1. MITT ACCEPTS GOP NOMINATION, RIPS OBAMA
In accepting the Republican Party's presidential nomination, a fired up Mitt Romney delivered a sharp rebuke of President Obama on Thursday night, painting himself as a successful executive ready to lead a country that has been disappointed over the past four years. "Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I'd ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama? You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had, was the day you voted for him," he told the Tampa crowd. Romney also laid out a five-step plan to create 12 million jobs in his first term, accused the president of failing his commitments abroad, and promised to "protect the sanctity of life" and "honor the institution of marriage." [Washington Post]
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2. IRAN DISMISSES NUCLEAR REPORT AS POLITICAL
An Iranian official is disputing a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which accuses Iran of beefing up its uranium enrichment program, calling the accusations a political ploy. "Publishing this report while Iran is holding the Non-Aligned Movement meeting does not mean anything other than it was a political move aimed at overshadowing the meeting in Tehran," said Kazem Jalali, a member of the parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee. The report by the U.N. atomic watchdog suggests that, despite threats of an Israeli or U.S. military strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities, Iran is quickly increasing its enrichment capacity at a site in Fordow. [Reuters]
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3. WEAKENED ISAAC POURS RAIN ON LOUISIANA
Hurricane Isaac has left a "soggy mess" in Louisiana, where several neighborhoods were submerged underwater and homes were without electricity and clean water. The storm dumped up to 16 inches of rain in the area and about 500 residents had to be rescued by boats or water vehicles. At least four people died in Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm may still trigger tornadoes in Mississippi and Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. [Associated Press]
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4. PENTAGON: EX-SEAL FACES LEGAL ACTION
Matt Bissonnette, the outed ex-Navy SEAL who wrote No Easy Day, a controversial book about the killing of Osama bin Laden, could be in legal trouble for violating a military non-disclosure agreement. The Pentagon alerted Bissonnette, who went by the pen name Mark Owen, that legal action is being considered. The book is now set to be released a week early, on Sept. 4 . "Further public dissemination of your book will aggravate your breach and violation of your agreements," a Pentagon lawyer wrote to Bissonnette. [Reuters]
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5. HARVARD ACCUSES 125 STUDENTS OF CHEATING
Harvard University is investigating 125 undergraduate students accused of cheating on a take-home test last spring in what could be the "largest Ivy League cheating scandal in recent memory." Nearly half of the students in a government class may have shared answers or plagiarized on the final exam. Harvard president Drew Faust said the claims, "if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends." [Boston Globe]
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6. CLINT EASTWOOD ADDRESSES EMPTY CHAIR AT RNC
Hollywood conservative Clint Eastwood gave an eyebrow-raising speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, in which he questioned an imaginary Barack Obama sitting in an empty chair next to the podium. The so-called "mystery" guest ripped the president on a variety of subjects, from America's high unemployment to Guantanamo to the war in Afghanistan. The octogenarian actor at one point turned to chair and said, "I'm not going to shut up. It's my turn." [Washington Post]
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7. ANDY RODDICK TO RETIRE AFTER U.S. OPEN
Tennis superstar Andy Roddick surprised his fans on Thursday by announcing that the U.S. Open would be his last tournament. Roddick, a former No. 1-ranked player who won the U.S. Open in 2003, told reporters: "I just feel like it's time. I don't know that I'm healthy enough or committed enough to go another year." Roddick, 30, is set to play Australia's Bernard Tomic on Friday night. [ESPN]
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8. ASSANGE: I COULD BE HOLED UP FOR A YEAR
WikiLeaks secret-spiller Julian Assange is predicting that he will remain inside the Ecuador embassy in London for "six to 12 months." The Australian is currently taking refuge in the embassy, where he's fighting extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations. He said that Swedish officials dropping the case against him is "the most likely scenario." Assange, who published top-secret American diplomatic cables, has been in the embassy since June and is worried he'll be passed on to U.S. authorities if he is extradited to Sweden. [BBC]
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9. ROBIN ROBERTS LEAVES GMA EARLY
Popular Good Morning America host Robin Roberts announced her final appearance on Thursday, a day earlier than expected. She is temporarily leaving the show to undergo a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with MDS, a rare blood and bone marrow disorder. Roberts' mother passed away just hours after she made the announcement. On GMA, she told her viewers she was going to "embark on a journey," and this could be "my final morning for a while." [ABC News]
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10. JERSEY SHORE SEASON 6 TO BE THE LAST
Get ready to say goodbye to Jersey Shore. The upcoming sixth season, which starts Oct. 4, will be the show's last, MTV announced. The news comes as the fist-pumping reality show's ratings declined over the past few seasons. The network plans to air an hour-long look back at the show and an interview with the cast on Sept. 6. It isn't necessarily goodbye forever. MTV will likely fist pump out some more spin-offs (a la Snooki & JWOWW and The Pauly D Project) in the future, the network said. [MTV]
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Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
