Today’s Top Seven

2012-01-27

After Obama's Empty Words, Daniels Said It All

When the president finally uttered the last line of his nearly 7,000-word address, the State of our Union was exhausted. Our Union is getting stronger, he assured us, and all we need to do to make it really, really strong is act as courageously and selflessly as Navy SEALs, add a few more trifling subsidies to our labyrinthine tax code, raise Warren Buffet's taxes and give his secretary Tim Geithner’s job, sue the Chinese, arrest investment bankers and, oh yeah, re-elect me. I’m sure there have been other unserious State of the Union addresses, but Tuesday night’s was almost flippant. He really could have dispensed with the clunky joke about milk subsides -- most of the speech was obviously intended as tongue-in-cheek.

Obama: Do Not Criticize Me. Ever

This is a shot of the scene in Phoenix yesterday afternoon when Gov. Jan Brewer greeted President Barack Obama as he stepped off Air Force One. She handed him a handwritten letter that led to an "intense" discussion for a few minutes. The pool report explains that President Obama was extremely upset about her treatment of him in her book Scorpions for Breakfast. She did not anticipate being berated and was mildly perturbed by the encounter, which included President Obama walking away from her while she was mid-sentence. Classy!

Twitter refines technology to censor tweets in individual countries

Twitter has refined its technology so it can censor messages on a country-by-country basis. The additional flexibility announced Thursday is likely to raise fears that Twitter's commitment to free speech may be weakening as the short-messaging company expands into new countries in an attempt to broaden its audience and make more money.

Paula Deen's sons were furious with her decision to plug diabetes drug, reports say

Paula Deen's sons were so distraught over her decision to plug a $500-a-month diabetes drug, they nearly bolted from the family management to strike out on their own. Deen's sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, were upset over her deal to hawk Novo Nordisk's Victoza because she was already taking a different diabetes medicine and responding well to it, sources told the New York Post.

Andie MacDowell on colorful characters in Hollywood, not wanting her daughter to be famous

In ‘Jane by Design’ on ABC Family, Jane (Erica Dasher) plays a high school student who accidentally lands a job as a clothing designer at a hip fashion house. Her boss, a high powered executive, is played by Andie MacDowell.

Russia to postpone two manned launches to International Space Station

Russia will postpone two manned launches to the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical problems during testing, the Interfax news agency reported Friday. The move will be taken because the Soyuz TMA-04M spaceship failed to withstand tests to its pressure chamber, the report said. "This re-entry capsule now cannot be used for manned spaceflight," an unnamed source told the news agency. That means a planned March 30 mission would be postponed until mid-April or the first half of May. Due to the first delay, a second mission is also set to be delayed until the middle or end of June.

US cybersecurity efforts trigger privacy concerns

The federal government's plan to expand computer security protections into critical parts of private industry is raising concerns that the move will threaten Americans' civil liberties. In a report for release Friday, The Constitution Project warns that as the Obama administration partners more with the energy, financial, communications and health care industries to monitor and protect networks, sensitive personal information of people who work for or communicate with those companies could be improperly or inadvertently disclosed.

Sign Up to receive Daily Top Seven

Newsletter for FREE

* = Required Field

yesterday's Top Seven

2012-01-26

After three years, it's time to admit President Obama has failed

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Obama hammered aw
Read more

Are Americans Better Off Now Than 4 Years Ago? Sen. Bob Casey: ‘I Don’t Know’

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said Tuesday night -- “I don’t know” -- i
Read more

Justin Bieber Uses Twitter to Help Young Canadian Fan Who Needs Organ Donor

Many celebrities tweet about what they're eating for lunch or try to g
Read more

Between Google and GPS, privacy takes a step backward

Score one for privacy rights -- at least that's how it seemed. Earlie
Read more

New Pentagon plan focuses on drones, special ops, cuts traditional forces

The Pentagon plans to expand its global network of drones and special-
Read more

UK's tallest building adds drama to London's sky

Passengers stepping out of London Bridge tube station cannot help but
Read more

iPhone app offers rewards for being a couch potato

Want to earn stuff by watching TV? A free app for that debuted Wednes
Read more

2012-01-25 Top Seven