American News Broadcasting: July 2013

Why Did Facebook Block Kirk Cameron’s New Movie?

Jul 18, 2013 By Todd Starnes

It’s something of a social networking mystery.

Why did Facebook block Kirk Cameron’s upcoming faith-based movie, “Unstoppable”? Cameron announced on his fan page Thursday that Facebook had blocked fans from posting any links to the website promoting his film because the content was labeled “abusive and unsafe.”
“We have been officially shut down by Facebook and unable to get any response from them,” Cameron wrote on his personal Facebook fan page. The film was made in partnership with Liberty University, the self-proclaimed largest Christian university in the world.
After Cameron alerted more than 500,000 Facebook fans of his predicament, the social networking site removed the block – without any explanation.
“This is a real victory,” he said, thanking his fans and supporters for reaching out to Facebook. “If we work together, we really do have a voice.”
“Unstoppable,” which is expected in theaters in the fall, aims to answer questions about suffering and recounts the personal experience of a Cameron friend whose son battled cancer.
“I would understand if there was something truly unsafe about my stuff,” Cameron told Fox News. “But I would encourage people to watch the trailer. Do you find anything offensive about faith, hope and love in the time of a tragedy?”
The film’s website does not contain any graphic photographs, video or profanity. However, Cameron said he received a message from Facebook telling him the website’s content was labeled as “abuse” and “unsafe.”
“This is my most personal film about faith, hope and love and about why God allows bad things to happen to good people,” Cameron wrote. “What is ‘abusive’ or ‘unsafe’ about that?”
A Facebook media representative did not reply to an email seeking comment.
In recent months, the social networking website has come under criticism from conservatives and Christians who said their pages have been either blocked or banned because of “abusive” content. Earlier this year, the “Chicks on the Right” Facebook page was shut down after they posted a message criticizing the White House. Facebook later apologized for that incident.
Cameron told Fox News he learned of the block several days ago when he tried to post a link to his website and Facebook denied the request. Thinking it was a mistake, he tried it again.
“My web technician along with Sony Provident Films were trying as well on their Facebook pages but nobody could post the website address for my film,” he said.
Cameron said they tried calling Facebook to find out why their content had been banned – but no one returned their calls. As a measure of last resort, he alerted more than 500,000 fans on his personal Facebook page.
“Whether Facebook did it internally or whether it was a group of people that labeled it abusive, somebody doesn’t like what I’m doing enough to make Facebook unwilling to let anyone post a link to my website,” he told Fox News.
Cameron, who achieved fame in the 1980s as the start of “Growing Pains,” is now a well-known Christian producer, actor and evangelist. He’s starred in a number of faith-based films including the “Left Behind” films and most recently, “Monumental,” a documentary about the nation’s founders and their biblical principles.
Michael Catt, the executive producer of Sherwood Pictures, called Cameron a stand-up guy. Cameron starred in Sherwood’s “Fireproof” film.
“I found him to be very kind and gracious to everyone on the set,” Catt told Fox News. “He also spoke in our church and was well received by our people.”

Rupert Murdoch complains to MPs over ‘excessive’ hacking inquiry

Labels: WRLTHD Business News
By Robert Budden and Helen Warrell

Rupert Murdoch has complained to MPs about the protracted and “excessive” police investigation into phone hacking and other abuses by journalists at News Corp’s UK newspapers.

In a letter to Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs committee, the executive chairman of News Corp questioned whether police had approached the investigation “with an appropriate sense of proportion”.

He was writing to clarify his views after the broadcast this month of secretly recorded comments to Sun journalists in which he dismissed parts of the police probe as “the biggest inquiry ever over next to nothing”.

Mr Murdoch expressed regret for his choice of words “in that highly emotional meeting” and insisted he “did not intend to suggest that any violations of the law are tolerable or acceptable”.

However, he made clear his frustration with the “human cost” on his journalists, some of whom are still awaiting charging decisions after more than a year under investigation.

Mr Murdoch said he should not have questioned the competence of police but added: “My personal view is that this has gone on too long.”

Mr Vaz wrote to Mr Murdoch last week seeking clarification of his views. “I am glad that he has confirmed he does not think the police investigations are incompetent,” the Labour MP said.

