Cyprus Saved, New Condom, Most Expensive Divorce

 World: Eurozone finance ministers appear to have agreed to a deal to save the Cyprus banking system. It includes a tax of as much as 40% on accounts in the country’s second largest bank, which would then be broken up. The banks have been closed for a week while limits remain on withdrawals from cash machines. Some of the biggest depositors in Cyprus  are Russians, and clearly most of the money in the banks does not belong to Cypriots. The island country has 1.1 million residents and 68 billion Euros on deposit.

  • The NY Times reports that the CIA is helping Arab countries and Turkey to ship weapons and equipment to rebel fighters in Syria. The Times says the CIA acts mostly in a consulting role, which includes screening who gets the weapons when they arrive in Syria.

National: A Pew Research poll says 70% of Americans ages 18-32 favor gay marriage, just as the Supreme Court hears two important cases on the issue this week. Those in favor include Republicans and people who tend to be more religious. Overall, Americans approve gay marriage 49-44%.

  • Somebody out there is holding a winning ticket bought in New Jersey for a $338.3 million Powerball Jackpot. Don’t look in your pocket. If you had that ticket you’d already know it.

At the Box: The prehistoric road-trip flick “The Croods” took in $44.7 million at the box office while the action thriller “Olympus Has Fallen” finished second at just over $30 million. “Spring Breakers” about bikini babes gone bad is still looking good in limited release at $5 million for the weekend.

Tech It Up: Microsoft founder Bill Gates is offering a $100,000 grant to anyone who can invent a new condom that isn’t a mood killer.  The new thingy would somehow be easier to use without calling a timeout. The grant description calls for a “Next Generation Condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure, in order to improve uptake and regular use.” Or, just lie back and think of England.

The Social Pages: The impending divorce of Oklahoma oil billionaire Harold Hamm could turn out to be the most expensive in history, reports Forbes Magazine. Hamm and his wife Sue Ann have been married 25 years. He’s worth more than $11 billion and his wife could get half if he doesn’t have a pre-nup. Worse for him, he would lose the controlling share of his own oil company. He’d be down to his last few billion.

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Friday, March 29, 2024

Page Two

The Most Corrupt Justice

Monday, October 2, 2023

Democracy and Video in the Dark

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Page Two: Do the Right Thing

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Page Two: Sound Recall

Monday, September 13, 2021

Page Two: Cuomo Must Go

Friday, August 13, 2021

Trump and the Truth

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The “Great” President

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Wright Stuff

Saturday, February 29, 2020

It's Been Said

"In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have, no excuses."

-Andrew Cuomo, resigning as governor of New York after accusations of sexual harassment

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