People are moving around the world constantly—either toward opportunity or away from misfortune and fear. This is where people are going, and where they are coming from.

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In Oregon, declining gas tax revenues are prompting the state to look into some wacky new ways of getting money from drivers. The LA Times reports:

“For years, Oregon has been diligent about reducing the state’s dependence on fossil fuels, but its environmental consciousness has come at a stunning price—gas tax revenue is down $4.8 million a year compared with 2006.”

In response, the state is exploring (and Governor Theodore Kulongoski has just endorsed), a new tax that…

Obama’s pick of former Clinton Chief of Staff Leon Panetta as the head of the CIA is already drawing some heated criticism from people who feel as though the director of the CIA needs a background in intelligence in order to be successful. Despite Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Diane Feinstein’s protestations, Panetta seems to be receiving a lot of support from people in the intelligence community, viewing him as some one who can cut through the…

Toyota announced today that it would close all its Japan-based plants for 11 days later this month. This comes on top of an already announced three day shut down. Remember, this is Toyota, whose fuel-efficient vehicles and non-union contracts were supposed to save it from the problems hitting the rest of the auto industry. Turns out, Toyota’s sales are down in December (as compared to December, 2007) more than G.M’s or Ford’s were in the same period,…

Four art movements that are guiding and defining our era

1 Art and Fashion Continue to Come Together  The critical mass of respected artists who are comfortably collaborating with fashion designers and luxury brands is unprecedented. And though financial flutters will take the shine off the luxury market’s glitter, catwalk designers will still collect art, be stimulated by artists, and seek artists’ input, while fashion itself will continue to inspire artists’ investigations.

2 Photography Steps Up  Since massive spending…

While holy wars rage in far too many corners of the world, British atheists are launching a fiery campaign of their own, albeit of a totally different kind. Starting today, the first national atheist “advert” campaign rolls out—literally—all over the United Kingdom. The message? “There’s Probably No God.  Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Life.” The British Humanist Society has bought space on 800 busses, 1,000 poster ads in subways and two massive video screens on…