Newser Story Index from June, 2012
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Obama Won, But Medicaid, the Poor Lost
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 11:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama says the political horse race surrounding yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act is much less important than the good the law will do . So, naturally, the New York Times goes right back to the horse race, with a look at seven consequences of the ObamaCare decision: Biggest losers: Medicaid and the...
Like Seth MacFarlane? You'll Like Ted
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 11:40 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Seth MacFarlane's first feature film is, well, pretty much what you'd expect from the Family Guy guy: a lot of bathroom humor and not a lot of story. So is it worth seeing? That depends on your tastes: "Tolerant amusement is pretty much the best this harmless little picture is able to manage, even though it strives for obnoxious...
Yep, Savannah Guthrie Will Replace Ann Curry
Hollywood Reporter
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Jun 29, 2012 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Savannah Guthrie sat in Ann Curry's former chair this morning as co-host of Today , and it looks like the seat will become hers permanently. In a not-so-surprising development, NBC will officially announce later today that Guthrie will be Matt Lauer's full-time co-host, according to the Hollywood Reporter . Her name had been in the mix...
190 Killed in Syria Uprising's Bloodiest Day
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 11:11 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As many as 190 are believed to have been killed in Syria yesterday, including up to 139 civilians, in what activists said was deadliest day of the uprising so far. Casualties poured in from across the country as Bashar al-Assad's forces clashed with the opposition Free Syrian Army, but the heaviest were in the mostly-Sunni city of Douma. In one...
Zoo Loses 30 Squirrels, Recaptures ... 38
Japan Times (Japan)
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Jun 29, 2012 10:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
After 30 squirrels made a break for freedom from a Japanese zoo, workers assigned to recapture them were a little too successful. After a few days spent trying to recover the squirrels, which escaped from Tokyo's Inokashira Park Zoo after a typhoon-toppled tree sliced through netting, workers ended up with 38 squirrels, reports the Japan Times...
Air Force Investigating Sex Crimes
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 29, 2012 10:38 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With 31 female recruits accusing a dozen instructors at Lackland Air Force Base of sexual misconduct over a two-and-a-half year period, the Air Force is launching an independent probe of its nationwide training practices, reports the Wall Street Journal . Six instructors at the base have been charged with an array of crimes from having an improper...
Kate Middleton to Sleep on the Streets
Daily Mirror (UK)
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Jun 29, 2012 10:24 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Kate Middleton is royalty now, but she's not above spending a night on the streets of London. She'll join Centrepoint, a charity supporting homeless youth, for its next Sleep Out campaign to raise awareness of the increasing homeless problem, according to Lisa Maxwell, an ambassador for the group. Prince William is a patron of the charity,...
Irate Flight Attendant: Get Off If You Have 'the Balls'
New York Post
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Jun 29, 2012 10:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Another flight-staff meltdown for the file: New York-to-Raleigh passengers already reeling over a five-hour delay were berated over the intercom by a furious flight attendant who dared them to get off if they "had the balls," the New York Post reports. "I’ve been in five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan," said an Army veteran....
Romney Pulls In $4.6M After Court Ruling
theatlanticwire.com
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Jun 29, 2012 9:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling wasn't all bad news for Mitt Romney. It may have been a victory for President Obama, but it sent Romney's supporters reaching for their wallets. Romney has raised $4.6 million in the 24 hours since the ruling came down, his press secretary tweeted this morning. What's more, the campaign says it came...
Clark Gable's Grandkid Lands Oh-So-Classy TV Gig
Hollywood Reporter
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Jun 29, 2012 9:39 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Clark Gable's grandson: Destined to follow in his grandfather's elegant footsteps with roles just as legendary as Gone With the Wind 's Rhett Butler? Er, maybe not. The current Clark Gable, who shares his grandfather's name, has a new gig that's not exactly sophisticated. He's the new host of Cheaters , the reality show in...
