Morning Constitutional – Monday, 10 January 2011

Good morning, folks. Looks like there won’t be a second season of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” Now, your morning constitutional:

Prosecutors charged Jared L. Loughner with five federal counts Sunday, including attempted assassination of a member of Congress, for the shooting on Saturday morning which left six people dead and 14 wounded, including the death of U.S. Judge John Hall. Arizona Representative Gabriel Giffords, injured in the shooting  and the expected target of the attack, is “holding her own,” according to her doctor. How Rep. Giffords survived the attack. President Obama and the first lady will observe a moment of silence for the victims at 11am this morning on the South Lawn outside the White House.

Why we’re too quick to use mental illness as an explanation for violence.

The House has cleared its legislative agenda for the week.

Sunday, crowds of southern Sudanese began participating in an historic referendum on whether to declare independence from Sudan.

A 727 crashed in northwestern Iran, leaving 77 dead.

The Basque separatist group ETA declared a permanent cease-fire on Monday, a sign that Spain’s four-decade conflict with the organization could be nearing an end.

The federal government is set to launch a public consumer safety complaint database, making public the complaints it receives about safety problems with wide varieties of products.

What is the debt ceiling, and does the U.S. really need one?

Duke Energy has agreed to buy Progress Energy for nearly $14B in stock, which will make it the largest utility in the U.S.

How cricket explains Pakistan.

The Chevrolet Volt wins coveted North American Car of the Year.

College upperclassmen failing at scientific reasoning.

Finally, a Chinese man has sprouted a three-inch horn from his head.

The Agenda

Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke believes the economy is recovering.

Following yesterday’s incidents of packages igniting in Maryland state offices, a package detonated in a Washington, D.C. postal facility today.

Majority Christian South Sudan is holding a referendum on secession from Sudan, which is largely Muslim, on Sunday, and it is widely expected to pass.

The political crisis in Ivory Coast is likely to cause it to default on its debt.

President Obama names Gene Sterling as his senior economic adviser, replacing Larry Summers, in a sign that it is changing focus from crisis to recovery.

Indiana Representative Mike Pence introduced a bill to ban federal funding for any organization that performs abortions.

The Monkey You Ordered: Some New Yorker cartoons with literal captions.

Fuck Yeah Menswear.

And, here’s a cat attacking a washing machine. Have a happy weekend.

Morning Constitutional – Friday, 7 January 2010

Good morning, and happy Friday.  Here’s your morning constitutional:

In the final month of 2010, the US economy added 103,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 to 9.4%.

The House overwhelmingly passed a measure to cut legislative office and committee budget levels by 5% or more.

Two sisters who have been jailed in Mississippi for 16 years were released today, their sentences indefinitely suspended by the governor on the condition that the younger sister donate a kidney to the older one, whose organs are failing.

A suicide bombing at a bathhouse in southern Afghanistan killed at least 17 and injured at least 23.  The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the second largest party in Pakistan, has decided to rejoin the governing coalition after previously announcing it would defect to the opposition, preventing possible collapse of the government.

Around 4,700 farms in Germany have been closed due to the discovery of excessive levels of the poisonous chemical dioxin in animal feed.

A new study indicates that crying is a total turn-off, scientifically speaking: the  smell of women’s tears decreased men’s testosterone levels and caused them to find women’s faces less arousing.

Instead of talking about John Boehner’s crying, we could talk about his “unapologetic” smoking habit.

Finally, a penguin in Germany escaped her enclosure and found her way to the lions’ den, whose inhabitants were fortunately asleep.

The Agenda

Small explosions at two Maryland state offices left one with minor injuries. The explosive devices were found in the mailroom of a state House office building in Annapolis, Maryland and at the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters near Hanover, Maryland.

President Obama chooses Richard Daley as his new chief of staff. Pete Rouse, the current interim chief, will remain an advisory role.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces a $78B cut in the Pentagon budget.

Two Republican House representatives voted today despite not being sworn in. “House officials were searching for a precedent to follow but had not yet found a previous instance of members-elect voting without having taken the constitutionally required oath of office.”

