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06 Jun 2011 17:06

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Politics: Today’s dramatic Anthony Weiner admission: What happened

  • The admission Congressman Anthony Weiner has confessed not just to sending a photo of his clothed penis to one woman, but to having sexually explicit (though non-physical) relationships with six or so women over three years. He repeatedly stressed his apologies, most of them directed at his wife, Huma.
  • No resignation Weiner made it clear, though — he has no intention of resigning his position as a congressman from New York. He maintains he hasn’t violated his oath to uphold the Constitution, and will work to convince his constituents that this was a personal failing that doesn’t compromise his ability to do his job.
  • The Breitbart angle Andrew Breitbart caused a stir when he arrived before Weiner’s appearance, and answered questions from the podium. He’s since said this wasn’t his idea, and that he was skeptical about it (we’d rate it a bad idea). That said, Weiner apologized to Breitbart by name during his appearance. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 16:04

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U.S.: Rick Santorum makes it official for 2012

  • Pick Rick? Former Republican senator Rick Santorum has officially announced his candidacy for President in 2012. We’ll admit, we were surprised when we long ago heard he might run, as we figured any candidate whose name can’t be safely Googled would be advised by strategists to sit it out. For perspective on his political stripes, here Santorum brings up gay marriage as an example of Obama devaluing our “moral currency.” The fact that he uses this rhetoric in his announcement speech is telling — that’s what he wants to be talking about, not currency standards. And in a country that seems to care less and less about who wants to fall in love and get married, this could very well be the last stand for one of America’s most strident political culture warriors. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 11:24

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U.S.: Dominique Strauss-Kahn pleads not guilty; France captivated

His case bewilders the French, who love American crime shows but can’t believe how callous we are towards suspects, especially prominent ones like DSK. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 08:30

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World: After huge losses, Tepco’s future leads its stock to nosedive

  • No one knows what will happen to Tepco in the future. We don’t even know whether the company will remain a private company or will the government take it over.
  • Fujimaki Japan’s Takeshi Fujimaki • Explaining why Tepco’s stock went down significantly today — at one point as far as 28 percent — after a financial report that suggested the company was in very bad shape. Simply put, many investors don’t think Tepco is long for this world as a private company and will need significant help from Japan to survive. The company could face $7 billion in losses for the current fiscal year — already on top of $15 billion lost in the prior fiscal year, which ended in March. That’s before any compensation costs are taken into account, by the way. Investors are betting on bankruptcy and/or public-sector takeover. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 08:00

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U.S.: Rogue bus company Sky Express may still be operating

Despite the deadly Virginia bus crash which tarnished their name, Sky Express may still be running buses … possibly under a completely different name. Their Web site brings up a 404 error. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 21:51

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Tech: Antimatter stops by CERN long enough for a good converstation

  • 17 minutes trapped in one place; antimatter was just hangin’ source
  • » This is what we call progress: Back in November, it was kind of a big thing when scientists managed to trap antimatter at all — even for .17 seconds! Now we’ve gotten past viral video length and we’re almost at the length of an episode of “The Office.” The lifespan of the antimatter is a big deal because usually when antimatter is made, it disappears instantly. But the process that CERN (known as the European Organization for Nuclear Research) uses basically holds the antimatter in place using really strong magnets. The longer lifetimes offer scientists the opportunity to study it in greater detail, which is kind of neat, and to possibly figure out longer-term uses for this pretty cool technology. This research totally matters, guys.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 21:49

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U.S., World: The U.S. faces terrorism, diplomacy threats amid Yemen instability

  • We would be shortsighted to think this doesn’t pose short-term national security concerns. The likelihood is that [al-Qaeda operatives] will be raising their heads.
  • Frank J. Cilluffo, the head of, George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute • Describing the danger that the Saleh’s transition away from Yemeni leadership means for the War on Terror. A key terror cell — al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — could cause serious issues by taking advantage of the instability in the region, while Yemeni opposition leaders deny the group’s existence at all. (Which is troubling because two separate attacks have been tied to the group since late 2009 — including the underwear bomber.) Another way this could force the U.S. into a precarious position: Saleh was an ally of the U.S., and an unstable transition could force diplomats to scramble to make up for a transition that doesn’t favor Americans. A complicated issue all around — and one with difficult answers. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Jun 2011 13:16

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U.S.: Breast cancer trial: At-risk patients helped by new drug

  • 65% decreased risk after taking hormone-blocking pill source
  • » A huge step forward: The study, which involved 4,500 people, represents progress towards a safe-to-take drug that prevents breast cancer in at-risk patients. While anti-estrogen drugs already exist on the market, they’ve had pretty horrific side effects that discourage their use. So far, aromatase inhibitors don’t have any of these side effects — but it’s important to note that there haven’t been long-term studies with this, either. (This is the first time researchers tested an aromatase inhibitor tested clinically.) However, it’s still encouraging and worth keeping an eye on.
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 12:54

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Politics: Sarah Palin apologizes for hogging Mitt Romney’s spotlight

 

  • I apologize if I stepped on any of that PR that Mitt Romney needed or wanted that day.
  • Sarah Palin on “Fox News Sunday” • Suggesting that she sort of stole Romney’s thunder because her bus tour stopped in a town near to where Romney was announcing his candidacy — on a farm in New Hampshire. She’s also said that her much-publicized bus tour hasn’t moved her any closer to a decision on whether she’s running for president. Here’s a tip, Sarah — until you make up your mind, don’t screw over the people from your party. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 12:34

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World: Golan Heights: 44 years after Six-Day War, violence erupts anew

  • “Anyone who tries to cross the border will be killed.” That was the message Israeli soldiers had today, the anniversary of the day when Golan Heights fell from Syrian hands to Israeli ones. Today, dozens of protesters, mostly Palestinian, went up to the border of the strategically-important piece of land — and were fired upon by Israeli soldiers. At least 14 died, and hundreds were injured during the protests. Prior to the violence, Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers to act with restraint but determination while protecting the border. “To my regret, today there are extremists around us trying to breach our borders, and threaten our towns and citizens,” he said to his cabinet. “We will not allow this.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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