Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

29 Mar 2011 20:25

tags

U.S.: Wisconsin: Judge blocks collective bargaining law once again

  • then Wisconsin-based Judge Maryann Sumi ruled a couple of weeks ago that the just-passed anti-collective bargaining law couldn’t be implemented for procedural reasons. Scott Walker continued to implement it anyway.
  • now Judge Maryann Sumi has ruled again, saying that Secretary of State Doug La Follette can’t do anything to allow the law to take effect. Walker’s folks tried to get around him. With the latest order, they pretty much failed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 19:37

tags

World: Obama: Gaddafi will ultimately step down from Libyan rule

  • At this point, in addition to maintaining a no-fly zone protecting civilian populations, we also have political tools, diplomatic tools, sanctions freezing his assets — all of which continue to tighten the noose. And so our expectation is that as we continue to supply steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means, that Gaddafi will ultimately step down.
  • President Barack Obama • Offering a follow-up to the sentiments he made last night about the American military action in Libya. While Obama says he was reluctant to start another military campaign, here we are — Obama emphasizing that we could “save a lot of lives” in Libya. Doesn’t this contradict all the stuff he’s been saying  about this being a specific mission with a limited scope? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 14:17

tags

Offbeat: Presenting “The Three Big Pigs,” “Angry Birds”-style

  • Three Little Pigs you might dislike: Angry Birds is the motif of this animation describing the uprising in the Middle East. Easily the best take on the classic storyline since Green Jellÿ. Be sure not to miss the North Korea reference at the end. (via ProducerMatthew) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 13:50

tags

World: Gaddafi rachets up violence; explosions in Tripoli

  • explosions heard in libyan capitol: For the first time since the Libyan rebellion began against Muammar Gaddafi, a series of explosions were heard in Tripoli during daylight hours. Reporting indicates there were three loud blasts, over the course of about twenty minutes. This comes amidst generally dire news for the Libyan rebellion, to say nothing of the citizenry; a witness tells CNN that a large scale butchery has gone on in Misrata, with Gaddafi’s forces killing civilians and driving them from their homes in a bid to claim control. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 13:43

tags

World: Sure, why not? Hugo Chavez wins Argentine journalism award

  • A true fighter for press freedom? He’s received the Rodolfo Walsh Prize from the Argentinian University of La Plata, so awarded for “unquestionable and authentic commitment to support the freedom of peoples.” Chavez has, as the university points out, created a broad public news outlet, but he’s also tightly muzzled and repressed independent and private media, making this award pretty controversial. Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional gives a dire take: “That a South American university doesn’t know about this grave situation and dares to honor this military leader with the Rodolfo Walsh Prize says much about the destruction of values that the Kirchners have imposed on the Argentine nation. Walsh was a victim of military repression and his example is now stained absurdly.” (photo via nicogenin on Flickr) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 13:20

tags

Politics: Trump follows Obama’s lead on birth certificates

  • zing! Donald Trump, in a bid for political attention, has wholly embraced the Birthers, going so far as to release his own certificate. “It took me one hour to get my birth certificate.” Way to one-up the President!
  • oops… What he released is not his real birth certificate, but rather one issued by the hospital, which is EXACTLY what Obama did. There’s something on that certificate Trump doesn’t want us to see! source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 12:46

tags

U.S.: From the chamber: Senator Dick Durbin’s Muslim rights hearing

  • …it is incumbent upon all Americans who love this nation and the values our Constitution protects to make it clear to defend the civil rights of our Muslim neighbors are as important as the rights of Christians, Jews and non-believers.
  • Senator Dick Durbin • On his Senate hearings on anti-Muslim discrimination, broadly viewed as a counter-weight to Rep. Peter King’s hearings on radicalized Islam in the House. For what it’s worth, King’s anti-terrorism zeal wasn’t beyond the scope of his responsibility, nor could it not have been handled tastefully as a hearing on terrorism writ large. The standard of tacitly condemning an entire community for the actions of the very few, however, was and is unpleasant, and its given Durbin a chance to shine some light in the other direction. Also, isn’t it cool that non-believers get a shout out, too? The first time we can recall that was during  Obama’s inauguration, and it’s a welcome and overdue addition to the public discourse on faith. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

29 Mar 2011 10:41

tags

World: More Fukushima drama: Plutonium found in the ground nearby

  • Plutonium is a substance that’s emitted when the temperature is high, and it’s also heavy and so does not leak out easily. So if plutonium has emerged from the reactor, that tells us something about the damage to the fuel. And if it has breached the original containment system, it underlines the gravity and seriousness of this accident.
  • Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency deputy director Hidehiko Nishiyama • Discussing what the finding of plutonium in the ground near the Fukushima reactors means. No, that doesn’t sound very good at all. In other news, France sent over some of their most knowledgable nuclear experts to help out the Japanese. The surrender-prone European nation is also the one most dependent on nuclear energy. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 10:13

tags

Biz: Supreme Court: Wal-Mart’s worker discrimination case hits today

  • Today’s a fun day in the Supreme Court: See, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest corporation, will be in front of the nine justices, fending off claims that they discriminated against female workers systemically. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The women fielding the claim want to bring a huge class-action discrimination lawsuit against the company. If they succeed at the Supreme Court, the lawsuit, which would cover EVERY female employee — current and former — from 1988 onward, would go forward, costing the company as much as $1 billion. But considering they make billons of dollars each year, it’s really not that much, is it? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Mar 2011 08:36

tags

World: Libyan government official: Men accused of rape suing the accuser

  • I heard that the attorney-general brought her in for questioning because she is now not just the accuser, she is the accused. There is a case against her.
  • Libyan government spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim • Revealing the woman who dramatically accused a number of men of violently raping her has been sued for those claims. “Now the four guys are having a case filed against her because instead of going to a police station and filing a case against them she went to the media and exposed their names,” he noted. “Now their honor is tainted, their families black-named and this in the Islamic law is a very grave offense.” Because, as we all know, it’s all about the men accused. Why not try the case first? (By the way, this is the same man who called her a “prostitute.” Yuck.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags