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Late Senator Ted Kennedy may have rolled over in his grave on Thursday as Vice President Biden swore in Scott Brown as the 41st Republican member of the Senate. Though Brown was originally scheduled to be inducted on February 11, his lawyer allegedly wrote a letter to the Massachusetts governor Wednesday asking for an earlier date so that the Senator-elect could participate in upcoming votes, a claim Brown denied Thursday. "I'm here to work," Brown told reporters upon arriving on Capitol Hill. He served as a Massachusetts state senator and representative for 10 years before being voted into the Senate and ending the Democratic supermajority. "Assuming that what is insisted upon is 60 votes in the United States Senate, no longer can one party alone hold its members and make progress on important issues for the American people," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Thursday. "That's why the president has asked again [for] the Democrats and Republicans to work together to make that progress."
In his first press conference since recalling millions of cars, the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, apologized to drivers for the “major crisis” and said the “safety of customers is vital.” The company is now considering issuing a recall for its Prius model due to a brake defect. In addition to a recently launched investigation into the Prius brakes, the automaker is now launching a probe into the Lexus HS250h, a luxury hybrid model in Japan. The car uses the same brake system as the Prius. No complaints have been filed for the Lexus HS250h, and the investigation is to ensure safety, a Toyota representative said.
Concerns about the global economy caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to fall 268.37 points Thursday, its worst one-day drop since April 2009. Other markets dropped as well, as investors worried about the ability of Europe's governments to finance their debts and America's ability to improve employment. With Greece under more pressure to cut its deficit, the Portuguese government selling under their expected offer of treasury bills at an auction, and the Spanish government raising its budget-deficit forecasts, investors are losing faith in the global market. "Anyone who thought the euro was going to be the next reserve currency has got to be questioning that this week," said one analyst. The Dow settled at just above 10000.
The American missionairies who tried to take 33 children from Haiti to the Dominican Republic after the country's earthquake were charged with kidnapping on Thursday and could face up to 15 years in prison, says their lawyer Edwin Coq. He added that it could take the judge three months to reach a verdict. The Haitian government has yet to comment, and it appears the U.S. citizens, most of whom are from a Baptist congregation in Idaho, are keeping mum as well.
President Obama is ready to move forward with health-care legislation, calling Thursday for talks and a resolution with Republicans so the bill can move to Congress. His request comes on the heels of Democrats losing their supermajority when Scott Brown was sworn into the Senate, and Obama says Democratic leaders will now work on compromises to health-care bills passed by the House and Senate last year, then move to high-level talks with Republicans. "If Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, after all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," the president said.
Bank of America has settled a regulatory complaint with the SEC, but New York's attorney general is still accusing the bank, its former chief executive, and its chief financial officer of securities fraud. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo had been in settlement talks with the bank since November, but the talks apparently fell through. Cuomo is claiming in a lawsuit that the bank executives—Kenneth Lewis, the chief executive, and Joe Price, the chief financial officer—misled its shareholders and the government about its merger with Merrill Lynch. “Throughout this episode, the conduct of Bank of America, through its top management, was motivated by self-interest, greed, hubris, and a palpable sense that the normal rules of fair play did not apply to them,” Cuomo said Thursday. “Bank of America’s management thought of itself as too big to play by the rules and, just as disturbingly, too big to tell the truth.”
President Obama is sticking it to China: He will meet with the Dalai Lama at the White House this month. The move is sure to anger China, which warned Obama against allowing such a visit earlier this week. The White House did not specify dates, though the Dalai Lama’s secretary said he’ll be in Washington on February 17 and 18.
After recommendations from the Pentagon's Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and a successful vote to include the morning after pill on the list of drugs that military facilities should stock, officials announced the Department of Defense will begin making the pill available in its hospital and clinics around the world. It's the latest step taken by the Obama administration to reverse women's health policies made during George W. Bush's administration, and fulfills a request from 2002 by women's health advocates. "It's a tragedy that women in uniform have been denied such basic health care," said Nancy Keenan of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "We applaud the medical experts for standing up for military women."
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office released Thursday the autopsy results for Casey Johnson, heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune and alleged fiancé to Tila Tequila. Johnson's death was ruled a natural one, and the cause of death was identified as diabetic ketoacidosis, a lack of insulin combined with extreme blood sugar levels. The socialite had been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a young child, and her unfortunate battles with drug and alcohol certainly did not help. Tequila, for her part, had claimed that Johnson died from a combination of her diabetes and sleeping pill use—a claim not supported by the autopsy. Johnson was found dead in a West Hollywood house on January 5, shortly after announcing her engagement to Tequila.
