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DeLay Gets Three-Year Jail Sentence

Despite drumming up support in the form of testimony from former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, onetime U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his legal team have failed to ward off a jail sentence for money laundering charges. On Monday, DeLay was slapped with a three-year prison sentence in an Austin, Texas, courtroom—but it could have been a lot worse.

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The South Sudanese Referendum Won’t Depend on the Diaspora

The South Sudanese diaspora have played an important, and perhaps indispensable, role in bringing about the referendum on independence from Sudan that is taking place this week. Having successfully obtained refugee or asylum status in the United States, Canada, Britain and some other countries, the exiled political elite from the region have pressed those governments to support the referendum process, and to recognize an independent southern Sudanese state if the referendum succeeds. Accordingly, there was considerable debate before the voting began about whether South Sudanese living abroad — estimated by the United Nations to number between 500,000 and 2 million — or in the…

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Japanese Tuna Company, Labeled Sustainable, Found Worst for Marine Life: Greenpeace

Image: mySupermarket Continuing its unofficial role as a fishing industry watchdog, Greenpeace is calling attention to the most environmentally destructive tuna brand in England, a Japanese company that uses destructive fishing methods while falsely claiming sustainability. The organization recently criticized the Marine Stewardship Council for handing out

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Dems, GOP Struggle to Calm Hostile Bases

President Barack Obama and new House Speaker John Boehner suddenly face the same challenge: calm the hostility of their liberal and conservative bases and help a nation heal after the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. (Jan. 1)

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Memorial Grows for Young Ariz. Shooting Victim

Students at Mesa Verde Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona are mourning the death of their classmate, nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green. She was shot to death while attending an event with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. (Jan. 10)

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The Arizona Shooting, as Seen From Europe

The Christian Science Monitor took a brief survey Monday of the coverage of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting from across the Atlantic, browsing British, French, German and Dutch publications to see how the violence and its aftermath registered from their points of view. The Christian Science Monitor: Much of the German editorial position on Giffords was strongly accusatory of the political climate in the US in recent years. The conservative Die Welt stated today that: “This murderous attack came from an atmosphere of discord and self-doubt, because America is experiencing the limits of its power on a daily basis, whether it be on distant fronts or with dissatisfaction at home. It has never been like this. There always was the motto: ‘Yes, we can.’ Today, widespread pessimism prevails, because of the financial crisis, and because of Iraq and Afghanistan, lost battles …” Read more Related Entries November 24, 2010 DeLay Found Guilty in Money Laundering Case November 11, 2010 Dishonoring Pat Tillman

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Music Gives Brain Natural Buzz

Listening to music may release dopamine in the brain and send pleasure signals to the rest of the body.

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Gingrich and Norquist: We’re From The Republican Party And We’re Here To Help You Destroy Your Unions

enlarge Newt Gingrich with Wife No. 2 in a series. Collect the whole set! By God, there’s two brand names we can trust! Grover “Date Rape” Norquist and Newt “Serial Adulterer” Gingrich, together again… You’ll notice they’re not talking about replacing those pensions with anything else, nor are they expressing even the mildest concern about what happens to the retirees who need that money. Because, after all, the real benefit of this “helpful” legislation will be to break public employees union s, who somehow persist in voting for Democrats. Another day, another act of organized theft against ordinary working people. This is what we can expect from today’s corporate parties , where regular people are so far down on the list of concerns, it’s hardly worth mentioning: Former House Speaker and possible GOP presidential contender Newt Gingrich is pushing for federal legislation giving financially strapped states the right to file for bankruptcy and renege on pension and other benefit promises made to state employees. Proponents of the measure — which include Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington lobby group that fights tax increases — said the legislation is desperately needed to clear the way for struggling states to slash costs before they go belly up, and should be regarded as a preemptive move that could preclude the need for massive federal bailouts. “It’s in the short-term and long-term interests of government workers and taxpayers to start those reforms now , rather than having to pick up the pieces after a crash landing,” ATR President Grover Norquist said in an interview. “We are working with people inside and outside of Congress on this issue,” said Joe DeSantis, a spokesman for Mr. Gingrich, whom Mr. DeSantis said is considering a bid to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2012. Yep, Joe. I’ll just bet you are — working with people outside Congress, I mean. All kinds of people!

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Press wary of challenges after south Sudan vote

Voting, which began on Sunday, will last a week Continue reading the main story Sudan: Set for divorce? One country or two? Bye bye Khartoum Q&A: South Sudan referendum Vote in pictures On the second day of an independence referendum, Sudanese and African press anticipate a solid vote for secession from the north by the people of Southern Sudan. Some commentators paint a bleak picture for the future of the new country, warning of the dangers that independence may bring: Poverty, failure to develop and the influence of foreign countries. Others say that independence is…

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Back-to-Back Pregnancies May Increase Autism Risk

Children born within one year of an older sibling may be three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, according to a new study in the February issue of Pediatrics.

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