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30 Jun 2009 21:23

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U.S.: Norm Coleman: Gritting his teeth but accepting the decision

  • I told him it’s the best job he’ll ever have – representing Minnesota in the United States Senate. The Supreme Court has spoken, I will respect its decision, and abide by its results,
  • Former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman • On losing a long, contested battle with former funnyman Al Franken. The Republican famously fought tooth and nail to keep his seat showing up on talk shows and having a constant perch in the courtroom where the election’s fate was being decided. But it wasn’t enough to save his seat. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jun 2009 20:46

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U.S.: Busy day on the Supreme Court tip. Here’s a sampling.

  • A seismic shift The biggest, most notable decision the court made today was ruling in favor of a group of white firefighters who felt they were discriminated against due to the city of New Haven, Conn. hiring black firefighters with lower scores on a test. This will affect hiring practices across the board.
  • A seismic shift The biggest, most notable decision the court made today was ruling in favor of a group of white firefighters who felt they were discriminated against due to the city of New Haven, Conn. hiring black firefighters with lower scores on a test. This will affect hiring practices across the board.
  • Cable > big media Those with cable set-top boxes have reason to be happy, as the court also ruled in favor of cable companies who wanted to allow their users to store their shows on a central server. That means you don’t have to buy a DVR with a massive hard drive – and that TiVo is screwed.
  • A seismic shift The biggest, most notable decision the court made today was ruling in favor of a group of white firefighters who felt they were discriminated against due to the city of New Haven, Conn. hiring black firefighters with lower scores on a test. This will affect hiring practices across the board.
  • Cable > big media Those with cable set-top boxes have reason to be happy, as the court also ruled in favor of cable companies who wanted to allow their users to store their shows on a central server. That means you don’t have to buy a DVR with a massive hard drive – and that TiVo is screwed.
  • Spitzer’s phoenix rises The Court made one fairly surprising decision, letting state regulators take on national lenders for discriminatory practices, such as high interest rates. The decision should help former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer’s rep, as it’s based on moves he made as the state’s attorney general.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jun 2009 21:37

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Biz, U.S.: SCOTUS uses super-tight language to allow the Chrysler sale

  • Our assessment of the stay factors here is based on the record and proceedings in this case alone.
  • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg • In her four-paragraph decision in “Indiana State Police Pension Trust v. Chrysler LLC,” which was the main roadblock in the way of the Chrysler-Fiat sale. Why the wording? It’s likely they didn’t want to set a standard for any sort of GM sale. The decision, by the way, hinged on whether Chrysler was being discriminatory towards the pension program in its actions, which it wasn’t. Everyone’s getting screwed the same way. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Jun 2009 17:03

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Biz, U.S.: The Supreme Court blocks the Chrysler/Fiat sale. Whoa!

  • Wow. That was unexpected. The one thing that could stop the Chrysler/Fiat sale just happened. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delayed the sale “pending further order.” Three Indiana state pension and construction funds were among the foremost opponents of the sale, which they felt left them financially out of the loop. The final sale, which the bankrupt company was counting on, could be delayed for weeks while the court makes a decision. Stay tuned to this Spidey-station. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Jun 2009 10:20

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Biz, U.S.: People are playing pile-up with Chrysler to stop the Fiat sale

  • “Issue a stay … please!” The Indiana pension fund group that holds a minority stake in Chrysler appealed to the high court to prevent the sale, on grounds that the sale is unconstitutional in that the rights of junior creditors are being placed above senior lenders. They also say the U.S. Treasury Department has overstepped its bounds with the sale. source
  • “Issue a stay … please!” The Indiana pension fund group that holds a minority stake in Chrysler appealed to the high court to prevent the sale, on grounds that the sale is unconstitutional in that the rights of junior creditors are being placed above senior lenders. They also say the U.S. Treasury Department has overstepped its bounds with the sale.
  • Other pitfalls Beyond that, consumer groups also attempted to block the deal, moving through the judicial system so quickly that it hasn’t been committed to paper, because it would shield the new company from lawsuits and other problems with current Chrysler vehicles. The Supreme Court has the ball in their hands now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 May 2009 13:20

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Politics, U.S.: People seem to generally like Sonia Sotomayor, a poll sez

  • 54% of those polled say that Obama’s justice pick is the bee’s knees source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 May 2009 10:56

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Politics, U.S.: Ah Rush, saying such soothing words about Sonia Sotomayor

  • Do I want her to fail? Yeah. Do I want her to fail to get on the court? Yes. She’d be a disaster on the court. Do I still want to Obama to fail as president? Yeah. … He’s going to fail anyway, but the sooner the better here so that as little damage can be done to the country.
  • Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh • Stuck between a rock and a hard place in criticism of Obama’s supreme court justice pick Sonia Sotomayor, who he called a “reverse racist.” The challenge that the GOP faces is that Hispanics make up a good portion of their base currently, and if they’re not careful, they could alienate them with their attacks. But Rush doesn’t care. Rush is Rush. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink
 

26 May 2009 11:13

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U.S.: Five fast facts about SCOTUS justice pick Sonia Sotomayor

  • She’s a New Yawker of Puerto Rican descent and a huge Yankees fan. source
  • Her pedigree’s pretty sweet: She went to Princeton and Yale Law School. source
  • She was appointed as a trial judge in 1991 and upgraded to appeals in 1998. source
  • In 1995, she effectively ended the MLB baseball strike by blocking replacements. source
  • If she gets on the court, she’ll likely be a solid liberal vote. Well, duhhhh. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 May 2009 11:11

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U.S.: Why you’ll like Sonia Sotomayor: She’s one of us.

  • I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
  • Obama’s Supreme Court justice pick Sonia Sotomayor • On what she describes as “the most humbling honor of my life.” The biggest hurdle she’ll likely face to becoming a justice is that she hasn’t had to make any major decisions on abortion cases, BTW. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 May 2009 08:35

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Politics, U.S.: YAY POLITICS! Obama announces his SCOTUS pick today

  • That sound you hear is of D.C. politicians freaking izzout. It’s been hyped bigger than any summer blockbuster, and Obama’s ready to talk. He plans to announce it at 10:15 a.m., according to MSNBC. We hope it lives up to the hype. MSNBC says it’ll likely be Sonia Sotomayor, making for the court’s first Hispanic justice. Stay tuned for more blockbuster District of Columbia action! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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