Desperate Europeans Try to Sell Kidneys, Lungs
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 9:25 AM CDT
(Newser) -
As Europeans grapple with economic misery, illegal organ sales are on the rise, with desperate sellers willing to part with kidneys, corneas, bone marrow, and even lungs. "When you need to put food on the table, selling a kidney doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice," says an unemployed Serbian man who hopes his kidney will bring in...
Arsonist Drops Dead After Guilty Verdict
My Fox Phoenix
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Jun 29, 2012 9:12 AM CDT
(Newser) -
An Arizona man collapsed in court yesterday, minutes after a jury pronounced him guilty of arson—and many are speculating that he poisoned himself. Courtroom video appears to show defendant Michael Marin swallow something just after the verdict is read, My Fox Phoenix reports. Several minutes pass uneventfully, and then he appears to take another...
'Differences' With Obama Drive Out Kenya Envoy
Washington Post
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Jun 29, 2012 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The US ambassador to Kenya resigned today, citing "differences with Washington regarding my leadership style and certain priorities." Former Air Force Major General J. Scott Gration didn't give any more specific reason for his departure, but it comes on the heels of a recent dustup with Nairobi, the Washington Post observes: Last...
South Korea Refuses to Sign Japan Pact at Last Minute
Associated Press
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Jun 29, 2012 8:40 AM CDT
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An intelligence-sharing pact between South Korea and Japan that had been called a breakthrough between the countries after decades of acrimony was postponed at the last minute today following a political outcry in Seoul, reports the AP . The non-combat military agreement, which was called "historic" by Japan's foreign minister, was approved...
Now on eBay: Whole Italian Village, $3M
Telegraph (UK)
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Jun 29, 2012 8:26 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Ever dreamed of a Tuscan home? How about an entire town? If you've got $3.1 million to spare, you could score one on eBay, the Telegraph reports. The 800-year-old village of Pratariccia is for sale on the auction site; the buyer will get 25 run-down houses among scenic hills not far from Florence. You won't be purchasing any new friends,...
Colorado Wildfire Claims 1st Victim
Denver Post
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Jun 29, 2012 7:57 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Waldo Canyon fire blazing through Colorado Springs has claimed its first victim: Human remains were found in one burned home, police announced last night, and a second person living in the home is missing, the Gazette reports. Ten people in all are still unaccounted for. Nearly 350 homes have been destroyed so far in the wildfire, the most...
Some States on ObamaCare Deadlines: Who Cares?
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 7:53 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Supreme Court's ObamaCare decision is putting many states in a tight place: They've got to set up exchanges, the law's health insurance markets, by Jan. 1, 2014. But by Jan. 1, 2013, they have to show those exchanges will be ready on time—or the feds will swoop in to "establish and operate" the exchanges for them. That...
Peter Madoff Taken Into FBI Custody
Associated Press
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Jun 29, 2012 7:33 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The FBI took Bernie Madoff's brother into custody this morning, ahead of a scheduled court appearance in which Peter Madoff will plead guilty to two criminal charges. That appearance will take place at the same courthouse where Bernie was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his Ponzi scheme. Peter, 66, shared an office with his brother for decades—though...
Investors Rejoice as Europe Strikes Bank Deal
Reuters
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Jun 29, 2012 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Credit markets breathed a sigh of relief today, after European Union leaders agreed to a plan allowing its bailout funds to directly recapitalize troubled banks. After a 14-hour debate at a summit in Brussels, leaders emerged with the outline of a plan to more swiftly create a single supervisory body to directly help banks. They also agreed not to...
Passengers, Crew Foil China Hijacking
Associated Press
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Jun 29, 2012 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A hijacking attempt on a Chinese plane was foiled today by passengers and crew just after departure, the AP reports, citing state media. The Tianjin Airlines plane had taken off from the remote city of Hotan in the restive far-western region of Xinjiang, and returned there safely 22 minutes later. Six suspects were detained. Hotan has seen clashes...
