Dave Getzschman
As parents and students start writing checks for the first in-state tuition hike in seven years at the University of California, they hope the extra money will buy a better education. But a big chunk of that new money — perhaps tens of millions of dollars — will go to pay for the faculty’s increasingly generous retirements. … more »
Wikipedia
This is an excellent column outlining how pension costs are crowding out spending in all other areas - from libraries, roads, public assistance, parks and schools, including classroom teachers' salaries. … more »
Nestle
45% of bottled water brands are sourced from the municipal water supply.Americans now drink more bottled water than every other soda combined, in an effort to avoid sugar and diet soda. But some commentators say people should avoid all three. … more »
NOAA
Even with vast improvements in air quality since the ’70s, people haven’t stopped dying from the air they breathe. An analysis published in 2013 from researchers at MIT estimated that about 200,000 premature deaths occur each year in the United States because of fine particulate air pollution. … more »
Golden Cosmos
There’s a lot that we could learn from the oldest extant branch of humanity, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to put the knowledge into effect. A socially positive use of envy—now, that would be a technology almost as useful as fire … more »
Zillow
Millennials who don’t already own homes are delaying purchasing one for a median of seven years, according to a new joint study on millennial student debt from the National Association of Realtors and education financing nonprofit American Student Assistance. … more »
wikipedia.org
In a late night vote, the Assembly approved six housing measures, including the three most high-profile bills: Senate Bill 3, a $4 billion bond measure, Senate Bill 2, a new permanent source of affordable housing, and Senate Bill 35, legislation that makes it harder for local governments to block housing developments. … more »
Metabollic
As more people live into their 80s and 90s, researchers have delved into the issues of health and quality of life during aging. A recent mouse study at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sheds light on those questions by demonstrating that a high fat, or ketogenic, diet not only increases longevity but also improves physical strength. … more »
YelTech
As automation and artificial intelligence technologies improve, many people worry about the future of work. If millions of human workers no longer have jobs, the worriers ask, what will people do, how will they provide for themselves and their families, and what changes might occur (or be needed) in order for society to adjust? … more »
Wikipedia.org
With Hurricane Irma smashing into Florida so soon after Hurricane Harvey flooded southeastern Texas — and as wildfires burn through the western United States — extreme events have been hitting the U.S. from all sides. To what extent does climate change influence them? … more »
