Word: billion
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...much is actually spent? In the U.S., about $65 billion a year is spent on holiday gifts. There's been this giant [holiday season] bump in retail sales in the U.S. going as far back as statistics are available, back to the 1920s and '30s. In fact, as a share of the size of the economy, the spending has gotten smaller over time. Our fathers' and grandfathers' Christmases were a bigger deal than ours...
This imperfect process lends itself to unnecessary politicization and the abuse of earmarks so rampant in Congress. One example of this includes the $10 billion allocated in the House bill for unions, a political earmark that has no place in a bill devoted to reforming our health care delivery system. Another example is the Stupak Amendment. The bill that the House passed is historic and should be considered a major victory, but it would be a tragedy for the Representative’s Stupak’s language to survive into the final version of what would be President Obama?...
...Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, Greg M. Epstein has long promoted the message of Humanism: people can lead good and moral lives without believing in a higher being. His recently published book, “Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe,” has brought a new wave of attention to the topic, presenting a community-based and positive alternative to Atheism. Epstein argues for highlighting humanity’s potential for goodness as a whole, with or without God. FM spoke with the author to learn a little more about the book, his chaplaincy...
...illegal immigration, and it now nears completion; at 630 of 670 miles completed, Obama shows no signs that he intends to halt construction of the final portions. Humanitarians and budget hawks have blasted the wall as ineffective and enormously costly. With a final price tag of more than $4 billion and $6.5 billion in estimated maintenance expenses over the next 20 years, the direct, measured costs alone are immense. However, to discuss the project’s environmental impact, one must recognize the systematic neglect of environmental laws that occurred during its construction...
...dramas. Women account for up to 50% of the world's 100 million-strong migrant-worker population - and there is no effective entity to protect their rights and dignity. In 2008, Indonesians working abroad, commonly as domestic staff in the Middle East and parts of Asia, contributed about $6.8 billion to their national economy via remittances, according to the World Bank. And while statistics are difficult to come by, there are increasing reports of many who are physically abused, raped and - in some cases - killed by their employers. (Read more about the abuse of Indonesian migrant workers...