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    Posts Tagged
    ‘Afghanistan’



    NEWS ROUND-UP: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012

    Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

    Iraq is under duress after a series of bombings; Seven marines die in an Arizona helicopter crash; gas prices are continuing to rise; a woman hires a hitman to kill a random fur-wearer; pundits are criticizing Santorum’s debate performance last night, and Al Sharpton is planning another march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights. Additionally, David Cross admits to using drugs at the White House Correspondents Dinner, and Kourtney Kardashian is expecting a girl.

    CRUCIAL:

    Deadly Car Bombings Strike Across Iraq http://nyti.ms/wvaknH
    A series of car bombings have gone off in Iraq, injuring many and killing
    over 40. The attacks were mostly aimed at police officers but many of the
    casualties were civilians. Iraqi leaders are saying that the attackers are
    trying to create doubt about the new government.

    U.N. Panel Accuses Syria of Crimes Against Humanity http://nyti.ms/z2G523
    A 72-page United Nations report has determined that in the last year Syria,
    under President Bashar al-Assad, has committed gross human rights
    violations. The report also determined that the Free Syrian Army has
    committed abuses but, that they are not comparable to what al-Assad’s regime
    has perpetuated. World leaders will meet soon to devise a strategy that will
    bring relief to the city of Homs, but they fear that Syria will not allow
    them access into the country. Syria’s allies, Russia, China and Iran, have
    stood by the nation during this time of bloodshed.

    Seven Marines die in Arizona helicopter crash http://usat.ly/y46j4f
    Last night, two Marine helicopters crashed into each other outside of Yuma,
    Arizona. The helicopters were coming from the 3rd Marine Airwing, based in
    Miramar, California. The identities of the seven dead are being withheld
    until their kin are notified. The aircrafts in the crash were the AH-1W
    “Cobra” and the UH-1Y “Huey”.

    Gas price surge: Up 10% this year http://cnnmon.ie/A4bSWY
    The average price for a gallon of gas in America may soon be $4. Places like
    New York and California already pay more than that while Hawaii leads the
    nation in gas prices, paying around $4.27 per gallon. Experts point to
    growing tensions around Iran as the explanation for the increases. According
    to the AAA, gas prices have climbed 3 cents over night, making the current
    average $3.612 per gallon. Overall, this is a 10% increase over last year.

    Obama apologizes to Afghanistan for Quran burning http://bit.ly/yEmnKN
    President Barack Obama formally apologized to Afghan President Hamid Karzai
    after NATO troops were caught burning Qurans. There have been widespread
    protests outside of NATO bases after rumors swirled around the burning of
    Islam’s holiest book. Additionally, a man dressed in an Afghan National Army
    uniform has since shot and killed two NATO troops.

    Woman accused of hiring hit man to kill random fur-wearer
    http://bit.ly/Al9DCH
    A Cleveland, Ohio woman has been arrested after creating a fake Facebook
    account to find and hire a hitman to kill someone wearing fur. Her
    intentions were to hire a contract killer to slit the throat of someone
    wearing fur in a library and then for her to hand out anti-fur literature.
    An FBI agent found the Facebook request and spoke with her about her plans.
    Earlier in 2011, this woman contacted local police saying she had been
    investigating the fur industry and that police ought to investigate it too.

    Mount Pleasant man refuses to vote after finding veteran’s ID no good at
    polls http://bit.ly/zSnS37
    A veteran showed up with his Department of Veteran’s Affairs ID card and was
    not allowed to vote in Tuesday’s Wisconsin Primary. The man recently learned
    that the VA card would not suffice and felt angered. He had other forms of
    ID but wanted to make a point that not all veterans have these types of
    identification and that he disagreed with this law.

    Court denies Wyoming county’s voting rights appeal http://bit.ly/A3dHMc
    A Wyoming court has determined that it it illegal to have at-large voting on
    county commissioners. Two American Indian Tribes, the Northern Arapho and
    Easern Shoshone, felt that at-large voting would make it considerably harder
    for American Indians to get elected. The courts agreed  and will force the
    county to have single-member districts so that the local minority
    populations will be able to have more of a say in their governance.

    Selma to Montgomery March to Protest New Voter Laws http://bit.ly/xLkoLn
    Reverend Al Sharpton plans to hold a march from Selma to Montgomery in early
    March as a protest against a new wave of voting laws. According to Sharpton,
    5 million voters from 2008 will be turned away if they show up to vote in
    2012 with these new laws in effect. 11% of Americans and 25% of Black
    Americans do not have valid photo IDs. Even more of them are senior
    citizens. This march on historic ground hopes to remind Americans of the
    importance of voting rights.

