Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times caught up with Congressman Tim Griffin at the Razorback game. I got a picture of my son Wilson with the Congressman and enjoyed the Chickfila served at the Congressman’s tailgate. I was told that Senator Boozman had a tailgate but I did not run across it.
Since Max showed up briefly to get this picture, I wish I would have a chance to visit with me. Although we are from the opposite sides of the fence politically, it would my pleasure to tell him that he runs the most informative blog in Arkansas. I have talked to many conservatives who have admitted that very thing to me on many occasions.
Sixty Six who resisted “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal (Part 40)
This post today is a part of a series I am doing on the 66 Republican Tea Party favorites that resisted eating the “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal. Actually that name did not originate from a representative who agrees with the Tea Party, but from a liberal.
Rep. Emanuel Clever (D-Mo.) called the newly agreed-upon bipartisan compromise deal to raise the debt limit “a sugar-coated satan sandwich.”
“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see,” Clever tweeted on August 1, 2011.
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack (MN-8) issued the following statement after the House approved the Budget Control Act of 2011:
“I could not support the amended Budget Control Act passed by the House this evening. While I applaud this bi-partisan effort to avert a default on our nation’s debt, the measure approved by the House does very little to reduce our bloated deficit; it merely slows its growth. This legislation will not ensure our nation’s AAA credit rating nor provide for a Balanced Budget Amendment before the debt limit is raised. Regrettably, this compromise risks cuts to seniors’ Medicare and veterans’ benefits, and up to a 50% cut to military funding – all the while the U.S is conducting three military operations abroad and China continues to emerge as a global super power and rival model of governance.
We must do betterto protect our nation’s prosperity for future generations.
Just recently, I voted for ‘cut, cap, and balance’ and to raise the debt ceiling; however, I gave my word to advocate the core, fiscally conservative principles my constituents in the 8th District entrusted upon me last November. I will remain an independent voice in Washington – if the numbers don’t add up, I’m not voting for it.”
I welcome the input from those that read my blog. Recently I received some criticism from readers and Jordan is probably more of the most vocal. He wrote today, “I hardly see a ‘tragic’ death as you call it, a morally sound reason to throw in people’s faces what drugs do to people…You know as well as I do that no one is going to go to this website on this post and be looking for a way to help teenagers and young adults quit drugs.”
I do think that people are always reading the news of the day, and many people have a problem with drugs or alcohol or they have a close family member or friend that does. They come to my website to read up on the news and maybe I will have a chance to show them some hope with the obstacles they face in these two areas.
Jordan also has a problem with bringing God into the picture in these matters. Most recoveries from drug and alcohol does involve God. You can look it up yourself and see that is so.
Many who are involved with drugs feel God is mad with them and the last thing they want to do is go to church to seek God. Here is this clip below is the story of a lady who thought that way but when she went to church her whole life turned around.
Earlier some people were critical of me because I brought up the tragic deaths of the members of the “27 club.” However, if you are currently involved with drugs then need to see what the end result may be. Below you will see an another discussion of the “27 club” with an article posted at the end of the post: “What is the purpose of your life?” I wish these members of the “27 Club” had read this article while they were living and maybe their deaths could have been avoided. According to their own writings many of them were actively saying how unhappy they were even though they had riches and fame.
Depending on your preference, The 27s is a pop culture phenomenon, a weird curse, or a statistical anomaly. Excess and tragedy are the stuff of music legend, but it is only with hindsight that deeper patterns emerge. None of these is more striking than the deaths at age 27 of some of the greatest musicians of our time.
More famous musicians have died at the age of 27 than any other age. More than three dozen rockers, from Delta bluesmaster Robert Johnson to Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain.
