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Obama Uses Auto Bailout Success for Re-election CampaignIn an effort to shed a positive light on his name, Obama drew attention to a decision he made at the beginning of his term - bailing out the auto industry. Before the 2010 midterm elections, many partisan groups were outraged at Obama's decision to bailout auto companies. In the past three years, domestic car companies have risen out of their 2008-09 slump. Just last week, Chrysler repaid $7.6 billion in loans to the U.S. and Canada even though they did not come due until 2017. Despite the fact that Obama promised the American people that this was simply an "investment" that would cost taxpayers "not a dime," the bailout cost billions (Graver). An estimated $14 billion of the $80 billion spent by the Obama and Bush administrations will come directly from the taxpayers' pockets. |
806 |
Kevorkian, Dr. Death, Passes Away at 83Dr. Kevorkian, nicknamed Dr. Death, died at age 83. Kevorkian dedicated his life to passing physician-assisted suicide into legislation. He claims to have helped more than 130 people commit suicide between 1990 and 1998. However, he served an eight-year prison sentence for second-degree murder for a case in which he personally administered the lethal injection rather than helping the patient to do it himself. Early on, Kevorkian took an interest in death that eventually turned into an obsession. He constructed a "mercitron," an apparatus that allowed patients to administer thiopental sodium and sodium chloride to themselves. When his medical license was revoked and he was unable to obtain the drugs, he constructed an apparatus that involved carbon monoxide canisters attached to a facemask. Kevorkian spent eight years in prison after videotaping a suicide in which the patient was unable to administer the drugs himself. |
2102 |
Casey Anthony's Defense Muddies Trial During Week 5Casey Anthony's trial, which many fear might become the next O.J. case in the sense that the overwhelming majority of the public believes she is guilty but there is scarce hard evidence to prove so, became even more muddled during week five when Anthony's family took the stand. Prosecutors are trying to convict Anthony of premeditated murder when she caused her daughter Caylee to become unconscious by covering her mouth in chloroform and then put duct tape over her nose and mouth so she would suffocate. Anthony then stored the body in the trunk of her car for days before dumping it in the woods. In fact, Caylee was not reported missing for more than a month, when Cindy Anthony confronted her daughter about Caylee's whereabouts. |
1059 |
Mob Boss JamesMob Boss James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for at least 19 killings, racketeering offenses, and other crimes from the early 1970s to the mid-1980's was arrested on June 22, 2011. Bulger, who is now 81 years old and the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character in "The Departed," has been on the run since 1994, when he fled Boston to avoid being arrested by federal agents. Bulger was on the FBI's list of top 10 most wanted fugitives, and a $2-million reward was issued for his arrest. Bulger was arrested with his companion, Catherine Greig. A stash of cash totaling "hundreds of thousands of dollars" and nearly 30 guns, including two shotguns and an assortment of handguns, were found in the couple's apartment after their arrest. Bulger fled just before his racketeering indictment in January 1995. Later, in a federal court in Boston, it was revealed that Bulger was a longtime FBI informant. Former FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr. was Bulger's corrupt handler who informed him of his pending arrest. After the news of his role as an FBI informant went public, several of his former associates turned against him, allowing the FBI to discover the secret graves of several of his victims in the Boston area. These tips also allowed the FBI to discover that Bulger had murdered 19 people. The hazy world between the FBI and their corrupt informants was revealed after Bulger fled. Bulger served as the boss of South Boston's murderous Winter Hill Gang, a mostly Irish mob. However, the FBI allowed him continue his murderous business, and even protected him in some instances, because he supplied them with information about his rivals, the New England Mafia. A congressional committee referred to the FBI's use of Bulger as an informant as "one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement." |
1055 |