Israel Crowns 'Miss Holocaust Survivor'
Associated Press
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Jun 29, 2012 6:54 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Israel is celebrating survivors of the Holocaust—with a beauty pageant? Some 300 women throughout the country applied for the chance to vie for the "Miss Holocaust Survivor" title; 14 took the stage yesterday. The women, ages 74 to 97, were all smiles as they waved to the crowd, but some observers were highly disturbed by the event....
Stewart Jumps on CNN, Fox SCOTUS Flub
Comedy Central
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Jun 29, 2012 6:07 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The AP may have told its reporters to stop mocking CNN and Fox News for getting their initial coverage of yesterday's ObamaCare ruling wrong, but Jon Stewart had no such compunctions last night . "It was a moment of great drama and, like many of our greatest dramas, a work of complete fiction," Stewart declared. Comparing both news...
Assange: I 'Almost Certainly' Won't Turn Myself In
Reuters
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Jun 29, 2012 5:31 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Police have ordered Julian Assange to turn himself in this morning, in what police say is the first step toward extraditing him to Sweden, but he says that's highly unlikely, the Independent reports. "Our advice is that asylum law both internationally and domestically takes precedence over extradition law, so almost certainly not,"...
Private Mission Planned to Save Earth From Asteroids
Wired
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Jun 29, 2012 4:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A California-based nonprofit group seeking to prevent the Earth from being struck by killer asteroids has announced plans to send an infrared telescope into space to hunt for dangerous near-Earth objects, reports Wired . The B612 Foundation's Sentinel Mission would be the first privately funded deep-space mission, aiming to put a 25-foot telescope...
Palin Thanks God for ObamaCare Ruling
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 29, 2012 4:28 AM CDT
(Newser) -
One of the loudest cheers for yesterday's Supreme Court ruling upholding ObamaCare came from none other than Sarah Palin, who described it as a heaven-sent gift to the Republican Party. "Thank you, SCOTUS,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “This ObamaCare ruling fires up the troops as America’s eyes are opened. Thank God."...
Strauss-Kahn, Wife Split
Reuters
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Jun 29, 2012 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Anne Sinclair has finally ditched scandal-ridden husband Dominique Strauss-Kahn, according to French gossip magazine Closer . She threw the former IMF chief—who has been linked to a prostitution ring and accused of taking part in a gang rape —out of their Paris home a month ago and the two are living separately, according to the magazine....
Flaming Lips Steal Jay-Z's Odd Guinness Record
StarPulse.com
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Jun 29, 2012 3:19 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The Flaming Lips have rocked their way into the record books by playing eight gigs in eight cities in the space of 24 hours, toppling Jay-Z's record of seven. The veteran psychedelic rockers from Oklahoma kicked off the tour with a gig in Memphis and finished up in New Orleans with 20 minutes to spare, StarPulse reports. Stars including Jackson...
Soldier Kills Commander at Fort Bragg
Reuters
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Jun 29, 2012 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
A soldier in the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade shot his battalion commander dead at Fort Bragg yesterday before shooting and injuring himself. The soldier broke out of formation during a safety briefing to shoot the commander, a defense official tells ABC . A third soldier was slightly injured. The shooter is in custody and is listed as being...
NYT Launches Chinese Website
New York Times
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Jun 29, 2012 2:55 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The New York Times launched a Chinese-language edition yesterday, along with accounts on a number of Chinese microblogging sites, joining the Financial Times , the Wall Street Journal , and several other major newspapers trying to get a piece of the huge China market, reports the AP . It quickly racked up 10,000 followers on its Sina Weibo microblog...
Kings Recover Winning Puck
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 29, 2012 2:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Los Angeles Kings fans can rest easy: The case of the missing puck has been solved. The winning puck from the team's first-ever Stanley Cup triumph has turned up in the equipment bag of New Jersey Devil Patrik Elias, who told reporters earlier this week that he was pretty sure he didn't have it, but would check again, reports the Los Angeles...
