The White House blog notes the event will be streamed live at 4:25 EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live. In the accompanying post, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement Brian Bond writes: As a gay kid growing up in rural Missouri – I never thought I would end up helping to organize an LGBT Pride event in the White House. Then again, I never thought I would … [Read more...] about White House Gay Reception Streamed Live Today
Guest Voice, Eye Witness: Media Ganglia at Bernie Madoff Sentencing
Hi there, Dr. E. here. Writing and photographing under the name Michael M'Guire, a colleague in New York has sent me this exclusive photo of just a small part of today's NY courthouse-encampment-- in which we see early-muster photogs and reporters bristling with their silver and black weaponry. The red and white sign in the upper left field says, No Standing Anytime. And … [Read more...] about Guest Voice, Eye Witness: Media Ganglia at Bernie Madoff Sentencing
Myth & Legend Of Woodstock Lives On 40 Years Later
1969 was the year I began my career as a journalist with a leading Indian daily. That was also the year when a memorable event called The Woodstock Festival took place in a far-away rural town of Bethel, New York, and caught my fancy. As The Independent recalls: "Performers flying in on helicopters – a portentous sight in the Vietnam era – food and drinks spiked with LSD, … [Read more...] about Myth & Legend Of Woodstock Lives On 40 Years Later
Yes, It Is A Coup
There is quite a bit of Honduras coverage on Memeorandum right now. A roundup might be helpful in understanding what is happening there. … [Read more...] about Yes, It Is A Coup
California Two Days From Paying Bills With IOUs?
Barring a miracle -- I'd say a billion-to-one shot -- the California legislature will not pass a budget by its constitutional deadline at midnight tomorrow forcing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pay bills by issuing IOU notes as he has vowed. The state's Democratic-dominated Assembly late Sunday passed a series of tax fees in an effort to balance the budget's $24 billion … [Read more...] about California Two Days From Paying Bills With IOUs?
If Sotomayor Sat On The Supreme Court Today
Assuming Judge Sotomayor had not been involved in the lower-court decision and thus would not have had to recuse herself from today's vote, the 5-4 split on the New Haven case would still have been a 5-4 split. Justice David Souter (whom Sotomayor would replace, if confirmed) voted with the other three dissenters: Ginsburg, Breyer, and Stevens. So remind me, why does … [Read more...] about If Sotomayor Sat On The Supreme Court Today
Madoff Receives 150 Years
The New York Times has just reported that a federal judge sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison for operating a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of people, calling his crimes "extraordinarily evil." Apparently, Mr. Madoff finally expressed some regret before a courtroom packed with victims: I’m responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain, … [Read more...] about Madoff Receives 150 Years
Congress’ Insider Trading
Members of the House Financial Services Committee were wheeling and dealing in the stocks of banks they were about to bail out last fall, a revelation that may test Congress' rock-bottom approval ratings. Both Democrats and Republicans were scurrying to profit from cashing in or out, according to enterprising reporters from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who mined disclosure … [Read more...] about Congress’ Insider Trading
Madoff Gets 150 Year Sentence
NYTimes: A federal judge sentenced Bernard L. Madoff to 150 years in prison on Monday for operating a huge Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands of people, calling his crimes “extraordinarily evil.” In pronouncing the sentence — the maximum he could have handed down — Judge Denny Chin turned aside Mr. Madoff’s own assertions of remorse and rejected the suggestion from … [Read more...] about Madoff Gets 150 Year Sentence
New Haven Firefighters: The Divide Remains
As already noted by Joe Windish, the Supreme Court has overturned the decision of the 2nd Court of Appeals in the case where results of a promotion exam failed to produce advancement for a sufficient number of minority candidates. While the ruling itself will likely come as no surprise to many observers, the close, 5-4 margin tells me that we still have a looming divide in our … [Read more...] about New Haven Firefighters: The Divide Remains
Justices Rule for White Firefighters
As expected: The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of white Connecticut firefighters in a 5-4 ruling that reverses an appeals court finding by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, the Associated Press report. The high court found that the firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that Sotomayor endorsed … [Read more...] about Justices Rule for White Firefighters
Note to Cass Sunstein: Animals Don’t Have “Rights”
President Obama's selection to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Cass Sunstein, is running into a stiff headwind regarding some previous writings on the subject of animals' rights. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) has blocked President Obama’s candidate for regulation czar, Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein, because Sunstein has argued that animals should … [Read more...] about Note to Cass Sunstein: Animals Don’t Have “Rights”
King David, Governor Sanford, and Republican Party Platforms—Not Necessarily in that Order
According to Wikipedia, a political party platform is “a list of the actions which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party's candidates voted into office…Individual topics are often called planks of the platform." During the past five national elections, Republican Party leaders, candidates and politicians have … [Read more...] about King David, Governor Sanford, and Republican Party Platforms—Not Necessarily in that Order
Press Sensations
Olle Johansson, Sweden This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Press Sensations
Michael Jackson Link Collection, Part 2
Here is a roundup of media and blogger reaction to the death of Michael Jackson on Thursday. … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson Link Collection, Part 2
Google: A Relatively Small Company Vulnerable to Competition
Slide 11 from Wagner's presentation. In the face of three government antitrust investigations, Google's “senior competition counsel,” Dana Wagner, is trying to persuade the world that its competition is just a click away: [T]he boyish, 33-year-old Mr. Wagner [is] a former antitrust lawyer at the Justice Department who drops words like “goofy” and “whacky” with an aw-shucks … [Read more...] about Google: A Relatively Small Company Vulnerable to Competition
Another Day, Another Legend Dies
Today (or, rather, she died on Saturday, but I just saw the notice today), it's Gale Storm, sitcom pioneer and, arguably most famously, the star of the long-running 1950s show, My Little Margie (which I remember watching, so there you go). … [Read more...] about Another Day, Another Legend Dies
Boston’s Shame: Disbanding Its Mounted Police
Tomorrow (that is Tuesday, June 30) would be a shameful day for Boston.... It is disbanding United States of America's first mounted police unit. The AP report states: "(The Boston Mounted Unit's) 12 horses would be given new homes — at least until the city can come up with funds to restore the unit." What a shame that the budget cuts would hurt this 136-year-old historic … [Read more...] about Boston’s Shame: Disbanding Its Mounted Police
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Off-Off Year Elections
Larry J. Sabato on OFF-OFF YEAR ELECTIONS: They Seem Important at the Time. People who live for politics appreciate what real votes in real elections mean. It's pure heroin for junkies. There is no cold turkey like the one between the end of a presidential election and the midterm election that occurs two full years later. The presidential high--the flood of votes in all … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Off-Off Year Elections
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: That Wild and Wacky Senate
Larry J. Sabato on THAT WILD AND WACKY SENATE: Some Updates on the Upcoming 2010 Senate Showdown. So much has happened recently in many of the 2010 Senate contests that you would think we were in the middle of the election year. We're still seventeen months out from Election Day, yet the battles are turning white hot in many states. Let's take a look at what has occurred … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: That Wild and Wacky Senate