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10 Jan 2012 14:18

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U.S.: Panel awards compensation to victims of North Carolina eugenics program

  • $50,000 for each victim sterilized source
  • » This is justice? For some background, from 1929 to 1974, the North Carolina engaged in a eugenics program ostensibly designed to remove criminals and the mentally disturbed from the gene pool through state-mandated sterilization. Pretty heinous, right? Well, the panel decided to award the above figure to all “verified” victims (the state estimates between 1,500 and 2,000 victims may still be alive, but only 72 are verified). As it happens, $50,000 is about double the average yearly income in North Carolina, a pretty modest compensation for having the very right to create life stripped for all time by the state.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Aug 2011 20:25

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U.S.: Hurricane Irene’s costs — both in human and monetary form

  • 19 deaths reported so far from Hurricane Irene source
  • » And damages in “the tens of billions”: With the storm largely past U.S. shores, now begins the tallying of damages. You’ve seen some examples of this already. But while it’s too soon to predict exactly what the final tally will be, in New Jersey, Chris Christie is already throwing a price tag on things. “I’ve got to imagine that the damage estimates are going to be in the billions of dollars, if not in the tens of billions of dollars,” he told “Meet the Press” this morning. These costs will largely be eaten by the federal government. The loss of human life, however, won’t be. Click the source link above. It’s a blow by blow of saddening proportions.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Aug 2011 10:51

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U.S.: Hurricane Irene: It’s not all good news, but things are looking up

  • good Hurricane Irene is no longer a hurricane, but a tropical storm. It’s also passed by most of NYC, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and DC. It’s mostly on land at this point and is moving much quicker than it was yesterday, so it will lose strength quickly. Whew, guys.
  • bad However, it left some bad stuff in its wake — flooding, millions without power, 11 deaths in four different states, and lots of small inconveniences that built up into one pretty big one. In the end, though, it’s less bad than it could’ve been. Fortunately. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Aug 2011 13:50

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U.S.: Update: Hurricane Irene, by the numbers (so far)

  • » The eye of the storm first hit land at 7:30 a.m. EST: With the storm still maintaining speed as it stays just of fthe coast, Irene could cause severe damage up and down the coast. Though a Category 1, it’s expected to remain a hurricane as it passes through the mid-Atlantic states and up to New England between now and Sunday.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Aug 2011 12:38

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U.S.: Obama: Take precautions now, don’t wait for Hurricane Irene to show up

  • I cannot stress this highly enough. If you are in the projected path of this hurricane, you have to take precautions now. Don’t wait. Don’t delay.
  • President Barack Obama • Warning people about the danger of Hurricane Irene, which is likely to be the strongest hurricane the Northeast has seen in a few years. For what it’s worth, the storm — currently a Category 2 — will likely be a Category 1 when it hits the Northeast, so it won’t be a super-strong hurricane. Just a really big, slow-moving one that will remain strong hundreds of miles from the center. Amongst major metropolitan areas, it looks like the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area is about to face a strong hit from the storm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2011 11:03

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U.S.: Hurricane Irene possibly about to ruin your weekend, East Coasters

  • Yeah, that’s possibly heading for DC, too: Days after the U.S. capitol felt an earthquake for probably the first time ever, they may just have to deal with a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane Irene, which has been picking up steam for a few weeks days, looks most certain to hit North Carolina as a Category 3, and will likely go up the coast, possibly hitting such hurricane-prone locales as DC, NYC and Boston along the way. Hoping it’s just a brush, kids. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jun 2011 16:40

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U.S.: North Carolina moving towards axing Planned Parenthood’s funding

  • veto The Republican-controlled House in North Carolina passed a provision attached to their budget which strips Planned Parenthood of all federal and state funding. Democratic Governor Bev Perdue vetoed the budget to avoid the funding being axed.
  • override The North Carolina GOP has voted to override the veto, sending the budget along to the state Senate, which will likely follow suit. This is horrible news for women’s health concerns, as a funding halt would especially limit health care for low-income women. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

17 Apr 2011 10:13

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World: Large death toll after massive storms tear through the Southeast

  • 44+ the death toll reported in the wake of this weekend’s massive storm front
  • 23+ of the victims were North Carolina-based — 14 in one single rural county — the most of any state
  • 100+ number of twisters reported throughout the Southeast over the weekend source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Feb 2011 10:04

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Offbeat: Guy holds onto winning lottery ticket way too freaking long

  • Let’s say you had a winning lottery ticket. What would you do with it? Would you turn it in as soon as possible, knowing that you’d have to deal with the glow of the spotlight? Would you sit on it? Or would you go in on the last day to accept your prize, creating an unusual situation that draws as much, if not more attention, than accepting the prize in the first place would have? If you’re North Carolina resident Raleigh Hill, you choose the latter. Hill, even though he know he had the winning lottery ticket, waited a few weeks to even tell his wife Erin, then proceded to procrastinate on the ticket to the point where he lost the thing in a shoebox. Finally – finally – he came forward a day before it expired. Hey, if you don’t want the $680,000 after taxes, we’ll take it, Raleigh. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Dec 2010 15:00

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Culture: Elizabeth Edwards’ funeral: Many guests, few crazy protesters

  • 1,200 number of mourners that went to Elizabeth Edwards’ funeral today; John Edwards was in attendance
  • five number of Westboro Baptist Church protesters that showed up; why are they worth our attention again? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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