Tuesday, October 7, 2014

@22:28, 10/6/14

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1
World

Cameron Acts Like the Front-Runner He Would Like to Be

Despite a bold speech at the Conservatives’ party convention, the British prime minister still faces a tough road to re-election next year.
Elections 

Prime Minister David Cameron should soon be replaced.  The how is beyond me.

http://www.bbc.com/news/politics/

2
Opinion

Will Cities Turn Texas Purple?

Urban growth is the real force for change in Lone Star politics.
Hispanic-Americans; Urban Areas; Population; Elections, Governors 

Not this election.

3
Business Day

New Walmart Program Aims to Enhance Food Sustainability

The retailer, which is also the nation’s largest grocer, will try to reduce the environmental impact of the food it sells.
Food; Conservation of Resources; Agriculture and Farming; Supermarkets and Grocery Stores; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Energy Efficiency; Global Warming 

Walmart is far from environmentally sound.
They are big because they have low prices.

4
Automobiles

Government Investigates 938,000 Ford Sedans for Steering Problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received more than 500 complaints about recent Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and Mercury Milan sedans.
Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Recalls and Bans of Products 

I would be interested to see a graph of recalls divided by cars produced against time.

5
The Upshot

Evidence Suggests Democrats Are Running the Better Campaigns

In some crucial Senate contests over the last month, the party has had an edge in ads and in the ground game.
Midterm Elections (2014); Political Advertising; United States Politics and Government; Online Advertising 

Hard results are still a month away.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/senate-update-dont-forget-about-kentucky-and-georgia/

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

6
World

A Smuggled Girl’s Odyssey of False Promises and Fear

Cecilia, a 16-year-old Guatemalan seeking a better life in the United States, fell prey to “coyotes,” the smugglers who lure migrants, on a trip that devolved into outright abduction.
Illegal Immigration; Kidnapping and Hostages; Children and Childhood 

We have a target group; the coyote.

7
Technology

Technology Takes the Wheel

By the end of the decade, many automakers will offer vehicles that can take control on the highway, even passing and exiting on their own.
Automobiles; Automobile Safety Features and Defects; Roads and Traffic; Parking 

Imagine a driverless car hacked.

8
Opinion

Reining In Egypt’s Military Aid

 
Removing aid from Egypt is not a happy thought.

9
Opinion

The First to Fear Gunplay


10
Opinion

India and America, Beginning Again

Now President Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must work to turn aspirations of strategic partnership into reality.
Editorials; Nuclear Weapons; International Trade and World Market; Protectionism (Trade); Nuclear Energy 

There must be a willing buyer and a willing seller.
They are not present in many cases.

11
Opinion

Yes to Marijuana Ballot Measures

Three proposed initiatives would help to create a saner recreational-use landscape.
Marijuana; Editorials; Law and Legislation; Referendums 

yes.

12
The Upshot

Don’t Sell Consumer Spending Short, a Report Says

Spend-happy Americans will return to powering the economy, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast.
United States Economy; Labor and Jobs; Consumer Behavior; Recession and Depression; Factories and Manufacturing 

"And where will those jobs come from? Primarily in the field of health. Labor-intensive industries like health care are expected to generate more than half the jobs that are tied to consumer spending. The sector expected to suffer the deepest job losses is manufacturing. No surprise there, but job growth in pretty much every other sector, from retail sales to government, will generally remain flat, the report said."

Wishful thinking.
There must be income to support the spending.
The federal government can borrow when others cannot.

13
World

ISIS’ Ammunition Is Shown to Have Origins in U.S. and China

An analysis suggests that ammunition transferred into Syria and Iraq to help stabilize governments has instead passed from the governments to the jihadists.
Arms Trade 

Think of it as fossil ammunition.   It is finite.

14
U.S.

Judge Orders Disclosure of Guantánamo Videos

A federal judge cited the First Amendment in overriding the government’s argument for keeping secret classified tapes showing the forced feeding of a detainee.
Hunger Strikes; Detainees; Video Recordings, Downloads and Streaming; First Amendment (US Constitution); News and News Media; Decisions and Verdicts 

The House is overridden.
It has taken ten years.

15
World

Iran Frees Wife of Detained Washington Post Journalist

Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist, was released, although her husband, Jason Rezaian, remained in custody. The two were detained in July.
News and News Media 

Power is fragmented in Iran.
We do not know the details of these detentions.
I have no intention of coming in reach of Iranian powers.

16
Business Day

The Washington Post Regains Its Place at the Table

Jeff Bezos’s willingness to finance hiring new employees has created an atmosphere of confidence and financial stability supported by strong journalistic leadership.
Newspapers; News and News Media 

The Washington Post is not a place to retire from.

Fine by me.
Sooner is better.  As soon as you can is best.

17
The Upshot

Want an Easy Life? Try Canberra, Australia

A new O.E.C.D. report illuminates the vast differences in living standards among “rich” countries, and within them.
States (US) 

John Creasey   
I will do a long visit.  
I am not certain I want to be a resident.

18
Business Day

G.M. Compensation Fund Approves 24th Death Claim

The fund has received 165 wrongful death claims over vehicles with a defective switch, and most claims are still under review.
Reparations; Traffic Accidents and Safety; Automobile Safety Features and Defects 

This will be expensive.

19
Arts

Protesters Delay St. Louis Symphony

The St. Louis Symphony’s performance of Brahms’s “German Requiem” was briefly upstaged when audience members used their own music to protest the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
Music; Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings; Demonstrations, Protests and Riots; Classical Music 

A small price to pay.
But only a small down payment.

20
Opinion

Kenya’s Dubious Day in Court

The International Criminal Court's handling of the Kenyan case has hurt the accusers more than the accused.

 The I.C.C. has a near impossible task.
There is no international police force.
International law is in constant flux.
There is no consensus as to what is a crime.


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