High: 56º Low: 44º
feb. 19, 2013
tuesday
House of Cards, page 3
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013
WWW.DAILYAZTEC.COM
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 73
Calif. holds highest poverty rate in US
state
courtesy of netflix
While reviewing the new series “House of Cards,” it’s impossible to think of a more appropriate word (than groundbreaking) Factory Farming, page 4
courtesy of hsus
‘Floating hell’ cruise ship limps to shore national
Michele Pluss Staff Writer paige nelson , photo editor
A homeless man lies on bed inside San Diego’s Alpha Project shelter tent. The U.S. Census Bureau reported California holds the highest poverty rate at 23.5 percent.
Raquel Martin Staff Writer
Based on the latest supplemental poverty measure, the U.S. Census Bureau reports California holds the highest poverty rate at 23.5 percent. According to Southern California Public Radio, the biggest factor seems to be the high cost of living. Real estate
value in California is sky-high and it’s relatively difficult to qualify for food stamps and other welfare benefits, according to the U.S. Census Bureau reports. “I was surprised,” San Diego State economics professor Shoshana Grossbard said. “I understood they changed the method to calculate the poverty rate. Previously, it was only 16
percent and it was not at the top in the nation.” With the new measurement in place, a broader spectrum of factors are now being taken into consideration. This figure includes not only the costs of food, but medical costs, account tax rates, child care and other expenses. According to The Sacramento
Bee, the new SPM put about 3 million more people at the or below the poverty line in California, but affected other states positively by lowering their poverty rate. According to the US Census Bureau in 2011, the national poverty rate was 15.8 percent, CA POVERTY continued on page 2
Fulbright program sends Aztecs abroad
national
Hannah Beausang Senior Staff Writer
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides an opportunity for San Diego State’s best and brightest academic achievers to travel the world and carry out their dreams firsthand. From 2014-15, the program will send approximately 1,700 students abroad. It features a list of more than 150 diverse countries, ranging from Indonesia to Jamaica. Grantees will conduct their research or teach in their country of choice for an academic year, which gives them ample time to fully immerse themselves in the native culture. SDSU Fulbright adviser Pat Huckle called the grant “prestigious” and advocates SDSU student participation. She says recruiters are looking for well-rounded, independent students who demonstrate initiative. “All the students say it’s a lifechanging experience; they learn things they never expected to learn,” Huckle FULBRIGHT continued on page 2
A view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris at sunset. France is one of the countries that welcomes Fulbright grantees to do research.
monica linzmeir , assistant photo editor
What began as a four-day Caribbean getaway was quickly dubbed “a floating hell” by some passengers when the Carnival Triumph was left adrift at sea for five days following a fire in the engine room. The fire began in front of one of six generators in the ship’s bowels on Feb. 10 around dawn, leaving the ship without power and effectively stranding 3,100 passengers and approximately 1,100 crew members. Built in 1999, the Triumph is among Carnival’s older ships with an expected refurbishment—Funship 2.0 —scheduled for 2014. Last month, the ship experienced technical difficulties with its propulsion system. While experts have already been able to identify the source of the fire that disabled the 893foot ship, they must still wait a week for their investigation to determine whether or not this fire was related to the issues from earlier this year. During the five days that passengers were trapped onboard the vessel listing, they dealt with “long lines for food, shortages of fresh water and widespread boredom,” according to an article on CNN. Pictures flooded social media outlets such as Instagram to chronicle their hardships on board. CNN posted a photograph submitted to Instagram by passenger Jacob Combs of his life vest storage unit holding a biohazard bag CARNIVAL TRIUMPH continued on page 2