Sunday, February 19, 2012

News From 2/19/12


I’m excited to say today was my first shot at reporting for WNYU, the college radio station.  For the rest of the semester, I’ll be giving a two-minute newscast each Sunday afternoon.  My writeup consists of one world story, two national articles, and one local piece.  After looking through Reuters, The New York Times, and ABC News, here’s what I think is most relevant news of 2/19/12.  
Good afternoon. For WNYU News, I’m Ashley-Michelle Thublin. It’s 2pm and 44 degrees in Washington Square Park and here’s what’s happening.
Earlier today, a suicide car bomber killed 19 police officers and cadets in an attack outside a crowded Baghdad police academy.  The attack breaks a short easing in pitting the Shi’ite Prime Minister against the Sunni-backed political block.  Tensions rose Thursday, after a panel of judges detailed 150 attacks they say were carried out  by death squads under the command of the Sunni Vice President. The attack is the deadliest since January 27th, when a suicide bomber set off an explosive-laden vehicle killing 31 and wounding 60. 
Space junk falling out of the sky may seem likes something out of a science fiction film, but orbital liter has fallen twice within the last year.  While the odds are tiny that anyone on Earth will actually be hit, the chances that it will interfere with working satellites are mounting.  Last week, a top Swiss university announced that they are designing a sort of vacuum cleaner for the sky in hopes of combatting the problem.  And, the US government said all new satellites will be accompanied by plans on how to safely bring them out of orbit.  
White House officials are preparing for Republicans to use consumer angst about the raising cost of oil and gas to argue President Obama’s economic policies just aren’t working.  Speaker of the  House John Boehner  instructed fellow Republicans to embrace the gas-pump anger when they return to their districts for the President’s Day recess.  Economists say the current price of oil is only a modest drag on the economy.  But Obama’s political advisers are bracing for battle  as they envision rising gas prices throughout the summer.  
New York City prosecutors are dropping criminal charges against many of the Occupy Wall Street protestors.  Last October, police arrested 686 people on the Brooklyn Bridge.  So far 174 cases have been dismissed outright, with 250 people agreeing to conditional dismissal.  Many of the prosecutions were dropped under lack of evidence.  
That’s it for news. I’m Ashley-Michelle Thublin and now back to Genna and The Sound Between.

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