Birther interrupts House reading of the Constitution.

It’s time for heavy metal penguin:

Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 6 January 2010

Good morning, folks. Prince Harry dresses better than Prince William. Now, your morning constitutional:

Republicans pass new rules in the House to expedite spending cuts and tax cuts. Democrats in the Senate introduce changes to tighten the use of the filibuster.

U.S. health-care expenditures rose only 4% in 2009 (the smallest figure in half a century). Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes as much as 59%.

A new report blames “bad management” decisions for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and will likely recur if the industry is not reformed.

The newly convened parliament in Venezuela has, for the first time, substantial opposition representation, but President Hugo Chavez has powers of decree to bypass the parliament given him by the outgoing parliament.

Paul Volcker is stepping down from the president’s economic advisory panel (which is expected to run only until February anyway).

Administration and Senate poised to speed up confirmations of executive branch and judicial nominees.

The New York Times presidents an annotated guide to the U.S. Constitution just in time for its reading today in the House of Representatives.

Bank of America, citing increased regulation, raises fees on checking account customers.

Census shows that states’ revenues sank 30% in 2009.

Iowa Republican Representative Steve King introduces legislation to repeal birthright citizenship, or automatically granting citizen blindly to whomever is born in the U.S.

Why Republicans are better at manufacturing outrage.

Out of context science.

Finally, witches in Romania threaten the government with spells in protest of a  new law that taxes fortune-telling.

The Agenda

John Boehner was elected Speaker of the House today. Ezra Klein liked his humble acceptance speech.

Two non-students were injured in a shooting at Mallard High School in Omaha, Nebraska. The shooter, a student, was found dead in his car.

Admission into Marquette Law School is about to get more competitive, as former Senator Russ Feingold will begin teaching an upper-level class on the Senate there this fall. Not to be outdone, outgoing Senator Arlen Specter will teach a class at University of Pennsylvania Law School on Congress and the Supreme Court this fall as well (although that school is likely competitive enough already).

Ted Williams, a homeless man with a “golden radio voice,” has been offered a job with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs will be leaving in February.

Now, here’s Josh Groban singing Kanye’s tweets:

Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 5 January 2010

Good morning, everybody. Taylor and Jake broke up. Now, your morning constitutional:

The 112th Congress convenes today, and top agenda item for Republicans is probably keeping its caucus united. Five Republican rule changes that will change the House.

The legislative calendar set up by House Republicans for the 112th Congress is probably too tight for the Republicans to maximize their ability to make deep budget cuts.

President Obama yesterday signed a bill overhauling the American food safety system. Notably, it gives the FDA the authority to order food recalls, and creates a tracking system to more easily find the source of food-borne pathogen outbreaks.

Belgium’s parliamentary parties have until today to consider a new plan for forming a government after seven years of deadlock.

Former Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo, who lost in the November presidential election to rival Alassane Ouattara but has refused to step down, has finally agreed to negotiate a peaceful end to the standoff.

U.S. companies added 297,000 jobs in December, far exceeding expectations and making December the strongest month since 2001.

The International Energy Agency warns that the rising price of oil could derail the economic recovery. Auto sales are once again growing in the U.S.—and SUVs are the fasted growing segment.

The Federal Reserve is not planning to end early their controversial plan to buy massive amounts of Treasury Bonds.

U.S. Census releases eight new alternate measurements of poverty, moving drastically from its 1960s-era formula. the measurements are for now considered experimental and the government will use the classic approach for the time being; the new measurements will be revised every year and eventually turned into one.

“The media are obsessed with this stories of this kind – the classic ‘The whole world has gone crazy, Ethel!’ stories for middle aged men reading the newspaper in a well-worn recliner.”

Robert Farley: Progressives should get more involved in military doctrine and technology.

How the tea party’s Constitution fetish may get them in trouble.

Los Angeles saw 297 homicides this year, the fewest number since 1967. Why the drop?

Finally, a man has invented a wearable hummingbird feeder.

