Glenn Beck Holds Rally on Anniversary of King's I Have a Dream Speech
Glenn Beck held a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. today, exactly forty seven years after Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in the same place. Al Sharpton led a counter protest elsewhere in the city. But Beck surprisingly steered clear of politics, as did Sarah Palin, a featured speaker who talked about veterans. The rally was more about God and honoring the military. But civil rights leaders say Beck was deliberately trying to dishonor King. It all remained pretty peaceful -- some might even say boring. NBC News has video from the scene:
President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan was confirmed by the Senate today in a 63-37. She is the fourth female Supreme Court justice and the 112th high court member. President Obama says Kagan will make an outstanding Supreme Court judge. Obama said, "I am confident that Elena Kagan will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice. I am a proud also of the history we're making with her appointment. For nearly two centuries there wasn't a single woman on our nation's highest court. When Elena takes her seat on that bench, for the first time in our history there will be three women." Take a look:
CNN's Ali Velshi talks about today's grim milestone in Afghanistan and whether or not the war is worth the cost. July is the deadliest month for American troops in Afhganistan since the war began. Data here gives you a good idea about how casualties in Afghanistan have been climbing each year. Take a look:
There appears to be some great news on the BP oil spill. The new cap appears to have stopped the leak. President Obama warned that we won't know for sure until we have a permanent solution in place.
President Obama said, "The key here right now is for us to make decisions based on science, based on what's best for the people of the Gulf -- not based on PR, not based on politics." He also said, "And that's part of the reason why I wanted to speak this morning, because I know that there were a lot of reports coming out in the media that seemed to indicate, well, maybe this thing is done. We won't be done until we actually know that we've killed the well and that we have a permanent solution in place. We're moving in that direction, but I don't want us to get too far ahead of ourselves."
President Obama accepted General Stanley McChrystal's resignation today. McChrystal's resignation follows his unusual outpouring of criticism of President Obama and other officials in an interview with Rolling Stone. McChrystal was replaced with General David Patraeus. Take a look:
President Obama to Write Forward for Nelson Mandela's Book
The Guardianreports that President Obama has written a forward for Nelson Mandela's upcoming book. The book, Conversations with Myself, will include diaries and draft letters written by Nelson Mandela. The book is scheduled for an October release.
"We always had a hope that Obama might do it, and a plan that we would put a call in," said Jonny Geller, literary agent for the book at Curtis Brown. "Now it's been delivered and we realised it's better even than what I'd sold – the quality exceeds the hype. It's brilliant."
The Nelson Mandela Foundation "opened the conversation" with Obama's office, said Geller, and the US president agreed to write a foreword to the book, Conversations With Myself, which will be published around the world this October.
President Obama has proven he can drive book sales. He made about $5.5 million in 2009 from his two books: Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope.
SNL Skit: Times Square Bomber Gives a Press Conference
This skit is from the dress rehearsal from last night's Saturday Night Live starring Fred Armisen as the Times Square bomber and Maya Rudolph as his translator. The bomber is giving an American-style press conference, complaining about the media's treatment of him and the invasion of his privacy. The script was leaked to Politico ahead of time and SNL pulled the skit from the live broadcast, which is a shame. NBC is reportedly furious about the leak. It's a very funny skit that makes fun of the bomber. Take a look:
Investigators Trying to Follow Faisial Shahzad Money Trail
Bob Orr from CBS News reports that authorities are following the money trail to see where Faisial Shahzad obtained funding for his failed Times Square bombing. Shahzad has been connected to terrorist operatives inside the Pakistan Taliban. Bob Orr says authorities say Faisial Shahzad is proud of his attempted bombing. Take a look:
The U.S. consulate in northwestern Pakistan was attacked by Islamist militants on Monday. Four people were killed and several were injured in the powerful car bomb and grenade attack. The attackers were unable to breach the compound. Take a look:
Hillary Clinton Says New Israeli Construction Hinders Peace Efforts
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says new Israeli construction on land claimed by the Palestinians is undermining the United States' ability to help bring a much needed end the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Christian Science Monitorsays Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not cease all of its settlement construction in Jerusalem. Take a look:
Harold Ford Jr. Decides He Won't Run For NY Senate Seat
Former Tennessee congressman Harold Ford Jr. has decided not to run for a New York Senate seat. He says he will not challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this fall's Democratic primary because he doesn't want to hurt the party. Take a look:
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs poked fun at Sarah Palin by attending a press briefing with notes written on his hand. Sarah Palin was caught with notes on her hand during a question-and-answer session at last week's Tea Party convention.. Take a look:
Maggie Rodriguez spoke to 8-year-old Mikey Hicks and his mother Nahjlah about how they share a name with a suspected terrorist on a government watch list. The 8-year-old can't get his name off the government watch list. It sounds very frustrating for the family. Take a look:
In one of the biggest political upsets in recent memory, Massachusetts Republican state senator Scott Brown has won Ted Kennedy's senate seat. Brown is a moderate Republican who opposes the healthcare bill in its present from. He is pro-choice, pro-gun and favors lower taxes for individuals and corporations. The Democrats ran one of the most incompetent campaigns in recent history. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show sums it up nicely. Take a look:
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is going to join Fox News as a regular commentator. Fox News seems like an appropriate place for Sarah Palin to share her conservative views although it can at times be confusing to see exactly where she stands on issues. For example, she seems to be trying to have it impossibly both ways on the Birther issue - see here. Take a look:
