| Health laws flatten pancake race
The event was revived 11 years ago and since then crowds have gathered in the centre of Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Shrove Tuesday to watch school children running down a cobbled street flipping pancakes as they go. The start is signalled by the ringing of the cathedral's ancient "pancake bell" at 11 am on the day. The bell, originally sounded to call worshippers to make their confession before the start of Lent, has been rung at that time for at least 600 years. However, organisers have reluctantly scrapped the popular pancake race this year because of mounting costs and bureaucracy linked to health and safety rules. Payments for road closures, policing, insurance risk assessments and volunteer staffing problems have forced the cathedral Dean to call time on the tradition.
Valley schools turning out more medical professionals
A medical school at UC Merced will help address these critical problems. Evidence shows that when medical professionals train in an area, they are more likely to stay in that area. About 88 percent of our nursing graduates at California State University, Stanislaus, remain in the region to practice nursing. The same is likely to be true for physicians and other medical professionals. Therefore, it is crucial that the valley has its own state-of-the-art training facilities and education programs for medicine. As dean of the college of human and health sciences at CSU Stanislaus, one of my most urgent tasks is working with our faculty, health providers and other educational institutions to increase the number of nurses in the region. As with physicians, there is an extreme nursing shortage in the valley.
Hawaii's values, traditions can inspire a nation
When I set out to achieve universal health care as first lady back in 1993, I knew I needed to learn from Hawaii's pioneering example. So I traveled to your state and met with health care professionals and community leaders to discuss how Hawaii's approach to health care could be a model for America. I was greatly impressed by what I saw. I was impressed by your passionate belief that health care is not a luxury -- but a fundamental right. I was impressed by this state's proud progressive tradition and firm commitment to caring for all its citizens. And I was impressed by Hawaii's rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty. But I know Hawaii also faces unique challenges -- from education to energy to the economy. And the people of Hawaii deserve a president who won't just talk about solutions to those problems -- but will actually deliver.
New horizons
Tuscany's picturesque medieval towns and rolling hills have long lured frazzled city dwellers but Europe has plenty of other beautiful rural retreats. One of the most spectacular is northern Spain's Asturias region. Sandwiched between the Picos de Europa mountain range and the magnificent coast, Asturias is a verdant, wild place. In addition to its 193 beaches, a third of the region consists of national parks or biospheres, filled with steep valleys and gorges and glacial mountain rivers. The area's beech and oak forests are home to animals such as brown bear, deer, boars and otters. Burn some energy horse riding, canoeing, mountain-biking and caving, or simply following some of the spectacular walking trails. If you're travelling with the kids, head for the Jurassic museum in Colunga (which includes 20 dinosaur models) or the Children's Palace in the Parque de Invierno.
Obama routs Clinton in Potomac primaries, as another of her aides ...
Barack Obama has overtaken Hillary Clinton in the race for Democratic presidential delegates after routing her in last night's three primary contests, victories that saw him dramatically cut into her core support for the first time. As another of Mrs Clinton's top advisers quit her campaign, Mr Obama crushed her in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC, drawing unprecedented backing across race, gender and economic lines with a momentum that advisers to Mrs Clinton concede is gravely endangering her campaign. As the scale of his victories emerged, Mrs Clinton's camp announced that her deputy campaign manager Mike Henry had resigned, two days after the removal of her campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, adding to the sense of mounting stress and pressure in the face of Mr Obama's recent string of victories.
Australia welcomes fatter postal workers
Australia's postal service isn't changing the scales on its counters, but it has loosened its weight limits for motorcycle staff as it faces a shortage of slender recruits in an increasingly heavy population. Australia Post lifted the maximum weight for letter carriers who ride its 110 cc motorbikes from the previous 198 pounds to 231 pounds. Postal service spokesman Scott McIntyre said Tuesday the change was made solely because the motorbikes' manufacturer, Honda, advised that they could handle the extra weight without "any significant effects on the stability, handling or safety." McIntyre said the maximum amount of mail carried on the motorbikes would remain unchanged at 55 pounds. But a postal union representative, Michael Etue, said Australia Post had struggled to find recruits who weighed less than 198 pounds.
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