The Agenda

Cornelius Dupree Jr., who was convicted of aggravated assault and robbery in 1979 in Texas, was cleared by DNA evidence and released after 30 years in prison.

Ninety-seven out of 100 scientists believe in climate change. The other three percent “who remain unconvinced, the study found their average expertise is far below that of their colleagues, as measured by publication and citation rates.”

Vice President Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, is leaving to work for Case Holdings.

Alireza Pahlavi, the son of former Iran Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, committed suicide at his home in Boston, Massachusetts.

Why you should be worried that Verizon has stopped rolling out its FiOS broadband internet service.

More crazy bird deaths hit Louisiana.

Chief Justice John Roberts took the time to swear in soon-to-be Speaker Boehner’s staff today.

Here’s a bear cub in a bucket:

Morning Constitutional – Tuesday, 4 January 2010

Good morning!  If you’re looking for a change of career and location, consider Romania, where witchcraft and astrology have just been declared legal professions.  And now, your morning constitutional:

Salman Taseer, governor of the Punjab province in Pakistan, was assassinated in Islamabad today by a police guard.

The body of military expert John Wheeler was found in a landfill in Delaware on Monday; Wheeler’s death has been ruled a homicide, but investigators do not have any leads in the case yet.

Flooding in Australia’s Queensland state has left at least 3 dead and has led to massive evacuations and at least one town of 75,000 people stranded.

House Republicans are getting busy.  They plan to vote on repeal of Obama’s health care law on January 12.

And Rep. Darell Issa, incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announces the six topics he plans to investigate in the next three months.

According to a Reuters poll, 61% of Americans think taxes for the wealthy should be increased as the first step to tackling the deficit.

Meanwhile, the party they elected to a majority in the House wants to cut $100 billion in spending, an average of 20% cuts, though GOP leadership has yet to specify exactly which programs would be affected.

Democrats in the Senate struggle to come together on a plan to reform the fillibuster.

Two massage therapists have charged Brett Favre with sexual assault.

Thieves in Argentina spent months digging a tunnel from a building they’d rented to the bank next door, and on New Year’s Eve they successfully emptied around 130 safety deposit boxes from the bank.

The first partial solar eclipse of 2011 was visible in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia today.

Finally, a ten-year-old girl in Canada, Kathryn Aurora Gray, has become the youngest person to discover a supernova.

The Agenda

Former California Governor Jerry Brown was sworn in today as California’s new governor.

Ezra Klein has a great column on the investment deficit, which doesn’t get as much press as the budget deficit.

Goldman Sachs offering a venue for its clients to invest in Facebook without Facebook having to go public.

Sadly No! eviscerates Ross Douthat.

And, this is what that blizzard looked like:

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Morning Constitutional – Monday, 3 November 2010

Happy new year, everybody, and welcome back. Surely, you saw the return of the Things I Drink feature? And our memories of twenty-ten? Well, we’re back now, ready for a solid 2011, and so here’s your morning constitutional:

President Obama signed the bill giving health care assistance to 9/11 first responders on Sunday from Hawaii with no signing ceremony.

The second-largest party in Pakistan has left the coalition government, leaving the Prime Minister without a majority  and possibly sparking a potential political crisis.

Iran claims to have shot down two spy drones.

Dilma Rousseff was sworn in as Brazil’s first woman president this weekend.

A number of pieces of the Affordable Care Act went into effect 1 January, including a provision that requires health insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of their revenues on actual health care and a partial closing of the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole.”

The Singapore economy grew at a rapid 14.7% last year, fueled by a surge in manufacturing activity.

Arkansas officials are investigating the strange deaths of over 100,000 fish and an incident where 5,000 blackbirds fell from the sky.

Representative Darrell Issa, incoming House Oversight and Government Reform chairman, calls Obama administration “one of the most corrupt in modern times.”

Chief Justice John Roberts calls for more Senate action on judicial nominations.

Big companies seem poised for smaller profits and more hiring in the coming year.

Prescription drugs are the leading cause of fatal drug overdoses.

Federal agencies responsible for implementing changes from finance reform are having a hard time without additional funding.

