DOLPHINS TRUMP FREE TRADE

U.S. appeals ruling against dolphin-safe tuna labels

dolphin-pair-wikimedia

The United States on Friday appealed a World Trade Organization decision that accuses Washington of imposing overly stringent rules on dolphin-safe tuna from Mexico.

VICTORY LAP

Internet wins: PIPA/SOPA postponed

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) with President Barack Obama. Photo: AFP.

After vowing to move forward with an up or down vote on controversial anti-piracy legislation, two key lawmakers announced Friday that the votes are off, indefinitely.

FRONT-RUNNER-I-NESS IN DOUBT?

Romney trying hard to lower expectations in South Carolina

mitt-romney-gage-skidmore-jan-20-flickr

With the crucial Republican presidential primary in South Carolina just hours away, front-runner Mitt Romney on Friday lowered expectations for how well he will do.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS?

Congress may be able to approve Keystone pipeline on its own

tar-sands-protest-wikimedia

The Congress has the constitutional right to legislate permits for cross-border oil pipelines like TransCanada’s Keystone XL, according to a new legal analysis.

OUR MAN IN D.C.

Holder, top DOJ lawyers tied to big banks

Attorney General Eric Holder at a Department of Justice press conference. Photo: AFP.

Attorney General Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer, head of the DOJ’s criminal division, were partners for years at a law firm that represented a Who’s Who of big banks.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Obama commits to universal birth control

Birth control pills,  courtesy of Flickr/brains the head, Creative Commons licensed

The Obama administration announced Friday it would stand by a policy that requires virtually all insurance to cover family planning, including female contraceptives.

Science

Rare monkey is rediscovered in Borneo

An endangered monkey known as the Miller’s Grizzled Langur has been discovered on the island…

Third baby dies after Belfast hospital outbreak

A third baby has died after an outbreak of a deadly infection in a Belfast…

Tech News

Gay hookup app Grindr hacked, exposing users’ details

The popular gay hookup app Grindr admitted Friday that a recent hack completely exposed users’…

Demand Progress: U.S. responded to blackout protest with the middle finger

The advocacy group Demand Progress condemned the Obama administration on Thursday after the FBI took…

Media

US shutdown of sharing site draws hacker retaliation

US authorities have shut down one of the largest file-sharing websites and charged seven people…

Colbert plans South Carolina rally with Herman Cain

By Grace Wyler He may not have been a great presidential candidate, but there is no…

World

Polish lawmaker smokes ‘marijuana’ in parliament

Janusz Palikot, the leader of a new party which brought in Poland’s first trans-gender and openly gay MPs, launched a…

Violence keeps Syria on edge, Arab mission in doubt

AMMAN (Reuters) – Scattered violence broke out on Friday in Syria, where Arab peace monitors have completed a month-long mission,…

British police make arrest over Saddam’s bronze buttock

LONDON — British police arrested a 66-year-old man in connection with part of a bronze statue of Saddam Hussein, a…

Romania opposition supporters stage mass protest

BUCHAREST — Around 7,000 people joined a mass opposition demonstration in Bucharest on Thursday calling on Romanian President Traian Basescu…

U.S. News

Small business coalition calls for overthrow of Citizens United

A recent survey of small business owners, carried out by the American Sustainable Business Council,…

Rosa Parks sign defaced with ‘KKK’ graffiti

Authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after a sign honoring a civil rights hero…

Gingrich turns ‘open marriage’ question into attack on CNN

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who once said “people have every right to ask the…

Ohio voters want fracking halted for safety studies: poll

CLEVELAND (Reuters) – Ohio voters by a wide margin want a halt to hydrofracking until…

Gingrich blasts media as Republicans clash

Surging Republican White House hopeful Newt Gingrich blasted US media digging into his past marital…