Tornado Toll, Apple Tax, Hang ‘Em High

National: Twenty school children are among the 91 people dead after a mile-wide tornado tore through Moore, Okla. and parts of Oklahoma City. Two schools were destroyed as well as blocks of homes and businesses. Rescue and recovery teams are hampered by wreckage and debris in the streets. The tornado touched down close to 3 PM Central time Monday and churned along the ground for 20 miles.  

Forbidden Fruit: Apple Computer has avoided billions of dollars in taxes through a worldwide web of subsidiaries, according to a Congressional report. Apple passed money through stateless international entities that had no employees and were not liable for taxes, the report says. Between 2009 and 2012 Apple was able to keep $74 billion out of the reach of the IRS. Apple did pay $6 billion in US taxes last year. Congress will call Apple CEO Tim Cook to the carpet.

L.A.: A nasty campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles ends today as voters decide between City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greul. The two are virtually indistinguishable in the non-partisan election. Garcetti would be the city’s first Jewish mayor, Greul the first woman.

World: Saudi Arabia executed five Yemenis found guilty of robbery and murder. Their bodies were left hanging in public in the town of Jizan near the border with Yemen. Traditionally Saudi Arabia has executed by beheading, but has resorted to alternate methods because of a shortage of skilled swordsmen.

  • Guatemala’s highest court has thrown out the genocide conviction against former dictator Efrain Rios Montt. In a strange decision, the court didn’t throw out the whole trial, but re-set it to a point a couple of days before it ended. Montt is accused of commanding the murder and rape of thousands of civilians during the country’s 36-year civil war. The 86-year -old Montt had been sentenced to 80 years in prison.
  • North Korea launched short-range missiles for the third day in a row. North Korea says the launches are just part of military drills.

The Obit Page: Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for the 60s band The Doors, died of cancer in Germany Monday at age 74. The Doors’ front man Jim Morrison died of a drug overdose in 1971, but Manzarek worked to keep the fire lit for the band that ultimately sold 100 million albums. Television impresario Ed Sullivan famously asked the band not to sing their lyric, “Girl we couldn’t get much higher” on his show. After promising to change it they went out and sang it anyway.

 -30-

Friday, April 19, 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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.