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07 May 2011 23:07

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U.S.: Mississippi River flooding: Near-record floodwaters in Memphis

  • 46′ the current levels of the Mississippi river in Memphis; some areas are already underwater
  • 48.7′ the prior record levels of the river in the area — set during a historic flood way back in 1937
  • 48′ the expected crest of the river in the area, which officials expect on Wednesday source
  • » A little bit of good news: While the floodwaters are extremely high, authorities say there will be no new rain until Tuesday, giving residents an opportunity to deal with the water already there, as well as to consider evacuation plans. (EDIT: A prior version of this story listed a 1927 flood as the record-setter. While the flood was devastating, it was not the worst. We apologize for the error.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 22:49

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Tech, World: Chinese iPad 2 scalpers, Apple Store employees in bloody brawl

  • A Beijing location had to close temporarily. In a series of photos that can only be described as harrowing, an array of smashed windows, bloody faces and confused crowds littered the SanLiTun Apple Store after an altercation broke out. The altercation, reportedly between scalpers and employees of the Apple Store, put a dark spin on the country’s iPad 2 launch. Scalpers, by the way, were there to buy the products to resell at much higher prices in regions of the country where the iPad isn’t yet available. (Editor’s note: Some images are graphic.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 16:24

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Politics: Despite proximity, Jon Huntsman ignores nearby GOP convention

  • Give back — as much as you’re able. Work to keep America great. Serve her, if asked. I was, by a president of a different political party. But in the end, while we might not all be of one party, we are all part of one nation, a nation that needs your generational gift of energy and confidence.
  • Former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman • Making his first speech since leaving his post — a commencement speech for the University of South Carolina which smartly stayed away from the politics for the most part. Huntsman, by the way, wants to run for president. He made sure his speech was hip — he even dropped a lyric from Ben Folds Five! — but otherwise kept low-key. You know what was happening next door, by the way? That’s right, the state’s GOP convention, which Huntsman didn’t even make an appearance at. It’s fascinating, because a number of other presidential candidates were there. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 15:40

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U.S.: Back in vogue: Unfounded fears of Muslims flying on planes

  • what Two Memphis-based Muslim scholars — who passed a security check and were already on the plane, by the way — were barred from flying yesterday. Ironically, they were headed to a conference on American fears of Islam.
  • why Apparently, the pilot was to blame — he apparently forced them to go through additional security procedures, and after they passed those wouldn’t fly with the two men on board. All in all, a great day for religious tolerance. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 15:07

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World: Traditionally-harsh Singapore expands freedom of speech online

  • Social media have lowered the barriers of entry into political discourse everywhere. But that’s particularly significant in Singapore because here the barriers to entry into political discourse and the accompanying risks have been so high.
  • Nanyang Technological University professor Mark Cenite • Discussing the recent changes that Singapore has made to its internet policy, allowing for a larger amount of freedom of speech online. The country, well-known for basically banning any sort of political dissent and creating incredibly harsh punishments for those who break the rules, could prove a breaking point for smaller parties that don’t have the money or influence that the leading People’s Action Party does. It’s already proven itself in the form of large crowds at some opposition rallies. But the real question: Will it translate to actual votes? source
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07 May 2011 14:33

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World: U.S.-leaked Osama bin Laden video proves he was apparently vain

  • Bin Laden watching himself on TV: In case you were wondering, the leader of al-Qaeda could be incredibly meta at times, according to this clip just released by the U.S. government. It’s one of five the government released, and this one seems to scream more than any other video ever made, “parody me, citizens of YouTube!” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 May 2011 12:35

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World: Navy SEALS didn’t have a tape measure during Bin Laden raid

  • However, the heavily-armed, electronically wired SEALs didn’t come with a tape measure to get an accurate height reading. According to reports, a Navy SEAL of about 6-feet laid out next to bin Laden’s corpse to gauge the Al Qaeda leader’s height. The corpse was several inches taller.
  • An article on CBS’ Dan Farber • Noting the fairly awkward way that they measured Osama bin Laden’s height after the raid that led to his death. Could you imagine? These big hulking men just killed Bin Laden, only to have to force one of them to lay the ground next to him to do rough measurements? That’s weird. source
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07 May 2011 11:51

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World: Syria: Did Assad’s brother Maher start firing on unarmed civilians?

  • Is Assad’s brother pulling the trigger here? In one of the more striking videos to come out of the Syrian protests, a guy in a leather jacket pulls out a gun and starts shooting at unarmed civilians. Protesters say that Maher Assad, brother of Bashar, is the man pulling the trigger in this clip, shot in the Syrian suburb of Barzeh. If it’s true, that’s messed up. source
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