The Hot List: Hot Dog Diplomacy; No Dollars for DNA Testing; Animal House
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Common sense solutions to stories where the mainstream media is not doing their job:
Hot Dog Diplomacy
In Iran, at least 17 people were killed after the government's brutal crackdown on protesters. But the party must go on. What party, you ask? Why, the Fourth of July parties at U.S. embassies around the world and Iranian diplomats are invited.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Why? Earlier this month the Obama administration invited Iranian diplomats to U.S. embassies for the first time since 1979. Despite the recent violence in that country, they are still invited for hot dogs and fireworks.
Mr. President, you finally support the protesters today in Iran; how about un-inviting the guys who are beating those protesters? (If they are serving hot dogs, I hope they are serving Hebrew National.)
No Dollars for DNA Testing
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is so broke they are suspending DNA testing in thousands of rape and sexual assault cases. Sheriff Lee Baca had promised to clear a backlog of about 4,600 cases going back decades. But, as The Los Angeles Times reports they stopped in the end of May when they ran out of money. They hope to get another grant that would allow them to keep testing for 4 or 5 months. After that, they are not sure how they will pay for it.
Meantime, the director of the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Medical Center says, "there are rapists walking the streets of Los Angeles, who, if they tested evidence that is sitting on shelves, could be taken off."
Hey Sheriff, figure out a way to keep testing — now.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Animal House
In a completely unrelated story, the city of Los Angeles spent more than $7 million dollars to create a special enclosure at the L.A. Zoo for three rare golden monkeys from China.
The zoo completely transformed an old space — with a treetop viewing area, extra springy trees, a waterfall and even spent $4,500 on a feng shui consultant to give the feeling of a Chinese village. The space is perfect for monkeys! Except one thing: no monkeys.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Chinese backed out of the deal. It goes back to 2002 when the L.A. mayor went to China to get some delicious — I mean cute — pandas. The Chinese offered the monkeys instead. They were supposed to be leased to the zoo for 10 years. But zoo officials say China pulled out of the deal and they don't know why.
The zoo president says they will find other monkeys for the space.
Fair and Balanced?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Get ready for the completely non-biased, fair "news" coverage of President Obama's health care overhaul! On Wednesday, ABC will be reporting on it all day live from the White House. In a prime-time special from the White House East Room, "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" moderated by Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer. President Obama will answer questions from audience members selected by ABC News.
Republicans say ABC is making the president's case for nationalized health care for him. They tried to buy ad time to rebut the president, but ABC says they have a "longstanding" policy not to accept "advocacy" ads.
ABC says they will have "complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience." Well, I wouldn't want to be unfair.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}— Watch "Glenn Beck" weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on FOX News Channel