Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
A 19-year-old who failed classes at the University of Iowa is now the first patient at a new five-acre rehabilitation center for those who suffer from Internet addiction.
Ben Alexander, 18, said that he failed his courses in Iowa City because he spent all of his time playing “World of Warcraft” via the Internet.
Alexander is a tall, quiet young man who always got good grades and hopes to become a biologist.
He started playing “World of Warcraft,” a hugely popular online multiplayer role playing game, about a year ago, and got sucked right in.
“At first it was a couple of hours a day,” he said. “By midway through the first semester, I was playing 16 or 17 hours a day.
“School wasn’t interesting,” he said. “It was an easy way to socialize and meet people.”
Internet addiction is not officially recognized as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and treatment through the new residential program in Washington is not covered by most insurance plans. There are, however, treatment centers in several Asian countries where the addiction is taken more seriously.
Alexander is the first and only patient at this U.S. facility, which claims it can provide cold turkey services to up to six patients at a time.
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