Bibi Backtracks, Less Ice and Spring Snow
Friday, March 20, 2015
Vol. 4, No. 759
Bibi Double Reverse: Just days after he scraped up extra votes by declaring himself opposed to a Palestinian State, Israel’s re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now talking like he never said that. He says what he meant was it’s just not the right time.
He told MSNC that, “I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that, circumstances have to change.” Netanyahu said, “I was talking about what is achievable and what is not achievable. To make it achievable, then you have to have real negotiations with people who are committed to peace.”
Netanyahu may have gained votes and lost trust. The White House is talking about going to the UN Security council for a resolution to support an independent Palestinian state instead of working it out with Netanyahu.
World: At least 87 people were killed today and 260 wounded in suicide bombings at two Zaydi Shiite mosques in Yemen. The country has been rocked by violence between Sunnis and Zaydi Shiites, considered by the Sunnis to be heretics.
>Thirty people died in northern India today when a train shot through its stop and derailed.
Globe: Arctic Sea ice coverage this winter was the smallest on record since it’s been tracked by satellite, a sign of dramatic climate change, scientists say. The ice was less than the previous low set in 2011 and 1.1 million square kilometers smaller than the 1981-2010 average. The United Nations World Meteorological Organization says 2014 was the warmest year since records began in the 19th century.
Spring: And on the heels of that news, it’s the first day of spring and snow is expected from the mid-Atlantic up into New England today and tonight. Eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey could get three to six inches. Long suffering Boston, which has had more than 108 inches of snow this winter, might expect up to two inches.
Brave New World: Amazon.com will be able to start experimenting with drones for delivery packages, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. All the flights will have to be at a maximum altitude of 400 feet and within line of sight of the drone operator.
>Tesla Motors says it will be offering its Model S with hands-free steering within three months, about a year ahead of other carmakers. We have not found an explanation for exactly how that works.
The Obit Page: Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, who rose to power during a constitutional crisis, has died at age 84. Fraser took over when Governor-General John Kerr, who was the Queen of England’s representative, dismissed the troubled and chaotic government of Gough Whitlam. Fraser was a caretaker for a month until his conservative allies won a majority and he was Prime Minister from 1975 to 1983.
The Sports Page: In the first big upset of March Madness, Georgia State put away #3 Baylor with a three-point shot that came from well beyond the arc. Score: 57-56. President Obama, who when he picked his brackets said “there has to be an upset somewhere,” didn’t see that one coming.
-30-
Leave a Reply