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02 Apr 2011 12:09

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U.S.: Rally at Mississippi Capitol for Scott sisters pardon

  • NO Haley Barbour won’t give the Scott sisters a full pardon source
  • » The Governor won’t have it: A rally was held outside the Mississippi State Capitol building yesterday, urging Governor Haley Barbour to grant a full pardon to the Scott sisters, Gladys and Jamie. It’s been 16 years since the two received double life sentences for armed robbery, a punishment that was absurdly severe even if presuming the sisters’ guilt- check out this great article by The New York Times’ Bob Herbert to brush up on the story. Barbour suspended their sentences indefinitely earlier this year, because Jamie had kidney disease and Gladys was offering a transplant, so they now have their freedom back. Barbour’s response on properly pardoning the two, though? “Tell ’em don’t save any space in the newspaper for that to be announced.”
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 23:53

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U.S.: Cause for hope in cancer rate findings

  • 1% reduction in new cancers each year from 2003 to 2007 source
  • » That’s within the U.S. population: This continues a general trend that’s been observed since the 1990s. The suggested explanation is an increased success in screening and preventive measures, and less prevalence of cancer linked habits like tobacco. The news is not entirely rosy, though- cancer rates have increased in children, forms of leukemia being the most common, though the rate of cancer death in children is still down thanks to improvements in treatment.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 20:51

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U.S.: Ordering fast food may become more harrowing

  • NEW proposed FDA rules for calorie disclosure source
  • » The implications: Restaurants and vending machines that have more than twenty locations or units, respectively, would be required to post the caloric content of their foods. Menu cards would also bear a generic message about 2,000 calories being the recommended daily intake. This was actually a mandate in the Affordable Care Act that passed last year; the FDA proposal would just be the beginning of that enforcement. So, basically, you’ll have to start closing your eyes when you get to the counter at Carl’s Jr. (or, for our southern brethren, Hardee’s).
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 18:26

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U.S.: Koran-burning Terry Jones linked to Afghanistan killings

  • Thoughts on placing blame: Eleven people, among them U.N. officials, were killed in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif today. ABC News reports the killings occurred after a crowd of people protesting Pastor Terry Jones were informed of his completed Koran burnings. To be clear, what Terry Jones did in burning the Koran was at best a crass publicity stunt and at worse bigoted antagonism, and before he did it U.S. military figures warned of possible violent outcomes. He bears a responsibility for his actions, actions which in the strictest literal sense seem to have caused horrific destruction. It should be said, though, that burning a book in almost any definition of civil society can’t be grounds for murder, no matter your affinity for the words printed inside. Keeping this in perspective is important in an honest, nuanced debate on these issues. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Apr 2011 11:15

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U.S.: Unemployment falls, 261k new jobs added in March

  • 8.8% unemployment rate, lowest in two years source
  • » There’s more: In the last four months, unemployment has fallen a total of one percent. This may not seem significant, but it’s in fact the largest four-month drop since 1983. Even if the economy continued to grow at this rate, though, the US wouldn’t be back to pre-recession employment rates until–wait for it–2018. So while this is a good jobs report, it’s not quite good enough. Here’s to the future!
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Mar 2011 22:36

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U.S.: Watergate Gallery debuts at Nixon Library

  • Pulling back the curtain: In a move that is somewhat unprecedented, the Nixon Presidential Library has decided not to shy away from its subject’s most infamous scandal. The new Watergate Gallery is pretty unforgiving, with extensive exhibits detailing the break-in, cover up, and prominently featuring audio recordings from the 2,700 hours or so of Nixon’s Oval Office recordings. The Nixon Foundation, a group of loyalists to say the least, are likely unhappy with this; their original Watergate exhibit presented the scandal as a Democratic plot to bring down the former President. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 22:07

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U.S.: South Carolina wants to legalize handguns in day-care centers

  • concerning The state legislature in South Carolina is currently considering a law that would allow for guns to be carried in day-care centers, churches, and restaurants.
  • crazy The state’s pro-gun lobby oppose the bill for not going far enough, and has called the bill “unconstitutional” in its restrictions. source
  • » Restrictions? What restrictions? As explained in an open letter, the gun lobby objects on the grounds that the legislation doesn’t allow out-of-staters, or people under 21, to reap the benefits of the new law, thus violating their constitutional rights. Fun fact: South Carolina has the ninth-highest rate of murder-by-firearm in the country. Actually, on second though, there’s nothing fun about that.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Mar 2011 18:05

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U.S.: Ohio House passes anti-union bill, abortion next big fight

  • labor war The Republican-led Ohio House approved their much publicized anti-public union bill, adding payments for health care and pensions, and restricting collective bargaining for 360,000 or so people. The bill will now head to the Senate.
  • culture war The Ohio “heartbeat” bill heads to the House. It would make abortion illegal if a fetal heartbeat is detected (normally about six weeks into pregnancy). The doctor would be guilty of a felony and could be sentenced to a year in prison. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 16:06

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U.S.: President Obama argues for less imported oil

  • 25% the percentage of global oil production that’s consumed by the U.S.
  • 2% the percentage of global oil reserves under the control of the U.S.
  • 1/3rd the reduction in fuel imports Obama wants for the next decade source
  • » So, how do we get there? The nitty-gritty policy proposals President Obama spoke on seemed hauntingly familiar, with emissions standards, electric car production, (safety reviewed) nuclear power and natural gas all figuring into his pitch. These are all worthwhile possible answers or supplements to reduce foreign fuel imports, but will Congress has the desire, or failing that the collective will, to act on issues they’ve to this point been pretty willing to pass on? Especially with a Republican-led House, whose leadership is demonstrably opposed to emissions standards, it’s a worrisome possibility that this effort, like so many over the last thirty years, will fall by the wayside.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2011 13:55

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U.S.: PETA wants to rename “The Tenderloin”

  • [San Francisco] deserves a neighborhood named after a delicious cruelty-free food instead of the flesh of an abused animal.
  • PETA’s Tracy Reiman • Regarding the city’s notorious Tenderloin district. The TL, as some call it, is a notoriously rough area near San Francisco’s financial district; according to local lore, it’s named after the preferred cut of meat for neighborhood cops overflowing with bribe money. PETA is offended at this carnivore-centric nomenclature, and wants to rename the neighborhood “The Tempeh,” after the soy product. Once again, PETA really ought to consider picking their battles more carefully. Besides, renaming it “The Tempeh” might imply that the corrupt cops preferred cruelty-free food. And we don’t want to glorify corrupt cops, do we? source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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