2010 Census Results Are In

The 2010 Census Results are in and both New York and Massachusetts are set to loose seats in the US Congress. NY will loose two seats when the current 29-member Congressional delegation drops to 27 (the lowest number since 1823). Massachusetts will be losing one of its 10 seats in the House. State lawmakers will be tasked will the responsibility of drawing new district lines, which must be completed in time for the 2012 elections.

Nationwide, the U.S. population is 308.7 million, which is up 9.7 percent over the 2000 population of 281.4 million. This growth reflects the lowest growth since the Great Depression.

 

Rare Lunar Eclipse Tonight

Tonight, technically Tuesday morning, the moon will move into the earth’s shadow, causing a lunar eclipse.

Tonight, technically Tuesday morning, the moon will move into the earth’s shadow, causing a lunar eclipse. This will be the first time a lunar eclipse has occurred on the Winter Solstice since 1638 so Druids, Pagans and Twilight Fans are sure to be out chanting in the moonlight.

Depending on cloud coverage in your area, the eclipse will be visible to anyone in North America. Starting around 1:30 a.m. Eastern time, the earth’s shadow should begin showing on the moon’s lower left area. Our planet’s shadow will slowly creep across the moon and the entire moon will be covered around 2:40 a.m. The moon will remain in the Earth’s shadow for an hour until it starts moving out of the shadow, which should be completed around 5 a.m.

DATE/TIME:
December 20, 2010: 1:30am

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Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

Senate Votes to Repeal Ban on Gays in Military

From CNN.com:

The military’s prohibition of openly gay people serving within its ranks is one step closer to ending, after the Senate voted Saturday to repeal the armed forces’ “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Eight Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut joined the chamber’s Democrats to back the legislation, which passed by a 65-31 margin. The bill needed a simple majority — meaning support from 51 of the Senate’s 100 members — to pass.

“I want to thank all of the gay men and women who are fighting for us today,” said Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, one of several Republicans who voted for the measure. “We honor your service, and now we can do so openly.”

President Barack Obama will sign the bill into law next week, White House press secretary said in a Twitter post moments after the Senate vote.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, applauded Congress’s action, which he said “preserves the military’s prerogative to implement change in a responsible, deliberate manner.”

 

Read the full article on CNN.com