No enhanced-interrogation techniques needed here: A law enforcement official tells the Associated Press that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the failed Christmas Day bombing, has given up intelligence on Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical Muslim cleric who is hiding in Yemen. Al-Awlaki is believed to be a prominent al-Qaeda recruiter and has been linked to the 9/11 hijackers and the Fort Hood shooter, in addition to Abdulmutallab.
Though other military officials have projected a negative outlook for Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal shared an upbeat view Thursday, saying the security situation was still serious, but not deteriorating. "I'm not prepared to say we have turned the corner," McChrystal said, "[But] I think we have made significant progress in setting conditions in 2009." He also added, "we'll make real progress in 2010." McChrystal said Afghan forces should grow quickly enough to begin troop reductions in 2011, and officials said Defense Secretary Robert Gates will urge NATO allies to send 4,000 trainers and mentors to continue the Afghan army's preparation to take over control. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, however, spouted a different opinion, saying the Taliban "has become increasingly dangerous and destabilizing," and Defense Intelligence Agency Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess said U.S. troops face an "increasingly capable insurgency."
Only a month after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County, the area was hit by another Thursday, this time registering at a magnitude of 6.0. Although the January quake caused around $12.5 million in structural damages in the city of Eureka, no damages have been reported this time, and a Humboldt County spokesperson said the overall effects were far less severe. The area is the seismic capital of the California, with three tectonic plates merging to cause geological strain. According to research, there is a high magnitude quake every 300 to 400 years.
Prius envy is a thing of the past now that Japanese officials have ordered Toyota to investigate the 2010 Prius braking system. U.S. officials have also announced that they will conduct their own brake probe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 171 complaints from Prius owners by 2010, 111 involving brake problems, and at least two leading to driver injuries. The news comes on the heels of Toyota's massive recall of millions cars for faulty accelerators, a move that will cost the company $2 billion. The company also faces the possibility of a civil action over the accelerator defects. The egg isn't just on Toyota either. According to The Washington Post, the NHTSA launched an investigation into the faulty accelerators in 2007, an investigation that only partially uncovered the cause of the issue and concluded that only a small number of cars were affected.
It almost makes you nostalgic for Rod Blagojevich: Scott Lee Cohen, a former pawnbroker who is now the Democrats’ nominee for lieutenant governor in Illinois, was arrested four-and-a-half years ago for holding a knife to the neck of his live-in girlfriend—a woman who was just found guilty of prostitution. The woman was treated for “mild abrasions from a knife wound,” but then she never showed up at court and so the charges were dismissed. Cohen was considered a longshot to be Governor Pat Quinn’s running mate and was elected over the objections of state politicians.
It was probably Jay Leno’s idea: In honor of Black History month, the NBC cafeteria served fried chicken, collard greens, and jalapeno cornbread. The evidence was provided by Questlove, the drummer for the Roots (Jimmy Fallon’s house band). Questlove followed up the picture by tweeting, “I think I need a twitter break. I done started something. And now I must put out fire.”
Community-acquired pneumonia, "multiple drug intoxication," and iron deficiency killed Brittany Murphy, according to the Los Angeles coroner's office. The coroner’s spokesman declined to specify what types of drugs were involved in the Clueless and 8 Mile star's body but said they were all prescription meds. The death was ruled accidental. Her husband, Simon Monjack, told the Associated Press last month that his wife did take several prescriptions, including an anti-seizure drug, but did not abuse the medications. He said she had been taking over-the-counter Robitussin for her ailment. A memorial for a foundation in Brittany Murphy's name that had been planned for Thursday was abruptly canceled, with no explanation.
The home where history was made is now available to rent: The Jersey Shore house will reportedly rent for $3,500 per night until May, after that the price will jump to $6,500 per night. TMZ reports that the duck phone is still in the house, and the owner says that the 3,200 square foot house has received an extensive cleaning after the cast left the show. The Situation, Snooki and family have been busy since they left the house, negotiating a second season with MTV and attempting to get into New York Fashion Week later this month. A manager for all the members of the cast except Snooki claims that some designers have even reached out to the cast to have them attend or model in their shows.
Maybe they had it on speed dial? Seven 911 phone calls were made from John and Elizabeth Edwards’ North Carolina home between 2005 and 2009. Most are pretty mundane—trespassers and suspicious vehicles—except one from May 13, 2008. Then, Elizabeth Edwards alleged that John had stolen her wallet.
Dr. Conrad Murray will be arraigned Friday and charged with involuntary manslaughter for his alleged role in Michael Jackson's death last summer. Murray will turn himself in to Los Angeles police Friday morning, TMZ reports. The doctor who allegedly gave Jackson the powerful prescription drug Propofol will be booked and taken to Airport Court, Division 144, before a judge at 1:30 p.m. Cameras will record the event.