Clinton Voices Her Opinion in Saudi Women's Driving CampaignSecretary of State Hillary Clinton originally chose what she referred to as "quiet diplomacy" concerning the Saudi Arabian women protesting the unwritten ban on their right to drive in the kingdom until the arrest of Manal al-Sharif, a Saudi technology consultant and mother on May 22nd. Supporters launched a campaign to free al-Sharif, collecting more than 100,000 signatures and calling on 156 countries for support. The Saudi Women for Driving, a coalition for women's rights activists, bloggers, and academics campaigning for the right to drive, expressed their disappointment by Clinton's public silence. Clinton pursued quiet diplomacy and chose to work behind the scenes and raise the issue only in a telephone conversation last week with Saudi Prince Saud al-Faisal. However, her stance on the issue caused many others to question her motives and accuse her of sidestepping the controversy to avoid angering the Saudi government at a time when the United States needs help on Mideast issues. |
791 |
Obama Announces Withdrawal Plan for Troops in AfghanistanJust as rumors of negotiations between the United States and the Taliban were revealed, President Barack Obama announced that the "surge" forces he deployed to Afghanistan in December 2009 will all return home in the next 15 months. Ten thousand of these forces will be home by the end of this year, and the remaining 23,000 soldiers will return by September 2012. Obama is coming through on the promise he made 18 months ago when he announced the surge at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. After the surge forces were deployed, raising the military deployment to almost 70,000 troops, Obama promised to begin returning the troops by next month. This time frame, according to Obama, allowed U.S. commanders another two "fighting" seasons, with the majority of U.S. forces still in reserves. Initially, many different reactions occurred. Defense Secretary Robert Gates backed Obama's decision. On the other hand, congressional leaders were split between those who called for a more hasty withdrawal of the troops and those who warned against abandoning Afghanistan too early. |
1589 |
U.S. in Peace Talks with TalibanAfghan President Hamid Karzai announced on June 18th that the United States is currently discussing negotiations for a possible settlement to the war in Afghanistan. U.S. officials refused to comment on the matter until Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stepped forward to confirm the announcement. The war between the United States and Afghanistan began nearly a decade ago when the Taliban was stripped of its power in 2001 during a U.S. invasion for hosting al Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden. President Obama is currently determining how many troops he plans to withdraw from Afghanistan next month. However, many Afghans, including women's and civil society activists, fear that if these preliminary talks progress any further, the progress the country has experienced since the Taliban was ousted from power will be lost. Gates agreed that President Obama should not be hasty to withdraw the troops. According to him, the U.S. did not begin committing significant resources to gain progress in Afghanistan until two years ago. This progress would be lost if the troops are withdrawn too quickly. |
769 |
Global Soap Project Collects Soap for AfricaDerreck Kayongo launched the Global Soap Project in 2009 after realizing that soap is discarded every day in hotels across the country. Kayongo immediately reported his discovery to his father, a former soap maker in Uganda. As a young boy, he fled Uganda with his parents after witnessing the mass torture and killings by former Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin. During his time as a refugee, Kayongo recognized how many people don't even have the basic necessities, like soap. In fact, every year, more than 2 million children die from diarrheal illness. Those who go without soap do without because they cannot afford soap, which costs about 25 cents from their $1 a day living fees. Many hotels across the nation have stepped up to donate their used soap. Kayongo reports he has gathered 10,000 pounds of use hotel soap from 60 hotels in Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. |
1392 |
GOP Split Over U.S. Role in Libya and AfghanistanThe ever-present isolationist strain in the Republican Party grew even more apparent in the face of the controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's policy towards Libya. One side of the Republican Party, led by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and other congressional leaders, argue that the U.S. involvement in NATO's bombing campaign now violates the War Powers Act after hitting the 90-day mark on June 19th. In order to force President Obama to revoke any U.S. aid, the Republicans suggest cutting off money for the war when the House reviews the annual Pentagon spending bill later this week. However, the opposing side of the Republican Party criticizes the growing isolationist agenda within the party, resulting in a widening division among the once unified party on foreign policy issues. The controversy sparked just after a NATO airstrike went tragically astray, killing nine people and injuring 18. The White House responded to the distress by saying that the Libya conflict does not fall under the War Powers Act, therefore, Congressional approval is not needed. Technically, they argued, the war is not covered by the act's definition of "hostilities" because the U.S. is playing a support role and American military personnel are not directly in harm's way. |
