 |  | 
March 06, 2012 | | AD EXODUS Consumers and advertisers aren’t buying Rush Limbaugh’s apology to Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown law student he accused of being a “slut” and a “prostitute” for advocating that the government mandate that health insurance cover birth control. More brands announced Tuesday that they are pulling ads from Limbaugh’s show, bringing the number to almost 20. The Daily Beast’s John Avlon says it couldn’t come at a worse time for Rush, who is already facing the decline of talk radio ratings. PRESSER Obama hosted his own Super Tuesday today, taking questions at his first press conference of the year. Though he started out cheering good economic data and unveiling a housing-relief plan for military members, the conversation kept going back to Israel and Iran at Q&A time. The president clarified that his declaration that America has Israel's back is a confirmation that the U.S. will continue to cooperate with Israel for its defense, like it does with other allies. However, he insisted, while the U.S. is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he still thinks this issue can be solved diplomatically, deriding presidential candidates who speak casually about war. "They don't have a lot of responsibilities. They're not commander in chief," he noted. "This is not a game, there's nothing casual about it." SLIDE After 45 days without a triple-point loss, the Dow Jones took a major hit on Tuesday, with the index sliding more than 200 points at midday. An approaching deadline on Greece’s bond swap, combined with some discouraging new economic data, gave investors the jitters. If the downturn holds, the Dow would finish with its biggest decline since Nov. 23. Just two weeks ago, the market cracked 13,000 for the first time since 2008. VERDICT Texas tycoon Allen Stanford will be trading in his yacht for a prison cell. Stanford has been found guilty by a Houston jury of running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme that financed his luxurious lifestyle. Stanford allegedly swindled clients by issuing certificates of a deposit from a bank he owned that was based in Antigua and Barbuda. He treated the bank as “his personal ATM,” according to prosecutors, and pocketed as much as $2 billion for himself. He now faces 20 years in prison—or possibly more depending on the sentencing. HERO An Indiana woman who saved her two children during last week’s devastating tornados lost both of her legs after they were crushed by falling debris. Stephanie Decker, a 36-year-old sleep specialist, tied her two children together with a blanket and covered them with her body to protect them from the house falling down around them. The house completely disappeared, but Decker’s 5- and 8-year-old children were unscathed. Her husband, who was at his job teaching at the local high school when the storm hit, said, "I told her, 'They're here because of you.’ I said, 'You're going to be here for your kids, and you get to see them grow up.' " | | 
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