Month: August 2013
-
Most U.S. Embassies And ConsulatesTo Reopen
All but one of the diplomatic outposts that were closed last week due to terrorism threats will be reopening: WASHINGTON — Eighteen of the 19 U.S. embassies and consulates closed this month due to worries about potential terrorist attacks will reopen on Sunday, the U.S. State Department said on Friday. “Our embassy in Sanaa, Yemen,…
-
Japan’s National Debt Hits A Quadrillion Yen
Japan’s National Debt has reached a level that’s somewhat incomprehensible.
-
Detroit Loses $1 Million Check
There are many factors that contributed to the financial mess that led to Detroit filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, and I’m sure there are plenty of stories of inefficiency and incompetence like this involved: In late February, cash-strapped Detroit received a $1 million check from the local school system that wasn’t deposited. The routine…
-
Virginia Governors and Expensive Gifts
Bob McDonnell is not the first Old Dominion chief executive to supplement their income while in office.
-
Standing While Working
While periodic, strenuous exercise is better than nothing, constant movement is much better for our health.
-
Ban Tipping, Improve Service?
Jay Porter banned tipping in his high end restaurant and found that customer service and profits improved.
-
McConnell Campaign Manager: I’m Holding My Nose Working For Him
Jesse Benton, the campaign manager for Mitch McConnell’s 2014 re-election campaign, isn’t entirely thrilled with his boss: The campaign manager for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted Thursday that he remains “100 percent” committed to his boss’ re-election effort after a recording surfaced suggesting otherwise. Snagging Jesse Benton, a former acolyte of both Ron and…
-
Weiner In 4th Place In New Poll
A new poll from Siena College and The New York Times seems to show that Anthony Weiner’s campaign has finally fizzled out: Christine C. Quinn is leading the crowded field in the Democratic primary race for New York City mayor, lifted by support among Manhattanites and higher-income voters, the latest New York Times/Siena College poll finds. But…
-
U.S. Evacuates Consulate In Pakistan
The United States has evacuated another diplomatic outpost in response to threats of terrorism: The State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. Government personnel from the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, due to threats against the post. “We are undertaking this drawdown due to concerns about credible threat information specific to the…
-
Dolphins Never Forget
“Say that, in 1993, you were at a bar having some beers with a dolphin” has been nominated and seconded as the “Best opening sentence. EVER.”
-
Zillow: White House Worth $319 Million
Online real estate site Zillow.com has listed the White House as being worth $319 million: For only $319.6 million, a 16-bedroom, 35-bathroom house with a prime D.C. address could be yours — if the White House were for sale, that is. Real estate website Zillow’s listing for the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW…
-
New Owner Of The Washington Post: Print Newspapers Will Be Dead In 20 Years
For a guy who just bought a newspaper, Jeff Bezos wasn’t too optimistic about their future less than a year ago.
-
Bradley Manning’s Maximum Sentence Reduced By More Than 40 Years
Bradley Manning’s sentence has yet to be determined, but the military judge presiding over his trial has reduced the maximum he’s facing at the end of it all: Army Pfc. Bradley Manning’s possible sentence for disclosing classified information through WikiLeaks was trimmed from 136 years to 90 years Tuesday by a military judge who said…
-
Crazy Pants, the Embassy Closings, and Star Wars Reboots
The McClatchy Washington Bureau is reporting that the closing of U. S. embassies in the Middle East and North Africa has counterterrorism experts as baffled as the rest of us: “It’s crazy pants – you can quote me,” said Will McCants, a former State Department adviser on counterterrorism who this month joins the Brookings Saban…
-
Cory Booker Looks Headed For An Easy Win
With one week to go before the primary in the New Jersey Senate race, Cory Booker looks to be headed to an easy win for the nomination, and a look ahead at October suggests he won’t have much to worry about there either: Newark Mayor Cory Booker likely can’t be caught by his Democratic primary opponents…
-
Most Contested/Edited Wikipedia Entries
The Economist has an infographic up showing the most heavily edited Wikipedia entries by language. Here’s the list for English (not in order): 1. George W. Bush 2. Global Warming 3. Muhammad 4. Anarchism As Mark Perry notes, it’s no surprise that the first three are subject to arguments among Wikipedia denizens. And I suppose the same can be…
-
Rick Santorum Will Not be the 2016 Republican Nominee
It may be Rick Santorum’s “turn” but he’s too harsh and extreme to win the nomination.