1042 |
Legal Outsourcing Companies Provide Jobs to American LawyersWith less money to spend, top American law firms cut hiring altogether or moved to a lower-tier pay system for new associates. In an effort to streamline and cut costs, corporations reduced their legal departments. Lawyers at legal temp companies see about one-tenth of the salary that board-certified lawyers hired for document reviews would have seen ten years ago. However, a recent turn has produced a new outlet for hiring lawyers and it comes from an unexpected place. At one point, outsourcing seemed to simply add to the demise of the American economy, but now these outsourcing firms are reaching out to American lawyers to handle their legal affairs. Prior to the new venture, companies were widely contracting lawyers overseas who would work for much less pay. |
1048 |
John Edwards Indicted for Political Campaign ConspiracyFormer Democratic vice presidential nominee and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards faced counts of conspiracy and campaign law violations on Friday, June 3rd. Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter, received money from two of his supporters when she became pregnant during their affair. The money was used to send Hunter into hiding in 2007 and 2008, at the height of the White House campaign. $725,000 was collected from Mellon and $200,000 from Baron to pay for Hunter's living and medical expenses, for chartered airfare, luxury hotels, and a rental house in Santa Barbara, California. Edwards acknowledges that he has "done wrong," but refutes that he broke the law. "There's no question that I've done wrong," he told reporters outside federal court. "But I did not break the law and I never, ever thought I was breaking the law." He was released on his own recognizance, but his battle has just begun. |
985 |
Ceasefire Ends in YemenThe ceasefire agreement that briefly ended street fighting in the Yemeni capital between tribal groups and forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh broke down on May 30th. Sanaa residents heard heavy explosions and sporadic gunfire early in the morning, although they were unsure what caused the noises. The noises were reportedly coming from the Hasabah neighborhood, home to Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, leader of the al-Hashid tribe whose forces oppose the government. Many global powers, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, are pressuring Saleh to sign a Gulf-led deal to resign from power. These global powers fear that the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are gradually gaining power from the chaos in Yemen. Both the United States and Saudi Arabia are prime targets for the al Qaeda who have vowed to avenge Osama bin Laden's death. |
552 |
Boehner and Kucinich Offer Resolutions to Libya ConflictAs the 2012 presidential elections come into sight, President Obama's decision to maintain an American role in NATO operations in Libya has widened the division between the Republicans and the Democrats. Earlier this week, Republican leaders postponed consideration of one of the two resolutions, which would have resulted in the termination of America's military involvement in the operations. The first option is sponsored by Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat who is also one of the most liberal members of the House. However, many leaders fear that his measure would pass with backing from an unlikely coalition of liberals and conservatives. This would send the wrong message to allies engaged in other conflicts with the United States. The other option was proposed by Speaker John A. Boehner, which called for President Obama to paint a clearer picture for Americans on why we are engaged in the Libya mission. |
1319 |
Global War on Drugs Fails to Produce ResultsU.S. President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon held firm to their stance against legalizing drugs even after confronted by other world leaders with a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy recommending that governments find innovative ways of legalizing and regulating drugs, specifically marijuana, in an attempt to deny profits to drug cartels. However, the U.S. and Mexican governments immediately dismissed the report and vowed to continue their violent 4.5 year-old crackdown on cartels that has resulted in more than 38,000 Mexican deaths. The Obama administration emphasized a "public health" approach to drug policy, but officials have taken a hard line against legalization. Fifty years ago, the United Nations adopted its "Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs," although the program has seen a rise in drug use since its beginnings. The world's approach to limiting drugs saw no results. From 1998 to 2008, global marijuana consumption rose more than 8% and cocaine use rose 27%. |
