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A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
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Venezuela recently held an important election. Constitutional amendments that would have given more power to President Hugo Chavez - including the abolition of term limits which would allow Chavez to seek re-election repeatedly - were on the ballot. Thousands of Venezuelans waited for hours to place their votes. The amendment was rejected by a margin of 2%.
We've all heard about the high price of gasoline today. The price of gasoline can also affect the price of food and rising food prices have hit families across the United States hard. Economists say severe weather in the southern United States and Australia is partly to blame for rising food bills, but others are pointing to another culprit: energy. The price of crude oil has risen, making it more expensive to transport and package food. The rising production of the gasoline additive ethanol, a biofuel made from corn, has caused the price of corn to go up. Maggie Lake explains how all of these fuel and food costs are related.
You may not expect Cuba to be on the cutting edge of environmental awareness. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought economic crisis and severe fuel shortages to the Communist island in the 1990s. Bicycles and horse-drawn carts replaced cars. Hunger and blackouts were widespread. Without fertilizers or transportation, organic gardens cropped up, providing fresh lettuce, potatoes and squash on almost every city block. Leader Fidel Castro himself introduced many measures - going on TV to promote energy-saving pressure cookers and ordering Cubans to switch to fluorescent light bulbs. Now, with help from oil-rich ally Venezuela, Cuba is emerging from the dark days of the crisis and the government wants to make sure good habits stick.
Students at Northwood Intermediate in Sidney, Ohio learned a lesson about politics last week. U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan, a Republican from the fourth district, made a special visit to the school. He explained his responsibilities as a congressional representative and gave students tips on winning a campaign.
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team fell from the number one ranking to number seven after one loss this season, but thanks to a season of ups and downs and big upsets all over the country, the Buckeyes are back at number one. That means they'll play in the big national championship game. The Buckeyes will face LSU on January seventh at the Superdome in New Orleans.
December 10, 2007