-
Obama Cancels Summit Meeting With Putin
President Obama has canceled a planned summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in part due to the fact that Russia has granted asylum to NSA leader Edward Snowden: WASHINGTON — President Obama has canceled a planned summit with the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, senior administration officials said Wednesday, a response to frustration with…
-
Disney Loses on Lone Ranger
Via the BBC: Walt Disney to lose millions on Lone Ranger film Walt Disney has warned that its Lone Ranger summer blockbuster will lose it between $160m-$190m (£104m-£124m) after heavy spending on promotion failed to bring returns. What I find interesting about this is how obvious it was that this was a bad idea from…
-
Sealed Indictment Issued In Connection With Benghazi Attack
CNN is reporting this afternoon that the first criminal charges have been filed in connection with the attack last September 11th on he U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi: Washington (CNN) – Federal authorities investigating the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi have filed charges against Ahmed Abu Khattalah, leader of a Libyan militia…
-
Car Bombs Kill 36 In Iraq
Another wave of car bombs in Iraq: BAGHDAD — A wave of bombings, mainly targeting markets in and near Baghdad, killed 36 people on Tuesday, officials said, the latest in a surge of violence that has gripped Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, meanwhile, vowed to defeat “terrorists” behind the relentless attacks and chase them out…
-
If An American Football Coach Tried To Coach Soccer
This bit from NBC Sports has former SNL’er Jason Sudekis plays an American football coach who has been hired to coach the Tottenham Hotspur in England:
-
TSA Expanding Beyond Airports
TheTransportation Security Administration is expanding its purview to train stations and sporting events.
-
U.S. Embassy Staff Evacuated From Yemen
In the latest response to intelligence apparently indicating an increased risk of terror attacks, most of the people working at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen have been evacuated: WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military evacuated non-essential U.S. government personnel from Yemen on Tuesday due to the high risk of attack by al-Qaida that has triggered…
-
Nidal Hasan Trial To Begin Today
The trial of Major Nidal Hasan, the man accused of killing 13 at Ford Hood, Texas some four years ago, begins today: KILLEEN, Tex. — Nearly four years after 13 people were killed and 32 others wounded in a Fort Hood shooting spree, the long-delayed court-martial of Maj. Nidal M. Hasan opened Tuesday with a…
-
About Those Embassy Closings
I have a question about the closings of U. S. MENA embassies. Are the closings in response to real terrorist threats, more imminent than the threats they’ve faced over the last dozen years if not more, because following the Benghazi incident the State Department has become sensitized to terrorist threats in a way they weren’t…
-
Washington Post To Be Sold To Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos
One of the nation’s papers of record is changing owners for the first time in 80 years.
-
MLB Suspends Alex Rodriguez, 12 Other Players, In Drug Investigation
Alex Rodriguez and 12 other Major League Baseball players were suspended today for PED use. Rodriguez is the only one vowing to fight the suspension.
-
Teaching Prevention is Not ‘Blaming the Victim’
The Air Force is telling airmen to take common sense steps to “avoid becoming a victim” of sexual assault.
-
Military Retirees May Lose Double Dip Retirement
The Pentagon is considering making military retirees ineligible for civil service pensions.
-
Former Turkish Military Chief Sentenced To Life
The former head of the Turkish military, along with a group of others, was sentenced to life in prison for an attempted coup more than ten years ago: ISTANBUL — In a landmark trial, scores of people — including Turkey’s former military chief, politicians and journalists — were convicted on Monday of plotting to overthrow…
-
Newsweek Sold Yet Again
Less than three years after famously being purchased from The Washington Post, and seven months after going all digital, Newsweek has once again been sold: Seven months after killing its print publication, Newsweek is being sold to IBT Media, the publisher of the International Business Times. “We are thrilled to welcome this iconic brand and global news property…
-
Air Force Now Accepting Single Parents, Pregnant Women
The Air Force will now allow pregnant women and single parents to join.
