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07 Feb 2011 23:45

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U.S.: 2012 field starts to solidify, but still lots of uncertainty

  • in It’s looking very, very likely that Haley Barbour will seek the nomination for President: an unnamed advisor said that “he’s running until he says he’s not.”
  • out John Thune, who up until recently seemed like an almost-definite yes, looks to be having some second thoughts about running (or, more specifically, his wife is).
  • odd Apparently, Bob Riley (who?) is now also considering a run. Because, you know, there aren’t enough obscure candidates in the race already. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 23:00

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Offbeat: Scientists to oysters: You have become irrelevant

  • They are functionally extinct – in that they lack any significant ecosystem role and remain at less than one percent of prior abundances in many bays.
  • An elite team of researchers • Reporting on a recent study on oyster habitation. This is quite the indictment of the humble oyster: “Hey, not only are 85% of your reefs destroyed; you’re also completely unimportant to your surroundings and have no impact on anything.” Sheesh. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 22:33

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U.S.: The downside of placing a moratorium on deepwater drilling

  • 8,000 jobs lost due to recent oil drilling restrictions source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 22:16

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Politics: Why you’re paying less in taxes than you were two years ago

  • 13% drop in income tax payments since Bush’s last year in office
  • 33% decrease in taxes paid by corporations since 2008; that’s a big drop
  • 1950 the last time taxes (as a percentage of the entire US economy) were this low source
  • » But don’t get too excited. While lower taxes may sound nice on paper, the real reason for this drop isn’t as much due to policy changes as it is the recession. See, people (and corporations) are making a whole lot less money than they were a few years ago; hence, they’re paying less in taxes. And that sucks for just about everybody involved. However, Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota places a lot of the blame on our nation’s tax code itself, calling it a “simply indefensible” policy that’s “hemorrhaging revenue.” Still, our primary focus should probably be on pulling our economy out of the toilet. Then we can fix the tax code.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 21:00

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U.S.: Green River Killer charged in yet another cold case

  • 49 separate murder charges for the infamous Green River Killer source
  • » Why he’ll probably plead guilty this time, too: Infamous serial killer Gary Ridgeway has a large incentive to just nod his head and accept a guilty plea. Back in 2003, Ridgeway made a plea to avoid the death penalty, and is instead spending life in prison for the many murders he’s been convicted for. Today, he was charged in the death of Rebecca Marrero, who was declared missing back in 1982 but whose remains were only found in December. Ridgeway admitted to her death but there was not enough evidence to convict him until now.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 20:33

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World: Wikileaks cable: Israel favored Omar Suleiman to replace Mubarak

  • 2011 Omar Suleiman, a diplomatic figure closely associated with Hosni Mubarak (but mostly unknown to the Egyptian public) was appointed as Mubarak’s vice-president – and potentially leader-in-waiting – to the anger of many Egyptians.
  • 2008 A newly-released Wikileaks cable suggests that Israel heavily favored Suleiman were Mubarak to die or become incapacitated: “There is no question that Israel is most comfortable with the prospect of Suleiman,” the wire said. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 20:20

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Politics: Obama tries mending profitable fences with Chamber of Commerce

  • If there is a reason you don’t believe that this is the time to get off the sidelines — to hire and invest — I want to know about it. I want to fix it.
  • President Barack Obama • Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce today about the business role in building an economic recovery. Obama’s meeting with the organization was an attempt to mend fences. “I’m here in the interest of being more neighborly,” he said. “I strolled over from across the street, and, look, maybe if we had brought over a fruitcake when I first moved in, we would have gotten off to a better start. But I’m going to make up for it.” The speech, which balanced profit-making motives with Obama’s desire to see business actually hire people, didn’t go over very well with some. Just listen to this jerk: “I think it’s a little outside the bounds to suggest that if we hire people we don’t need,” said Buffalo Supply executive Harold Jackson, “there will be more demand.” We think Harold Jackson is full of crap. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Feb 2011 15:49

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Tech: AOL staking their livelihood on HuffPost accquisition

  • 40% of AOL’s money used to buy The Huffington Post source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 15:32

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U.S.: Gov. Rick Scott is not one to buck Republican orthodoxy

  • $5 billion in proposed budget cuts to Florida over the next two years
  • $4 billion in proposed tax cuts to Floridians over the next two years source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 15:15

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World: Wael Ghonim freed, asks NDP’s new Secretary General to resign

  • freedom Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who was held for over a week under Egyptian custody, was released to the great relief of his friends and family, as announced by the company earlier    this afternoon.
  • retort Ghonim tweeted this, moments after he proclaimed his release: “Gave my 2 cents to Dr. Hosam Badrawy. who was reason why I am out today. Asked him resign cause that’s the only way I’ll respect him.”
  • realityBadrawi, new Sec. Gen. of the NDP, is considered a liberal reformer within Hosni Mubarak’s party. Ghonim’s demand is indicative of the taint carried by any role in the NDP. It looks like a full purge is needed. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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