National News for Oct. 27 – Nov. 9

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from the Washington Post. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

Oct. 31- Approximately 1.8 million veterans are currently uninsured according to private research. About one of every eight veterans under the age of 65 is uninsured. This high rate is attributed to high incomes, which make veterans unable to qualify for free health care from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Des Moines, IA
Oct. 29- The Iowa Democratic Party decided to move their caucus up to Jan. 3 to continue the tradition of having the caucus on the same day as the Republicans. The caucus was previously scheduled for Jan. 14. The Iowa Caucuses will be the first of the 2008 Presidential elections.

Kauai, HI
Oct. 29- The Missile Defense Agency announced that the military successfully shot down a Scud-type missile over Hawaii during a test of a new defense system. The new technology is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles moments before they hit their target.

Houston, TX
Oct. 31- NASA has paused work on the International Space Station after a solar power panel ripped as it was taken off a newly reinstalled girder. The halt may cause the delivery of European and Japanese equipment to be pushed back from their target date in December.

Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 1- A young boy is being investigated for his role in starting a wildfire that spread over 38,000 acres and demolished 31 houses in Southern California. The boy confessed to starting the fire when playing with matches, according to Sergeant Diane Hecht of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Powerful winds helped the fire to spread.

Camden, NJ
Nov. 1- New Jersey resident Agron Abdullahu plead guilty to conspiring to supply a group with weapons with which to attack soldiers at Fort Dixon. Abdullahu faces the least severe punishment of the group; the five other men involved are charged with conspiring to kill military personnel and face life sentences.

Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 2- Florida's Supreme Court ruled that the state's lethal injection program for capital punishment is constitutional. The court heard cases from two death-row prisoners who claimed that the procedures are cruel and unusual. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the procedure.

Charleston, WV
Nov. 4- Protesters gathered in front of the state capitol to pressure prosecutors into adding hate crimes to the charges facing six men who allegedly beat, tortured and sexually assaulted a black woman. The protest was held even though Charleston's black ministerial association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) urged against it, stating that the demonstration could harm the case.

Boston, MA
Thousands of residents living on the coast from Massachusetts to Maine spent a second night without power. The power outage and two house fires are results of Hurricane Noel. Noel hit New England last Saturday, bringing down the power lines of 80,000 houses. No deaths or serious injuries have been reported in connection with the storm, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Richmond, VA
Nov. 7- The Democrats took control of the Virginia State Senate and won more seats in the House in the Nov. 6th election. The election results end a decade long dominance in the Senate by the Republicans. The seats won are all located in Northern Virginia and Hampton's Road, the states most densely populated areas. Democratic Governor Timothy Kaine says that he is happy with the more balanced representation between the Democrats and Republicans, and hopes that this new legislature will be more open to advancing his agenda, which was stalled in the Republican-dominated Senate.

Washington, D.C.
Nov. 8- The Senate overrode President George W. Bush's veto of a $23 billion water resources bill. This is the first override of a veto during the Bush administration. The Senate passed the override with a 79-14 vote including 34 Republicans who separated themselves from the President. The act will provide funding for hundreds of projects by the Army Corps of Engineers including dams, sewage plants and beach restorations. The bill also affords money to the restoration of areas that have been devastated by hurricanes, including the Golf Coast and the Florida Everglades. The House of Representatives overrode the veto on Tuesday with a vote of 361-54.