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05 Sep 2011 23:02

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Politics: Michele Bachmann’s top advisers step down, take smaller roles

  • Legitimately, it’s a Romney-Perry race.
  • Ed Rollins, the now-former campaign manager for Michele Bachmann • Discussing why he and deputy manager David Polyansky both stepped down from their positions this week. When asked if they left because of strategic differences, he said that there is “no strategic differences in the sense of what we should be doing or saying — it’s just a question of how you use your time, how you use your resources.” source

05 Sep 2011 22:27

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U.S.: Texas, California wildfires threaten, destroy homes

  • 476 homes burned in Texas east of Austin since Sunday; Gov Rick Perry canceled an appearance at a forum in South Carolina in response
  • 800+ homes threatened by fire in California; officials are unsure how long it will take to contain the fires, caused by a plane crash on Sunday source

31 Aug 2011 22:52

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U.S.: Texas, Oklahoma wildfires damage buildings, force evacuations

  • The ground is so dry, because of the drought, that one welding spark or a cigarette tossed could easily ignite a fire.
  • Jesse Moore, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, Texas • Commenting on how easy it is to start wildfire. Texas is seeing one of the worst fire seasons on record, including the devastating fires earlier this year in April. The fires started on Tuesday; as of Wednesday night, the wildfires have damaged 39 homes and buildings over 6,200 acres of land. These wildfires are also threatening cities in Oklahoma. Authorities have asked local residents to evacuate, so stay safe, guys. source

31 Aug 2011 21:48

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Tech: An iPhone prototype walked into a bar and … poof. (Yes, again)

  • 2 iPhone prototypes lost at bars; Apple workers probably shouldn’t drink source

31 Aug 2011 21:17

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U.S., World: Tropical Storm Katia could become Hurricane Katia overnight

  • yeah … Meteorologists expect Tropical Storm Katia to strengthen into a hurricane tonight — making it the second Atlantic-based hurricane in a week. (Dunno if you heard, but the last one was a bit of a doozy.) The storm’s current path shows Katia moving west-northwest toward North America.
  • … but Don’t freak out yet, though — the storm may never actually hit land. See, storms in the Atlantic often get blown off course by jet stream winds that run west-to-east across the U.S. Those winds plus east-to-west winds across Africa cause the storm to “recurve.” Many hurricanes die out this way. source
  • » A coulda-been Katrina: Storm-trackers give hurricanes their names based on six standardized lists that they then cycle through; each year has a different list, so we’ll see 2011’s list again in 2017. Had 2005 not been a devastating year of storms, Katia would still be “Katrina”.

29 Aug 2011 23:58

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U.S.: Sect leader Warren Jeffs in coma after fasting in prison

  • Jeffs fasted for three days, became unstable: Polygamist sect leader and convicted child rapist Warren Jeffs is being treated for fasting-related complications. “He did indicate to staff that he was fasting, but he is currently being treated for other medical ailments and conditions,” said a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She also said that she “cannot confirm that he is in a coma.” (An AP source says that he in fact is in one.) Jeffs is to face a second trial — this time for first-degree bigamy — in October. source

29 Aug 2011 23:19

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Culture: Oh, Matthew Fox. This weekend was NOT a “Party of Five”.

  • jack, you have to go back. No, really. Matthew Fox tried tried to join a bachelor party in Cleveland on Sunday morning. (He’s in town shooting a movie.) The party bus driver didn’t recognize him as a celebrity; she did recognize him as the “guy who assaulted me.” “I don’t care that he is a celebrity,” she told a reporter. “Assault is against the law.” He was detained in a patrol car before being released to a friend. No, we don’t think he was Lost, either. We’re pretty sure we know how this saga ends. Bad move, Jack. source
 

29 Aug 2011 22:51

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U.S.: Wisconsin patients possibly exposed to blood-borne diseases

  • 2,345 patients were possibly exposed to HIV source
  • » One Wisconsin nurse didn’t alternate between insulin pens when giving diabetes test demonstrations. She changed needles, but not the insulin pen; as a result, blood could have remained on the pen between patients. Now a clinic’s trying to clean up a scary mess caused by a nurse who didn’t know proper procedure. Yikes.

22 Aug 2011 23:28

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U.S., World: Never fear, Captain Biden is here, and he’s a Big #(&@(&% Deal!

  • When in Mongolia…: Vice President Joe Biden visited Mongolia as his latest stop on his Asian tour. Mongolia is expected to open its natural resources to foreign investors soon. While we’re not sure if Biden makes the best diplomat, he’s definitely the one we trust the most with a bow and arrow. (You might’ve heard that the guy who preceded him in the job had some trouble handling weapons properly.) On his trip, he was also presented with a horse, which Biden named “Celtic”. Can you say “live-action ‘Mulan’ remake”? source

22 Aug 2011 23:02

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U.S.: In tonight’s episode of “WHERE WERE THEIR PARENTS?!”:

  • 5,200 U.S. kids fall out of windows each year source
  • » On the plus side, that number’s falling: Between 1990 and 2008, roughly 7.3 children and teens per 100,000 fell out of windows each year, which is actually down — especially in areas that have pushed safety campaigns to prevent this from happening. However, it’s not the case in every city. In New York and Boston, previous studies have shown 96 percent declines. In this study, that level is much lower.