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28 Feb 2012 10:42

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Politics: Gabrielle Giffords weighs strong on special election for her former seat

  • 671 signatures needed for the special election for Giffords’ old seat
  • 7,110 signatures received by Giffords’ former aide, Ron Barber source
  • » His closest GOP competitor got a fraction of that: Barber, who was encouraged by Giffords to run for the seat, has a major leg up in the April 17 primary for Arizona’s eighth Congressional district. The special election takes place in June. However, while Barber will run uncontested for the primary this time around, Democrats may take him on in the general election in November. A variety of Republicans are running for the seat, which is in a swing district.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jan 2012 23:31

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Politics: Gabrielle Giffords gives her thanks, and gratitude, to fellow survivors

  • It was very touching. I thanked her for her service, wished her well, and she just looked beautiful.
  • Gabrielle Giffords shooting survivor Pat Maisch • Describing her impression of the resigning Congresswoman at her “Congress On Your Corner” event, which Giffords resumed on Monday, over a year after the shooting that nearly killed her. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords thanked the survivors and heroes from that day. Maisch was the one who wrestled the gun away from the shooter. Although Giffords has made incredible strides in her recovery, the Congresswoman has decided to leave office this week — but not before watching Obama’s State of the Union address tomorrow; she’ll be there in person.  source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Jan 2012 23:02

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords, one year later: How an error defined real-time news

  • The sausage was being made in front of our eyes, with all of the messiness that analogy implies.
  • Poynter’s Craig Silverman • Discussing the Gabrielle Giffords shooting one year ago today, as well as the way the media covered it on Twitter. Very notably that day, NPR tweeted that Giffords had died of a gunshot wound to the head, and a number of media outlets reported it, when she in fact hadn’t. Silverman, who runs Regret the Error for Poynter, kept a Storify from that day. It was a key moment for the real-time news movement, and a decision that once might’ve played behind closed doors is now in plain sight. It reflects the new world we live in as both news producers and news consumers — one where the errors play out in the open. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Sep 2011 10:50

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U.S.: Judge to decide on Jared Lee Loughner’s fitness to eventually stand trial

  • The gunman in the Gabrielle Giffords shooting has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Loughner’s mental health issues, which manifested themselves in a disturbing way back in January, could prevent him from going to trial on 49 charges relating to the shooting which nearly killed a congresswoman. Did his time in a federal prison hospital help improve his condition enough to eventually stand trial? Does he need more time (as prosecutors are arguing), or is he not improving at all, as his defense attorneys claim? A judge will parse through these issues today. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jun 2011 13:44

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U.S.: Loughner’s lawyers: Doctors are forcing medication on him

  • If Jared Lee Loughner takes psychotropic drugs, he could become competent enough to stand trial. A while back, a judge ruled that Loughner can take any medicine he wants voluntarily, but his lawyers must be notified if he’s forced to take any medication to restore him to competency. However, those lawyers say that they weren’t in the room during a June 13th hearing which allowed a mental hospital to force him to take drugs to improve his mental condition — against the wishes of Loughner. Now they’re having a judge decide on the matter for a third time. So, the question is: If his lawyers are trying to prevent him from taking the medicine he needs to get better, how is he supposed to stand trial? Answer: If the decision favors Loughner, he probably won’t. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jun 2011 18:28

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Politics: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords discharged from hospital

  • 1/8/2011 Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot through the head during a town hall event outside a Safeway in Tucson, Arizona. The shooter was Jared Lee Loughner, a man of obvious mental illness who killed six people that day. Giffords, however, survived and was rushed into intensive care.
  • 6/15/2011 Just over five months after a bullet passed through her brain, Gabby Giffords has been released from a hospital in Houston, having made enough rehab progress to begin outpatient therapy. She’s yet got a lot of challenges ahead, but this is unadulterated, joyous news. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Jun 2011 11:33

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U.S.: In honor of this Gabrielle Giffords photo, today is good news day

  • Yeah, we know there are updates to the Anthony Weiner story. Also, the IMF got hacked pretty badly. Syrian rebels are still struggling for democracy. And Tracy Morgan is a homophobic idiot. But those stories will be here tomorrow. Just look into this woman’s eyes. She dealt with the worst non-natural-disaster news story of the year — a senseless tragedy that could have been prevented if Arizona had stricter mental health laws — and she’s able to smile that wide. She has a long way to go, but with a smile like that, you get a feeling it’s all going to be OK. So with that euphoric feeling in mind, we’re going to focus on covering optimistic stories today. If Bin Laden dies again, we’ll have to switch back, sadly, but there’s just something about not fighting this moment we need to grasp onto. We hope you understand, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

19 May 2011 21:46

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U.S.: E-mails: School struggled with Jared Lee Loughner’s demeanor

  • “It was just a little alarming, especially since I have been observing the way he carries himself.” That’s a student’s reaction to Jared Lee Loughner bringing a pocketknife to class. According to a series of e-mails released by Pima Community College today as the result of a legal case, the gunman in the Gabrielle Giffords shooting exhibited a very standoffish demeanor (including what’s described as an “evil” look), expressed extreme views and told one professor he would keep quiet to avoid expulsion from their class. The e-mails show a struggle to keep Loughner, a student that many students considered threatening, in line. “I keep coming back to the conclusion that we did the best we could, given legal counsel’s advice and the limited resources available to us,” wrote the school’s former college counselor, Cecilia Alter, in the days after the Giffords shooting. Loughner voluntarily left the school months earlier. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 May 2011 16:00

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Politics: Gabrielle Giffords watches husband’s launch, sees staffers

  • It was emotional to see the congresswoman for the first time in four months but it was also very inspirational. To actually see her and talk with her, it was a very moving experience.
  • Mark Kimble, communications staffer for Gabrielle Giffords • Speaking about seeing Giffords for the first time since the January shooting that nearly killed her. Giffords was staying at a hotel in Florida so she could watch her husband, Mark Kelly, launch in the shuttle Endeavor at the Kennedy Space Center. While there, she was able to meet with some of her staff that she hadn’t seen since the fateful day, likely an intensely emotional reunion for all involved. That she made the trip is testimony both to the amazing care and rehabilitation she’s received, as well as the incredible and improbable success she’s had in recovery. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Apr 2011 21:40

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U.S.: Gabrielle Giffords will watch her husband leave for space, but …

  • awesome! Three months after a shooting which changed her life and she barely survived, Gabrielle Giffords will be around to watch her astronaut husband Mark Kelly as he leaves for space on Friday.
  • however … She may be in a position to see her husband leave the planet, but she won’t be in a position to show herself to the world. She uses a walker and can only speak in short sentences. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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