Monaco’s reigning prince, Albert II, wed Charlene Wittstock of South Africa on Friday in a long-awaited civil ceremony that transformed the one-time Olympic swimmer into the Princess of Monaco. (July 1)
Continue reading …Alexandra Pelosi traveled across the country to film ceremonies where immigrants were sworn in as new US Citizens. “Citizen USA: A 50 State Road Trip” premieres on July 4th on HBO. (July 1)
Continue reading …This is a really positive decision that will help black communities, who have far too many people in prison because of the racially-biased sentencing disparity between crack and powdered cocaine: WASHINGTON – As many as 12,000 people in federal prison for crack-related crimes can get their sentences reduced as a result of a new law that brought the penalties for the drug more closely in line with those for powdered cocaine, a government commission decided Thursday. The decision by the U.S. Sentencing Commission applies to approximately 1 in 17 inmates in the federal system. Congress last year substantially lowered the sentences for crack-related crimes such as possession and trafficking, changing a 1980s law that was criticized as racially discriminatory because it came down extra hard on a drug common in poor, black neighborhoods. The question before the commission Thursday was whether people already locked up under the old law should benefit retroactively from the changes. The six-member commission unanimously decided in their favor. “I believe that the commission has no choice but to make this right,” said Ketanji Brown Jackson, a vice chairwoman of the commission. “I say justice demands this result.” The NAACP was among the groups praising the commission’s action. About 85 percent of the inmates expected to benefit from the decision are black. The commission’s action is final unless Congress decides by the end of October to intervene, and that is considered unlikely. Prisoners will have to petition a judge for a sentence reduction, and requests will be decided on a case-by-case basis, with the court taking into consideration the defendant’s behavior in prison and danger to society. Prosecutors will be allowed to weigh in. The earliest anyone could get out is November.
Continue reading …On Thursday's CBS Evening News and Friday's Early Show, CBS glossed over President Obama's aim to break a campaign promise with a proposal to raise taxes on people who make less than $250,000 a year. Both Chip Reid and Bill Plante noted that “the White House is also insisting on…a limit on deductions for people…making more than $200,000 a year,” but didn't reference the Democrat's 2008 tax pledge. Near the end of his report, which aired 44 minutes into the 6 pm Eastern hour, Reid highlighted the Obama administration's push for tax hikes: REID: Democratic sources familiar with the negotiations say the President now wants more than $400 billion in tax increases as part of the deal . The biggest piece by far- $290 billion- would come from limiting deductions for couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making more than $200,000, who the President referred to in yesterday's press conference as millionaires and billionaires . Just over 12 hours later, the senior White House correspondent gave a similar line during his report on the stalemate in the budget/debt ceiling talks and named other tax increase proposals: PLANTE: Bipartisan talks, led by Vice President Biden, have identified more than a trillion dollars worth of spending cuts over ten years. But the White House is also insisting on revenue increases – a limit on deductions for people the President called millionaires and billionaires, would apply to anyone making more than $200,000 a year , and raise $290 billion over ten years; a change in accounting practices, 60 billion [dollars]; elimination of oil and gas loopholes, 45 billion; elimination of an interest deduction for hedge funds, 20 billion; elimination of the corporate jet loophole, 3 billion; a total over ten years: 418 billion. During the first presidential debate between Obama and Senator John McCain on September 26, 2008, the then-candidate promised that ” if you make less than $250,000, less than a quarter-million dollars a year, then you will not see one dime's worth of tax increase .” That very night, after the debate concluded, ABCNews.com actually pointed out that ” Obama misleads on $250,000 tax claim ,” explaining that ” Obama has called for higher taxes on income, capital gains and dividends for individuals making $200,000 per year; his tax plan imposes higher taxes on couples starting at $250,000 a year .” One might conclude that the President has consistently misled since he made that statement almost three years ago. But CBS certainly hasn't gone out of its way to point this out. The full transcripts of Chip Reid's report from Thursday's CBS Evening News and Bill Plante's report from Friday's Early Show: 06:44 pm EDT SCOTT PELLEY: The negotiations over the U.S. debt crisis have apparently descended to insults. Yesterday, the President said his daughters work harder on their homework than the Congress does on the budget. Today, one Republican senator suggested Mr. Obama needs medication. All of this as the nation careens toward defaulting on its debts in about four weeks. Chip Reid has the latest. CHIP REID (voice-over): Republican leader Mitch McConnell today politely invited President Obama to visit the Senate. SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL (from speech on the Senate floor): Come on up to the Capitol and meet with Senate Republicans. REID: Kansas Republican Pat Roberts was a little less polite. SENATOR PAT ROBERTS (from press conference): So, maybe, if he'd just take a Valium and calm down and come on down to talk to us, it might be helpful. REID: Both senators said they want to explain to the President that there is no chance Republicans will support tax increases as part of a deal on increasing the national debt. But White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the President has no interest in talking about what will not pass. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY (from press conference): That's not a conversation worth having. What we need to have is a conversation about what will pass. REID: Despite Republican resistance, Democratic sources familiar with the negotiations say the President now wants more than $400 billion in tax increases as part of the deal. The biggest piece by far- $290 billion- would come from limiting deductions for couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making more than $200,000, who the President referred to in yesterday's press conference as millionaires and billionaires. The sources also say that while August 2 is the final deadline for passing a deal and avoiding a economic meltdown, it will take time to get it through Congress. They say that means an agreement in principle needs to be reached by about July 22, just over three weeks away. REID (on-camera): Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said today he's canceling next week's Fourth of July recess, to work on the debt deal. But, Scott, sources on Capitol Hill tell me there's very little they can do until the President and Republican leaders resolve their impasse over taxes. PELLEY: Thanks, Chip. 07:06 am EDT HILL: President Obama heads to Camp David today for the Fourth of July weekend, after turning down Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's offer to meet with Republicans over the budget stalemate. CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante has the latest this morning on those negotiations. Bill, good morning. BILL PLANTE: Good morning to you, Erica. Well, now, the talks are stalled, so both sides are playing to public opinion. Senator McConnell delivered his invitation to the President from the Senate floor, and the White House, just as publicly, said no thanks. JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY (from press conference): What the Senator invited the President to do was to hear Senate Republicans restate their maximalist position. We know what that position is, and he also invited them to hear- invited the President to hear what would not pass. That's not a conversation worth having. PLANTE (voice-over): After the President's taunt that Congress was away too often, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate would forego its July Fourth break, and instead, work on a deal to raise the debt ceiling and balance the budget. SEN. HARRY REID, MAJORITY LEADER (from speech on Senate floor): It's very important that we do this. That moment is too important, the obstacles too steep, and the time too short to waste even a moment. PLANTE: Bipartisan talks, led by Vice President Biden, have identified more than a trillion dollars worth of spending cuts over ten years. But the White House is also insisting on revenue increases- a limit on deductions for people the President called millionaires and billionaires, would apply to anyone making more than $200,000 a year, and raise $290 billion over ten years; a change in accounting practices, 60 billion [dollars]; elimination of oil and gas loopholes, 45 billion; elimination of an interest deduction for hedge funds, 20 billion; elimination of the corporate jet loophole, 3 billion; a total over ten years: 418 billion. Republicans say all those ideas are dead on arrival. SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL, MINORITY LEADER (from speech on Senate floor): The Congress isn't going to approve hundreds of billions of dollars in tax hikes. It's simply not going to happen. PLANTE: And Republicans let it be known they were unhappy that the President was out of town at political fundraisers, instead of meeting with them at the Capitol. SEN. PAT ROBERTS, (R), KANSAS (from press conference): Maybe if he'd just take a Valium and calm down and come on down and talk to us, it might be helpful. PLANTE (on-camera): Well, each side is obviously trying to make sure that the other gets the blame if this doesn't work. But Democrats familiar with the negotiations tell CBS News that they remain confident there will be a deal. They say the drop-dead date is about July 22, in order to have something by August 2, which is the deadline. That means that you can expect three or four more weeks of all this public posturing, while, maybe, behind the scenes, there's actual talking going on. Erica? HILL: Just what everybody wanted to hear, three more weeks of it. Bill Plante at the White House this morning- Bill, thanks.
Continue reading …Whether you are taking off for the holiday weekend, or taking in the fireworks from home, these links will get you in the stars-and-stripes spirit. What Would The Founding Fathers Do? Browse the most heinous and kitschy patriotic souvenirs on the market. (Huffington Post) America The Beautiful: Check out these stunning images by photographer Phil
Continue reading …Admirers of the late Princess Diana gathered outside Kensington Palace today, a bright sunny day that would have been the troubled royal’s 50th birthday. Cards, a cake, a collage, and other mementoes were among the gifts left at the gates of Kensington Palace, where Diana once lived—an echo of…
Continue reading …The search is on for a missing 4-month-old girl in Michigan whose father is suspected of kidnapping her, reports ABC News . Katherine Shelbie-Elizabeth Phillips has been missing since Wednesday when her father—21-year-old National Guardsman Sean Phillips—allegedly ran off with her following an argument with the infant’s mother, 19-year-old…
Continue reading …The Boston Red Sox just made an It Gets Better video. Awesome. No really, that’s awesome. Our community and queer youth need all the support they can get. There’s even a player in this video who says he got therapy to come to terms with who he is. But he doesn’t say that he’s gay. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Queerty Discovery Date : 01/07/2011 15:59 Number of articles : 4
Continue reading …An argument between the two sides in the Casey Anthony case over the testimony of experts has ground the trial to an “indefinite” halt. The defense for Casey Anthony rested their case on Thursday and Judge Belvin Perry followed up by calling an indefinite recess in the case on Friday. During the recess the defense
Continue reading …On his first day as Pentagon chief, Leon Panetta said his top priorities are preserving US military power despite budget cuts, defeating al-Qaida, stabilizing Afghanistan and forging a “real and lasting partnership” with Iraq. (July 1)
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