From earthquakes to cholera, Haiti can’t seem to get a break. Geologists have now reported that the decimated country may be in serious risk of additional devastation. Scientists posit that “not all the geological strain that triggered the original quake” last Jan. 12 has been released. —JCL The Guardian: Haiti is at serious risk of further devastation from earthquakes in the near future, geologists have warned. Their research, to be published in next month’s issue of Nature Geoscience, indicates that not all the geological strain that triggered the original quake in January has been released as had been thought. More than 230,000 people died in the magnitude 7.0 quake on 12 January and more than one million were left homeless. Now geologists are warning that Haiti faces the prospect of further devastation. “The January earthquake only unloaded a fraction of the seismic energy that has built up over time in Haiti,” Eric Calais, a geologist at Purdue University, Indiana, who is also a science adviser for the UN development programme in Haiti, told Nature. “Other earthquakes are therefore inevitable.” Read more Related Entries October 30, 2010 SB 1070’s Day in Court October 23, 2010 Arizona Lawmaker Fights Boycott Backlash
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With either renewed purpose for peace in the Middle East or due to more base political motivations of power, Israel’s Labor Party has threatened to walk out of the country’s coalition government unless negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis substantially proceed in the coming weeks. —JCL The Guardian: Israel’s Labor party will walk out of the rightwing-dominated coalition government unless serious negotiations with the Palestinians get under way in the coming weeks, according to cabinet minister Avishay Braverman, an expected challenger to Ehud Barak for his party’s leadership. “We need to move as soon as possible. The only way to guarantee the state of the Jewish people is to move boldly after the US election,” Braverman, the minister for minorities, said in an interview. If Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu missed the opportunity, “Labor will not be in the coalition government. If there are the beginnings of serious negotiations, Labor stays; if not, Labor leaves.” Read more Related Entries October 24, 2010 Israeli Settlers Destroying Palestinians’ Olive Trees October 22, 2010 Israeli Officers Under Investigation
Continue reading …Jimmy Carter: Fox News Implants ‘Completely False Images’ of President Obama
October 31, 2010 No Comment
Former President Jimmy Carter on Sunday claimed that Fox News implants “completely false images” of Barack Obama while also distorting the facts about legislation before Congress. Speaking to Howard Kurtz on CNN's “Reliable Sources,” Carter practically blamed all of the current president's problems in the polls on the cable news network (video follows with transcript and commentary): read more
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In the shadow of the Capitol and the election, comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert entertained a huge throng at a “sanity” rally poking fun at the nation’s ill-tempered politics, fear-mongers and doomsayers. AP’s Matt Friedman reports. (Oct. 30)
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A comment by U.K. Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman has caused a stir within the international red-haired community. Harman has been forced to apologize to a colleague of hers, Danny Alexander, for calling him a “ginger rodent,” referring malignly to Alexander’s, dare I say, unique and quite exquisite hair color and skin pigmentation. —JCL The Guardian: Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman was forced to apologise today for branding a senior coalition minister a “ginger rodent”. Harman admitted she had been “wrong” to use the description about Liberal Democrat chief treasury secretary Danny Alexander in a speech. A statement issued by Labour said: “Harriet Harman has today apologised for her comment about Danny Alexander and says it was wrong.” Read more Related Entries October 30, 2010 SB 1070’s Day in Court October 29, 2010 Oklahoma Not OK With Shariah Law
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In the shadow of the Capitol and the election, comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert entertained a huge throng Saturday at a “sanity” rally poking fun at the nation’s ill-tempered politics, its fear-mongers and doomsayers. (Oct. 30)
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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been asked to resign by opposition lawmakers after details arose that Berlusconi asked police to free a detained 17-year-old Moroccan girl called “Ruby”. “Ruby” allegedly had jaunts in Berlusconi’s home and has become yet another leading figure in Silvio’s scandal catalog. —JCL Reuters: Opposition lawmakers demanded that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resign after a paper on Saturday published what it said were details of him asking police to free a 17-year-old Moroccan girl detained for theft. The saga of the girl, a dancer who goes by the stage name “Ruby,” and her ties to the 74-year-old center-right prime minister have exploded into the latest scandal over Berlusconi’s private life. Newspapers have been awash with details of parties she allegedly attended at the media tycoon’s residence. Read more Related Entries October 27, 2010 Sex, Lies and Twitter October 11, 2010 Open Call: Obama’s Town Hall
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Anti-immigration poster child SB1070 will soon have its day in court, Arizona’s toxic new immigration law has been scheduled on the docket of a San Francisco appeals court for Monday, and is thus slated to determine what exactly is state and local authorities’ role in immigration issues. —JCL The Associated Press via The Guardian: Arizona’s tough and controversial new immigration law will get its day before a San Francisco appeals court Monday, with the central issue being just what role state and local authorities can play in confronting those who cross the border illegally. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will consider Gov. Jan Brewer’s appeal of a ruling that put on hold parts of the law. Among the blocked provisions is the requirement that police — in enforcing other laws — must question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. When the law passed and was signed by Brewer on April 23, it touched off a national furor with supporters calling for similar legislation for their own states and detractors calling for an economic boycott of Arizona. Senate Bill 1070, as it is known, also blew up into a huge political issue during this year’s mid-term elections. Read more Related Entries October 29, 2010 Oklahoma Not OK With Shariah Law October 23, 2010 Arizona Lawmaker Fights Boycott Backlash
Continue reading …The anti-immigration SB 1070 will soon have its day in court. Arizona’s toxic new law is on the docket of a federal appeals court in San Francisco for Monday. The justices are expected to consider what exactly is the role of state and local authorities in immigration issues. —JCL The Associated Press via The Guardian: Arizona’s tough and controversial new immigration law will get its day before a San Francisco appeals court Monday, with the central issue being just what role state and local authorities can play in confronting those who cross the border illegally. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will consider Gov. Jan Brewer’s appeal of a ruling that put on hold parts of the law. Among the blocked provisions is the requirement that police — in enforcing other laws — must question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally. When the law passed and was signed by Brewer on April 23, it touched off a national furor with supporters calling for similar legislation for their own states and detractors calling for an economic boycott of Arizona. Senate Bill 1070, as it is known, also blew up into a huge political issue during this year’s mid-term elections. Read more Related Entries October 27, 2010 Sex, Lies and Twitter October 11, 2010 Open Call: Obama’s Town Hall
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For all of y’all who couldn’t make it to Washington, D.C. and can’t bother to subscribe to basic cable, Comedy Central’s website has provided a live video stream of the “Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear” for all to enjoy. Enjoy. Related Entries October 29, 2010 Oklahoma Not OK With Shariah Law October 23, 2010 Arizona Lawmaker Fights Boycott Backlash
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