USA TODAY: Pope Francis will visit the United States next year, he said in a speech Monday. “I wish to confirm according to the wishes of the Lord, that in September of 2015, I will go to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families,” the pontiff said while speaking at a conference on family values […]
Pay rising sharply for young, low-wage workers
USA TODAY: Young low- and middle-wage workers are seeing their earnings rise more rapidly than their older, higher-paid counterparts, reversing the trend that prevailed early in the economic recovery. The shift could boost economic growth since lower-paid workers tend to spend most of their paychecks, spreading the benefits throughout the economy. It’s also lifting the […]
Putin leaves G20 early over Ukraine
FINANCIAL TIMES: Mr Putin insisted there was a “good chance of a resolution” of the conflict in Ukraine and said the G20 talks had been “complete, constructive and very helpful” but the Russian president left Brisbane before the final communiqué was announced, saying he had a long flight back to Moscow and wanted to get […]
Mishandling Rape
OUR strategy for dealing with rape on college campuses has failed abysmally. Female students are raped in appalling numbers, and their rapists almost invariably go free.
The Mitch Rubin sentence: Another wet noodle
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE REVIEW EDITORIAL: Only in Pennsylvania, the State of Corruption, could a high-ranking former state official be given probation for engaging in that time-honored public service crime of accepting a bribe.
Penn State president to review Freeh’s Sandusky report
“The contents of the report have led to questions by some in the Penn State community. I do not want people to believe that Penn State is hiding something,” Barron said in a statement.
G-20 nations agree plan for $2 trillion growth boost
USA TODAY / AP: Leaders of G-20 nations meeting in Australia on Sunday finalized a plan to boost global GDP by more than $2 trillion over five years by investing in infrastructure and increasing trade. A G-20 communique said that if the $2 trillion initiative is fully implemented, it would lift global GDP by 2.1% […]
U.S. military chief says battle with IS starting to turn
DAIILY BEAST / REUTERS: The United States’ top military officer told American troops on a surprise visit to Baghdad on Saturday that the momentum in the battle with Islamic State was “starting to turn”, but predicted a drawn-out campaign lasting several years. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was visiting Iraq […]
Bill Clinton says he’s surprised by midterm loses
AOL: Former President Bill Clinton said Saturday that Democrats lacked a “national advertising campaign” in the recent midterm elections and that he’s surprised many Senate races were not closer. Clinton said in an interview with Politico that Republicans were helped by a larger bloc of voters who felt more strongly about the elections than members […]
Greece is eurozone’s top Q3 performer
FINANCIAL TIMES: After years as Europe’s economic basket case, Greece has found itself in an unfamiliar position: star performer. On Friday the country reported the eurozone’s highest economic growth in the third quarter thanks to a record summer tourist season, raising hopes it is heading for a sustained recovery after almost six years of recession… […]
Snubs, barbs and isolation: Putin rounded on at G20 summit
ALJAZEERA: President Vladimir Putin was rounded on by Western leaders at the G20 summit in Australia on Saturday, with the Russian leader warned to “get out of Ukraine” or face further sanctions. Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the latest escalation of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, where more than 4,000 people have […]
Is President Obama’s lack of popularity a myth?
“The Rasmussen Report’s daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Obama’s job performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove (see trends).
LETTER: AG office employees showed either lack of intelligence or concern
Re: LNP editorial “Linked to pornographic email scandal, Richard Sheetz could not stay on in DA’s office” The problem I see is not the morality of the situation, but the poor handling. By now everyone should know not to send questionable emails at work. To do so, shows either a lack of intelligence or a […]
Marijuana Arrests Drop, But Still 1.5 Million Drug Arrests Last Year
In 2008, there were a record 872,000 marijuana arrests, so pot busts have declined by slightly more than 20% since then. But arrests for other drug offenses continue apace, actually increasingly slightly last year.