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10 Jan 2012 13:39

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Politics: Todd Palin gives his opinion, but does anyone actually care?

  • Our guess is: not likely. Ever wanted to know who Todd Palin is giving his political support to? We didn’t think so. Although his wife still hasn’t announced who she’ll endorse in the 2012 election, Todd is banking on Newt Gingrich. Great? Sarah said that she’s “still in that process with probably 70 percent of Americans trying to decide.” Great. source

10 Jan 2012 11:22

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U.S.: Small Alaskan town gets all the snow the rest of the country isn’t getting

  • 18′ amount of snow, in feet, that has fallen in the town of Cordova, Alaska this winter
  • 6′ amount of snow, in feet, that has fallen in the past few days alone; it’s reaching a crisis level source
  • » How bad is it getting? To put it simply, the remote Alaskan town needs help. According to one resident, “there is getting to be more snow in Cordova than people and shovels to deal with it.” In some cases, buildings have collapsed. The city’s mayor has already declared a state of emergency and called the National Guard. And they’re not alone: In Nome, in the same state but 700 miles away, they’re waiting on an ice tanker with necessary fuel — and it’s moving very, very slowly.

10 Jan 2012 10:13

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World: Assad blames “foreign conspiracies” for Syrian crackdown

  • The external conspiracy is clear to everybody. Nobody can be fooled any more. The veil has fallen away.
  • Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad • Offering up tough words in his first public speech in months, in which he blamed “foreign conspiracies,” mixed with Arab-region meddling for the ten-month crackdown in his country. He says that the country’s enemies will be defeated soon. During the rambling 100-minute speech, he also noted that Syria will hold a referendum on its constitution and, later in the year, parliamentary elections. However … he didn’t say anything about relinquishing his own power. source

09 Jan 2012 23:03

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World: Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi plans to run for parliamentary seat

  • Good for her! The longtime peace activist will run in April’s parliamentary elections, representing the Kawhmu Township area of Yangon. It’s likely she’d be able to win this seat, and if she does, she’d be in a position to lead her party in parliament, leading to some major committee assignments for the long-imprisoned political figure. Fingers crossed! (photo by edenpictures on Flickr) source

09 Jan 2012 20:58

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U.S.: Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs can’t call his followers anymore

Bro just had his privileges taken away for three months after prison officials realized his phone calls were getting put on speakerphone — essentially allowing him to lead his flock from prison. source

09 Jan 2012 16:11

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Culture: Tim Tebow’s stat line decides to mess with atheists, football fans

  • 3:16 Tim Tebow’s favorite Bible verse, from the book of John (it’s many peoples’ favorite)
  • 316 number of passing yards Tebow had in Sunday’s playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers
  • 31.6 number of yards per completion the noted evangelical had; your mind is blown source

09 Jan 2012 12:36

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Politics: Rick Santorum and the culture wars: How he’s standing out

  • So why has he struck such a chord among GOP voters and progressives alike? Why have videos exposing his racial biases and anti-gay attitudes gone viral and inspired hashtags? It’s simple: Even in a recession, social issues like sex and race are extremely resonant. And Santorum is the only candidate talking about them.
  • Good Magazine Associate Editor Nona Willis Aronowitz • Opining on exactly why Rick Santorum made a comeback in an era where his brand of social conservatism was starting to look old-hat. Essentially, because he’s the only person seriously discussing these issues, he stands out. But it goes further, Aronowitz notes: “The Santorum hubbub is a reminder that the issues we hold dear — issues of sex and race and civil rights — are absolutely recession-proof.” (Related: This Patch video, in which a heckler asks Santorum if he would abort a gay baby. Ah, campaign trail politics. Thanks John Ness for that tip.) source

09 Jan 2012 11:18

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Biz: Auto industry recovery: Detroit Auto Show reflects a reversal of fortunes

  • 4-9% expected increase in U.S. auto sales in 2012 source
  • » Pulling out the big guns: This week’s Detroit Auto Show is a giant coming-out party for an auto industry that was struggling to keep the engine running just a couple of years ago. But, while those times are certainly not gone entirely, they’ve certainly improved in recent years, which reflects in the boldness of this year’s models. In fact Chrysler, the weakest of the the three auto companies, is actually looking like a bright spot for Fiat, whose Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, invested in the company at its weakest point. “He entered Chrysler at rock bottom and will now capitalize on a U.S. recovery — the timing was perfect,” said automotive analyst Philippe Barrier. But maybe you’re like us and you don’t care about the specifics of the recovery and just want to see cool new cars. Well, the Detroit Free Press has you covered.

09 Jan 2012 11:01

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Culture: Dear Beyonce, Jay-Z and new baby: You’re angering other parents

  • They just used the hospital like it was their own and nobody else mattered.
  • New father Neil Coulon • Speaking out against Beyonce and Jay-Z’s entourage, because it was preventing him from seeing his own prematurely-born twins. The famous couple, who welcomed Blue Ivy Carter into the family on Saturday night, asked for a strong amount of privacy from Lenox Hill Hospital, forcing the hospital to block off the neonatal intensive care unit and putting a number of other rooms on lockdown. This probably was not the best way for the hospital to handle this situation, to put it lightly. source

09 Jan 2012 10:27

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World: American charged with “spying” sentenced to death in Iran

  • He has 20 days to appeal under Iranian law: Amir Hekmati, a 28-year-old former U.S. Marine who holds dual Iranian and American citizenship, was sentenced to death “for cooperating with the hostile country . . . and spying for the CIA,” according to Iran’s Fars news agency. His family disputes the claims, saying they believe the verdict wasn’t fair. “Amir is not a criminal,” they said in a statement. “His life is being exploited for political gain.” source