ShortFormBlogNovember 21, 2011

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They felt the NYPD’s evidence, and Pimentel’s actual threat, was shaky. If given the opportunity, could Jose Pimentel have actually pulled off a terror threat? The NYPD seemed convinced of this, but the FBI wasn’t quite so sure. On top of this, they felt the evidence was a little rough around the edges — particularly the use of a confidential informant, who recorded hours of conversations with Pimentel, but may not be the most reliable witness to whatever happened. As one law enforcement official, speaking off the record, put it: “If the FBI declines a case, it’s not a strong case.” Think it’ll hold up? source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Nov 2011 20:10

They’ve still got a year to figure it out. They can still come together around a balanced plan. I believe Democrats are prepared to do so. My expect is that there are some Republicans who are interested in preventing the automatic cuts from taking place.
President Barack Obama • Discussing the failure of the supercommittee to make a deal on cuts, as required by the debt ceiling deal he made in August. The president’s tone was tough — “I will veto any effort to get rid of those spending cuts,” he said — but did offer some wiggle room for Congress to get their act together. The cuts — half defense, half domestic — offer a lot of pain for both sides of the aisle, so who knows? Maybe we’ll see a deal — perhaps the elusive “balanced” one the president is pitching. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

As Chancellor, I take responsibility for everything that happens on this campus. At the same time, our campus has policies, and–the only reasons we have those policies in place is to make sure the 32,000 students who are using our campus are safe.
UC Chancellor Linda Katehi • After refusing to resign due to the events at UC Davis last week, wherein UCPD Lt. John Pike pepper sprayed a line of seated, peaceful protesters. During the same KQED interview, she also that she needs to “understand what went wrong…why things went so wrong,” which seems to be obfuscating the issue. Isn’t it clear what what wrong? Anyway, the UCPD police chief, along with Pike and another officer, have all been placed on “administrative leave;” 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for Katehi’s resignation. (Note: this interview wrapped up earlier the hour; we’ll let you know when a transcript is available.) source

Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

People here feel that they have been cheated and that they have moved from an autocracy to a military dictatorship. So they are back to the square — back to square one — to ask for their rights once again.
Egyptian protester Mosa’ab Elshamy • Discussing the resurgence of the protests at Tahrir Square over the weekend. It’s been a particularly bloody weekend in Egypt, with at least 22 protesters killed and 1,700 injured, roughly 102 of those police officers. The military claims it didn’t intend for things to go the way they’re going, and plan to relinquish power after the country has its long-in-the-works elections. Those elections are planned for November 28, about a week from now. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink