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28 Feb 2012 15:31

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World: UN’s estimate of Syrian death toll increases with recent surge in killing

  • 7,500 killed in Syria since last March, UN says source
  • » “Indiscriminant bombardment by tank and rocket fire”: Those were the words of the UN’s undersecretary general for political affairs, Lynn Pascoe. The killing in Syria has reached something of a fever pitch in past months, with the bombardment of Homs in particular leading to grim headlines, and truly ghastly footage. The UN currently estimates that over 100 people per day are being killed by Bashar al-Assad’s security forces. Said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on Assad as a war criminal: “I think that based on definitions of war criminal and crimes against humanity, there would be an argument to be made that he would fit into that category.”
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2012 15:08

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Tech: Newly discovered fossil sets record for largest known penguin

  • 130 lbs. the weight of a considerably colossal, ancient penguin, as extrapolated from a recently unearthed fossil
  • 5 feet the portly penguin’s height, making it both the tallest and heaviest penguin known to science source
  • » Move over, Emperor penguin. While you may be the largest penguin left in these modern times, 27 million years ago you would have been dwarfed by science’s latest fossil discovery, the Kairuku grebneffi, found in New Zealand. It’s believed that their longer, curved beaks allowed them to easily spear fish for food. As described by Otago University’s Ewan Fordyce: “…relatively longer bills and a more slender body than in living species. The wing was probably able to flex a little more.”
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2012 14:39

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Politics: Some remains of 9/11 victims ended up in landfill, Pentagon admits

  • review The Defense Department released a review of the mortuary practices at Dover Air Force Base today, where it had been exposed in November that remains of Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers had been incinerated and taken to a landfill.
  • reveal Dover did the same with some remains of 9/11 victims, from the attack on the Pentagon, and in the downed plane in Shanksville, PA. The landfill-bound remains were, the review notes, unidentified and in small portions. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2012 14:36

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Politics: Newt Gingrich explains what he means by “San Francisco values”

  • I’m here in 1983, and I’m part of a truth squad… for the convention. And we’re having a great time. It’s a great city, as you know, there’s a reason it’s one of the great tourist cities in the country. We’re down at Union Square, and CBS is interviewing me… literally, at that moment, a six-foot-two transvestite comes up to me and hands me an invitation to an exorcism of Jerry Falwell.
  • Newt Gingrich • Explaining, when pressed by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Joe Garofoli and Carla Marinucci, what precisely he means when he decries “San Francisco values.” His response, as you can see, is not one that will go over well with LGBT advocates, or people who believe a personal anecdote is shaky grounds for a broad-based political narrative. It does bear mentioning that Gingrich had some compliments for the city as, well, a city, and he also had some unexpected praise on California Democratic Governor Jerry Brown. source
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21 Feb 2012 16:03

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Politics: Polling suggests Romney, Santorum running tight race in Michigan

  • 32% Mitt Romney’s support in Michigan, according to new polling by Mitchell Research/Rosetta Stone
  • 30% Rick Santorum’s support in Michigan, according to the same poll — he had been broadly leading recently source
  • » But the margin of error washes the slate clean. With a possible discrepancy of 4.7%, Romney’s 2-point lead could be a practical tie with his arch-rival of the moment, Rick Santorum. Or Santorum could, in fact, be ahead of Romney. Nonetheless, recent polling provides at least a bit of relief for the Romney camp; Santorum had opened up more impressive polling leads over Romney, but the recent trend seems to show a tightening, at bare minimum. Expect an exciting primary come February 28th; a loss by Romney would be devastating to his chances.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Feb 2012 14:51

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Politics: Democrats liken Virginia ultrasound bill to sex crime with bill set to pass

  • Object sexual penetration is a serious sex crime in Virginia. It is very difficult to look at the bill and look at the OSP statute together and think that you are not asking doctors to commit a sex crime. …Consent is a key element in the criminal statute, and there is no consent required in the ultrasound statute.
  • David Englin, Democratic delegate from Virginia • Explaining the new tactic taken by Democrats in Virginia, in their effort against a bill expected to pass the state legislature that could mandate unwanted, penetrative ultrasounds for women seeking abortions. That happening under any other circumstance would, as Englin suggested, be considered a sex crime in Virginia, carrying a prison sentence of five years. The ultrasound mandate in the eyes of its supporters bears no inherent medical relevance, exactly – the logic seems to be to try to dissuade women from having abortions by forcing them to look at their own ultrasounds. The bill is currently opposed by 55% of Virginians, according to recent polling, but is expected to pass the legislature and be signed into law by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell, one of the most conservative governors in the country. source
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21 Feb 2012 14:49

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Biz: Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches symbolic milestone

  • 13,000 points, the highest mark since 2008 source
  • » On May 20th, to be precise: The most successful private sectors early in 2012 have been finance and information technology, up nearly 13% when trading began today. The 13,000 figure is considered something of a benchmark for the Dow’s health, and while analysts are right to warn that the significance may be predominantly symbolic, the nature of investor confidence is such that a positive psychological message can itself be a big boon. The Dow crossed this threshold at a time when most attention was focused on Greece, which secured a second bailout from the Euro Zone as their fiscal crisis continued.
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16 Feb 2012 14:42

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Politics: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder endorses Mitt Romney

  • One of the greatest things holding us back in Michigan is Washington. [Romney] understands our state. He’s one of us.
  • Michigan Governor Rick Snyder • Officially endorsing Mitt Romney for President. This was an endorsement that until recently seemed in question, as the Republican governor dragged his feet on the decision mightily. It’s understandable why he did, in a sense – Romney has always been and likely still is the “establishment” pick, but Rick Santorum emphasizes American manufacturing in his platform, which is an appealing line in a state like Michigan. As it stands, the Romney campaign couldn’t afford to have lost this endorsement, and they can’t afford to lose Michigan, following a string of defeats by Rick Santorum. The February 28th primary is expected to be hotly contested, not least of all because of Mitt Romney’s 2008 remarks against the auto-industry bailout, which bolstered Detroit’s then-failing auto companies. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Feb 2012 14:09

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World: Many Honduran prisoners caught in fire weren’t charged or convicted

  • New revelations on Honduran prison fire: As we mentioned yesterday, the most lethal prison fire in the last century took place Tuesday in Honduras, at a prison in Comayagua. Since then some startling and grisly facts have come out, which speak to the sad state of legal affairs in Honduras, as well as to the staggering overcrowding and understaffing of their facilities – of the 800 or so inmates at Comayagua, 57% were being held without charge or were awaiting trial, most on suspicion of gang membership. During the fire, only six guards were on duty, just one of whom held the keys for every prison cell. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Feb 2012 13:48

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Politics: Two state legislatures working on same-sex marriage today

  • New JerseyA bill legalizing same-sex marriage has already passed the state Senate, and is widely expected to pass the House as well. Republican Governor Chris Christie, however, has promised to veto – taking the political risk of being the lone man who thwarted tens of thousands of people’s personal happiness.
  • Maryland A less certain, but potentially rosier picture for marriage equality in Maryland; should a same-sex marriage bill pass the House, it will go to a Senate that passed such a bill last year, and is supported by Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley. Such a bill failed last year due to Democratic defections. source
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