June 2011
27 posts
ABC News has paid $215,000 for Casey Anthony... →
Glenn Beck sees demons everywhere, even in NYC →
And am I the only one bothered by the idea that he and his family were picnicking on an American flag blanket??? Somehow, sitting, walking or stomping on an American flag seems to be quite the opposite of patriotic. (Click on the headline to see the story.)
Be sure to read the addendum at the bottom of the Gothamist story for more facts about what did - or did not - happen.
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Creator of Nutrition Facts label honored
Please see Award given to creator of Nutrition Facts label for a news release from UConn, which has given its Distinguished Alumni Award to Jerold Mande, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services - United States Department of Agriculture. I knew much about his work when I was covering the Food and Drug Administration for USA Today and Mande was one of then-FDA...
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NY's new marriage law is a victory for common... →
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Near-crash at JFK requires serious investigation →
I think there’s something wrong when an aviation incident like this one gets only a short story in the NY Daily News and the NY Post and hardly any other coverage. While a Lufthansa A340 was on its takeoff roll, an EgyptAir jumbo jet mistakenly taxied onto the active runway — directly into the Lufthansa jet’s path. Luckily, the air traffic controller was on-the-ball, ordered the...
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Maybe New York isn't such a big city after all
There may be 8 million or more people within New York City, but my experience tonight felt more like a small suburb or even a rural town than one of the biggest cities in the world. Many of the men and women gathered in a meeting room at Yeshiva University seemed to know each other, and I was welcomed as a newcomer when I introduced myself. In just a few minutes, I
heard the captain of the local...
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From 1991: The Case Judge Thomas Shouldn't Have... →
The latest revelations of Justice Thomas’ blurred ethics should be no surprise. This letter to the editor by Mark Scheinbaum, a former UPI reporter, documented a blatant example of an ethical lapse by Thomas on one of the very first cases reaching the Supreme Court during his tenure.
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Rep. Anthony Weiner, disgraced Queens congressman,... →
This makes me sad on many levels. Although it probably is the right thing to happen, I am appalled that the GOP tolerates other Congressional and other office-holder creeps like Mark Foley, Mark Sanford, David Vitter, Larry Craig, John Ensign….
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s War On Craft Beer |... →
More hypocrisy.
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WatchIn a week with a lot of depressing news like Anthony’s weiner and the flagging economy, bravo to Anderson Cooper for bringing some levity into the mix. This clip has nothing to do with any of the top stories in the news this week, and I sincerely appreciate it. Moreover, it’s pretty funny, even though I think it’s true.
RCFP: Witness, photojournalist allege police... →
Confiscation of cameras is unacceptable anywhere. Especially in the United States.
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A History of Sarah #Palin Complaining About... →
“What are you going to take away from your visit” - is that really a “gotcha” question intended to trip Sarah Palin up? Regardless of your politics, Americans ought to be able to see-through Palin’s absurd complaints about “gotcha” questions. Anderson Cooper on CNN covered this issue with good facts to back him up earlier this week in his “Keeping...
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Lawmakers’ fiscal gambles are worse than the... →
This should be a must-read article for anyone who cares about how the U.S. government works - and why more people need to take an active role in our democratic process.
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Checkbook journalism: ABC News Paid Nursing... →
This is very disturbing. On so many levels. Has ABC outdone the National Enquirer at its game?
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“The Family Research Council, a Christian group, happily counts more than 400...”
– A broad movement to limit access to abortion in America is gathering steam. The scale of this year’s assault may be unprecedented. (via theeconomist)
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NewYork-Presbyterian Has the Most Top Doctors in... →
Of the 191 NewYork-Presbyterian physicians on the Top Doctors list, 95 are at NYP/Columbia University Medical Center. It’s great to have such talented and skilled health care professionals taking care of people in our communities.
Disclosure: I am head of communications for Columbia University Medical Center.
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Revision history of Paul Revere - Wikipedia, the... →
Worth looking at: Many of Sarah Palin’s supporters have attempted to revise Wikipedia’s Paul Revere entry so that it supports her version of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. See also http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/307627.
Bank of America Gets Pad Locked After Homeowner... →
Poetic justice sometimes happens.
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Palin: ‘I didn’t mess up about Paul Revere’ - 44 -... →
If what she said had any resemblance to the truth, I’d give Ms. Palin some credit here. But the full story about Revere’s capture would make her account even more distant from what happened.
Wouldn’t it be better if she could just admit she was wrong and move on?
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Howard Dean warns Sarah Palin could beat Obama in... →
Thanks to my friend Chris Rauber for pointing out this report of comments by former DNC chief Howard Dean. I agree - we cannot dismiss Palin just because she’s an idiot. (That’s my opinion of her.)
Miracle on the Hudson plane makes its final... →
Very interesting photos of the ill-fated Airbus A320 that Capt. Sullenberger maneuvered to a safe emergency landing on the Hudson River. The jet - with its interior pretty much as it was when it went into the water - will become part of a museum in North Carolina. Sully and his crew will be at the dedication ceremony later in June.
The Palin Apologists Strike Back! - Rick Ungar -... →
Rick Ungar’s Forbes.com blog post importantly puts Ms. Palin’s gaffes into context — and distinguishes them from the kinds of innocent mistakes that anyone, especially in the spotlight, can make - and correct.
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Could a birth control pill for men be on the... →
An interesting study with very strong results in animal models for a candidate male contraceptive. Results being presented at a conference in Boston this weekend. Earlier data published in June 1 issue of Endocrinology journal.
Disclosure: I am a public information officer for Columbia University Medical Center.
