 |  | 
January 16, 2012 | | INVESTIGATION As rescue efforts hit trouble, the Costa Concordia’s arrested captain has drawn increased scrutiny. According to some passengers, Francesco Schettino was drinking at the bar with a “beautiful woman” shortly before his ship hit a rocky crag close to the shores of the Italian island of Giglio, and Italian prosecutors also claim Schettino was steering the ship near the rocky shore to send a greeting signal to a friend. Barbie Latza Nadeau reports from the scene on the final moments of the cruise ship, the captain’s suspect story—and looming oil-spill fears. SEE YA Jon Huntsman gathered with his family in South Carolina Monday to announce his departure from the Republican primary presidential race. “This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks not worthy of the American people and not worthy of this critical time in this nation’s history,” the former Utah governor said in a press conference. “This is the most important election of our lifetime.” He implored his fellow candidates to reject this “toxic form of political discourse” as they continue along the race to the election. Huntsman also confirmed earlier suspicions that he would endorse Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination, calling him the candidate “best equipped” to beat President Obama, despite their differences. NOT FAIR Rick Perry will not relinquish the Virginia primary without a fight. The Texas Governor is appealing a federal judge’s ruling last week that he and three other GOP candidates should not be included on Virginia’s Republican primary ballot. Currently, only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul have qualified for the state’s election, but Perry’s lawyers are requesting that he either be included on the ballot immediately or that the state refrains from printing ballots until his appeal is heard. Perry has argued that Virginia’s primary requirements—that candidates obtain 10,000 registered voters’ signatures, 400 of which must come from the state’s 11 congressional districts, and that their petitions only be circulated by Virginia residents—are unconstitutional. The judge who ruled against Perry and his fellow candidates in the case agreed that the law may, in fact, be unconstitutional, but explained that the merits of the law should have been challenged before applying—and then failing—to be included in the primary. COMMEMORATE Although it is officially observed Monday, Sunday was the 83rd birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Obama and his family attended a service in Washington honoring the civil rights leader. In New York, Occupy Wall Street protesters hiked uptown to Riverside Church near Harlem for a star-studded candlelight vigil. Members of Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network joined the protesters, and musicians like Patti Smith performed. A statement from Yoko Ono was read and hip hop mogul Russell Simmons also addressed the demonstrators, who say they hope to carry on King’s legacy through peaceful protests. UNRELENTING A series of deadly attacks against Shiite Muslims continues in Iraq, when a car bomb exploded inside a residential complex Monday in Mosul, killing at least nine people and wounding five more. The buildings in a small village outside the city housed displaced Shiites of the Shabak minority, and political tensions are running high in the country. In December, Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of a Sunni vice president, touching off a string of sectarian violence that’s threatened to engulf Iraq after the withdrawal of U.S. troops last month. | | 
GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You’ll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast’s diverse group of contributors.  GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast.
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment