If North Korea's unending economic failures did not exact so great a price in lives — more than 1 million deaths from starvation in the '90s, with a repeat of that calamity now impending — the country would be a tragicomic cartoon.
McClatchy
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Most Topular Stories
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Commentary: We can't ignore North Korean suffering
Homepage28 Jan 2012 | 5:40 am -
Holocaust survivor shares his story on Remembrance Day
Latest headlines27 Jan 2012 | 6:14 pmHolocaust survivor Henry Greenbaum, 83, has made it his life's work to tell his story of survival to whomever is willing to listen, in order to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. -
Pentagon call for U.S. base closures a political move, lawmakers say
Nation27 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pmLegislators on Capitol Hill vowed Friday to resist a recommendation from the Pentagon to close unneeded military bases around the country as a way to save money, saying communities could not afford it and defense budget cuts could be made elsewhere. -
U.S. lawmakers' meeting sets back Obama's Afghan agenda
World27 Jan 2012 | 5:16 pmThe U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan had planned to use his latest foray to the region to build Afghan government support for the nascent U.S. effort to kindle peace talks with the Taliban. Instead, Ambassador Marc Grossman found himself last week putting out a fire ignited by a meeting between four U.S. Congress members and Afghan opposition leaders in Germany -
Texas' wind power boom could head for bust if Congress doesn't extend tax credit
Politics27 Jan 2012 | 6:29 amTexas remains the runaway leader in wind-power generation capacity among the 50 states. While only ninth in wind generation added during 2011, with 297 megawatts, it has nearly triple that amount under construction this year, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday.
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Homepage
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Commentary: We can't ignore North Korean suffering
28 Jan 2012 | 5:40 amIf North Korea's unending economic failures did not exact so great a price in lives — more than 1 million deaths from starvation in the '90s, with a repeat of that calamity now impending — the country would be a tragicomic cartoon. -
Commentary: Taking the 'Red Scare' off the law books
28 Jan 2012 | 5:02 amLast week's hearing on Washington state House Bill 2251 didn't take long, a few minutes to explain that it was a simple bill to repeal a law ruled unconstitutional nearly four decades ago. Check out more columns by Peter Callaghan at The News Tribune -
Commentary: Is GOP wary of Newt going rogue?
28 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amFellow Republicans are fretful indeed these days, with the race for the presidential nomination having turned into what a few commentators have called a "circular firing squad." The question, after Newt Gingrich's take-no-prisoners, brawling win in the South Carolina primary, is not just, "Who will win?" but "Will the nomination be worth having?" We will tell you now that it will be, as you shall see from our optimistic prognostication. -
Holocaust survivor shares his story on Remembrance Day
27 Jan 2012 | 6:03 pmHolocaust survivor Henry Greenbaum, 83, has made it his life's work to tell his story of survival to whomever is willing to listen, in order to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. -
4th-quarter growth rate disappoints, but sentiment picks up
27 Jan 2012 | 7:56 amThe lower-than-expected annualized growth rate of 2.8 percent reported Friday for the final three months of 2011 raises doubts about the strength of the U.S. recovery and concerns that 2012 may be another year of muddling along.
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Latest headlines
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Holocaust survivor shares his story on Remembrance Day
27 Jan 2012 | 6:14 pmHolocaust survivor Henry Greenbaum, 83, has made it his life's work to tell his story of survival to whomever is willing to listen, in order to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. -
Pentagon call for U.S. base closures a political move, lawmakers say
27 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pmLegislators on Capitol Hill vowed Friday to resist a recommendation from the Pentagon to close unneeded military bases around the country as a way to save money, saying communities could not afford it and defense budget cuts could be made elsewhere. -
Florida primary may take new route as Romney rebounds, Gingrich sags
27 Jan 2012 | 5:48 pmFlorida may be Newt Gingrich's Waterloo. After storming into the state with a head of steam from a surprising win last Saturday in South Carolina, Gingrich's support has waned and polls now suggest that he could lose Florida's primary when voting ends Tuesday, perhaps by a wide margin. -
Occupy protest seizes UC Davis building, blocks bank
27 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pmTaking advantage of some extra patience on the part of administrators who came under heavy criticism for the pepper-spraying of demonstrators in November, student protesters on the UC Davis campus have seized control of a vacant campus building and are sporadically blocking access to an on-campus bank. -
Federal agency sounds alarm on American Airlines' pensions
27 Jan 2012 | 11:37 amDespite what American Airlines says, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. thinks the airline's workers should be worried about their pensions.