Chicago Girl, 7, Shot Dead at Mom's Candy Stand
ABC News
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Jun 29, 2012 1:29 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The latest victim of Chicago's surge in gang violence is just seven years old. Heaven Sutton died after being shot in the back at a candy stand her mom set up two weeks ago to help keep neighborhood kids close to home and away from gang crossfire, reports the Chicago Tribune . "She looked forward every day to opening up the candy store,...
China's Shenzhou-9 Returns to Earth
BBC
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Jun 29, 2012 1:08 AM CDT
(Newser) -
China's Shenzhou-9 spacecraft has landed safely in Inner Mongolia, ending a 13-day mission hailed as a major leap forward for the country's space program. On China's fourth manned space mission since 2003, the Shenzhou-9 completed a docking test vital to the country's goal of building a space station by 2020, reports Reuters . The...
BlackBerry Maker Posts Huge Loss, Delays New Phone
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 28, 2012 10:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's freefall is continuing. The Canadian company's shares plunged 15% after it posted a $518 million third-quarter loss and announced that its new BlackBerry 10 smartphone had been delayed until next year, reports the Wall Street Journal . The company says it is cutting 5,000 jobs—nearly a third of...
Why Supermarket Tomatoes Have No Taste
news.sciencemag.org
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Jun 28, 2012 7:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A meteor might explain why tomatoes are red , but humans are to blame for why they often have no taste. Specifically, the mass-produced ones found in the supermarket, notes ScienceNow . Researchers led by a team at UC Davis think they've figured out a key part of the problem: Big growers like their tomatoes to be uniformly green so they know...
350 Homes Destroyed in Colorado Wildfire
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2012 6:13 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Authorities in Colorado Springs have offered their first assessment of damage from the still-raging Waldo Canyon fire, and it's not a happy one: The mayor says about 350 homes have been destroyed, making it the most destructive fire in state history, reports AP . Other developments: The fire is about 10% contained and may not be fully under...
Judge to Lawyer: No, You Can't Be Hemingway
St. Petersburg Times
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Jun 28, 2012 5:38 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A lawyer in an upcoming federal trial wanted to make sure he'd get a particular day off in a few weeks—because, as he noted in his request, the "undersigned counsel" is "a perennial contestant in the Ernest Hemingway Look-alike Contest" at Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, Florida. The judge rejected the request—not...
This Might Be World's Oldest Pottery
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2012 5:00 PM CDT
(AP) -
Pottery fragments found in a south China cave have been confirmed to be 20,000 years old, making them the oldest known pottery in the world, archaeologists say. The findings, which will appear in the journal Science tomorrow, add to recent efforts that have dated pottery piles in east Asia to more than 15,000 years ago, refuting conventional theories...
New Injections Can Keep People Alive—Without Breath
Gizmodo
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Jun 28, 2012 4:46 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Scientists in Boston are reporting what could be a major breakthrough: They've designed oxygen-carrying particles that can let patients live for up to half an hour—without taking a breath. The injected material give doctors time to address emergencies in patients who can't breathe with far less risk of brain damage or heart attack, meaning...
Big Change: Cities Growing Faster Than Suburbs
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 28, 2012 4:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
For the first time in decades, cities' populations are growing at a faster rate than suburbs'. The 51 US metropolitan regions with at least a million people expanded 1.1% between 2010 and 2011; suburbs grew just 0.9%, Census data show. Compare that to the past decade, which saw suburbs grow at three times the city rate. "What's significant...
Strip Club 'Tax' to Fund Rape Investigations in Houston
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 28, 2012 4:02 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Want to help Houston foot the bill for its rape investigations? Visit a strip club. The city doesn't have the funds to quickly analyze evidence collected in rape kits, so the City Council passed an ordinance yesterday imposing a $5-per-visitor "pole tax" on strip joints and other clubs that host adult entertainment (think wet T-shirt...
