The North Carolina Sales Tax Holiday Weekend
www.dor.state.nc.us/taxes/sales/salestax_holiday.html
The latest report from the US Drought Monitor showing the most of North Carolina is still in need of rain. Out of 100 counties: 24 are in ‘exceptional drought’ conditions…with 14 counties in ‘extreme’ and 8 counties in ‘severe’ drought conditions. A new law signed by Governor Easley yesterday gives state officials, including the governor, broader powers to respond to drought and emergency water shortages. www.ncdrought.org/
Exxon Mobile reporting its biggest profit ever (racking in a cool $11.7 billion dollars during the second quarter). Still, the company failed to meet Wall Street analysts’ expectations…dropping Exxon Mobile’s stock price. http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/01/news/companies/exxon_earnings/
THE UN HAS VOTED TO EXTEND ITS PEACE-KEEPING MISSION IN THE AFRICAN NATION OF SUDAN. The United States abstained from voting because the resolution allows the Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to avoid facing charges stemming from atrocities committed in Darfur over the last five years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7535297.stm
A top US bio-defense researcher apparently committed suicide on Tuesday. The Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against Bruce Ivins in connection with the anthrax mailings that traumatized the nation in the weeks following the 9-11 terrorist attacks back in 2001. www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93161032
It was a year ago today that the I-35 west bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Several memorial events are planned for the day, including a prayer service and a moment of silence. In all, 13 people lost their lives in the tragedy.
New research saying that between 12 and 18 million people in the U.S. have moderate to severe ‘apnea’. The condition can go undetected because the sufferer is asleep when the issue occurs. Report found in the journal ‘Sleep’.
www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/08/01/healing.sleep.ap/index.html
The Summer Games begin next Friday: THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH WILL ATTEND A CHURCH SERVICE DURING HIS VISIT TO CHINA FOR THE 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES.