    CULTURAL:

    David Cross Admits to Snorting Cocaine at the White House Correspondents
    Dinner http://bit.ly/wh75pt

    The National Enquirer sparks outrage with Whitney Houston open-casket photo
    http://bit.ly/xYoh2L

    Donny Deutsch: Star Jones was ambushed by ‘The View’s’ ‘mean girls’
    http://on.msnbc.com/y9pCOe

    Kourtney Kardashian reveals she and Scott Disick are expecting a girl
    http://bit.ly/AbLEQz

    Aaron Ghitelman
    Bio:

    Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com



    NEWS ROUND-UP: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012

    Thursday, February 16th, 2012

    Iran’s leaders react to sanctions; the Greek bailout is starting to unravel; Xi Jinping visits Iowa; unemployment applications continue to drop; Rick Santorum releases his tax returns, and Minnesotans protest voter ID laws. Elsewhere, Buzz Bissinger talks newspaper sales in Philadelphia; New Jersey will fly its flags at half staff in honor of Whitney Houston; and “The Colbert Report” is on temporary hiatus.

    Aaron + Caitlin

    CRUCIAL:

    Aggressive Acts by Iran Signal Pressure on Its Leadership, http://nyti.ms/wZuwW7
    Iranian leaders are posturing after the West has tightened sanctions due to Iran’s nuclear strides and its terrorist attacks abroad. In response, Iran will immediately cut off a portion of oil supply to the EU. There has been recent speculation that Israel is prepared to use force in order to wipe out Iran’s nuclear program. Experts are saying that Iran’s recent actions indicate its willingness to fight back if Israel or the United States attacks.

    8 Young Afghans Killed in Strike, NATO Acknowledges, http://nyti.ms/zx5IiU
    Eight Afghan boys have been killed in a bombing in a remote mountainous region of Afghanistan. Afghan officials claim that the boys were unarmed civilians. The families of the deceased have stated that the boys were tending to goats outside of the village. NATO officials have said that they observed the boys with weapons acting in a tactical fashion. Both Afghanistan and NATO agree that there was a search for a weapons cache in the area nearby. According to some of the families, a few of the boys who died were 12 years of age or younger.

    Doubting Greeks’ Resolve, Euro Zone May Hold Back Full Bailout, http://nyti.ms/wEQMvZ
    The EU has yet to hand over the $170 billion that was agreed upon to bail out the Greece. The money was never going to be given in a lump sum because German officials feared that Greece would misuse it and cut back on the austerity measures they insisted on. German economists are voicing their concerns over whether Greek officials can be trustworthy with the bail out. As a result, Greek officials are making incendiary statements towards Germany while protestors burn German flags.

    Xi Jinping visits Iowa, where the diplomatic equivalent of love is in the air, http://wapo.st/x01pzp
    Future Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to return to Iowa, a state he visited as a lowly agricultural official in the 1980s. In 1985, he stayed in Muscatine, Iowa where, with a tiny budget, Jinping slept at the house of a Iowa couple, his bed surrounded by their son’s Star Trek figurines. The visit left a huge mark on Jinping, and he hopes to use his trip to Iowa to show how the US and China need to remain strong partners.

    GM earns highest profit ever in 2011 at $7.6B; union workers to get $7,000 in profit sharing, http://wapo.st/x0GY57
    Strong sales in both the United States and China are responsible for GM’s biggest profit ever in 2011, eclipsing its profits from the late 1990s boom in SUV and Truck sales. The profits have occurred 2 years after the US government bailed out the car manufacturer. However, not all is perfect for GM; the car giant lost money in both Europe and South America which has caused its stocks to not improve as much as it’d like. The US government has a large share of those stocks and is waiting for them to improve before selling them off to recoup money from the bailout.

    Hundreds crowd state Capitol to oppose anti-voting rights amendment http://bit.ly/wQ3ZfH
    Minnesotans are protesting a bill that would rid of same day registration and limit voting to those with who do not have a valid photo ID. According to Minnesota’s Secretary of State, this law would disenfranchise over 200,000 voters, many of whom are elderly, impoverished or homeless. The ruling against same day registration would affect over half a million people who register at the polls. 200 people protested the bill that would force many to cast provisional ballots and would delay many election results.

    Voting rights group files suit over Texas registration practices http://bit.ly/wlgSOp
    Voting for America has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Texas, alleging that they have suppressed voting. The suit centers around what Voting for America feels are illegal laws that limit who can vote. It also points out instances where voters have been asked for photo IDs even though the law has yet to be implemented. In Galveston, many voters were mistakenly listed as first time voters and then were incorrectly asked to present ID cards. Critics of this lawsuit allege that Voting for America is a front for the scandal ridden ACORN and say that it has ties to the White House.

