Hyperbolic speech

WASHINGTON — President Obama made addressing climate change the most prominent policy vow of his second Inaugural Address , setting in motion what Democrats say will be a deliberately paced but aggressive campaign built around the use of his executive powers to sidestep Congressional opposition. “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that failure to do so would betray our children and future generations,” Mr. Obama said on Monday at the start of eight sentences on the subject, more than he devoted to any other specific area. “Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms.” The central place he gave to the subject seemed to answer the question of whether he considered it a realistic second-term priority. He devoted scant attention to it in the campaign and has delivered a mixed message about its importance since the election. Mr. Obama is … [Read more...] about Speech Gives Climate Goals Center Stage

The following is the full text of President Obama’s victory speech on Wednesday (Transcript courtesy of the Federal News Service). PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.) Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.) It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.) Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and … [Read more...] about Transcript of President Obama’s Election Night Speech

27 Politics & Government Mayor candidate Terry D'Arcy talked with Joliet Patch about several rundown and abandoned properties across Joliet that warrant attention. John Ferak , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Replies JOLIET, IL — When Joliet mayoral candidate Terry D'Arcy drives around Joliet's west side, downtown city center and many older east-side neighborhoods, he sees signs of decay. He sees properties rundown, crumbling and remaining in a state of disrepair year after year. For the third-largest city in Illinois, this is unacceptable, according to D'Arcy, and that's why he has made quality of life —including addressing dilapidated and abandoned properties by getting them back on the tax roll —a cornerstone of his campaign as he meets with prospective April 4 voters. During last week's property tour with Joliet Patch's editor, D'Arcy was in disbelief as he stopped in the 200 block of Eastern Avenue, near Osgood … [Read more...] about Joliet’s Blighted Buildings Will Become Top Priority: Terry D’Arcy

Sony Pictures apologized Sunday for making light of food allergies in the recent cartoon adaptation of the popular children’s book “Peter Rabbit” after parents complained. “Food allergies are a serious issue. Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbit’s archenemy, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way,” Sony said in a statement after viewers complained and started an online petition objecting to the “allergy bullying.” “We sincerely regret not being more aware and sensitive to this issue, and we truly apologize.” One scene in “Peter Rabbit,” which took second place in box office earnings this weekend behind only the erotic sequel “Fifty Shades Freed,” shows the mischievous creatures inspired by the work of Beatrix Potter pelting their adversary Mr. McGregor with blackberries, even though the character is allergic. At one point, a berry lands in McGregor’s mouth and the man has to use an epinephrine pen to stave of … [Read more...] about Sony Apologizes For Depicting Food Allergies As Weakness In Kids Movie

HELENA, Mont. — Work crews burrowed through thick ice and set up containment booms Tuesday in a struggle to vacuum up 50,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the Yellowstone River from a ruptured pipeline, contaminating drinking water. The 12-inch steel pipeline, which burst Saturday morning near Glendive, Mont., about 400 miles east of here, sent light crude oil flowing downstream as far as the confluence with the Missouri River, 60 miles away in North Dakota. Health officials warned people not to use tap water in Glendive and surrounding towns after traces of benzene from the leak were found in a water treatment plant. Gov. Steve Bullock visited the area on Monday and declared a state of emergency for Dawson and Richland Counties. The Bridger Pipeline Company, which operates the line, has shut it down, company officials said. The line is part of a system that passes across eastern Montana from the Canadian border. Federal officials have said short-term exposure to the … [Read more...] about Traces of Montana Oil Spill Are Found in Drinking Water

WASHINGTON — The State Department released a report on Friday concluding that the Keystone XL pipeline would not substantially worsen carbon pollution, leaving an opening for President Obama to approve the politically divisive project. The department’s long-awaited environmental impact statement appears to indicate that the project could pass the criteria Mr. Obama set forth in a speech last summer when he said he would approve the 1,700-mile pipeline if it would not “significantly exacerbate” the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Although the pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to the Gulf Coast, the report appears to indicate that if it were not built, carbon-heavy oil would still be extracted at the same rate from pristine Alberta forest and transported to refineries by rail instead. The report sets up a difficult decision for Secretary of State John Kerry, who now must make a recommendation on the international project to Mr. Obama. Mr. Kerry, who … [Read more...] about Report Opens Way to Approval for Keystone Pipeline