“I am not writing to exonerate my father because he did not commit a crime that needs a pardon,” he wrote. “If anything, he is guilty of failing to possess the God-like qualities ascribed to him by others, qualities that Joe was the first to insist he never had.”
Month: July 2014
In Ferry Deaths, a South Korean Tycoon’s Downfall
Scores of cabins and even an art gallery laden with marble were added to the ferry’s upper decks, making the ship top-heavy. So much extra cargo was crammed on board that there was sometimes no space to secure it properly with chains and lashings. And, prosecutors say, the ferry’s crucial ballast water, needed to balance all the additional weight, was deliberately drained so that the vessel would not sit too low — a telltale sign to inspectors that the ferry was dangerously overloaded to bring in more money…
New York’s Finest and Common Sense
While taking a very early walk in Central Park, an elderly man carrying a cup of coffee stumbled and fell, barely breaking his fall with his two hands and sprawled face first on the ground.
Broken Windows, Broken Lives
NEW YORK TIMES Editorial: …When Judge Shira Scheindlin of Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled a year ago that stop-and-frisk policies were unconstitutional, she ordered a pilot program for officers to wear cameras that record interactions with the public. The program will be in precincts with the most stop-and-frisk cases, including the North Shore of […]
Solar Industry Is Rebalanced by U.S. Pressure on China
On Friday, the United States Commerce Department took another step in that direction, finding that Chinese solar companies had dumped their products on the American market at below cost, and imposing duties of 10.74 percent to 55.49 percent.
GOP Rep. Fleming: Obama Impeachment Talk ‘Pure Politics’
NEWSMAX: Any discussion of Republicans working to impeach President Barack Obama over any executive action he might take on immigration is “pure politics,” Rep. John Fleming told Newsmax on Friday. “The president is behind that narrative,” the three-term GOP congressman from Louisiana said. “There has not been any discussions on the impeachment of this president. […]
Congress restores consumers’ right to unlock phones
USA TODAY: …Most mobile phones in the United States are tethered to particular networks and sold to users at discounted prices that the wireless firms subsidize. When locked, devices cannot be activated for use on another wireless provider… The Competitive Carriers Association, which represents smaller telecommunications providers, applauded the move to empower consumers. “All consumers, […]
Brussels chiefs urge EU states to approve tough curbs on Russia
FINANCIAL TIMES: … “My assessment is that this package strikes the right balance when it comes to cost/benefit ratio and scalability/reversibility over time,” wrote Mr Van Rompuy. “It should have a strong impact on Russia’s economy while keeping a moderate effect on EU economies.” According to officials who have seen the legislation, it closely follows […]
Hungary’s hidden state debt: Unpaid doctors, hospital suppliers
BY BLANKA ZÖLDI BUDAPEST BEACON: Hungary’s hidden state debt: Unpaid doctors, suppliers, service providers “Many hospitals are not able to pay for bandages, equipment, medical supplies and even electricity. In some cases hospitals have been threatened with having their electricity and gas cut off, and it has become commonplace for healthcare companies to only deliver […]
More Amtrak money to be flushed down the commode
The marble walls far exceed anything that is installed in hotels and commercial buildings. The urinals are divided by marble screens per the most modern design.
Amazon’s Ambitious Bets Pile Up, and Its Losses Swell
NEW YORK TIMES: …The company, which is embroiled in a very public conflict with the publisher Hachette, announced second-quarter losses nearly double what Wall Street predicted. It also warned that the third quarter would be worse. Much worse… Amazon long ago proved that it could sell vast quantities of goods to tens of millions of […]
State should act on Affordable Care Act
SCRANTON TIMES TRIBUNE Editorial: …Many states with Republican-controlled governments, like Pennsylvania, declined to establish exchanges as part of opposition to the law and political opposition to President Obama. In such cases, state residents instead used the federal exchange to obtain insurance and, if they qualified, federal subsidies to pay for it. Tuesday, the U.S. Court […]
Obama Tells CNBC Companies Cheating America With Inversions
NEWSMAX: …In at interview recorded in California, where the president is spending the day making speeches and fundraising, Obama told CNBC Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman that American companies thrive because they benefit from the best university system in the world and the best infrastructure, “although I’d like to see it do a little better […]
New-home sales fall 8.1% in June
USA TODAY: Sales of new single-family homes fell 8.1% in June, and May’s previously reported surge was slashed by a record revision… June sales hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 406,000, the second-weakest pace of the year, Census said. May’s level was cut to 442,000 from the 504,000 annual pace Census reported a month […]