1309 |
Al-Obeidy, Libyan Rape Victim, Deported to BenghaziIn March, al-Obeidy made international headlines after she burst into a hotel full of journalists in Tripoli claiming that 15 of Gaddafi's men had beaten and raped her. She claimed she was abducted at a government checkpoint and held for days while officials bound, beat, poured alcohol in her eyes, and gang raped her repeatedly. Al-Obeidy fled from Libya into Tunisia aided by a defecting military officer and his family. While she was awaiting resettlement as a refugee, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees was busily preparing papers for her departure. During this time, Qatari authorities took her and her parents from a hotel in the capital city of Doha and forced them onto a military plane leaving Qatar, despite the repeated requests from UNHCR officials to the Qatari authorities not to deport al-Obeidy. The State Department in Washington fears for al-Obeidy's safety and is working with international organizations to find her a safe haven in an anonymous third country. |
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Female Egyptian Protestors Subjected to Virginity ChecksNearly a month after Egypt's longtime President Hosni Mubarak stepped down amid a wave of popular and mostly peaceful unrest aimed at his ouster and the institution of democratic reforms, female protestors were exposed to the new government's latest weapon - sexual humiliation. Female protestors were beaten, given electric shocks, strip-searched, threatened with prostitution charges, and forced to submit to "virginity checks." Seventeen different organizations condemned the physical and psychological abuse of the detainees in a joint statement. Dr. Mona Hamed said that, "Forcing women to strip and subjecting them to virginity checks is very insulting, and the impact of this act can be deeper than the physical abuse". The conservative Egyptian society places an extremely high value on sexual modesty. Girls are expected to remain virgins until they are married. In fact, public nudity and pre-martial sex often lead to suicide or honor killings. During the virginity checks, photographs were taken, and the women fear that the photos will be made public. |
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South Africa's President Announces He's Ready for TruceDespite their attempts, South African President Jacob Zuma and Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi were unable to reach an agreement to end the fighting in Africa during their meeting on Monday, May 30th. The two leaders have been trying for some time to meet on common ground to create a cease-fire, but neither is willing to compromise on certain points. Gadhafi agreed to accept an African Union initiative for a cease-fire that would stop all hostilities, including NATO airstrikes in support of rebel forces. However, Gadhafi refuses to step down as the Libyan ruler, which is the rebel's central demand. In the meantime, many of Gadhafi's followers have dissented and switched to the other side. Zuma visited Tripoli during the relentless NATO bombing runs on Tripoli and other parts of the country in an attempt to weaken Gadhafi's regime. Despite the strained relationship between Zuma and Gadhafi, Zuma has joined other African leaders in accusing NATO of overstepping its U.N. mandate to protect Libyan civilians and calling for an end to the airstrike. From here, Britain and other NATO forces are conspiring to gain enough military pressure to break the deadlock Gadhafi has resisted so well despite a rebellion and weeks of air strikes. |
1212 |
China Cracks Down on Food Safety ViolationsAfter a surge of food-related scandals surfaced in China recently, the country's highest court ordered judges across the nation to impose harsher sentences in food-related cases, including the death penalty. The Supreme People's Court announced that in cases where people die from food safety violations, convicted suspects should be given the death sentence. In cases where the food was not lethal, suspects will receive longer prison terms and larger fines. Furthermore, government officials who are found protecting food safety violators or accepting bribes from them will also be handed harsher punishments. Before this surge in cases, government had cracked down on food safety violations, backed by a state media campaign. However, recently cases were revealed using milk laced with melamine, pigs fed with performance enhancing drugs to watermelons juiced up with growth-stimulating chemicals. Interestingly, the Supreme People's Court's order to deliver harsher punishments to food safety criminals comes just after they announced another initiative to limit the use of the death penalty. |