Foreign Policy challenges the world’s most dangerous conventional wisdoms.

Christopher Hitchens on how to make a decent cup of tea.

Finally, man jumps from apartment building and is saved by pile of trash.

The Agenda

Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has finally been certified the winner of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska.

According to a CNN poll, more than 6 in 10 Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan.

Geraldine Hoff Doyle of Lansing, Michigan, the women who inspired the WWII “Rosie the Riveter” poster, has passed at 86.

Gin and Tacos questions the underlying premise of the American health care system: personal responsibility.

Why Christine O’Donnell is no Sarah Palin.

Amazon banning books about incest?

Here’s a baby bird hatching:

Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 30 December 2010

Good morning, folks. Willow Smith is considering covering “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” a song by, yes, her dad. Now, your morning constitutional:

President Obama made six recess appointments who have had their nominations held up for an average of 147 days, including the first U.S. ambassador to Syria in six years.

Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav was convicted of two counts of rape Thursday in Tel Aviv.

Big banks have started lending more, a trend that is expected to accelerate into the next year.

Veterans of recent wars return to face a grim job market. President Obama signed four bills yesterday, including one that provides assistance to veterans dealing with foreclosures.

Ivory Coast’s new ambassador to the U.N. warns that his country may be on the verge of genocide.

As engines of economic progress, America’s economic recovery will start in and depend on its cities.

Representative-Elect Andy Harris, the incoming Republican who complained that his government health care didn’t kick in immediately was rejected from the committee that has jurisdiction over health care issues.

Unlike their more conventionally Republican counterparts, tea party Republicans may find themselves averse to nuclear energy.

New unemployment claims reached their lowest levels in two years last week

What’s the greenest way to shave?

Finally, French aristocrats launch a company selling luxury condoms. Of course.

Morning Constitutional – Thursday, 23 December 2010

Good morning, everybody. Two men were arrested after breaking into 50 Cent’s mansion (in Farmington, Connecticut?) and drinking his wine. Now, your morning constitutional:

Bombs hit the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome, injuring one, and a suspicious package was found outside the Ukrainian embassy.

South Korea held large-scale air and land military drills in a show of force, a month after North Korea attacked a disputed island on their border. North Korea has responded by vowing to launch a “sacred war” against the South if attacked.

Arab nations are set to seek a resolution in the UN Security Council calling on Israel to halt construction of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Also, a senior Israeli army officer told the BBC that that as long as Hamas controls the West Bank, another war is a “a question of when, not if.”

Tory government in the U.K. looking to sell off all state-owned forests.

Former Argentine dictator Jorge Videla has been convicted of the murders of at least 31 political prisoners during the Dirty War in the 1976-1983.

The problem with writing science: You kind of have to lie.

All returning Democratic senators want to reform the filibuster.

A bill to protect federal workers who blow the whistle on waste and fraud died in the Senate yesterday after both a unanimous vote in the House and an earlier win in the Senate when attached to a more controversial bill.

Economic growth beat projections in the third quarter.

The price of petroleum has risen to over $90 a barrel and recovered to pre-economic-crash levels.

After rising between 2005 and 2007, the US teen birthrate fell dramatically in 2009. What happened? For one, MTV began airing a tough reality show called ’16 and Pregnant.’

Finally, the world’s ugliest cat is a “snuggly” sweetheart.

The Agenda: A New START

New START was ratified by a 71-26 Senate vote, easily crossing the huge threshold it needed. Just insane that it took this long to ratify an entirely non-controversial treaty that merely maintains the status quo (a status quo started by a Republican demi-god, nonetheless).

With Senate passage (unanimous!) of the bill that helps 9/11 first responders with health care, the business of the 111th Congress is quickly coming to a close. Coach President Obama is giving what seems to be a post-game press conference (sans logos behind him). Of course, Jack Burden will be continuing to count down the greatest moments of the 111th.

Here’s the worst 20 songs of the year, according to Maura Johnson at the Villiage Voice.

