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24 Mar 2011 14:35

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World: NBC’s Richard Engel takes cover from artillery blast

  • Close call for NBC’s Richard Engel: Engel, a truly fantastic foreign correspondent (and NBC’s chief correspondent in the Middle East) is on the ground in Libya, covering the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. While interviewing rebel forces, an artillery strike hit that sent Engel scrambling for cover behind a tiny cement wall, a harrowingly close call. Not to be overlooked is the sight Engel was describing as the explosion hit; a rebel fighter who was carrying a plastic toy gun around, presumably to try to trick enemies into thinking he’s lethally armed, a toy gun he amazingly darts out of cover to try to retrieve during the strike. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 13:59

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U.S.: NRC findings on nuclear regulation is stomach churning

  • 28% of nuclear plants don’t report equipment defect source
  • » Loopholes in all the wrong places: So, here’s the deal. A report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission landed on that rather startling percentage you see above. The reason, it seems, is that the law relating to nuclear regulation states both that they need to report defects that can cause a loss of safety function, and that they need only to report actual losses of safety function. The NRC didn’t downplay the implications of this, saying “a substantial safety hazard” could arise as a result of these failures in disclosure. As it seems to bear mentioning, we’ll reiterate a humble plea: quit skimping on nuclear safety, and yes, regulation. The industry’s great job in recent years polishing up their image is being betrayed by what we’re now learning about some of the rot that lies beneath.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 13:38

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U.S.: Air traffic snafu gives way to FAA study on staffing levels

  • Air traffic control lapse at reagan Airport: Two planes were left unguided for about fifteen minutes, and were forced to circle the airport while contacting a regional FAA office. The office, after verifying that the control tower was unresponsive, guided both planes in for the landing. Officials have said the controller may have been asleep, though that isn’t yet certain. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood he said that he’s directed the FAA to study staffing levels at airports, and that only having one controller on duty is “not acceptable.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 13:12

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Politics: Donald Trump thinks Obama fears the birth certificate

  • Donald Trump behaving like a slippery politico already: It’s been a big week in terms of assessing the political strategies of Republican billionaire Donald Trump, namely that he isn’t so hot at lying on his feet, and he likes pandering to birthers (a belief he’s got to be too smart to earnestly hold). Following his clumsy, easily dispelled claim that he knowingly rented land to Muammar Gaddafi then didn’t let him use it (or “screwing” him, to use his parlance) with an eye towards donating the money to charity, he decided to go back to birtherism, claiming on The View that “there’s something on that birth certificate he doesn’t like.” Keep on swinging, Donald! source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 12:57

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U.S., World: Rapid legal response to Der Spiegel’s Afghan photos

  • 24 year sentence for Jeremy Morlock in Afghan murders source
  • » “The plan was to kill people.” So says the man himself, in pleading guilty to three counts of murder, and one count each of conspiracy to commit assault and battery, illegal drug use, and obstructing justice. He’s expected to testify against fellow soldiers who are allegedly party to the plot, all this legal brew-ha-ha unfolding after German newspaper Der Spiegel published pictures (warning: the images are graphic and terrible … you can go find them yourself) of Morlock and his cohorts posing with the corpses of Afghan civilians.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 10:58

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Tech: Think Quarterly: Google has a spiffy magazine for UK advertisers

  • Google has a spiffy new magazine. They say it’s for advertisers and partners in the UK, but we bet people would actually buy this thing in an app store. “Think Quarterly” has a better set of table of contents pages than many mags have feature spreads. We don’t even care what it’s about. It’s Google. It involves graphic design and thinking. And it’s awesome.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 10:45

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World: Experts: Fukushima nuclear situation getting under control

  • The reactors are more stable as time progresses. By now, the decay heat is greatly reduced and it becomes easier to supply sufficient water for cooling. As far as we know, the containments are holding and the radiation levels have dropped.
  • UC Berkley nuclear expert Peter Hosemann • Suggesting that Fukushima is quickly becoming less of an issue, and more under control. He does warn, however, that radiation may still get into the environment: “We might see some more release of radioactive material, mostly due to the water going through the systems.” Overall, though, this is promising in terms of getting things handled. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

24 Mar 2011 02:00

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U.S.: Gulf Oil Spill: Who is Jennifer Rexford? Why you should find out

  • This is very disturbing, and very unreported: Have you heard about the plight of Jennifer Rexford? The Gulf resident and BP cleanup worker has been documenting on YouTube and Twitter the health issues she and others have faced in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill. (There haven’t been any updates in about two weeks … given her health issues, we hope everything’s OK.) She’s having trouble getting any sort of financial help. Plus, she says she’s not alone, and that others are in the same situation as she is. Very disturbing. Very eye-opening. Also worth watching? The story of Paul Doom, a twentysomething Florida resident who was planning on going into the Marines, but instead became paralyzed after swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. The two have only gotten limited press coverage. What’s going on? We want some answers. Not just studies. (Thank you definitelynotcanon – sincerely! This story needs our attention.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Mar 2011 00:38

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U.S.: Earthquake preparedness: Bay Area bridges in bad shape

  • 34% of bridges in San Francisco are structurally deficient source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Mar 2011 23:59

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Politics: Peter King gets his comeuppance in the Senate

  • action A couple weeks ago, Rep. Peter King attracted controversy by launching a Congressional hearing titled “The Radicalization of American Muslims.”
  • reaction At the behest of Illinois Demcorat Dick Durbin, the Senate will be holding a hearing titled “Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims.” source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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