The 27s also include crooner Jesse Belvin (“Earth Angel,” “Goodnight My Love”), Rudy Lewis of the Drifters, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Malcolm Hale of Spanky And Our Gang, Alan Wilson from Canned Heat, Arlester Christian of Dyke And the Blazers, Jim Morrison, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead, Pete Ham of Badfinger, Gary Thain of Uriah Heep and Keef Hartley Band, Roger Lee Durham of Bloodstone, Helmut Köllen of Triumvirat, Chris Bell of Big Star, D. Boon of Minutemen, Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen, Mia Zapata of the Gits, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Kristin Pfaff of Hole, Raymond “Freaky Tah” Rogers of Lost Boyz, Sean McCabe of Ink & Dagger, Jeremy Michael Ward of De Facto and The Mars Volta, Bryan Ottoson of American Head Charge, and Valentin Elizalde.
Singer Amy Winehouse performs during the MTV Europe Awards ceremony in Munich in this November 1, 2007 file photo. Winehouse has been found dead at her home in north London, Sky News reported on July 23, 2011.
Known as the “27 Club”, Winehouse joins rock legends legends Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Brian Jones, who all died at the age of 27.
Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
The lead singer of band Nirvana, Cobain had a well-known addiction to heroin, and battled with depression. He died in 1994, aged 27, when his body was found by an electrician who had come to install a security system at his house.
He was found with a shotgun, and it was ruled he died from a gunshot wound to the head. The death was concluded to be suicide, although a private investigator hired by wife Courtney Love hinted that the death was in fact murder.
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
The lead singer of rock band The Doors was found dead in his bath in a Paris flat in 1971, aged 27. Medics that first examined Morrison reported the death as heart failure and ruled out foul play. Therefore, no official post-mortem was ever carried out into the death.
Friends of the star, however, have claimed he died of a drug overdose. Others have said he suffered from a respiratory condition that had led to him coughing up blood, which he may have choked on.
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
Hendrix died in 1970, aged 27. An official post-mortem ruled that he choked on his own vomit. However, recently it was claimed he was murdered. James Wright, a roadie with the Animals, made the murder claim in a book. He wrote that Mike Jeffrey, Hendrix’s manager, had admitted that Hendrix had been killed because he wanted to terminate his management contract. It later emerged that Wright made up the claim to boost book sales.
Brian Jones (1942-1969)
Guitar expert and one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones, Jones died in 1969, again aged 27. He became known for his heavy drug addiction, and was replaced in the bank in 1969 by Mick Taylor. Just weeks later, Jones was found dead in a swimming pool in Sussex, England.
A coroner noted that the rock star’s liver and heart were greatly enlarged at the time of death; indicating heavy drug and alcohol use.
To add controversy to his death, it was later claimed that Jones was killed by his builder, Frank Thorogood because of a debt. Thorogood was said to have confessed the killing just prior to his death in 1993. However, police took no action on the claims.
Like most people, you may have wondered why you are here on Earth. Do you think your existence is an accident or are you here for a reason? Is there some purpose for your life? According to the Bible, you are not a mistake and you were created by God for a reason.
Created For A Reason
The main reason God created you is to make you part of His eternal plan (Romans 8:28-29). God wants us to be in Heaven with Him and to tell people about Him. His plan is for every person to be saved from their sin and Hell and to spend eternity with Him (2 Peter 3:9). Unfortunately, some people choose to live their own way and abandon God’s plan for their life (Proverbs 14:12).
What Are You Living For?
Most people seem to believe that the main purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment. Are you living for things such as money, fame, success, fun, possessions and power? The wise King Solomon accomplished many great things and had all that anyone could desire, yet described it all as meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:2). How about you? Are you more consumed with the pleasures of life than what happens to your soul when you die? The Bible says “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36)?
Life Is Short Compared To Eternity
Hopefully, you would agree that what happens to you eternally is far more important than what happens to you on Earth. Think about the word eternity. That is far beyond trillions and trillions times longer than our earthly life. It is so hard to even comprehend that concept because it never ends. You may have a great life or a terrible life on Earth, but either way it will come to an end someday. Then, you will spend everlasting life in either Heaven or Hell (Matthew 25:46). Please think carefully about where you will go after you die as it can happen any day.
