Al's Morning Meeting

David Goldblatt, a performer and representative of the American Federation of Musicians, said performers are worried. Many won't check their instruments and that may mean they can't travel.

Musicians say if they are forced to check their instruments it will make travel "impossible," because they cannot risk damaging their livelihoods.

"We've been lobbying ceaselessly for years," said Mark Tetreault, symphonic director for the 17,000-member Canadian arm of the American Federation of Musicians.

"All we want is a clear policy and not ad hoc decisions at the gate."

The Montreal-based airline admits that its carry-on policy has not been consistent over the years, but says musicians and other travelers should get accustomed to a new reality.

Spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick, who would not comment specifically on Mr. Casey's (the viola owner) complaint, said 28 months of record loads, higher fuel prices and less available space in overhead bins have forced the company into a tougher stance.

"It's possible in the past that our rules haven't been enforced uniformly," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "Today, we are a lot more stringent with the rules. Our planes are a lot fuller."

But that comes as little solace to Mr. Casey, who is hoping that Air Canada learns a lesson from his hardship. The viola was insured, but the Glebe resident said he has not pursued a claim because he doesn't feel responsible for the damage.

Air Canada's policy is that it assumes no liability for many items, including "musical instruments," and that it will only reimburse a maximum of $1,500 for damaged items "unless a higher value is declared in advance."

AP reported:
Many parents hoping to get their daughters a new cervical cancer vaccine at their back-to-school checkups are winding up disappointed.

The expensive shots — while recommended by a panel of experts — are often hard to find or not yet covered by insurance.

Though higher education is now a near-universal aspiration, researchers suggest that close to half the students who enter college need remedial courses.

The efforts, educators say, have not cut back on the thousands of students who lack basic skills. Instead, the colleges have clustered those students in community colleges, where their chances of succeeding are low and where taxpayers pay a second time to bring them up to college level.

The phenomenon has educators struggling with fundamental questions about access to education, standards and equal opportunity.

Michael W. Kirst, a Stanford professor who was a co-author of a report on the gap between aspirations and college attainment, said that 73 percent of students entering community colleges hoped to earn four-year degrees, but that only 22 percent had done so after six years.

"You can get into school," Professor Kirst said. "That’s not a problem. But you can’t succeed.’’

Nearly half the 14.7 million undergraduates at two- and four-year institutions never receive degrees. The deficiencies turn up not just in math, science and engineering, areas in which a growing chorus warns of difficulties in the face of global competition, but also in the basics of reading and writing.

According to scores on the 2006 ACT college entrance exam, 21 percent of students applying to four-year institutions are ready for college-level work in all four areas tested, reading, writing, math and biology.

For many students, the outlook does not improve after college. The Pew Charitable Trusts recently found that three-quarters of community college graduates were not literate enough to handle everyday tasks like comparing viewpoints in newspaper editorials or calculating the cost of food items per ounce.

The unyielding statistics showcase a deep disconnection between what high school teachers think that their students need to know and what professors, even at two-year colleges, expect them to know.

At Cal State, the system admits only students with at least a B average in high school. Nevertheless, 37 percent of the incoming class last year needed remedial math, and 45 percent needed remedial English.

The Washington Post says:
Boxes of Doral lights, a low-tar brand made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., had the biggest increase in yield, 36 percent. Some of this may have been the result of an increase in the total amount of tobacco put in that brand's cigarettes, one expert said.

The nicotine in Marlboro products, preferred by two-thirds of high school smokers, increased 12 percent. Kool lights increased 30 percent. Two-thirds of African American smokers use menthol brands.

Not only did most brands have more nicotine in 2004, the number of brands with very high nicotine yields also rose.

In 1998, Newport 100s and unfiltered Camels were tied for highest nicotine yield at 2.9 milligrams. In 2004, Newport had risen to 3.2 milligrams, and five brands measured 3 milligrams or higher.

"The reports are stunning," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "What's critical is the consistency of the increase, which leads to the conclusion that it has to have been conscious and deliberate."

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