State Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger (of Rockingham County) has asked state Attorney General Roy Cooper to join a lawsuit that would block the massive health care reform signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday. Berger is urging Cooper to join 13 other attorneys general challenging the constitutionality of the healthcare law.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/03/24/article/senate_gop_leader_wants_nc_to_sue_on_health_care
In a session that lasted into the early morning hours, Senate Republicans found violations in two provisions of the health care bill, forcing it back to the House for another vote. The Senate plans to reconvene at 9:45 a.m. this morning to consider other GOP amendments to the current healthcare ‘Fix it’ bill. Republicans found two minor provisions, related to higher education, that violated Senate procedure. These provisions have to be removed from the bill, and then it has to be voted on again by the House. The House is expected to vote by week's end, before both chambers begin a spring recess. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/25/health.care.main/index.html?hpt=T1
Political leaders on both sides of the aisle in Washington are considering new security precautions that they should take after a rise in threats and vandalism to lawmakers following the national healthcare vote on Sunday night. More than 10 House Democrats have reported threats against them since the weekend.
As part of the new health care bill, restaurant chains with 20 or more stores will be required to post calorie information on their menus. Panera Bread has said that it will be the first national chain to do so. Locally, you should start to see the calorie count boards up sometime this fall at Panera Bread locations in the Triad. http://www.panerabread.com/
The Postal Service has taken the first step toward cutting back mail delivery to five days a week. The postal governing board agreed Wednesday to ask the independent Postal Regulatory Commission for an opinion on dropping Saturday delivery. That request goes to the commission next week. Postal officials say the change would save more than $3 billion annually. Post offices would still remain open on Saturdays, and Express Mail would still be delivered. Congress would have to consent to the change.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/03/24/article/postal_service_takes_step_toward_5_day_delivery
A thief who stole 150 feet of copper wire strung between two utility poles in Davidson County left between 700 and 800 residents without phone service Wednesday. Deputies said the theft happened on Shiptontown Road at Highway 8 around midnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Davidson County Sheriff David Grice estimated the value of the stolen wire at $750. (The Dispatch)
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hitting the northern Philippine’s earlier today. Buildings in the capital city of Manila shook for about 30 seconds.
And now there are 10 contestants on American Idol, after Paige Miles was voted off of last night’s show on Fox. The Top 10 contestants will go on a nationwide tour this summer.
Cuts in athletics to help balance school budgets? Officials with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system are now considering major changes to middle and high school athletics. Under consideration -- coaches could make less money, athletic seasons may be shorter and students may have to pay to play their sports…charging students $40 for every school sport. The proposals would save nearly $300,000 dollars in an effort to reduce the system budget $5.4 million dollar shortfall.
http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-wsfc-sport-cuts-100324,0,3309881.story
Friday is the deadline for city governments including Winston-Salem and Greensboro and their citizens to express interest in Google’s Fiber project. Google will install an experimental fiber-optic network in select towns to deliver Internet access that is 100 times faster than what most people get now. Google plans to announce winners by the end of the year.
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/03/23/article/greensboro_to_put_draft_google_application_online_today
The Census Bureau has installed a new interactive Google Maps showing which areas have residents that have sent their census forms back in. You should have received your 2010 Census forms. Don’t forget to fill it out and send it back in. More info at www.2010census.gov/
Men’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Tonight’s games include: Kentucky vs Cornell…Syracuse vs Butler
Friday night (9:57pm) #1 (seeded) Duke Blue Devils will play Perdue
C-I-T semifinal (College Insider.com Tournament)
App State will host Pacific in Boone tonight at 8pm. FYI: Tonight’s game was supposed to have been played last night…but the Pacific men’s team was stranded in Denver because of bad weather.