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Nation
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Pentagon call for U.S. base closures a political move, lawmakers say
27 Jan 2012 | 5:54 pmLegislators on Capitol Hill vowed Friday to resist a recommendation from the Pentagon to close unneeded military bases around the country as a way to save money, saying communities could not afford it and defense budget cuts could be made elsewhere. -
Paterno remembered as 'more than a football coach'
27 Jan 2012 | 6:36 amJoe Paterno recruited young men from steel mill and coal-mining towns, molding them to become doctors, lawyers, police officers and firemen, by teaching them loyalty and teamwork. More coverage from the Centre Daily Times Family statement on Joe Paterno's death -
Kansas police oppose proposal allowing guns in public buildings
27 Jan 2012 | 6:14 amPolice chiefs from nine Kansas universities and colleges Thursday came out against a measure that would allow concealed handguns in government buildings. -
Bill Gates pledges $750 million for global AIDS fund
27 Jan 2012 | 5:43 amSoftware billionaire Bill Gates announced Thursday that his foundation would give $750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. -
Army reviews psychiatric team that reversed PTSD diagnoses of soldiers
27 Jan 2012 | 5:32 amThe Army is reviewing the actions of a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team that reversed the diagnoses of more than a dozen soldiers previously found to have post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD.
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World
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U.S. lawmakers' meeting sets back Obama's Afghan agenda
27 Jan 2012 | 5:16 pmThe U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan had planned to use his latest foray to the region to build Afghan government support for the nascent U.S. effort to kindle peace talks with the Taliban. Instead, Ambassador Marc Grossman found himself last week putting out a fire ignited by a meeting between four U.S. Congress members and Afghan opposition leaders in Germany -
Costa Concordia's captain lost precious time, official says
27 Jan 2012 | 5:43 amThe wasting of a "precious hour" by the captain of the Costa Concordia jeopardized the timely evacuation of all those aboard the stricken cruise liner, a top Italian coast guard officer said Thursday. -
Fidel Castro writes again after long break
27 Jan 2012 | 5:32 amFormer Cuban leader Fidel Castro has returned to writing with a vengeance, publishing five columns since Jan. 5 and after a seven-week break that triggered a wave of rumors that the health of the 85-year-old had taken a turn for the worse. -
Egypt bars U.S. workers from travel, escalating crackdown
26 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pmEgypt has barred at least 10 American and European civil society workers — including the son of a senior Obama administration official — from leaving the country in a sign that the ruling generals are extending their crackdown on foreign pro-democracy groups. -
Egyptians argue over fate of charred Mubarak party building
26 Jan 2012 | 2:05 pmA year ago this week, flames swallowed the headquarters of now-deposed President Hosni Mubarak, a scene shown on live television that made the revolution real for millions of Egyptians.
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Politics
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Texas' wind power boom could head for bust if Congress doesn't extend tax credit
27 Jan 2012 | 6:29 amTexas remains the runaway leader in wind-power generation capacity among the 50 states. While only ninth in wind generation added during 2011, with 297 megawatts, it has nearly triple that amount under construction this year, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday. -
Universal health care proposal stalls in California Senate
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amLegislation to create a universal health care system in California stalled in the state Senate Thursday ahead of a key legislative deadline, signaling it will likely fail to advance this year. -
Rep. Barney Frank to marry partner in same-sex ceremony
27 Jan 2012 | 5:43 amRep. Barney Frank, the first member of Congress to announce voluntarily he was gay, will marry his partner in a same-sex ceremony in Massachusetts, the lawmaker's spokesman said Thursday. -
North Carolina Gov. Perdue won't seek re-election
27 Jan 2012 | 5:32 amFacing steep odds and a nasty campaign as one of the nation's most endangered Democrats, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue announced Thursday she is abandoning her re-election bid. -
Washington lobbying expenses drop for the first time since '99
27 Jan 2012 | 5:32 amWashington's political gridlock has had at least one advantage: It allowed businesses and interest groups to reduce their lobbying expenses last year, the first time that's happened in more than a decade.