The Problem
Too many people assume they will go to Heaven when they die based on their own concept of God. The reason why everybody can’t spend eternity in Heaven is because sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2). You have rebelled against God and committed a sin every time you broke one of God’s commandments by stealing something, telling a lie, hating somebody, disobeying your parents, having a lustful thought, or countless other things. God hates sin and will severely judge each and every one of your sins. Just being a good person or believing in God won’t erase your sin either. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The Good News
The good news is that no matter how severe your sins are, God made a way for you to be forgiven and be declared innocent on judgment day. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Being a good person or being religious won’t rescue you from your sin. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The word grace means “undeserved favor”. Your sin separated you from a perfect and sinless God, but Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and later rose back to life (Matthew 28:5-6) so you can have everlasting life in Heaven. Even though none of us deserve Heaven, God was kind enough to make a way for us.
Receiving Forgiveness
It is not enough to just believe that Jesus died for your sins. You must personally trust in Jesus to save you from the penalty of your sin (Romans 8:1-4). You must also be willing to repent (turn from) your sin (Luke 13:5) and follow Jesus as Lord of your life (Romans 10:9-10). Doing this mends your broken relationship with God and allows you access into Heaven.
Live For God
You were created to know God and to live for Him. That is why you exist. Only then does your life have the meaning and purpose God intended for you. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). To live your life for the glory of God means that you will love, obey, worship, please, and trust Him. This should not be a burden, but a pleasure because of what He means to you.
The Choice Is Yours
You never know how much time you have left on this Earth and nothing is more important than where you spend eternity. Hopefully, you will decide to follow Jesus so your life can be used to glorify God. Please make this choice right away, because after you die it will be too late.
I welcome the input from those that read my blog. Recently I received some criticism from readers and Jordan is probably more of the most vocal. He wrote today, “I hardly see a ‘tragic’ death as you call it, a morally sound reason to throw in people’s faces what drugs do to people…You know as […]
In today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Linda Caillouet wrote: LITTLE ROCK — When news broke of the death of Dexter Williams over the Labor Day weekend at a Maumelle home visited by then-KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, most local news media reported details from the police report. This newspaper, KATV and KTHV reported that police said the body of […]
What started out on Sunday night September 4 as a local story now has grabbed national attention through both CNN and Fox News. Brett Cummins, 33, is seen in a photo on the website of Little Rock station KARK-TV. Cummins works as a meteorologist for the station. Police Probe Death of Arkansas Man Found in […]
KATV reported: Ark. weatherman quits after found with body in tub Posted: Sep 09, 2011 5:45 PM CDTUpdated: Sep 09, 2011 6:00 PM CDT By JEANNIE NUSS Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – An attorney for an Arkansas meteorologist who was found in a hot tub with a dead body earlier this week says his client […]
I have mentioned before that I thought it was sad that KARK ignored the fact that Brett Cummins was snorting coke with the young man, Dexter Williams, on Sunday night and that Williams died as a result. Now at least the other stations in the Little Rock Market have been covering the story. Rival Stations […]
KARK’s website includes these words: Thursday afternoon, Brett Cummins released the following statement to CNN through his attorney: Brett Cummins is devastated by the tragic death of his friend Dexter Williams and extends his sincere condolences to Dexter’s family. They remain foremost in his thoughts and prayers. Mr. Cummins deeply regrets the grief this incident […]
Today’s THV channel 11 in Little Rock reported: MAUMELLE, Ark. (AP) – An attorney for a local meteorologist says no foul play was involved in the death of a 24-year-old Mountain Pine man. Little Rock-based lawyer Mark Hampton said Thursday that KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins is innocent. Authorities say Cummins and the body of 24-year-old […]
Drugs and alcohol have always been a pitfall that many of the wealthy fall into. We see rock bands that become famous have lots of temptations thrown their way and many fall into these traps. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and Barry McGuire fell into these traps. One joined the “27 Club” and the other left the […]
The recent events in Little Rock concerning KARK TV’s top weatherman Brett Cummins and his experience of drinking alcohol and snorting coke has left a lot of people asking questions. Since the evening ended in the tragic death of one of Brett’s friends, Dexter Williams, many questions have centered on the use of illegal drugs. […]
These are some pictures of Dexter Williams. Unfortunately his life was cut short while drinking and snorting coke with KARK weatherman Brett Cummins. (Cummins has resigned as of Friday.) Dexter Williams (Photo from family) Dexter Paul Williams (facebook photo) Related posts: Why won’t KARK cover Brett Cummins story better? September 9, 2011 – 10:01 am I […]
Heritage’s experts watched President Barack Obama’s jobs speech delivered to a joint session of Congress. Here are some of their immediate reactions:
Obama’s False Choice – and Missed Opportunity – on Regulations
The President tonight missed an opportunity to constructively address one of the major problems facing the economy: regulation.
