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26 Oct 2011 21:25

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World: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi may soon surrender to the ICC

  • Headed to the Hague? That may be the case for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator. Saif is wanted for war crimes, and may soon face the International Criminal Court for just that reason — according to Libya’s National Transitional Council, he’s willing to turn himself in to the ICC, which would be a very positive thing for proponents of international justice. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 20:45

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Culture: The Madoffs (Bernie and Ruth) attempted suicide in 2008

  • “It was very, very impulsive”: According to the wife of disgraced, convicted former billionaire Bernie Madoff, the pair attempted to kill themselves about two weeks following Bernie’s confession that he’d been running a massive Ponzi scheme. They both took what they believed would be an overdose of pills before retiring to bed, only to both awake groggy but alive the next day. Ruth Madoff says the pair never again discussed suicide, adding “But I have no idea why he didn’t — I don’t know how he lives with it all.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 20:12

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Politics: Scott Olsen, Iraq war vet and Oakland occupier, in critical condition

  • last night Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old Marine and Iraq war veteran, attended Occupy Oakland. The OPD battled that crowd with, among other things, rubber projectiles. One such projectile hit Olsen in the head, sending him to the hospital.
  • tonight Olsen is in critical condition, suffering from brain swelling as a result of the impact. This is a lesson in “non-lethal” weapons; things like tasers and rubber bullets can, in fact, end lives. Our thoughts are with Olsen tonight. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 15:08

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World: Tunisia’s Islamic “Al Nahda” party may form secular coalition

  • An islamic/secular coexistence in Tunisia? As the results come back from the first Democratic election in Tunisia’s history (and the first such election to arise from the Arab Spring), all signs are pointing to a coalition government. The most successful party in the election, the Islamist Al Nahda party, failed to win an outright majority (they’re projected around 30%), meaning they will likely seek to team up with two other secular parties, which it’s believed would represent about 60% of the vote. This is an intriguing study in partnered government despite very differing ideals, and we’re very hopeful for the people of Tunisia that it bears fruit. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 14:47

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Tech: Scientists discover huge single-cell organisms deep on the ocean floor

  • Meet the Xenophyophores: Scientists have announced the discovery of a hitherto unknown, large single-celled organism living about 6.6 miles beneath the ocean’s surface. The organisms, called xenophyophores, were discovered in the Mariana Trench, the deepest place known in the ocean floor. They aren’t kidding about the “large,” either — a single cell can exceed four inches, which kind of blows our minds, honestly. Research suggests the xenophyophores are resistant to heavy metal toxicity, as by trapping water particles they concentrate high levels of mercury, uranium and lead, with no apparent detriment to the their health. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 14:40

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Politics: Obama backs plan to alleviate crushing student loan debt

  • $24,000 average student debt in 2009 source
  • » Way down in the hole: The above figure represents the average student loan debt for a graduate of a four-year, non-profit university, as measured in 2009 by the Institute for College Access & Success. In an economy that’s stifling the job prospects of even accomplished college graduates, finding yourself in this level of debt can feel a bit like you’ve been scammed. President Obama is today promoting his plan to tweak the Income-Based Repayment Plan for student loans with changes that were meant to take effect in 2014 (Obama wants 2012). The percentage of one’s discretionary monthly income that must be paid would be lowered from 15% to 10%, and all debt would be forgiven after 20 years, as opposed to the program’s current 25.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Oct 2011 14:27

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U.S.: Occupy Oakland, after a chaotic night, expected to return tonight

 

  • There were trash cans on fire. Some people got knocked unconscious from the flash-bangs and tear gas. I saw one girl being carried over a guy’s shoulder, and he was trying to find a paramedic, but there just weren’t any around.
  • Oakland resident Tony Santiago • Giving his first-hand account of the scene in downtown Oakland last night, as the Oakland Police Department (as you probably already know) raided and dispersed some 1,000 protesters in the Occupy movement. The police had denied using such things as flash-bang grenades and rubber munitions, but thanks to eyewitness accounts, amateur video, and work by professional journalists, such denials have been shown to be untrue. Occupy Oakland is expected to return for protests at 6:00 PM tonight, and with last night’s grisly scenes still fresh in their memory it’s anybody’s guess how they’ll react — especially if/when the OPD descends on them once again. (Editor’s note: The source story was written by Seth Millstein, a SFB writer who also writes for The Daily.) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

26 Oct 2011 10:41

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U.S.: Occupy Oakland: Protesters arrested en masse, tear gassed

  • We weren’t there but a minute before they started giving the dispersal order. The first time they said five minutes, this time they said ‘now.’ They shot off the flash grenades and people scattered.
  • Occupy Oakland activist Kat Brooks • Discussing the method in which the police booted them out of Frank Ogawa Plaza last night, arresting over 100 people and destroying their camp in the process. It was the second time in two days such an order was offered. “From the way they came into the camp [Tuesday] morning to the way they acted tonight, they have gone beyond what was necessary,” Brooks said. For their part, Oakland police claim that the tear gas was partly defensive in nature. “We were in a position where we had to deploy gas in order to stop the crowd and people from pelting us with bottles and rocks,” said interim police chief, Howard Jordan. Officers on the ground reported getting hit with paint, beer and eggs. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Oct 2011 23:59

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World: Revolting, yet resourceful

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  • A Japanese art collective called Chim Pom is helping solve Tokyo’s rodent problem by catching the city’s rats, stuffing them, and painting them to look like Pikachu. Sweet dreams, everybody! source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Oct 2011 23:16

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Politics: People like Occupy Wall Street…for now

  • +16% Occupy Wall Street’s net favorability. 43% approve of the movement, while just 27% disapprove.
  • 30% of people are still undecided on Occupy Wall Street, according to the same CBS/NYT poll.  source
  • » What this means: While the movement does enjoy a plurality of support (in this poll, at this moment in time), a huge percentage of people haven’t yet made up their minds about it. This means there’s a lot of room for public opinion to swing either way, so decisions on the part of OWS’s still-emerging leadership over the next couple of months will be crucial in solidifying public support or rejection of the movement. This, in turn, will help determine whether or not OWS’s message actually ends up affecting legislation that comes out of Washington. Will Occupy Wall Street become the next Tea Party, which has had a huge impact on national politicians, or is it just a passing fad? According to this poll, the answer to that question is “to be determined.”
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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