Wildfire kills four, search for arsonist continues
A deadly wildfire, which has been burning for days in the mountains near Palm Springs, Calif., continues to spread after taking the lives of four firefighters. A fifth firefighter is currently on life support, with burns on over 90 percent of his body. The fire, which has burned over 25,000 acres, was believed to have been started late last week. The reward offered to find the arsonist - and murderer - has risen to $500,000 after donations from the local Morongo Indian tribe and the state of California. Local residents have been quoted as witnessing a group of teenagers smoking marijuana late Thursday night near where the fire is thought to have been started. The seasonal Santa Ana winds are fueling the fire, with over 45 mph wind gusts. The 15-mile wall of flames have caused the evacuation of over 700 residents and is expected to burn for days.
ON CAMPUS Money no guarantee for victory in congressional elections With the Nov. 7 midterm elections looming, voters are being slammed by last-minute advertisements and campaign promises by political candidates. While the better financed candidates are able to get more ads out, money does not guarantee victory, according to BC political science professor Jennifer Steen. Discussing her new book Self Financed Candidates in Congressional Elections in Forbes magazine, Steen brings up the old saying that money can't buy everything. According to Steen, the wealthy candidates win 36.4 percent of the time versus an election rate of 49.2 percent for candidates who raise their own money.
BC professor discusses the future of American democracy Does American democracy still work? Are we heading in the wrong direction? These are the questions BC political science professor Alan Wolfe asks, and attempts to answer, in his new book Does American Democracy Still Work? Discussing the book on NPR's On Point, Wolfe pointed out that while American democracy was never a perfect heaven, it is on track to be a "perfect hell." Highlighting the recent political climate over the past years - the president's expansion of power, manipulative politicians, dirty campaigns, and much more - Wolfe argues that the future of American democracy is in jeopardy. Politicians aren't the only ones to blame, according to him - citizens have become lazy, na've and fearful.
UNIVERSITIES U.S. census publication reveals benefits of college diploma As attending college becomes more and more expensive, so does the cost of not attending. According to a reported published by the U.S. Census Bureau titled, "Educational Attainment in the United States: 2005," there is a significant gap in salary between those with a high school diploma and those with a college diploma. The report showed that college graduates earn an average of $51,554 per year, while high school graduates earn an average of $28,645 per year. While the gap shrank from the previous year, the trend over the past 25 years shows a widening gap between the groups.
NATIONAL Celtics, NBA legend Red Auerbach passes away at age 89 Red Auerbach, Hall of Fame coach for the Boston Celtics, passed away Saturday night, just eight days after his 89th birthday. Auerbach - known for his cigar smoking at the end of games and his gift for straight talk - led the team to nine championships, including the creation of the Celtics dynasty with eight straight championships between 1959 and 1966. His 938 victories puts him among the winningest coaches of NBA history. The Celtics never had a losing record in his 16 years on the bench and his lowest season winning percentage was .611. His championship victories and management of players puts him among the greatest coaches of NBA history.
UNDER REPORTED Toddler gets stuck in vending machine By the looks of it, 3-year-old Robert Moore - who ended up trapped inside of a vending machine after giving that extra effort to get a stuffed replica of SpongeBob SquarePants - learned at an early age never to give up. Little Robby's adventure began when his grandmother gave him a dollar at a local mall to try and fish out a stuffed SpongeBob. Unfortunately for Robby, the plastic crane missed the toy. He then took the situation into his own hands - literally. Before he was offered another dollar, Robby wiggled into the machine through an opening to grab his own SpongeBob. Unfortunately for him, firefighters were called to free him from SpongeBob heaven, and worse yet, he didn't even get the toy.
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