A lot of things went on outside the bubble of Tech in the past week. Here are a few important events taking place throughout the nation and the world.
Three U.S. soldiers were killed on Feb. 3 after a bomb blast in Pakistan. In addition, 63 schoolgirls and 2 additional US soldiers were injured in the attack. The U.S. embassy in Islamabad confirmed that the servicemen involved in the blast were there to train Pakistani military in counter-insurgency tactics. Both American and Pakistani officials have denied a large presence of American troops in the region, wary of wide-spread anti-American sentiment and attitudes towards predator drone strikes by the military.
The Toyota Motor Company suspended sales of eight models and recalled several million vehicles due to persistent problems with sticking accelerator pedals. Coupled with an earlier recall in November, the number of cars recalled by Toyota worldwide reached nine million. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration triggered an investigation following the death of four individuals, including an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer in Aug. Since 2002, Toyota received over 2,000 complaints of unintended acceleration. Toyota into issuing the recall. Toyota sales fell 16% in January. In other news, GM plans to offer a $1000 discount on its cars to Toyota customers affected by the recall.
On Feb. 1, President Obama unveiled a budget proposal for the next 10 years. The plan proposes a $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year. It also projects that the deficit will shoot up to $1.6 trillion this year, eclipsing last fiscal year’s record $1.4 trillion.