    CULTURAL:

    Whitney Houston’s funeral to be broadcast online; Gov. Christie defends decision to fly flags half-staff, http://wapo.st/xBdnBk

    Stephen Colbert’s show cancels taping Wednesday night, http://wapo.st/wzxQ5Y

    REGGIE BUSH: I’m NOT Back with Kim Kardashian, http://bit.ly/wAb0E5

    Black Thought and Questlove On Board for GrassROOTS Charity Concert in Philly, http://bit.ly/z57IiI

    Big L Mourned 13 Years Later on Anniversary of Passing, http://bit.ly/wnYSLc

    Aaron Ghitelman
    Bio:

    Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com



    News Round-Up: Thursday, February 2 2012

    Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

    Facebook readies for its IPO, Leon Panetta will speed up the withdrawal of NATO combat troops in Afghanistan, and Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow. Also, Susan G Komen distances itself from Planned Parenthood while Virginia will require women to get an ultrasound before an abortion. Elsewhere, Joan River experiments with medical marijuana, and K’Naan criticizes Mitt Romney’s use of his song.

    Aaron + Caitlin

    CRUCIAL:

    Panetta: U.S., NATO will seek to end Afghan combat mission next year http://wapo.st/zWZrSJ
    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says The United States and NATO are aiming to end their combat role in Afghanistan by mid-to-late 2013. The previous plan called for a shift away from the combat role in 2014, but Panetta is prepared to do this a full year ahead of schedule. This change may be modeled after the shift and withdrawal of American troops from Iraq that has proven successful in terms of not harming national security. Additionally, both Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy of France are running for re-election, and shortening the War in Afghanistan will be a popular move for both of them.

    U.S. no-fly list doubles in one year http://usat.ly/xpNTWo
    In the last year, the secret government no-fly list has ballooned from 10,000 listed suspects to over 21,000 suspects. This growth has taken place since the failed bombing that occurred on an Christmas Day flight in 2009. The ACLU has sued the government on behalf of individuals who believe they are mistakenly being prevented from flying for business or personal reasons. Included among people who have been inconvenienced by this list is the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). In 2004, the list included around 20,000 people, but a major difference between then and now is that the government checks the list instead of airlines and has allegedly made fewer mistakes.

    Uproar as Breast Cancer Group Ends Partnership With Planned Parenthood http://nyti.ms/A1Uyfe
    The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation, the largest cancer advocacy group in the nation, has decided to cease giving Planned Parenthood $700,000 in grants. Komen’s decision has come after a congressional investigation into Planned Parenthood started. Komen fears that aligning with a group under federal investigation will hurt its fundraising. However, Planned Parenthood views this as a partisan decision, claiming the investigation itself is uncalled for and citing Komen’s new senior vice president for public policy, Karen Handel, who when running for Governor of Georgia wrote, “Since I am pro-life, I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood.”

    Washington State Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill http://nyti.ms/ABxrAy
    Washington is on track to become the seventh state to allow for same-sex marriage. Supports of the bill feared the State Senate would be the tougher of the two chambers to get the bill past, but those worries proved to be for naught as the State Senate passed by the margin of 28-21. The bill is very similar to the New York bill which does not require religious groups that object to the marriages to officiate them. The House will vote on the bill within the week, and the governor has indicated she will sign it.

    Indiana may soon be Rust Belt’s first right-to-work state http://usat.ly/wnkR1z
    A right-to-work law, which states companies can no longer negotiate with unions that require non-members to pay representation fees, has passed in the Hoosier state. Governor Mitch Daniels signed the bill while thousands of union members protested outside the statehouse. Daniels initially ran as a candidate against right-to-work laws but has since changed his mind because of businesses that allegedly refuse to open shop in states without these laws. Opponents of the bill fear that this will lead to a drop in the salary of workers throughout the state.

    Twitter’s New Censorship Policy: Up with Free Speech? http://ti.me/yp4yOq
    Twitter announced a new policy that would withhold content from users in specific countries. But this censorship will not be particularly draconian. It will only be used reactively, as a way of protecting Twitter itself from lawsuits. Additionally, a Twitter official explained to Talking Points Memo that it will not govern retweets and there should be multiple ways around the withheld content.

