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23 Jun 2011 16:12

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U.S.: Arizona man’s death possibly due to German E.coli outbreak?

  • The man reportedly visited Germany recently. The rare and dangerous form of E.coli in Germany, first discovered in May has already killed dozens of people in Europe. Now, it’s possible the epidemic has killed an American. Tests are still pending to see if it is that extra-deadly strain of E coli has made it stateside. But he wouldn’t be the first person to bring the bug home with them to the U.S. — on top of sickening over 3,800 Europeans, the disease has hit recent travelers from Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2011 15:19

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U.S.: Obama’s being pressured to support gay marriage

  • My baseline is a strong civil union that provides them the protections and the legal rights that married couples have. And I think that’s the right thing to do. But I recognize that from their perspective it is not enough, and I think (it) is something that we’re going to continue to debate, and I personally am going to continue to wrestle with going forward.
  • President Barack Obama, in a December news conference • Discussing his “evolving” views on gay marriage. Tonight, Obama will host a gala as a fundraiser for his campaign — the first of its kind for gay donors. With the gay marriage bill in New York being hanging over his head, this gala will really put his “evolving” view on the issue to the test. Lots of people are criticizing Obama for his stance on gay marriage — especially his progressive base. It’s also worth noting that Obama supported gay marriage back in 1996. It’ll be interesting to see how this gala pans out tonight, because this will come up. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2011 14:39

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U.S.: Pentagon bomb-scare suspect tied to building shootings

  • Remember those mysterious building shootings near DC a while back? Remember that Marine reservist who got arrested at Arlington National Cemetery last week with some possibly-for-bomb-making fertilizer on his back? Probably the same guy. At least that’s what authorities say about Yonathan Melaku, whom they charged with both crimes earlier today. The FBI says they found a video of him firing at what looks like the Marine Corps Museum in his apartment, along with some bomb-making materials and a list of other things he needed. It’s a good thing they caught this guy when they did, because he may have been a “lone wolf” seriously looking to do some damage. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2011 10:20

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U.S.: Pharmacy shooting has all the makings of a recession-era tragedy

  • He was doing it because he lost his job and I was sick. … He did it. He did all of this.
  • Melinda Brady • Explaining what she says may have led her husband, David Laffer, to kill four people in a Long Island pharmacy on Father’s Day. During the shooting, the suspect reportedly tried to steal prescription drugs from the pharmacy he could not afford, in what sounds like an awful recession story in the making. Brady and Laffer, who proposed to his wife at a New York Islanders game a few years ago, were arrested Wednesday after local police received hundreds of tips on the case. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jun 2011 21:48

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U.S.: Gingrich: My campaign staff just couldn’t handle my unconventional ways

  • Philosophically, I am very different from normal politicians, and normal consultants found that very hard to deal with.
  • Newt Gingrich • Explaining, with David Brent-esque logic, why his campaign staff keeps quitting on him. We agree that Gingrich is different from normal politicians, but that’s not necessarily a good thing. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jun 2011 19:07

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U.S.: Obama plans to speed up Afghan troop withdrawals

  • 10,000 U.S. troops that will be withdrawn from Afghanistan this year
  • 20,000 more troops that will be withdrawn by the end of next summer source
  • » Quickening the pace: The above numbers represent a much quicker withdrawal than some of President Obama’s military advisers would like, General David Petraeus among them. This decision is being seen as a victory over Petraeus’ vision by Vice President Biden, who’s been a proponent of a more rapid end to American involvement in Afghanistan. The withdrawal would equal the total of Obama’s Afghanistan surge, to which he committed 30,000 troops back in 2009.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2011 14:41

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U.S.: FDA issues graphic warnings to help smokers quit

  • Starting next year, cigarettes Will have to put warnings like this on all their packs. The graphic warnings will cover up about half of the pack — both front and back. (For a slideshow of the graphic images, check here.) They should hit around September of next year. While the FDA says that this will help people quit, others say smokers are already aware of the risk they take when they light up. It’s also worth noting that other countries have had much harsher warnings on their cigarettes for years, and studies have shown they’ve helped people quit smoking. Either way, tobacco companies aren’t happy with this, and neither are many smokers. What do you think? source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

21 Jun 2011 14:33

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U.S.: Are your fruits and veggies laden with tons of pesticides?

  • Remember when that confusing food pyramid went away, and a plate replaced it? That incredibly informative plate tells you that half your diet at least should consist of fruits and veggies — but a new study might make you think otherwise. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a list called the “Dirty Dozen” that includes the twelve fruits and vegetables laden with the most pesticides. While the report suggest eating anything from the “Dirty Dozen” might be harmful, other experts say the pesticide levels on those fruits aren’t dangerous. “So far, there’s not a lot of research to support these claims,” said Holly Herrington, a dietitian at Northwestern University. And we’re pretty sure an apple is healthier than a candy bar any day, too. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2011 13:46

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U.S.: Weeklong immigration crackdown yields significant results

  • 2,400+ number of convicted foreign nationals deported in a seven-day period during the “Cross Check” enforcement operation
  • 109,700 number of convicted foreign nationals deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the 2011 fiscal year source
  • » How authorities pulled it off: The “Cross Check” mission checked the records of people convicted of crimes like robbery, drug trafficking and aggravated assault to see if they were here illegally. If they were, officials deported the convicts. This does raise a few questions — such as how much authorities used racial profiling in this operation — but the silver lining is that the crackdown was at least targeted on a group. About 22 percent of those deported already had outstanding orders of deportation, by the way.
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2011 11:24

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U.S., World: Obama’s plans for the day: Outline Afghan War troop withdrawals

  • 10,000 U.S. troops headed home soon? source
  • » That’s a little high for David Petraeus’ liking: Obama is putting the finishing touches on a speech where he plans to outline the plan for what the country will do about getting troops out of Afghanistan — roughly 100,000 are there now, and Obama could remove roughly 30,000 by late 2012 or early 2013 — the first 10,000 or so this year. Which means, of course, that we’ll still be there a long while no matter what our boy Obama decides.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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