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01 Feb 2011 13:55

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U.S.: NY Mayor Bloomberg launched “gun show sting” in Arizona

  • impetus Jared Loughner, a man of rather apparent mental illness, buys a gun and commits a massacre, badly wounding Rep. Gabby Giffords and killing six others.
  • action NY Mayor Bloomberg sends cops out of state on a “sting,” buying arms at an AZ gun show while telling the seller they likely couldn’t pass a background check.
  • response AZ Governor Brewer admits she hadn’t seen the video of the sting, but maintains the just nature of her state’s gun laws, some of the most lax in the U.S. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jan 2011 22:07

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U.S.: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio back to his immigrant-arresting ways

  • 1,000+ arrests from 18 different sweeps
  • 83 were arrested in the Maricopa County, Ariz. Sheriff’s Office’s latest immigration sweep
  • 68 of those arrested over the lastest two-day sweep were illegal immigrants source
  • » Other fun stuff they found: When the flashy/crazy (depending on your viewpoint) Arpaio goes after immigrants, he doesn’t screw around, and this time was no exception. On top of the dozens of arrests, his people found 725 pounds of marijuana and a bit of meth. Oh yeah, among the list of people helping out Joe with his sweeps? Steven Seagal.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

19 Jan 2011 20:54

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords case: Jared Lee Loughner indicted in federal court

  • 3 initial federal charges for Loughner; more will likely be coming source
  • » And in case you’re wondering: Loughner could face the death penalty for the charges, which include attempted assassination of a congresswoman.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jan 2011 10:31

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords improving significantly, could move to rehab facility

  • Everyday Gabby improves and shows higher levels of comprehension and complex actions.
  • Gabrielle Giffords’ mother, Gloria • Revealing that she could be let out of the hospital by Friday and moved to a rehabilitation facility in Houston. Which, if true, would be a miraculous recovery for Giffords, who nearly died after being shot in the head a week and a half ago. She’s been using her husband Mark Kelly’s iPhone and sitting upright. She also gave him a 20-minute neckrub. Hopefully this report isn’t too optimistic.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jan 2011 12:24

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords’ husband: I’m willing to meet Loughner’s parents

  • I’d probably see them. You know, I don’t think it’s their fault. It’s not the parents fault. You know, I’d like to think I’m a person that’s, you know, somewhat forgiving. And, I mean, they’ve got to be hurting in this situation as much as much as anybody.
  • Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly • Expressing a willingness to meet Jared Lee Loughner’s parents, Amy and Randy. A smart, brave decision on his part, especially considering the heartbreak the NASA astronaut must be feeling at the moment. We need more people like Kelly in this world. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Jan 2011 00:34

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Politics: Max Headroom: How 24-hour news cycles numb grave tragedies

  • Look, it’s been a long week. It feels like a lot has happened since the events of last Saturday, and it might feel good to have a palate-cleanser here, but instead, here’s this Lawrence O’Donnell clip. This whole Arizona debate has been about tone – the whole thing. It’s never been about looking for blame, even if that’s what some saw in it. It was a valid argument then and it still is a week later. That’s why this clip makes us uncomfortable. We somehow got from tragedy to Sarah Palin to this story angle, where it feels like everything has come full-circle – the emotion isn’t there. It’s just the acerbic commentary that doesn’t help as much as it thinks it does. There’s a good debate here – about what Palin or other commentators on both sides should or shouldn’t have done. If anything, the circumstances lent themselves to these questions. Now it’s time to let the questions stand on their own, without the shadow of the tragedy. Let’s make them two separate things.
  • Chris Christie: Not arrogant enoughYou know, in the face of all the accolades that GOP darling Chris Christie, New Jersey’s governor, is getting for his approach to politics, what’s most refreshing is the way that he brushes them off like they’re not a big deal. Christie – again – says he’s not running for president. Why doesn’t anyone believe him?
  • A welcome Zodiac respiteAs ugly as this news week got, at least we had this story about the zodiac signs to use as a breather. Even as we had our own qualms with a certain angle of this story, we can say that it was the palate cleanser we needed. Rachel Maddow’s excited for the chance to focus on something else for a moment.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jan 2011 20:22

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U.S.: Arizona shooting victims making mark in surprising ways

  • arrests A week after being hit in the leg and back during the shooting, minorly-injured victim Eric Fuller got himself arrested at a taping for ABC’s “This Week” by angrily telling a Tucson Tea Party leader, “You’re dead.”
  • transplants In much more heartwarming news, some of 9-year-old victim Christina Taylor Green’s organs saved an East Coast child’s life, thereby providing a bittersweet antidote to the story on the left. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 

15 Jan 2011 18:36

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U.S.: Good news: Gabrielle Giffords now breathing on her own, guys

  • negative A week after the shooting which mortally wounded her, Gabrielle Giffords is still in critical condition at a Tucson-area hospital.
  • positive She’s the only shooting victim still in critical condition – most have improved or gone home at this point.
  • positiver She can now breathe  without a ventilator – a big step. Doctors are very happy with her progress so far. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jan 2011 12:58

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Politics: John Boehner keeps declining Obama’s high-profile invitations

  • nope Boehner was invited to ride with Obama on Air Force One to the Tucson memorial on Wednesday. He declined because he had GOP-related plans in D.C.
  • no way The House Speaker was then invited to a state dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao – a pretty high-profile world leader – but he declined that, too. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jan 2011 12:48

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Politics: Obama hoping for bipartisanship in wake of Arizona shooting

  • As business resumes, I look forward to working together in that same spirit of common cause with members of Congress from both parties — because before we are Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans.
  • President Obama • Looking to emphasize bipartisan goodwill in the wake of last week’s Gabrielle Giffords shooting. He made the statement during his weekly address, which was followed by a response from Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, who said that the incident should not force Congress to be afraid of doing its job. “And so it is our duty to uphold our oath, to listen and to represent,” he said. “We will not let this inhumane act cow us into doing otherwise.” In other Arizona news, Obama literally wrote the memorable “Gabby opened her eyes” bit on the way to the basketball arena just before he spoke at the memorial earlier this week. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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