    Samuel Collins talks about the importance of Black History Month on College Campuses in “Celebrate black history month at GW,”  http://bit.ly/ADkNhf

    CULTURAL:

    Super Bowl Ads Aim For Your ‘Second Screen,’ http://bit.ly/z4epnS

    Joan Rivers, 78, gets stoned in a carpark and is unable to drive home… and its all filmed for her reality show, http://bit.ly/y7H5n6

    ‘No!’ – Snooki denies pregnancy rumors, http://bit.ly/ytSNxz

    Chuck D’s Thoughts on Black History Month and “On The Shoulders Of Giants” Documentary, http://bit.ly/yzj9bU

    Rapper K’Naan Lashes Out At Mitt Romney For Using “Waving Flag,” http://bit.ly/Awwgz1

     

    Aaron Ghitelman
    Bio:

    Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com



    News Round-Up: Friday, July 29, 2011

    Friday, July 29th, 2011

    President Obama says that Democrats and Republicans are not far apart on a debt ceiling agreement, there has been no vote on Boehner’s deficit reduction plan, a soldier admits to planning another attack on Fort Hood, the U.S. believes that Iran has an alliance with al Qaeda, conservatives are angry over the Pell Grant funding in Boehner’s debt bill, and the 2012 London Olympic medals have been unveiled. Also, Tiger Woods will return to the green, and the Seattle Police Department tweeted nearly every emergency call it received this past Tuesday.

    In Rock the Vote news: today is Katie and Perry’s, our wonderful interns, last day! Everyone at RTV wants to thank them for doing such a great job on the press clips all summer!

    Caitlin, Katie, + Perry

    CRITICAL:

    (via POLITICO Breaking News)
    President Barack Obama said Friday that Democrats and Republicans are not far apart on an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, but they must work together to forge a bipartisan compromise that can win approval in both the House and Senate. “There are plenty of ways out of this mess, but we are almost out of time,” Obama said in a brief statement at the White House.

    (via POLITICO Breaking News)
    There [was no] vote [last night] in the House on Speaker John Boehner’s deficit reduction plan, as Republicans were unable to come up with the votes to pass the bill after hours of arm twisting and vote whipping.

    AWOL Soldier Condemned ’09 Fort Hood Shootings,
    http://abcn.ws/nCsin0
    After previously condemning the ’09 Fort Hood shootings, it’s been revealed that Pfc. Naser Abdo had planned an attack on Fort Hood. After a tip from a gun shop where he bought 6 pounds of smokeless gunpowder, three boxes of shotgun ammunition and a magazine for a semi-automatic pistol, Abdo was found and arrested. He had a bomb in his backpack and weapons stashed in his motel room.

    U.S. Sees Iranian, al Qaeda Alliance,
    http://on.wsj.com/qgm7ys
    The U.S. believes that Iran has an alliance with al Qaeda. Specifically, the U.S. suspects Iran of allowing al Qaeda to use its land to move money, arms, and fighters to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Officials at the Iranian mission in New York called the allegations “totally baseless,” but the U.S. has suspected an alliance for years.

    Eric Cantor’s glaring conflict of interest,
    http://bit.ly/mxRlL6
    The No. 2 Republican in the House, and the GOP’s chief debt ceiling negotiator has thousands of dollars invested in a fund that would skyrocket if those negotiations failed. The trust “aggressively” shorts Treasury bonds, essentially betting against the country’s debt.

    Conservatives angry over Pell Grant funding in Boehner debt bill,
    http://bit.ly/pRSGXJ
    One of the reasons Speaker Boehner’s debt ceiling bill had been unceremoniously postponed last night was the supplemental Pell Grant funding it preserved. Some Republicans called the college aid money “welfare” for people who “don’t have to graduate from college.”

    2012 London Olympic medals unveiled,
    http://bit.ly/qcl1ev
    In exactly one year, the Olympic opening ceremonies will begin in London. The Olympic committee has marked the occasion by unveiling the medals, which are the biggest ever at 400 grams. The front of the medal has the traditional image of the Greek goddess of Nike; the back shows the controversial 2012 logo over a ribbon that represents the River Thames.

    It’s back to work for Tiger Woods,
    http://yhoo.it/n5H5FH
    The ups and downs of the world’s best golfer have been widely publicized; he’s had affairs, undergone knee surgery, fired his caddie, missed tournaments and plummeted in the rankings. But yesterday Woods tweeted that after an 11-week break, he will return for the Bridgestone Invitational.

    Twitter as Police Scanner Draws Feedback in Seattle,
    http://nyti.ms/ogvYQo
    For 12 hours this past Tuesday, the Seattle Police Department tweeted nearly every emergency call it received. The 478 tweets, or 40 an hour, were meant to show the public what an average day was like for the city’s police force. The wave of tweets made some Twitter users angry enough to unfollow @SeattlePD.

