In today’s news, President Obama’s jobs bill has been blocked in the Senate; the ‘underwear bomber’ has pled guilty to all charges; and Mitt Romney came out ahead in last night’s GOP debate. In entertainment news, the O Music Awards will honor Steve Jobs, and Sonic Youth goes to Occupy Wall Street.
Coral + Caitlin
CRUCIAL
Obama’s jobs plan blocked in Senate, http://bit.ly/oiTQgJ
The Senate voted 50-49 to block President Obama’s $447 billion jobs package. The President had spent most of last month campaigning for the jobs bill, arguing that Republicans were being too partisan. However, Democrats like Senators Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) ended up voting against the bill. Also, a number of other centrists in the party indicated that they would vote against the package even though they supported launching a debate on the measure.
US to pressure Iran over ‘plot to kill Saudi envoy’, http://bbc.in/pJeCsT
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is sending a very strong message to Iran after threats were made to kill the Saudi Ambassador to the US. US Attorney General Eric Holder says the alleged conspiracy was “conceived, sponsored and directed from Iran.” Two Iranians have been charged over the plot. The US has also issued a worldwide alert warning of more threats to US interests from Iran.
‘Austin Powers’ actor allegedly kills sex offender in prison, http://lat.ms/no9RFC
An ‘Austin Powers’ actor that was convicted of torturing a woman in Orange County is being accused of killing his cellmate on Tuesday. The cellmate was a parole violator who had been sentenced to two years for failing to register as a sex offender, according to a prison report. A cause of death is pending.
Gacy victims exhumed to ID them, http://apne.ws/nlqCnz
30 years after the skeletal remains of John Wayne Gacy’s victims were found under his house, authorities are exhuming the remains in hopes of identifying them. The Cook County Sheriff’s Department is urging relatives of any male who disappeared between 1970 and Gacy’s 1978 arrest to undergo saliva tests in order to compare their DNA with that of the skeletal remains.
‘Underwear bomber’ pleads guilty on all charges, http://bit.ly/nYFwZc
Accused “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to eight charges after he returned from a 45-minute recess, ending the most high-profile terrorism case in the United States since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 25-year-old Nigerian and self-proclaimed al-Qaida operative faces up to life in prison from charges that include attempted murder, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit terrorism, for his attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.
A Win for Voters Is Gessler’s Second Loss, http://huff.to/ppzcux
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler made the false claim that thousands of non-citizens were voting in Colorado and sued the Denver County Clerk and Recorder to only send ballots to voters who voted in the 2010 election. On Friday, a Colorado state court denied Secretary Gessler’s attempt to keep Denver County citizens who did not vote in 2010 from receiving ballots in the mail.
Romney Looks Past Rivals as Debate Focuses on Economy, http://nyti.ms/oysVXt
At the debate Tuesday, Mitt Romney offered a tough defense of the health care plan he signed as governor of Massachusetts and sought to look beyond his Republican presidential rivals by presenting himself as the leader who is best prepared to take on President Obama. Romney all but ignored his rival at the last three debates, Rick Perry, and even selected Michelle Bachman over Perry when given the opportunity to question another candidate.
Frank Kameny, Gay Rights Pioneer, Dead at 86, http://abcn.ws/n6KjPN
On Tuesday, National Coming Out Day, gay rights activist Frank Kameny died at age 86. He became a pioneer for gay rights when he was fired from his job as a government astronomer in 1957 for being gay. He did not leave quietly however. He wrote letters to the U.S. Civil Service Commission, both houses in Congress, and the White House. He also sued and lost in lower courts, but pressed on with a lengthy brief in 1961 that is now regarded as the first civil rights claim based on sexual orientation to be brought to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kamney believed that in 2009, his significance in the gay rights movement had just began to be recognized. He coined the slogan, “Gay is Good.”
EBay to deepen Facebook relationship, http://reut.rs/niP41c
EBay Inc is set to deepen its relationship with Facebook at a developer conference this week. At the end of September, Katie Mitic, head of Platform and Mobile Marketing at Facebook, joined eBay’s board of directors sparking speculation that the two companies were working on new partnerships. Facebook Platform, which Mitic helps run, is the company’s developer unit, so any new partnership will focus on this area.
CULTURAL
E.J. Dionne Jr. believes, “Mitt Romney returns to frontrunner status” http://wapo.st/rmicKJ
Jonathan Bernstein says, “Rick Perry is incredibly bad at debates” http://wapo.st/qxjLeb
Louis Hyman has been, “Laid Flat by Layaway” http://nyti.ms/nCYHgY
O Music Awards To Honor Steve Jobs, http://on.mtv.com/petL87
Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo Photographs Occupy Wall Street Protest, http://p4k.in/pWmTuj
Nas Goes Back To The Projects For ‘Nasty’ Video, http://on.mtv.com/qggljC
‘Avengers’ Trailer Launches Online, http://on.mtv.com/q1zBIq