Why couldn’t Microsoft make the iPad, iPod, BlackBerry or Kindle? After all, it's America's most famous and profitable technology company, the company that made PCs ubiquitous and affordable, the company that used to bring us the future. According to former Microsoft Vice President Dick Brass's editorial in The New York Times, Microsoft "never developed a true system for innovation," but instead fosters destructive competition. He cited two examples: his team invented ClearType, a sort of graphic display that made type more readable. The critically acclaimed innovation, made to help sell Ebooks, didn't make it into Windows products for a decade because various other Microsoft groups felt "threatened by our success," and falsely tore it down—one vice president even said he wouldn't support the system unless Brass handed control of the programmers and program over to him. Similarly, after Brass' team developed a tablet computer, the vice president of the Office group decided he didn't like the concept and refused to make compatible Office applications for it. In other words, as Brass put it, Microsoft's "dysfunctional corporate culture" allowed "the big established groups" to "prey upon emerging teams, belittle their efforts, compete unfairly against them for resources, and over time hector them out of existence."
House Minority Leader John Boehner met with J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon last week to tell him that congressional Republicans are fighting President Obama’s efforts to curb pay and create new regulations—and, of course, to rattle the tin cup. It was part of Republicans’ efforts to win donations from Wall Street and “make the case that they are the banks’ best hope of preventing President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats from cracking down on Wall Street,” says The Wall Street Journal. A complete picture of Wall Street’s 2009 campaign donations won’t be available for a few weeks, though companies like Bank of America have switched the majority of their donations from Democrats to Republicans.
Bullet dodged? The House voted to raise the government debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion on Thursday—but just barely. The measure passed 217-212, raising the overall debt cap to $14.3 trillion. Had the measure failed, the U.S. government would have defaulted on its debt, which would have rattled markets. To help win passage, Democrats are adopting new pay-as-you-go budget rules.
Famed experimental writer Don DeLillo shoved aside his love of privacy long enough to give a short interview to The New York Times about his new novel, Point Omega. He told The Times that a 2006 art installation at the MoMA, Douglas Gordon's 24 Hour Psycho, inspired the book. The installation slowed down Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho to two frames per second, so that the film lasted a whole day instead of a mere hour and a half. DeLillo went back to the exhibit four times, deciding to begin and end the novel with scenes at that exhibit. The film's slow speed raised the "question of what we see, what we miss when we look at things in a conventional matter," and inspired the slow, spare new book, Point Omega. DeLillo also discussed his sober nature. "I only smile when I'm alone," he said. Although he gives occasional readings and likes to travel, he eschews email because it "encourages communication I'd just as soon not have."
Breaking up is hard to do, and Washington is relearning that lesson as the city says farewell to Tai Shan, the panda who is bound for China Thursday. Born four years ago, the bamboo-eater is the only panda to survive infancy in Washington's zoo. He'll be dragged out of his home by a tractor-trailer and then put on board a FedEx airplane Thursday morning. Giant pandas are endangered, and this one is being taken to the mountainous interior of China to take part in a breeding program. "Tai has brought so much good karma," said one fan. "There's a lot of things in life that are precious that you cannot see or you cannot speak of, but it is there in front of you." Final visits were tear-filled, The Washington Post reports. Said one visitor, "A piece of me is being ripped away. Tai is one of a kind. There's never going to be another bear like him."
Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad found an odd way to continue to antagonize the West on Wednesday: his country fired a rocket into space with a mouse, two turtles, and some worms on board. On the same day, the Iranian leader offered last minute concessions to ship uranium out of Tehran and sideline new sanctions designed for the Islamic republic. Western experts said that Iran's space program provides cover for the country's nuclear ambitions. “I am perplexed and even a bit pessimistic," said French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner.
Due to a mishap during his sweat lodge ceremony, self-help guru James Arthur Ray is now involved in an entirely different sort of ceremony: the kind that can end with a felony conviction and jail time. Ray has been charged with manslaughter in the deaths of three people who fell ill during a sweat-lodge ceremony held at one of his retreats. Ray packed more than 60 people into a 415-square foot dome for a two-hour cleanse in a sauna-ike environment, and reportedly urged the people who began vomiting and collapsing to push past it, scolding those who wanted out. Afterward, 21 people headed to the hospital where three of them died. The treatment was part of Ray's five-day "Spiritual Warrior" program in Arizona. Ray's lawyer pledged to fight the charges, noting that his client cooperated with the police at every step of the way, and calling the incident "a terrible accident" but not a criminal act.
