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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 20, 2015
February 20, 2015
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Political Racket /Dirty Tricks:
AZ GOP Sen. JOHN McCAIN has added his voice to those saying that Congress should not let the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shut down, because it now look like the courts will decide the fate of PRESIDENT OBAMA's controversial executive actions on immigration. Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," he said, "I would put sufficient blame on the Democrats for not allowing us to move forward in the Senate. But having said that, now I'm hopeful with this court decision --with the declaration that the president himself has acted unconstitutionally as he himself stated I think 22 times-- that we would let the courts move forward with this issue since we have a favorable ruling."
McCain added, "It's not a good idea to shut down the Department of Homeland Security ...We should be working together despite the obstruction of our Democratic colleagues to resolve this issue so that we don't shut it down. Now we have the perfect reason to not shut it down because the courts have decided, at least initially, in our favor." (Pacelli)Another @$#%* Press Release:
Congratulations to JACK KING of Salt Lake City, Utah, who won the Benihana Passport Challenge. The diehard Japanese food fan ate at the restaurant 579 times in 2014 and scored a free trip for two to the restaurant of his choice as well as a $1-thousand dollar gift card. Over 19-thousand people had their eye on the prize, but no one came close to his number of visits and the contest came with a big perk --he lost 20 pounds by the end of the year! (Lee)
Fashion Emergency:
KIM JONG-UN revealed a very daring new hairdo at a meeting of North Korea's politboro earlier this week. New York magazine says the new sculptured hairdo "keeps sides of his cut traditionally high and tight; the real eye-catcher is his gravity-defying coiffure, which resembles a glossy black trapezoid." He paired the new hair with tiny, newly-groomed eyebrows that appear "shaved to end just over his pupils." Also, "His face appears slightly rounder than usual, which only accentuates the Supreme Leader's Hair." (Bartha)
Parent(s) of the Day:
Cops in Deerfield Beach, Florida say a mother left her three-year-old alone in a liquor store. But, the story gets weirder.
Officers say 28-year-old STEFANIE FELICIA STERN abandoned her daughter in a liquor store while she helped her boyfriend dispose of a gun he had just shot himself with. Witnesses say the boyfriend, REGINALD LEON LEE was arguing with another customer when he pulled out the gun and chased the customer out of the store. As he walked back inside, he allegedly shot himself in the right leg.
Stern faces charges of child neglect and tampering with evidence. The child wasn't hurt. (Still)Space, the Final Frontier:
The legendary Tricorder from "Star Trek" could soon become a reality. A new medical device called the Scanadu Scout can deliver a complete reading of your vital signs in a matter of seconds. The Scanadu is "packed with sensors" that can capture data that includes your heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen level and a complete E-C-G reading. And just like Dr. McCoy's tricorder, it can do all of that in just 10 seconds.
Discovery News says the device works by conducting a reading on your forehead, similar to those forehead-swipe thermometers. It then transfers that information to a smartphone app connected by Bluetooth. The device has not yet received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But the NASA Ames Research Park-based company recently began shipping the products to investors. The device also can provide data about how certain activities, foods, beverages or even people can affect your vital signs. (Bartha) -
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