Growing Local Shrimp In Las Vegas Desert

NORTH LAS VEGAS -- In an arid field of Joshua trees and desert brush 30 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, an isolated farm is raising thousands of recently hatched shrimp in salt-water tanks filled from a nearby well.

The artificial ponds splayed across a temperature-controlled room are expected to grow half a million pounds of shrimp a year, enough to fuel Las Vegas' insatiable all-you-can-eat-shrimp habit for about a week, according to some estimates.

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LaHood Announces $179 Million to California for High Speed Passenger Rail Network

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $179 million for the State of California to continue building a statewide, passenger rail network with both high-speed and intercity service. Funding will kick-start several major projects throughout the state including the construction of new tracks, the purchase of next generation trains and the installation of high-tech signaling systems.

“California voters and train passengers have said it loud and clear, they want access to a world-class rail system in California.” said Secretary LaHood. “These projects ensure passenger rail is built to support a thriving California economy in the 21st century, while creating thousands of new construction and manufacturing jobs today.”

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Teach For America's Summer Institute Gets High Marks.

Over the next few weeks, 5,200 new Teach For America members will become first-year teachers in some of this nation’s most challenging school settings. In lieu of a traditional, year-long teacher preparation program, they just spent five weeks attending one of the organization's eight summer training institutes. That short time span makes the institute an intense experience, and critics say it can’t truly prepare corps members to teach.

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