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24 May 2011 23:17

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U.S.: Upset: Dem Kathy Hochul wins GOP House seat in special election

The NYT portrayed her win in a conservative NY district as a statement on Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan. They didn’t mention Scott Walker prankster Ian Murphy’s 1 percent of the vote. source

24 May 2011 20:45

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Politics: Elizabeth Warren subcommittee hearing devolves into pissing match

  • What time was Elizabeth Warren supposed to leave? We’re not completely sure, but she seems pretty angry about being held up by GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry (on top of having the meeting rescheduled repeatedly). Warren, the Harvard professor helping to launch the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for Obama, faced a tough line of questions from Republicans on the House Oversight subcommittee — questions which showed they didn’t even seem to know basic facts. It got so bad that Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth had to say this in her defense: “The questioning of your veracity when there is documented evidence that you are being totally truthful indicates to me that this hearing is all about impugning you because people are afraid of you.” Word on the street is that Warren may take on Scott Brown in his upcoming Senate race, which is a stupid idea because Brown is a moderate Democrat in every respect but party affiliation. source

24 May 2011 16:40

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Politics: New Jersey Gov. Christie’s poll numbers looking worse

  • 40% of New Jerseyites view Gov. Chris Christie favorably source
  • » Is the grass just looking greener from here? So, something seems to be happening. Even as Governor Chris Christie’s national profile has expanded, and his frequent denial of national ambition can barely beat back the GOP clamoring for him to enter the 2012 race, his poll numbers back in the Garden State aren’t looking so hot. We’re wondering if this might have to do with the difference between how it looks from outside to see a “tough” leader calling the shots, versus how it feels to be the constituents under that thumb. Strident austerity measures, YouTube videos of Christie verbally sparring with public employees, and his generally bombastic personality may play like a GOP action movie in Oklahoma, but could it be wearing thin on those closest to it?

24 May 2011 15:58

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Politics: Trial of the Century: Blagojevich may testify in his own defense

  • Big day for Blago? The Chicago Tribune is reporting that “sources” indicate disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may take the stand to testify in his own defense. We forgive you if you’re skeptical, as we heard repeated proclamations from the man himself that he would testify in his last trial, only for his defense to rest without his name being called. Now in his retrial, will Blagojevich give the public what they want? His defense team has also implied they might call some high-profile witnesses from the political world, among them Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. source

24 May 2011 15:41

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World: Hosni Mubarak to be tried for the deaths of protesters

  • Mubarak will stand trial over Tahrir Square protests: Reportedly in ill health, former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak will stand trial for his alleged crimes, among them the deaths of protesters during the nation’s revolutionary movement in Tahrir Square (over 800 died before Mubarak’s departure), and the illegal acquisition of wealth during his time in office. Mubarak is in a hospital at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, while authorities also detained his two sons, also charged with corruption, in Cairo’s Tora prison. source

24 May 2011 14:59

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Politics: Rep. Rob Woodall uninterested in woman’s health care woes

  • Hear yourself, ma’am. Hear yourself. You want the government to take care of you, because your employer decided not to take care of you. My question is, ‘When do I decide I’m going to take care of me?
  • Rep. Rob Woodall • Responding to a constituent who opposes Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare as a guaranteed program, on the basis that her employer doesn’t offer medical benefits to retirees. Woodall’s response gets credit for exactly one thing, which is that it would seem to be an honest answer. However, that honesty underscores the callous hand-washing inherent to the Ryan plan that’s made it such a lightning rod for criticism. The basic premise of what Woodall and this constituent said to each other was “I can’t get medical coverage in this scenario,” to which Woodall essentially replied, “well, sorry, not my job.” This is, it seems to us, not hyperbolic, but the core subtext of Paul Ryan’s plan, and the incredibly callous nature of it is what’s handed the Democrats one of their signature, winning issues back to them on a shiny silver platter. source

24 May 2011 14:54

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U.S.: More storms expected in devastated Joplin, Missouri

  • Scenes from Joplin, and fears of further storms: The death toll in Joplin continued to grimly creep upwards today, with 117 now confirmed dead, and relief and rescue services still faced with such a job that you should probably brace for that number to change again. To make matters worse, the NOAA has issued warnings of severe storms the next few days across a broad swath of the American heartland, with Joplin lying in the highest risk zone. Please do everything possible to stay safe, everybody. source
 

24 May 2011 13:45

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Politics: Rumors swirl on possible Giuliani run, ’cause someone has to

  • Run Rudy Run: You may have noticed a lot of nail-biting amongst establishment Republican figures in the last couple days, with the news that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels wouldn’t be running causing a bit of an “oh my god, we don’t have many electable candidates here” sort of panic. But never fear, GOP, your knight in shining armor could be coming. Reports are swirling that Rudy Giuliani, seeking redemption for his disastrous 2008 campaign (record-setting for its waste and futility, as he spent over $50 million to net just one delegate), may throw his name into the ring once more. Said Rep. Peter King: “If he were to make the decision today, he would run.” source

24 May 2011 13:12

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Culture: Good read of the day: NY Times’ ‘Coming Out’ interactive feature

  • Spend a few hours with this package, guys. The Times wrote three stories for the piece, but the readers submitted 32 of their own equally moving stories. It makes for a very powerful package — in a time where not every corner of society accepts homosexuality, the Times has stepped up to tell some of the stories that need to be told the most — from that of a young Christian girl, to another about a high school ROTC student. It’s a moving read that sends a positive message, too, one we’re all familiar with: It gets better. source

24 May 2011 11:17

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World: Ryanair flies plane through Iceland’s volcanic ash to prove it’s safe

  • How badly does Ryanair want to fly in this mess? Well, the ultra-cheap airline, which is trying to argue that the air plume from the Iceland volcano isn’t that bad, just sent a test plane through the thickest part of the plume for an hour. To put it simply, the plane got through OK, which means that now RyanAir is really arguing that officials allow airlines to fly their passenger planes through this murky soup. Look, we know your entire business model relies on tight profit margins, Ryanair, but is this really how you want to save money? (amazing eruption photo via NASA Goddard Photo and Video’s Flickr page) source