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

10 Apr 2011 21:38

tags

Politics: Eleanor Holmes Norton: Screwing over DC “frosting” on budget deal

  • Having given the Republicans more than I am sure any Democrat in the House ever envisioned, it was surely unnecessary to pile on the District of Columbia and give them some frosting on what was already a very big cake. All along they said it is about ‘spending, spending, spending.’ How does the District of Columbia get into that equation?
  • DC’s House Delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton • Offering a pretty blunt take on the DC-damaging riders in the latest budget bill. One blocks the city from using its own money to fund abortions. The other allows funding for controversial school vouchers — without any consultation from local officials. (Vince Gray probably knows more than Boehner does on this; just a thought.) These are policies the city doesn’t want, but have to take because they’re technically part of the federal government. Norton has the most demeaning job in Congress. She has to basically take and take all these awful policies that get shoved down her constituents’ residents’ throats, and all she can give back is her opinion. She doesn’t even have a horse to jockey in the matter. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 21:09

tags

Biz, World: Exports: China’s focusing less outward, more inward

  • $1.02B China’s trade deficit in the first three months of 2011
  • $140M the trade surplus China had in March alone, which is tiny, by the way
  • seven years since China last had a quarterly trade deficit source
  • » Less global, more domestic: You can blame the decline on two things. First, as global economies (particularly the U.S. and Europe) start to improve, there’s less of a need to import things, creating lower demand. And secondly, in the face of criticism about its exports-first economic policy, China is giving its own domestic economy a little more love. So exports are down in China, but that’s because they’re becoming less reliant on exports.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 20:34

tags

World: Jacob Zuma throws himself head-first into Gaddafi dramarama

  • The brother leader’s delegation has accepted the roadmap as presented by us. We have to give cease-fire a chance.
  • South African President Jacob Zuma • Pushing to get folks to back a peace plan that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has agreed to. The plan, which could lead to a cease-fire, may be just what Libya needed. Now we’re sure Zuma, representing the African Union, probably has a better handle on Gaddafi than most, but we’re going to say that this probably isn’t going to be particularly effective. And Zuma has a history of backing a soft-pedal approach to leaders that probably don’t deserve it. Robert Mugabe for starters. We’re sure Morgan Tsvangirai feels pretty good about Zuma’s help in that situation right now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 12:17

tags

World: Human Rights Watch: Both sides commit abuses in Ivory Coast

  • The group wants Alassane Ouattara to investigate. With incredibly high stakes at play, the situation in the Ivory Coast certainly had the potential to get very bad very quickly, and that’s exactly what Human Rights Watch claims has happened. “While the international community has been focused on the political stalemate in Abidjan over the presidency,” said Human Rights Watch Africa director Daniel Bekele, “forces on both sides have committed numerous atrocities against civilians, their leaders showing little interest in reining them in.” On Alassane Ouattara’s side, the group claims supporters “summarily executed and raped perceived Gbagbo supporters in their homes.” On Laurent Gbagbo’s side, supporters reportedly retaliated by killing more than 100 civilians. In case you haven’t been watching this story, now might be the time to use your non-blind eye. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 11:42

tags

Politics: Obama adviser: Donald Trump’s birther campaign “a sideshow”

  • I saw Donald Trump’s kinda rising in the polls. Given his behavior over the last couple weeks, I hope he keeps on rising. … There’s zero chance that Donald Trump would ever be hired by the American people to do this job. There may be a small part of the country that believes these things [birthers]. But mainstream Americans think it’s a sideshow.
  • Obama senior advisor David Plouffe • Ripping Donald Trump’s whole birther campaign as what it is. You know, a “sideshow.” Can we get this whole quote printed on a T-shirt or something like that? That’d be cool. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 11:31

tags

Tech, World: Fukushima now has its own unmanned remote-controlled mascot

  • This little guy right here? He’s a T-Hawk drone, a little unmanned remote-controlled flying thingamajig, built by Honeywell, that engineers used to get an up-close view of the situation inside the damaged Fukushima reactors. It can shoot both normal pictures as well as infrared shots. Plus, if you own one of these, you’ll be the coolest kid on your block. Engineers say that they’ll have some photos to share with the world on Monday. But we want them now! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 11:13

tags

U.S.: VIDEO: Mapleton, Iowa introduced to violent, barn-razing tornado

  • The tornado that destroyed half a town: While nobody was seriously injured in last night’s twister in Mapleton, Iowa, if buildings were considered people, it’d be a much different story. See, this tornado flattened a grain elevator. It also tore the roof off a high school and tipped a giant motor home in its side. And the hundreds-of-years-old trees that the town was named for? They were ripped out of the ground and forced into homes and cars, emphasizing the “ton” part of the name just as much as the “maple” part. “It was huge, just huge,” said local attorney Thomas Mohrhauser. “It just kept getting bigger and bigger.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

10 Apr 2011 10:41

tags

Biz, World: How the Japan quake and tsunami has affected the auto industry

  • parts Many auto manufacturers — especially in Japan — are struggling to return to their normal level of production after last month’s earthquake hurt numerous key factories in Japan.
  • labor Manufacturers at Toyota, Nissan and Honda plan to get their workers back on the job very soon — but only at half-time. Toyota’s U.S. factory workers also haven’t had as much work lately.
  • colors Ford, which isn’t Japanese, has its own problems — see, a key metallic pigment they use comes from a factory near Fukushima. Good luck getting a “tuxedo black” car. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 10:24

tags

World: Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara reelected despite epic gaffe

This dude’s thanking his lucky stars today. See, he suggested that the tsunami was “divine punishment” for the people of Japan. (Ouch!) He still got re-elected. Shockingly. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Apr 2011 10:14

tags

Politics: Budget deal: White House negotiation approach proves effective

  • Nope, zero. John, this is it.
  • Barack Obama, according to a senior official • Informing House Speaker John Boehner that he wouldn’t be budging on Planned Parenthood — despite the fact that Boehner had fought tooth-and-nail for the policy in a White House meeting for over an hour. The meeting itself proved to be something of a watershed moment for negotiations — proving that when they need to work together, they can pull it off. As much as it hurts. “Things got heated,” said senior White House adviser David Plouffe. “The president’s approach was to try and engage all the parties to come together. Going forward this can be a model.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags