Via Gas2 The FAA doesn’t think much of Jeff Bezos’ idea to deliver packages to Amazon.com customers using drones. Yesterday the agency issued a proposed ruling that defines such deliveries as part of a “business purpose” and not a recreational or hobby activity. Well, d’uh! TechCrunch reports that the agency said in a footnote to […]
Archives for June 2014
Fox News A ‘Fanatical Terrorist Propagandist Organization’ According To Russell Brand (VIDEO)
By Samuel Warde According to Russell Brand, “fanatical” Fox News is “more dangerous than Isis.” His comments were made in response to a particularly disturbing rant by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro in which she claimed that Obama “didn’t have the balls” to try Taliban suspects at Guantanamo Bay, and said Americans “are not convinced” […]
July 1: Juan’s new Book, “The New Arabs” hits the Shelves
By Juan Cole For those of you who like “long reads,” my new book will be out next Tuesday. For those of you intending to buy it, let me suggest that you all purchase it on its publication date, July 1. The way the publishing metrics work, if you can get the book to a […]
Is Russia Replacing US in Iraq?
By Juan Cole Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Thursday told BBC Arabic that he was buying used fighter jets from the Russian Federation and from Belorussia. He said it had been a huge mistake to depend on the US for arms purchases, since the US arms pipeline is extremely slow and F-16 fighter jets […]
Jailed Jazeera reporter donates funds to Sisi's Egypt plan
An Al-Jazeera journalist whose jailing triggered global outrage has donated 15,000 Egyptian pounds to a fund initiated by the president to boost Egypt’s ailing economy, his brother said on Thursday.
Is it ISIS? French, Saudi Suicide Bombers Target Beirut
Via al-Akhbar English: A suicide bomber blew himself up as security forces raided his hotel room in Beirut’s Raouche district Wednesday evening, injuring at least 11 people, in the third such blast to strike Lebanon in less than one week. Firefighters rushed to extinguish flames on the third floor of the Duroy Hotel near the […]
What Drove Iraqi Sunnis to Revolt and ally with ISIS?
By Charles Recknagel via RFE/RL As Sunni insurgents have swept across northern Iraq, they have sought to win support by portraying themselves as the liberators of the country’s Sunni population. One of their first acts after routing the Iraqi Army from Mosul on June 6-9 was to open up the gates of the city’s prison. […]
Fox’s Cavuto slams Bachmann on suing Obama: “There’s so much Wrong Here”
It’s not often that a FOXNews host takes a Tea Party “darling” like Michelle Bachmann to task for her Obama-Derangement-Syndrome, but that’s exactly what happened earlier today when Neil Cavuto got into a shouting match with Bachmann regarding her support for House Speaker John Boehner’s pathetic push to file suit against President Obama for having […]
Supreme Court Requires Warrants for Cell Searches, But won’t Protect Internet Streaming
Via Electronic Frontier Foundation Justices Rule Changing Technology Demands Limits for Police but Requires Permission from TV Broadcasters San Francisco – The U.S. Supreme Court issued two big rulings in important technology cases today. In a groundbreaking decision on cell phone privacy, the court set powerful limits for police searches of cell phones, ruling in […]