Meltdown 101: State unemployment report: Is the glass half-full, or half-empty?

October 13th, 2009 Karzai staunchly defends Afghan election ballotingWASHINGTON — Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday acknowledged irregularities in the Aug. 20 presidential election while arguing it was "good and fair and worthy of praise, not scorn." Interviewed from Kabul on ABC's "Good Morning America," Karzai declined to insert himself publicly in the current Obama administration internal debate over possible changes in war policy.

September 30th, 2009 In Cheyenne, glass pile shows recycling challengesCHEYENNE, Wyo. — A pile of glass bottles and jars at the Cheyenne landfill is an ever-growing monument to the challenges faced by many communities that collect glass for recycling.

September 16th, 2009 Unemployment in industrial world to hit new highPARIS — Unemployment in the industrialized world will hit its highest level since World War II next year, surpassing the current peak, as the global economy looks set for only a timid recovery in 2010, an international organization said in a report Wednesday. The jobless rate in the 30 rich countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development will approach 10 percent in the second half of next year, according to the OECD's latest employment outlook report.

September 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - University of Missouri (MU) researchers are developing and testing a new type of blast-proof glass that will be thinner, lighter and less vulnerable to small-scale explosions. "Currently, blast-resistant window glass is more than 1 inch thick, which is much thicker than standard window glass that is only one-fourth of an inch thick and hurricane-protected window glass that is one-half of an inch thick," said Sanjeev Khanna, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the MU College of Engineering.

September 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An Indian-American researcher is developing a futuristic glass that will be thinner, lighter and less vulnerable to terrorist attacks and small-scale explosions. Currently, blast-resistant window glass is more than one inch thick, which is much thicker than standard window glass," said Sanjeev Khanna, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Missouri University-Columbia (MU-C) College of Engineering.

September 1st, 2009 Summary Box: Metro jobless rates improve in JulyGLASS HALF-FULL: About 44 percent of the nation's 380 largest metro areas saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a sharp improvement from June, when more than 90 percent reported an increase. Another 44 percent saw their rates drop.

August 28th, 2009 Hermes profit down 7 percent in 1st halfPARIS — Luxury goods maker Hermes International on Friday reported a 7 percent drop in net profit in the first half of the year but said it still plans to open or renovate several stores in the second half. In a statement, the maker of high-end scarves and Birkin handbags blamed the drop on currency fluctuations and a lower rate of return on financial investments.

August 2nd, 2009 Geithner: Consensus is for growth later this yearWASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (GYT'-nur) says the economy is expected to grow later this year and unemployment could ease in the second half of 2010. He's citing the general view of private economists for his forecasts.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The impact of the global financial meltdown on the United States can be gleaned from the fact that sixteen of the country's fifty states are currently doling out unemployment benefits. The number of unemployed Americans has doubled since 2007 to 15 million.

July 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A consumer packaging company has developed a lighter, resalable aluminum bottle that it hopes will replace glass bottles for many beverages, as it is more eco friendly. According to a report in The Presidio Buzz, the new aluminum bottle has been developed by Rexam, which is one of the world's largest consumer packaging companies.

July 1st, 2009 Sears Tower to open 103rd floor glass balconyCHICAGO — The Sears Tower is offering a new way to push your fear of heights right over the edge. A glass ledge, actually, suspended from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck.

June 5th, 2009 Stocks jump on better-than-expected jobs reportNEW YORK — Investors are cheering a government report that said employers cut fewer jobs than expected last month. Stocks rallied in the early going Friday after the Labor Department said 345,000 jobs were lost in May, significantly less than the half-million economists had been expecting and the fewest since September.

June 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Thirteen American cities saw their unemployment rates topping 15 percent in April with nine of the highest in California alone. In another 93, joblessness climbed above 10 percent, according to a new government report.

May 2nd, 2009 Sears Tower to add glass balconies for a sick viewCHICAGO — Visitors to the top of the tallest building in North America soon won't be able to avoid looking straight down. The Sears Tower plans this summer to add four enclosed glass-bottomed balconies jutting out from the building's 103rd floor Skydeck — offering a view of 1,353 feet down.

March 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists has made a new type of glass from opaque titanium and zirconium, which is harder, tougher and weighs less than stainless steel. According to a report in Discovery News, the glass has been developed by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, US.