House Holds Eric Holder in Contempt
The Hill
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Jun 28, 2012 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The House today declared that Eric Holder was in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents related to the Fast and Furious scandal, reports Politico . It's a first for a sitting attorney general, and the matter now goes to DC's federal attorney to determine whether to press criminal charges, explains the Washington Post ....
Police Order Assange to Surrender
Guardian (UK)
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Jun 28, 2012 3:19 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Julian Assange has been ordered to turn himself in to a London police station tomorrow, in what police say is the "first step" toward extraditing him to Sweden. If he doesn't show up by 11:30am, he'll be in breach of his bail conditions, "and he is liable to arrest," a police spokesman said, according to the Guardian ...
Even Obama Got Fooled by Today's Errant TV Reports
Talking Points Memo
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Jun 28, 2012 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) -
President Obama had a bad moment this morning as the Supreme Court ruling on health care reform came down: He stood and watched two of the TVs in the outer Oval Office as news reports declared that the court had struck down the individual mandate, reports Talking Points Memo . A minute or two later, however, White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler came...
Supreme Court: You Can Lie About Military Honors
Wired
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Jun 28, 2012 2:26 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The health care decision wasn't the only one to emerge from the Supreme Court today: Justices also ruled that the First Amendment protects the right to lie about military decorations, Wired notes. In the 6-3 decision, justices called the Stolen Valor Act—a 2006 law forbidding such speech—unconstitutional. The case centered on one...
Quick, Before It's Illegal: Have Some Foie Gras Donuts
Wall Street Journal
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Jun 28, 2012 2:11 PM CDT
(Newser) -
This Sunday, California's foodies face a terrible prospect: life without fattened goose liver. At the urging of animal rights activists, California passed a foie gras ban back in 2004, the Wall Street Journal explains, and it finally hits this weekend. So Californians are stuffing their gullets with foie by any means necessary—and that...
What John Roberts Is Up To
Slate
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Jun 28, 2012 1:56 PM CDT
(Newser) -
John Roberts upheld the Affordable Care Act today, and "in doing so, he gave a lot of people who don't pay attention a reason to celebrate him on Twitter," writes Mobutu Sese Seko of Gawker . "They're idiots." Seko and some other observers believe Roberts had a secret plan. Yes, his ruling hands Obama a superficial victory,...
Hottest Temp Ever Created by Man: 7 Trillion Degrees
Los Angeles Times
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Jun 28, 2012 1:41 PM CDT
(Newser) -
A team of New York physicists has managed to smash gold ions into a quark-gluon plasma much like the one believed to have existed in the milliseconds after the Big Bang—and in the process broken the Guinness World Record for the hottest man-made temperature ever recorded. The plasma hit a mind-boggling 7.2 trillion degrees Fahrenheit, the LA...
Weather Service Starts Texting Warnings to Smartphones
Associated Press
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Jun 28, 2012 1:26 PM CDT
(AP) -
Millions of smartphone users will soon begin receiving text messages about severe weather from a government system that can send a blanket warning to mobile devices in the path of a dangerous storm. The National Weather Service's new Wireless Emergency Alerts system offers a new way to warn Americans about menacing weather, even if they are nowhere...
Boehner Is Burying Today's Contempt Vote for Holder
Salon
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Jun 28, 2012 1:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Oh, by the way, the House of Representatives will make history later today by holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt. Why schedule the vote on a day when it's sure to be buried amid ObamaCare headlines? At Salon , Steve Kornacki thinks it's an intentional move by John Boehner to save his party from embarrassment. The GOP once hoped...
Fight's Not Over Yet: More Challenges for ObamaCare
Washington Post
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Jun 28, 2012 12:57 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The Affordable Care Act has survived the Supreme Court —without question a victory for President Obama—but that doesn't mean it's a breeze from here on out. Some of the challenges facing ObamaCare, from the Washington Post and the New York Times : The election : Mitt Romney has pledged to repeal ObamaCare on "day...
