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17 Apr 2010 11:59

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World: Nick Clegg’s starting to sound a little like Obama circa mid-2008

  • I can’t predict what is going to happen in the election campaign, but I think something exciting is starting to happen. … If a growing number of people do that then the possibilities of doing things differently really are huge.
  • British Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg • Regarding the increase in support his party has seen in recent weeks. The center-left party is doing well in the polls of late, especially in the wake of Clegg’s solid performance during a TV debate earlier this week. He suggests it could be a break from “old politics.” Other British parties are finding ways to criticize this possibility, though: Labour representatives are down on the party’s stance on the Trident nuclear defense system, and Conservative leader David Cameron is quick to leap on the possibility of a hung parliament of the Lib Dems get any more power. source

17 Apr 2010 11:44

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World: Ashes to ashes: If you’re in Europe and want to fly, it sucks to be you

  • 18,600 number of flights that were
    canceled yesterday due to the erupting Iceland volcano
  • 16,000 number of flights that will be
    canceled today for the very same freaking reason source
  • » How long could this go on, anyway? The ash, which has a very damaging effect on aircraft (think what Lava soap does to your hands, except with an expensive plane), could be in cloud form for the next 24 hours at least; it’s causing chaos for European travelers, who have been forced to travel by boat, car, train or anything non-plane-related.

17 Apr 2010 11:28

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World: The international community not impressed by Sudan’s election

Either the world community has really high standards, or Sudan has really low ones. Here, a bunch of Sudanese look at some confusing sheets of paper. source

17 Apr 2010 11:22

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World: In Poland, a memorial for president Lech Kaczynski drew huge crowds

  • 100,000 Poles mourned the loss source

17 Apr 2010 11:14

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World: In Pakistan, a suicide bomber targets a refugee camp

  • 41+ people were killed by a suicide
    bomber at a refugee camp in the
    Orakzai region of Pakistan
  • 64+ were injured; the attack is seen
    as retaliation for an assault against
    Taliban fighters source

17 Apr 2010 11:05

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Offbeat: A year later, Bo Obama does his presidential pedigree proud

The Christian Science Monitor has a ton of photos of the First Dog, and by golly, is he a fun little pup. source

16 Apr 2010 20:12

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Politics: GOP Senators to Obama, again: Drop dead

  • We are united in our opposition to the partisan legislation reported by the Senate Banking Committee. As currently constructed, this bill allows for endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street and establishes new and unlimited regulatory powers that will stifle small businesses and community banks.
  • A letter from all GOP Republicans to Harry Reid • Making it clear that the party will again be the Party of No when it comes to financial reform. Because, hey, it worked out for them last time. Obama, by the way, says he won’t pass a bill that doesn’t do something to hold back the onslaught of derivatives. Blanche Lincoln is working on adding teeth to the bill. source
 

16 Apr 2010 17:51

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U.S.: Eric Massa’s chief of staff got a pretty nice parachute fund

  • $40,000 check just as Massa quit source

16 Apr 2010 17:32

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U.S.: “A little soap opera”: Thousands of images in school spying case

  • Apparently, they were using the webcam-equipped laptops for constant surveillance. The Lower Merion, Pa. School District, currently facing a class-action lawsuit for its role in a webcam surveillance scheme, reportedly took photos of plaintiff Blake Robbins while he was sleeping, chatting, and so on – as many as 400 images of Blake alone over a two-week period. (Just imagine how that worked for all the other kids with school-issued laptops.) Administrators reportedly loved the service, which has now been disabled, and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter has introduced legislation to block usage of surveillance software for this purpose (smart idea, dude). source

16 Apr 2010 17:10

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Tech: Apple learns that blocking editorial cartoonists a dumb idea

Pulitzer winner Mark Fiore had his app rejected. Now he has a second chance. “It’s not like I had a phone number for someone at Apple. Interestingly enough, I do now.” source