Speaking to victims in vegetative states may not be completely fruitless, now that experts have discovered that patients who don’t show signs of awareness can actually both comprehend and communicate thoughts. Not only can those in persistent vegetative states (PVS) understand what others are saying, but they can also offer simple responses to basic biographical questions. Dr. Adrian Owen, who carried out the groundbreaking research, and his team concluded it’s possible to talk to patients by tapping into their brain activity using a hi-tech functional MRI to measure their “yes” and “no” answers to questions. Doctors predict about one in five PVS patients can communicate. The discovery will likely raise questions about when doctors should take patients off life support machines and could cause a stir in the assisted suicide debate. “Obviously this fits into the issue of when patients should be allowed to die,” Dr. Owen said. The director of the Care Not Killing Alliance says, however, that the breakthrough is unlikely to alter guidelines regarding assisted suicide, since patients in that state don't have the mental capacity to make such vital decisions.
No apologies here: Attorney General Eric Holder is defending his decision to not try the failed Christmas Day bomber as an enemy combatant. In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Holder said the government's legal authority to hold Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab indefinitely was "far from clear." In the letter, Holder takes personal responsibility for Abdulmutallab's detention--a move that is likely to make the attorney general even less popular among Republicans and some Democrats who have criticized the decision to read to Abdulmutallab his Miranda rights.
Australian rock band Men at Work had a massive hit with their 1980s song "Down Under" about a vegemite sandwich and the world’s other temptations. It turns out they had some help as an Australian judge ruled Thursday that the group's famous flute riff was ripped off from a folk tune. The owner of the song, the entertainment group EMI, may have to pay up to 60 percent of the earnings they made from the international smash. "It's a big win for the underdog," said one lawyer.
An MIT-trained Pakistani woman was found guilty of trying to murder American soldiers and FBI agents while detained in Afghanistan in 2008. A Manhattan jury convicted Aafia Siddiqui, 37, Thursday. She responded, "This is a verdict coming from Israel, not America, and that is where the anger belongs. I can testify to this and I have proof." Convicted of two counts of attempted murder, Siddiqui will likely face life in prison. During the trial, Siddiqui claimed she was tortured in American custody.
Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is urging President Obama to declare that China is manipulating its currency, keeping the yuan value artificially low so that Chinese exports are cheap and foreign imports are expensive in the Chinese market. Obama criticized his predecessor George W. Bush for failing to say China is doing so, but has yet to make the call himself, despite two opportunities. The U.S. Treasury Department is required by law to name any country it suspects of manipulating its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage; the next report is due in April. At a meeting with Democratic lawmakers Wednesday, the president said he was concerned such currency rates could put America at a disadvantage. When G-7 finance ministers meet in Canada this weekend, they’ll discuss China’s currency policies, a Treasury official said.
Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown will be sworn in as the successor to Ted Kennedy as early as Thursday at 5 p.m., a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said. Brown’s attorney had written Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, urging him to certify the election results immediately. Earlier plans set the swearing-in date for February 11. Brown’s election ends the Democrats’ 60-vote filibuster-proof supermajority in the Senate once he takes his place as the 41st Republican. (Barack Obama reminded Democrats Wednesday that they still have the largest majority in decades.) Brown has asked for a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Google is forging an alliance with the National Security Agency, the world's most powerful electronic surveillance organization, to protect its networks from cyberattacks, The Washington Post reports. This January, Google announced that hackers had targeted its underlying source code and the email addresses of human rights activists in a massive breach. Shortly after the attacks, which Google believes originated in China, the web giant approached the NSA, and since then the two groups have been engaged in delicate negotiations to forge a partnership that will allow the two to share critical information without violating Google's policies or American laws protecting the privacy of online communications. Ellen McCarthy, president of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an organization of current and former intelligence officials, put it this way: "The critical question is: At what level will the American public be comfortable with Google sharing information with the NSA?"
In 2008, John McCain was his party's nominee for president. In 2010, he's a target for right-wing attack, as the Republican, who has spent 23 years representing Arizona in the Senate, is facing the first legitimate challenge from his own party. Ex-congressman J.D. Hayworth, most recently a radio host, is carrying the Tea Party standard against the Republican Party standard-bearer in a match up that signals the growth of conservative activism in this election year. With 11 months to go, McCain holds a 53 to 31 point lead (although Hayworth says his campaign's polling has them closer). "This is not an idle threat that Mr. McCain faces, and the reason has more to do with his history with conservatives than just about anything else," pollster Scott Rasmussen told The Wall Street Journal.
