Salon.com > Santiago Wills http://www.salon.com Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:02:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Big story you missed http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/big_story_you_missed_2/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/big_story_you_missed_2/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:42:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12988047 A temporary decree by India's supreme court that prohibits tourism in "core tiger habitats" could threaten the nearly 1,700 tigers that live in India, and financially cripple the thousands of people who depend on the big cats to survive, the Guardian reports.

Major wildlife conservation groups and tourism operators attacked the decree, calling it a "total disaster" and a decision could bring about "the end of the tiger in India" if it's made permanent.

An advocate for the ban who filed the petition to the court told the Guardian that tourism was negatively affecting the tiger population.

"Tiger conservation is being adversely affected by mindless tourism," he wrote in an email to the newspaper, "[T]he large number of vehicles loaded with people were traumatising (sic) the endangered species in the critical tiger habitat."

The high court is set to reconvene on August 22 to decide whether the ban will be permanent.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/big_story_you_missed_2/feed/ 1 Quote of the day http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/quote_of_the_day_20/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/quote_of_the_day_20/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:32:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12988014 Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist and Nobel prize winner, attacked Niall Ferguson's Newsweek cover article on President Obama, entitled "Obama's Gotta Go." Krugman began his NY Times blog post as follows:

"There are multiple errors and misrepresentations in Niall Ferguson’s cover story in Newsweek — I guess they don’t do fact-checking — but this is the one that jumped out at me. Ferguson says:

'The president pledged that health-care reform would not add a cent to the deficit. But the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation now estimate that the insurance-coverage provisions of the ACA will have a net cost of close to $1.2 trillion over the 2012–22 period.'"

The passage, Krugman wrote, was not only misleading; it was plainly false.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/quote_of_the_day_20/feed/ 21 Plagiarists’ addictive, stressful world http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/plagiarists_addictive_stressful_world/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/plagiarists_addictive_stressful_world/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:05:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12987826 http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/plagiarists_addictive_stressful_world/feed/ 4 Tony Scott: A photo tribute http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/tony_scott_a_photo_tribute/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/tony_scott_a_photo_tribute/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:30:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12987723 http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/tony_scott_a_photo_tribute/feed/ 2 Claire McCaskill’s savvy ads http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/claire_mccaskills_smart_push_for_todd_akin/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/claire_mccaskills_smart_push_for_todd_akin/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:14:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12987551 Last month, Claire McCaskill released three ads subtly supporting Rep. Todd Akin in the Missouri GOP senate primary. Aware of his credentials and extreme views, McCaskill dubbed him as "too conservative" and an Obama-hater, hoping that conservative voters would choose Akin over his two rivals. Her strategy, embodied by the videos below, might pay off thanks to Akin's recent comments regarding "legitimate rape."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/claire_mccaskills_smart_push_for_todd_akin/feed/ 4 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/must_see_morning_clip_12/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/must_see_morning_clip_12/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:40:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12987351 On Sunday, Tony Scott, a British filmmaker who directed movies like "Top Gun," "Deja Vu," and "Unstoppable," jumped to his death from a Los Angeles bridge. In this clip, he talks about "Nemesis," a comic book-based movie project on which he had been working since 2010.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/must_see_morning_clip_12/feed/ 0 Quote of the day http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/quote_of_the_day_18/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/quote_of_the_day_18/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:41:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12984392 After several months, Mitt Romney finally spoke about some of the specifics of his tax returns. Though he did not agree to release them, he shared some details with reporters in South Carolina in the quote of the day (see video below, via the Washington Post):

I just have to say that given the challenges that America faces, 23 million people out of work, Iran about to become nuclear, one of every six Americans in poverty –the fascination with the taxes I pay, I find it to be small-minded compared to the broad issues that we face. But I did go back and look at my taxes, and over the past 10 years I never paid less than 13 percent. I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that.

So I pay taxes every single year. Harry Reid’s charge is totally false. I am sure waiting for Harry to put up who it was that told him what he says they told him. I don’t believe [that] for a minute, by the way. But every year I’ve paid at least 13 percent, and if you add, in addition, the amount that goes to charity, well the number goes well above 20 percent.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/quote_of_the_day_18/feed/ 87 What they’re saying: Is Ted Cruz for real? http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/what_theyre_saying_is_ted_cruz_for_real/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/what_theyre_saying_is_ted_cruz_for_real/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:06:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12984124 On Aug. 5, Ted Cruz, winner of the Texas GOP Senate primary, appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss his victory and the enduring strength of the Tea Party, a movement he claims to represent. Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general who over the course of the campaign received the endorsements of Sen. Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, proudly acknowledged his conservative credentials in response to Chris Wallace's questions.

Wallace: Let's look at where you stand on the issues. You want to abolish Education, Commerce and Energy Departments, TSA and the IRS. You support a flat tax and you serve Chick-fil-A at your victory party. You are pretty conservative?

Cruz: Without a doubt. And I think the American people are pretty conservative, and I'm certain the people of Texas are pretty conservative... [and] All across the country, the rest of Americans are looking at Washington and saying, what's wrong with you people? The principles that I think voters are looking for are not that complicated. It's live within your means, follow common sense principles, don't spend money you don't have. And that's what American people are standing up and demanding right now. (See the full transcript here.)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/what_theyre_saying_is_ted_cruz_for_real/feed/ 20 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/must_see_morning_clip_11/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/must_see_morning_clip_11/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:39:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12983881

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/must_see_morning_clip_11/feed/ 3 Quote of the day http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/quote_of_the_day_17/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/quote_of_the_day_17/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:46:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12983514 In his first solo interview since he chose Paul Ryan as his VP, Mitt Romney complained to CBS about what he believes are the president's team unfair attacks.

"If you look at the ads that have been described and the divisiveness based upon income, age, ethnicity and so forth," Romney said in the quote of the day, "it's designed to bring a sense of enmity and jealously and anger… the president seems to be running just to hang on to power. I think he'll do anything in his power to try and get re-elected."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/quote_of_the_day_17/feed/ 22 Biggest story you missed http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/biggest_story_you_missed_10/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/biggest_story_you_missed_10/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:55:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12983005 On Wednesday, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry released a 102-page report stating that Syrian government forces coupled with Shabbiha fighters are responsible for war crimes and the massacre of almost 100 civilians near the town of Houla last May.

The document, ordered by the Human Rights Council, "underlines that such violations were committed pursuant to State policy pointing to the involvement at the highest levels of the armed and security forces and the Government," according to a UN statement.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/biggest_story_you_missed_10/feed/ 4 What they’re saying: Linda McMahon’s economic soap opera http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/what_theyre_saying_linda_mcmahons_economic_soap_opera/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/what_theyre_saying_linda_mcmahons_economic_soap_opera/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:02:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12982135 On Tuesday, Linda McMahon, former CEO of WWE, won her primary to claim the Republican nomination for Joe Lieberman's Senate seat.

This is the second time McMahon has won a Connecticut Senate primary, and the second time she has done it by vulgarly outspending her rival (in this case, former Republican congressman Christopher Shays).

In 2010, McMahon spent nearly $50 million of her personal fortune in a campaign that ultimately led to a 12-point  defeat to Democrat Richard Blumenthal. Back then, McMahon's loss was mainly attributed to her failure to attract female voters, who were repelled by McMahon's connections to the misogynistic world of pro wrestling. Her remarks about minimum wage during an endorsement by the National Federation of Independent Business didn't help either:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/what_theyre_saying_linda_mcmahons_economic_soap_opera/feed/ 11 Meet Allen Quist: Michele Bachmann’s deranged mentor http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/meet_allen_quist_michelle_bachmanns_deranged_mentor/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/meet_allen_quist_michelle_bachmanns_deranged_mentor/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 18:09:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12982226 Allen Quist, a former Minnesota state representative who worked with Michele Bachmann to change Minnesota's school curriculum, defeated his primary opponent in the race for Minnesota's District 1 seat in the House of Representatives. Quist, a retired political science professor, helped Bachmann win election to the state Senate in 2000. He also shares many of Bachmann's positions, according to Mother Jones, which describes him as "a 67-year-old soybean farmer and onetime anti-sodomy crusader who believes that humans and dinosaurs may have coexisted in Southeast Asia as late as the 11th century."

