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03 Aug 2011 22:23

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Politics: Happy birthday, Obama. Here’s Romney’s gift. Aww, he shouldn’t have.

  • We’d like to see the gift receipt, please: Centering around a critique of the unemployment rate in Chicago, this ad (“Obama Isn’t Working”) was released the day before President Obama visited his hometown on Wednesday. As Obama will be celebrating his 50th birthday on Thursday, could this be a “present” from Team Romney? source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 21:44

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U.S.: Could Donald Rumsfeld get personally sued for torture?

A military contractor with a particularly fascinating backstory wants to sue the former defense secretary for illegally detaining him. The judge — get this —is gonna allow it. Whoa. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 21:36

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U.S., World: Tropical Storm Emily edges closer to land — including Haiti

  • Tropical Storm Emily update: Meteorologists predict that Haiti will receive anywhere between 6 to 12 inches of rain, while some mountain regions could receive up to 20 inches. The current path puts the storm closer to the eastern coast of Florida, but after hitting Haiti/Cuba, the track may change. Worth keeping an eye on, guys. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 20:28

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Tech: Hoaxsters say IE users are dumb, prove smarter than everyone else

  • yeah, We were surprised, too. Canadian firm ApTiquant recently reported that Internet Explorer users had lower IQ scores than users of other browsers — a study which, by the way, got picked up by a ton of news outlets. Turns out their entire study was completely fabricated (and the firm didn’t even exist until recently). When the BBC asked Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University’s Statistical Laboratory for his opinion, he said “these figures are implausibly low — and an insult to IE users.” Some people are willing to do anything to get IE users to upgrade — and we don’t blame ’em. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 20:23

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Biz: Latest salmonella outbreak forces recall of lots of freaking turkey

  • 36 million pounds of ground turkey; no word on how many giblets source
  • » One person killed, 76 sickened: Salmonella is no laughing matter, and Cargill is responding quickly to the crisis. “It is regrettable that people may have become ill from eating one of our ground turkey products and, for anyone who did, we are truly sorry,” said Steve Willardsen, who’s in charge of the company’s turkey-processing business. Ground turkey is particularly susceptible to salmonella contamination — at any given time, federal research says that 10 to 15 percent of all ground turkey is contaminated with salmonella. In the case of the Cargill outbreak, the meat was infected with a antibiotic-resistant variety called Salmonella Heidelberg. While cooking the meat at 165° F kills the salmonella, the problem arises when handling the meat, which can infect other foods nearby. Might want to be careful, carnivores.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 16:44

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U.S.: DB Cooper’s niece? Woman comes forward with new info

  • Does she hold the key to one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history? We mentioned this bizarre case the other day, but now there’s more information on just who is coming forward, and with what. Someone who is calling herself Cooper’s niece is coming forward, saying she remembers her uncle talking about his financial troubles being over, and several family members talking about him hijacking a plane. Her name? Marla Cooper — so at least the last names match. However, the FBI has said this isn’t a huge priority for them — so don’t expect them to drop everything for this 40-year-old cold case. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 14:40

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Offbeat: Animals are pretty good at escaping from zoos in New York

Yesterday, a peacock escaped from Central Park Zoo. It flew away, perched on this Fifth Avenue apartment window, and took a nap. After it woke up, it flew back to the zoo. Not exactly the next summer blockbuster, huh? source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

03 Aug 2011 14:25

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World: Hosni Mubarak trial begins on not exactly the best of terms

  • You’re seeing correctly. That is former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, in a cage. He’s actually standing trial from a cage, and he’s in a hospital bed. His trial started today, and it’s surprising a lot of Egyptians, who figured he’d use health problems as an excuse to not show up. Mubarak has denied all of the charges against him. We’ll be careful not to drop a reference to The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” in here. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 11:45

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U.S.: With Congress in recess, political fight in Senate leaves FAA crippled

  • 4,000 FAA employees off the job due to stalemate source
  • » People are working for free to inspect airports: After financing for the Federal Aviation Administration ran out on July 23, thousands of people were put out of work, and all over a fairly minor issue that has gummed up the Senate — how (or if) to pay for a subsidy program for rural airports. But that issue isn’t going to go anywhere for at least a month, after both chambers took their August recess. We know that the debt ceiling fight was tough and took a lot out of the politicians who solved that issue, but this seems like something that should’ve been dealt with before they hit the gavel and took vacations. This is not a judicial nomination. This is airport safety we’re talking about. Some talk about running the government like a business — well, here’s a secret, guys. Businesses don’t furlough workers over a disagreement that those workers have no control over, then ask them to work for free. Businesses pay workers.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Aug 2011 11:25

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World: Australian teen with bomb strapped to her neck freed (whew)

  • We don’t know what to make of a story this weird. After a 10-hour ordeal involving a bomb and an apparent extortion attempt, an 18-year-old Sydney girl has been freed (the clip reflects the situation before she was freed). “She’s good – she’s been kept in a very uncomfortable position,” New South Wales state Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch  said. “She has been and will be uncomfortable for a little while to come.” Murdoch says that the device was no joke — it was “very elaborate, very sophisticated.” Right now, officials are trying to learn the identity of the weirdo who did this to her. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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