Russia , China have been worst affected by this, along with Israel in the past.
Locusts invade Detroit.Locusts in Detroit.
A swarm of locusts covered Detroit yesterday, raising fears that Chicago could be next.
Michigan authorities sent out drones to spray pesticides over the city to prevent damage by the swarm, which numbers about 50,000 locusts, said a spokeswoman for the City of Detroit.
The locust alert comes on the eve of the bankruptcy of Detroit. “First there was the collapse of the auto industry, then there was the financial collapse and the bankruptcy of the city and now… locusts,” said longtime resident, Jimmy Bellicort.
Kick-ass music, a fantastic narrative and a succession of unexpected events. Director Malik Bendjelloul struck gold with this search-for-the-truth story behind the mysterious disappearance of Detroit-based singer/songwriter Rodriguez, whose songs – without him ever knowing it – became the voice of the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa.
Hearing aids and incontinence pants are not necessarily what you would think of when hearing this title but this doc is about nothing less than a group of old-age pensioners who decided to tour the world playing competitively. Thought old age equals twinkly and lovely? These players would mess with their competitor’s pacemaker if it gave them a better chance of winning.
Sundance called it “by far the coolest film ever shown at the festival”. And it’s true; Shut Up and Play the Hits, about the last days of LCD Soundsystem, is far more than a concert registration of one of the greatest bands that ever was. It’s a feast of music, visuals and the human side of fame. Plus you can learn the art of being uber-cool from the very likeable lead singer James Murphy.
One of the highest grossing docs of the year, and if you’ve seen this trailer you’ll understand why. Thought you knew the odd sicko? Well, you haven’t met Frédéric Bourdin yet.
Funnier one is that in Detroit, if you don’t hire a Lawyer if you commit a Crime, you’re free. Detroiters, is this Law in force still?
Read On…
Judge
Most public defenders in the U.S. will handle around 400 each cases per year…but not so in Detroit! There are only five part-time public defenders who EACH take on a staggering 2,400-2,800 cases per year, averaging just 32 minutes for each one. (Note: better think twice before committing that crime in Michigan.)
This has caused major problems for the judicial system in Detroit, and a task force is attempting to set things right. Budgets are being adjusted to allow the hiring of more attorneys, but that’s not helping matters in the mean time.
Currently, some courts don’t even allow alleged criminals to ask for an attorney when they are accused of a misdemeanor. In other courts, all the accused has to do is agree not to ask for an attorney and he or she might even be let off scot-free.
Michigan should establish statewide standards for the delivery of legal representation for the poor and it should shift the funding responsibility from the counties to the state.
“By almost every measure, indigent criminal defense as a whole in Michigan falls far short of accepted standards, undermining the quality of justice, jeopardizing public safety, and creating large and avoidable costs,” the group said.
Michigan is one of just seven states that leave it to each county to figure out how to fund and run legal services for people who cannot afford lawyers. This arrangement means that the quality of services varies from place to place and there is no oversight to ensure that money is well spent.
Counties with the greatest need for defense for the poor are also the ones least able to afford it, that study found. Financial strain has caused many counties to set up contracts that don’t allow attorneys to spend enough time on cases and high case loads lead to frequent sentencing mistakes.
In Detroit only five part-time public defenders handle between 2,400 and 2,800 cases a year, spending an average of 32 minutes on each case. The national standard for public defenders is 400 cases per year. Some courts, according to the report, do not provide public defenders at all for misdemeanor cases, and others are so overwhelmed with cases that they will “offer to let people get out of jail for time-served if they agree not to ask for an attorney.”(Source)
We all know the trouble Detroit has had in recent years and it seems they’ve decided to do something about.
For starters, the town is giving away 100 beaten-down homes that are in need of some TLC. They’ll even give you $150,000 to help with the renovations. Some of the houses are pretty cool looking, but they’ll no doubt need more than $150,000 in repairs.
Another program in Detroit is offering college graduates a $2,500 first year allowance and a $1000 second year allowance towards the cost of renting an apartment/condo in the city. They’re also offering up to $20,000 in forgivable loans for new homebuyers who purchase a property in the city.
In order to participate, you’ve got to work for one of the companies that have partnered with the city to offer this program. Some of those companies include Compuware, Quicken Loans, and Strategic Staffing Solutions.
Anyone who’s ever driven cross country via I-70 knows that Kansas is in no shortage of open space. Kansas has had a declining population since the early 1900′s, so towns like Lincoln and Osbourne have taken to giving out free plots of land in order to entice new residents.
Depending on the city, there are different qualifications that you need to meet. You usually need to agree to build a single-family home on the land and live there for a set amount of time (5 years or so).
This is probably the most famous example of a city/state giving away cash. Since 1976, Alaska has paid its residents to live there via its Permanent Fund Reserve. The payouts are funded by Alaska’s oil royalties and are divided up evenly among citizens.
Over the years the payouts have varied from the smallest ($331.29 per person in 1984) to the largest ($3,269.00 per person in 2008 when a one-time $1,200 Alaska Resource Rebate was added to the dividend amount), but the average is usually around $1,250.
In order to be eligible for the rebate, you must not claim residency in any other state or country.
In an effort to attract more college graduates, Saskatchewan is offering both Canadians and immigrants $20,000 CAD to live and work in the city for 7 years. You’ve got to be a recent graduate though (after 2006).
The “Graduate Retention Program” use to be just a tuition-reimbursement program for natives, but was expanded in 2008 to help entice graduates from all over the world. The $20,000 bonus is paid in chunks each year when you file your taxes.
If you’re a business owner in need of land, Camden will give you a prime 2.8 acres if you agree to create 24 new jobs in the city. The town recently spent $1 million dollars to restore the site and the land is currently valued at $175,000.
You have to put up the initial cash for the deal, but the town will refund you your money once you meet all of the requirements.
How’d you like a prime piece of golf course real estate for free? That’s the message currently coming out of Curtis, Nebraska.
The towns all-grass, nine-hole Arrowhead Meadows Golf Course (apparently one of the best in the state) has 8 plots of land left and if you agree to build a house, they’ll give it you for free. All of the lots utility ready and located on paved streets.
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