What's this? This is an unbiased just-the-facts news timeline ('newsline') about Makes Statement, created by Newslines contributors. Become a contributor

Makes Statement

Biography view > Click for Latest News view
18 Apr, 2011

Rolling Stone statement

0 Comments

The magazine releases a statement defending Hastings and the article’s accuracy following the Pentagon report:

The report by the Pentagon’s inspector general offers no credible source – or indeed, any named source – contradicting the facts as reported in our story, The Runaway General. Much of the report, in fact, confirms our reporting, noting only that the Pentagon was unable to find witnesses “who acknowledged making or hearing the comments as reported.” This is not surprising, given that the civilian and military advisors questioned by the Pentagon knew that their careers were on the line if they admitted to making such comments. Asking unnamed sources to reveal their identities strikes us as an exercise in futility. Rolling Stone stands by our story, which is accurate in every detail. We also note that Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s own response to the story was to issue an apology, saying that what was reflected in the article fell “far short” of his personal standard.

25 Apr, 2011

Denies bullying

0 Comments

Watson’s representative denies reports that the actress was bullied out of Brown, adding that she is pursuing a course not offered at the University but has “absolutely loved” her time there.  In a statement on her website, Watson defends her fellow students by saying:

I felt the need to let you all know the reason I took a semester off from Brown had nothing to do with bullying as the media have been suggesting recently. I have never been bullied in my life and certainly never at Brown. This ’10 points to Gryffindor’ incident never even happened. I feel the need to say this because accusing Brown students of something as serious as bullying and this causing me to leave seems beyond unfair.

21 Aug, 2011

Warns against intervention

0 Comments

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad warns that foreign intervention in his country’s violent uprising could trigger an earthquake that would burn the whole region.

Any action against Syria will have greater consequences [on those who carry it out], greater than they can tolerate. First, because of Syria’s geopolitical location and second [because of] Syrian capabilities. They know part of it but they do not know the other parts and they will not be able to afford the results.

Assad says calls for his resignation by US and EU are not even worthy of a response, adding that he is appointed by the Syrian people, not by the West.

6 Sep, 2011

Siegler: It’s not looking good

0 Comments

Siegler writes on the blog that the uncertainty is affecting its future:

TechCrunch is on the precipice. As soon as tomorrow, Mike may be thrown out of the company he founded. Or he may not. No one knows. And if he is, he will be replaced by — well, again, no one knows. No one knows much of anything. Certainly no one at TechCrunch. This site is about to change forever and we’re in the total f-cking dark. I’ve been able to piece together little bits of information here and there, and it’s not looking good.

Part of the blog’s effectiveness depends on Arrington’s ability to break news, including on companies he is invested in:

Could TechCrunch survive without Mike Arrington? Probably. We’re doing so many pageviews now, and the machine is so profitable, that you can plug in other parts and it will run. But without him, it will not be the same.

14 Nov, 2011

Jordan’s king calls for resignation

0 Comments

King Abdullah becomes the first Arab leader to openly say President Assad should stand down, urging Assad to begin talks on an orderly transition of power and warning there will be more of the same if whoever replaces him does not change the status quo.

If Bashar has the interest of his country [at heart] he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life. That’s the only way I would see it work and I don’t think people are asking that question.

19 Nov, 2011

HRW: Prosecution ‘fair’

0 Comments

HRW’s International justice director, Dicker, says Gadaffi’s prosecution was fair:

The authorities will send an important message that there’s a new era in Libya, marked by the rule of law, by treating Saif al-Islam humanely and surrendering him to the ICC. His fair prosecution at the ICC will afford Libyans a chance to see justice served in a trial that the international community stands behind.

22 Nov, 2011

Ergodan calls Assad to resign

0 Comments

TayyipErdogan_1916582bTurkey’s prime minister Ergodan calls on the Syrian president to step down.

For the welfare of your own people and the region, just leave that seat…If you want to see someone who has fought until death against his own people, just look at Nazi Germany, just look at Hitler, at Mussolini, at Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania, If you cannot draw any lessons from these, then look at the Libyan leader who was killed just 32 days ago in manner none of us wished and who used the same expression you used.

15 Feb, 2012

Obama, Walker meet

0 Comments

Walker greets Obama on the Milwaukee airport tarmac and presents him with a Milwaukee Brewer’s baseball jersey that has Obama’s name and the number 1 written on the back. Obama is visiting the Master Lock Company to highlight the Midwest’s manufacturing sector. Obama:

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries.

Walker:

The bottom line is we’re one of the biggest, most dependent on manufacturing of any state in the country. We appreciate the fact that the president’s focusing on manufacturing.

