By Dan Kervick, Rugged Egalitarianism, August 6, 2013
Welcome to my new blog.
I will soon be posting an extended piece on the purpose of this blog and what I am hoping to achieve with it. For now, the reader should know the aim of the blog is best expressed by its tag line.The goal of Rugged Egalitarianism is to develop ideas that help promote social and economic equality, revitalized and reformed democracy and a renewed commitment to progress. It is my conviction that the 21st century [....]
By Paula Span, New York Times/Health, August 9, 2013
People with diabetes face an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, a connection scientists and physicians have worried about for years. They still can’t explain it.
By Mary Williams Walsh, DealBook @ nytimes.com, August 8, 2013
[....] Detroit’s bankruptcy, the largest ever by a municipality, has raised fundamental concerns about the safety and security of municipal bonds, certainly in Michigan but potentially elsewhere in the country, too. The municipal bond market appears to be sending Michigan’s cities a message that no matter how well rated they are, they are going to have to postpone their plans and projects or pay more for them. [....]
By Elise Labott, CNN, August 8, 2013, updated 11:36 PM EDT
Washington -- The State Department has evacuated most of its diplomats from Lahore, Pakistan in response to a terrorist threat against the U.S. consulate, senior State Department and other senior U.S. officials told CNN.
"We have picked up what we regard as a threat worthy of taking this action," one senior U.S. official told CNN.
The Nobel laureate and economist discusses India's flawed development model and how it can be improved to lower poverty.
By John Paul O'Malley, Al Jazeera, 08 Aug 2013
Brazilian government accused of pandering to agro-business lobby rather than reallocating areas to indigenous peoples
By Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, August 8, 2013
Celso Rodrigues was walking by a river near his home in Mato Grosso do Sul, when he was ambushed by a gunman in a balaclava, shot with a pistol and then finished off with a rifle.
Attacks starting in mid-July claimed at least 100 lives as Konianke people battled Guerzes with machetes.
By Nazanine Moshiri, Al Jazeera, 8 August, 2013
Conakry, Guinea - Through the night sky thick smoke permeated the air, but witnesses saw no flames as they drove through Koule, a small town on the outskirts of N'Zerekore which is around 600km from Guinea's capital, Conakry. The region was the site of an attack on July 14, members of the Guerze community lynched a young Konianke man accused of stealing gas from a petrol station.
By Jessica Silver-Greenberg & Ben Protess, Deal Book @ nytimes.com, Aug. 7, 2013
JPMorgan Chase disclosed on Wednesday that it faced a criminal and civil investigation into whether it sold shoddy mortgage securities to investors in the run-up to the financial crisis, the latest legal threat to the nation’s biggest bank.
13-year-old shoots his police officer parents, his grandmother and his aunt before turning gun on himself
By Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, The Guardian, 7 August 2013
São Paulo police have said that Marcelo Pesseghini was a "sweet child". They are mystified as to why, on Sunday evening, the 13-year-old pupil murdered his police officer parents, his grandmother and his aunt before shooting himself.
By Joe Parkinson & Ayla Albayrak, Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2013
ISTANBUL—A Turkish court sentenced a former military chief and 18 other people to life in prison on Monday, concluding a landmark case that has divided the nation and come to symbolize the conflict between the Islamist-rooted government and the secularist-dominated opposition.
Fort Hood, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 comrades and wounding more than 30 delivered his own opening statement in his court-martial Tuesday, declaring, "I am the shooter."
[....] Lindsey Graham and John McCain, both Republican senators, travelled to Cairo at the request of US President Barack Obama.
At a press conference on Tuesday night, the two asked Egypt's interim government to set forth a "clear timetable" for holding new elections and finalising a new constitution [....]
Al Jazeera has the video of their press conference at the top of its home page right now.
By Hashmat Baktash and Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2013
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An attack by militants Saturday on the Indian consulate in Jalalabad left at least 10 Afghans dead and raised new concerns about Afghanistan's security once foreign troops depart next year.
Many of those killed were children in school in a nearby mosque, according to authorities. At least 20 civilians were wounded, along with an Afghan police officer. There were no casualties among the Indian consulate employees, officials said.
By Chris Lawrence, Barbara Starr & Tom Cohen, CNN, Aug. 2, 2013
State Department travel alert Friday said al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, as the United States is closing 21 embassies and consulates Sunday as a precaution.
By Alexander Abad-Santos, The Atlantic Wire, Aug. 1, 2013