Sweetness & Light

The Hive – Please Talk Among Yourselves

Steve — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:54:43 +0000

Here is our usual weekend discussion thread, where comments on the general topics of the day are welcome. But please remember to post and comment on specific news items in the ‘News Selected By Our Correspondents’ thread below or via the link found in the sidebar.

Selected News For The Week May 19 – May 25

Steve — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:52:14 +0000

This thread is for the busy bees of S&L to post news articles that might not warrant their own thread. Posting Guidelines To make the articles as readable as possible, please: Only post news from established news media outlets. Avoid editorials or opinion pieces unless they are truly newsworthy. Avoid items that most people most [...]

Cleaver: Blacks Are Targeted By House Ethics

Steve — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:55:37 +0000

From the Politico: Cleaver: ‘Concern’ on ethics probes of black lawmakers By: John Bresnahan May 17, 2012 08:09 PM EDT Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, wants to know why black lawmakers are being targeted in ethics investigations at a far higher rate than their non African-American colleagues. Could it be because [...]

Super PAC Attacked For Weighing Wright Ad

Steve — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:13:28 +0000

From a triumphant New York Times: Magnate Steps Into 2012 Fray on Wild Pitch By JIM RUTENBERG and JEFF ZELENY May 17, 2012 Joe Ricketts, an up-by-the-bootstraps billionaire whose varied holdings include a name-brand brokerage firm in Omaha, a baseball team in Chicago, herds of bison in Wyoming and a start-up news Web site in [...]

AP: Evidence Mixed For Zimmerman’s Claims

Steve — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:54:02 +0000

Some criminal journalism from the Associated Press: Evidence mixed for Zimmerman’s self-defense claim By KYLE HIGHTOWER and MIKE SCHNEIDER May 18, 2012 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — When George Zimmerman tries to convince a judge or a jury that he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense, the evidence in the case appears to be a mixed bag. [...]

Extortion, Voter Fraud Rock New Mexico Town

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:55:42 +0000

From the Texas El Paso Times: New Mexico takes over Sunland Park: Audit finds misappropriation of city money, more Daniel Borunda Posted: 05/15/2012 SUNLAND PARK — The state of New Mexico took over fiscal oversight of Sunland Park on Monday after a state audit found widespread fraud, criminal violations and misappropriation of city funds, including [...]

‘Unrevised’ Jobless Claims Are By 3,000

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:51:54 +0000

From a relentless Associated Press: US unemployment aid applications stay at 370,000 CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER May 17, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits was unchanged last week, suggesting steady gains in the job market. Look at that headline and lead. That is journalistic malpractice in several ways. First, how does [...]

‘Good Cholesterol’ Does Not Cut Heart Risks

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:15:38 +0000

Buried in the ‘Research’ section of the New York Times: Doubt Cast on the ‘Good’ in ‘Good Cholesterol’ May 16, 2012 The name alone sounds so encouraging: HDL, the “good cholesterol.” The more of it in your blood, the lower your risk of heart disease. So bringing up HDL levels has got to be good [...]

Congress Rejects Obama Budget 513 To Zero

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:08 +0000

From The Hill: Senate rejects Obama budget in 99-0 vote By Erik Wasson and Daniel Strauss – 05/16/12 A budget resolution based on President Obama’s 2013 budget failed to get any votes in the Senate on Wednesday. In a 99-0 vote, all of the senators present rejected the president’s blueprint. It’s the second year in [...]

AP: Don’t Worry About Immigration, SCOTUS

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:07:37 +0000

From a joyous Associated Press: Census: Minorities now surpass whites in US births By HOPE YEN [sic] May 17, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing. New 2011 census [...]

NBC: Trayvon Shot From ‘Intermediate Range’

Steve — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:41:13 +0000

From a despicable NBC News: Trayvon Martin killed by single gunshot fired from ‘intermediate range,’ autopsy shows By NBC News and MSNBC.com May 16, 2012 Florida teenager Trayvon Martin died from a single gunshot wound to the chest fired from “intermediate range,” according to an autopsy report reviewed Wednesday by NBC News… NBC/MSNBC is claiming [...]

Stimulus Funds ‘Erectile Dysfunction’ Study

Steve — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:35:01 +0000

From the San Francisco NBC affiliate, KNBC: Stimulus Dollars Fund Studies into Sexual History and Erectile Dysfunction By Tony Kovaleski, Liza Meak, and Felipe Escamilla Wednesday, May 16, 2012 The NBC Investigative Unit has raised questions about two grants totaling nearly $1.5 million dollars distributed to the University of California San Francisco. The money was [...]

States Diverting Mortgage Aid To Pay Unions

Steve — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:50:02 +0000

From the New York Times: Needy States Use Housing Aid Cash to Plug Budgets By SHAILA DEWAN May 15, 2012 Hundreds of millions of dollars meant to provide a little relief to the nation’s struggling homeowners is being diverted to plug state budget gaps. In a budget proposed this week, California joined more than a [...]

Obama Inserts Himself Into Presidents’ Bios

Steve — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:25:01 +0000

From Commentary Magazine Obama Drops His Name Into the Other Presidential Biographies Seth Mandel | 05.15.2012 … The Heritage Foundation’s Rory Cooper tweeted that Obama had casually dropped his own name into Ronald Reagan’s official biography on www.whitehouse.gov, claiming credit for taking up the mantle of Reagan’s tax reform advocacy with his “Buffett Rule” gimmick… [...]

Catholic University Drops Health Insurance

Steve — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:51:20 +0000

From Reuters: Catholic college drops health plan over contraception mandate By Stephanie Simon May 15, 2012 DENVER (Reuters) – A small Catholic college in Ohio said Tuesday it was dropping health insurance coverage for students rather than comply with a federal mandate that the plan provide free birth control. The Franciscan University of Steubenville "will [...]

Autopsy: Trayvon Martin Had Skinned Knuckles

Steve — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:31 +0000

We are discovering a number of things from the ‘discovery’ face of the Zimmerman case. First from ABC News: Zimmerman Medical Report Shows Broken Nose, Lacerations After Trayvon Martin Shooting By MATT GUTMAN and SENI TIENABESO May 15, 2012 A medical report compiled by the family physician of accused Trayvon Martin murderer George Zimmerman and [...]