US troops deployed overseas give six times as much money to Barack Obama, compared to John McCain. The Center for Responsive Politics, which
conducted the giving-analysis, also made conclusions about the military's overall contribution pattern: Despite McCain's status as a decorated veteran and a historically Republican bent among the military, members of the armed services overall — whether stationed overseas or at home — are also favoring Obama with their campaign contributions in 2008, by a $55,000 margin. Although 59 percent of federal contributions by military personnel has gone to Republicans this cycle, of money from the military to the presumed presidential nominees, 57 percent has gone to Obama.
Each morning news anchors on Fox's Las Vegas affiliate
sit in front of very visible McDonald's iced coffee cups, part of a product-placement deal. The fast-food chain sponsors the two-hour morning news-and-lifestyle segment, but instead of commercial breaks, the advertisement happens during the news.
Since advertisement dollars already influence networks, I think the product-placement deal raises some old conflict of interest concerns.
Yesterday the Pope praised America as a nation where strong faith and religious beliefs live harmoniously with secular society. His remarks, delivered at the White House as part of his first trip to the US,
came with a caveat addressed later to the bishops: The US is battling a "subtle influence of secularism" that threatens to derail the righteous. He said:Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death?
Maybe the Pope should have started his trip in Las Vegas.
For the second time in a week, amounts of suspicious white powder were
found in a Las Vegas Hotel room. One room in the Excalibur hotel was quarantined after a guest reported seeing white powder in his bed. The man and the exposed hotel workers were secluded, but tests have just revealed that the substance was nontoxic.
This latest powder scare comes on the heels of a similar episode last week.
