MegaUpload, a popular file-sharing target of a recent Justice Department online piracy investigation, received the majority of its web traffic from regions outside of the United States, the Daily Caller has learned through publicly available web measurement tools. (more)
MADRID (AP) — The Spanish judge who became an international human rights hero by indicting former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet denied any wrongdoing as he went on trial Tuesday over his handling of a domestic corruption probe in a case that could end his career. (more)
President Barack Obama’s campaign heads to the Pacific and Asian corners of the world this week where his public relations crew will produce a symphony of visuals for American voters. The nine day trip will include visits to San Diego, Hawaii, Australia, Bali and Indonesia. (more)
The late Sen. Ted Kennedy arranged to “rent” a brothel for a night while on a visit to Chile and other Latin American countries decades ago, according to a 1961 State Department memo obtained and published by the watchdog group Judicial Watch. (more)
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Chile on Sunday, prompting tens of thousands to flee the coast for higher ground amid fears it could generate a tsunami like the one that ravaged the area last year. (more)
I think we will see more of the same in 2011 in Mexico. The drug cartel killing spree raises a number of less discussed considerations. We are told the huge American demand for drugs, both grown and manufactured, creates the problem; perhaps in part, but note that we have a longer, more porous border with Canada and we are not seeing a shoot ‘em up culture arising in Calgary or Toronto over meth or heroin exporting to the U.S. Something else is going on as well. We were also told that the continuation of massive illegal immigration from Mexico to the U.S. at least had a ‘safety valve’ effect that lessened tensions in Mexico while earning it nation-saving foreign exchange; but after 11-16 million Mexican nationals have fled to the United States the last 20 years, exactly how has that mass flight and ensuing remittances of an estimated $30 billion per annum made things any better in Mexico? (more)
It is, quite simply, the classic plot of every fish-out-of-water film, hitting all of the cliches along the way with the enthusiasm of a 1980s comedy: the unlikely outsider arrives in New York, after some initial translation difficulties the city falls gleefully in love with this eccentric newcomer, he then accomplishes some incredible feat, the city cheers, cue end credits, over a rendition of – in this particular case – Elvis. (more)
According to Wikipedia, fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme and/or setting. I bring this up because we’ve been hearing quite a bit about a “Democratic surge” lately, and this is a quintessential example of political fantasy. While there has been some tightening in several races — a result of core Democratic voters returning to the fold that is typical as an Election Day approaches — the “surge” is a complete fabrication, fed and encouraged by a mainstream media searching for an interesting plotline for this election. (more)
Editors Note: Have a question for Matt Labash? Submit it here. (more)
The world has been abuzz with joy, inspiration, and goodwill since the first Chilean miner emerged from underground. The Chilean embassy in Washington, D.C., marked the event with a good old-fashion celebraciòn and broadcast the rescue live on an outdoor big-screen TV. The celebration is not without good reason. As Daniel Henninger pointed out in Thursday’s WSJ: (more)
Indiana Rep. Mike Pence compared the state of the U.S. economy under the Obama administration to the ordeal of the 33 Chilean miners trapped for 69 days beneath the surface. (more)
COPIAPO, Chile — One of the 33 men trapped in a Chilean mine for 69 days has told how they joked about cannibalism — but only after they started to get supplies of food. (more)
The rescue of Chile’s trapped miners has become one of the most-watched Web events in recent memory, according to an internet monitor. (more)
The last of the 33 miners trapped deep underground in northern Chile for more than two months has been rescued. (more)
After 69 days stuck underground, most people would be itching to get to the surface and into the arms of family and friends. (more)
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — With remarkable speed — and flawless execution — one miner after another climbed into a slender cage deep beneath the Chilean earth, was hoisted through 2,000 feet of rock and saw precious sunlight Wednesday after the longest underground entrapment in human history. (more)
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — Chile has done a remarkable job of preparing to rescue 33 miners trapped a half-mile underground, but many risks remain simply because never before has anyone tried to rescue miners from such depths, a U.S. mine safety expert said Tuesday. (more)
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — The missile-like capsule that will carry 33 miners to fresh air and freedom was lowered into a nearly half-mile-long rescue tunnel Tuesday night. Steam rushed from the hole into the frigid desert air — a sign of the humid, sauna-like conditions the men have endured for 69 days. (more)
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile (AP) — They’ll come up one by one in green overalls bearing their names on their chests — first the fittest, then the weakest, twisting in a steel cage that proved itself with four flawless test runs deep into the earth. (more)
