Thursday, September 27, 2012
The man behind the film that inspired riots all over the world has been arrested. In Libya, however, the attacks and protests were different. So what's really going on? Join the conversation as we discuss this week's hot topics.
By now, we've all heard about the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Libya that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. It was the first in a series of riots and protests that swept through a big chunk of the world, including Pakistan, Sudan and Egypt. At first, we were told that the riots were in response to a video that depicted Islam's Prophet Muhammed as a depraved child molester and womanizer. Others, like Sen. John McCain, said it had nothing to do with the movie but were the result of a premeditated attack sponsored by a terrorist organization. In other words, terrorism. So the question is, was it preplanned or spontaneous? The White House continued to assert that it was spontaneous and tied to the film, despite claims by Libyan …
Friday, September 21, 2012
Things are a little tense on planet Earth; this week's Hot Topics discusses recent developments.
The riots going on in the other half of the world are still intense. Folks aren't fans of the U.S. right now. Whether it's because of a crass anti-Islam film or because, you know, they've hated us for decades, anti-American sentiment is at a boiling point and they're not afraid to show it. According to USA Today, President Obama needs to stop blaming the film because the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya were carefully planned terror attacks, not spontaneous riots (hence the rocket launchers, which people don't typically carry around "just in case"). While the horrors in Libya may not be directly tied to the film, it appears that others are. Fifteen Pakistanis died Friday during protests in response to it. The demonstrations have been…
Friday, September 7, 2012
Join the national conversation about earthquakes, hantavirus and Paul Ryan's stance on marijuana. (His answer may surprise you!)
Earthquakes in southeastern China on Sept. 7 have killed 80 and injured 731 so far, according to CNN.com. Over 6,000 homes have been destroyed, and nearly half a million damaged. “It is scary. My brother was killed by falling rocks. The aftershocks struck again and again. We are so afraid,” Xinhua News quoted miner Peng Zhuwen as saying. ------------------------ Hantavirus is on the rise at Yosemite State Park. They say that over 22,000 park visitors may have been exposed to the virus, which has killed three this year. According to FoxNews.com, the virus can lead to severe breathing difficulties and death. Early flu-like symptoms include headache, fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath and coughing. The disease is transmitted through …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Want to be part of the national conversation? Check out these hot topics.
And the Rover roves! Yesterday, Aug. 22, NASA announced that Mars rover Curiosity completed its first drive. “It couldn’t be more important. We built a rover, so unless the rover roves, we really haven’t accomplished anything,” said Curiosity Project Manager Pete Theisinger at Wednesday's news conference. “The fact that we completely exercised it, and everything was on track, is a big moment.” The rover drove for around four minutes, a truly historic accomplishment. The middle what? The Pew Research Center has confirmed what economists have been predicting for years: the middle class is shrinking before our very eyes. Since 2000, according to the Pew Research Center, "the middle class has shrunk in size, fallen backward in income and …
Brian Crawford
5:59 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
One small correction. Romney didn't donate 30 percent to charity. The premise was that if you add Romney's Charitable giving to what he paid in taxes (14.1 percent) it adds up to about 30 percent of his income. Romney's charitable giving is also a bit misleading. The overwhelming majority of his "charitable" contributions are his tithe to the Mormon Church. Mormons take tithing seriously and all … more ›