Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on TwitterBe a Facebook FanTumble us!

27 Mar 2010 17:38

tags

U.S.: Obama leaps over Senate’s head, issues 15 recess appointments

  • I simply cannot allow partisan politics to stand in the way of the basic functioning of government.
  • President Barack Obama • Regarding the recess appointments that he pushed through today. The appointments are only temporary – they can only serve through the end of 2011. But he was at the point where he needed to do something, due to the immense amount of gridlock in the Senate right now. 217 of his nominees are currently waiting for confirmation, 34 of them over six months. The Republicans fought against this, but it’s not exactly an uncommon thing he’s doing – George W. Bush also had 15 recess appointments at this point of his presidency. At the end of their eight-year terms, both Bush and his wipe buddy Bill Clinton had over 130 each – Bush more than Clinton. source

27 Mar 2010 16:48

tags

U.S.: Security fail: A year later, Obama still doesn’t have a TSA head

  • 2 TSA leader nominees have withdrawn their names so far source

27 Mar 2010 11:03

tags

U.S.: Hey, heart pill user: Your nitroglycerin probably wasn’t tested

  • 80% of prescribed nitroglycerin had no FDA testing source

27 Mar 2010 10:04

tags

U.S.: To our friends in Searchlight, Nev.: Lock your doors today

  • 5,000+ bloodthirsty Tea Party activists are expected to descend on Harry Reid’s hometown today
  • >1,000 people actually live in the humble villa of Searchlight, Nev.; residents are leaving en masse source

25 Mar 2010 20:36

tags

U.S.: Teenagers learn that that killer party wasn’t really worth it

  • There was blood, urine, food, all over the floors. I’ve never seen anything like it in my career.
  • East Bridgewater, Mass. Police Detective Michael Jenkins • Regarding the killer party that some punk kids threw while another kid’s parents were on vacation in Paris. They caused $45,000 in damages, got arrested, and somehow managed to top this shirtless Australian pro. From the sound of the story, this situation was a nightmare – laptops were stolen, cars were damaged, mattresses were urinated on, and walls were severely damaged. Or in other words, just another average Saturday night for the 14,000 residents of sleepy East Bridgewater, Mass. Kegger next week! source

25 Mar 2010 08:38

tags

U.S.: GOP Senators succeed in forcing another (#&(@&( health care vote

  • A couple of minor parliamentarian rules were broken. Senate Republicans are going out of their way this week to kinda be total )&#&# about the health care reconciliation bill, with stalling tactics, crazy amendments and such. Late last night, they succeeded at turning the reconciliation process into a pain in the butt, finding minor parliamentary problems with the bill (regarding Pell grants) that force a new House vote. Great. source

24 Mar 2010 22:26

tags

U.S.: California: The state that brought you Prop 8 could legalize pot

Thanks to a hard-fought ballot initiative, stoners who couldn’t marry their same-sex partners could soon legally purchase pot straight-up. source
 

24 Mar 2010 22:16

tags

U.S., World: Russia and the U.S. decide it’s a good idea to give nukes a break

  • 90% of all nuclear weapons are owned by the U.S. or Russia
  • eight months of ongoing negotiations between the countries
  • yes they finally came to a deal to stash away their nuclear weapons source

24 Mar 2010 10:42

tags

U.S.: No Child Left Behind doesn’t mean their reading scores get ahead

  • fourth After a modest increase in 2007, reading scores for fourth graders stalled in 2009 on a national level; some local schools did better, others did worse.
  • eighth While reading scores increased
    for eighth graders in 2009, there’s been no change in score since the “No Child Left Behind” law was enacted in 2002. source

24 Mar 2010 10:34

tags

U.S.: Get yo popcorn ready! Obama nominates liberal to appeals court

Goodwin Liu could be an appeals court judge. One Repbulican Senator calls the Berkeley professor a liberal “beyond the mainstream.” A huge fight is coming. source