GOP, Heal Thyself
Sometimes we wonder if we’re too hard on the Republican Party. But the daily news just doesn’t offer us much recourse. We’re old enough to remember when Republicans were willing to work with Democrats to pass bills for the good of the country. Lyndon Johnson got 27 Republican senators to vote for th (more)
‘Tis the Season of the Shareholders
In an editorial on shareholder initiatives on political spending, The Wall Street Journal relies on the favorite dodge of those who cannot make their case on the merits. It claims that shareholders are attacking, even impinging on freedom of speech. On the contrary. Shareholders support the right to (more)
Leo W. Gerard: What’s It All About, Romney?
“What’s it all about, Romney? Is it just for the moment we live? What’s it all about when you sort it out, Romney? Are we meant to take more than we give. . .”~With apologies to Burt Bacharach and Hal David who wrote the original song, “Alfie” As Mitt Romney laugh (more)
How Liberals Think
I recently served on a panel at the 64th Annual Conference on World Affairs that was titled “How Liberals Think, ” a question I’ve pondered as long as I can remember. Beyond the classic dictionary definition, “open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values; favorable to (more)
HEADLINES
Dispatch lag slows Los Angeles Fire Department call response
Operators on average take far longer than the national standard to send rescuers, a Los Angeles Times analysis shows.When Javier Ortiz collapsed in his backyard in Echo Park, rescuers were stationed in a firehouse just a half-mile away.
Appreciation: Donna Summer: The sonic seduction lives on in today’s beats
If you drop a needle on the original version of “Love to Love You Baby” just as you’re beginning this appreciation of Donna Summer, the so-called Queen of Disco who died Thursday at age 63, you would probably be finished reading long before the song en…
Stakes are high on Facebook’s first day of trading
Major stock exchanges, brokerage firms and mutual fund companies have been gearing up for Facebook’s giant IPO. With all the hype, any snafus would be a major embarrassment.NEW YORK — Wall Street has one simple task as Facebook Inc. shares begin …
TECH
NASA, SpaceX Aim To Launch Private Era In Orbit
If all goes well, an unmanned capsule will become the first commercial spacecraft to visit the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA have been working together to make this launch happen, navigating cultural differences between the young start-up and the veteran agency.
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Pennsylvania Doctors Worry Over Fracking ‘Gag Rule’
A new law grants doctors access to information about trade-secret chemicals used in natural gas drilling. Doctors say they need the information to treat patients who may have been exposed to chemicals. But the law also says doctors can't tell anyone else — not even other doctors — about what's in the formulas.
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POLITICS
Poll: More view Romney favorably than ever before
Mitt Romney has joined previous presumptive presidential nominees in receiving a post-nomination bump in favorable views, reaching a new personal high of 50% in a Gallup poll released Thursday . Romney’s favorability rating is just 2 points lower than President Obama’s, but any celebrations over this new water mark are tempered by its low standing in comparison to recent presidential contenders.
Romney tells Floridians he considered a home in the state
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — During the course of the presidential campaign, Mitt Romney has proudly claimed his roots as native Michigander, a Bostonian (who is unfailingly loyal to the Red Sox), a summer resident of New Hampshire and, of course, a part-time Californian when he escapes to his beachfront home in La Jolla.
ARTS
Report: FBI probes ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ threats
Death threats against TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman and his family are being probed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to reports. The threats were emailed to the Chapmans over a four-day period, sources close to the family told Hawaii News Now.
