Republican denies that bill, aimed at reforming requirements for election candidates, was swipe at president Arizona governor Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their US citizenship before their names could appear on the state’s ballot. The bill would have made Arizona the first state to pass such a requirement. Opponents had warned the bill would further denigrate Arizona’s reputation after last year’s controversy over the state’s illegal immigration enforcement law. Brewer said in her veto letter that she was troubled that the bill empowered Arizona’s secretary of state to judge the qualifications of all candidates when they file to run for office. “I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions,” said Brewer, who was secretary of state until she became governor in 2009. “In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their ‘early baptismal circumcision certificates’ among other records to the Arizona secretary of state,” she said. “This is a bridge too far.” The certificates were among the documents a candidate could have submitted under the bill in place of a birth certificate. So-called “birthers” claim that there is no proof Obama was born in the US, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. But Hawaii officials have certified Obama was born in that state. The US constitution requires that presidential candidates be “natural-born” US citizens, be at least 35 years old, and be a resident of the US for at least 14 years. Opponents questioned whether Arizona’s bill would have added additional requirements. The measure would have required that political parties and presidential candidates hand in affidavits stating a candidate’s citizenship and age. It also would have required the candidate’s birth certificate and a sworn statement saying where the candidate has lived for 14 years. If candidates did not have a copy of their birth certificates, they could meet the requirement by providing baptismal or circumcision certificates, hospital birth records and other documents. If it could not be determined whether candidates who provided documents in place of their birth certificates were eligible to appear on the ballot, the secretary of state would have been able to set up a committee to help determine whether the requirements were met. The names of candidates could be kept off the ballot if the secretary of state didn’t believe the candidates met the citizenship requirement. The bill did not explicitly provide an appeals process for a candidate whose name was kept off the ballot. The bill’s sponsor, Republican representative Carl Seel, said he was disappointed by the veto. It would have been reasonable to have the secretary of state, the state’s top election officer, decide whether a candidate had adequately documented his or her qualifications, he said. Because the bill would have required candidates for all offices to submit documentation of their qualifications, he said “it would have been excellent reform”. Seel had said previously the measure wasn’t intended as a swipe against the president, and would have helped maintain the integrity of elections. US politics Arizona United States Barack Obama guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …For those salivating over every bit of cake or gown drivel that oozes out of the royal wedding, Christopher Hitchens is here to rain on your parade. The “constitutional absurdity” (ie, monarchy) is getting ready to claim its latest victim, he writes in Slate, and Kate Middleton had best consider…
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Rebel spokesman says there have been no Nato air strikes on government forces around the besieged town for three days Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi could retake Misrata within days unless Nato steps up its military intervention to assist the besieged rebels, according to an opposition spokesman inside the shell-battered city. “It will be over in a few days, honest to God,” said Mohamed, who asked for his full name to be withheld. The rebel fighters and civilians of the city were like “rats in a cage, that is to put it mildly”, he said. Nato’s mandate was to protect civilians, “but every day there are scores of people dying. The human suffering goes on and on.” Mohamed, speaking from Misrata on Skype, claimed there had been no Nato air strikes on government positions, which are surrounding the city on three sides, for three days. “We are being hit by mortars, Grads, Katyushas, you name it – and there is no action.” Anas Rifta, a doctor inside Misrata, said there were acute shortages of baby formula, nappies, and renal, cardiovascular and cancer drugs, and medication to treat psychotic conditions. “If this situation sustains we will face a crisis. Even when we receive [fresh supplies], they are depleted in a small time.” There were still supplies of anaesthetic drugs, but they were finite, he said, and the city’s clinics were overwhelmed with injured patients. “We make beds in the corridors and offices.” He said