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11 Jun 2009 10:23

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Biz, U.S.: Is the worst of the job-cutting bloodshed over?

  • -24,000 fewer jobless claims this week source

11 Jun 2009 10:18

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Biz, U.S.: Good: Retail spending went up. Bad: It went up ’cause of gas prices

  • +0.5% the increase in retail sales during the month of May source

10 Jun 2009 18:26

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U.S.: The guard who died in the Holocaust Memorial shooting saved many lives

  • Never take your guard force and security people for granted. They did exactly what they were supposed to do to protect people in the museum.
  • William Parsons • The chief of staff for the U.S. Holocaust Museum in D.C., on the death of Stephen Tyrone Johns, who was killed by 88-year-old white supremacist James von Brunn. Johns may have died, but there were thousands of people inside the museum and he protected all of them from a Holocaust denier who was shooting to kill. • source

10 Jun 2009 11:14

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U.S.: Who’s behind the N.Y. state senate upheaval? Some rich bastard.

  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years. source
  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years.
  • He felt slighted. However, when Golisano heard the Democrats wanted to tax the wealthy, and feeling slighted by a meeting with majority leader Malcolm A. Smith, he helped lead the unprecedented takeover. source
  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years.
  • He felt slighted. However, when Golisano heard the Democrats wanted to tax the wealthy, and feeling slighted by a meeting with majority leader Malcolm A. Smith, he helped lead the unprecedented takeover.
  • Our take How can one guy have this much power? He doesn’t control the state senate – the people who voted for the candidates do. This strikes of corruption. The whole thing feels ethically unsound. source

10 Jun 2009 10:55

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U.S., World: Laura Ling’s close friend talks about her North Korean capture

  • I said to my mom, ‘What are you talking about?’ Then I quickly did a Google search and the story came up. I was in shock. This was my good friend.
  • Cheryll Marsh • A lifelong friend of Laura Ling, the Current TV reporter who was captured by North Korean authorities and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. She goes on to say that Ling is “a beautiful person inside and out” and is confident she’s handling the ordeal well. • source

09 Jun 2009 21:37

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Biz, U.S.: SCOTUS uses super-tight language to allow the Chrysler sale

  • Our assessment of the stay factors here is based on the record and proceedings in this case alone.
  • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg • In her four-paragraph decision in “Indiana State Police Pension Trust v. Chrysler LLC,” which was the main roadblock in the way of the Chrysler-Fiat sale. Why the wording? It’s likely they didn’t want to set a standard for any sort of GM sale. The decision, by the way, hinged on whether Chrysler was being discriminatory towards the pension program in its actions, which it wasn’t. Everyone’s getting screwed the same way. • source

09 Jun 2009 20:48

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U.S.: The Virginia gubernatorial primary wasn’t even remotely close

  • 50% Vote percentage for Creigh Deeds, who came from behind to explode into the lead in a race largely filled with undecided voters source
 

09 Jun 2009 17:10

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U.S.: A buncha offshore bank accounts used for online gambling frozen

  • $30 million in winnings were dealt a bad hand by the feds source

09 Jun 2009 15:23

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U.S.: Yikes: Here’s what happens when people snap into Slim Jims too hard

  • 21 people were injured after an explosion at the factory that makes Slim Jims. source

09 Jun 2009 11:10

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Biz, U.S.: Get ready for a flood of bailout money back into the government

  • $68 billion is coming back their way from 10 bailed-out banks source