After acknowledging that “there are some rules and regulations that put an unnecessary burden on businesses, and claiming credit for the small steps taken so far toward reform, he then slipped into a rhetorical — and rather cartoonish — description of the issue.
“What we can’t do,” he said, “is let this economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades. I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety.”
But no one is suggesting that any basic protections be erased — instead the pressing need now is to stop the tidal wave of regulation — costing almost $40 billion dollars — that has swamped Americans and the economy since the president was elected.
From lightbulbs to the Internet, from guitars to health care, Washington has imposed new rules. It is time to stem this flow. This need not be a partisan issue – both sides agree the current rulebooks are too fat. But demagoguery and rhetoric will get us no closer to a solution.
– James Gattuso
The Futility of Infrastructure Banks
Building and repairing roads and bridges neither creates net job growth nor boosts the economy in the near term.
First, increasing government spending on these projects simply moves resources from one place to another — it may employ construction workers, but only by reducing jobs in other sectors. Further, the money never gets out the door soon enough to promote near-term job growth: “shovel-ready” projects are not nearly so shovel ready as they may seem, as the President himself recently acknowledged.
Further, the infrastructure bank the President proposes would require a whole new bureaucracy that would only increase the central government control over transportation — which would be consistent with the President’s government takeover of health care, student loans, financial markets, and other sectors.?
Senator Mark Pryor wants our ideas on how to cut federal spending. Take a look at this video clip below:
Senator Pryor has asked us to send our ideas to him at cutspending@pryor.senate.gov and I have done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
On May 11, 2011, I emailed to this above address and I got this email back from Senator Pryor’s office:
Please note, this is not a monitored email account. Due to the sheer volume of correspondence I receive, I ask that constituents please contact me via my website with any responses or additional concerns. If you would like a specific reply to your message, please visit http://pryor.senate.gov/contact. This system ensures that I will continue to keep Arkansas First by allowing me to better organize the thousands of emails I get from Arkansans each week and ensuring that I have all the information I need to respond to your particular communication in timely manner. I appreciate you writing. I always welcome your input and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you in the future.
I just did. I went to the Senator’s website and sent this to him.
I think that it would be easy to save eight billion dollars a year by privatizing the Post Office. This should be an easy decision.
The United States Postal Service has lost over $20 billion since 2006 and is projected to lose another $8 billion this year. Government Mail is about to max out its $15 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury, and it faces $66 billion in unfunded obligations due to excessive labor costs. With more and more people using email, sending text messages and paying their bills online, the Postal Service’s long-term prospects are undeniably bleak.
Although USPS management has been able to cut costs, the savings haven’t been nearly enough to stem the rising tide of red ink. If the USPS were a private business, it might be able adapt to the rapidly changing economic landscape and evolve into a viable commercial entity. But it’s not a private business — it’s a branch of the federal government. As a result, the USPS has been hopelessly hamstrung by constant meddling from politicians, as exemplified by the difficulty the USPS faces when trying to close post offices.
