GM buying interest in Yoplait to secure foothold in U.S. yogurt market
May 18, 2011
You might think this was a case of strange bedfellows but actually they have been partners in the US since 1977. And now US automaker General Motors is buying a controlling stake in French yogurt maker Yoplait, according to Fox News. The move is to secure exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the world’s second-largest yogurt brand after Danone. General Mills, whose brands include of Haagen-Dazs ice cream and Cheerios cereals, expects the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, to close at the end of May.
Scientists identify another planet with perhaps the right stuff for like
May 17, 2011
Scientists have found an Exoplanet planet near a red dwarf star called Gliese 581, that they believe could host life. The planet Gilese 581d, is at the colder outer edge of the “Goldilocks zone,” where water can exist in liquid form. At 20 light-years away, it is relatively close to Earth. Gilese 581d, has six times Earth’s mass and is twice its size. Scientists believe it is warm enough for liquid water and could feature clouds and liquid rainfall. An unconfirmed planet Gliese 581g found in the same solar system in 2010, is also a contender for habitability. But the planet’s existence has since been called into question.
Senate Ethics Report: Sen. Coburn Up to His Eyeballs in Ensign Scandal
May 13, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)—Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), the right-wing evangelical lawmaker and former roomie of disgraced former Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) at the notorious C-Street residence, was less than truthful in his testimony to the Senate Ethics Committee. The Committee released a scathing, and shocking report yesterday filled with salacious details of Ensign’s efforts to cover up a sleazy affair with Cindy Hampton, a campaign staffer and wife of his best friend and close political aide Doug Hampton. The report of the “Preliminary Inquiry Into the Matter of Senator John E. Ensign,” found evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Ensign, including obstruction of justice, making false and misleading statements and serious violations of federal law. The report, which has been forwarded to the Department of Justice recommending a criminal investigation, shows that Coburn’s testimony minimizing his role in the cover up of Ensign’s sex scandal, is directly contradicted by other witnesses. Coburn was in fact a key player and middleman between Ensign and Doug Hampton during negotiations to pay off the Hamptons with a settlement in the millions, in which officials of the C-Street were also heavily involved. Coburn now faces his own Senate investigation for his unseemly and possibly criminal actions. Read more
Trump: It’s ‘Bad for the Country’ to Criticize ‘a Very Successful Person’ Like Me (Video)
May 11, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)—Reality TV star and all around braggart Donald Trump, has spent the last several weeks peddling vile race-baiting falsehoods attacking the legitimacy of our first black president. After President Obama neatly trumped the “Carnival Barker,” by releasing his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii, Trump was shown to be the utter fool that he is. His racist birtherism, and questioning of Obama’s ability to get into Harvard on his own, no longer served as catnip for cable news, except on Fox News that is. As he makes the necessary moves to extricate himself from his fake presidential campaign, Trump phoned in to Fox News’ On the Record last night to whine about the media having the gall to criticize the very “successful person” of Donald Trump; the king of deal makers. Trump actually said “it’s very bad for the country,” to bash “accomplished” media whores staging fake presidential campaigns to gain publicity for a reality TV show. No, really. Read more
A Whole Lot of Gun-Toting Going On in Texas
May 10, 2011
(ChattahBox US News)—Apparently, the most pressing issue in Texas these days is the tyrannical assault on Second Amendment freedoms. Secessionist Gov. Rick Perry (R) and his crew of right-wing Republicans controlling the state legislature, won’t be happy until kindergartners have the right to pack heat. To that end, on Monday, the Texas Senate passed a measure allowing college students and teachers to carry concealed weapons inside college classrooms and dormitories. Get ready for some wild shoot ‘em up frat parties. There’s more. Another bill would permit lawmakers and other officials to tote concealed handguns in places that currently prohibit guns, such as churches and hospitals. It’s all guns, all the time in Texas. Read more
Boehner’s Debt Limit Ransom Demands: Cut ‘Trillions’ Right Now
May 10, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)—The House Republicans are headed over a cliff, and they are about to take our country with them. As the political battle over the upcoming vote to raise our nation’s debt limit comes to a head, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) announced his hostage demands last night before a pinstriped Wall Street crowd at the Economic Club of New York. Boehner is demanding “trillions” in immediate budget cuts as the price for increasing the debt limit. If the White House and Democrats call his bluff, then Boehner must decide if he really has the stomach for taking our country into a catastrophic default, destroying the full faith and credit of the United States. Read more
Senate Dems Target $21 Billion in Tax Giveways to Big Five Oil Companies
May 9, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)—On Thursday, House Republicans, once again, voted unanimously to preserve billions in tax giveaways to Big Oil, at a time when oil companies are posting record profits and gas prices have soared to over $4.00 a gallon. But Democrats, having the majority in the Senate, are prepared to force Republicans to go on the record supporting the continuation of nearly $21 billion in tax breaks to the biggest oil companies, at a time when the GOP is portraying the federal deficit as the biggest threat to mankind. Last month, Obama devoted his weekly address to eliminating federal oil subsidies. “When oil companies are making huge profits and you’re struggling at the pump, and we’re scouring the federal budget for spending we can afford to do without, these tax giveaways aren’t right. They aren’t smart. And we need to end them,” said Obama. Read more
Obama: Pakistan ‘Support Network’ Sheltered Bin Laden (VIDEO)
May 9, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)–President Obama pointed out last night, during his “60 Minutes” interview, that Osama bin Laden must have had the support of Pakistan officials and locals. The internationally hunted 9/11 terrorist could not have remained safely hidden inside a large compound in a police state for nearly six-years, without the aid of an extensive “support network,” said Obama. It remains to be seen how much high-level government officials knew about bin Laden’s compound just 35-miles away from the capitol of Islamabad in the suburb of Abbottabad; a stone’s throw from a military training center. But some intelligence officials certainly knew, and if they didn’t, they should consider another line of work. Read more
GOP Senator Cracks Sexist Jokes in Committee Hearing
May 4, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)—Bush stalwart Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), apparently thinks it’s appropriate to crack lame sexist jokes during a Senate Finance Committee hearing. The third-term Senator, during a hearing on reforming our tax code, quipped to a female economist that Ph.D. means “a pretty hot Democrat.” His office later tried to spin away Roberts’ bizarre behavior by claiming he used the word “hot” in the same way he uses “partisan.”OK, well, Roberts still comes off as everyone’s crazy uncle, cracking inappropriate jokes during thanksgiving dinner. Read more
Obama Decides Not to Release Bin Laden Death Photo
May 4, 2011
(ChattahBox Political News)–After weighing the pros and cons, President Obama decided not to release a photo of the corpse of 9/11 terrorist Osama bin Laden. Although it was widely reported yesterday that the White House would likely make the death photo publicly available, Obama told CBS, during an interview with Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes,” that he nixed the idea. The photos taken of bin Laden’s corpse after he was killed by Navy Seals, during a raid on his Pakistani compound on Sunday, have been described as “gruesome.” Read more