Discussion Divas

Borderline, feels like I'm going to lose my mind

Drawing borders, crossing borders
Increasingly it's borders in the spotlight.

In the United States
It’s easy to cross a state line in the U.S. and not think much of it. Ski the day in Nevada, drive 30 minutes to the cabin back in California.

But cross a state line with a pregnant minor to help her get an abortion, say in a state that doesn’t require parental consent, and it could soon be a crime. Just this week the Senate passed a bill aimed at making this a reality; the House passed a similar bill recently. Only 15 states don’t require parental permission.

Cross the border into Massachusetts and it’s still the only state where gay marriage is recognized. Washington State just became the latest to uphold a ban on gay unions. Comparatively, almost 25 countries recognize gay marriage.

Of course the real borderline fight in the U.S. is over illegal immigration, including the estimated 11 million who live here. More troops guard the Mexican border now and reports say arrests are down 45%.

In Iraq
There's a proposal to divide Iraq into three areas with lines to be drawn along religions beliefs -- Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish.

In Israel and Lebanon
Several weeks ago Hezbollah - based in Lebanon - snuck over the border into Israel and kidnapped two soldiers, tipping off the current crisis. Borders abound in this conflict, which is largely about control of the Holy Land, which Jews, Christians and Muslims all consider sacred land. Israel sits directly in the geographic area that all three of these religions hold dear and have at one point in history or another laid claim to.

The big picture
While actual borderlines may be invisible they can play a big role in power and control and who owns it, even here in the United States.

World on fire

Remember how we said it’s hot?
Apparently it’s getting hotter. The world seems to be on fire.

Heat’s gripping the Midwest and a tropical storm is bearing down on the East coast. The Missouri governor even asked the National Guard for help as hundreds of thousands lost power in 100-degree heat.

On the other side of the world, Iraqis are dying at the highest rate yet – around 100 per day – and Hezbollah and Israel are embroiled in a rocket war.

Blame Jesus
Okay, not literally. But making sense of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict (and consequently Lebanon, where Hezbollah hides) may require a Ph.D. It certainly requires more space than we have here and in fact may be unexplainable.

But in a nutshell, when Israel was formed by the United Nations in 1948, it was given the land it now occupies – land that was at the time in the hands of Palestinians. That made every other group in the nearby vicinity extremely mad, and they’re still mad. It’s partly territorial, partly religious, partly political (the U.S. is the biggest financial supporter of Israel), and partly functional (Israel sits along coveted coast line).

So, what is Hezbollah?
It’s just one of the groups mad at Israel. Technically Hezbollah means “party of God.” They’re a political organization in Lebanonwith seats in Parliament and they’re made up mainly of Shiite Muslims. [Shiites believe that their leaders should be descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, Sunnis do not.] The U.S.considers Hezbollah a terrorist group and believes Syria and Iran fund and arm them. Most definitions I’ve read say the group opposes Israel and the West.

Israel has a lot of military force to combat any attack, including Hezbollah’s. Bottom line, it’s all very complex. And sad, too.

It’s getting hot in here…

But don’t take off all your clothes…
However, if you do find yourself reaching for a refreshing mojito more often this summer, you're likely feeling the heat… Heat at a 400-year high, that is, according to a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences.

It’s so hot that polar bears are turning into cannibals, at least according to a recent study. And grapes in Napa are at risk (yikes!).

Heat is high, gas and oil prices are at record highs, and bears are eating each other.

Is there anything to be done?
With Al Gore setting out to educate the world about global warming, the new buzz word seems to be carbon “neutral" – meaning energy sources that don’t emit carbons (which are bad for the environment).

Carbon-less energies gaining popularity While still just a small fraction of overall energy sources, solar, wind and nuclear power are among the favorites.

Solar: The sun is free but it can cost on average about $18,000 to install a solar system at home. There’s a Federal tax incentive this year to install solar panels and most states offer rebates to offset the cost. If you live in a sunny state, your electricity bill could be $0 or negative (in some cases you can sell excess power that you make back to the power company).
> How it works

Wind: Big fans harness the wind and turn it into usable energy that can be purchased. No emissions but have you seen those big lots with fans that look like a crop growing on the land? Find out if you can buy wind in your state.
> How it works

Nuclear: While controversial, nuclear power yields no emissions and already accounts about 20% of power source in U.S.
> How it works

Watch for energy to be a key topic at the G8 Summit in Russia, which begins Saturday.

What in the world is going on in North Korea?

What’s happening?
North Korea test-fired seven missiles, one powerful enough to reach Alaska, into the Sea of Japan this week where they fizzled. The political firestorm is just beginning.

A quick synopsis:
By testing missiles, North Korea is flaunting its weapons program; the build up of this program violates the Non-proliferation Treaty of 1970. There are five recognized nuclear states (United States, France, England, China and Russia).

Some of the big guys – the United States, Japan, France and England – want the United Nations Security Council to potentially threaten sanctions (an action like a refusal to trade with a country as a means to convince them to negotiate or change, etc.) if the weapons program isn’t halted.

But China and Russia – members of the Security Council – say no. China exports oil to North Korea.

North Korea says it's not bound by international laws and has the right to test. Russia agrees and North Korea apparently plans to test again.

North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.)

Kim Jong Il is at the helm of North Korea, a communist dictatorship. He took over for his dad, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994.

Money & Fireworks

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates again on Thursday. Before you snooze, realize it’s a decision from the most powerful bank in the world and well, it may affect your ability to buy a house or take out a loan.

Some handy factoids
· If you’re buying a house or taking out a loan, it now costs more, basically because it’s more expensive for banks to do business.

· It’s the 17th straight rate hike
The new rate is 5.25%, up from 1.5% in 2004. The Fed pushed rates to record lows after the tech bubble burst in 2001 and September 11 weighed on the economy, making it cheap to borrow money, thus fueling the recent housing boom.

· The Fed raises rates to slow the economy…
And also to ward off inflation (which also makes things cost more).

· Ben Bernanke is the new Fed chief
The Fed sets monetary policy for the

United States

. There are 12 Reserve Banks within the system, located across the country.

See? Painless!

Now, onto the fireworks
The Declaration of Independence turns 230 years old this year. Written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the Continental Congress in 1776, it’s a document worth re-reading now and then: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Read the Declaration

Now go watch some fireworks!