Teens' armband protest led to landmark free speech case

Two photos that grace the yearbook for the 1970 graduating class of University City High School show competing groups.

One depicts members of student government, while the other features a group of students who want to overthrow student government.

Mary Beth Tinker is in the second photo.

Mary Beth and John Tinker with their armbands protesting the Vietnam War.
Tinker’s name – and her activism for causes she believes in -- became a lot more familiar when it was attached to a landmark case that grew out of the decision by her and her brother in 1965 to wear armbands to school protesting the Vietnam War.

https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/29755/mary_beth_tinker?coverpage=2866

Aldi Sets Houston Openings

BATAVIA, Ill. — Aldi here said that it would open its first nine stores in the Houston market on April 11.

The stores, in Houston and surrounding suburbs including Spring, Pasadena, Katy, Conroe, Sugar Land and Humble, are the first of 30 stores the discounter plans to open in the greater Houston area over the next two years.

Wal-Mart Stores is currently the market-share leader in the Houston area, accrding to the 2012 report from Metro Market studies, with about 20.6% of the grocery share, but followed closely by Kroger Co. and H-E-B with around 20% each.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/aldi-sets-houston-openings#ixzz2NhJNCEay

Trade Fair Locks Out Butchers: Union

NEW YORK — Around 100 meat department workers at nine Trade Fair supermarkets here have been locked out by the retailer, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 342.

The workers have been without a contract since October. The union said that Trade Fair has requested “severe concessions” in negotiations.

The union has posted videos of heated confrontations between workers and Trade Fair owner Frank Jaber on YouTube, saying the incidents illustrate efforts to intimidate workers. It said it has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/trade-fair-locks-out-butchers-union#ixzz2NhIy8gaH

March 16: National Quilting Day

March 16: National Artichoke Hearts Day

Franklin educator uses board game to teach historical lessons

FRANKLIN —
Their ships reach the shore of Catan, an island of rolling hills and pastures and towering mountains. With wood and bricks, they set out to build settlements and amass resources.

They eventually carve out roads for other villages. Cities spring up everywhere, but supplies grow scarce. Brief alliances and rivalries form. Some seek isolation; others barter willingly with friends and enemies alike, though every exchange is calculated.

Soon, the pioneers find themselves vying for supremacy over Catan, to establish that great empire. Another Rome or Egypt.

Mark Brady announces to the room full of sixth graders that it’s time to move on to their next class. Rapt no longer, the social studies students sigh in disappointment and begin packing away the role-playing board game they had been lost in for the last hour or so.


Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/education/x1433777900/Franklin-educator-uses-board-game-to-teach-historical-lessons#ixzz2Nh9wjp7C

Expand State Partnerships for Passenger Rail

As passenger rail ridership grows nationwide, Amtrak and some states are engaging in innovative new partnerships to foster this demand. To comply with the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) that passed in 2008, federal and state policymakers will not only need to focus on the financial and operational performance of short-distance routes, where over 80 percent of the system’s ridership occurs, but also on the future of long-distance routes.

Of course, more federal support would help. But with additional federal funding unlikely and state budgets significantly pared, policymakers will need to consider more sustainable ways to finance the nation’s increasingly intermodal transportation network. Passenger rail, in particular, has shown the importance of states stepping up and taking action.

And several states have already seized the opportunity. Before PRIIA passed, 15 states paid at least a portion of the operating expenses for 21 different routes, affirming their commitment to passenger rail and placing them in a better position to target future spending. Oklahoma and Texas, for example, have jointly financed the Heartland Flyer and contributed more than $17 million combined from 2007 to 2011. Collectively, the 15 states have allocated almost $850 million during the same span.

Some states have also invested in rolling stock and other capital improvements that have furthered economic development along different corridors. North Carolina, for instance, has actively supported the Carolinian and Piedmont by rehabilitating stations and upgrading state-owned tracks. California has continued to invest in the Pacific Surfliner, the Capitol Corridor, and the San Joaquin, all of which rank among the 10 busiest routes nationally.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2013/03/13-passenger-rail-state-subsidies-puentes-kane

It's National Potato Chip Day

Feb. Retail Sales Up 0.7%

Retail sales beat February estimates as consumers adjusted their spending in response to an increase in payroll taxes and higher gasoline prices, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

February retail sales -- excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants -- increased 0.7 percent seasonally adjusted from January and increased 0.5 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

“Retail continues to show its importance to the economy,” said Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. “That said, our consumer research consistently shows a cautious shopper that is making tough spending decisions based upon economic uncertainties, lower paychecks and higher prices for things such as gas."

"This is particularly true among those making $50,000 or less a year,” Shay continued. “While retail sales numbers indicate good momentum for the economy, consumers with less earning power may continue to face ongoing pressure and retail sales will encounter further challenges as sequestration takes full effect in March.”

http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/consumer-insights/id37572/feb-retail-sales-up-0-7-/?cid=homepage

The Tax Favored By Most Economists

Looking for a public policy that would improve the operation of the economy, lower our dependence on foreign oil, reduce pollution, slow global warming, allow cuts in government spending, and decrease the long-term deficit? Then a carbon tax is what you want. As one of the few taxes favored by economists, carbon taxes could help the nation address several issues simultaneously.

The basic rationale for a carbon tax is that it makes good economic sense: unlike most taxes, carbon taxation can correct a market failure and make the economy more efficient. Although there are substantial benefits of energy consumption, there are also substantial societal costs – including air and water pollution, road congestion, and climate change. Since many of these costs are not directly borne by those who use fossil fuels, they are ignored when energy production and consumption choices are made, resulting in too much consumption and production of fossil fuels. Economists have long recommended a tax on fossil-fuel energy sources as an efficient way to address this problem.

Not surprisingly, most analyses find that a carbon tax could significantly reduce emissions. Tufts University economist Gilbert Metcalf estimated that a $15 per ton tax on CO2 emissions that rises over time would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 percent. Another study estimated that the European countries’ carbon taxes have had a significant effect on emissions reductions.

Although a carbon tax would be a new policy for the federal government, it has been implemented in several other countries (though not always in the manner advocated by economists), including the Scandinavian nations, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The Canadian provinces of Alberta and Quebec adopted carbon taxes in 2007, followed by British Columbia in 2008. Meanwhile, California, the 9th largest economy in the world, has recently initiated a cap-and-trade system, which auctions carbon permits to companies.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/03/12-taxing-carbon-gale