Culver City Observer -

By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

What’s happening with the Common Core math and English exams in the New York City district? Can you believe 90 percent of the students in 82 low-performing schools fell below standards on the tests most recently given at the Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing and Visual Arts on West 114th Street? Not one of the students taking the test passed. In 2014 the passing scores at Wadleigh were English 5.4, and 3.6 percent in math. Citywide the pass rates were 30.4 % in English and 35.2 % in math.

I just bet members of the Culver City Police Department have been reading with interest the article on page 44 of the August 31 issue of Time Magazine as it relates to identifying the bad guys by the bacteria in and on the human body. Perhaps Sacramento will mandate that when citizens have to give samples of their DNA, bacteria will also be required.

Rumor has it if you are a big American company and know the federal government wants to change recommendations regarding sugar consumption, you start jingling your coins. Well, if you are Coca-Cola you outspend your opponents by $14.2 million in just this past quarter. That’s right, Coke and farm lobby groups trying to weaken the new federal nutritional guidelines as they relate to sugar and meat consumption are spending like crazy, or so the rumor goes.

If you are my age or older you remember in the mid-seventies the Arabs cut oil exports to the United States, causing long lines of cars at the pumps. Today the Feds have stored in the caverns of Texans and Louisiana approximately 700 million barrels of crude to protect us from a supply storage. Congress has been selling a billion dollars of oil here and a billion there so taxes wouldn’t have to be raised. Congress hopes the sales would generate an additional $15 billion, per Bloomberg Business Week, August 2.

Could you and your family be in the market for a five bedroom four bath with 4,878 square feet? The price for this Riverside, California mansion is free, but it has to be moved. A nearby lot costs $119,000. The house needs new systems, a roof and wall repairs. Houses of this size in this area fetch over a million dollars and it’s free to buy. Contact Nathan Freeman, (951) 826-5374.

Have you read the October 2014 issue of Dabiq, Islamic State’s online English language monthly? An article on the morality of enslaving women and children concludes the enslavement of non-believers conforms to Islamic law.

China has deployed maritime surveillance vessels to the waters off the coast of Hawaii, according to a May 30 report by the Want China Times. The Taiwan - based publication says the provocative Chinese move is a “countermeasure” against the United States’ activities in the South China Sea.

Over the last 18 months China has assumed a more aggressive posture in its claims of more than 90 percent of the vast South China Sea. During this time, Chinese forces have built approximately 2,000 acres of artificial landmass on disputed reefs in the area. China’s People’s Liberation Army is building facilities on the islands and has issued threats to U.S. surveillance planes tracking the construction.

At a May 26 press conference China stated that a “blue-water” navy is needed for Beijing to pursue its overseas interest and it must ready itself for a conflict with U.S. Forces in the South China Sea.

If you are a lucky celebrity getting a star on Hollywood Blvd., you or your representative will pay $30,000 for the installation and dedication.

As research advances, the list of diseases presumed by the Veterans Administration (VA) to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange defoliant has grown. One is essential thrombocythemia (ET) which is caused by bone marrow producing too many blood platelets. This can lead to abnormal bleeding or blood clots. ET is more common in people 50 and older and in women. The disease can be detected in a blood test; symptoms may include headache, hearing or vision problems, and burning, tingling, redness or warmth in the hands or feet.

Many of us are working to honor the 4.7 million who fought in and the 116,516 who gave their lives during World War 1. The National World War 1 Memorial will be located at Pershing Park on Pennsylvania Avenue and dedicated in 2018 – the 100th anniversary.

Are you interested in stocks, such as Procter & Gamble, that pay a monthly dividend? There are a dozen you should look at. See http://www.Kiplinger.com/links/dividends. Talk to your CPA about all the tax breaks and then get out your checkbook.

In the Bloomberg Business Week June 29-July 5 issue, I read on page 25 that Wal-Mart, according to a new study, holds more than $76 billion of its assets through a web of at least 78 offshore subsidiaries and branches in tax havens around the world. The overseas operations have helped the company cut more than $3.5 billion off its income tax bills in the past six years, its annual reports showed.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com by placing Rubenstein in the website’s search box.