Postal management announced this week that it will weigh the closure of 3,700 of its 32,000 post offices, hoping to save $200 million a year. Those savings are miniscule compared to the $8 billion alone that the USPS will lose this year, but it’s a start.
Unfortunately, there’s a very good chance that those members of Congress whose districts will be affected by a post office closure will raise a stink. In 2009, for example, the USPS looked at closing 3,200 post offices. Following a congressional outcry, the number under consideration was reduced to a mere 140. Two years later, only 80 have actually been closed.
The USPS is required to provide services to all communities, including areas where post offices have low traffic and are not cost-effective. Before closing a post office, the USPS must provide customers with at least 60 days of notice before the proposed closure date, and any person served by the post office may appeal its closure to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The USPS cannot close a post office “solely for operating at a deficit.” That’s a problem because four out of five post offices are operating at a loss.
Can anyone seriously imagine any other business not being able to close a store or factory for “solely operating at a deficit”? That would be a recipe for bankruptcy. While the USPS is structured like a business — revenues from the sale of postal products are supposed to cover costs and it receives virtually no federal appropriations — Congress prevents it from actually operating like a private business by inhibiting its ability to reduce costs, improve efficiency or innovate.
Postal management is attempting to head off the inevitable congressional interference by creating “Village Post Offices” in the communities affected by the closings. Local businesses, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, would be allowed to offer postal products and services. This makes sense because whereas post offices used to generate almost all postal retail revenue, 35 percent is now generated through alternative channels like USPS.com, self-service kiosks and private stores.
Closing post offices is a small step towards cutting costs and “rationalizing” the retail network, which the USPS management recognizes as critical. However, that won’t be enough to overcome economic reality — let alone the control freaks in Congress. Ultimately, if the USPS is to continue operating like a business instead of becoming just another taxpayer-funded bureaucracy, Congress is going to have to hand the reins over to the private sector. That means privatizing the United States Postal Service.
LITTLE ROCK — Desperate for anything substantive about Arkansas, the upcoming game against Troy is actually anticipated.
Embracing the contest with the Trojans results from watching Arkansas overwhelm inferior New Mexico on Saturday and Missouri State in the season opener, knowing that Troy is a consistent winner, albeit in the Sun Belt Conference. Missouri State spotted the Razorbacks 22 scholarship players in the opener; on Saturday night, the Lobos and Razorbacks were equal only in the number of scholarships.
The Razorbacks were so superior that they led 31-3 at the half although one possession ended with a missed field goal and another with an interception. Production from the running backs was minuscule until the game was out of hand and quarterback Tyler Wilson was pressured more than expected.
After two games, Arkansas’ running attack remains a mystery. At intermission, Wilson was the leading rusher with 48 yards. Next was wide receiver Joe Adams with 33. De’Anthony Curtis and Ronnie Wingo Jr. had five carries each for a total of 23 yards.
A week earlier, Bobby Petrino admitted he did not have the patience to run the ball when the Bears were conceding the pass. Arkansas was credited with 18 running plays and 26 pass plays in the first half against the Lobos, but a couple of the runs were scrambles by Wilson.
Unlike Missouri State and New Mexico, Troy has a recent history of winning, recording eight or more Ws each of the past five years. Troy quarterback Corey Robinson is recognizable, maybe because he beat Sun Belt opponent Arkansas State University with a TD pass in the last minute in 2010.
Arkansas is the only team in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference to start the season with two pushovers. The other five teams in the division played either a conference game or Penn State or Oregon or Brigham Young.
Barely 10 minutes deep in Saturday’s game, Arkansas led by 11. After a fake field goal was stuffed by the Razorbacks early in the second quarter, the gap widened to a final of 52-3.
On this particular weekend, the patriotic pig in the middle of the field and the alternating sections of red and white, plus the students clad in blue, reminded that there are life-and-death issues that rise far above football.
Petrino showed off a couple of wrinkles early, plays that upcoming opponents will see and heed. Right out of the box, wide receiver Adams lined up at tailback, took a pitch, and made 15 yards. Next, the flow went left and Tyler Wilson netted 30 on a naked bootleg.