Misrata desperately needed aid and medical supplies, “but all [Gaddafi] is sending us is mortar bombs, cluster bombs and tank shells.” Electricity, water and basic foodstuffs are in short supply, according to residents. “Bread queues are very long,” Donatella Rovera, a researcher for Amnesty International who is in the city, told the Guardian by phone. There were also queues for fuel, not because of shortages but because “there are so few petrol stations open in safe areas”, she said. “The situation is really dire. There are huge problems with water and electricity.” The city’s sewage treatment plant and water reservoirs were in areas controlled by government forces, she said. “Coping with daily life is really hard.” Although supplies were arriving by boat, the quantities were inadequate to meet need, she said. There had been heavy shelling in the west of the city for the past three days. “A lot of families have left. They are crowding in with other families. There are people who have moved several times in three weeks.” Four civilians were killed on Monday and the death toll on Sunday was 25, Gemal Salem, a spokesman for the insurgents, told Reuters. More than 1,000 people have died since the siege began seven weeks ago, according to Mohamed. The official hospital death toll was 304 until Sunday night, he said, “but a much greater number are pronounced dead at the scene and buried immediately”. There were further numbers “missing, presumed dead. Gaddafi’s forces kidnap the bodies and present them as people killed by Nato.” There was renewed shelling of the city on Monday – “the industrial area, the port area – the whole city” – and significant battles on Heavy Transport Road leading to the port, said Mohamed. Although Misrata has been under siege for seven weeks, it has been the focus of international attention only for about a fortnight. The battle for the city has become emblematic of the civil war in Libya, and a symbol of Nato’s failure so far to protect civilians caught up in it. There have been chaotic and desperate scenes at the port – the only means of access to and from Misrata – in recent days as ships bringing aid and attempting to evacuate injured civilians and refugees struggle to dock under fire. “One ship came in last night, and two more are due today,” said Mohamed. “I was there last night. The captain said he had only one hour to offload the aid and load refugees. It was chaotic. The shelling puts great strain on those in the port.” The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said almost 1,000 people trapped in Misrata had been evacuated by boat and were due to reach Benghazi later on Monday. At least 4,000 migrant workers were waiting to be evacuated, the IOM said. Some of those who have managed to flee described terror and wretched conditions in the city. “In Misrata, people are just waiting for their time to die. You hear the bombs and you think ‘It’s me next,’” said Wajdi Salah, 26, who arrived in Benghazi on a tugboat last week. Most civilians were now crowded into three areas of the city, all near the sea, with up to a dozen families crammed into a single house. Some captured civilians had been used as human shields by Gaddafi’s forces, said Abubakar Faraj from a hospital bed in Benghazi. The shelling was indiscriminate. “At night they [government forces] wear thermal goggles, and they shoot everything that moves. Even dogs and cats.” Attempts by humanitarian organisations to reach the besieged population are mounting. The UN has signed an agreement with the Libyan government which the Libyan authorities say includes access to Misrata, although the UN has not confirmed this. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also been permitted to visit Misrata for an assessment but has made no public statement on its findings. Mohamed rejected the Libyan government’s claims that al-Qaida was driving the rebellion. “I know lawyers, engineers, even a professional football player who have taken up arms. It is the whole people. The whole of Libya has been oppressed by [Gaddafi] for 42 years. Nobody thinks he is even human, let alone loves him.” The rebel opposition felt “disappointed and let down by Nato”, he said. “We ask the US to take the lead again. Since Nato took over there has been nothing but carnage and destruction. Nato is toothless without the US. They are selling us to the tyrant. Please, please, please tell the world of our disappointment with Nato.” Libya Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Harriet Sherwood Xan Rice guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake will make $425,000 this year, but he was apparently short the $59.95 for six American Rag T-shirts that cops say he lifted at a Macy’s today. Leake’s arrest report says the 23-year-old removed price tags from the shirts and tried to leave—as…
Continue reading …We’ve learned that the world’s happiest person is 69 , and that we may be happiest in old age ; now a study suggests that we’re at our most miserable in middle age. Indeed, life satisfaction is “U-shaped,” the Telegraph reports: happiness can start to decline in our late 20s and doesn’t…
