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28 Mar 2011 23:46

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World: Libyan rebels sign oil export deal with Qatar

  • We are producing about 100,000 to 130,000 barrels a day. We can easily up that to about 300,000 a day.
  • Libyan rebel spokesman Ali Tarhouni • The rebels have reportedly signed a deal with Qatar under which they’ll export oil to the nearby country. Ahh, oil politics, we’ve missed you. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 23:34

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World: Arrests made in Libya in wake of rape allegations

  • » Amongst the arrested: The son of a high-ranking Libyan police officer. Also, the woman’s family says that government employees (some of whom have accused her of being a “known prostitute and thief,” as if that’s at all relevant) have offered her money and a house if she retracts her allegations. Something tells us she won’t.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 22:59

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Politics: Indiana Democrats to pay the price for skipping town

  • $3,150 fine incurred by IN Dems for fleeing source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 22:33

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Politics: Indiana GOP concedes, ending Wisconsin-style standoff

  • wisconsin As you may remember, Wisconsin Democrats fled the state back in February to block the passage of a harsh anti-union bill. Ultimately, their gambit didn’t work, as Republicans were able to pass the bill in the Democrats’ absence using a simple (yet revealing and disingenuous) parliamentary procedure.
  • indiana Five weeks ago, Indiana Democrats tried the same tactic to prevent the state GOP from passing a similar bill that would have severely curtailed worker’s rights. This time, though, it worked, with Republicans agreeing to scrap the most controversial parts of the bill and the Democrats returning to the state. source
  • » What concessions did the GOP make? Several. Most significantly, they removed a provision that would have made Indiana a “right-to-work” state (that is, a state with fewer restrictions on the hiring of non-unionized employees), and pledged not to pass a law banning collective bargaining (it’s already banned in the state via executive order, but that hasn’t been made law). There were a few education-based changes as well, including the elimination of a plan that would have allowed private companies to assume control of fledgling public schools. All in all, both sides are happy to see the end of this stand-of (especially Governor Mitch Daniels, who can now continue half-heartedly mulling a bid for the presidency).
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 15:58

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World: IAEA chief calls for safety review in Vienna

  • YES the IAEA chief has called a nuclear safety summit source
  • » Clarifying the lessons learned? Yukiyo Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has called a nuclear safety summit in Vienna. He wants all hands on deck for this, with ministers from all 151 member states in attendance. It’s an obvious move, and frankly it would be hard for the IAEA to have claimed much credibility if they had failed to do something like this. That said, this is a worthwhile reminder that safety reviews are always better early than late.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 15:31

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World: Gaddafi’s advisors getting nervous, say U.S. official

  • Gaddafi’s advisors may be cracking: A U.S. intelligence official, as reported by CNN, has suggested that advisors and aides to Muammar Gaddafi may be losing some of their resolve, as NATO airstrikes continue against the dictator’s forces. The official suggests that the perception that rebel forces are beginning to close in on Tripoli, following battles in Sirte and their victory in Ajdabiya, is going to increase pressure on those around Gaddafi who are averse to going down with the ship. As the battles continue, the possibility of Gaddafi’s people turning on him remains a tantalizing hope to end the violence in Libya. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 14:15

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Politics: President Herman Cain will not appoint Muslims

  • Gimme extra cheese, anchovies, and bigotry on that: Not many political observers have given Godfather’s Pizza founder Herman Cain a shot at taking the GOP nomination for President (though it’s a credit to his initiative that he’s actually, you know, officially running). As it turns out, anybody who has a problem with religious litmus tests for federal appointments should be pleased about that. Cain’s silly justification, that he’s worried about the spread of Sharia in America, is a sad example of either earnest prejudice, or the lowest breed of political pandering. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

28 Mar 2011 13:49

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Politics: Gingrich still manuevering over hypocrisy charges

  • I understood that in a federal court, in a case in front of a federal judge, to commit a felony, which is what he did, perjury, was a felony. The question I raise was very simple: should a president of the United States be above the law?
  • Newt Gingrich • Addressing the Clinton impeachment effort, and the charges of hypocrisy that he’s again having to contend with as he mulls a presidential run. For what it’s worth, this is probably the most compelling case you could make for his actions being internally justified, even in light of his own infidelity. However, it’s a bit difficult to take this at face value when not a week ago he was claiming his work ethic and love for his country drove him to the arms of other women, a rather lame rationalization made to try to salvage his relationship with the evangelical Christians. Our take? If you’re volunteering these defenses before you’ve even running, that’s a problem. This campaign could very well be dead on arrival. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 13:19

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World: Tough times for Sarkozy in wake of French elections

  • 35.7% the vote, in yesterday’s French elections, for the Socialist Party under Martine Aubry
  • 11.6% the vote for the far-right National Front Party, headed by Marine LePen, a strong showing
  • 20.3% the vote for Nicolas Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Majority Party, a weak outcome source
  • » Sarkozy may be sweating right now: The election had a low turnout at just 45% of the nation’s voters (still, turnout like that trounces the U.S. average for non-Presidential elections). While the threat to President Sarkozy posed by the Socialists is well known, as polls show him trailing their yet unknown candidate in his reelection effort, the big takeaway concern may be the rising power of the National Front Party under Marine Le Pen. The far-right nationalist party took 2 seats in the 102-seat general council, and have effectively flexed more political muscle much quicker than most thought they could.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Mar 2011 12:46

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World: A grim mark: China ranked as 2010’s world leader in executions

  • Crime and punishment in China: Amnesty International claimed yesterday that while the exact number is guarded as a state secret, they believe thousands of people were executed in the China last year, more than every other country combined. While China has maintained they’ve taken steps to lower their rate of execution, such as mandatory review of all death penalty cases since 2007, Amnesty International says they’ve still been executing people for “a wide range of crimes that include nonviolent offences and after proceedings that did not meet international fair trial standards.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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