Sandy Hook 911 tapes: You can listen to them, but should you? (+video) (via The Christian Science Monitor) A bus drives past a sign reading Welcome to Sandy Hook, Dec. 4, in Newtown, Conn. The 911 calls from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings released Wednesday show town dispatchers urged panicked callers to take cover.(Jessica Hill/AP) With the… … [Read more...] about Sandy Hook 911 tapes: You can listen to them, but should you? (Guest Voice)
911 Sandy Hook Calls plead for help (CNN video with audio of calls)
[two_third_last] 911 Sandy Hook Calls plead for help (via CNN Video) CNN's Deb Feyerick reports on released 911 Newtown shooting tapes which capture the fear, but lack of panic of victims. … [Read more...] about 911 Sandy Hook Calls plead for help (CNN video with audio of calls)
MSNBC’s Martin Bashir resigns after Palin comments fallout:
MSNBC's Martin Basir, whose comments about Sarah Palin and defecation set a new low in the already South Pole low of American political talk, is now (bad) history. He has resigned. Martin Bashir has resigned from MSNBC following weeks of controversy over his incendiary comments about Sarah Palin, he announced in an email posted by Mediaite on Wednesday. "Upon further … [Read more...] about MSNBC’s Martin Bashir resigns after Palin comments fallout:
Officials Continue to Investigate the Cause of the Metro-North Train Derailment
Early in the morning on Sunday, December 1, a devastating train crash occurred on New York's Metro-North railroad. 4 were killed and 62 were injured during the crash. Unsurprisingly, many are demanding to know how and why the tragedy occurred. Just hours after the crash, officials launched an investigation, and although they aren't 100% clear on what caused the event, here's … [Read more...] about Officials Continue to Investigate the Cause of the Metro-North Train Derailment
Christmas Drones (Cartoon)
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/christmas-drones/ Copyright 2013 David Donar. All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about Christmas Drones (Cartoon)
Tree of Angels 2013
Once again, for the 18th year, my wife and I attended the Tree of Angels ceremony last night at a local church in Austin, Texas. I have written about this touching ceremony before, the last time in 2011, and I will jut recall some details and do a little update. Every year for the past 22 years, a wonderful organization, People Against Violent Crime, led by Verna Lee … [Read more...] about Tree of Angels 2013
Democrats and GOP Obamacare Suicide Pact
If and when the ACA finally works, what will be left of Barack Obama’s power to make things happen? If and when a Republican finally retakes the White House, what will remain of the GOP’s ability to govern? Both parties should step back and consider what happened to the Greek King Pyrrhus who defeated the Romans but lost so much in doing so that his name is enshrined in … [Read more...] about Democrats and GOP Obamacare Suicide Pact
Newsweek to resurrect print edition: report
Newsweek to resurrect print edition: report (via AFP) International current affairs magazine Newsweek plans to relaunch its print edition in early 2014, just over one year after ceasing publication to focus on its website, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Newsweek editor in chief Jim Impoco was quoted… … [Read more...] about Newsweek to resurrect print edition: report
Human ancestor was less-chimp-like than thought
Human ancestor was less-chimp-like than thought (via AFP) The last common ancestor of Man and Ape was not a knuckle-walking, tree-swinging hominid resembling today's chimpanzee, said a study Tuesday challenging some long-held theories of human evolution. Rather than a prototype chimp as commonly believed,… … [Read more...] about Human ancestor was less-chimp-like than thought
Is Obamacare finally working?
Are there signs that Obamacare may survive -- even if the Democrats' majority in the Senate doesn't? Are there reasons why it is likely to survive and perhaps thrive, despite on one of the most bumbling and politically disastrous launches of a program in American history? And are there reasons why Republicans should be smiling? There's a wealth of takes and stories on … [Read more...] about Is Obamacare finally working?