In the secret recordings Mr Murdoch had referred to News Corp’s internal management and standards committee (MSC), which co-operated with police investigations, as “a mistake”.
But, in his letter, he stressed how the media group had “volunteered the material that fuelled all these investigations”.

“It would not be fair even to suggest that our company has impeded the [Metropolitan Police]. The opposite is true,” he wrote.

He revealed for the first time the extent of the MSC’s investigations, saying it reviewed more than 23m electronic documents and disclosed more than 500,000 documents after 185,000 man hours of work.

The total cost was over £65m, he writes.

The comments will be seen as an attempt by the media mogul to dampen criticism of News Corp just weeks after the company’s faster-growing entertainment assets were split from its newspaper and publishing businesses and shortly before the trials of former News International journalists and editors begin.

Mr Murdoch has agreed to appear before the culture, media and sport select committee this year.

CHARLES BARKLEY: Well, I agreed with the verdict

CHARLES BARKLEY: Well, I agreed with the verdict. I feel sorry that young kid got killed. But they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night. Clearly something went wrong. I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened that changed the dynamic of that night, and I know -- that's probably not a popular opinion among most people but just looking at the evidence I agreed with the verdict.

I just feel bad because I don't like when race gets out in the media because I don't think the media has a pure heart, as I call it. There are very few people have a pure heart when it comes to race. Racism is wrong in any, shape, form -- a lot of black people are racist too. I think sometimes when people talk about racism, they say only white people are racist. There are a lot of black people who are racist. I don't like when it gets out there in the media because I don't think the media has clean hands.

MARIA BARTIROMO, CNBC: I'm glad you made that point.

BARKLEY: Obviously I feel sorry that young kid got killed but just judging by the evidence, I don't think that guy should have went to jail the rest of his life. Something happened bad that night, obviously.

BARTIROMO: I like what the juror said, they both should have walked away. And if there is a shadow of a doubt, there is a shadow of a doubt.

BARKLEY: And let me tell you, Mr. Zimmerman was wrong to pursue -- he was racial profiling. I think Trayvon Martin, God rest his soul, I think he did flip the switch and started beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman. But it was just a bad situation. And like I said, the main thing I feel bad for, it gives every black and white person who is racist a platform to vent their ignorance.

That's the thing that bothers me the most because I watched this trial closely and I watch all these people are television talking about it. A lot of people have a hidden agenda. You know, they want their racist views, whether they are white or black --

BARTIROMO: The bias comes out.

BARKLEY: The bias, it definitely comes out. It was a bad situation, we all lost. And I feel bad for his parents. You don't ever want to see anybody lose a kid. (CNBC Closing Bell, July 18, 2013)

CHARLES BARKLEY: Well, I agreed with the verdict. I feel sorry that young kid got killed. But they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night. Clearly something went wrong. I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened that changed the dynamic of that night, and I know -- that's probably not a popular opinion among most people but just looking at the evidence I agreed with the verdict.

I just feel bad because I don't like when race gets out in the media because I don't think the media has a pure heart, as I call it. There are very few people have a pure heart when it comes to race. Racism is wrong in any, shape, form -- a lot of black people are racist too. I think sometimes when people talk about racism, they say only white people are racist. There are a lot of black people who are racist. I don't like when it gets out there in the media because I don't think the media has clean hands.

MARIA BARTIROMO, CNBC: I'm glad you made that point.

BARKLEY: Obviously I feel sorry that young kid got killed but just judging by the evidence, I don't think that guy should have went to jail the rest of his life. Something happened bad that night, obviously.

BARTIROMO: I like what the juror said, they both should have walked away. And if there is a shadow of a doubt, there is a shadow of a doubt.

BARKLEY: And let me tell you, Mr. Zimmerman was wrong to pursue -- he was racial profiling. I think Trayvon Martin, God rest his soul, I think he did flip the switch and started beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman. But it was just a bad situation. And like I said, the main thing I feel bad for, it gives every black and white person who is racist a platform to vent their ignorance.

That's the thing that bothers me the most because I watched this trial closely and I watch all these people are television talking about it. A lot of people have a hidden agenda. You know, they want their racist views, whether they are white or black --

BARTIROMO: The bias comes out.