Continue reading …Repelled by bug repellent? The answer to your bug-blocking needs may be found in a grapefruit. A chemical called nootkatone found in citrus fruit and certain Alaskan trees works wonders against mosquitos, ticks, and probably bedbugs—and it’s likely safe enough to drink, NPR reports. “If you’ve had a grapefruit,…
Continue reading …Former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely is heading to trial in the murder of his on-again, off-again girlfriend and fellow student Yeardley Love. A Charlottesville grand jury today indicted the 23-year-old on murder charges, reports the Daily Progress, almost a year after Love was found dead in her…
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Thousands gather in city after reports that security forces shot dead 17 citizens on Sunday Syrian forces fired shots at hundreds of protesters who had gathered overnight in Homs city in defiance of warning by the authorities to halt what they called an insurrection. A member of the security police addressed the protesters at Clock Square through a loud speaker asking them to leave, and then the forces opened fire, said a human rights campaigner, who is in contact with protesters in the square. Tear gas was also used. At least one protester was injured, the activist added. Two residents of Homs also said they heard the sound of gunfire coming from around the square. Several hours earlier, Syrian state television broadcast an interior ministry statement that described the wave of unrest in Syria as an insurrection, pointing specifically to Homs as one of two cities where “armed groups belonging to Salafist organisations” were trying to terrorise the population. Salafism is a strict form of Sunni Islam which many Arab governments equate with militant groups like al-Qaida. President Bashar al-Assad announced on Saturday that he would end nearly half a century of emergency rule with legislation that should be in place by next week, but his pledge did little to appease protesters calling for political freedoms. Rights campaigners say more than 200 people have been killed since the protests began. Syrian authorities have intensified bans on independent media since protests challenging the authoritarian rule of Assad erupted more than a month ago. No independent media is allowed into Homs or other cities witnessing unprecedented pro-democracy demonstrations. Several international journalists have been expelled or arrested. Thousands demanded the overthrow of Assad on Monday at the funerals of 17 protesters killed in Homs, 165 km (100 miles) north of Damascus. Human rights campaigners said the 17 had been killed late on Sunday during protests against the death in custody of a tribal leader in Homs. “From alleyway to alleyway, from house to house, we want to overthrow you, Bashar,” the mourners chanted, according to a witness at the funeral. Further north, in Jisr al-Shughour, 1,000 people called for “the overthrow of the regime”, echoing the chants of protesters who overthrew leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, at the funeral of a man who they said had been killed by security forces. Protests against the authoritarian rule of Assad’s Baath Party erupted in the southern city of Deraa more than a month ago, and have spread across the country. The government says Syria is the target of a conspiracy and authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and infiltrators supplied with weapons from Lebanon and Iraq. Opposition groups say there is no evidence of a conspiracy. The interior ministry statement said Salafist groups were trying “to spread terror across Syria … using the march of freedom and reform that was launched according to a timetable by President Assad in his guiding speech”. The demonstrations present the gravest challenge yet to Assad, who succeeded his late father Hafez al-Assad, who died in 2000 after 30 years of rule. Syria Arab and Middle East unrest Protest Middle East guardian.co.uk
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The first Pulitzer Prize won by print-free investigation goes to ProPublica while the Los Angeles Times celebrates twin wins For the first time in the history of the Pulitzer Prize – the highest honour in American journalism – the award has gone to a series of articles in an investigation that never appeared on the printed page. ProPublica , the web-based independent investigative news organisation, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for its expose of dubious dealing on Wall Street leading up to the financial crisis, with the judges praising the way journalists Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein used online tools “to help explain the complex subject to lay readers.” While ProPublica won its first Pulitzer Prize last year for an article that appeared in the New York Times Magazine – and split the award with the Los Angeles Times – this year it won the award outright