Weekly Columns
On February 17, 2005, Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean noticed a suspicious van attempting to cross the border from Mexico into Texas. The agents took steps to apprehend the van which caused the driver of the van, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, to jump out of the vehicle and flee on foot back towards Mexico. Agent Compean engaged in a physical struggle with Aldrete -Davila and when agent Ramos arrived on the scene Aldrete - Davila pointed what appeared to be a gun at the agents. Both agents fired on Aldrete- Davila but he escaped on foot.
As Congress returns to Capitol Hill this week, a divisive issue that was put on hold before Thanksgiving has reemerged. Three Detroit-headquartered automakers - Chrysler, Ford and General Motors - have asked members of Congress to consider giving them a multi-billion dollar bailout. Even though the current economic crisis has increased the burden on American automakers, these so called "Big Three" are in the midst of a financial crisis that has been decades in the making.
In less than 99 days American television is going to go through a major change. On February 17, 2009, over-the-air broadcast channels will be distributed exclusively in a digital format. This means that televisions that are not digital television (DTV) compatible will not receive programming. This change will affect over 70 million American televisions and with less than 100 days until the transition happens; it's time to answer the question - are you ready for the DTV transition?