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09 Feb 2011 14:20

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U.S.: Gabby Giffords recovering well, beginning to regain speech faculties

Great news: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is regaining the ability to speak. Sources wouldn’t divulge her first words, other than they involved her asking for toast. Good luck, Gabby! source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Feb 2011 12:49

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U.S.: Jim Webb won’t seek re-election; Virginia Democrats start worrying

  • NO Sen. Jim Webb won’t run for re-election in 2012 source
  • » Why this matters: Webb, a Demcorat, snatched George “Macaca” Allen’s Virginia Senate seat in 2006 by a razor-thin margin. Now, Allen’s running to get his old job back, and had perhaps hoped for a rematch with his past foe. But it ain’t gonna happen, according to a statement released by Webb. Thing is, Democrats don’t have too many other promising Senate prospects in Virginia; their next best bet would probably be DNC chair and former Governor Tim Kaine. But Kaine doesn’t seem to keen on a Senate run, so Democrats may need to either find another viable candidate, or lose Virginia and greet Macaca back into the Senate. Fun fact: Prior to becoming a Senator, Webb helped write the hit 2000 film “Rules of Engagement;” a clue to his future plans, perhaps?
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Feb 2011 10:16

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U.S., World: Problem: The U.S. can’t figure out how to nail Julian Assange

  • yeah … The United States wants to nail Julian Assange for convincing Bradley Manning to leak a bunch of confidential documents, so they can arrest him for espionage.
  • … but Problem is, the evidence they have does not suggest that Assange convinced Manning to do anything of the sort, though some Wikileaks officials have closer ties. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2011 13:35

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U.S.: Has Scientology issued their blanket denial and reactionary attack yet?

  • 1 FBI investigation into the Church of Scientology’s Sea Org labor rules source
  • » That new-time religion: The Church of Scientology, in addition to dealing with last year’s high-profile defector, high-profile director Paul Haggis, now must survive the fruit of Haggis’ labor with New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright; a 26-page tale of his ascent and subsequent rejection of the church. Amongst the familiar charges the article makes (secrecy, strident and at times brutally violent discipline by church leader David Miscavige, disconnected families, and an inscrutable origin story that Scientologists are forbidden to admit exists), it also reveals that the FBI has been investigating Scientology for almost a year regarding potential rights abuses in their elite “Sea Organization,” or “Sea Org.” They’re looking into defector allegations of forced manual labor, shockingly low pay, and “re-education” through rehabilitation camps, which it goes without saying are at best creepy ideas, at worst wicked ones.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 23:45

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U.S.: 2012 field starts to solidify, but still lots of uncertainty

  • in It’s looking very, very likely that Haley Barbour will seek the nomination for President: an unnamed advisor said that “he’s running until he says he’s not.”
  • out John Thune, who up until recently seemed like an almost-definite yes, looks to be having some second thoughts about running (or, more specifically, his wife is).
  • odd Apparently, Bob Riley (who?) is now also considering a run. Because, you know, there aren’t enough obscure candidates in the race already. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 22:33

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U.S.: The downside of placing a moratorium on deepwater drilling

  • 8,000 jobs lost due to recent oil drilling restrictions source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 21:00

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U.S.: Green River Killer charged in yet another cold case

  • 49 separate murder charges for the infamous Green River Killer source
  • » Why he’ll probably plead guilty this time, too: Infamous serial killer Gary Ridgeway has a large incentive to just nod his head and accept a guilty plea. Back in 2003, Ridgeway made a plea to avoid the death penalty, and is instead spending life in prison for the many murders he’s been convicted for. Today, he was charged in the death of Rebecca Marrero, who was declared missing back in 1982 but whose remains were only found in December. Ridgeway admitted to her death but there was not enough evidence to convict him until now.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Feb 2011 15:32

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U.S.: Gov. Rick Scott is not one to buck Republican orthodoxy

  • $5 billion in proposed budget cuts to Florida over the next two years
  • $4 billion in proposed tax cuts to Floridians over the next two years source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Feb 2011 12:57

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U.S.: This week in international disease transplantation

  • 3 cholera diagnoses in New York City, by way of the Dominican Republic source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Feb 2011 21:57

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U.S.: Youngstown State reeling from late-night fraternity shooting

  • one person died in the shooting, near Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio
  • 11 were injured, one critically; a 17-year-old girl was shot in the head; what the heck? source
  • » What happened: A disagreement turned deadly after one of the suspects was being escorted out of the fraternity last night. He and another suspect reportedly reentered the fraternity, which is sanctioned by the university but off-campus, and opened fire. The shooting appeared to be an isolated incident, according to the university president.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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