for its series, The Wall Street Money Machine . “We at ProPublica are delighted by this award, and deeply honoured,” wrote the organisation’s editor in chief, Paul Steiger , noting: “This year’s prize is the first for a group of stories not published in print.” The ProPublica series included collaboration with NPR’s Planet Money and This American Life programmes, but radio output is not eligible for the award under the Pulitzer criteria. Previous winners have included news agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press, although their content generally also appears in print. Among the other winners, the Los Angeles Times celebrated its recovery with two Pulitzers, one for Barbara Davidson’s brilliant and haunting portraits of Los Angeles gang violence and the award for public service for its investigation into the unusually high salaries awarded to officials in the city of Bell in California , revealing how taxes in the small town were raised to pay for them. The New York Times also won two Pulitzers, for international reporting and for commentary. In a surprise move, the board administering the prize decided not to make an award in the breaking news category, for the first time since the prize was founded 95 years ago. In the separate arts section of the award, Jennifer Egan won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for A Visit from the Goon Squad. The awards, winners and short-listed finalists (summary by AP): Public service The Los Angeles Times for its exposure of corruption in the small California city of Bell, where officials tapped the treasury to pay themselves exorbitant salaries, resulting in arrests and reforms. Finalists: Bloomberg News for the work of Daniel Golden, John Hechinger and John Lauerman revealing how some for-profit colleges exploited low-income students, leading to a federal crackdown on a multi-billion-dollar industry; and the New York Times for the work of Alan Schwarz in illuminating the peril of concussions in football and other sports, spurring a national discussion and a re-examination of helmets and of medical and coaching practices. Breaking news reporting No award. Finalists: Chicago Tribune staff for coverage of the deaths of two Chicago firefighters killed while searching for squatters in an abandoned burning building; the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, a joint staff entry, for coverage of the Haitian earthquake, often working under extreme conditions; and the Staff of The Tennessean, Nashville, for coverage of the most devastating flood in the area’s history. Investigative reporting Paige St John of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune , for her examination of weaknesses in the murky property-insurance system vital to Florida homeowners, providing handy data to assess insurer reliability and stirring regulatory action. Finalists: Walt Bogdanich of the New York Times for his spotlighting of medical radiation errors that injure thousands of Americans, sparking national discussion and remedial steps; and Sam Roe and Jared S Hopkins of the Chicago Tribune for their investigation, in print and online, of 13 deaths at a home for severely disabled children and young adults, resulting in closure of the facility. Explanatory reporting Mark Johnson, Kathleen Gallagher, Gary Porter, Lou Saldivar and Alison Sherwood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for their lucid examination of an epic effort to use genetic technology to save a four-year-old boy imperiled by a mysterious disease, told with words, graphics, videos and other images. Finalists: the Wall Street Journal staff for its penetration of the shadowy world of fraud and abuse in Medicare, probing previously concealed government databases to identify millions of dollars in waste and corrupt practices; and the Washington Post staff for its exploration of how the military is using trauma surgery, brain science and other techniques both old and new to reduce fatalities among the wounded in warfare, telling the story with words, images and other tools. Local reporting Frank Main, Mark Konkol and John J Kim of the Chicago Sun-Times for their immersive documentation of violence in Chicago neighborhoods, probing the lives of victims, criminals and detectives as a widespread code of silence impedes solutions. Finalists: Marshall Allen and Alex Richards of the Las Vegas Sun for their compelling reports on patients who suffered preventable injuries and other harm during hospital care, taking advantage of print and digital tools to drive home their findings; and Stanley Nelson of the Concordia Sentinel, a weekly, for his courageous and determined efforts to unravel a long forgotten Ku Klux Klan murder during the Civil Rights era. National reporting Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein of ProPublica for their exposure of questionable practices on Wall Street that contributed to the nation’s economic meltdown, using digital tools to help explain the complex subject to lay readers. Finalists: David Evans