The winners and the losers

Loser: It finally happened on Friday. The nation's unemployment rate topped 10 percent. The official rate is now 10.2 percent, with the economy having lost more jobs than it gained for 22 straight months. That's the longest such slump in the 70 years such figures have been kept. President Barack Obama called the news "sobering." It is, indeed. But so is the fact the president pushed a $787 billion stimulus package through Congress earlier this year by warning that, without it, unemployment would reach double digits. Perhaps the time has come to declare that tactic a loser.

Winner: Michael Crouch, a 16-year-old Box Elder County youth, has received the National Heroism Award from the Boy Scouts of America for his extraordinary efforts in saving the life of a motorcyclist who crashed in Sardine Canyon. Crouch and his family witnessed the accident while driving through the canyon. The young man, who had just finished a CPR class at Brigham City Community Hospital, worked tirelessly on the victim, who had stopped breathing, until he was revived. Thanks, Michael, for strengthening confidence in the rising generation.

Loser: Confidence in the Tooele Police Department, however, could use some work. This week, the Deseret News obtained details surrounding the firing of a married couple, both of whom were police officers. They allegedly spent a lot of time with another couple who had called police on a property dispute matter — time that reportedly included drinking, sexual harassment, supplying alcohol to a minor and playing the game Twister while drunk. The husband appealed the firing and was later allowed to resign. It's a story that really needs no further comment.

Winner: Not only did Ford report earnings this week, it scored even more points by announcing it soon will offer back seat air bags, which will inflate through seat belts and provide much the same protection as front-seat air bags. It never did make much sense to protect only the folks sitting up front.