10 Mar, 2012

Assad meets Annan

0 Comments

U.N. envoy Annan meets with Assad in Damascus during a mission trying to bring a halt to fighting and arrange talks between the two sides to end the country’s conflict. Assad tells Annan that any political dialogue is doomed to fail

as long as there are armed terrorist groups that work to spread anarchy and destabilize the country,

The regime blames terrorists acting out a foreign conspiracy for the uprising, not protesters seeking change. The opposition rejects dialogue, saying it is impossible to talk to Assad’s regime.

16 Apr, 2012

Property taxes decrease

0 Comments

According to Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue, for the first time in twelve years property taxes have decreased on average throughout the state due to Walker’s reforms, limiting collective bargaining rights and cutting state funding to public schools.

Our reforms have reversed a decade of property tax increases from previous administrations. For the first time in over ten years, the average property taxpayer will have more money in his or her pocket than the year before.

23 Apr, 2012

Policies save $1 billion

0 Comments

Walker reports that his policies of limiting public employees’ collective bargaining rights have saved state and local governments more than $1 billion.

It’s not just about saving money and balancing the budget. It’s about new ways to provide services.

17 May, 2012

Responds to claims

0 Comments

Guinness says the White Stripes were acknowledged as record-holders for shortest concert in the 2009 edition, but have since scrapped the category.

Subsequent to this appearance we received a large volume of applications from bands and performers seeking to beat this record. The ultimate results of this was individuals claiming that simply appearing onstage was enough to qualify them for this record.

The organization also encourages White to “attempt any of the 40,000 records that are currently active on our database.”

17 Jul, 2012

Reacts to GQ: Brother did not overdose

Interview0 Comments

Gordon-Levitt reacts to fashion magazine GQ’s profile article of himself that mentioned his late brother, Dan. The author wrote that Dan had died of an alleged drug overdose, which the actor corrected in his Tumblr blog. The actor and his family have not given an official statement on his brother’s real cause of death.

Using the word “alleged” technically allows the writer to say whatever she wants.  The “allegations” to which she must be referring were made by a handful of gossip websites.  They are factually incorrect according to the coroner’s office and the police department.  I don’t like publicly speaking about my brother’s death, but I’m making an exception to correct this irresponsible claim.

22 Sep, 2012

Gives boy kiss

0 Comments

The entertainer gives a 12 year old boy his first kiss on stage at her Louisville, Kentucky concert. The singer tells the boy to close his eyes and kisses him.

The only time that’s gonna happen!

Carrie Underwood gives 12 yr old first kiss

 

 

3 Oct, 2012

Jewish lynching victim postcard sells

Sale/Purchase0 Comments

postcard leo frankAfter most major auction houses refuse, Sotheby’s agrees to auction a photo postcard of Leo Frank, which sells for $3,125. Sotheby’s:

It isn’t unusual for Sotheby’s to include famous images of important, yet disturbing historical events, such as the present work. This was not the only photograph related to Jewish history in last week’s sale, and it wasn’t the highest priced, either.

25 Oct, 2012

Reuters final warning

0 Comments

Keys receives a final written warning from Reuters about using a parody account to mock Larry Page, while employed at the company.

Although you eventually revealed yourself as the owner of the account, this series of actions displayed a serious lack of judgement and professionalism that is unbecoming of a Reuters journalist…Reuters journalists are never to misrepresent themselves. The creation of a fake account that did not identify you as the author clearly violates our Social Media Policy. The parody account, which disparages a public figure, also undermines our goal to provide an unbiased and reliable news service to our clients…Furthermore, the fake account embarrassed our News reporting team, and has possibly damaged our relationship with a company that we have covered aggressively.

14 Nov, 2012

Belize PM: McAfee ‘bonkers’

0 Comments

Belize’s Prime Minister Barrow urges McAfee to help the country’s police with the murder inquiry.

I don’t want to be unkind, but he seems to be extremely paranoid – I would go so far as to say bonkers. He ought to man up and respect our laws and go in and talk to the police.

McAfee has said he does not want to give himself up because he is afraid the authorities will torture or kill him. Barrow calls McAfee’s statements “nonsense,” noting he had “never met the man”:

The media attention he has attracted offers him] the best possible safeguard. It’s not as if the police have said he is a suspect and certainly there is no question at this point of charges pending. The fact that this is smeared across international headlines means the police would have to act extremely cautiously in the full glare of the public spotlight.

15 Nov, 2012

Asks about cell phone triangulation

0 Comments

McAfee, using his “stuffmonger” alias, posts to a private message board asking for information about how phone tracking works.

How long does it take for a phone company to triangulate a cell phone signal? With what accuracy? Is there any way to confuse/delay the system? If a cell phone is turned off, but the battery is installed, is there any way to locate the phone? Are there any brands of phones are more/less difficult to triangulate?

Answers range from useful to speculative.