-
Some U.S. Embassies Will Remain Closed Through August 10th
The closure of American embassies across the Middle East in response to apparent terror threats is being extended: (Reuters) – The United States extended the closures of some embassies and consulates in the Middle East – which had been closed Sunday due to an al Qaeda threat – through August 10 due to caution but…
-
Australian Elections Called for Next Month
Via the BBC: Australian PM Kevin Rudd calls election for 7 September Rudd became Prime Minister in June when he defeated the previous PM, Julia Gillard in a leadership fight. The analysis at the piece suggests the opposition Conservatives are the favorites going into the election: Kevin Rudd didn’t have to call the election so…
-
US and UK Concerned about Zimbabwe’s Elections
Via the BBC: US and UK concern over Zimbabwe election results The US and UK have expressed concern after official results from Zimbabwe’s elections gave President Robert Mugabe a seventh term in office amid claims of electoral fraud. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the results did not "represent a credible expression of the…
-
Maryland Governor O’Malley On Path To Run For President
With the question of what Hillary Clinton is going to do still up in the air, many potential Democratic candidates are sitting on the sidelines and being rather quiet about their intentions in the 2016 Presidential race. The same cannot be said for Maryland’s Democratic Governor: MILWAUKEE — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, speaking candidly to…
-
Federalism and Civil Unions Down South
Via the BBC: Mexican state of Colima allows same-sex civil unions Colima has become the latest Mexican state to allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions after a majority of local authorities passed a change in the state’s constitution. Legalisation on same-sex unions falls under state legislation, and a number of states have divergent…
-
Rick Santorum “Open” To Running In 2016
Rick Santorum isn’t ruling out another run for the White House: Former Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is open to running again in 2016, he said Sunday. “I’m open to looking into the presidential race in 2016,” Santorum said on “Meet The Press.” “But we’ve got a little ways. We’ve got elections in 2014 to…
-
‘I Heart Head’ Campaign Signs Stolen
Austin Head, a candidate for the Phoenix City Council has a problem, people keep stealing his campaign signs: Thieves have stolen a third of Phoenix City Council candidate Austin Head’s campaign signs, leading the first-time candidate to believe he is either very popular or very disliked. Head, a DJ and event planner, put 21 signs around…
-
Anonymous Republican Senator Blocking Bill That Would Require Search Warrants For E-Mail Searches
A bill that would require law enforcement to obtain a search warrant before searching email accounts has been blocked by an unknown Republican: An anonymous Republican senator has delayed a vote on legislation that would require police to obtain a warrant before accessing emails and other online messages. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)…
-
NYC Wants To Ban ‘Dinosaur,’ ‘Divorce,’ Other Words From School Tests
The New York City Department Of Education wants to ban certain words from school: The New York City Department of Education is waging a war on words of sorts, and is seeking to have words they deem upsetting removed from standardized tests. Fearing that certain words and topics can make students feel unpleasant, officials are requesting 50 or…
-
New York Times Sells Boston Globe For 95% Loss
A business move that signals the continuing death of the newspaper industry.
-
Navy Refuses to Track Money, Just Because
The Defense Department would like to get a handle on how it spends its money by 2017 but the Navy won’t go along.
-
FBI Review Says That Boston Bombing Could Not Have Been Prevented
In the end, it doesn’t appear that the Boston Marathon bombings could have been prevented by law enforcement.
-
Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. Candidate: You Can’t Be A Christian And A Democrat
E.W. Jackson, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor whom I’ve written about in the past, said today that the Democratic Party is “anti-God”: In a local radio interview this morning, Virginia Republican lieutenant governor nominee E.W. Jackson said the Democratic Party is “anti-God” and that Christians should leave it. Jackson has said in the past that he thinks believing…
-
Weiner Says He’s “100 Percent” Done With Sexting
New York Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner says he’s done sexting: Anthony Weiner tells NBC 4 New York he is “100 percent not” having any type of online relationships with anyone now, and says for the first time he has not kept any records of his past lewd affairs. “I don’t have any of the records,”…
-
Firm That Cleared Snowden Under Grand Jury Investigation
The government contractor that conducted Edward Snowden’s background investigation faces criminal indictment.