NEW YORK TIMES: …In one of the riskiest gambles of his presidency, Mr. Obama effectively dared lawmakers to either stand by him or, as he put it, allow President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to get away with murdering children with unconventional weapons.
Month: August 2013
Pricked pride
Cathy called to say she was having car trouble and would be a little late for work so I was handing out NewsLanc’s weekly newsletters outside the Central Market. While accepting a newsletter, a middle age lady of pleasant demeanor asked if I recalled the article concerning insects. I suddenly swelled with pride, the article […]
Egypt: Protests dwindle in crackdown
WASHINGTON POST: …A crackdown by Egypt’s new military-backed government has decapitated the Muslim Brotherhood, the powerful Islamist organization that ran this country for just over a year. As the police state is resurrected, authorities are walling off information on the number of deaths and detentions, and seeking to minimize what remains of the group’s support. […]
Obama’s New Pot Rules Are a Bigger Deal Than You Think
This was a deliberate—and deeply radical—decision about who is in charge of most drug enforcement. “The thrust is that they will allow the state of Washington to be the principal law-enforcement agent in this regard,” Inslee said. That is, for the first time, the president and head of the US Department of Justice have chosen to hand over the reins on major, controversial drug-control policy to the states.
Nearly 80% of Americans Say Congress Needs to OK an Attack
A whopping 79 percent of respondents, including nearly 70 percent of Democrats and 90 percent of Republicans, say Obama should be required to receive authority from Congress before taking any action against the Syrian regime for its suspected use of chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war.
Breast-feeding gets boost with airport lactation station
USA TODAY: A Burlington company has opened its first breast-feeding and pumping station at Burlington International Airport, hoping to replicate the experience at airports and workplaces across the country. Mamava co-founders Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson have dealt with the difficulties of trying to breast-feed their babies and travel, both for work and recreation. Mayer […]
Scott Martin to Hold Press Conference Re Convention Center
Scott Martin undertook the task of “walking where Angels fear to tread” by conducting negotiations with Wells Fargo Bank to try to redress the foolish financing terms that the sponsors of the Convention Center Project agreed to in order to maximize the amount of funds that could be borrowed.
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL NEW ERA
Front page article “New details emerge about sale of Harrisburg incinerator to Lancaster County waste authority” reports: “The county waste authority approved agreements Thursday to purchase Harrisburg’s troubled, debt-ridden, trash-burning incinerator for $130.7 million.” WATCHDOG: Big news: The LCSWMA that has negotiated the acquisition of the Harrisburg Incinerator has now approved the acquisition of the […]
Polls Show US Strongly Opposes Syrian Attack
NEWSMAX: …A Reuters-Ipsos poll last week found about 60 percent of Americans are against U.S. intervention in Syria, while just 9 percent support it. …A Christian Monitor/TIPP poll from August 24-28 found that 38 percent of respondents rated the president’s handling of the Syrian crisis as “poor” or “unacceptable,” while 22 percent rated his handling […]
GM intends to offer nearly self-driving car by 2020
USA TODAY: …The automaker says the system, called “Super Cruise,” uses radar and cameras to steer the car and keep it between lane lines. Also, the radar keeps the car a safe distance from cars ahead of it, and it will brake to a complete stop if necessary.
U.S. spy network’s successes, failures and objectives detailed in ‘black budget’ summary
WASHINGTON POST: U.S. spy agencies have built an intelligence-gathering colossus since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but remain unable to provide critical information to the president on a range of national security threats, according to the government’s top-secret budget. The $52.6 billion “black budget” for fiscal 2013, obtained by The Washington Post from former […]
Saudi Arabia Passes Domestic Abuse Ban For First Time
HUFFINGTON POST: In a historic move, Saudi Arabia banned domestic abuse this week, outlawing any form of abuse at home or in the workplace. The Council of Ministers’ approval of the law Monday marks the first time the country has officially recognized domestic violence as a punishable crime. Offenders may face up to a year […]
NFL and thousands of players reach $765 million deal over brain trauma
Many former players with neurological conditions believe their problems stem from on-field concussions. The lawsuits accused the league of hiding known risks of concussions for decades to return players to games and protect its image…
US and Swiss reach tax evasion accord
FINANCIAL TIMES: Switzerland and the US have agreed on a landmark programme that will finally give Swiss banks the chance to lay to rest a simmering dispute over their alleged role in helping Americans evade taxes.