Chad’s Morning Brief: Chris Christie for VP? Math in Texas, and More
Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of April 20, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.
1. Chris Christie for VP? (link)
According to a new poll out, Marco Rubio wouldn't help Mitt Romney as much as another big name Republican. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie actually helps Romney the most if you believe a new Public Policy Polling poll that came out on Thursday. According to the Daily Caller:
If he picks Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee or Jeb Bush, however, he becomes a stronger candidate.
In a head-to-head match up against Obama, Romney currently trails the president by a 49-46 margin. But the poll found that the right running mate could boost his chances.
A Romney-Christie ticket ties an Obama-Biden ticket, with each taking 47 percent of the vote. Put Jeb Bush on the ticket, and it’s a 48-47 lead for Obama. With either Santorum or Huckabee as a running mate, Romney trails by just two percent, 48-46 percent.
But with Rubio, Paul Ryan, Ron Paul, or Sarah Palin on the ticket, Romney’s poll numbers actually slip. Running with Palin, Romney gives Obama the greatest lead, trailing by 7 percent. With Rubio he trails by 6 percent; with Ryan, by 5, and with Paul, by 4.
I still don't think Chris Christie wants to be VP, but he wouldn't be bad. The only problem I could actually see is Republicans wishing the ticket was flipped. Would Chris Christie make conservatives happy? Probably not, but even the furthest right most evangelical conservative should and I believe will get behind the GOP ticket. Why? If they don't, Obama will win.
2. Math in Texas (link)
Texas officials want math standards to be improved. How much of an improvement? They want to be better than the national requirements that have been adopted by the majority of the states. According to the Houston Chronicle:
Texas' top education official said Thursday that the state should hammer out new K-12 math curriculum standards that are better than national requirements adopted almost everywhere in the country, or delay approving anything until it can.
Textbook publishers are waiting for final approval by the State Board of Education so they can begin producing classroom materials. But Education Commissioner Robert Scott said making the final product better than national "common core" math standards is more important than meeting deadlines.
"We're going to fight and we're going to complain and we're going to have amendments and we're going to have dialogue," Scott told the board. "If you can't walk out of here tomorrow with math standards that are better than the common core, delay. Come back in May and finish then."
3. Things You Need to Know (link)
Don't you just love it when politicians try to sneak things into bills. This is all about Senate Bill 1813 aka MAP-21. If passed, it would restrict traveling, driving, and more.
As part of Senate Bill 1813 (known as MAP-21), Congress has inserted language that would oblige the Secretary of State to revoke or deny a passport to any U.S. citizen who the IRS Commissioner deems as having "seriously delinquent tax debt."
For the purposes of MAP-21, "seriously delinquent tax debt" is defined as an amount in excess of $50,000 in which a notice of lien or levy has been filed in public records.
For starters, in what may be one of the most depraved Big Brother moves on record, section 31406 of the bill makes it mandatory for "black box" event recorders to be installed in every new passenger vehicle starting with model year 2015.
Section 31504 requires the development of special alarm systems designed to remind drivers that there are other passengers in the vehicle. Duh.
Then there are provisions for more taxpayer funding to subsidize the massively loss-making Amtrak … plus calls to develop more national, regional, and state-owned railways across the country.
Perhaps most important, though, is Title II of the bill – "Stop Taxhaven Abuse."
Long story short, if the U.S. government decides in its sole discretion that a foreign jurisdiction is impeding tax enforcement, Uncle Sam can shut them out of the U.S. financial system, no questions asked.
It’s just another measure to turn foreign banks into unpaid spies of the federal government … and limit financial freedom for U.S. citizens.
Thoughts?
4. Mark Blankenship is Right About the Dress Code (link)
The relaxed dress code at LISD was a mistake. LISD School Board member, Mark Blankenship, was right on point yesterday on LFN when he said it needed to be changed. There are parents out there that say their kid is just trying to express themselves. The problem is, that's not how the real world works. In most places of business, you can't just walk in and express yourself with your clothing or hair. You have to dress in business attire. Schools are supposed to instill some discipline in kids and dress codes can do that.
5. Dumb story of the morning (link)
Woman blames the state, not the owner after chimp attack.
Charla Nash is still recovering from a face transplant and wants to sue the state of Connecticut over the chimpanzee attack that nearly killed her three years ago, WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reports exclusively.
Bridgeport attorney Charles Willinger, who represents Nash, exclusively told Schneidau that he believes that the near-fatal mauling could have been avoided.
He said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection ignored its own regulations regarding private ownership of potentially dangerous animals.
6. Good Brews Good News of the Day (link)
Sailors rescued from Lake Michigan.
A dramatic rescue unfolded on Wednesday when two sailors were plucked from Lake Michigan after spending several minutes clinging for their lives on the side of their overturned sailboat. Officials said the men apparently had been drinking.
At least one of the men was involved in a similar incident about a year ago.
After first being spotted by Kris Habermehl in Chopper 2 around 2:20 p.m., the police rescue boat arrived on the scene around 2:40 p.m and divers rescued the men.
As CBS 2′s Dana Kozlov reports, the two men on the 14-foot sailboat, named Peter Pan, were hanging onto the side of the overturned boat as they waited for rescue. There were being pounded by choppy, frigid waters east of Montrose Harbor.
Everyday, Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge brings you the Good News of the Day!
Other Top Stories:
These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.
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