By Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg (WSJ) KABUL—The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort. Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes,...
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Antidotes
Petraeus condemns Florida church’s plan to burn Korans
New study shows immigrants boost wages and productivity
By Andrea Christina Nill (LAProgressive) Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco released a report essentially debunking the right wing myth that immigrants steal jobs from U.S. citizen workers. In fact, the study concluded, “immigrants expand the U.S. economy’s productive capacity, stimulate investment, and promote specialization that in the long run boosts productivity.”...
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From Canada to Mexico on one tank of diesel
(Jalopnik) Craig Henderson drove from Blaine, Washington to the Mexican border — a distance of 1,478 miles — without stopping to refuel. He burned 12.4 gallons for a record-breaking 119.1 mpg in a car he originally designed in 1984. The Avion is a car Craig Henderson originally built with partner Bill Green way back in...
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The fallacy of ‘Zombie’ Japan — the U. S. should have it so good
By Steven Hill (LA Progressive) During and before the current economic crisis, few countries have been vilified as an economic basket case so much as Japan: it’s been hard to find any reference to the country without some mention of its allegedly sclerotic economy, its zombie banks, its deflation and slow economic growth. This...
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Even the right doesn’t believe its own lies
By Mark Sumner (DailyKos) When Rush Limbaugh blames the BP disaster on “eco-terrorists,” I don’t believe he really thinks this is in any sense factual. When Newt Gingrich compares Muslims to Nazis, I don’t believe he does it out of ignorance. When Glenn Beck says that President Obama will force doctors to perform abortions...
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The rich want a better world? Try paying fair wages.
If the rich really wish to create a better world, they can sign another pledge: to pay their taxes on time and in full; to stop lobbying against taxation and regulation; to avoid creating monopolies; to give their employees better wages, pensions, job protection and working conditions; to make goods and use production methods...
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Neighbor’s music leads man to take up air horn
By Jeff Reinitz (Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier) Carl Herold, 62, said he was tired of constantly calling police to complain about the “hippie tunes” coming from across the street, so Wednesday he got an air horn. He set up the horn on his deck facing the neighbor’s home. He ran a hose to an air...
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Consumer Protection Agency nominee Elizabeth Warren talks about what’s good about capitalism
Video James Surowiecki spoke with Elizabeth Warren, a professor at Harvard Law School and the chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), about the importance of transparency in consumer financing, the future of the regulatory system, and what’s good about capitalism.
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Angry left needs hugs and kisses
By Jules Siegel President Obama needs to hand out some real kisses between now and November. Addressing the Netroots Nation is not enough. He won't get rid of Rahm Emanuel (who is surely too useful in crucial ways), but he can rehabilitate Howard Dean and use his executive powers to make highly visible moves...
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‘Immigration agents’ at Netroots Nation check whites’ ID at the door
In this video from The Daily Call, activists dressed in fake ICE agent uniforms made white people show their identification papers at the door to the Netroots Nation convention in Las Vegas while others were waved through. “All North European immigrants or people of European background must show ID,” shouted activist Will Coley as...
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