We see reported today that a number of elite golf courses in the New York area rejected the White House’s requests to allow the President to play on their courses when he was in the area over the Labor Day weekend. Let’s start by stipulating that of the various kinds of respect or derision aimed at the first black president, his ‘golfing rights’, for lack of a better word, rate low on the list – certainly not ones the White House press office will want to focus on. Let’s further stipulate that if you pay a lot of money to belong to a country club/golf course you’d probably be a bit annoyed that the place had been taken over by the Secret Service when you were looking forward to playing on Labor Day weekend – the rest of us get a little bummed when whole urban centers are locked down because of Presidential visits.
A Missouri lawmaker is citing the Hobby Lobby decision in a lawsuit demanding a personal exemption from Obamacare that will prevent his insurance from paying for birth control for his daughters.
With new concerns being raised in Georgia about too many black people voting, the Georgia Secretary of State is stepping forward to help get the situation under control.
Senate Dems break initial GOP filibuster on equal pay for women bill.
So apparently NFL got the Rice video three months ago.
Okay, here’s an awesome job, if you’re really into news and digital news publishing. This is a near entry level position. What it requires is a lot of enthusiasm and smarts, ready familiarity with headline writing, social media and the full horizon of US politics. Sense of humor also required. See full job listing after the jump.
Taking a moment to introduce two new members of our team: Ahiza Garcia and Christine Frapech.
Not your usual Rob Ford fare.
Late this afternoon, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was hospitalized with abdominal pains. According to a statement released by the Humber River Hospital, Ford had been experiencing abdominal pains for at least three months (apparently without seeking treatment, though that is not stated explicitly) and escalated dramatically over the last twenty four hours.
To quote the press release, “Examination and investigation has resulted in a working diagnosis of a tumor.”
Making calculated use of American airpower to help anti-ISIS forces regroup and make progress against ISIS makes sense to me. But given what we heard last night, given the hyperventilation from many that it is somehow not enough, I strongly recommend reading this article we posted yesterday. The strength of ISIS on the ground where it is seems to have been wildly, wildly exaggerated, through a mix of very effective social media-based propaganda and complementary hyper-ventilation by US commentators and and politicians. Even the limited airstrikes the US has already undertaken has lost ISIS arms, equipment and territory.