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Economy
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Federal agency sounds alarm on American Airlines' pensions
27 Jan 2012 | 11:37 amDespite what American Airlines says, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. thinks the airline's workers should be worried about their pensions. -
4th-quarter growth rate disappoints, but sentiment picks up
27 Jan 2012 | 7:56 amThe lower-than-expected annualized growth rate of 2.8 percent reported Friday for the final three months of 2011 raises doubts about the strength of the U.S. recovery and concerns that 2012 may be another year of muddling along. -
Florida Senate panel says no junk food on food stamps
26 Jan 2012 | 11:29 amFloridians could not use food stamps to buy soft drinks, candy bars or other junk food under a bill that survived contentious debate among members of a Senate panel Wednesday. -
Treasury Secretary Geithner visits Charlotte, N.C.
26 Jan 2012 | 6:16 amA few hundred yards from Charlotte's bank towers, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended the Obama administration's relations with the financial industry and the controversial package of new regulations still being written. -
US Airways studying American Airlines merger, CEO confirms
26 Jan 2012 | 5:40 amUS Airways CEO Doug Parker confirmed Wednesday that his company is exploring a merger with American Airlines while that carrier is in bankruptcy, but said a merger is not imperative to US Airways' survival.
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White House
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Obama plans to outline his economic blueprint at State of the Union address
23 Jan 2012 | 5:31 amFor weeks, President Barack Obama and his top advisers have been meeting around the gleaming table in the Roosevelt Room, debating what to include in the State of the Union address that will double as the national opening of the president's re-election year. -
At Disney World, Obama touts tourism initiatives to boost jobs
20 Jan 2012 | 6:09 amStanding before a sun-splashed Cinderella’s castle, President Barack Obama on Thursday called for America to become the world’s top travel destination with a program that could significantly increase tourism to South Florida. -
South Carolina hailed for insourcing jobs to U.S.
12 Jan 2012 | 10:44 amPresident Obama praised companies that are bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States from abroad at a White House conference Wednesday where he met with leaders of firms investing in South Carolina and other states. -
North Carolina furniture maker to share his views on jobs with Obama
11 Jan 2012 | 6:09 amThe Lincolnton, N.C., owner of a small specialty furniture maker will be President Obama's guest at the White House today. The president has asked Bruce Cochrane, owner of Lincolnton Furniture, and several other business owners to join him to discuss what can be done to encourage companies to keep jobs in the United States. -
Budget director Lew to replace Daley as Obama’s chief of staff
9 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pmPresident Barack Obama on Monday named his budget director, Jack Lew, to be his next chief of staff to replace William Daley, who’s leaving after a year in the job just as the White House begins to gear up for a bruising re-election campaign.
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Congress
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Texas' wind power boom could head for bust if Congress doesn't extend tax credit
27 Jan 2012 | 6:29 amTexas remains the runaway leader in wind-power generation capacity among the 50 states. While only ninth in wind generation added during 2011, with 297 megawatts, it has nearly triple that amount under construction this year, the American Wind Energy Association said Thursday. -
Rep. Barney Frank to marry partner in same-sex ceremony
27 Jan 2012 | 5:43 amRep. Barney Frank, the first member of Congress to announce voluntarily he was gay, will marry his partner in a same-sex ceremony in Massachusetts, the lawmaker's spokesman said Thursday. -
S.C. Republican lawmakers pan Obama's State of the Union speech
26 Jan 2012 | 10:57 amRepublican lawmakers from South Carolina dismissed President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday evening as another appeal to expand the government and increase federal spending. -
S.C. lawmakers reject bipartisan seating for State of the Union address
26 Jan 2012 | 10:53 amDespite historically low approval ratings for Congress, lawmakers from South Carolina were outliers Monday as they declined to join a symbolic show of bipartisanship for President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. -
N.C. Rep. McHenry grills Cordray over CFPB's power
25 Jan 2012 | 6:33 amU.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry on Tuesday didn't shy away from his opportunity to condemn the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while questioning its new director.
