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14 Jan 2011 19:30

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U.S.: The weirdest Jared Lee Loughner news we’ll post, well, ever

  • A Walgreens in Tuscon [sic], Ariz. turned over to police racy photos of gunman Jared Loughner with a Glock and a G-string that were taken to the store to be developed the night before the shooting rampage that left six people dead and 14 wounded. … In the photos he holds the pistol against his crotch and buttocks while wearing a bright red thong, sources told ABC News.
  • ABC News • Leaving us speechless. source

13 Jan 2011 20:17

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13 Jan 2011 09:58

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U.S.: Jared Lee Loughner’s ex-girlfriend: He used to be normal

  • The Jared that I used to know is completely changed from what the world sees him now as. You know, I would never have ever expected him to become what he has.
  • Jared Lee Loughner’s ex-girlfriend, Kelsey Hawkes • Explaining that when they dated six years ago, her boyfriend wasn’t anything like he is now. Back then, she says he was “very caring, very sweet, a gentle, kind, you know, a little bit quiet. But altogether a pretty great guy.” And in regards to Loughner’s family life, she had this to say: “From my experience with (his family), they were actually really great. His mom is a very sweet lady … very, very kind … and thoughtful, and her dad — or his dad, sorry, was always very kind to me, as well.” She also noted that Loughner’s father may have kept to himself, but he was actually pretty normal. source

12 Jan 2011 21:43

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U.S.: Obama to Arizona memorial: “Gabby opened her eyes”

  • This may have been one of Obama’s best speeches as president. Certainly at least a little jarring to hear cheering at a memorial for the fallen, but the way he was able to bring context to a terrible event really hit home. The way he spoke about the tragedy brought tears to quite a few sets of eyes, and it’s definitely good to see a major political figure speaking above the never-ending debate that it seems like everyone’s been sucked into over the last few days. It feels like a spark that had been missing for a while just came back. Again, though, it’s sad that this was the event to bring a speech like this out of him. source

12 Jan 2011 20:37

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords’ rescuer, Daniel Hernandez: I’m not a hero

  • “We must reject the title of hero.” Daniel Hernandez personally stood at Gabrielle Giffords’ side, at her beck and call, trying his hardest to save the congresswoman’s life. And he just gave an amazing speech, emphasizing that the first responders deserve the title of hero, not him. We are going to see more of this guy. It’s too bad that a horrible, unbelievably sad incident like this brought him into the public spotlight. (Live from CNN) source

12 Jan 2011 19:51

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U.S.: Westboro Baptist Church gives in (a little) on funeral protests

  • good Westboro Baptist Church promised not to protest the funeral of nine-year-old Christina Green after Arizona passed a law against their protests. They made a deal with a radio host in exchange for airtime.
  • bad However, the WBC still plans to protest the other funerals in the wake of the Tucson shootings, because clearly it’s still OK to protest a random person’s funeral when they’re older than nine. source

11 Jan 2011 23:51

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U.S.: How major newspaper editors played Jared Loughner’s mug

  • too hot New York Post editor Col Allen, on blowing the photo out: “We felt his leering grin and wild eyes revealed something of his mental state. The image conveyed a sense of madness.”
  • too coldWashington Post editor Marcus Brauchli, who chose to stay local over giving the mugshot big play: “Our community is one of the communities hard hit by this. The photo reflected that.”
  • just rightNew York Times editor Bill Keller, on playing the pic at an effectively large (for them) three columns: “It felt to me like the obvious right choice. This was the picture of the day.” source
 

11 Jan 2011 23:33

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords’ surgeon: Things going as well as they could be

  • No one that shouldn’t have died, died.
  • University Medical Center Trauma Unit chief Peter Rhee • Sounding cautiously optimistic about the results his surgery crew has had with the Gabrielle Giffords shooting last week. Rhee sounds like the right guy to be handling a shooting like this unfortunate mess – he has loads of experience with these sorts of incidents. “I was in the Navy for 24 years and I trained for nothing but battlefield casualties,” he said. . “We can take anything they throw at us from a civilian standpoint.” Giffords, by the way, remains in critical condition. source

11 Jan 2011 21:00

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U.S.: Jared Lee Loughner’s family makes media statement

  • This is a very difficult time for us. We ask the media to respect our privacy. There are no words that can possibly express how we feel. We wish that there were, so we could make you feel better. We don’t understand why this happened. It may not make any difference, but we wish that we could change the heinous events of Saturday. We care very deeply about the victims and their families. We are so very sorry for their loss.
  • Randy and Amy Loughner • In a statement about their son, Jared Lee Loughner, and his role in Saturday’s shooting. We feel the same way they do. We wish we could give them a hug. They probably need one. source

11 Jan 2011 20:16

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U.S.: Arizona legislature to Westboro: Don’t picket a kid’s funeral. Ugh.

  • 29-0 the number of votes the bill garnered in the state Senate
  • 58-0 the number of votes the bill garnered in the State House
  • duh Jan Brewer is probably going to sign this emergency bill source