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23 Feb 2011 16:51

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Biz: She’s dead, Jim: Local news site TBD.com lays off most of its staff

  • before While Allbritton announced that they would be de-emphasizing the TBD brand, which was considered a future journalism model, they made it seem like there wouldn’t be any layoffs – just refocusing.
  • now TBD, a DC-based local news site, will now lose its sports and news coverage and become an entertainment site. Oh yeah, 12 people are getting laid off. So, yes, the TV guys did win. source
  • » A message to TBD’s staff: We hear you’ll be able to work on your publication for the next few weeks as its model changes – a temporary respite from unemployment. As someone who’s been in that position before, I can tell you it’s a bit of a dead-man-walking situation. Sigh. These things are never fun. Make the best of them.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 15:12

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Politics: Six anti-abortion activists protest at Speaker Boehner’s office

  • Our pro-life constituencies are weary of campaign promises and empty rhetoric… We don’t want another symbolic victory.
  • “Operation Rescue” founder Randall Terry • On the topic of anti-abortion politicians following through with policy. This came after the arrest of a group of six Terry supporters outside the office of John Boehner (who wasn’t even inside at the time), where they were demanding that the Speaker stand firm on defunding Planned Parenthood, no matter the Senate’s reaction. Not that Speaker Boehner can force the Senate to do anything, but procedural nuance isn’t always the strong suit of hyper-zealous, single-issue political groups. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 14:54

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U.S.: Jury finds Shawna Forde guilty, sentences her to death

  • crime In 2009 Shawna Forde, the leader of Minutemen American Defense, committed a home invasion near the Arizona/Mexico border, hoping to find drugs to sell for the group’s finances. They ended up shooting and killing a Hispanic father and his daughter, aged 9, both U.S. citizens.
  • verdict A court sentenced Forde with the death penalty yesterday, finding her guilty of orchestrating the home invasion and subsequent killings of Raul and Brisenia Flores. The girl’s mother, who survived the shooting with injuries, said Brisenia was shot point-blank while begging for her life.
  • response Latino activists are upset by the lack of coverage this story received compared to the murder of Robert Krentz last year, which caused stridently anti-illegal immigration rhetoric and policy to flourish. Compared to the tepid response to this case? Yeah, it’s a starkly bad double standard. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 14:05

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World: Malta says “no thanks” to Ayse Gaddafi

  • NO Malta won’t accept a jet with Gaddafi’s daughter inside source
  • » Are the Gaddafis fleeing Libya? That’s the question buzzing about following an attempted jet landing in Malta. The jet’s pilots claimed they had 14 people on board, and were running low on fuel, but when it became apparent through discussions that one passenger was Ayse Gaddafi, daughter of Muammar, they were told they couldn’t land. Which, if there really were 13 other people on board, must have been truly soul-crushing for them. Malta has recently become a refugee point for Libyans looking to escape the violence that has embroiled their homeland.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 13:32

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World: Gaddafi ordered the Lockerbie bombing, says ex-minister

Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, an ex-minister in Libya, has claimed that Muammar Gaddafi ordered the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people. Further, he says he has proof. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 12:49

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Politics: This New Koch just doesn’t taste as good

  • It ain’t the real Koch: Ian Murphy, editor of the website “The Buffalo Beast,” successfully got Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on the phone by pretending to be David Koch, one of the two billionaire brothers that’s a driving financial force behind the current anti-spending, pro-business conservative movement. One highlight, as pointed out by Slate’s Dave Weigel: Walker seems to lay out a plan he’s hatched to push the vote forward, wherein he agrees to hear Democratic concerns if all fourteen fled Democrats return to the capitol, which he and his team believe would allow them to hold the vote even if the Democrats then recessed and left again. In explaining this plan, Walker states that he’s willing to talk, not negotiate, and if “Koch” hears that he’s talking to the Democrats that’s the only reason why. Getting pranked is bad enough, but revealing your political endgame in the midst of said prank, thus poisoning the well? Pure political calamity. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 12:42

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U.S.: More on Obama’s reversal on the Defense of Marriage Act

  • The President believes that DOMA is unconstitutional. They are no longer going to be defending the cases in the 1st and 2nd circuits.
  • A so-called anonymous source talking to the National Journal • Explaining what the whole Obama-DOJ-not-defending the Defense of Marriage Act means for current court cases. Let’s be clear, though – the law is still law, but Obama will choose not to have his people take it to court, because he feels that the law will not pass muster. This is not a step he takes lightly, though. Obama also, in a note, told Congress that if they want to defend the statute, they still can. But his folks won’t mess with it. Obama supports repeal of the bill, but the DOJ has defended DOMA in court as recently as January. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 Feb 2011 12:28

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U.S.: Obama to DOJ: Stop defending Defense of Marriage Act in court

  • then Obama held onto the belief that gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized for far longer than a lot of people expected him to. Then he evolved. It was kinda weird.
  • now Now, he wants the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court, saying it’s unconstitutional. Wow, big deal kids. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 10:58

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World: Gaddafi’s loosening grip: More Libyan cities out of his control

  • In some Libyan cities, Muammar Gaddafi’s security forces are nowhere to be seen. Al Jazeera is reporting that many Libyan cities, especially in the Eastern part of the country, protesters are in control. “All along the border,” said correspondent Hoda Abdel-Hamid, “we didn’t see one policeman, we didn’t see one soldier and people here told us they [security forces] have all fled or are in hiding and that the people are now in charge, meaning all the way from the border, Tobruk, and then all the way up to Benghazi.” Gaddafi still plans to quash this uprising, however, but based on reports it’ll be an uphill battle at best. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Feb 2011 10:42

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U.S.: Wisconsin Democrats drown anti-union bill in amendments

  • 200 number of amendments Democrats in the Wisconsin State Assembly plan to attach to that union-busting budget bill they’re fighting against
  • seven number of amendments they had dealt with by 5:30 a.m., after a brutal all-night session with many long, brutal debates source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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