President Obama unveils a new energy plan; Republican Senator Rob Portman reverses his stance on gay marriage; Syria and Lebanon move closer to war; a new Senate report shows JPMorgan Chase deliberately hid the bank’s wrongdoings; Mitt Romney gets the “b-list” treatment at CPAC; a grand jury is investigating Senator Robert Menendez; and more mothers say they prefer to work full-time. Meanwhile, a salt-stained violin emerges as The Titanic’s most important artifact; Judge Judy is sued over china and flatware; and Justin Bieber says he doesn’t need to go to rehab.
Caitlin
CRUCIAL:
JPMorgan Faulted on Controls and Disclosure in Trading Loss, http://rtvote.com/12VXmj4
A new 300-page report from the Senate shows that JPMorgan Chase, the U.S.’s biggest bank, deliberately altered documents and ignored internal controls as they built up trading losses. The report also reveals that Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, lied to regulators in order to cover up the bank’s wrongdoings. The report was released one day before the Senate will question leading bankers and regulators at a hearing. “While we have repeatedly acknowledged significant mistakes, our senior management acted in good faith and never had any intent to mislead anyone,” said a spokeswoman for JPMorgan Chase.
Mitt Romney gets B-list treatment at CPAC, http://rtvote.com/12VVzKO
Mitt Romney will give his first public speech since the election to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday. Sources say that Romney has been receiving the “B-list” treatment at the conference. “He’s kind of last year,” said former New Hampshire state representative Laurie Pettengill. Republicans in attendance say that their snubbing of Romney is not meant as punishment, but rather a signal that the party is ready to move on.
EU rejects Franco-British push on arms for Syrian rebels, http://rtvote.com/ZN40ls
Syria’s foreign ministry issued a stern warning to the Lebanese government Friday, saying that they will not tolerate Lebanese rebels hiding near the border and sneaking into Syria. The foreign ministry said that these rebels have little regard for its country’s people or laws. The Syrian government has kept silent on the issue for a while, signaling that it could be ready to strike soon.
Grand jury investigating Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), people familiar with probe say, http://rtvote.com/15QFUdv
A grand jury is currently investigating Democratic New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez’s relationship with his confidant and major donor Dr. Salomon Melgen. The incidents in question include a port-security contract in the Dominican Republic that Menendez may have helped Melgen secure, as well as the Senator aiding the doctor in Medicare fraud. Earlier this year, Menendez was accused of allowing Melgen to pay for his trips to the Dominican Republic, where he allegedly met with prostitutes. Sources tell The Washington Post that the grand jury has subpoenaed Melgen’s financial records.
More Moms Say Full-Time Work Is Ideal, http://rtvote.com/15QDCLj
A new Pew Research survey reveals that 37% of mothers would prefer to work full-time, up from 21% in 2007. The poll shows a “strong correlation” between financial security and the amount mothers would like to work, with around 47% saying they “don’t have enough to meet basic expenses.” Surveyed women who were wealthy from means other than their jobs preferred to work part-time or not at all.
Obama Seeks $2 Billion in Research on Cleaner Fuels, http://rtvote.com/12W0203
President Obama will reveal a “blueprint for a clean and secure energy future” on Friday. The plan would ideally be funded from $2 billion from federal oil and gas leases over the next ten years, with the money going towards research on clean-energy vehicles. White House officials say Obama will present the plan as a piece of “all-of-the-above energy strategy,” which includes increased oil and gas development, research and development for clean-energy sources, loan guarantees for new nuclear plants, and research into long-term alternatives for fossil fuels. The president will work to implement his strategy piece-by-piece instead of trying to pass climate-change legislation through Congress.
CNN Exclusive: One conservative’s dramatic reversal on gay marriage, http://rtvote.com/12VWL0I
Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman, who co-sponsored the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, told The Cincinnati Enquirer on Thursday that he has had a “change of heart” on the issue of same-sex marriage. “I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, get married,” Portman said. Portman’s reversal of opinion happened when his son Will told him that he was gay. As a result, the Senator now views the topic “from the position of a father.”
CULTURAL:
Rafael Nadal crushes Roger Federer to make semi-finals at Indian Wells, http://rtvote.com/16xakmk
Musician’s salt-stained violin emerges as the most important relic from the Titanic, http://rtvote.com/15QFbcb
Lawsuit says Judge Judy conspired to buy $500,000 worth of jointly owned china and flatware for a pittance to hurt a co-worker’s estranged wife, http://rtvote.com/16xcSkv
Justin Bieber lashes out at press, denies rehab rumors, http://rtvote.com/16xsPa8
Jay-Z confirms Great Gatsby executive producer role, http://rtvote.com/ZNmp1v
Tags: CPAC, Defense of Marriage Act, great gatsby, jamie dimon, Jay Z, jpmorgan, jpmorgan chase, judge judy, Justin Bieber, laurie pettengill, Mitt Romney, Pew research, Rafael Nadal, rob portman, robert menendez, roger federer, salomon melgen, the titanic, The Washington Post
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Caitlin Maguire Bio: Caitlin is the Marketing & Operations Manager for Rock the Vote @caitlinmagu Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