The Eternal Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh, who never fails to pander to the fear and entitlement of his audience, accuses Pope Francis of "pure Marxism" as Caitlin MacNeal reports on Talking Points Memo. "I have been numerous times to the Vatican. It wouldn't exist without tons of money," Limbaugh said in a show titled "It's Sad How Wrong Pope Francis Is (Unless It's a Deliberate Mistranslation By … [Read more...] about The Eternal Rush Limbaugh
Report: Metro North Motorman ‘Dozed’ Moments Before Derailment
Trouble ahead for William Rockefeller, the engineer of the Metro North train that derailed on Sunday killing four and leaving 63 injured. The word is that he was asleep at the time of the deadly accident, DNAInfo New York reports. Veteran engineer William Rockefeller all but admitted he was falling asleep as the train came roaring to a curved section of track north of Spuyten … [Read more...] about Report: Metro North Motorman ‘Dozed’ Moments Before Derailment
The Certainty of Tea Party Train Wrecks to Come
A commuter train derails in the Bronx, killing four and injuring scores, while Congress squabbles over health care reform. No connection? Only for those who were politically asleep for the past three years while the GOP in Washington brutally stripped budgets that might have allowed states and municipalities to perform minimum maintenance on a crumbling American … [Read more...] about The Certainty of Tea Party Train Wrecks to Come
The Republican War on the Impoverished
In March of 1964, in a message to Congress, Lyndon Johnson proposed legislation labeled the Economic Opportunity Act to conquer poverty in the United States as part of his “Great Society” initiative. This became known as the “War on Poverty” because of its objective of helping the poorest Americans escape poverty through federal programs. Though its goals were laudable, it was … [Read more...] about The Republican War on the Impoverished
The Catholic Doctrine and Catholic Hospitals
Now this is just scary: Tamesha Means was 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke. Means, then 27 and the mother of two, knew something was wrong. So she called a friend to take her to the one hospital within a half-hour's drive, Mercy Health Partners. During that trip to the hospital--and two return trips, one later that night and then again the next morning--Means says she … [Read more...] about The Catholic Doctrine and Catholic Hospitals
Black Friday weekend sales disappoint. Can retailers recover?
Black Friday weekend sales disappoint. Can retailers recover? (via The Christian Science Monitor) People shop at a Target store in Colma, Calif. on Thanksgiving. Black Friday weekend sales fell for the first time since 2009, a bad sign for retailers' holiday season. (Jeff Chiu/AP/File) Americans had to slog nearly to the very end of November to… … [Read more...] about Black Friday weekend sales disappoint. Can retailers recover?
The heart of Francis’ mission
WASHINGTON -- Christianity has often been used over the centuries to prop up the powerful. But from the beginning, the Christian message has been subversive of political systems, judgmental toward those at the top, and demanding of all who take it seriously. Pope Francis has surprised the world because he embraces the Christian calling to destabilize and to challenge. … [Read more...] about The heart of Francis’ mission
Syria war crimes evidence implicates Assad
Syria war crimes evidence implicates Assad (via AFP) Evidence has been uncovered in Syria that implicates President Bashar al-Assad and members of his inner circle in war crimes and crimes against humanity, a top UN official said Monday. Syrian rebels including jihadists, meanwhile, have moved into the… … [Read more...] about Syria war crimes evidence implicates Assad
Democrats admit Obama needs stronger White House team
This needs to be filed in your Department of No Duh file: Former administration officials and Democratic operatives say President Obama is ill-served by his current White House staff and must reboot his second term team following the disastrous ObamaCare rollout. First-term insiders argue the White House’s weakness was defined by a lack of preparedness, messaging … [Read more...] about Democrats admit Obama needs stronger White House team
A U.S.-Russia-China Alliance Offers Iran and Israel a Way Out (Izvestia, Russia)
Is there any chance that the U.S., Russia and China could join forces to guarantee the security of both Iran and Israel, thus defusing not only the Iran nuclear crisis, but the Syria civil war, the Israel-Palestinian peace process, and any number of other confounding problems? For Russia's Izvestia, columnist Kiril Benediktov writes that if Israel's hawks in and out of … [Read more...] about A U.S.-Russia-China Alliance Offers Iran and Israel a Way Out (Izvestia, Russia)