519 |
Obama's European Trip Includes Stop at Ancestor's VillageUS president Obama's European trip includes a stop at his ancestor's village of Moneygall, Ireland. American genealogist Megan Smolenyak, who traced Obama's ancestry back to the city, will be present at Obama's visit along with several of his distant cousins. Since his announcement, the city's 350 residents joined in an effort to revamp the town by painting every house, festooning every lamppost, and rebranding every product in the town to display catchy names such as "Barack's Brack," found on a spicy Irish fruitbread. Obama's ancestry stems back to Falmouth Kearney, one of Obama's great-great-great grandfathers on his mother's side. |
828 |
SNCF Apologizes for Role in Nazi DeportationsThe head of SNCF, France's national railway company, recently delivered the first public apology directly to Holocaust victims. The apology came after years of litigation from legislators, survivors, their descendants and some American Jewish organizations, who argued that the company had never acknowledged or apologized for shipping 76,000 European Jews to the Franco-German border from 1941 to 1944. Survivors of the Holocaust are furious about Pepy's apology, claiming that the SNCF President did not accept full responsibility for its role in the Holocaust. While many survivors and their descendants do not agree that the apology was sincere, French historians and Holocaust experts say that SNCF has taken on more than its fair share of guilt. |
1041 |
Obama Reaches Out to the Chamber of Commerce to Help Businesses RecoverObama recently met with the Chamber of Commerce to settle on a middle ground in order to help businesses recover from the economic recession. The Chamber and Obama have experienced two turbulent years. However, Obama attempted to demonstrate that he is not anti-business by ordering a government wide review of tax code rules and agency regulations, working to fix any rules that prove to be a barrier to business growth, ordering agencies to find ways to make regulations more flexible for smaller businesses, and ordering a cutback on paperwork. Later on, he plans to upgrade transportation and communication networks, invest more in education, reform the patent system, propose a permanent bigger tax cut for research and development, and reorganize the 12 agencies that deal with US exports to create better access to global markets. |
1052 |
Norway Becomes Model for Future US DrillingIn the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, the US is searching for a new drilling system. Norway is home to the fifth largest exporter of oil and the third largest exporter of natural gas on earth. Despite a recent accident in the North Sea that is the second worst oil spill in history, the Norwegian system has fewer lawsuits and better safety records. Because of this, the US is turning to Norway to serve as model for its future drilling plans, including using their system of checks and balances in the safety department. |
782 |
The Church of Scientology Faces Allegations of AbuseThe Church of Scientology faces allegations of abuse once again, less than two years after their last allegations were investigated. Lawrence Wright published an article in The New Yorker magazine claiming that ex-members of the congregation revealed secrets of abuse, both physical and psychological, and how the church brought escapees back through psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical force if need be. In 2009, the Church of Scientology faced similar accusations, although investigations failed to prove anything and eventually were called off. |
548 |
WikiLeaks Faces Repercussions for Illegal ActivityWikiLeaks faces massive repercussions for releasing over 250,000 classified diplomatic cables. Because of this illegal activity, many servers have dropped WikiLeaks, as well as PayPal. WikiLeaks has been forced to change domains. The owner, Julian Assange, remains at large for several allegations not regarding the website. He claims that if he is arrested, he will release his password and all the secrets will be released at once. However, this issue has raised significant questions of freedom of speech and freedom of information. |
734 |
Chaos Ensues in Cairo After Mubarak Names Vice PresidentChaos broke out in Egypt after President Mubarak named Omar Suleiman as vice president - the first to be appointed since Mubarak took office over 30 years ago. Fed up with Mubarak's reign, protestors saw this move as a chance to continue his legacy. To put an end to Mubarak and his cohorts, protestors took to the streets, pillaging through homes and businesses, burning buildings, and confronting officers. Suleiman's appointment came just days after the US urged Mubarak to take action after his speech that promised a better democracy and greater economic opportunity. |
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