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Iraq
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With U.S. troops hardly gone, Iraq's government is coming apart
22 Jan 2012 | 1:34 pmIs the country headed for another round of sectarian strife? Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, is driving to consolidate control and sideline more secular politicians in a battle that increasingly appears to be a fight to the finish in which there can be no compromise. -
Iraq's Maliki accused of detaining hundreds of political opponents
19 Jan 2012 | 5:17 pmPrime Minister Nouri al Maliki's security services have locked up more than 1,000 members of other political parties over the past several months, detaining many of them in secret locations with no access to legal counsel and using "brutal torture" to extract confessions, his chief political rival has charged. -
Rockets hit Turkey's embassy in Iraq amid rising acrimony
19 Jan 2012 | 2:39 pmA rocket attack on Turkey's embassy in Baghdad this week has highlighted the rapid deterioration in relations between Turkey and Iraq, a development tied to Turkish criticism of the detention of opposition politicians by the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. -
Sacramento's Iraqi refugees community continues to grow
9 Jan 2012 | 5:58 amA Carmichael, Calif., living room has become an oasis for Iraqi refugees tortured by opposing sides of Iraq's brutal sectarian conflict. -
Iraqi immigrants settle quietly in Idaho
3 Jan 2012 | 11:51 amIn the past year, more than 9,000 of the 56,000 refugees who came to the U.S. came from Iraq. Iraqis now represent one of the largest groups of refugees in Idaho.
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Washington
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Holocaust survivor shares his story on Remembrance Day
27 Jan 2012 | 6:03 pmHolocaust survivor Henry Greenbaum, 83, has made it his life's work to tell his story of survival to whomever is willing to listen, in order to prevent anything like it from ever happening again. -
Defense budget plan doesn't cut as deeply as Pentagon says
26 Jan 2012 | 6:47 pmPentagon officials unveiled the outlines Thursday of what they called a pared-down defense budget, but their request increases baseline spending beyond the projected end of the Afghan war, even as they plan to reduce ground forces. -
Worries mount in Idaho, nation over lack of physical education
26 Jan 2012 | 11:01 amAs cash-strapped public schools have cut back on spending for physical education, some members of Congress want to intervene, worried that the nation’s schools are churning out too many fat children. -
Alaska film 'Big Miracle' premieres in nation's capital
26 Jan 2012 | 10:32 am"Big Miracle," the first major production subsidized by a state of Alaska film incentive program among the most generous in the nation, premiered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as debate burns in Alaska over whether the program is worth the cost. -
Geithner expects to leave Treasury
26 Jan 2012 | 5:34 amTreasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he's "confident" he won't be serving a second term, even if President Barack Obama is re-elected.
