Opinions Blog

Sprint files against AT&T merger


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  Phone company Sprint filed a lawsuit against the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile, which comes on the heels of a similar suit by the federal Department of Justice last week.   The lawsuit alleges that the takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T would harm all mobile phone customers by reducing competition, raising prices and […]

Protests surround Malema hearing


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Unrest grew in South Africa yesterday outside the disciplinary hearing for controversial political figure Julius Malema, the man at the center of the divide in South Africa’s ruling party the African National Congress and the country itself. Protests against the corruption charges levied against Malema, the president of the ANC’s Youth League, soon turned violent, […]

Elmhurst application asks for sexual and gender orientation


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In historical news, Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Il., has become the first college in the entire nation to ask incoming students about their sexual orientation and gender identity on their college application. The question, “Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community?”, with response selections of “yes”, […]

Fourteen Chilean miners to receive lifetime pensions


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Fourteen of the 33 Chilean miners who survived more than three months underground after a mine collapse will receive lifetime pensions. Presented by Chile’s first Lady Cecilia Morel on Tuesday, the ceremony took place in Copiano near the mine collapse site. She presented the first monthly pensions of 250,000 Chilean pesos ($540) to the men. […]

Obama moves address after push from Boehner


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President Barack Obama’s jobs speech to Congress will take place next Thursday around 5 p.m. PST, after a public disagreement with House Speaker John Boehner when the president initially scheduled his address Wednesday night. Wednesday night is the first time that Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, and is also the slated time slot […]

Suspects confess to Monterrey torching


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Five gang members have confessed to their participation in the recent casino torching attacks in Monterrey, Mexico. Last Thursday, armed men burst into Casino Royale, doused the carpet with gasoline and threw three grenades into the hall before exiting to four vehicles waiting in the parking lot. When the billowing smoke cleared and the debris […]

Board finds PG&E at fault for San Bruno explosion


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Decades of mismanagement by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company led to the San Bruno pipeline explosion  — which killed eight people last September — the federal government said Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board reported PG&E failed to properly assess the risk and had installed a bad pipe in the Northern California city. The […]

Celebrating Eid ul-Fitr


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Celebrating the end of a month of fasting, Muslims around the world are recognizing the religious holiday Eid ul-Fitr on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal. After abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset for 30 days in the preceding month of Ramadan, today more than 1.4 billion Muslims are […]

Qaddafi’s family eludes NTC custody


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While the search for the missing Muammar Qaddafi continues in vain, 32 members of his family were able to escape National Transitionary Council capture and cross into neighboring Algeria. Among the party was Qaddafi’s second wife Safia, his daughter Aisha and two of his sons, Hannibal and Mohammed. Aisha gave birth to a daughter shortly after arriving. They made their […]

Japan’s prime minister resigns amid continued economic problems


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Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan formally resigned last Friday after considerable criticism on his policies dealing with the March 11 tsunami and the subsequent crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Kan resigned under the condition that parliament approved two pieces of legislation: the deficit-financing bond bill and the new energy promotion bill. Both were passed […]