Shields and Brooks on Government Scandals, Remembering Watergate (via PBS News Hour) JUDY WOODRUFF: And to the analysis of Shields and Brooks. That is syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks. So, gentlemen, it's only been one week, but it's been three giant headaches for the Obama administration, for the president. David, let's take them one … [Read more...] about Shields and Brooks on Government Scandals, Remembering Watergate
Why DOMA Must Go
I have to ask those who oppose things like marriage equality why they think these two loving people should be kept apart ? … [Read more...] about Why DOMA Must Go
Getting it Wrong (Guest Voice)
Getting it Wrong by Peter Funt Scott Pelley of CBS News raised eyebrows and passions among journalists at a Quinnipiac University luncheon the other day when he said, "Our house is on fire." He was talking about challenges to the news business from within, as reporters become careless in a rush to be "first"; and, from outside, where social media supply what he labeled … [Read more...] about Getting it Wrong (Guest Voice)
Shrinking glaciers behind a third of sea-level rise: study
Shrinking glaciers behind a third of sea-level rise: study (via AFP) Water from the world's shrinking glaciers was responsible for almost a third of the rise in sea levels between 2003 and 2009, new research showed Thursday. A study published in the journal Science revealed that researchers had analyzed data gleaned from two NASA satellites as well as traditional … [Read more...] about Shrinking glaciers behind a third of sea-level rise: study
Progressive Portugal
Portugal has had a long and complicated political history. In the last century, it was ruled by a brutal right-wing dictatorship from 1926 to 1974. The non-violent Carnation Revolution (or "25 April") of 1974 put an end to that tyranny, and the country held its first democratic election in 50 years a year later. But there was little stability in those early years of democracy, … [Read more...] about Progressive Portugal
Why US Senate race in Massachusetts is Ed Markey’s to lose
Why US Senate race in Massachusetts is Ed Markey's to lose (via The Christian Science Monitor) Copyright ImageClick to View Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick (l.) applauds while joining Democratic US Senate nominee, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, at a campaign event in Boston, May 8. Markey is running against Republican Gabriel Gomez in the June 25 special election.(Charles … [Read more...] about Why US Senate race in Massachusetts is Ed Markey’s to lose
Olympics wrestling revamps rules in fight for survival
Wrestling revamps rules in fight for survival (via AFP) The ancient sport of wrestling on Saturday agreed a wholesale shake-up of its rules to make the sport more attractive for spectators, in a desperate last throw of the dice to stave off the threat of being axed from the Olympics in 2020. The decision of the International Olympic Committee's executive… … [Read more...] about Olympics wrestling revamps rules in fight for survival
Three Benghazi myths (Guest Voice)
Three Benghazi myths (via GlobalPost) Analysis: There are at least three myths that have grown up around the terrible events on Sept. 11 of last autumn. Nicholas Burns Editor's Note: Nicholas Burns is GlobalPost's senior foreign affairs columnist. He writes a bimonthly column on the international issues that shape our world. CAMBRIDGE,… … [Read more...] about Three Benghazi myths (Guest Voice)
Restaurant serves up threatened species
Restaurant serves up threatened species (via SFBay) Lions, peacocks and iguanas, oh my! Meat from all of the above — and other exotic choices such as swan — have been offered at Mokutanya Yakitori restaurant in Burlingame. For a limited time, the restaurant is now offering African lion, farm-raised in Illinois and shipped to the Bay Area. The… … [Read more...] about Restaurant serves up threatened species
Cabbie Gives Sweet Rides In Memory Of Lost Son
What a sweet story … [Read more...] about Cabbie Gives Sweet Rides In Memory Of Lost Son
Kay And Mike Beat Analyst Expectations Predicting Change In Leading Economic Indicators
I got up this morning and checked some financial news websites. A report on the economy's leading economic indicators (LEIs) was due out at 10 o'clock. I then got off-line and went to breakfast with Kay, my life associate. Over bowls of cereal and side orders of kiwi fruit, I asked Kay what she thought the LEI report would show, how much it would change. "Beats me. Eat … [Read more...] about Kay And Mike Beat Analyst Expectations Predicting Change In Leading Economic Indicators
Officials Argue Benghazi was Idiotic Mistake Versus Malicious Cover Up
CBS News reports that Obama administrations are issuing a qualified mea culpa -- more like a mea idiota -- over the controversy surrounding Benghazi: Obama administration officials who were in key positions on Sept. 11, 2012 acknowledge that a range of mistakes were made the night of the attacks on the U.S. missions in Benghazi, and in messaging to Congress and the public … [Read more...] about Officials Argue Benghazi was Idiotic Mistake Versus Malicious Cover Up
Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama
Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama (via PBS News Hour) JEFFREY BROWN: And we return to our look at the Obama administration under pressure. We get takes now from both parties. Democrat Tom Perriello is president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. He served as a member of Congress in Virginia, before losing his seat in the tea party … [Read more...] about Keeping on Top of Priorities When White House Deals With Drama
Ex-Komen Official Karen Handel Announces Georgia Senate Bid
Karen Handel is in the news again. You will recall she was a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 and lost to Nathan Deal. She also resigned abruptly from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure after an uproar involving Planned Parenthood. Yep, she almost wrecked the organization and her debut on the national stage was a joke. I have written about Karen Handel in the past, since I … [Read more...] about Ex-Komen Official Karen Handel Announces Georgia Senate Bid
CBS News: Republicans Changed Benghazi Emails
A turn in the controversy over Benghazi that will likely defuse it as a major issue for many voters due to the old maxim "consider the source," because it's clear the motivation of the source. CBS News' Major Garrett (formerly of Fox News) has reported that the ABC News "bombshell" emails about Benghazi, which turned out to be at variance with the actual emails, were changed by … [Read more...] about CBS News: Republicans Changed Benghazi Emails
Drones: Made in America, Sold to Militaries Everywhere
We’ve known for a while that drones are becoming ubiquitous, sadly, two years before the FAA will have any rules. Already, the military is using drones to terrorize Yemeni villagers and police officers to spy. But with the recent Silicon Valley interest and boom in drones comes worrying questions. The U.S. drone program has always been a bit shady. We know, for instance that … [Read more...] about Drones: Made in America, Sold to Militaries Everywhere
Angelina Jolie: Not Everybody’s Role Model
The newest name in the annals of breast cancer brings back one from four decades ago that helped change how women—-and doctors-—viewed and treated the affliction. Angelina Jolie, meet Babette Rosmund. Before 1970, mastectomy was the unquestioned answer for women diagnosed with the disease. Then a 50-year-old writer who had read a magazine article challenged the conventional … [Read more...] about Angelina Jolie: Not Everybody’s Role Model
Historical Tidbits
In addition to being a political junkie I am also a student of history and am particularly fascinated by the twists and turns of history. So I thought from time to time I would offer a little look back at what might have been. Today we are taking a trip back to January 1853 and a southbound train heading for Washington DC. In that era train wrecks were quite common and on … [Read more...] about Historical Tidbits
Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report
Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report (via AFP) Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote a note before his capture in which he called the victims "collateral damage" for US action in Afghanistan and Iraq, local media reported. "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims," Tsarnaev also scribbled on the inside wall of the boat where… … [Read more...] about Boston suspect wrote note before capture: report
Am I a Home for Identities?
[This is the second post in the series Why Everything You Know about Your “Self” Is Wrong. The series explores how our understanding of selfhood affects our sense of individuality, our interpersonal relationships, and our politics.] In the first post in this series, we disentangled the notion of selfhood from the body, the mind, and the witness. Another common mistake is to … [Read more...] about Am I a Home for Identities?