On the other side, the offense’s uneven performance will provide Petrino with some points of emphasis.
Very proficient on no-stress passes in the opener, Wilson forced some throws while on the move against the Lobos. With a first down at the New Mexico 5, his pass was deflected by one of several defenders in the area.
Two plays later, he started forward, but slowed and chose to challenge the three defenders between him and his target, Adams. Prior to that series, Wilson threw an interception and had his fumble recovered by center Travis Swanson.
On September 11, 2001 the junior trip for the Arkansas Baptist High School of Little Rock was at the White House on the front lawn ready to enter the White House at 9:37 am EST when the plane struck the Pentagon just a few miles away. Secret Service ran out of the White House and told all the students to immediately return to the bus. They returned quickly to the bus in a rush because they were told emphatically to leave. While leaving the bus carrying the Arkansas Baptist students went near the Pentagon and they saw the smoke coming out of the building.
I was on my way in Little Rock to make a delivery to UPS plant next to the Little Rock Airport at 8:03 am CST when I heard on the radio about the second crash in the tower. This sent a cold chill up my spine since I realized that the first crash was not an accident but an attack on our country. Then I noticed several minutes later that there were lots of planes landing at the Little Rock Airport.
When I returned to the factory, our plant manager Craig Carney was trying to get in touch with his daughter Michelle who was on the tour of the White House he thought. At this same time we were told by the news media that Flight 93 had been taken over by the terrorists and may be headed for the White House.
Finally Craig got a call from his daughter and she filled him in on all the events. Below is a timeline of those events of 9/11
On September 11, 2001, the world was shocked as thousands were killed in a horrifying series of terrorist attacks in the U.S.
Here is a breakdown of the events as they unfolded ten years ago.
7:59 a.m. (ET)
76 passengers, 11 crew members and five Al Qaeda hijackers take off on American Airlines Flight 11 (Boston to Los Angeles). The flight will be hi-jacked around 8:14 a.m. and re-routed toward Manhattan.
8:14 a.m.
51 passengers, nine crew members, and five hijackers take off on another Los Angeles-bound United Airlines plane, Flight 175 from Boston. This flight will be hi-jacked around 8:45 a.m. and re-routed toward Manhattan.
8:19 a.m.
Aboard Flight 11, flight attendants Betty Ong and Madeline Amy Sweeney alert ground personnel of the hi-jacking.
8:20 a.m.
American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington, D.C.
8:42 a.m.
United Airlines Flight 93 takes off from Newark, N.J.
8:38 a.m.
Air traffic control notifies the military air defense command of a hijacking.
8:43 a.m.
The FAA notified military authorities of a second hijacking
8:46 a.m.
Flight 11 crashes into the World Trade Center’s North Tower, killing everyone on board and hundreds more within the tower.
8:55 a.m.
Flight 77 begins turning east, away from its intended course.
9:03 a.m.
Flight 175 crashes into the WTC’s South Tower, killing everyone on board and hundreds more within the building.
9:37 a.m.
Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, killing the 59 people on board and 125 others in the building.
9:42 a.m.
The FAA grounds all flights over or headed toward the United States.
All international flights headed for the U.S. are redirected to Canada. Transport Canada follows and closes down its airspace. Transport Canada take in diverted U.S.-bound international flights, launching the agency’s “Operation Yellow Ribbon.”
During the procedure, 38 planes will be diverted to Gander, N.L.
9:59 a.m.
The WTC South Tower collapses, killing approximately 600 people.
10:03 a.m.
Flight 93 crashes into a field in Somerset County, near Shanksville, Pa., killing all 40 people on board.
10:15 a.m.
The Pentagon E Ring (the outermost ring of offices) collapses.
10:28 a.m.
The WTC North Tower collapses, killing approximately 1,400 people.
10:43 a.m.
NAV Canada orders a grounding of all flights over Canada.
11:02 a.m.
