Daily News Drop
It’s Wednesday, and today was definitely full of interesting news, so let’s get right to it:
Al-Qaeda calls out Ahmadinejad Not to be flippant about the situation, but you know that you’re ridiculous when Al-Qaeda is calling you out. Al-Qaeda once again took credit for 9/11 and made a statement calling Ahmadinejad’s beliefs “ridiculous,” saying that “it stands in the face of all logic and evidence.” Ouch.
Man Accused of Pentagon Plot Rezwan Ferdaus, an American citizen, was arrested and accused of planning to use drones with attached explosives to launch two into the Pentagon and one into the Capitol. He was caught by undercover FBI agents who also supplied him with the money to acquire supplies for the attack; Ferdaus believed they were recruiters from Al-Quaeda.
Waukesha Official Broke the Law… but didn’t tamper with votes, or at least that’s what was found by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. The board stated that “Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus violated the laws and procedures for administering the count — but that her actions were not willful, criminal misconduct.” Right.
Judge Refuses to Block Immigration Law An Alabama judge refused to block key parts of the Alabama immigration law, which now has the strictest immigration policy in the country. Basically, the law calls for immigration status to be checked during routine traffic stops (and other things in more detail – read the full text HERE).
Health Care Reform Headed to Supreme Court A 26 state coalition is requesting that the Supreme Court decide on the Constitutionality of President Obama’s Health Care Law, and the case could be decided by June. The biggest issue up for decision is whether the individual mandate is constitutional and whether it can be separated from the rest of the law. I actually look forward to the day the court makes its ruling so that the Tea Party zealots can shut up about it and focus on other aspects of peoples’ lives to ruin.
Paul Ryan’s Big Plan Paul Ryan has decided that not only should seniors be put on a voucher system, but so should the rest of the country. Actually, he’d like to convert your employer insurance plans to a voucher system… don’t worry though. You can gaze into Ryan’s big, blue eyes and feel comforted by the fact that you’re helping to reduce the deficit by giving up the insurance you currently have and embracing your vouchers.
2,900 Convicted Criminals Arrested According to ICE, more than 2,900 convicts were arrested, and we’re not talking all small offenses. Many were fugitives and included in their crimes were manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug trafficking, child abuse, sexual crimes against minors and aggravated assault. The Obama Administration is trying to crack down on illegal immigrants, and despite the high arrest numbers, I’m sure the GOP will continue to scream that the President is soft on illegal immigration.
Federal Definition of Rape Criticized The Federal definition of “Rape” is much narrower than the definition used by most police departments. The current definition the FBI uses for rape is more than 80 years old and is “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.” As the article points out, “…that definition, critics say, does not take into account sexual-assault cases that involve anal or oral penetration or penetration with an object, cases where the victims were drugged or under the influence of alcohol or cases with male victims. As a result, many sexual assaults are not counted as rapes in the yearly federal accounting… In Chicago, the Police Department recorded close to 1,400 sexual assaults in 2010, according to the department’s Web site. But none of these appeared in the federal crime report because Chicago’s broader definition of rape is not accepted by the F.B.I.” This is a big deal, and a big problem. I do hope these facts are widely circulated because I have a feeling that a lot of Americans, like myself, had no idea this was the case.
Hopefully everyone is having a fantastic week, and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next Daily News Drop!
Sources: The Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, CNN, The New York Times, The Latin America News Dispatch, Daily Kos,
Daily News Drop
Welcome to the Sunday edition of the Daily News Drop! I’d like to send my condolences to the 14 killed by Hurricane Irene and to those injured or inconvenienced by it. Here is today’s batch of stories to help you stay informed in an ever-changing world.
Climate Change Planning Important Regardless of Science Really interesting piece in Scientific American. Climate change is happening, regardless of what the right wing would have you believe. This article, however, shows how adapting city planning to withstand higher water levels will save lives not only in the long term, but in the short term as well. Humanity has been adapting to survive storms for centuries and this is the latest incarnation.
Politicizing the Hurricane Ron Paul is maddening. On Fox News Sunday, he openly called for the destruction of FEMA and for immediately cutting funding to offset any spending on disaster relief. Supposedly, hurricane response was better in 1900 on the state level before the federal government got involved. Really? He wants to be our president?
Al Qaeda’s Number Two Killed in Pakistan Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, the number two man in Al Qaeda, was killed in Waziristan on August 22 by U.S. Drone strike. The strike killed at least four people.That’s the story that people should follow. With these drone strikes, innocent civilians and unintended targets are inevitably killed. There’s a reason that the United States is so unpopular in Pakistan and the region in general.
Why the New Deal Matters Interesting post from Daily Kos. Giving you a few images from the FDR Presidential Library and Museum, it looks at how vital to the country the New Deal was – Social Security in particular. Social Security spawned other movements, like the economic equality EPIC movement. If all you’ve heard about the New Deal is how FDR bankrupted this country, read this story.
White Michael Vick Toure wrote a piece for ESPN asking the question, “what would have happened if Michael Vick was white?” He went on to say that it’s nearly impossible to tell because changing the race would make so many differences. Feministe had a strong counter argument – you can’t tell what it would be because it a fictional hypothesis. Changing class, parenting, neighborhood, friends, or even hair color might cause changes… but you’d never actually be able to discern what those changes would be.
Denying it won’t Change it – Racism Still Exists As polls continue to show that Americans believe that racism is over, and now a new storyline has emerged – that Barack Obama has had an easier time rising to where he has because he’s black – David Sirota is the voice of reason. Looking at unemployment rates, or rates of callback on jobs, systemic racism is everywhere. Pointing to the president is not an effective argument that racism is over. Denialism sure as hell isn’t.
Once again we end with a happier story…
Thom Hartmann – The Left’s Answer in Talk Radio In a world where right wing talk radio can be found in any town in the nation (mainly because of massive media conglomerates), but left wing talk is so very hard to find, Thom Hartmann is finding an audience in a difficult environment. Ranked in the top ten for radio hosts in terms of ratings, and with a simulcasted television program on the independent Free Speech TV, Hartmann is a beacon of reason. I’ve followed Thom for years now, and he deserves any success that he receives.
Thanks for reading and staying informed! Keep coming to The Progressive Playbook for quality progressive content. Also, check out Luke Radl’s column on natural disasters and how they’re not the fault of the gays… as much as the Religious Right wish that they were. Share these and other articles if you feel inclined!
Sources: Scientific American, Crooks and Liars, Al Jazeera English, Daily Kos, Feministe, ESPN, Salon, Alternet
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