AP CEO: Justice Department succeeded in silencing our sources

On Wednesday, Associated Press CEO Gary Pruitt told an audience at the National Press Club that the Justice Department had succeeded in silencing many of the sources that used to speak to the AP and other news outlets.

“What I learned from our journalists should alarm everyone in this room and I think should alarm everyone in this country. The actions of the DOJ against AP are already having an impact beyond the specifics of this particular case.

“Some of our longtime trusted sources have become nervous and anxious about talking to us, even about stories that aren’t about national security. In some cases, government employees that we once checked in with regularly will no longer speak to us by phone, and some are reluctant to meet in person.

“I can tell you that this chilling effect is not just at AP, it’s happening at other news organizations as well. Journalists from other news organizations have personally told me it has intimidated sources from speaking to them.

“The government may love this. I suspect that they do. But beware the government that loves secrecy too much,” Pruitt said.

Cross posted at High Plains Pundit.

James Gandolfini Dead at 51

From Yahoo:

Terrible news for TV fans: James Gandolfini, who played mobster Tony Soprano on HBO's seminal drama "The Sopranos," died suddenly today at the age of 51, Variety is reporting.

Gandolfini was traveling in Italy on vacation when he fell ill; various reports have him suffering a heart attack and a stroke. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, and a son, Michael, from a previous marriage.

He won three Emmys and one Golden Globe for his performance as Tony Soprano on the HBO drama, a conflicted, sometimes villainous role that launched the current wave of TV antiheroes. "The Sopranos" remains HBO's highest-rated series ever, with 13.4 million viewers tuning in for the Season 4 premiere in 2002.

In addition to "The Sopranos," Gandolfini appeared in dozens of movies, including memorable supporting turns in "True Romance," "Get Shorty," and last year's "Zero Dark Thirty."

Dow Drops 200 as Fears Grip Wall Street That Easy Money Will Stop

From CNBC:

Stocks accelerated their selloff in the final hour of trading to end near session lows Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve said it will maintain its bond-buying program, though Chairman Ben Bernanke hinted that the central bank plans to moderate purchases later this year.

"They don't tie themselves officially into anything but it's clearly what they're going to do," said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. "I think he's more clearly said today than at any other time that he's going to taper before the end of the year, and there's a possibility he could be done by the middle of next year."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 206.04 points, or 1.35 percent, to end at 15,112.19, wiping out most of its gains from the last two sessions. All 30 Dow components finished in the red, dragged by Verizon and AT&T. The blue-chip index logged its seventh-straight triple-digit move.

The S&P 500 slumped 22.88 points, or 1.39 percent, to finish at 1,628.93. And the Nasdaq fell 38.98 points, or 1.12 percent, to close at 3,443.20.

Nostraobama: The greatest global threat of our time is climate change

During his speech in Berlin on Wednesday, President Barack Nostraobama made the prediction that the greatest global threat of our time is climate change.

“More severe storms. More famine and floods. New waves of refugees. Coastlines that vanish. Oceans that rise. This is the future we must avert. This is the global threat of our time.

“And for the sake of future generations, our generation must move toward a global compact to confront a changing climate before it is too late.

“That is our job. That is our task. We have to get to work,” Nostraobama said.



Cross posted at High Plains Pundit.

Eric Holder: LGBT agenda will be a top priority at the DOJ

During a gay pride event on Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder told those in attendance that the homosexual agenda will be a top priority at the Justice Department.

“The fact remains that across the country far too many LBGT Americans suffer discrimination each and every day. That’s why the department will keep working to create opportunity and access for every individual. That’s why this will continue to be a priority for this department as long as I have the privilege of being Attorney General,” Holder said.

Holder also talked about the upcoming decisions by the Supreme Court concerning the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8.

“There are, as we all know, two important decisions the Supreme Court must render in the coming days. Though we hope that the results of these cases are consistent with the core values that serve as the foundation of our great nation, the work that lies before us today will not be completed by favorable opinions.

“We must recommit ourselves to the work that will remain undone. We have traveled far together on the road to true equality and non-discrimination. But we are not yet at the end of our journey.

“There are still miles to go, children to be treasured, people to be protected, and rights to be ensured. Important, life-changing work remains,” Holder said.

Holder also took time to brag about how the Justice Department is working to recruit and hire more people from the LGBT community.

“The department is really working to recruit, to hire, to develop and to retain and support a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the nation we are all privileged to serve.

“We’re expanding programs for promoting fairness, equality, and opportunity for every member of the DOJ family, which today includes an increasing number of openly gay and lesbian U.S. attorneys, senior department leaders, U.S. marshals, and career employees,” Holder said.

Cross posted at High Plains Pundit.

A sense of desperation? Obama asks NBA to help push Obamacare

I am getting a sense of serious desperation by the Obama folks, when it comes to the looming disaster known as Obamacare.

From The Hill:

The Obama administration has reportedly contacted the National Basketball Association (NBA) about a role in promoting healthcare reform around the country.

Efforts to sell ObamaCare are ramping up ahead of October, when people can begin signing up for the new insurance exchanges, and January, when the exchange coverage kicks in.

Many have speculated that the enrollment campaigns would benefit from a celebrity endorsement or partnership with a major sports league.

Read more...

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department refused to answer directly about the NBA, but did issue the following statement:

"We are speaking with a wide range of potential partners and organizations about our efforts to inform Americans of the opportunity to enroll in quality, affordable coverage in the health insurance marketplaces."

Cross posted at High Plains Pundit.