BARKLEY: The bias, it definitely comes out. It was a bad situation, we all lost. And I feel bad for his parents. You don't ever want to see anybody lose a kid. (CNBC Closing Bell, July 18, 2013)

Texas pumping more oil than some OPEC countries

Posted on July 10, 2013 at 6:00 pm by Simone SebastianinCrude oil, Production

We all know oil production in Texas has soared in recent years. But putting the rise in graphic form shows just how phenomenal the energy turnaround has been: The surge looks exponential.

In March, Texas oil production reached its highest level since 1984. That month, the Lone Star State pumped more than 74 million barrels of crude from the ground, which means if Texas were a country, it would be one of the 15 largest oil producers in the world.

Saudi Texas: Oil’s new reign in Texas draws comparisons to the Kingdom

Texas’ oil output has doubled in less than three years, putting it in the ranks of OPEC heavy-hitters like Venezuela, Kuwait and Nigeria.

The oil boom has created housing shortages across Texas and New Mexico. And one developer wants to capitalize on the surge by erecting Texas’ sixth tallest skyscraper, which would be called Energy Tower, in a West Texas boomtown. It would be twice as tall as any nearby buildings in the town of 115,000 residents.

Texas shale: Eagle Ford’s April output rises 54%

Drilling activity suggests the boom will continue. There are 835 drilling rigs at work in Texas — about 25 percent of all rigs in the world, according to the latest Baker Hughes rig count.

As a whole, the United States produced 221 million barrels of crude in April, with more than a third coming from Texas. Including offshore oil (about 40 million barrels), more than half of U.S. crude came from Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.

Also on Fuelfix:

Egypt unrest: US to go ahead with F-16 jets delivery

It comes as Washington is continuing to evaluate last week's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the army.

The US is going ahead with plans to deliver four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt despite the political unrest in the country, senior American officials say.

US massive military aid to Cairo would have to be cut by law if the removal of the Islamist leader is determined by Washington to have been a coup.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which backs Mr Morsi, is demanding his reinstatement.

Its supporters have been staging mass protests near Cairo's barracks, where he is believed to be being held. On Monday, more than 50 Brotherhood loyalists were killed in clashes with the army.

The new authorities have not said where Mr Morsi it, but a foreign ministry spokesman said he was in a "safe place" and being treated in a "very dignified manner".

'In US interests'

The US officials say Washington will deliver four F-16 fighter jets in the next few weeks.

They are part of an already agreed bigger order of 20 planes - eight of which were sent to Egypt in January. The final eight are expected to be shipped later this year.

White House spokesman Jay Carney on Wednesday reiterated that it would not be "in the best interests of the United States to make immediate changes to our assistance programmes".

He added that the administration would take its time to consider the implications of removing Mr Morsi from power.

US military aid to Egypt is estimated to be $1.3bn (£860m) each year.

President Barack Obama has been careful not to use the word "coup" in relation to events in Egypt, the BBC's Katy Watson in Washington reports, as doing so would trigger the legal requirement to cut off aid.

'Strong condemnation'

On Wednesday, arrest warrants were issued for the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and nine other senior figures in the movement.

They are charged with inciting Monday's deadly violence in the capital, in which more than 50 Brotherhood supporters, a soldier and two policemen died.

The Brotherhood says the army fired on peaceful demonstrators and it is accusing the interim authorities of a cover up. The military, however, say soldiers acted in self-defence after being attacked by armed assailants.

Many Brotherhood members are already in detention and warrants are said to have been issued for hundreds more.

Lyse Doucet asks whether Ramadan will effect the Egyptian crisis

Correspondents say the new warrants could scupper any attempts to persuade the Brotherhood - banned for decades under former President Hosni Mubarak - to participate in the transitional political process.

The timetable for new elections was announced in a constitutional declaration by interim President Adly Mansour on Monday evening. It laid out plans to set up a panel to amend the suspended constitution within 15 days.

The changes would then be put to a referendum - to be organised within four months - which would pave the way for parliamentary elections, possibly in early 2014.

Once the new parliament convenes, elections would be called to appoint a new president.

The Brotherhood has rejected the transition plan and its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), has said it will turn down a post in the cabinet being formed by the interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi. Mr Beblawi said on Thursday that he had not ruled out offering posts to the FJP.

"I don't look at political association," he told the AFP news agency.

"I'm taking two criteria for the next government. Efficiency and credibility."

The main liberal opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF), and the grassroots Tamarod protest movement, which co-ordinated the anti-Morsi protests, said they were not consulted on the decree and have concerns about it.