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13 Dec 2011 10:33

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World: Uh, of course: Iran won’t give spy drone back to United States

  • problem Earlier this month, a secret radar-evading drone plane, owned by the U.S., went down over Iran, which claims they took it down using electronic warfare.
  • request After Iran got a hold of the plane (which, mind you, violated their airspace), they showed it off in footage, leading the U.S. to ask for their expensive toy back …
  • denial … however, Iran has no plans to do so, because they’re in the midst of studying it for intelligence reasons. Oh, well, the U.S. says it wasn’t expecting it back. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Dec 2011 14:14

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World: Inaction feared at climate change conference in Durban, South Africa

  • In a time of constraints, in a time of crisis, in a time of tough budgets, people are saying that charity starts at home, that we cannot deal with something noble but medium and long-term like the environment.
  • Angel Gurria, chief of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development • Discussing the stumbling inaction by the global community in adequately addressing the issue of climate change. 194 nations are currently convened in Durban, South Africa for a major conference on climate change, one which strives to reach agreements on carbon control to continue the process begun by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol; the EU has said they will not renew their emissions reduction standards unless measures are adopted so that all countries (most importantly the United States and China, the world’s worst polluters) must hold to certain emissions standards as well. This has caused turmoil in the discussions, as many less developed nations insist they haven’t been to blame for the surge in carbon to date, and thus shouldn’t be penalized as they now strive to industrialize. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Nov 2011 23:59

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Biz: Don’t look down: Ratings agency says they could downgrade U.S. too

  • The negative outlook indicates a slightly greater than 50 percent chance of a downgrade over a two-year horizon.
  • Credit ratings agency Fitch • Explaining the negative outlook they gave the U.S.’ AAA credit rating. Why the lower outlook? Well, they say there’s “considerable uncertainty surrounding the economy’s potential output.” Well, there won’t be as long as we can figure out a way to turn riots over $2 waffle irons into a sustainable moneymaking endeavor for the U.S. economy at large. We’re sure we can make it happen. Fitch’s downgraded outlook follows S&P’s straight-up downgrade a few months back. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

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

12 Oct 2011 10:52

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U.S., World: Iran assassination plot: U.S. officials take super-hard line

  • The U.S. has something it’s trying to sell to the world. In case you’re wondering what that is, it’s that Iran is a very bad country — particularly in the wake of an assassination plot involving a Saudi diplomat —and we need to make sure they know it. “It’s critically important that we unite the world in the isolation of and dealing with the Iranians,” Vice President Joe Biden said today. “That’s the surest way to be able to get results.” He suggests that down the line, actions could go beyond sanctions, even, though we’re not at that point yet. He’s not alone. Here’s Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “This really, in the minds of many diplomats and government officials, crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for.” You get the feeling from reading these that the U.S. has been waiting for a moment like this for a while. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Sep 2011 10:44

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World: Three reasons Anwar al-Awlaki’s assassination is a major development

  • We could say all sorts of things about Anwar al-Awlaki, but we’ll let this Yemeni official say them for us: “He’s the most dangerous man in Yemen. He’s intelligent, sophisticated, Internet-savvy, and very charismatic. He can sell anything to anyone, and right now he’s selling jihad.” A high-profile get for the United States, the al-Qaeda recruiter was killed during an ongoing bombing campaign coordinated with Yemen. Obama is expected to speak on al-Awlaki’s death soon. Why is this such a big deal? Here’s a breakdown:
  • one Anwar al-Awlaki was considered one of al-Qaeda’s top recruiters and had been highly sought after by both American and Yemeni officials for years.
  • two Al-Awlaki was also internet-savvy, using his fluent English and Web presence to draw recruits. Experts say this is a future model for terror recruitment.
  • three Despite his pedigree as a internet-savvy spiritual leader, al-Awlaki was also a U.S. citizen, meaning some see civil rights issues in this situation. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Sep 2011 10:49

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U.S.: U.S. poverty rate: Nearly one in seven people live in poverty

  • 15.1% the poverty rate in the U.S. back in 1993 — the highest level in 20 years
  • 11.3% the poverty rate in 2000 — the lowest it’s been in the modern era
  • 15.1% the poverty rate in 2010 — MATCHING the 1993 high source
  • » What these numbers mean: The current poverty line in the U.S. is $22,314 a year for a family of four and $11,139 for an individual, so anyone making less than that falls into these numbers. To put this into hard numbers, that means 46.2 million people are living below the poverty line. As for the middle class, their median income is $49,445 — actually down just a little bit from the year before. (Editor’s note: We just clarified the poverty line numbers.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Aug 2011 21:37

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Politics: So much for leaving; Timmy Boy Geithner sticking around for a while

While there was word on the street that he was going to depart after the brutal debt ceiling crisis, Obama wanted him to stick around instead. This sounds like an aneurysm waiting to happen. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jul 2011 11:06

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World: U.S. trims away a huge chunk of Pakistan’s security funding

  • $800 million in funding goes away — like that source
  • » That’s no small chunk, guys: In other words, roughly a third of the security aid that the U.S. gives Pakistan each year. Why the change? Well, as White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley puts it, Pakistan has “taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid.” Like possibly harboring Osama bin Laden in a compound within a couple of miles of a military base? That seems like a pretty big step. That said, the U.S. does consider the relationship with Pakistan important, if imperfect. “It’s a complicated relationship in a very difficult, complicated part of the world,” Daley says. “Obviously, there’s still lot of pain that the political system in Pakistan is feeling by virtue of the raid that we did to get Osama Bin Laden, something that the president felt strongly about and we have no regrets over.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jun 2011 21:49

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U.S., World: The U.S. faces terrorism, diplomacy threats amid Yemen instability

  • We would be shortsighted to think this doesn’t pose short-term national security concerns. The likelihood is that [al-Qaeda operatives] will be raising their heads.
  • Frank J. Cilluffo, the head of, George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute • Describing the danger that the Saleh’s transition away from Yemeni leadership means for the War on Terror. A key terror cell — al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — could cause serious issues by taking advantage of the instability in the region, while Yemeni opposition leaders deny the group’s existence at all. (Which is troubling because two separate attacks have been tied to the group since late 2009 — including the underwear bomber.) Another way this could force the U.S. into a precarious position: Saleh was an ally of the U.S., and an unstable transition could force diplomats to scramble to make up for a transition that doesn’t favor Americans. A complicated issue all around — and one with difficult answers. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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