From the FINANCIAL TIMES: …Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the Fukushima plant, and its regulators were so unprepared for a major nuclear emergency that they lacked even the basic safety measures to respond to a disaster of the scale that hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the wake of the March 11 tsunami, the committee states in an interim report of its findings…
Month: December 2011
Foes of Hungary’s Government Fear ‘Demolition of Democracy’
From the NEW YORK TIMES: BUDAPEST — In less than two years as a member of the Hungarian Parliament, Timea Szabo says she has looked on helplessly as the ruling Fidesz Party has used its two-thirds majority to tighten its grip on the news media and the courts, redraw parliamentary districts in its favor and […]
Protesters pile pressure on Putin
From the FINANCIAL TIMES: …Exact estimates of the turnout diverged wildly. Movement organisers put the total attending at 120,000, while police put it at 29,000. The spectre of increasing protests in the run-up to March presidential election has put Mr Putin’s political future in question. Just three months ago, when he and President Dmitry Medvedev […]
Romney dominates N.H.
From POLITICO: A survey from the Boston Globe and the University of New Hampshire shows Newt Gingrich’s bounce subsiding in New Hampshire, with Mitt Romney resuming his position as the unqualified local front-runner: Romney has the support of 39 percent of the state’s likely Republican voters, a drop of 3 percentage points since last month […]
HOLIDAY DISAPPOINTMENTS: “Holmes,” “Hugo,” and “Young Adult”
Any resemblance between “Game of Shadows,” Robert Downey, Jr.’s latest turn as Sherlock Holmes, and the first installment, from two years ago, is purely coincidental. Where the first was witty and fleet footed, this one is dull and flat footed. It’s an extravagantly expensive mess, sure to bore the same audience that was delighted by its antecedent.
Christmas can be a special day for everyone
Regardless of one’s religion or secular views, may the essence of Christmas – “Peace on earth and good will to all” – seep into the lives of all of us on this day. No one need feel excluded. And may we rejoice in family and friends.
Islamist parties consolidate Egypt poll gains
From ALJAZEERA: Islamist parties in Egypt have consolidated their gains in Egypt’s parliamentary elections, securing more than 65 per cent of the seats determined so far, according to the latest results release… Based on the announcement, the Muslim Brotherhood says that its Freedom and Justice Party won 86 (47 per cent) of the 180 seats […]
Why do we allow priority security lanes at airports?
If you have flown in recent years, you may have noted expedited treatment via special lines for first class and business patrons during the security process.
Of course there is nothing the matter with business and first class passengers receiving special benefits from the airlines. They are paying for it and it is a private business arrangement.
Justice Dept. rejects South Carolina voter ID law, calling it discriminatory
From the WASHINGTON POST: The Obama administration entered the fierce national debate over voting rights, rejecting South Carolina’s new law requiring photo identification at the polls and saying it discriminated against minority voters. Friday’s decision by the Justice Department could heighten political tensions over eight state voter ID statutes passed this year, which critics say […]
New-Home Sales Rise 1.6% but 2011 Figures Dismal
From NEWSMAX: …The Commerce Department says new-home sales rose 1.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 315,000. That’s less than half the 700,000 new homes that economists say should be sold to sustain a healthy housing market. It’s also below the 323,000 homes sold last year — the worst year for […]
In China, a daring few challenge one-child limit
From USA TODAY / AP: ZHUJI, China– Seven months pregnant, Wu Weiping sneaked out early in the morning carrying a shoulder bag with some clothes, her laptop and a knife. “It’s good for me I wasn’t caught, but it’s lucky for them too,” said Wu, 35, who feared that family planning officials were going to […]
The making of the American 99%
And here was another thing many in the middle class were discovering: The downward plunge into poverty could occur with dizzying speed. One reason the concept of an economic 99 per cent first took root in the US rather than, say, Ireland or Spain is that Americans are particularly vulnerable to economic dislocation.
Joe Pitts votes 95% for big business lobby
There is no better example of party politicians not representing the interests of the people they purport to serve than our own Joe “the pits” Pitts. (Sorry, I could not help myself.) Anyway, Joe’s career voting record is scored by the big business lobby, the American Chamber of Commerce at 92%; meaning he has voted […]
Kathleen Sebelius’s health-care muddle
From the WASHINGTON POST: …Defining essential health benefits poses a basic conflict. On one hand, everyone wants broad coverage; on the other, the broader the coverage, the more expensive policies will be — pushing government spending up (because government pays for the subsidies) and wages down (because employers will shift compensation from wages to fringe […]