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Gregory Eldred Kills Ex-Wife Darlene Sitler During Church Services in Coudersport PA

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL:  Gregory Eldred, of Coudersport, was charged with first degree murder after he fatally shot his ex-wife, Darlene Sitler, in the middle of Sunday services at the First United Presbyterian Church, where she served as organist and choir director. Gregory Eldred, an elementary school music teacher, was reportedly seen pacing outside the church before the service. Congregants grabbed him after the shooting and held him until the police arrive.

Last weekend has been marred by domestic violence, suicide and murder-suicides, starting with Kansas City Chiefs lineback Jovan Belcher, who shot and killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then himself. Eric Eucker, an assistant groundskeeper for the Cleveland Browns committed suicide at the team’s training facility and now Darlene Sitler was killed by her ex-husband.

 

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Susan Rice as Possible Replacement for Hillary Clinton Hits Another Snag: Keystone XL Pipeline Interests

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Rather than attack Susan Rice on the Benghazi consulate attack that left four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens dead, the Republicans may have found one line that will stick — the Keystone XL pipeline.

On Wednesday, a publication affiliated with the Natural Resources Defense Council dug into the ambassador to the United Nations’ financial disclosures, and discovered that she and her husband were heavily invested in several oil companies in western Canada including one, Transcanada, that currently has a project under review at the State Department.

As secretary of state, Rice would have to oversee the review of that project, the Keystone XL pipeline, which has dragged on for several controversial and tortured years.

It would be an obvious conflict of interest, and were she to be confirmed as secretary of state, Rice would almost certainly have to divest from her shares in Transcanada. The ties could give some senators pause over whether to confirm her for the post.

But Rice is not yet the nominee, and as ambassador to the U.N., her investments were not deemed a conflict of interest by ethics lawyers. (Earlier investments were found to be conflicts, and in 2008, as she was being considered for a post in the Obama administration, she divested from Boeing and GE.)

The last time I checked, Susan Rice hasn’t been nominated by President Obama yet. If she is, it is very simple — she will have to divest and that will remove the obstacle from her way that such an investment causes.

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Conservatives Attack Bob Costas for “Gun Culture” Comment in Jovan Belcher-Kasandra Perkins Tragedy

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Conservatives are attacking Bob Costas over his “gun culture” comment in the wake of the Jovan Belcher-Kasandra Perkins murder-suicide. While discussing the tragedy, Bob Costas quoted Fox Sports writer Jason Whitlock:

How many young people have to die senselessly? How many lives have to be ruined before we realize the right to bear arms doesn’t protect us from a government equipped with stealth bombers, predator drones, tanks and nuclear weapons?

Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead.

In the coming days, Belcher’s actions will be analyzed through the lens of concussions and head injuries. Who knows? Maybe brain damage triggered his violent overreaction to a fight with his girlfriend. What I believe is, if he didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today…

Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it.

I’m sorry, but don’t we have a problem with lax gun control in this country? How many more teenagers, young children, women and men have to be murdered in this country before something is done? It is true that had Jovan Belcher not owned a gun, he could have never shot Kasandra Perkins. Yes, he could have found another way to kill her, but a gun in the home increases the likelihood of homicide and suicide. In 2011, 30,000 Americans lost their lives to firearms (11,000 in homicides), according to the Centers for Disease Control. Approximately 1,800 women were killed, with 5,000 more sustaining injury. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence found that “firearms present a public health threat to American women, in particular from suicide and domestic violence.” The reality is that we cannot continue to sweep this “gun culture” under a rug. It is a real problem that deserves real solutions and not continually being hijacked by the NRA.

Bob Costas talking about “gun culture:”

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Mitt Romney Rejoins Marriott International Board of Directors

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Mitt Romney rejoins Marriott International’s Board of Directors, starting Monday. The company issued the following statement via a press release:

J.W. Marriott, Jr., the company’s executive chairman, said, “We are delighted that Gov. Romney has agreed to rejoin our board, on which he has served with distinction twice before.  We will benefit from his tremendous energy and capability to guide long-term success in an increasingly complex business environment.  We look forward to working closely with him again as a member of our strong, talented and diverse board.”

Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief executive officer, said, “Gov. Romney has proven to be an astute, independent director who is fluent in the demands and opportunities of our highly competitive industry.  We are fortunate to have him back on our board.”

Gov. Romney said, “It is an honor to once again be able to serve in the company of leaders like Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson and to support the work of the tens of thousands of Marriott associates who make Marriott International the renowned success that it is.”

Gov. Romney served previously on the Marriott International board from 1993 to 2002, when he left the board en route to being elected governor of Massachusetts, and from January 2009 to January 2011, when he resigned prior to his campaign for the U.S. presidency.

pixel Mitt Romney Rejoins Marriott International Board of Directors
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