HEADLINES in Brief

ENVIRONMENT

Just in time for Earth Day, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has… ENVIRONMENT

Just in time for Earth Day, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has introduced a plan to turn the Big Apple into the “Green Apple.” According to the CS Monitor, his vision for a more environmentally friendly New York involves a park that will be within walking distance of all residents and a million new trees that will be planted to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. His plan also includes charging those who drive into Manhattan during peak hours on weekdays a congestion fee of $8.

Elham: Bravo, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and hooray for the city of New York! This is a very good sign. New York is setting a much-needed precedent for the United States, and with any luck, other major cities will follow New York’s example. After all, huge, busy cosmopolitan cities like the Big Apple are probably most responsible for the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and it’s about time they started cleaning up their mess. The trees and the park will certainly help. The congestion fee is also a fantastic idea and will undoubtedly encourage more people to walk, ride bikes, carpool or use public transportation.

Furthermore, Bloomberg plans on adding more public transportation in the form of better subway trains and express buses. While this is certainly a good move because it may eliminate the amount of cars on the road, I can’t help but think that it could be a little bit counterproductive. Unless these new buses are hybrid vehicles or unless they will be running on environmentally friendly fuel, I don’t think their addition to the busy New York City streets will necessarily help matters. This all needs to be taken into consideration if the mayor wants his program to be truly successful.

Erin: Bloomberg’s plan for New York is definitely ambitious, but it is important that he is taking wide-scale action against greenhouse emissions and global warming, especially when the federal government is still debating whether or not global warming actually exists. In some ways, it is easier to implement this kind of policy at a local level, even in a sprawling city like New York. With a huge population and famously congested traffic, New York contributes more than its fair share to greenhouse gas emissions, so attempts at making it more green will have far-reaching effects.

The only problem with Bloomberg’s ambitious plan is that it might be hard to pass, especially because many of the elements require the approval of both the state legislature and the governor. As the country’s largest and arguably most influential city, New York is known for setting precedents with some of its more controversial legislation, such as its smoking and trans-fat bans. Hopefully other cities, including Pittsburgh, will follow New York’s lead and take an active stance against preventing greenhouse gas emissions.

POLITICS

According to an Associated Press report, Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is hurting the Justice Department and the Bush administration by insisting he will remain in office after the firing of eight federal prosecutors earlier this year.

Elham: I agree with Sen. Specter 100 percent, and I commend him for drawing attention to the need for Gonzales’s resignation. The attorney general lost all the credibility he had left in the Senate testimony on April 19 when he was unable to explain why the eight federal prosecutors were fired last year, claiming he couldn’t recall specific details. And he is further disgracing this already messed up administration by stubbornly refusing to resign.

Gonzales has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t think his resignation will help matters, but he couldn’t be more wrong. While his resignation won’t undo any damage that’s already been done, it will certainly show the American people that this administration, with all its problems, managed to do something about the matter. It will prove to us that Gonzales is at least a tad ashamed of his actions. And it will assure us that eight U.S. attorneys will not be unjustly fired again in the near future.

However, while I’m thankful that Specter brought up the possibility of Gonzales’s resignation, I wish he had been more forceful about it. Instead, Specter said he would “leave it up to the attorney general and the president.” Judging by the current state of things, I’m not sure if that’s a very good idea.

Erin: After his botching of his testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Gonzales has made it even more abundantly clear that he needs to resign, not only to protect the integrity of this administration – if it has any left – but to preserve the reputation of the Justice Department. Gonzales might not have organized, or even approved of these firings, but if he had any knowledge that they were going to take place and didn’t prevent them, he has abused his authority and should take the blame. He has now contradicted himself countless times, most recently using “memory problems” as his excuse for his fuzziness on the key details about his involvement in the federal prosecutors’ firings.

Bravo to Republicans like Specter in the Senate, who have looked past party loyalty in calling for Gonzales to take responsibility for the firings and resign. But, unfortunately, Gonzales’ refusal to resign seems to be playing into Bush’s latest marathon of immature stubbornness quite nicely.

Apparently in Bush’s mind, if we pretend like nothing went wrong, then there is no reason to make any changes. Hey, it’s working in Iraq – isn’t it?

HEALTH

According to ABC News, veterinarians have developed a new pill called Reconcile, also known as “puppy Prozac,” which promises to help dogs deal with pet separation anxiety.

Elham: While I think this is great news for dogs that are actually suffering from pet separation anxiety, I hope these pills will not be handed out too liberally. According to ABC News, the symptoms of separation anxiety are excessive pacing, drooling, whining and yawning. Now, I’ve never owned a pet before, except for a goldfish in the third grade, but I’m pretty sure most dogs drool, whine and yawn. So hopefully, normal, healthy drooling will not be confused with separation anxiety drooling. This pill is a good thing if dogs are properly diagnosed. But the drug should, by no means, be an answer to all our puppy problems, especially if the dogs are not actually suffering from anxiety.

On a side note, why stop at drug therapy? If “puppy Prozac” does not work for your dog, or if you happen to be anti-psychiatric drugs like Tom Cruise, perhaps you could explore the psychological therapy field. Take your dog to see a therapist every few days. Let him talk (or bark) out his problems until he feels better. No drugs needed.

Erin: Wow, I can finally diagnose my 4-year-old black lab’s behavior. For years, I’ve wondered, why the chewing and the excessive barking? And the pacing and the drooling! This is just not normal. But now I’ve got it. My dog, Prudence, along with millions – 10 million, to be exact – of other dogs out there, is silently suffering from separation anxiety disorder. How could I have missed this? There must have been so many warning signs that I just ignored. It’s so obvious now. All of those chewed shoes and accidents were clearly just cries for help.

Luckily, thanks to modern veterinarian technology, it might not be too late for Prudence. She might even be able to make a complete recovery and live a normal life! But while Reconcile will help to ease her on her long journey to recovery, medication won’t be enough. She needs a vacation, some time and companionship in the sun to escape those grueling hours of idleness. Maybe there’s even some sort of pet rehab – think Promises, doggie style – I could check her into. And, in time, she might even become “normal” again.

EDUCATION

Georgia’s Turner County High School has finally had its first racially integrated prom this weekend. For years, both white and black students would raise money for their own separate – but unofficial – parties, according to an Associated Press report.

Elham: I’m very happy for Turner County High School