New early voting laws are changing how campaigns and civic engagement efforts engage the public. The New York Times reports:
“At least one-third of all ballots across the country this year will be cast before Election Day, party officials said, reflecting a steady rise in early voting that is profoundly influencing how political campaigns are conducted in many parts of the country.
“Democrats, who have been quicker to take advantage of the technique in the last two election cycles, say that a voting window of 30 days could allow them to win votes from people who might not otherwise cast a ballot and help level an enthusiasm gap that threatens their Congressional majority. Republicans concede being slower to adjust to the changes, but said they have stepped up their efforts in what they hope will be a strong year for the party.
“‘You can lose an election before Election Day,’ said Jason Mauk, executive director of the Ohio Republican Party, which is intensifying its emphasis on early voting for the first time. ‘It’s in our best interest to try and bank as many soft votes as we can.’
“The calendar may still say September, but people can begin casting their ballots on Tuesday in Ohio. Voting is already under way in Georgia, Iowa and four other states, with Arizona, California and Illinois set to start in the next two weeks.
“Never mind that October is filled to the brim with televised debates, advertising pitches and eager anticipation from candidates waiting to see if they win the endorsement of their local newspaper’s editorial page. These old political rituals take place after millions of voters have already selected their candidates.”
The One Nation Working Together march this Saturday will highlight the most diverse group of activists the country has ever seen. According to The Washington Post:
“The organizers of the Oct. 2 rally, dubbed One Nation, are calling it the ‘most diverse march in history.’ The amalgam of 300 progressive groups - environmentalists, anti-war activists, church and civil rights groups, union organizers, gay rights coalitions and others - is planning four hours of speeches, singing and spoken-word poems.
“‘We lose separately, and absent of a strategy to work together we will continue to lose,’ said Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, chief executive of Green for All, an environmental group supporting the march. ‘We have to be able to take critical action on all of the issues facing this country. We're at a critical moment in history, and we have the opportunity to move forward in a really significant way.’
As science education stagnates, the economy suffers, according to a new report written up by USA Today:
“Released Thursday at a congressional briefing attended by senators and congressmen of both parties, the report updates a 2005 science education report that led to moves to double federal research funding.
“Nevertheless, the ‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’ review finds little improvement in U.S. elementary and secondary technical education since then.
“‘Our nation's outlook has worsened,’ concludes the report panel headed by former Lockheed Martin chief Norman Augustine. The report ‘paints a daunting outlook for America if it were to continue on the perilous path it has been following’:
- U.S. mathematics and science K-12 education ranks 48th worldwide.
- 49% of U.S. adults don't know how long it takes for the Earth to circle the sun.
- China has replaced the United States as the world's top high-technology exporter.
“Although U.S. school achievement scores have stagnated, harming the economy as employers look elsewhere for competent workers, the report says that other nations have made gains.”
For those over 50, getting physically fit can be a painful experience. More athletes 50 and over are hiring physical therapists as personal trainers to prevent injuries, The Wall Street Journal writes:
“But while physical therapists have become fixtures on the sidelines of professional and college sports, their health-preserving skills are little known among recreational athletes. ‘We're the best-kept secret in sports medicine,’ says James Glinn, a physical therapist who runs a set of clinics called Movement for Life, based in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
“Word is getting out, as Jane Esparza can attest. The owner of a speakers bureau, Ms. Esparza encountered intensifying levels of knee pain as she entered her 50s. Her doctor told her that losing weight and getting fit would help.
“But the trainers she interviewed paid less attention to her knee pain than to her excess weight. All of them, she says in an email, responded with some variation of ‘We'll whip you into shape.’
“Then she learned about a fitness clinic near her Virginia home called Body Dynamics, run by Jennifer Gamboa, who holds a doctorate in physical therapy. Following a thorough study of Ms. Esparza's needs and limitations, a Body Dynamics physical therapist worked one-on-one with her for eight weeks, leading her through exercise routines that improved fitness and built confidence without straining her knees. Then she was handed over to a Body Dynamics personal trainer, who continued the regimen that the physical therapist had crafted, with an easy-does-it emphasis.
“After 18 months, ‘I've lost weight,’ Ms. Esparza says. ‘My blood pressure has gone down. My cholesterol has improved. I breathe better. My strength and balance are improved. And the pain I lived with daily in my knees has greatly improved. Some days I'm almost pain free.’”