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09 May 2010 11:01

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U.S.: That ferry in Staten Island has had a long history of problems

  • 1981 During the ship’s initial
    launch, the engine
    stopped and the steering
    died, and it crashed. Oof.
  • 1995 The ship had a crash
    caused by a propulsion
    problem similar to the
    crash on Saturday.
  • 2003 Eleven people died (and
    70 were injured) after the
    ship’s assistant captain
    passed out. source

09 May 2010 10:46

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U.S.: Bob Bennett out: In Utah, Republicans throw over one of their own

  • The political atmosphere, obviously, has been toxic and it’s very clear some of the votes that I have cast have added to the toxic environment. Looking back on them, with one or two very minor exceptions, I wouldn’t have cast them any differently even if I’d known at the time it would cost me my career.
  • Utah Sen. Bob Bennett • Regarding his shocking loss at the Utah Republican Convention, where he was ousted in favor of two fresh faces – Tim Bridgewater and Mike Lee, who will face each other in a June primary. Bennett, a three-term politician, is the first Utah senator ousted by his party since 1940. Fellow Sen. Orrin Hatch said he felt bad for his counterpart, “But you know, people are angry. They’re really upset at the way things are going and I think to a degree that’s what hurt him.” source

09 May 2010 10:30

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Culture: The Betty White “Saturday Night Live” episode: Full of win

  • Her one-liners are pretty priceless. How did the 88-year-old Betty White get on “SNL” anyway? Facebook, of course. She gives the site lots of credit, but gets in a lot of ribbing in the process. “In my day, seeing pictures of people’s vacations was considered a punishment.” Many of the sketches this time were pretty stellar.

09 May 2010 10:10

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U.S., World: Attorney General: Pakistani Taliban behind Times Square plot

  • last week Almost immediately the Pakistani
    Taliban claimed responsibility for
    the failed Times Square attack.
    Then, later, they denied it.
  • “this week” On the Sunday talk show, Attorney
    General Eric Holder pinned the
    attack on them. We’re waiting for a
    reversal of the claim. source

08 May 2010 19:25

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U.S.: Was BP able to stop the massive oil leak in the Gulf yet?

  • NO the giant grease trap suffered
    a huge setback source

08 May 2010 18:24

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Offbeat: Google News run by computer with juvenile sense of humor

  • “Jack Meoff” ≠ Jake Tapper. The other day, the poor ABC News political reporter got mis-bylined by the computer-driven service, instead calling Tapper by his real name. The article was about some topic we don’t care about, but the second we realized it got turned into a childish prank, we immediately showed interest. Good show, Google News, getting regular people like us interested in the news. source

08 May 2010 18:06

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Culture: “Iron Man 2” a massive hit, critical acclaim or no critical acclaim

  • $52.4
    million
    the amount the superhero film
    made on Friday alone
  • $135
    million
    the amount the film could make
    this weekend source
 

08 May 2010 17:55

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Culture: Suburban family raps about playdates, driving swagger wagons

  • This commercial is awesome for lots of reasons. The biggest reason? It’s directed by Jody Hill of “The Foot Fist Way” and “Observe and Report.” The other reason? It’s a suburban family rapping about being a suburban family.

08 May 2010 17:30

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U.S.: Craigslist’s rep damaged again after a deadly home robbery

  • You hate to tell people to be wary of your fellow citizens, but the reality is you’ve got to be wary when you are doing something when interacting with strangers on Craigslist. This is a cautionary tale.
  • Pierce County, Wash. Prosecutor Mark Lindquist • Regarding an April 28 incident where a bunch of thieves found a diamond ring ad on Craigslist, and then proceeded to rob the home. The thieves came to the home, posed as a couple, then, once inside, pulled out a gun and held the family hostage. Two more assailants joined them. They handcuffed the family of four, pistol-whipped the 14-year-old, beat the mother, and when the father tried to defend his son, he was shot three times. The four suspects have been caught, but holy crap. Keep this in time next time you sell stuff (especially expensive stuff), guys. source

08 May 2010 16:51

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U.S.: Update on the Staten Island Ferry accident; dozens hurt

  • 37 were injured in the accident
    this morning
  • 17 had to go to the hospital
    due to their injuries source