Mainstream News

Study Indicates That America’s Driving Boom is Over

"After decades of adding more cars to their household fleet while moving further and further out into the suburbs, Americans are waiting longer to get licensed, driving less and increasingly turning to alternatives such as mass transit or car-sharing programs, according to a new study by the U.S. Public Research Interest Group, or PIRG. It's not just millennials. Overall, the percentages of Americans of driving age who actually were licensed fell to just 86 percent in 2011, a 30-year low. As recently as 1992, the figure stood at 90 percent. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles Americans owned has also begun to tumble." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudy Indicates That America’s Driving Boom is Over

New York Times says outage ‘most likely result of malicious external attack’

"The New York Times said its website went down Tuesday after what appeared to be a 'malicious external attack.' A security researcher said there were indications that the Syrian Electronic Army, which has attacked several media organizations, was the culprit. Matt Johansen of WhiteHat Security said in a tweet that the technical aspects of the website during the outage were 'pointing to Syrian Electronic Army.' The Washington Post website was hacked this month in an attack blamed on the Syrian Electronic Army, a group that backs embattled strongman Bashar al-Assad." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York Times says outage ‘most likely result of malicious external attack’

Spendopedia: Federal waste collection site opens on Internet

"Has government waste become so bad that we need an encyclopedia to keep track? One watchdog group seems to think so and has started a publicly edited, crowdsourced website that compiles cases of fiscal abuse, modeled after the popular site Wikipedia. Spendopedia, launched this month, is an attempt to organize examples of fiscal waste into a central, easily searchable database. The site documents programs that have been labeled as wasteful by news organizations, members of Congress or federal investigators. The website catalogs more than 100 examples of waste, including a lavish conference of the GSA and excessive severance packages at the Energy Department." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSpendopedia: Federal waste collection site opens on Internet

France: A Proud Nation Ponders How to Halt Its Slow Decline

"Can the Socialist government of President François Hollande pull France out of its slow decline and prevent it from slipping permanently into Europe’s second tier? At stake is whether a social democratic system that for decades prided itself on being the model for providing a stable and high standard of living for its citizens can survive the combination of globalization, an aging population and the acute fiscal shocks of recent years. Changing any country is difficult. But the challenge in France seems especially hard, in part because of the nation’s amour-propre and self-image as a European leader and global power." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance: A Proud Nation Ponders How to Halt Its Slow Decline

France ‘ready to punish’ Syria over chemical weapons strike

"French President Francois Hollande upped the ante, pledging to 'punish' the regime over suspected chemical attacks and boost military support for the opposition. Hollande will on Thursday meet the head of Syria’s main opposition group, which has blamed the regime for a suspected gas attack that it says killed more than 1,300 people. The alleged attack has prompted increasingly frantic calls from Western and Arab nations for action against the Syrian regime, which denies any involvement. Sources close to Hollande say one of the options for France would be to deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off the Syrian coast. Hollande said the Syrian conflict threatened 'world peace.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrance ‘ready to punish’ Syria over chemical weapons strike

Obama’s visit to Israel gets an official logo

[February 2013] "Netanyahu won a smaller than expected victory in elections in January. In the run up to the American elections last November, Netanyahu was perceived as favoring Republican nominee Mitt Romney for president. The office of Israeli President Shimon Peres announced Monday that Obama would be presented with the Presidential Medal of Distinction in March, according to the Guardian. It would recognize Obama's 'unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens.' The prime minister's official Facebook page offers these three choices for logos to represent Obama's visit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama’s visit to Israel gets an official logo

Britain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

"A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe. The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British. Among this select group of nations are far-off destinations such as Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands, as well some slightly closer to home, such as Luxembourg. Stuart Laycock, the author, has worked his way around the globe, through each country alphabetically, researching its history to establish whether, at any point, they have experienced an incursion by Britain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

Afghan government says NATO-led military operation ‘aimless and unwise’

"Kabul’s angry response deepens a war of words that threatens to derail NATO attempts to ensure a smooth security transition as international troops head home and fears grow that Afghanistan could tip into further instability. The United States, which provides 66,000 of the 100,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, was stunned by the accusations earlier this month from Karzai, who accused the US of colluding with the Taliban to justify its presence in the country. The United States on Tuesday warned Afghanistan that ensuring a credible presidential election next year would be 'critical' to maintaining international support after 2014." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghan government says NATO-led military operation ‘aimless and unwise’

Two U.S. sailors admit to Okinawa rape charges

"Okinawa is the reluctant host of more than half of the 47,000 US military personnel in Japan. The rape provoked outrage and led to a nationwide curfew on all American military personnel in Japan. Despite the curfew, misconduct involving US servicemen, much of it drunken, has continued to fuel anti-US sentiment in communities with bases. The attack came amid already high tensions in Okinawa, which saw demonstrations last year against the US deployment to the island of Osprey aircraft. Local activists charge they have a poor safety record. Washington sees the island as a vital strategic base in a region that is increasingly wary of the power of China’s rising military." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwo U.S. sailors admit to Okinawa rape charges