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13 Oct 2011 10:51

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World: Man at center of alleged Iran assassination plot not the brightest bulb?

  • His socks would not match. He was always losing his keys and his cellphone. He was not capable of carrying out this plan.
  • Tom Hosseini • Discussing his friend and former college roommate, Mansour Arbabsiar, considered the mastermind behind the the assassination plot that’s landed Iran in hot water with the U.S. While Arbabsiar did have some supporters among those who knew him from his days in Texas, many more weren’t so kind towards him, calling him “worthless” or “very creepy.” On top of this, he had a bit of a rep for being a somewhat shady/unsuccessful businessman. So, the real question: How did this guy get mixed up in this plot? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2011 10:04

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U.S.: Texas inmate to be freed after DNA evidence exonerates him

  • He’s eager to be released, as you can imagine, after all these years. He’s kind of going to be Rip Van Winkle — he’s never held a cell phone; Reagan was president when he went in. There’s going to be a lot of adjustments, but he’ll be fine.
  • Houston lawyer John Raley, who works with the Innocence Project • Discussing the imminent release of convicted murderer Michael Morton, who is expected to be released today after DNA evidence exonerated him from the crime of killing his wife in 1986. DNA evidence implicates a convicted felon who has also been tied to a similar 1988 murder. Morton, meanwhile, was convicted on circumstantial evidence and otherwise had no history of violence. Enjoy your freedom, Michael — they have these things called iPhones now, and they’re awesome. (thanks Michael Cote for the tip) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Oct 2011 21:11

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Politics: Herman Cain: Rick Perry’s hunting camp had “very insensitive” name

  • My reaction is, that’s just very insensitive. [There] isn’t a more vile, negative word than the N-word, and for him to leave it there as long as he did, before I hear that they finally painted over it, is just plain insensitive to a lot of black people in this country.
  • Herman Cain • Complaining about the hunting camp Rick Perry once owned, which once had a name that included a racial slur (we’ll let you figure out which one). Perry’s camp already came out on the defensive against this, claiming it was painted over long ago, and the quickly-rising Cain (who just won another straw poll) has every reason in the world to combat this. Perry will have to work hard to come back from this mess. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Oct 2011 11:27

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Politics: Ghost from Rick Perry’s past: An unfortunately-named hunting camp

  • claim A Washington Post article, published Saturday, claimed that a hunting camp once owned by Rick Perry (and at other times, his family) was once named after a racial slur we won’t be saying here. Even after his family owned the property, the name was still visible, though painted over.
  • rebuttal Perry’s staff was quick to the punch on this controversy: “Governor Perry’s last visit to the Crooked River Ranch was December 2006. He stopped leasing the property in 2007.” (The article states this.) An associate of Perry says the article has a number of inaccuracies. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Sep 2011 11:12

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U.S.: What death row inmate Duane Edward Buck said after learning of his stay

  • He said, ‘God is worthy to be praised. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment, and I feel good.’
  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark • Discussing the reaction by Duane Edward Buck, the death row inmate whose sentence was stayed by the Supreme Court last night. He already had his last meal and was praying at the time. While the reprieve is only temporary pending the Supreme Court’s evaluation of the claims his equal protection rights have been violated, it nonetheless ensured that his last meal — a dish of fried chicken, fried fish, french fries, salad, jalapeno peppers and apples — might not be so final. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Sep 2011 22:33

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U.S.: US Supreme Court issues stay in execution of Texas inmate

  • NO Duane Buck won’t be executed tonight source
  • » What happened: In 1995, Buck was convicted of double-murder in Houston, Texas, and sentenced to death. Buck’s guilt is not being disputed; however, during the sentencing phase, a psychologist testified that black criminals are more likely than other races to pose a threat to the public if released. Buck’s lawyers contest that this testimony–which was denounced in 2000 by then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn–played a role in Buck’s sentence, and asked Governor Rick Perry and the district attorney to grant Buck a retrial. Perry and the DA refused the request, but the US Supreme Court intervened today, issuing a stay in his execution just four hours before his execution was set to take place. The court has yet to rule on a request for a resentencing.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Sep 2011 22:27

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U.S.: Texas, California wildfires threaten, destroy homes

  • 476 homes burned in Texas east of Austin since Sunday; Gov Rick Perry canceled an appearance at a forum in South Carolina in response
  • 800+ homes threatened by fire in California; officials are unsure how long it will take to contain the fires, caused by a plane crash on Sunday source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

31 Aug 2011 23:34

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Biz, Politics: Rick Perry: Totally backed that AT&T merger with T-Mobile

  • $500,000 from AT&T to Rick Perry source
  • » AT&T’s contributions = Rick Perry’s support? Back in May, Rick Perry told the FCC he backed the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. “I believe that this merger will continue to provide for great consumer choice, offer a wide range of service options, and spur continued innovation,” he wrote. He might’ve had a little help from those campaign contributions over the past decade. AT&T has a bit of a history of going out of its way to turn public favor its way, going so far as to bizarrely convince GLAAD to support the merger. With the Justice Department coming out against the merger and AT&T’s contributions to Perry coming under scrutiny, will Perry back down? (Strangely enough, BTW, the Justice Department’s James Cole made a statement that reads like the polar opposite of what Perry wrote: “We believe the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile would result in tens of millions of consumers all across the United States facing higher prices, fewer choices, and lower-quality products for their mobile wireless services.” Hrm.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 22:52

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U.S.: Texas, Oklahoma wildfires damage buildings, force evacuations

  • The ground is so dry, because of the drought, that one welding spark or a cigarette tossed could easily ignite a fire.
  • Jesse Moore, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, Texas • Commenting on how easy it is to start wildfire. Texas is seeing one of the worst fire seasons on record, including the devastating fires earlier this year in April. The fires started on Tuesday; as of Wednesday night, the wildfires have damaged 39 homes and buildings over 6,200 acres of land. These wildfires are also threatening cities in Oklahoma. Authorities have asked local residents to evacuate, so stay safe, guys. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jul 2011 14:28

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Offbeat: Texas woman gives birth to really big baby

  • 16 pound baby born in Texas, setting new hospital record source
  • » Welcome to the world: A Texas woman named Janet Johnson gave birth to a big time baby today, a child she named JaMichael who weighs in at the astonishing number you see above. East Texas’ Longview hospital has already verified that he’s the biggest newborn baby they’ve delivered, and they’re looking to see if this is a state record as well — Guinness World Records claim the all-time largest newborn was a 23 pound baby born in Ohio in 1879, for what that’s worth..
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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