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Science
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Study: Drinking three cups of tea a day may help lower blood pressure
25 Jan 2012 | 5:33 amDrinking three cups of black tea daily over months may help lower blood pressure, a study suggests. -
Aurora borealis mesmerizes watchers who toughed out frigid weather for event
25 Jan 2012 | 5:24 amThe aurora borealis streaking across Alaska skies this week captivated sky watchers who camped out in sub-zero temperatures to photograph the lights, billed as the most active in years. -
Solar storm sends charged particles toward Earth
24 Jan 2012 | 5:25 amA massive explosion on the sun's surface has triggered the largest solar radiation storm since 2005 and has unleashed a torrent of charged plasma particles toward Earth, though the threat to satellites, power grids and other high-tech hardware is believed to be manageable, scientists said. -
Study lauds role of early education
20 Jan 2012 | 5:25 amPoor children who get high-quality day care as early as infancy reap long-lasting benefits, including a better chance at a college degree and steady employment, according to a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill study that followed participants from birth to age 30. -
Climate change skepticism seeps into science classrooms
18 Jan 2012 | 5:42 amA flash point has emerged in American science education that echoes the battle over evolution, as scientists and educators report mounting resistance to the study of man-made climate change in middle and high schools. Environment news from McClatchy DC
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Environment
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Bering Sea ice threatens crab fishery
26 Jan 2012 | 5:48 amSea ice is encroaching unusually early on the central Bering Sea, threatening to grind Alaska's economically important snow crab fishery to a halt at the peak of the season, leaving crabbers facing major losses. -
New estimates of Atlantic, Gulf fishing will help determine limits
25 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday announced that it's using a new way to estimate the amount of fish caught by recreational saltwater anglers on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the result of years of work on how to make the numbers more accurate. -
Environmental groups ask Kentucky lawmakers to consider coal's health impact
25 Jan 2012 | 6:16 amKentucky's leaders should consider the health hazards of mining, moving and burning coal as they craft the state's energy policy, an environmental group said Tuesday. -
Metals found in wells at NC coal plants
24 Jan 2012 | 5:42 pmElevated levels of metals have been found in groundwater near ash ponds at 14 North Carolina coal-fired power plants. -
Seaweed in the tank? Company turns to aquaculture for ethanol
19 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmImagine driving up to a gas station for ethanol made not from corn farms in the heartland, but from seaweed farms on the coasts. Futuristic, yes. But as the world looks for ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels, farming for seaweed as a fuel feedstock could emerge as an option. It's already starting in the earliest stages of testing in Chile.
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Planet Washington
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Jeb Bush: Gingrich efforts to tie Romney to Crist "ridiculous"
27 Jan 2012 | 12:25 pmNewt Gingrich shouldn't chide Mitt Romney for having ties to former Charlie Crist staffers, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday. Crist is disliked by many Republicans after leaving the 2010 GOP Senate primary and running as an independent. He lost to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Some of Crist's political staff now work for Romney. But Crist is not on the ballot, Bush said. “That’s not a serious accusation,” Bush told National Review Online, citing Gingrich's criticism. “Candidates win elections. I’m not a big Charlie Crist fan, as you recall, but these guys… -
Before home builders, Gingrich proposes revamping the EPA
27 Jan 2012 | 10:51 amThe morning after another combative Republican primary debate, the former House Speaker emphasized his pro-business, anti regulation platform -- and his connections to Ronald Reagan as a young congressman -- in a speech before a Hispanic business group in Miami. Not mentioned during the speech -- at least by name -- his GOP rival: Mitt Romney. Speaking before the influential Latin Builders Association: Gingrich emphasized his years as speaker, when Congress passed welfare reform and balanced the federal budget. And he cast himself as an early champion of Reagan's supply-side economics in… -
Romney to Obama on economy: "You're out of your depth"
27 Jan 2012 | 9:47 amMitt Romney grew up in Michigan, and he had a stark message Friday for President Barack Obama as he visited the state: "Mr. President," Romney said, "forgive me for being blunt, but when it comes to economic affairs, you’re out of your depth." Romney, the former Massachusetts governor seeking the Republican nomination to run against Obama, is the son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney. Michigan holds its presidential primary Feb. 28. Mitt Romney offered his views in an "open letter" to Obama, who was speaking in Ann… -
