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27 Jan 2012 14:17

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U.S.: Cincinnati: Casino development site suffers collapse, workers injured

  • 15 hospitalized, no life-threatening injuries: A major development in Cincinnati, the Horseshoe Casino, had stop construction this morning after a 60-square-foot section of the development collapsed. In a statement, Steve Rosenthal of Rock Gaming LLC said there would be an investigation and added: “We are thankful to report that there were no life-threatening injuries to any workers who were in the area at the time of the incident. On behalf of the entire ownership and casino construction team, we wish those workers a quick recovery.” source

27 Jan 2012 12:06

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Politics: Ron Paul’s former secretary: Paul PROOFED perceived-racist newsletters

  • It was his newsletter, and it was under his name, so he always got to see the final product. … He would proof it.
  • Ron Paul’s former secretary (and current supporter) Renae Hathway • Discussing the perceived-racist newsletters that went out under his name, and he has largely disowned since then. If he edited the newsletters, clearly this would contradict what Paul himself has said about them. The Paul campaign denies these allegations, but this should get this back in the news cycle for a full week. source

27 Jan 2012 00:03

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Biz: Newest reason to sleep in: Taco Bell now serves breakfast

  • “This is a very important launch for our brand”: Taco Bell may like to suggest that you need a Fourthmeal, but in 800 mostly-western locations, now it suddenly wants to focus on your Firstmeal. That’s right, the Gordita grandaddy is moving into the realm of breakfast food, offering up such ideals of morning goodness as the Johnsonville Sausage and Egg Wrap, above. The company, which makes three-fifths of its parent company’s U.S. profits, is assuming that its audience likes sleeping in (having of course eaten their Fourthmeal the night before), and will serve breakfast between 8 or 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. — a later window than McDonald’s, which totally owns the breakfast market. Screw this; we’re sticking with bagels. source

26 Jan 2012 23:41

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U.S.: California’s new “Clean Car” regulations: Necessary or too costly?

  • We can’t afford to wait. We have to act on these issues now. Our projections show continued growth in population and vehicle miles traveled, which will affect air quality for years to come.
  • Mary Nichols, the chairman of the California Air Resources Board • Discussing why new ‘Clean Car’ regulations are necessary. California’s new bill, which would require vehicles to cut down on pollutants by 75 percent, would start in 2015, and the rules would tighten further by 2025. This could be a step in the right direction for such a smog-ridden state, but opponents say that it would hurt consumers and car manufacturers, claiming it raises the price of a new vehicle by $3,200. The new standards could inspire other states to follow suit. source

26 Jan 2012 23:22

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Culture: Joe Paterno’s memorial service: A strong defense against a grave offense

  • Paterno, remembered: During Thursday’s memorial service, numerous speakers remembered the longtime Penn State figure’s life, and his time as a coach, with great reverence, showing respect for the man at a time when his legacy has been clouded by controversy. Speaker after speaker — family, friends, and disciples — spoke reverently of him, emphasizing a legacy that goes far beyond that of an unspeakable scandal, one that improved many lives and the scope of a university. Perhaps none said it better than Nike chairman Phil Knight: “If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation, and not in Joe Paterno’s response.” Penn State football, under Paterno, was known for its great defense; the defenders came out strong Thursday. source

26 Jan 2012 14:36

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World: More deaths as apparent sectarian violence in Iraq continues

  • 17 Iraqis killed in bombings and shootings today source
  • » Deciphering the discord: The state of affairs in Iraq since the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces (not to suggest Iraq was an entirely safe place when those forces were there, obviously) has somewhat undeniably deteriorated, plagued by mass attacks of a sectarian nature. Today was one such grisly example — as the political struggle for representation between Shiite and Sunni has intensified, it has been shadowed by an increasing frequency of attacks, apparently by sectarian militants (al-Qaeda in Iraq among them).

26 Jan 2012 14:06

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World: Americans, son of Ray LaHood among them, barred from leaving Egypt

  • It’s absolutely an escalation. To have a strategic U.S. ally issue bans against American citizens is deeply troubling.
  • Scott Mastic, Mid-East regional director of the International Republican Institute • Speaking on the state of affairs in Egypt, where American members of the IRI, a pro-democracy group, have been barred from traveling pending apparent investigation by the military government. This is, perhaps, the unpleasant flip-side of the coin in Egypt, after yesterday’s anniversary of the protests (along with many reports yesterday that women were in great personal danger as darkness fell on Tahrir Square). This story takes on a personal nature for one prominent member of the U.S. government — Sam LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, is the IRI’s director in Egypt, and has explicitly been forbidden to return home. “It’s gotten more serious,” he said. source

26 Jan 2012 10:52

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Culture: Obviously: People trying to sell free Joe Paterno memorial tickets on eBay

  • 16,000 number of free tickets given out for Joe Paterno’s memorial, which happens this afternoon
  • $98,000 the amount some of the tickets have gone for on eBay — before eBay took the sales down source
  • » Greed over grieving: With Paterno so highly regarded in the Penn State community, it only makes sense that there’s a lot of demand for these tickets. “It took only minutes more for pairs of the tickets to start showing up on eBay,” the Centre Daily Times pointed out. But, thing is, eBay has a rule where you can’t sell tickets you got for free for money. So many of the ticket sales got taken down. Suggestion to all: Don’t sell tickets for a memorial. A guy died. It’s not the Super Bowl. (Thanks Time’s Moneyland for the tip)

26 Jan 2012 10:13

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Politics: Jan Brewer vs. Obama: An airport meeting turns into an epic battle

  • She wrote some things in her book he didn’t like: The tough-on-immigration Arizona governor, who was not particularly happy with the way the president treated her in a much-talked-about-at-the-time 2010 meeting, wrote about it in her new book “Scorpions for Breakfast,” and Obama didn’t like what she said. So, last night, when Obama got into Phoenix, this happened. “I will say that a picture is what it is,” she said. “I must say, I was not hostile. I was trying to be very, very gracious. I respect the office of the president, and I would never be disrespectful in that manner.” What we would give to hear that conversation up close. (AP Photo) source

25 Jan 2012 21:32

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Biz: Netflix recovers subscribers in fourth business quarter

  • 651,000 new Netflix subscribers in their fourth  quarter, a nice recovery since last year’s Qwikster/price hike exodus
  • 800,000 subscribers they lost over that series of flaps and foibles — still some fence-mending to be done source