According to the U.S. Census, the United States will enter 2010 with a population of 308.4 million, which is probably one of the least controversial aspects of what promises to be a tricky year for the Census. From Congressional complaints about too much White House involvement to a major debate about whether or not—and how—to count illegal immigrants, the 2010 Census has become a lightning rod for political controversy. There’s a lot at stake, and aside from the obvious Congressional representation and district reapportionment, the future demographic realities of a changing United States will become evident after the Census. Will we get the count right?
So you want the good news first? Reported gang-related crimes in Los Angeles are at a 30-year low. Ready for the bad news? The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced that gangs that were once bloody rivals are now in business together. Apparently the economy has forced local gangs to consolidate, in order to maximize profit—Warren Buffet would be proud. But what does that mean for the citizens of L.A. County? What does that mean for law enforcement?
Russia and the United States hope to start off 2010 with a bang of a different kind—the bang of destroyed and dismantled nuclear weapons, as the two countries approach agreement on a arms control treaty that would dramatically reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons. However, if President Obama is to be believed, the ultimate goal of arms control policy is eliminate all nuclear weapons, American and otherwise, in the world. This dream scenario has been floated for almost as long as nuclear bombs have been in existence, but is it a realistic goal and how can paranoid countries be convinced to give up tens of thousands of nuclear warheads?
There are a lot of reasons a prison inmate will talk to his fellow prisoners, and there are even more reasons those prisoners will give up information, true or not, to authorities. For years the U.S. justice system has used this inside information, or snitching, to prosecute and convict a wide variety of criminals—but is that information reliable? How can differing motives stain the integrity of prison accounts, and is it fair to rely on these in court
Patt Morrison is known for its innovative discussions of local politics and culture, as well as its presentation of the effects of national and world news on Southern California.
