Obama Calls for Cease-Fire in Ukraine, Study: Cellphone Driving Ban Doesn’t Stop Accidents, Atlantic Coast to Open for Oil Drilling: P.M. Links

President Obama, among other world leaders, has
called for an
immediate cease-fire in Ukraine following the deliberate
downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane. Also, the president
confirmed that at least
one American citizen was on the plane. U.S. military and
intelligence reports indicate that rocket-armed separatists were
responsible for the attack, and that they trained with the
equipment
in Russia recently. So, maybe when people call them
“pro-Russian,” that shouldn’t refer to the fact that they’re in
favor of Russia, but that they’re professionals.
For the first time in four decades, the Atlantic coast
will be open for oil and gas exploration, courtesy a policy
change announced by the Interior Department today.
Using a cellphone while driving has been banned in California
for six years now,
but it hasn’t shown signs of decreasing accidents.
CNN international correspondent Diana Magnay was pulled out of
Israel after calling a group of Israelis
“scum” on Twitter. To be fair, CNN acknowledges that the
group “threatened and harassed” Magnay first.
The Islamic State (formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria, or ISIS) is engaging in executions, rape, and forced child
recruitment,
according to a United Nations report, noting that this “may
amount to war crimes.” Way to take a hard line.
Elizabeth Warren made
quite a splash at the progressivist Netroots Nation convention
in Detroit yesterday. Then someone made a nauseatingly
saccharine music video about it.