Patterico's Pontifications

4/10/2013

Ryan Seacrest SWATted

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:33 pm



CNN:

Ryan Seacrest became the latest celebrity targeted by a “swatter” when a hoax 911 call reported armed men were shooting their way into the “American Idol” host’s home Wednesday.

When police arrived at Seacrest’s Beverly Hills home at about 2:40 p.m., they found Seacrest there, but no group of armed men, a Beverly Hills police spokesman said.

After speaking with Seacrest and his security team, the officers left.

The article indicates that some local police agencies have begun responding more cautiously to calls that sound suspicious. This growing awareness seems like a good thing — but then, we don’t want a situation where a real emergency that sounds like a SWATting is not responded to quickly.

The now traditional roll call of the SWATted: Ryan Seacrest; Russell Brand; Selena Gomez; Justin Timberlake; Rihanna; Sean Combs; Chris Brown; Tom Cruise; Paris Hilton; Clint Eastwood; Brian Krebs; the Jenners and Kardashians; Justin Bieber; Miley Cyrus; Ashton Kutcher; Simon Cowell; Aaron Walker; Erick Erickson; Mike Stack; and me.

Obama’s New Budget: $3.77 Trillion

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 6:55 am



He is proposing a $744 billion deficit:

So far, senior Republicans have rejected the proposal, which would sharply increase both spending and deficits next year over current projections. While the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecasts $3.6 trillion in outlays in the fiscal year that begins in October, Obama calls for $170 billion more.

And while the CBO forecasts a deficit of $616 billion in 2014, Obama calls for a larger gap between spending and revenues of $744 billion, administration officials said, or 4.4 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.

Don’t forget the “investments”! As the lede puts it: “President Obama plans Wednesday to unveil a $3.77 trillion spending plan that proposes modest new investments in infrastructure and education, major new taxes for the wealthy and significant reforms aimed at reducing the cost of Social Security and Medicare.”

That which cannot go on forever, won’t.

UPDATE: The L.A. Times portrayal:

Ah yes, the old “we will cut a bajillion dollars over ten years” hoax. Not surprising that the editors help perpetrate that hogwash.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Republicans should agree to raise taxes by a bajillion dollars over ten years. Just cut them in the upcoming year.

Gun Deal With Toomey on Board?

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 6:49 am



Looks like they are close:

A bipartisan group of Senate negotiators signaled Tuesday night that it has reached a deal in principle on expanding background checks to include more gun sales, in what was widely seen as the major sticking point on the biggest gun control legislation to reach the floor since 1994.

Sens. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., and Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., said they would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the details of the tentative deal, which was reached with the support of Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and could entice a significant number of other lawmakers to sign on. Schumer told reporters that some details still needed to be worked out but that “we’re closer than we’ve ever been.”

“Tomorrow we hope to finalize it,” Manchin said Tuesday night. A Toomey spokesman added, “Sens. Toomey and Manchin continue to work on final details, but they appear close to a deal.”

The details are what matter.


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