Pulitzer prize winner @woodwriter celebrates his win the HuffPost way: with a Natty Light. http://t.co/PWkthnFj Continue reading →

RT @aol How can you get fired before you even start your job? @americanglow shares his story http://t.co/gjPzpF7e via @huffpostmedia RT @rainnwilson A Titanic Survivor: (please read, thank you). http://t.co/IfOkyy6j Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the first time since the controversy erupted on the national scene, President Barack Obama weighed in on the killing of Trayvon Martin, calling it a tragedy, urging cooperation among law enforcement and declaring that "some soul searching" was needed throughout the country. "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said, underscoring how the issue affected him on a personal, and not just a political or legal, level. "I think [Trayvon's parents] are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened." The statement by Obama came after he introduced Dartmouth President Jim Kim to be ... Continue reading →

Moments ago, embattled Sanford, Florida police chief Bill Lee announced he would be stepping down temporarily, saying his leadership has become a “distraction” for the investigation into Trayvon Martin’s killing. Lee said he stood by the Sanford police department’s actions, but then added, “It is apparent that my involvement in this matter is overshadowing the process. Therefore, I have come to the decision that I must temporarily remove myself.” Watch it: Earlier in the week, calls for firing Lee were met with standing ovations at an NAACP meeting. Also, the Sanford city commission voted 3-2 to express no confidence in Lee. The resignation comes hours before a massive rally is scheduled to take place in support of Martin and his family. Critics have faulted the ... Continue reading →

Before they went off to fight in Afghanistan, the guys of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines talked quietly about their deepest fear. Not dying. Not losing a leg or an arm. It was having their genitals ripped off, burned away or crushed in the fiery blast of an improvised explosive device. This was no idle concern to young men bursting with testosterone. The makeshift bombs known as IEDs are taking a frightening toll in Afghanistan, the blasts shearing off arms and legs, ripping through soft flesh, crushing organs and bone, and driving dirt, rocks and filth deep into torn flesh -- often leaving the genitals shredded or missing. Some guys said they'd rather be dead. Mark Litynski, a 23-year-old rifleman with Lima Company, knew the odds. ... Continue reading →

Saudi Arabia, a monarchy whose legal system is based on Islamic law, is considered the most significant of the three, given its size, international oil influence and severe restrictions placed on women in daily life. While female athletes from Qatar and Brunei have participated in national and regional competitions, Saudi Arabia has essentially barred sports for women, according to Human Rights Watch. A pan-Arab newspaper based in London, Al-Hayat, reported Tuesday that the Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz has approved the participation of female athletes in London as long as their sports “meet the standards of women’s decency and don’t contradict Islamic laws.” The International Olympic Committee said in a statement that it met with Saudi Olympic officials last week and that it ... Continue reading →

Peter B. Lewis, with Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman, in 2006. WASHINGTON -- Peter Lewis, one of the Democracy Alliance's founding billionaires, has dropped out of the influential liberal donor network, people familiar with his decision tell HuffPost. Lewis, the eccentric and reclusive founder of the insurer Progressive Corp., is one of the biggest donors in Democratic and liberal politics. He invested $25 million in the failed effort to oust President George W. Bush in 2004, making him one of the biggest donors in American political history. He coordinated his giving that year with billionaire George Soros, who gave $50 million. Both Lewis and Soros have backed the Democracy Alliance since its founding in 2005. Lewis' exit from the network did not come as ... Continue reading →

Sign of the Times Posted by H. HooVer on Mar 20, 2012 in VA/MD | 2 comments Tweet Stephon stood just a few feet away from Barack Obama. The president, busy shaking hands, looked right at him. “It was like he was waiting for me to say something,” he said later. So the 26-year-old Prince George’s Community College student took his cue and spoke to President Obama in his first language: American Sign Language. “I am proud of you,” Stephon signed. The president, almost involuntary, instinctively, immediately signed back. “Thank you,” Obama replied. This is one of those moments that humanize the office of the presidency: Born deaf, and justifiably proud, Stephon told us later he had no idea he’d be seated in the VIP ... Continue reading →

WASHINGTON -- Two economists at the St. Louis Federal Reserve have published findings that indicate that Wall Street speculation is responsible for 15 percent of the increase in oil prices over the past decade, a finding with significant implications for the recent sharp rise in gas prices. While politicians have little ability to alter the price swings of commodities like oil, regulators have both the authority and policy tools to do so. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is responsible for overseeing the financial market for oil. The 2010 Wall Street reform bill gave the CFTC new power to limit excessive speculation, but the rule will not go into effect until later this year. According to St. Louis Fed economists Luciana Juvenal and Ivan Petrella, speculation ... Continue reading →