of Bloomberg News for his revelations of how life insurance companies retained death benefits owed to families of military veterans and other Americans, leading to government investigations and remedial changes; and the Wall Street Journal Staff for its examination of the disastrous explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, using detailed reports to hold government and major corporations accountable. International reporting Clifford J Levy and Ellen Barry of the New York Times for dogged reporting that put a human face on the faltering justice system in Russia, remarkably influencing the discussion inside the country. Finalists : Deborah Sontag of the New York Times for her coverage of the earthquake in Haiti, steadfastly telling poignant, wide-ranging stories with a lyrical touch and an impressive eye for detail; and the Wall Street Journal staff for its examination of the causes of Europe’s debt crisis, taking readers behind closed doors to meet pivotal characters while illuminating the wider economic, political and social reverberations. Feature writing Amy Ellis Nutt of the Star-Ledger , Newark, New Jersey, for her deeply probing story of the mysterious sinking of a commercial fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean that drowned six men. Finalists : Tony Bartelme of the Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina, for his engaging account of a South Carolina neurosurgeon’s quest to teach brain surgery in Tanzania, possibly providing a new model for health care in developing countries; and Michael M Phillips, of the Wall Street Journal, for his portfolio of deftly written stories that provide war-weary readers with fresh perspective on the conflict in Afghanistan. Commentary David Leonhardt of the New York Times for his graceful penetration of America’s complicated economic questions, from the federal budget deficit to health care reform. Finalists : Phillip Morris of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, for his blend of local storytelling and unpredictable opinions, enlarging the discussion of controversial issues that stir a big city; and Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune for her versatile columns exploring life and the concerns of a metropolis with whimsy and poignancy. Criticism Sebastian Smee of the Boston Globe for his vivid and exuberant writing about art, often bringing great works to life with love and appreciation. Finalists : Jonathan Gold of the LA Weekly for his delightful, authoritative restaurant reviews, escorting readers through a city’s diverse food culture; and Nicolai Ouroussoff of the New York Times for his well-honed architectural criticism, highlighted by ambitious essays on the burst of architectural projects in oil-rich Middle East countries. Editorial writing Joseph Rago of the Wall Street Journal for his editorials challenging the health care reform advocated by President Obama. Finalists : Jackson Diehl of the Washington Post for his insightful editorials on foreign affairs, marked by prescient pieces critical of America’s policy toward Egypt well before a revolution erupted there; and John McCormick of the Chicago Tribune for his relentless campaign to reform an unsustainable public pension system that threatens the economic future of Illinois. Editorial cartooning Mike Keefe of the Denver Post for his widely ranging cartoons that employ a loose, expressive style to send strong, witty messages. Finalists : Matt Davies for cartoons in the Journal News, Westchester County, New York, work notably original in concept and execution, offering sharp opinion without shrillness; and Joel Pett of the Lexington Herald-Leader, for provocative cartoons that often tackle controversial Kentucky issues, marked by a simple style and a passion for humanity. Breaking news photography Carol Guzy, Nikki Kahn and Ricky Carioti of the Washington Post for their up-close portrait of grief and desperation after a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti. Finalists : Daniel Berehulak and Paula Bronstein of Getty Images for their compelling portrayal of the human will to survive as historic floods engulfed regions of Pakistan; and Carolyn Cole of the Los Angeles Times for her often haunting images of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, capturing the harsh reality of widespread devastation. Feature photography Barbara Davidson of the Los Angeles Times for her intimate story of innocent victims trapped in the city’s crossfire of deadly gang violence. Finalists : Todd Heisler of the New York Times for his sensitive portrayal of a large Colombian clan carrying a genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer’s disease in early middle age; and Greg Kahn of The Naples Daily News for his pictures that show the mixed impact of the recession in Florida – loss of jobs and homes for some but profit for others. US press and publishing Pulitzer prize United States New York Times Richard Adams guardian.co.uk
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