The article, written by reporter Tim Murphy, adds:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/meet_allen_quist_michelle_bachmanns_deranged_mentor/feed/ 29 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/must_see_morning_clip_10/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/must_see_morning_clip_10/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:59:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12981963 After seeing how Monday's ratings soared for Robert Pattinson, Jon Stewart decides to keep attracting the country's young audience through constant references to young adult fiction. Watch how the Ryan budget and Fox News are similar to "Twilight."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/15/must_see_morning_clip_10/feed/ 3 Biggest story you missed http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/biggest_story_you_missed_9/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/biggest_story_you_missed_9/#comments Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:12:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12981599 The number of suicides and mental problems among the youth of European countries hard-hit by the economic crisis has risen dramatically, the Washington Post reports.

In Greece, the ratio of people who killed themselves rose from 2.8 for every 100,000 in 2010 to nearly 5 for every 100,000 in 2011. A study published last year in the Lancet concluded that for every 1 percent rise in unemployment there is a 0.8 percent rise in suicides in people younger than 65.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/biggest_story_you_missed_9/feed/ 4 Quote of the day http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/quote_of_the_day_16/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/quote_of_the_day_16/#comments Tue, 14 Aug 2012 20:52:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12981532 Remember Seamus, the celebrated Irish setter who took a trip from Boston to Canada strapped to the roof of Mitt Romney's car? Well, President Obama, like Gail Collins, David Axelrod and several pet-loving associations, has not forgotten the canine affair, otherwise known as Crate-Gate, as Politico reported on Tuesday:

"In a speech a few months ago, Governor Romney even explained his energy policy this way," the president said. "I'm quoting here: 'You can't drive a car with a windmill on it. That's what he said about wind power, 'You can't drive a car with a windmill on it.

"Now I don't know if he's actually tried that," Obama added. "I know he's had other things on his car."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/quote_of_the_day_16/feed/ 23 Florida’s Senate Race: Driverless cars threaten old ladies http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/floridas_senate_race_driverless_cars_threaten_old_ladies/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/floridas_senate_race_driverless_cars_threaten_old_ladies/#comments Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12981240 "Robot cars" are now a concern in a Florida state Senate race.

A recent ad accuses Republican Rep. Jeff Brandes, 36, of promoting potentially hazardous vehicles: driverless cars. It's the most recent attack in what has been called a "nasty" and childish campaign against fellow Republican Rep. Jim Frishe.

The following video, which hints at driverless-car-old-lady collisions, are the latest source of concern for Brandes, who earlier this year sponsored legislation supporting Google's automotive experiment. The bill, which passed unanimously, allows for driverless car testing and lays the foundations for their future use.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/floridas_senate_race_driverless_cars_threaten_old_ladies/feed/ 8 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/must_see_morning_clip_9/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/must_see_morning_clip_9/#comments Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:58:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12980978

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/14/must_see_morning_clip_9/feed/ 0 Quote of the day http://www.salon.com/2012/08/13/quote_of_the_day_15/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/13/quote_of_the_day_15/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:35:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12980548 “We now have somebody on the ticket who’s us,” Rush Limbaugh said Monday. Someone "who can explain all of this, who believes all of this in his heart, in his soul, and he can do it with optimism and a smile on his face.”

“The pick signals a decision was made somewhere that … we’re going to go head-first, going to take it straight to them and we’re going to win or we’re going to lose [we are going to] articulate exactly what we believe.” He then added, “The presence of Paul on stage with Romney has elevated Romney … Romney’s a new guy.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/08/13/quote_of_the_day_15/feed/ 40 Polling Ryan: The numbers so far http://www.salon.com/2012/08/13/polling_ryan_the_numbers_so_far/ http://www.salon.com/2012/08/13/polling_ryan_the_numbers_so_far/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:35:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=12980168 There's not much polling data on how Romney's vice presidential pick will affect the election, but the surveys conducted thus far suggest two conclusions: 1) Few people know Paul Ryan, and 2) He's unpopular with the folks who do.

According to an analysis of several polls done by YouGov for the Cooperative Campaign Analysis Project in the months leading to the V.P. announcement, on average 43 percent of Americans had never heard of Paul Ryan. In mid-July, 52 percent couldn't tell whether he was a member of the House or the Senate, or whether he was a former Governor or the Secretary of State. At least until Saturday, then, the data shows that Ryan, despite being touted as the "Republican party’s intellectual leader" and the "GOP's rising star," is largely unknown outside Washington and political circles.

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