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20 Jun 2010 10:57

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U.S.: Kevin Costner’s “dream machine” ready to clean up lots of oil

  • At its core, my dream, this machine, was designed to give us a fighting chance to fight back the oil that has got us by the throat.… When you are in a fight, anybody knows you go to confront it right where it is. You don’t wait for it to come to your door.
  • Actor Kevin Costner • Unveiling the V20 device his company, Ocean Therapy Solutions, developed to separate oil from water. Unlike hay, Costner’s device could have a real impact on the spill if it works – each device is capable of separating about 210,000 gallons of oil from water per day, or 5,000 barrels of oil. He sold 32 of these devices to BP, meaning they could separate up to 160,000 barrels of oil per day. If this actually works, Kevin Costner will have totally made up for “The Postman.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jun 2010 09:53

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U.S.: Myth busted: Adults more likely than teens to text while driving

  • 47% of adults have sent or read texts while driving
  • 34% of teens have done the same controversial thing source
  • » One thing that’s not clear: Teenagers have been only driving a year or two. Most adults have been driving much longer. Did Pew, who did the study, put a time frame on the study or just leave it vague? That’s a question that hit us when reading it.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jun 2010 11:37

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U.S.: People are abusing painkillers more than ever before

  • 145k number of emergency visits caused by the nonmedical abuse of painkillers of 2004
  • 305k number of emergency visits caused by the nonmedical abuse of painkillers in 2008
  • 111% the size of the increase; the CDC says urgent action is needed to limit further abuse source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jun 2010 11:27

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U.S.: Ronnie Lee Gardner execution: He clenched his fist before he died

  • Firing four bullets into a man’s chest is, by definition, violent. If it can also be clinical and sterile, then that also happened in this execution.
  • Salt Lake Tribune reporter Nate Carlisle • Describing what he saw as Ronnie Lee Gardner was killed by firing squad last night in Utah. The first-person account of the execution, which is the first Carlisle ever witnessed, is a gripping read. Instead of slumping over after being shot, like the guards expected he would, Gardner clenched his fist. Then de-clenched it. “At the time, I interpreted this as Gardner suffering — clenching his fist in an effort to fight the pain,” Carlisle wrote. “As I write this, I don’t know whether that’s true. It could have just been reflexes or some other process the body begins after a major trauma. Scientists do not know much about what a person shot through the heart feels.” No matter your thoughts on capital punishment, this is gripping. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2010 20:23

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U.S.: Is the Supreme Court OK with employers searching workers’ texts?

  • YES but only in this one case about a police officer source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2010 20:05

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U.S.: Some dude’s going to die by firing squad in about six hours

  • Utah’s governor denied Ronnie Lee Gardner’s stay request. Gardner, who was convicted of killing two people – one of them during a courthouse escape attempt in 1985 – has spent most of his 49 years in prison or on death row, including nearly all of his adult life. He chose the firing squad. He’s likely the last person in the U.S. who will die by firing squad, as Utah outlawed the high-profile practice in 2004. He’s also likely the first person who eats steak and lobster with 7UP. That was his last meal. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jun 2010 10:00

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U.S.: Prop. 8 trial protip: You probably need to present evidence

  • At the end of the day, ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I don’t have to present any evidence,’ with all respect to Mr. Cooper, doesn’t cut it.
  • Lawyer Ted Olson • Arguing during the Proposition 8 trial yesterday against defense lawyer Charles Cooper, who used the phrase “you don’t have to have evidence” to prove that gay marriage is illegal. Now – we could be wrong here, but something tells us that’s a pretty crappy argument to make in any courtroom, in any case. The judge, by the way, was pretty tough with his questioning – on both sides of the coin. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

16 Jun 2010 21:07

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U.S.: Seattle police-punching case update: The police back the officer

  • The officer did nothing wrong. We always will review incidents like this, that’s how police officers learn. I am confident that the review will show that the officer was totally justified. He was defending himself.
  • Seattle Police Officer’s Guild president Sgt. Rich O’Neill • Giving some insight into the situation with officer Ian Walsh, who threw a punch after being accosted by two jaywalkers, one of whom was resisting arrest. The incident is under review. If you’ve read online today, you’ll know that the punch is controversial, with some supporting the officer and others supporting the girls arrested. O’Neill makes it clear who he thinks is at fault. “If you watch the entire video, he is trying to de-escalate the situation, first by voice commands, then by taking her by the wrists, and then she reacts by pulling away and swinging,” he notes. He suggests that Walsh could’ve tried other techniques to defuse the situation. Our problem was that he had to throw a punch at all. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2010 20:36

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U.S.: Obama can’t even get the Democrats behind a new stimulus bill

  • 45 senators voted for the bill – not even a majority source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2010 12:28

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Biz, U.S.: BP’s throwing lots of money aside for oil disaster claims

  • $20
    billion     the amount BP plans to put in an independent escrow account
  • $1
    billion     the amount the company has spent on the oil spill so far source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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