| Evil burnt, govt-Cong bitterness remains
In a setback to Akali MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has initiated action against Khehra Nursing Home at Valtoha village where a case of illegal abortion of female foetus was detected during a surprise raid about three months ago. The owner of the nursing home is a confidant of the MLA. The non-registration of a case against the nursing home had led to an unsavoury conflict between health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Valtoha much to the embarrassment of the ruling alliance. Both Chawla and Valtoha had also traded charges against each other because the latter had pressured the Tarn Taran police not to register a case against his confidant . In an order, Justice R.L. Anand and B.C. Rajpur, acting chairperson and member of the PSHRC, respectively, took suo moto action on the basis of a complaint filed by one Parwinder Singh Kitna, a convener of an NGO.
All eyes on Fed meeting today
The Federal Reserve will meet as scheduled today, little more than a week after announcing a stunning emergency rate cut on a key lending rate. Today's big questions: Will the Fed reduce rates again? And if so, by how much? Jerry Silvi is hoping for an aggressive slice of half a percentage point. That would lower the federal funds rate, which regulates overnight loans between banks, to 3 percent. He's president of RAM Mortgage Co. in West Berlin and is hoping lower interest will translate into more attractive rates for consumers who want to refinance their homes or buy new ones. "My gut feeling is they need to make added rate cuts," he said. "Lower payments make buyers more comfortable." Last week, Silvi and his staff fielded a flurry of calls from prospective buyers and refinance customers, a number of whom locked in on fixed-rate 30-year loans at 5.375 percent.
Economy Nearly Stalled in 4th Quarter
To help bolster the economy, the Federal Reserve was poised Wednesday to again cut interest rates. An afternoon announcement was expected.
The fragile economic situation has spurred rare cooperation among Democrats, Republicans and the White House to quickly enact legislation to stimulate the economy.
GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States and is the best barometer of the country's economic health.
Consumers whose spending is critical to the economy's well-being tightened their belts.
In the fourth quarter, consumer spending slowed to a pace of 2 percent, down from a 2.8 percent growth rate in the prior quarter. For all of last year, consumers boosted spending by 2.9 percent, the smallest increase since 2003.
Letters to the editor: Choose your next leader wisely
I urge each of you to look at all of the candidates now wanting to be our next president. Think about which of these candidates is best equipped, by personality, by experience, and by past performance, to bring our country out of this cycle. In the process, think about what the country will look like once your candidate is elected and in the White House. Will the great majority of citizens in this country unite behind this new leader? If you believe that the answer is yes, then cast your vote. If you doubt that will happen, please pick another candidate. PAUL DONOVAN p_donovan@usa.net Professors should make the grade or move on Re: "In education, we get what we pay for" (My View, Jan. 18). Unlike Diane Roberts, I at least offer a viable solution for her problems: Change careers or move to another state.
|
