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| Press Releases |
| We are always on the lookout for news. Send press releases on business trends, education news, lifestyle trends, police beat, environmental news, and municipal trends, to: |
| tkmaloy@citydesk.org |
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| CHECK THAT ID: |
| Now that the holiday-shopping season is underway, a time when many shoppers rely on plastic to help them meet their gift-giving needs, are local businesses doing their part to prevent identity theft? This City Desk editor conducted an informal experiment using a Visa debit card that has been swiped so many times the signature wore off long ago. Out of 12 stores visited over one week, only one cashier asked to see an ID when that credit card was presented as payment.
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Have reporter conduct this experiment in your area and ask for an explanation when there is no ID check.
On a related note -- some stores now no longer require a signature from customers when their credit-card purchases are less than a certain minimum amount. Which stores waive the requirement of a signature under these conditions and how much can be spent without having to sign? Especially monitor the self-checkout registers in regard to this policy. |
| DEAR SANTA: |
| For some kids, toys are nowhere near the top of their Christmas list -- kids who desperately wish their parents would get back together, or their little brother's cancer would go away, or their mom could find a new job so they could turn the heat back on in their house. Is someone at the USPS, department store, etc., designated to respond to these letters, and if so, how do they respond in these cases? |
| Ask staff at your local U.S. Post Office, department store or other site where children drop off their letters to Santa to list (anonymously if necessary) some of the more heart-wrenching requests made to St. Nick. |
| DIVORCE AND THE ECONOMY: |
| By an almost two-to-one margin, respondents to a recent survey of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) report that they typically see a decline in the number of divorces during national economic downturns rather than an increase. Overall, 37 percent of AAML members responded that they typically see a decrease in the number of divorce cases during national economic downturns, while only 19 percent cited an increase during these challenging times. "For many spouses, the divorce process involves a great deal of long-term planning, and waiting for better economic times is often just another element of the overall process," said Gary Nickelson, AAML president. Are lawyers seeing more clients who say they plan to wait to ask for a divorce until the economy improves? Do marriage counselors say couples are working harder to stay together since the economy's downturn? |
| Check local records to see if the rate of divorces has fallen in your area compared to the last five or 10 years. |
| STRESS AND PARENTING: |
| Parents who've recently lost a job or are having trouble finding a new one -- and as a result are having trouble making ends meet -- may find it especially hard to handle stressful parenting situations, such as caring for a cranky newborn or toddler, or deflecting an older child's temper outburst. Ask parents to contribute advice on how to stay calm and keep such events in perspective. Are teachers/school counselors seeing many kids upset about a tense atmosphere at home caused by parents' money worries? Are police seeing more incidents of suspected child abuse? |
| One source for expert comment: David Riley, child-development specialist with University of Wisconsin-Extension, and lead author/project director for the "Parenting the First Year" newsletter series. Contact info: 608-262-3314 or dariley@wisc.edu. |
| LAYOFFS: |
| Will local businesses lay off workers in the wake of the current recession, or try to provide some sort of safety net by such tactics as retraining workers or allowing them to work half time? Widespread layoffs that stem corporate financial losses but leave workers out in the cold would deepen the looming recession that sparked them, said University of Illinois labor expert professor Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld. During the 1980s recession, for example, the auto industry partnered with unemployment offices, community colleges and others to achieve a nearly 90 percent placement rate for more than 200,000 displaced auto workers, he said. |
| For more info, contact Cutcher-Gershenfeld at 217-333-1454 or joelcg@illinois.edu. |
| HOLIDAY DISPLAYS: |
| It's obvious by now that this year many businesses are likely to cancel holiday parties or at least trim back on holiday-party spending, but what about local governments -- are they planning to scale down holiday displays or celebrations such as parades this year because of economic constraints? If so, how much do they expect to save and what kind of reductions (fewer lights, smaller Christmas tree, keeping lights on for shorter amount of time each day, etc.) are planned? Are churches planning similar cuts? |
| On a related note -- Do local malls plan to try and negotiate cheaper contracts with their Santas? |
| CANCER FATIGUE MONTH: |
| December is Cancer-Related Fatigue Month. Fatigue is a distressing side effect of cancer and can affect one's sense of well-being and even compliance with treatment. Between 70 and 100 percent of cancer patients receiving treatment have fatigue, according to the American Cancer Society. Up to one-half of all survivors have reported fatigue lasting months or even years after treatment. Signs of cancer-related fatigue include feeling tired or exhausted even after sleep, having trouble concentrating, feeling unmotivated, and lacking interest in normal day-today activities. |
| Speak with medical staff at your local cancer-treatment centers on how they help patients cope with cancer-related fatigue. |
Got Top Trends? |
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| Web Site of the Week |
| THESANTACLAUSFOUNDATION.ORG |
 The Santa Claus Foundation's mission is to dramatically reduce the number of children who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized in the United States and to promote the fostering and adoption of children who are wards of the states. One of its members, Thomas O'Connor, legally changed his name to Santa Claus in 2005. "I figured that, as an individual, if I changed my name to Santa Claus, that can be used as a tool to benefit children," said Claus. "The name 'Santa' is a bully pulpit." |
| http://www.thesantaclausfoundation.org/ |
| The Date Book |
| Nov. 23, 1859 |
| (149 years ago), notorious outlaw "Billy the Kid" born; |
| Nov. 23, 1804 |
| (204 years ago), Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. President, born in Hillsboro, N.H.; |
| Nov. 24, 1784 |
| (224 years ago), Zachary Taylor, the 12th U.S. President, born in Orange County, Va.; |
| Nov. 24, 1888 |
| (120 years ago), "How to Win Friends and Influence People" author Dale Carnegie born in Maryville, Mo.; |
| Nov. 26, 1922 |
| (86 years ago), "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz born; |
| Nov. 27, 1991 |
| (17 years ago), Congress approved a $70 billion bailout of the savings and loan industry; |
| Nov. 28, 1990 |
| (18 years ago), the United Nations set a two-month deadline for Iraq withdrawal from Kuwait; |
| Nov. 29, 1832 |
| (176 years ago), "Little Women" author Louisa May Alcott born in Philadelphia; |
| Nov. 29, 1898 |
| (110 years ago), C.S. Lewis born, author of "The Chronicles of Narnia." |
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