USA
In the first-ever, Spanish-language presidential debate, all seven Democratic candidates said they would work on changing immigration laws during their first year in the White House. The candidates wore earpieces to listen to translations during the event in Coral Gables, Fla.
Gen. David Petraeus and Ambas-sador to Iraq Ryan Crocker went before Congress Monday (after Monitor deadlines) to report on the effect of the 30,000 troop surge. Information about their testimony can be found on the Monitor's website: www.csmonitor.com.
The release of sulfur and nitrogen into the atmosphere by power plants and agricultural activities plays a minor role in making the ocean slightly more acidic on a global scale, but the impact is greatly amplified in the shallower waters of the coastal ocean, according to new research by atmospheric and marine chemists.
The price of gasoline rose for the first time since July, with the national average for a gallon of unleaded regular up 6.5 cents to $2.81.
Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, who formally entered the race last week, made his first swing across New Hampshire Sunday as a declared candidate.
As many as 60 American cities are in some stage of streetcar planning or development, according to an Associated Press report. Most of the new lines are less than five miles long and are designed to lure people to live in rejuvenated city neighborhoods. Portland, Ore.; Tacoma, Wash.; Kenosha, Wis.; and Little Rock, Ark., are among cities operating or planning streetcar systems.
Public spending on prekindergarten education is on a roll, with more than a dozen states – including Iowa, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oregon – greatly increasing funding for educating 3- and 4-year-olds in the past few months. Research shows that preschool programs are cost-effective and may boost standardized test scores.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society said Monday that it had found a 420-foot-long ore carrier that sank in 1907 during a storm on only its second voyage. The wreckage lies about eight miles north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The lone survivor died in 1961.
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer won his fourth straight US Open championship Sunday in New York, the day after Belgium's Justine Henin captured her second women's title in five years. Each won in straight sets, Federer defeating Novak Djokovic and Henin dispatching Svetlana Kuznetsova. Federer has 12 career Grand Slam wins. Henin has seven wins.