Lower Manhattan is evacuated.
12:30 p.m.
14 survivors discovered in the WTC North Tower, in stairwell B.
12:28 p.m.
Canadian airspace is closed.
2:54 p.m.
A Korean Air flight lands in Whitehorse – met by armed police – after accidentally signaling a hijacking.
5:20 p.m.
7 World Trade Center (across the street from the twin towers) collapses.
In today’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Linda Caillouet wrote:
LITTLE ROCK — When news broke of the death of Dexter Williams over the Labor Day weekend at a Maumelle home visited by then-KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins, most local news media reported details from the police report.
This newspaper, KATV and KTHV reported that police said the body of Williams, a guest with Cummins at Christopher Barbour’s home, was found in a bathroom hot tub with no water Monday morning. Williams was wearing a silver chain “consistent” with a dog collar, the police report said. Police said Barbour found Cummins, 33, asleep in the tub next to the body.
Stories by KTHV and this newspaper said Barbour told police that Cummins and Williams arrived Sunday night and, the police report said, “they then began to drink and use illegal narcotics.”
No charges were filed and no foul play is suspected, but the investigation is ongoing.
How did KARK report it?
“Maumelle Police are investigating a holiday weekend death. It happened early Monday morning at a home at 16 Village Way.
“Police say 24-year-old Dexter Williams was found dead in a hot tub. Police are investigating whether drugs and alcohol played a role.
As of right now, no criminal charges have been filed.
“Our Meteorologist Brett Cummins was at the home at the time of the death and we felt we should share this with our viewers.
“Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend.
Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Dexter Williams.”
Quite a different picture than that painted elsewhere, leaving viewers to wonder what was happening before Williams’ death. A holiday barbecue, football-watching party, family reunion?
“Why the sketchy report?” I asked KARK news director Rob Heverling.
“I’m very limited in what I can say. As far as Brett is concerned, this is a personnel matter. We must follow our companyNexstar’s policy,” he said.
“But we felt like it was important to, at the very least, acknowledge that Brett is an employee of ours. It is a story. We know it is a story. And it was important for us to at least cover the story.”
“But did you cover the story?” I asked Heverling.
“Because of our policy, this is all we can say,” he replied after a long pause.
“That is the only way I can answer that question.”
On Friday, Cummins’ attorney told The Associated Press that his client resigned from KARK. Contact Linda Caillouet at (501) 399-3636 or at lcaillouet @arkansasonline.com.
Sixty Six who resisted “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal (Part 39)
This post today is a part of a series I am doing on the 66 Republican Tea Party favorites that resisted eating the “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal. Actually that name did not originate from a representative who agrees with the Tea Party, but from a liberal.
Rep. Emanuel Clever (D-Mo.) called the newly agreed-upon bipartisan compromise deal to raise the debt limit “a sugar-coated satan sandwich.”
“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see,” Clever tweeted on August 1, 2011.
Washington needs fundamental changes to the way it spends taxpayer dollars. Never has this kind of change been more urgent than now, when the federal government is running a deficit of $14.3 trillion. Right now, every household in America bears a burden of $130,000, and every individual owes $46,600.
Even with these incredible numbers, President Obama is still calling for an increase in the debt limit, which equates to more borrowing from our future generations.
Because I know that government spending is no different from spending by individuals, families, or businesses, I remained firmly opposed to raising the debt limit. No entity can borrow indefinitely, spending money it doesn’t have, without paying it back.
President Obama has also proposed raising taxes as a way around our debt crisis. But it is important to remember that tax hikes will only hurt America’s small businesses and stifle job creation. This is at a time when unemployment across the nation stands at an unacceptable 9.2 percent. More taxes give Washington more time to delay reform of its scores of wasteful programs and agencies.
It is an outrage that hardworking and responsible Americans are being shackled with the debts from bloated spending by our federal government. It is time for Washington to break the habit and get its fiscal house in order.
PRINT PAGE
CITE THIS
The Daily Hatch 