• Despite $4 billion in upgrades, U.S. embassies are still not secure.Despite an intensive $4 billion drive to protect U.S. embassies against violence, at least 150 American missions abroad still fall short of security standards put in place after deadly bombings, The Associated Press has learned. And it will cost twice that amount to replace or renovate just the most vulnerable of them, according to documents reviewed by the AP.
• Watch out, Mickey! Dubai plans to overtake Florida in global tourism.Dubai, UAE, is tapping ideas from Florida to make it the top travel spot in the world. The emirate’s sheikhs are building a mega-airport next to its cruise port to speed passengers to ships, just as in Fort Lauderdale. The $65 billion Dubailand Park, under development, will dwarf Orlando-area attractions like Disney World. Florida’s tourism board is wary.
• Study calculates U.S. cities with lowest carbon footprint, urban density beats sprawl.Big-city dwellers have less of an environmental impact than their country cousins. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, residents of the 100 biggest metro areas emit on average 2.47 metric tons of carbon per person per year, 14% less than the 2.87 ton American average. The cities with the smallest carbon footprint per capita: Honolulu, Los Angeles, and metro Portland. The worst offenders: Ohio’s Cincinnati-Middletown area, Indianapolis, and Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
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