U.S. population reaches 300 million

On Tuesday, at 7:46 am EDT the population of the United States officially hit 300 million, when the Census Bureau's population clock rolled over to that big number. Some experts, however, are of the opinion that the population could have reached 300 million months ago. Since the population consists of immigrants and people born in the U.S. It is difficult to ascertain the exact population of the country, or if the 300 millionth individual was because of birth or immigration.

Unlike 1967, when the U.S. population officially amounted to 200 million, there was no fanfare to commemorate the new population milestone. In that year, then president, Lyndon Johnson held a news conference at the Commerce Department to hail America’s past and to talk about the challenges ahead. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the Bush administration isn’t playing down the milestone, though he said he had no plans for Tuesday.

“I would hate to think that we are going to be low key about this,” said Gutierrez, whose department oversees the Census Bureau. “I would hope that we make a big deal about it.”

Gutierrez said America’s growing population is good for the economy. He noted that Japan and some European countries expect to lose population in the next few decades, raising concerns that there won’t be enough young people entering the work force to support aging populations.

The Census Bureau counts the population every 10 years. In between, it uses administrative records and surveys to estimate monthly averages for births, deaths and net immigration. The bureau has a “population clock” that estimates a birth every seven seconds, a death every 13 seconds and a new immigrant every 31 seconds. Add it together and you get one new American every 11 seconds.

Kofi Anan succeeded by South Korean at U.N.

When Kofi Anan’s second five-year term as Secretary General of the United Nation’s expire on January 1, 2007, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, 62, will replace him. The resolution to appoint Ban Ki-moon was adapted with popular acclamation of the 192 members of the international General Assembly.

The announcement of Ban’s appointment was made to thunderous applause, by Sheikha Haya Rasheed Al Khalifa, president of the general Assembly. The South Korean will become the eighth secretary general in the United Nation’s 60-year history. According to an Associated Press report, Ban Ki-moon was one of seven candidates who competed for the position of U.N. secretary general. He had come out on the top of four informal polls in the UN Security Council. The council then voted by acclamation to recommend his election to General Assembly.

The new secretary general will be responsible for some 92,000 peacekeepers around the world, and an annual budget of $5 billion. Outgoing Kofi Anan hailed Ban as a secretary general who will be exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries in every continent, and will be a man with a truly global mind.

Driver’s License database can locate victims’ families faster

Floridians can now can put two emergency contacts on their Florida Driver’s License, and this information only be only be retrieved by a police officer. This facility has been made possible by the expansion of the Florida driver’s license database to allow drivers to add the names and contact information of relatives who can be contacted immediately, in the event of the driver is victim of a traffic accident or a crime.

A week after the feature was added on October 2, it has been reported that over 31,450 people have added contact information, by using the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle website at www.hsmv.state.fl.us. However, effective in 2007, members of the driving public will be able to add to or update contact information at driver’s license offices.

Bush: Border fence will be built

President George W. Bush, in an attempt to curb the influx of Mexican immigrants last Wednesday said he is committed to building more than 700 miles of fencing along the border.

The president said he strongly supported the building of the multi-state fence, which was recently approved by Congress. There will also be a ‘virtual wall’ equipped with sensors, cameras, radars and unmanned surveillance aircraft. He said while it is impossible to fence the entire area, a combination of fencing and technology should make it easier to patrol the area and enforce the border.

Bush has come under criticism for this proposal and protests from the Mexican diplomatic community as well as US residents in Border States.

Congress has approved $1.2 billion for the fencing; however, it is expected to cost at least another billion to complete.

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