Florida poll: Mitt Romney opens up a lead over Newt Gingrich
27 Jan 2012 | 6:49 amWith four days left before Florida's presidential primary, a new poll finds Mitt Romney opening up a considerable lead over Newt Gingrich -- 38 percent to 29 percent. The pre-debate poll compares to a Jan. 25 survey by Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University that showed the race in a statistical dead heat: Romney at 36 percent to Gingrich's 34 percent. The poll also had Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 14 percent, followed by former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum at 12 percent. The poll suggests that it's men who are changing their minds: In today's poll, men back Romney 36 percent to 29… -
Mitt Romney's congressional team shadows Newt Gingrich
26 Jan 2012 | 6:06 pmMitt Romney's campaign has enlisted members of Congress to shadow Newt Gingrich at his events -- spinning Gingrich's congressional record to reporters -- and irritating the Gingrich campaign. Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz showed up at Gingrich's tea party rally today in Mount Dora, telling reporters that few members of Congress want to share a ballot with GIngrich. "He'd drag them down," Chaffetz said. "He really scares me and scares most members." Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond confronted Chaffetz at the event, but the Huffington Post notes he was…
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Suits & Sentences
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Ford wins reversal on $56 million patent case
27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 amAn #appeals court has given #Ford a huge #patent victory. On Thursday, the quiet-but-important U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a trial judge whose rulings had resulted in a $56 million patent infringement hit to the Ford Motor Co.. The trial judge, Illinois-based James B. Zagel, had determined in 2009 that Ford had willfully infringed on the "puddle lamp" patent of inventor Jacob Krippelz, Sr. A jury had awarded the Krippelz team $23 million, and the judge had added $33 million for enhanced damages and prejudgment interest. The appellate court, in its… -
Judge hints at endless tobacco litigation
26 Jan 2012 | 2:13 pmA weary #judge hints that #tobacco #litigation will go on until the sun cools and the last lawyer drops, in a brief opinion issued Thursday. Or so it might appear, from this little parenthetical in the three-page opinion issued by Judge Gladys Kessler in the case United States v. Phillip Morris: "It is perfectly clear from Defendants’ Response that the litigation challenging the Regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration, Required Warnings For Cigarette Packaging & Advertisements... will not end (if ever) for an extremely long period of time." … -
Inside the minds of Chandra Levy jurors
26 Jan 2012 | 11:46 am#Jurors in the Chandra Levy #murder trial had to answer a lot more questions than usual, because of the pre-trial notoriety resulting from Levy's relationship with former congressman Gary Condit. A McClatchy article today tells the basic story; here are some additional details about some of the 12 jurors and four alternates. A 72-year-old male education researcher said that tattoos are "sometimes an art form." A 58-year-old female journalist reported that she had a second cousin who is an FBI agent in Las Vegas. She said she didn't know much about gangs. A 55-year-old female… -
Porn producers seek court help
23 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pmPorn producers going after #copyright abuse in #court faced a setback Monday, and some sneaky Internet porn-watchers may be breathing a sigh of relief. The producers or copyright holders of such movies as "Supergirl XXX: An Extreme Comixxx Parody" and "XXX Avengers," as well as others with more emphatically descriptive titles, know the Internet Protocol addresses of the alleged illegal downloaders. Now, they want subpoenas to compel the Internet Service Providers to provide the names of the people associated with those IP addresses. In four related cases Monday, U.S. -
Chandra Levy juror info outted
20 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pm#WaPost wins, as a D.C. #appeals #court has ordered release of juror questionnaires in the high-profile, now-concluded trial of Chandra Levy's killer. In a 20-page decision issued this week, elavorated upon in this fresh-from-the-oven McClatchy article, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge went too far when he blocked release of the 11-page, 55-question forms filled out by the Levy jurors. "The values underlying the First Amendment right of access _ for example, the public trial as a check on the fair functioning of the criminal justice system _ are served even after…
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Inside South America
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Is Medellin's new escalator the latest shakedown target?
