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01 Dec 2011 14:11

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Politics: Gingrich says lack of border fence due to lack of “seriousness”

  • We haven’t been able to build a fence on the border because we have not been a serious country.
  • Newt Gingrich • Speaking on immigration policy to a group of Nationwide Insurance employees in Des Moines, Iowa, after signing a pledge to erect a Mexican border fence by the end of 2013. It should be said that this stance is in no way incompatible with Gingrich’s softer tone on long-term immigrants from the last GOP debate, in which he argued that undocumented people who’ve lived here 25 years, paid taxes, and raised a family shouldn’t be booted out of the U.S. It’s entirely possible to earnestly hold both of these positions at once. However, this is Newt Gingrich, he of the most dynamic and politically calculated flops and reversals this side of Mitt Romney (here’s a recent and unflinching one to whet your appetite). As such, it’s hard not to view this as a cynical, purely political calculation; take a general election-friendly stance in a nationally televised debate, then feed the base some red meat when less people are watching. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2011 10:54

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U.S.: World AIDS Day: Obama boosts U.S. stake in the battle against AIDS

  • $50 million in new funding to continue to fight AIDS source
  • » How that money would help: The Obama administration has a couple of goals for that money. First, they plan to get antiretroviral drugs to 2 million more people by 2013. Second, they plan to give the drugs to 1.5 million more HIV-positive pregnant women, in an effort to prevent the disease from getting passed on to their children. The president, with Bill Clinton and George W. Bush by his side, is announcing the renewed anti-AIDS initiatives (as a part of World AIDS Day) as we write this.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2011 10:32

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Politics: Herman Cain’s lawyer wants Ginger White’s phone records

  • Maintain common sense. Mr. Cain was extremely busy in his campaign. He didn’t have time to send a lot of texts.
  • Herman Cain’s lawyer, Lin Wood • Disputing the phone records that show Ginger White has been in nearly-constant communication with Cain via text message in recent weeks. (70 in a month … just 17 of those from Cain. Is 17 texts over a month “a lot of texts”? We think not.) Wood wants the records from White’s lawyer, so he can “ascertain whether the decision to grant interviews was politically motivated and to determine whether she has received or [been] promised money for participating.” Why do we always have to assume the worst in people, Mr. Wood? Could it be that maybe she’s telling the truth? Let’s focus on that part first. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Dec 2011 10:17

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Biz: McDonald’s, Burger King turn on a dime to beat Happy Meal law

  • problem In San Francisco, it’s now illegal to include free toys in fast-food meals that don’t meet certain standards for nutrition. This is a problem for McDonald’s, which sells a lot of Happy Meals for this reason.
  • workaround So … rather than just get rid of the toys altogether, at least two fast-food outlets — McDonald’s and Burger King — plan to simply charge a tiny nominal fee for the toys. One dime. Boom. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 21:22

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World: Britain orders closure of Iranian embassy, withdraws officials

  • “a breach of international responsibilities”: Such was British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s analysis of the recent storming of a British embassy in Iran by 200 or so students, protesters who belonged to a movement believed to be under the sway of the Iranian government itself. Britain has recalled their officials from the embassy in Tehran, and has ordered the Iranian embassy in Britain to be closed and for its officials to depart within 48 hours. That there’s a tense diplomatic posture between the two states is no surprise — last week Britain opted to cut off all financial ties with Iran, in opposition to its nuclear program. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 20:56

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Politics: LA sanitation department has a tall task with Occupy camp

  • 30 tons of stuff to be cleared out of disbanded Occupy LA site source
  • » Dumping the lot of it: Of the above-mentioned 30 tons of stuff (referenced in the article as a mixture of garbage, debris and personal effects, so likely a blend of stuff people both would and would not like to have had back), 25 tons have already been hauled off and taken to a landfill. We haven’t been able to find much information about whether the Occupy LA Library has seen its catalog meet this fate, as well — following the NYPD raid on Occupy Wall Street, protesters claimed thousands of their library’s books were missing or destroyed when they retrieved them from storage.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 20:36

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World: Scotland’s public sector strikes over pensions

  • It’s estimated that 300,000 people participated in the public sector strike in Scotland today, an action in protest of proposed changes to the state’s pension system which could force workers to pay in at a higher rate, and work more years before reaching retirement.  source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 20:13

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Politics: Herman Cain decries “character assassination” against him

  • You may not want to admit this, but this is a character assassination on me. Why? Because I was doing so well. There is no other reason to basically explain it.
  • Herman Cain • Denying, to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, that he carried on a thirteen-year affair with a woman named Ginger White. This is a familiar rhetorical stance by Cain, when compared to his handling of sexual harassment claims against him — he has been very vocal in declaring his nearly blanket innocence, at one point suggesting an accuser, Sharon Bialek, had been brought forward by “the Democrat machine.” On that occasion he admitted that he had no factual basis to make such a claim, and he’s at least again being candid, saying that he believes somebody was “putting up” White to her claims, but that “we don’t know, we have no idea who that is.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 15:33

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U.S.: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim explains his defense of Bernie Fine

  • I supported a friend. I’m proud that I did. I think if you know somebody and you work with somebody for 36 years and know them for 48 years, I think you owe a debt of allegiance and gratitude for what he did for the program. That’s what my reaction was.
  • Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim • Explaining his initial defense of former assistant coach Bernie Fine, with whom Boeheim had worked in Syracuse basketball for nearly four decades. Following news of child molestation claims against Fine, Boeheim vociferously leapt to his assistant’s defense, calling the allegations “a bunch of a thousand lies,” and suggesting the accusers had financial motives. This reactionary and tone-deaf response sparked calls for his resignation, among them those of Rev. Robert Hoatson, who works as an advocate for victims of child sex abuse. It was just last night that Hoatsen revealed he’d been contacted by a fourth person bringing molestation claims against Fine, saying that the abuse began when the man was a young teen. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Nov 2011 15:07

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World: Polls close in Egypt’s landmark parliamentary elections

  • The dawn of a new system? That should certainly be the hope following the closing of polls in Egypt’s first democratic election of the modern political era. The reporting on instances of fraud or abuse during the elections have, to this point, not been particularly widespread or damaging; the relative calm with which the process was carried out, as well as high voter turnout (70%+), would seem to suggest an engaged electorate eager to install their own leadership, and to bring an end to military rule. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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