    CULTURAL:

    Amy Winehouse family fear she was killed by giving up alcohol, http://bit.ly/pSmHcM

    Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love All Kinds of Crazy, Stupid Fantastic, http://eonli.ne/prNl2q

    The Good, the Bad, and the Slimy, http://slate.me/qM5o6q

    Teen Moms’ Graduation Triumph, http://bit.ly/rl0mcO

    Katie Scholick
    Bio: Duke University, Class of 2013 Majoring in Psychology, Certificate in Markets and Management.

    Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com



    News Round-Up: Monday, July 25, 2011

    Monday, July 25th, 2011

    Asian, European, and American markets fall in early trading, U.S. debt talks remain stalled, there will be an Ethics Committee investigation into the conduct of Rep. David Wu, the Norway killer warns of ‘more cells,’ militants hang an 8-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan, and NFL players agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, Google has offered a $30 million prize for the first private firm to make it to the moon, and China officials close fake Apple stores in Kunming city.

    Caitlin, Katie, + Perry

    CRITICAL:

    Asian and European markets fall in early trading as U.S. debt talks remain stalled,
    http://wapo.st/nADDVf
    With the August 2nd debt-ceiling deadline nearing, financial markets are bracing for a debt default. Markets have dipped in Japan, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, England, France and Germany. In the U.S., the Dow lost more than 125 points just minutes after the opening bell.

    (via POLITICO Breaking News)
    House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Israel are calling for an Ethics Committee investigation into the conduct of Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), who allegedly had an “unwanted sexual encounter” with the teenage daughter of a family friend last Thanksgiving.

    Norway killings: Anders Behring Breivik warns of ‘more cells,’
    http://tgr.ph/nL2q43
    According to a Norwegian judge, Breivik admitted to bombing a government building and to shooting children at an island camp. The 32-year-old said he committed the crimes to prevent a Marxist Muslim takeover of Norway. He will be held in solitary confinement.

    Militants hang 8-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan,
    http://bit.ly/qy57UD
    A police officer in Afghanistan’s southern city of Gereshk refused to give his police vehicle to militants. The militants retaliated by kidnapping and hanging his 8-year-old son. This violent act comes after the capitol of the Helmand province was transferred from US to Afghan control.

    Reports: NFL, players agree to new collective bargaining agreement,
    http://usat.ly/pjHpb3
    NFL owners and players have agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement. The player executive committee and 32 team reps are expected to cast their final votes via conference call around 11 a.m. According to NFL Network’s Albert Breer, team facilities may be open later today.

    DMV says closure decisions aren’t final,
    http://bit.ly/oP3qlx
    Wisconsin’s Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is working on a plan that would close as many as 16 different DMV offices, one of the main locations where people can obtain photo ids. Walker’s administration wants to expand hours in other locations, adding 625 hours of DMV service per week. A Democratic lawmaker claims that the department is closing offices where Democratic constituents live and expanding hours in Republican districts. A State Department of Transportation official rejected the claim.

    GOP Makes Big Gains among White Voters,
    http://bit.ly/orTBb5
    The country has shifted since President Obama’s landslide election in 2008. Republicans have gained ground on Democrats  through higher margins of white voters. The shift was especially pronounced for young and poor white voters.

    Race to the Moon Heats Up for Private Firms,
    http://nyti.ms/r7OKSs
    29 private firms have signed up to be the first to make it to the moon. Google is putting up $30 million for the winner. The manager of NASA’s Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program, George Xenofos, expects one or more teams to make it.

    China officials close fake Apple stores in Kunming city,
    http://bbc.in/oyyjH2
    There are Chinese knockoff iPhones and iPods, but entire knockoff stores? An American blogger living in Kunming city discovered five elaborate fake stores, which sold genuine Apple products and employed workers who believed themselves to be Apple employees. Apple has yet to comment on the story.

    CULTURAL:

    Amy Winehouse Wasn’t Breathing When Security Guard Found Her, http://on.mtv.com/qI4K6s

    Sofia Vergara Kisses Papa Smurf At NYC Premiere, http://bit.ly/owyZwv

    Jay-Z, Kanye West Announce Watch The Throne Release Date, Tour Dates, http://on.mtv.com/o5XXsX

    Kim Kardashian Doppelgänger Now Talking Smack About Old Navy Showdown, http://eonli.ne/n0vTuI

    Katie Scholick
    Bio: Duke University, Class of 2013 Majoring in Psychology, Certificate in Markets and Management.

    Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com