Free Republic

Comet brightens mysteriously by a factor of a million 22:04 25 October 2007 NewScientist.com news service Maggie McKee A comet usually too faint to be seen with the naked eye has brightened by a factor of a million since Tuesday, suggesting its surface may have cracked open and expelled clouds of dust and gas. Astronomers are scrambling to observe the strange object, which is likely to fade in the coming days and weeks. Comet 17P/Holmes, which orbits the Sun every seven years on a path that takes it from the distance of Jupiter's orbit to about twice that of Earth's,...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 12, 2005 - The package of high-end tea arrived in this dusty, hot city earlier this month with postcards and greetings from people all over the United States. When Army Sgt. 1st Class Elaine Prosa opened the box, the smell of tea and spices infused the room. The postcards and tea came from an organization called "Soldiers' Angels." The motto of the group is "May No Soldier Go Unloved." Over the past two years, countless servicemembers throughout Iraq and Afghanistan and in military hospitals in the United States and Germany have opened such packages from their own "angels,"...

Fresh retail forecasts on Tuesday echoed what Wall Street has been saying for months: Consumers aren't likely to stint on their holiday shopping. The National Retail Federation revised its holiday sales forecasts higher for the first time ever during a holiday season. It now expects November-December retail sales to rise 6% to $439.53 billion. The NRF saw 5% in September. Lower gasoline prices have left consumers with more cash to burn, driving sales 7.2% higher in both October and September.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2005 – A well-known artist visiting the nation's capital for the dedication of the "Extra Mile" monument celebrating volunteers went an extra mile himself last week. Thomas Kinkade -- known as the "Painter of Light" for his depictions of light-filled buildings -- and his wife, Nanette, visited with nine servicemembers recovering from injuries at the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. The United Service Organizations helped arrange the visit and accompanied the Kinkades. "It was the highlight of our trip. We visited with nine (servicemembers), and the stories we heard were amazing," the artist said. While...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - An improved economy could leave the state with a budget surplus of nearly $3 billion in mid-2006, but California would still face deficits of at least $3 billion to $4 billion in the following years, the legislative analyst said Tuesday. Analyst Elizabeth Hill warned that the annual deficits would climb to nearly $10 billion if the Democrat-controlled Legislature and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger don't agree on ongoing ways to eliminate at least $5 billion in red ink. That could happen through spending cuts, tax increases or a combination of the two, said Brad Williams, director of budget...

<p>The nation's unemployment rate dropped to 6 percent last month, the government reported Friday, providing hope that a full-fledged economic recovery is finally at hand.</p> <p>But after months of talk about a "jobless recovery," experts said job growth remains shaky because of lingering caution and the perverse effects of productivity gains in the workplace. In California, the budget deficit and oft-criticized business climate make the future even more uncertain.</p>

<p>A state senator announced plans Friday to introduce a pair of tax measures related to the devastating fires in Southern California, including a temporary sales tax increase.</p> <p>One measure proposed by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Pomona, would increase sales and use taxes statewide by a quarter-cent for one year to create a fund to pay for damaged public infrastructure and fire-prevention measures, according to a press release.</p>