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19 Mar 2011 16:20

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World: Hugo Chavez: Nations in airstrikes “care nothing” about Libyans

  • For those who wanted to see Chavez in a hard hat, here you go. Enjoy. The Venezuelan leader, a key ally of Gaddafi, took some time off from his tour of a road-building project in Caracas to let everyone know what he thinks of the Libyan airstrikes: “They want to seize Libya’s oil and they care nothing about the lives of the Libyan people. These are the men of war … what irresponsibility. Behind this is the hand of the United States and its European allies, instead of taking the path that we have modestly proposed.” In case you were wondering, that peace mission Chavez wanted to make didn’t go anywhere because Saif Gaddafi essentially said Chavez wouldn’t have any idea what was going on. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2011 15:52

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World: Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei: I was attacked

  • Went 2 vote w family attacked by organized thugs. Car smashed w rocks. Holding referendum in absence of law & order is an irresponsible act.
  • Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei • Explaining what happened to him today as he attempted to vote in a referendum on the constitution. While ElBaradei’s brother confirms the Nobel laureate was attacked, the Egyptian military denies the incident. “There have not been any incidents of violence or clashes,” said spokesperson Major Alla al Iraqi. “Any minor arguments I witnessed between those who were voting yes or no were resolved between one another. Today, has been a model for democracy.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2011 13:24

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U.S.: CBO report: Obama’s deficit balloons, and tax cuts to blame

  • $9.5 trillion the size of the deficits that will be required under current policies through 2021, the CBO says
  • $2.7 trillion the increase over the previous expected budget numbers – a huge leap, to say the least source
  • » Why is this? The CBO’s report says that in regards to what’s behind all this, “Of the various initiatives that the President is proposing, tax provisions would have by far the largest budgetary impact.” In layman’s terms, tax cuts — especially those for the middle class — are the largest factor affecting deficits. While he’s pushing for tax increases on the wealthy and corporations, they won’t offset the effect of the tax cuts. You know what’s funny though? Even though the CBO’s report specifically says this, the Washington Times reported this story as if spending was the culprit.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2011 12:56

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World: Japan: Officials find radiation in milk, spinach and drinking water

  • water Officials discovered safe but high levels of radioactive iodine in the drinking water of five Japanese cities, including Tokyo, during a radiation test. They were trace amounts that were within acceptable legal limits, however.
  • food Officials also discovered high radiation levels in milk and spinach near Fukushima. In the case of the spinach, eating it every day for a year would be equal to 20 percent of the level of radiation you’d get from a CAT scan. source
  • » What happens next: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says that they’ll continue to test food products, and if they find contaminated products, they’ll ban them from the market. Some experts are understandably skeptical. “They should seriously think about restricting any agricultural products in that area,” said Lam Ching-wan of the University of Hong Kong School of Medicine. “It seems that the whole ecosystem could be affected, so they shouldn’t take any chances.” The radiation factor of milk and spinach is important to note, because after Chernobyl, many cancer cases resulted from children who ingested high levels of radiation in milk.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2011 03:34

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U.S.: RIP Warren Christopher: Clinton Secretary of State dies at 85

Christopher, who served during Clinton’s first term, “died from complications of kidney and bladder cancer.” That’s his signature on the Oslo Accords. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Mar 2011 12:55

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U.S.: Wisconsin union-busting bill blocked for procedural reasons

  • It seems to me the public policy behind effective enforcement of the open meeting law is so strong that it does outweigh the interest, at least at this time, which may exist in favor of sustaining the validity of the (law).
  • Judge Maryann Sumi • Explaining why she just blocked the just-passed law limiting collective-bargaining agreements in Wisconsin. Why’s that, you ask? Well, as a Democrat noted when Republicans passed the law, they violated the open meetings law to make it happen. The idea behind the law itself wasn’t blocked, though — meaning the Republicans could theoretically pass the bill again. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2011 23:57

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Culture: Not what you think: Helen Thomas appearing in Playboy in April

“I knew exactly what I was doing — I was going for broke,” the disgraced Dean of the White House Press Corps says in her first major interview since being fired. (via producermatthew) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

17 Mar 2011 23:34

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U.S.: Elementary student brings a little coke to show and tell. Oops.

  • It is unusual to have elementary school students using cocaine. However, it’s not that unusual for young students to try substances.
  • National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse spokesperson Susan E. Foster • Discussing the wonderful incident in DC’s public school system today. See, some elementary student brought cocaine with him to class to share with his classmates. They tried it and got so sick that they had to be hospitalized. Meanwhile, DC’s unshakable reputation of having the worst school system in the country continues unabated. WHERE ARE YOU MICHELLE RHEE? *single tear* source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2011 16:32

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World: Britain follows U.S. on Fukushima evacuation advisement

  • A bit of a contradiction: “We advise British nationals to follow all relevant advice from the Japanese authorities, and as an additional precautionary measure, not to go within eighty kilometers of the site.” It seems that the British have assessed the situation in Fukushima, and have come to the same conclusion the Americans have. While it’s impossible to say at this juncture what is and isn’t the proper advice, this much seems clear; that both the U.S. and Britain would publicly refute Japan’s own evacuation plan, however politely, makes the Japanese look pretty bad, and implies some degree of turmoil in diplomatic communication and coordination. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2011 16:00

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World: UN could be hours from vote on Libyan no-fly zone

  • A critical few hours for Libya: The U.N. Security Council will be meeting (Britain claims at 22:00 GMT, which is a little over two hours from now) to consider a resolution approving the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya. The resolution was drafted by, and therefore obviously receives strong support from the U.K., Lebanon, and France. The U.S. has spoken in support of the measure, hinged on a reluctance to act unilaterally, but China and Russia might not be so keen. It should make for a fascinating scene that will critically change the future of the Libyan people. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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