US Officials Flunk Test on American History, Economics, and Civics

"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.

"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he added.

The exam questions covered American history, the workings of the US government and economics.

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Aries Spears' Rap Impressions

Spiders Adapt to Space, Weaving a Near-Perfect Web

he educational experiment currently being carried out on the space station has just returned a surprise result. It would appear the two web-weaving spiders being studied have turned their fortunes around - they have scrapped their aimless 3D mess of silk and started to create the symmetrical 2D webs more commonly seen on Earth. The experiment started off a little precarious as one of the spiders went AWOL, but it would appear the pair are back and better than ever, spinning picture perfect spider webs.

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A continuing story from here

Clinton's Senatorial Successor in Thought

Nine months ago, when he was the lieutenant governor, David A. Paterson dreamed that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton would head to the White House and he would be tapped to fill her Senate seat.

Now Mr. Paterson, who became governor in March after Eliot Spitzer resigned, will be the one picking a replacement for Mrs. Clinton, who is said to be poised to become the next secretary of state.

On Friday night, just before delivering a speech to the N.A.A.C.P. in San Francisco, Mr. Paterson told reporters that 10 to 20 people had already contacted him about their interest in taking Mrs. Clinton’s place.

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Obama's Weekly Address #2

President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden Announce Key White House Staff

President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden today announced the following White House staff: Patrick Gaspard, Director of the Office of Political Affairs; Jackie Norris, Chief of Staff to the First Lady; Catherine (Cathy) M. Russell, Chief of Staff for Dr. Jill Biden; Cynthia Hogan, Counsel to the Vice President; and Moises (Moe) V. Vela, Jr., Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President.

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India Building Rival to Google Earth

Bhuvan users will be able to zoom in on areas as small as 10 meters wide (Google's zoom limit is 200 meters). ISRO will replenish its high-resolution images each year, unlike Google, and its additional GPS component could lead to partnerships on navigation devices for cars.

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Internet Considered More Reliable than TV and Radio News

Don't trust what you read on the internet? That's no longer the dominant sentiment in the US, according to a new poll by Zogby International. A survey of more than 3000 people performed in the two days after the US Presidential Election found that 37.6% of respondents considered the Internet the most reliable source of news, 20.3% consider national TV news most reliable and 16% said that radio is the most reliable source.

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The Design Team Behind the ‘O’ in Obama

At the end of 2006, Mode, a motion design studio in Chicago, approached Sol Sender, a graphic designer, to create a logo for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The resulting “O” became one of the most recognizable political logos in recent history. I spoke with Mr. Sender a few days after the election to discuss the evolution of his design.

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Buried Glaciers Found on Mars

Mars has vast glaciers hidden under aprons of rocky debris near mid-latitude mountains, a new study confirms, pointing to a new and large potential reservoir of life-supporting water on the planet.

These mounds of ice exist at much lower latitudes than any ice previously found on the red planet.

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Lynx Deodorant Kills 12 Year-Old Boy

There is a very reasonable assumption that the passive inhalation (of the solvent in the deodorant) almost certainly led to his death."

Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner Dr Robert Hunter gave the cause of death as a "cardiac arrhythmia, exacerbated by exposure to solvents".

Cardiac arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm leading the heart to beat too fast or too slowly, which can lead to cardiac arrest or sudden death.

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Guide to Smoking Pot Around the World

These are the nations in which cannabis is legal for consumption and where you should be able to smoke in peace:

* BELGIUM: Up to 5 grams.
* CZECH REPUBLIC: Personal use.
* GERMANY: Up to 5 grams.
* INDIA: All good.
* MACEDONIA: Up to 5 grams.
* NETHERLANDS: Coffee shops and parks, personal use.
* PAKISTAN: Ummm… All good, but as a tourist I would watch my back and smoke with Pakistani friends in their homes.
* PERU: Personal use, up to 5 grams.
* RUSSIA: Personal use, up to 5 grams If you are caught, you will have to pay low fines as possession of small amounts is still illegal
* VENEZUELA: Personal use, up to 5 grams.
* AUSTRALIA: Up to 50grams! (Certain states of Australia have decriminalized marijuana possession. In Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland one can be simply ticketed for up to 50 grams. If found in possession with intent to supply, convictions apply)

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Biofuel-Powered Flying Car Cleared for Takeoff

Parajet is preparing for the inaugural flight of SkyCar, a biofuel-powered land/air hybrid vehicle the company says will deliver rally car performance on the ground and aircraft performance in the sky. Since it runs on biofuel and features an aluminum frame, ParaJet says it's jut a matter of time before the clean, green SkyCar is the airborne equivalent of a Toyota Corolla.

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Ludlum Elementary School Renamed to Barack Obama Elementary School

A New York elementary school has been re-named in honor of President-elect Barack Obama. Ludlum Elementary School in Long Island's Hempstead Union Free School District was re-named at a board meeting Thursday, at the request of numerous school students.

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Mukasey Released From Hospital, Healthy

Attorney General Michael Mukasey was released from the hospital Friday and returned to work after collapsing Thursday night while giving a speech to the Federalist Society in Washington.

Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said Mukasey suffered a “fainting spell” and was released after routine test results came back “completely normal.”

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