Greetings for Tuesday, January 19th. That new year goes fast eh? It's almost February. In today's news, we have Massachusetts Politics, Matt Taibbi's slam, a Krafty deal, and a rising stock market. What more can you ask for?
Here's a rundown of what's going on, through the eyes of the Rayno Report:
- Massachusetts politics -- what fun! Republican Scott Brown is grabbing the headlines, with his possible come-from-behind victory over Democratic favorite Martha Coakley in a special election for a Massachusetts senate seat today (Politco). Not only would a Republican candidate taking the late senator Ted Kennedy's senate seat be a shock to the Democratic party, but it jeopardizes the Obama Adminstration's entire agenda (New York Times) Kind of a big deal!
- The market rallied today. Folks who don't study statistics say it's because of the Massachusetts senate election. Even though we don't know who won. Okay. (Bloomberg)
- The disaster that is Haiti continues (CNN.com). Remember to help out, if you can.
- I'm still laughing at Matt Taibbi's rant on Thomas Friedman's greenish hype (NY Press). He even tells you what it has to do with what midgets think of Austrailia. It was so inspiring, I had to flatter him with my own derivative rant below.
- Interesting, Taibbi is onto something. Conflicts around "greeness" may be rising (New York Times).
- Did anybody notice that China is putting together a national strategic oil reserve? (Kuwait News Agency)
- Speaking of Kuwait, the Kuwait foreign minister has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "stupid and insane." (Al-Manar TV)
- I guess it's time for another Middle East conflict (Xinhua).
- Avatar is now the most popular movie shown in China ever. That's enough for censors to start yanking it, apparently (Sphere).
- Speaking of battles in China, Google is yanking its Nexus One from China until it can sort out that pesky negotiation with a totalitarian regime.
- Microsoft wants to launch a Zune phone (All Things D). Go ahead, try to stifle your laughter.
- HarperCollins Publishers is negotiating with Apple for books to appear on a new Apple tablet device (Wall Street Journal).
- More men are marrying wealthier women. And women are rejecting rich men for poor men. (New York Times). No word on whether poor men can marry poor women.
- Speaking of wealth, a man masquerading as a fashion model has been bilking wealthy men (L.A. Times).
- The man was posing as fashion model Bree Condon. Here's what Bree Condon looks like, in case you were wondering:
- The Cadbury board has accepted Kraft's improved $18.0B takeover bid (Associated Press)
