The federal government has pledged $1.8 billion to help rebuild the New Orleans school system that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina five years ago. The promise comes as the region is still working to recover from Katrina and is feeling the effects of a man-made disaster, with fishermen and oil workers struggling to get back on the job after the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Source Link
Less competition usually doesn’t mean lower prices, but that’s the case for the cell phone industry. A Government Accounting Office study shows that even as wireless carriers have consolidated over the past decade, the cost of service has fallen. The study says average prices for cell phone service are about half of what they were 10 years ago. Source Link
Sending astronauts to the planet Mars is more than just a space flight challenge. A medical study says the 10-month spaceflight to the Red Planet could turn healthy crew members into weaklings with the muscle mass of an 80-year old. Scientists need to develop new exercise techniques and equipment to keep Mars-bound astronauts fit. Source Link
