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18 Apr 2009 11:16

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U.S., World: Roxana Saberi faces the wrath of an Iranian court

  • 8 years in prison for the Iranian-American journalist on spying charges source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 21:24

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U.S.: If you think McDonald’s food is dangerous, watch out for their sign

The Golden Arches fell on an Illinois couple in Arizona. High winds are to blame; the couple was seriously injured. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 20:55

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U.S., World: Well, this Obama quote on diplomacy is pretty refreshing

  • We cannot let ourselves be prisoners of past disagreements.
  • Barack Obama • Speaking at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. This quote somehow manages to ease relations between Cuba and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez all in one fell swoop. Nice job, dude. If you were Bo, we’d totally give you a dog treat. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 18:22

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Politics, U.S.: Five guesses as to who the anonymous university donor was

  • Mark Cuban: Because he likes making points in roundabout, absurd ways.
  • Bill Gates: Because he cares too much about helping out sometimes.
  • Joaquin Guzman: Because Mexican drug lords make pretty great benefactors.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 18:14

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U.S.: Yo, universities, here’s a bunch of money. No questions, please.

  • $45 million in anonymous donations were given to nine different universities, big and small and seemingly picked at random, in the last few weeks. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2009 09:33

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U.S., World: Alright, Obama. Cuba’s ready to talk. Your move.

  • Lower restrictions Earlier this week, as promised, the Obama administration loosened travel restrictions for people with family in the communist nation. It’s a baby step to much looser restrictions, by the way. source
  • Lower restrictions Earlier this week, as promised, the Obama administration loosened travel restrictions for people with family in the communist nation. It’s a baby step to much looser restrictions, by the way.
  • Raul wants to talk Raul Castro, brother of Fidel and Cuba’s current leader, has taken this overture as a chance to thaw things. Castro said “that we are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything.” source
  • Lower restrictions Earlier this week, as promised, the Obama administration loosened travel restrictions for people with family in the communist nation. It’s a baby step to much looser restrictions, by the way.
  • Raul wants to talk Raul Castro, brother of Fidel and Cuba’s current leader, has taken this overture as a chance to thaw things. Castro said “that we are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything.”
  • A crazy history It won’t be easy. In the 50 years since Fidel Castro first led Cuba, the relationship with the U.S. has been icy at best. That trade embargo hasn’t helped, but this could be the turning point. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2009 20:28

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U.S.: Obama administration: The CIA was bad, but we won’t punish them

  • The decision The Obama administration chose not to prosecute CIA officials who admitted to harsh interrogation tactics against terror suspects during the Bush administration, a controversial decision but one the Obama administration is standing behind. source
  • The decision The Obama administration chose not to prosecute CIA officials who admitted to harsh interrogation tactics against terror suspects during the Bush administration, a controversial decision but one the Obama administration is standing behind.
  • The gory details The tactics used – and more importantly, signed off on – during the Bush administration include slamming detainees against walls, waterboarding (which is not as fun as the name suggests) and leaving suspects naked in cold rooms for long periods. source
  • The decision The Obama administration chose not to prosecute CIA officials who admitted to harsh interrogation tactics against terror suspects during the Bush administration, a controversial decision but one the Obama administration is standing behind.
  • The gory details The tactics used – and more importantly, signed off on – during the Bush administration include slamming detainees against walls, waterboarding (which is not as fun as the name suggests) and leaving suspects naked in cold rooms for long periods.
  • Critics rebuffed Obama, while understanding the concerns of human rights organizations and critical of the interrogation methods, nevertheless defended the decision. “Nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past,” he said. source
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16 Apr 2009 18:50

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U.S.: The Obama administration wants to fix our sucky rail system

See those red lines? They go faster than the grey ones. If they do it right, Amtrak might finally have a better rep than Amway. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Apr 2009 10:16

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U.S.: The NSA admits to “overcollection” of information on Americans

  • They’ve been feeling the heat lately. The National Security Administration, which had a close friend in the Bush Administration, now is adjusting for Barack Obama. The NSA recently admitted collecting wiretapped phone calls and private e-mails on a scale that was probably illegal and went well beyond the broad limits Congress allowed for them last year. Good job, guys. We were wondering what that clicking noise was when we were on the phone the other day. Now we know it was you! source
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16 Apr 2009 09:58

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U.S.: A somber anniversary for Virginia Tech students

Today marks the second anniversary of the shooting that shook up a university and a nation. A run will honor the victims. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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