27 Jan 2012 | 8:18 amIn late December, Medellin made international news when it cranked up a massive public escalator that benefits tens of thousands of people who live in the cliff-hugging Comuna 13 neighborhood. The daily walk up to La 13 is the equivalent of hiking up 23 floors, according to El Espectador. Now, some in the community are complaining that local gangs are muscling in on the project and charging up to 5,000 pesos (about $2.50) to use the escalator. According to El Tiempo, the same gangs that shakedown bus drivers are the ones behind the escalator scam. Authorities say they are investigating… -
Venezuela: Chavez says consulate closure not about hamstringing primaries
23 Jan 2012 | 8:51 amThe rumble over Venezuela's consulate in Miami continues. On Sunday, President Hugo Chavez insisted that his decision to close the office had to do with the safety of the staff there, and not any desire to hamstring the Feb. 12 opposition primaries. If you're unfamiliar with the spat, check out this story. "Now that we closed the consulate because of threats to our personnel, they accuse me of trying to sabotage the primary elections and that it's an abuse of the Venezuelans that live in Miami," he said during his Sunday television show. "Now they say… -
Inside South America a year in pics: Obama's visit to Chile
30 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amInside South America is on vacation. But over the holidays I'll be posting some of my favorite photos from the year. I took these pics during Obama's visit to Chile in March. While he was generally well-received, the escalating conflict in Libya and the US's role in the rise of PInochet fueled protests. Below, members of Chile's communist party carry a banner depicting President Pinera as Obama's lapdog. The other two pics, were simply amusing things I saw after visiting the country's very impressive human rights museum. -
Inside South America a year in pics: Colombian street performers
28 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amInside South America is on vacation. But over the holidays I'll be posting some of my favorite photos from the year. Colombians are renowned in the region for being go-getters, and that's definitely on display on most streets. In downtown Bogota, dozens of street performers elbow for space on busy sidewalks hoping to make a few pesos. Below are a few that caught my eye: 1) man with his head in a cage. 2) the human Transformer. 3) a traditional dancer gets patted down on his way into an event. -
Inside South America a year in pics: Venezuela street scenes
26 Dec 2011 | 8:04 amInside South America is on vacation. But over the holidays, I'll be posting some of my favorite photos from the year. These are some shots I took during several trips to Venezuela. 1) A pic of a Che Guevara lookalike and ardent Chavez supporter who I've spotted at several of the president's rallies. 2) Images of Chavez are everywhere, including this no-smoking sign hanging in a government office. 3) This woman was dusting off a statue of Latin American Liberator Simon Bolivar as part of a street-art festival. The broom seller stumbled across the scene and seemed pretty…
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Inside Iraq
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Blood River Continues
14 Jan 2012 | 3:18 pmOne more bloody day in Iraq and this time in Basra province south Iraq. Medical sources said that at least 53 people including kids, women and security forces were killed and about 140 others were wounded in a suicide attack. The attack took place on Saturday morning while Shiite pilgrims were walking towards a mosque in west Basra province. Security sources confirmed that the suicide bomber could pass the checkpoints with a faked police ID and when he reached a crowded check point, he blew himself up among the crowds. The attack is the second big attack within less than ten days. The first… -
The Universal Imam Hussein
10 Jan 2012 | 3:58 pmIn the history of humanity, there are some events changed the life of nations and societies. The battle of Taf where Imam Hussein was killed with his family and supporters more than 1300 years ago is one historical event that so many people including western intellectuals who studied the Islamic history appreciate and consider one of the biggest event in man history because Imam Hussein with only 72 loyal followers faced over 30000 soldiers and they were killed defending human rights and… -
The Fuel of the Political War
5 Jan 2012 | 3:04 pmOne more bloody day in Iraq. One more day of wailing and tears. More kids joined the very long list of orphans. More families lost their sponsors and joined the world of poverty. Over sixty innocent people were killed by successive explosions by car bombs and suicide bombers in Baghdad and Nasiriyha a province in south Iraq Thursday morning. The explosions didn't target the (occupation forces) as those who used to claim they fight to liberate Iraq because these forces left the country. Moreover, the explosions didn't target… -
He IS NOT from MY PEOPLE
2 Jan 2012 | 3:06 pmIt is very well known in any democratic country adopts the parliamentary system that a lawmaker is a representative of all people not only those who voted for him but it looks that this principle is not applied in Iraq and it might need to be approved by our lawmakers first . The story began when I went to the parliament with my colleagues Roy and Sahar to interview some lawmakers. An hour later, we met in the office of the committee of security and defense because Sahar and Roy wanted to interview a member of the committee. When the man came, he… -
SMS from the Iraqi Prime Minister
31 Dec 2011 | 3:00 pm"We are all for Iraq. Glory and honor to people. I congratulate you and our proud Iraqi people for this historical day. With my love and respect to you and your family. Your brother Nouri al-Maliki" This is the full transcript of the SMS I received from Zen Mobile Company which sent it to all its subscribers. The SMS is a congratulation SMS sent by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al-Maliki to the Iraqi people for what is called (the Day of Iraq) referring to the 31 of December which represents the…
