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14 Apr 2011 12:44

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Politics: FBI releases files on Tupac Shakur, Jewish Defense League

  • Rap and Jewish nationalism: The FBI released some files yesterday, ostensibly about the Tupac Shakur murder, that showed no illuminating “smoking gun.” However, the report surprisingly suggests Jewish Defense League (a Jewish nationalist group with terrorism cred; they once tried to bomb Rep. Darrel Issa’s office, to give a domestic example) ran an extortion scheme. The report says that the JDL would contact rappers and convince them their lives were in danger, then suggest they could offer paid protection services. The files show records of calls between Tupac and the JDL before his 1996 death, but the FBI was unable to coherently link the group to any involvement in the murder, though it seems like their primary suspicion. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Apr 2011 10:44

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World: Stillborn babies: Very high rates worldwide, and even in the U.S.

  • 2.6M number of stillborn babies worldwide in 2009, according to reports published by The Lancet
  • 98% of the babies stillborn each day — roughly 7,200 — die in developing countries, some at alarming rates
  • six number of stillborn babies per 1,000 born in the United States — very high for a developed country source
  • » Controversial numbers: The numbers in the developing world are questionable simply because, being the developing world, they’re much harder to quantify. But that doesn’t make the numbers any less shocking. According to the World Health Organization’s estimates, these countries have two-thirds of the stillborn deaths worldwide: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Afghanistan and the United Republic of Tanzania. Yeah, that’s right. That’s only ten countries.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Apr 2011 10:26

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Politics: Carl Levin rips “financial snake pit” Goldman Sachs into shreds

  • Our investigation found a financial snake pit rife with greed, conflicts of interest, and wrongdoing.
  • Sen. Carl Levin • Offering an assessment of a report that his subcommittee, which is searching for the causes of the financial crisis, released about the crisis. The report singles out Goldman Sachs, calling it a “case study” for the conflicts of interest that abound around Wall Street — specifically for betting against the very subprime mortgage packages it was selling. Levin also wants to bring perjury charges against Goldman’s CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, for his testimony in Congress last year. In other words, someone has watched “Inside Job.” The stock market is down on the news of the 600-page report. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 23:42

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U.S.: Kobe Bryant issued $100,000 penalty for calling a ref a bad word

  • $100k fine to Kobe Bryant for anti-gay slur source
  • » During a game against San Antonio, Kobe Bryant became angry at having been issued a technical foul, and referred to the referee using an anti-gay word that we won’t repeat. Unfortunately, the exchange was captured on camera, and following criticism from several prominent gay rights groups, the NBA decided to fine him $100,000. This may sound steep, but Bryant makes over $300,000 per game, so it’s really just a drop in the bucket. A very large drop, that is, in a very large bucket.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 23:12

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Politics: Rick Santorum launches presidential bid; political world remains indifferent

  • yesIt’s official: Former Senator Rick Santorum has announced the launch an exploratory committee to run for President!
  • no He still isn’t being taken seriously by anyone; Intraders currently give him a .7% chance of winning the nomination. source
  • » Flashback: When asked about his feelings on homosexuality in 2003, Santorum replied, “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts.” He then insisted that the Constitution doesn’t grant people the right to privacy. We’re just sayin’ .
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 22:29

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Politics: Arizona State Senate: “Where’s the birth certificate?!”

  • YES a “Birther Bill” has passed the Arizona Senate source
  • » Score one for The Donald: Arizona’s State Senate just passed a bill that requires presidential candidates to produce their “long form birth certificate” in order to appear on the state’s presidential ballots. If they can’t (or won’t) do that, other documents will be accepted–but not, much to Orly Taitz’s delight, a Certificate of Live Birth. We, like many Arizona Democrats, are skeptical as to whether or not this is within a state’s power. Regardless, the bill now heads to the state House for a vote.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 22:01

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U.S.: Virginia teacher simulates slave-trade in unfortunate classroom exercise

  • The lesson could have been thought through more carefully.
  • Mary B. Wrushen, principal of Sewells Point Elementary School • Regarding a well-intentioned but nonetheless awful idea on the part of Jessica Boyle, a fourth grade teacher at the school. In a lesson meant to illustrate the tragedy of slavery, Boyle separated her students by race–white students on one side, everyone else on the other–and had the white students “bid” on the black kids, as if they were purchasing slaves. A letter was shortly sent to parents, apologizing for such stupidity. Here’s to hoping Haley Barbour weighs in on this. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Apr 2011 20:47

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U.S.: If you read any 6,000-word article on sugar today, let it be this one

The New York Times Magazine has a freaking massive piece on whether or not sugar is toxic. Want the answer? Well, you’re gonna have to read it, sweetheart. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 16:59

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Politics: Surprisingly defiant tone for Obama in budget speech

  • So… how y’all feel about that speech? Reviews streaming in following President Obama’s remarks about U.S. budgetary issues are somewhat mixed, but that’s what you’d expect when the speech in question struck such a starkly firm, at times defiant tone. Indeed, the favorite words of the administration, like “bipartisanship,” “compromise,” and “common ground” were all there, but there was also a lot of base-feeding red meat to his pitch that likely inflamed conservative orthodoxy and left liberals feeling better than they had expected.
  • The Paul Ryan Plan President Obama flatly and sternly dismissed Rep. Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity,” stating the plan would “end Medicare as we know it,” has a “deeply pessimistic” vision for America, and there’s “nothing courageous about asking for sacrifice from those who can least afford it and don’t have any clout on Capitol Hill.”
  • The Tax Man plan? The crux of the President’s rebuttal is that taxes on our highest income earners not only must go up, but that they should go up — a marked departure from more moderate rhetoric he’s used in the past years, likely due to the opposition’s success in injecting the word “socialism” into the debate. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Apr 2011 16:22

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World: Israel’s Lieberman may face graft charges

  • Avigdor’s looming legal troubles: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman learned from Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein today that he may face charges of graft, a tarnish that could potentially force his resignation. It’s alleged that Lieberman used shell companies, among other methods, to illictly rake in nearly $1,200,000 while serving in public office. Lieberman was already a controversial figure in Israeli politics — you may remember his proposal that all Israeli citizens pledge a loyalty oath or have their voting rights revoked. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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