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29 Jun 2009 10:33

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World: Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya explains how he was couped

  • I was awakened by shots, and the yells of my guards, who resisted for about 20 minutes. I came out in my pajamas, I’m still in my pajamas … When (the soldiers) came in, they pointed their guns at me and told me they would shoot if I didn’t put down my cellphone.
  • Jose Manuel Zelaya • On the coup which stripped his leadership of the country. Zelaya has a lot of international support, especially from Latin American nations such as his brah Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, who has threatened military action against any new regime Honduras puts in place. The U.S. supports Zelaya too. • source

28 Jun 2009 11:52

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World: Iran’s attempts to graft outside influence on the protests continue

  • Yesterday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offered a scathing rebuke of U.S. President Barack Obama for giving support to protesters. The Iranian president played like Obama was meddling; the GOP wishes Obama would a little more.
  • And today, the British government’s escalating tensions with the country hit a head when Iran arrested nine embassy employees in Tehran. Foreign Secretary David Miliband was not very happy with this at all.
  • u.s.
  • u.k.

24 Jun 2009 21:05

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Sports: FINALLY. The U.S. has a reason to care about soccer.

That’s right, the U.S. pulled off an improbable win today, kicking long-undefeated Spain’s butt in international action. Wow. source

23 Jun 2009 10:58

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Tech, U.S.: Buzz Aldrin thinks we should go to Mars. Well, he did go to the moon.

  • By refocusing our space program on Mars for America’s future, we can restore the sense of wonder and adventure in space exploration that we knew in the summer of 1969. We won the moon race; now it’s time for us to live and work on Mars, first on its moons and then on its surface.
  • Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin (i.e. the second man to set foot on the moon) • On the possibility that the next step for the space program is heading to Mars. He thinks it would be a shot in the arm for NASA. Why the heck not? We’re sure Marvin would be a gracious host! • source

23 Jun 2009 10:37

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Politics: Columnist: Subsidize news … by making information more free

  • We care about these things because they provide information that improves public welfare and allows for more effective democratic decision-making. Why not make it easier for the news business to do its job?
  • Atlantic columnist Conor Clarke • Playing off the oft-discussed idea of government-subsidized news and instead using it as an argument that the Freedom of Information Act should be followed more closely by government bodies. He also notes that, when this data is easier to get, “it gives news organizations an incentive to write about those issues rather than Britney Spears’s hair or Michelle Obama’s arms.” And wouldn’t that be awesome? • source

22 Jun 2009 09:22

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World: North Korea to U.S.: You shouldn’t ignore us. We got the bomb.

  • It is a grave mistake for the US to think it will not be hurt if it ignores this and ignites the fuse of war on the Korean Peninsula.
  • Commentary in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling Communist party • In an attempt to again scare the daylights out of the U.S. Obama has said that the U.S. is ready to defend itself in case, you know, North Korea makes good on any of these threats. In fact, we’re tracking a ship that may possibly contain weapons, in violation of North Korea’s sanctions. Ah, playing with fire. • source

19 Jun 2009 14:47

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Biz, U.S.: Line up ten Californians. More than one of them is jobless.

  • 11.5% of Californians don’t have jobs; that’s a record source
 

18 Jun 2009 18:29

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U.S.: Gay-rights put their foot down and ask for Obama’s help

  • What we need now is leadership from the president, Congress and state officials to deliver that change. I’m frustrated and disappointed that the administration has not yet delivered on the vision we share for a more equal America.
  • Evan Wolfson • Who represents Freedom to Marry, a national pro-gay-marriage organization. Despite having strong support for their initiatives during the presidential campaign, Barack Obama has found himself up against the wall of Washington politics, playing it safe so that the efforts don’t derail his other initiatives. And gay-rights activists aren’t happy. • source

17 Jun 2009 11:03

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U.S., World: Also being blamed for Iran’s 99 problems: The U.S.

  • Iran’s Foreign Ministry is trashing on Obama for speaking out. The ministry got a hold of the Swiss ambassador, who handles U.S. affairs in the country, complaining about “interventionist” statements Obama made regarding the hotly-contested election. The U.S. hasn’t had consistent ties with Iran since shortly after the Islamic revolution in 1979, though Obama is trying to get his foot in the door. source

16 Jun 2009 22:35

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U.S., World: Currently weaving through Congress: A big war-spending bill

  • $106 billion to fight wars in Iraq & Afghanistan source