And, here’s the NMA’s all-American take on the nativity:

Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 22 December 2010

Good morning, everybody. Bret Michaels is engaged. Now, your morning constitutional:

President Obama is signing the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell this morning. As I write this, in fact.

After the Senate ratifies the New START nuclear arms treaty today if as expected, the next steps in President Obama’s nuclear agenda are even more daunting.

Health care bill to assist 9/11 first responders may be voted on today. May.

Congress has passed a funding bill through March that does not include funding for heath care reform or finance reform.

The UConn women’s basketball team breaks a record for longest winning streak by winning their 89th game in a row.

The FCC passes the country’s first net neutrality rules.

Pay for congressional staffers has not changed in 20 years, and the number of workers on Capitol Hill has even dropped significantly in the past 30 years.

Finally, a man runs 20 miles in the snow in a pink tutu. For charity.

The Agenda

The Senate passed a procedural hurdle 67-28 to advance the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia to a vote, likely to happen tomorrow. Eleven Republicans joined all Democrats present.

The House passed the food safety bill and sends it to the president to his signature.

Arguing that the constitution gives states the authority to regulate their own national guards, Virginia Delegate Robert Marshall intends on barring gays and lesbians from serving in the Virginia National Guard. Others argue that the National Guard is a subset of the U.S. military and is governed by the Pentagon.

Delays continue for thousands of European travelers.

An amazing interview with hip-hop legend DJ Premier.

Here’s an amazing time-lapse of the aurora borealis:

Aurora Borealis timelapse HD – Tromsø 2010 from Tor Even Mathisen on Vimeo.

Morning Constitutional – Tuesday, 21 December 2010

If you missed last night’s lunar eclipse, the first to coincide with the Winter Solstice since 1638, you can see video of the event here.  And now, your morning constitutional:

The U.S. Census Bureau will announce today which states will lose and which will gain congressional seats in reapportionment.

With support from at least six Republicans, the START arms control treaty appears to have enough votes to pass the Senate.

The Senate passed a bill to prevent shark finning.

Possible conflicts of interest for federal judges  presiding over challenges to health care reform who have financial ties to health care companies.

Two civil rights groups have requested federal review of public school education in Texas, in the wake of curriculum changes made last spring that the groups say violate civil rights laws.

Nine months after inconclusive elections, the Iraqi parliament has approved a new government which includes all the major rival factions.

Toyota has agreed to pay a $32.4 million fine to the US over its recalls, the second large fine for the company this year.

US military commanders look to expand ground raids in Pakistan.

Finally, “austerity” is Merriam-Webster’s most searched word for 2010.  Also making the top ten: “moratorium,” “socialism,” “ebullient,” and my favorite of the list, “shellacking.”

Morning Constitutional – Monday, 20 December 2010

Good morning, everybody. DMX will spend a year in jail after violating his parole by drinking. Now, your morning constitutional:

In a surprise move, Senate Democrats and Republicans came to a deal over a bill that will overhaul the country’s food safety system, and the Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent Sunday evening.

As two top Republicans say they will vote against the New START, Democrats scramble to save votes.

Representative Peter King promises the committee he will head, the House Committee on Homeland Security, will hold hearings on radical Islam.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cites Lady Gaga’s meat dress and Lindsay Lohan’s rehab in push to ratify New START.

PolitiFact fact-checker lie of the year: “A government takeover of healthcare.”

In Belarus, an election with a Soviet style.

A study finds that many nearly one million children live in areas with no local doctor, not because there are too few pediatricians, but because they’re clustered in wealthy areas and absent in poorer ones.

Finally, a drunk serb named Dragen Stevic jumps off a diving board and kills shark.

The Agenda

The House just passed a continuing resolution to fund the government — through Tuesday at midnight.

President Obama signed the tax cut compromise package this afternoon.

Looks as though the food safety bill, which passed the House and Senate, will die “because Republicans object to giving it quick approval in the waning days of the congressional session.” Except they already passed it. Anyways.

The Senate may take up debate on ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell tomorrow.

In keeping with the season, here’s RUN-DMC’s Christmas in Hollis: