST

The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded Franklin County School System officials for reversing their decision barring a lesbian student from attending the school prom with her girlfriend.

Center for Biological Diversity Warns of Lawsuit Over Delay in Mexican Wolf Protection

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:56:21 PST

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal 60-day notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today over the agency's failure to respond to a scientific petition to list the Mexican gray wolf as "endangered" separate from other gray wolves nationwide.

Hawaii: Court Rules Army Must Give Community Meaningful Information on Training Impacts

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:55:34 PST

Yesterday, U.S. District Chief Judge Susan Oki Mollway ruled that the Army is obliged to give the community meaningful information on how military training at Makua Military Reservation ("MMR") on O'ahu could damage Native Hawaiian cultural sites and contaminate marine resources on which area residents rely for subsistence.

Henry Henderson: Fish Fence Failure: Invasive Asian Carp Swimming Headlong into Great Lakes

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:54:20 PST

State and Federal agencies admitted today that tests show invasive Asian carp have evaded an electrical barrier intended to prevent the fish from gaining access to Lake Michigan, and eventually the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. Scientists and government regulators all agree that the invasive fish pose a dire threat to the Lakes because of their size and voracious appetites. The two invasive species (bighead and silver carp) can grow over four feet long and 100 pounds and quickly take over habitat upon arrival. In the Illinois River, they now make up 90% of the life forms present in some stretches of the river.

Idaho extends wolf hunt into denning season

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:53:34 PST

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided yesterday to extend its wolf hunt in more hunting units across the state through March 31, or until each hunting zone reaches its quota. This decision puts Idaho's wolf population at even further risk than it is already from the premature wolf hunt that Idaho and Montana implemented before wolves are fully recovered in the Northern Rockies.

California Tribes Slam Water Legislation, Peripheral Canal at Summit

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:48:20 PST

Indian Tribes from throughout the state held the first-ever water California Tribal Water Summit, entitled "Protect Our Sacred Water," in conjunction with the Department of Water Resources, Sierra Fund, Planning and Conservation League and other organizations on November 4-5.

Bailed Out Turkeys

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:08:01 PST

Bailed Out Turkeys - cartoon by Nate Beeler

Oprah to End Show

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:06:38 PST

Oprah to End Show - cartoon by Mike Keefe

Prescription Drug Ads

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:04:27 PST

Prescription Drug Ads - cartoon by Bob Englehart

Breast exam questions

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:02:52 PST

Breast exam questions - cartoon by John Cole

Will Durst | Turkey Day '09

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:00:37 PST

Be honest, doesn't a little comforting tryptophan poisoning amongst family and friends sound pretty good right about now? Especially what with the fragile state of the economy, and the realization that this particular holiday isn't about greasing the wheels of capitalism with the fire hose of consumer debt like that other holiday just down the road. This one is about gluttony. Pure and simple. And the only attendant religion involves football and praying that the Cowboys bite big, beige banana slugs on national TV.

NYPD on Track to Interrogate Record Number of Innocent New Yorkers in 2009, New Stop-and-Frisk Numbers Show

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:59:48 PST

The NYPD is on track to stop and interrogate a record number of totally innocent New Yorkers in 2009, according to police reports obtained and analyzed by the New York Civil Liberties Union this week. During the first nine months of 2009, police made more than 404,000 stops of completely innocent New Yorkers – the overwhelming majority of whom were black and Latino. If stops continue at this pace, 535,000 completely innocent New Yorkers will suffer through street interrogations in 2009 – the most ever since the Department began collecting data on its troubling stop-and-frisk program.

Conservation Organizations Join Legal Effort to Protect Endangered Blue Whale

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:57:04 PST

Friends of the Earth, Pacific Environment, and the Center for Biological Diversity, national and international conservation organizations with a combined membership of more than 120,000 people, today joined a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (submitted by the Environmental Defense Center in August) for the agency's failure to implement the 1998 Blue Whale Recovery Plan. Among other actions, the recovery plan mandates that the Fisheries Service identify and implement methods to eliminate or reduce blue whale mortality from ship strikes. The agency has failed to take this required action for more than a decade, despite the deaths of at least five blue whales from ship strikes in Southern California in 2007, as well as two additional ship strike mortalities along the California coast in October 2009.

Shasta-Trinity Acquires South Fork Trinity River Property

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:12:54 PST

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has added a 160-acre parcel of land on the South Fork of the Trinity River. This pristine Coho salmon habitat was purchased from Western Rivers Conservancy using Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) funds. The Conservancy rehabilitated the site by removing five structures and a well before completing the transaction with the Forest. The land is located approximately eight miles northwest of Forest Glen off State Route 36.

Highest Rates of Obesity, Diabetes in the South, Appalachia, and Some Tribal Lands

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:09:34 PST

Wide sections of the Southeast, Appalachia, and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the nation's highest rates of obesity and diabetes, according to estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In many counties in those regions, rates of diagnosed diabetes exceed 10 percent and obesity prevalence is more than 30 percent.

Number of poor in Latin America to rise by 9 million this year, says UN report

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:58 PST

Nine million more people in Latin America will fall into poverty this year due to the global economic crisis, bringing the total number of poor in the region to 189 million, or 34 per cent of the population, according to a United Nations report released today.

Imaginarium of Nevada County Experiencing Temporary Closure

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:47:43 PST

The Imaginarium of Nevada County is housed in a California Armory which is owned by the military. The lease is contracted through the California Department of General Services (DGS). As a combination of the normal lease renewal process and new leadership at the DGS, it has been determined that the armory does not meet current earthquake requirements. In this light the Imaginarium will be temporarily closing. The intention of Superintendent of Schools Holly Hermansen is to reopen the Imaginarium doors as soon as possible, in a yet to be determined location.

Think Local First Launches the 20/20/20 Challenge

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:14:38 PST

Spending $20 a week is easy. Spending that money at locally owned, independent businesses is easy, too. For the next twenty weeks, Think Local First Nevada County Foothills is challenging everyone in our community to spend $20 a week at local businesses and to get twenty friends to join the challenge.

LHC back in business

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:50:35 PST

Particle beams are once again circulating in the world's most powerful particle accelerator, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). A clockwise circulating beam was established at 9pm GMT this evening (20th Nov). This is an important milestone on the road towards first physics at the LHC, expected in 2010.

Boxer Statement on California Unemployment Numbers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:44:51 PST

The news that California's unemployment rate rose to 12.5 percent last month is another sign that too many of our families are still struggling – and we must take further action to put people back to work.

Let's kiss and make up in Copenhagen

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:33:25 PST

Is there a chance can still kiss and make up?

Brown Launches Investigation into Scam Targeting African American Churches

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:32:35 PST

Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today that his office has launched an investigation into whether four individuals defrauded more than 30 African American churches in Southern California by forcing them to pay up to $45,000 for shoddy computer kiosks originally presented as cost-free. These individuals-Michael Morris; Willie Perkins; Tonya Wilson; and Wayne Wilson-are also suspected of targeting dozens of churches in at least ten other states.

CPUC Approves Broadband Grants to Bridge Digital Divide in State

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:22:29 PST

The Nevada County Connected Middle Mile Project of Nevada County Economic Resource Council will build and deploy a wireless infrastructure, including 11 new microwave towers, which could offer high-speed broadband service to 61 anchor institutions including 40 community institutions and schools, 13 public safety entities and eight critical community organizations. In addition, the project will enable seven wireless Internet service providers to provide Internet service to 1,294 unserved and underserved households and 786 businesses covering an area of approximately 304 square miles.

PETA Sending Vegan-Chocolate 'Bin Laden Bites' to U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:07:12 PST

There probably aren't too many U.S. troops in Afghanistan who would pass up the opportunity to bite Osama bin Laden's head off, and soon, thanks to PETA, they can. Following news reports that chocolates are almost as hard to find in Afghanistan as an oceanfront, a longtime PETA supporter and chocolatier is making special chocolates embossed with the head of bin Laden himself. And there are other pluses -- the chocolates are dairy-free, which means that no cows were harmed to make them, and anyone, including lactose-intolerant soldiers, can eat them.

Russia Moves One Step Closer to Death Penalty Abolition

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:47:27 PST

Amnesty International has welcomed a decision by Russia's Constitutional Court that brings the country a step closer to full abolition of the death penalty.

Montana Mother Asks Court To Remedy Mistreatment Of Pregnant Inmates By Detention Facility

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:42:05 PST

A Montana mother denied prescribed medication while serving time in jail for traffic violations asked a federal court today to require the Lake County Detention Facility to compensate her for the physical and emotional suffering she endured while in the facility's custody and to declare unconstitutional the denial of needed medical care to pregnant inmates. Bethany Cajune is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana.

California's Nonfarm Payroll Jobs Increase by 25,700

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:29:28 PST

California's unemployment rate was 12.5 percent in October, and nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 25,700 during the month, according to data released today by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) from two separate surveys.

UK: Public Willing to Make Sacrifices to beat Climate Change

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:20:36 PST

Four out of five people believe climate change is a serious risk to our way of life and are willing to make personal sacrifices to combat it, according to a survey released today by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

Maine's Ethics Commission "Eager" to Continue Investigation into NOM's Role in Referendum Campaign Against Marriage Equality

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:19:15 PST

Californians Against Hate was pleased to learn this morning, at a hearing attended by Fred Karger in Augusta, Maine, that Jonathan Wayne, Executive Director, Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, is "eager" to proceed with the commission's investigation into the role played by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) in the state's election held November 3, 2009.

Nuclear expert warns of safety flaws in Areva’s reactor design

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:55:46 PST

An independent expert, commissioned by Greenpeace, has concluded that two nuclear reactors, currently under construction in Finland and France, suffer from serious safety flaws. The EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) design, which is supplied by the French company AREVA, fails to adequately separate different reactor control systems. Greenpeace is calling on the Finnish and French governments to immediately halt work at the EPR construction sites in Olkiluoto and Flamanville.

Projections of savings from health IT are baseless, Harvard researchers say

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:52:54 PST

The increased computerization in U.S. hospitals hasn't made them cheaper or more efficient, Harvard researchers say, although it may have modestly improved the quality of care for heart attacks.

On the Trail of a Vaccine for Lyme Disease: Yale Researchers Target Tick Saliva

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:29:36 PST

A protein found in the saliva of ticks helps protect mice from developing Lyme disease, Yale researchers have discovered. The findings, published in the November 19 issue of Cell Host & Microbe, may spur development of a new vaccine against infection from Lyme disease, which is spread through tick bites.

Reflux esophagitis due to immune reaction, not acute acid burn, UT Southwestern researchers report

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:11:43 PST

Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in an animal study.