In direct conflict with these rumors is this week's statement by McCulloch that it could be several more weeks before the announcement.

ST. LOUIS -- Activists asked Wednesday for advance notice before prosecutors announce whether a Ferguson police officer will face charges in the shooting death of Michael Brown, saying they can help prevent widespread violence if they have 48 hours to prepare for protests.
...
The grand jury was expected to hear evidence in Brown's case until mid-November, but McCulloch said Tuesday night that its work could continue for several more weeks. link

I really hate the implication that somehow urban issues are "elitist - we think we know better" and rural issues are somehow more pure/honest/noble/whatever.  Especially when three examples brought up for ways that urban people dominate the conversation/political environment were - guns, corn, and the gas tax.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't think there's anything particularly elitist about not wanting to get shot when you're walking down the street.  Also, there is no way anyone can say with a straight face that urban voters/opinions on gun control have any impact whatsoever on gun policy in this country right now.  This is one clear example where rural/suburban voters have won.  And yes, I'm a little annoyed at the complete lack of empathy for people who live in high-crime areas.  Horrible, and frankly, offensive example given the crime rate and abundance of guns in this country.  But maybe I'm just upset because once again I heard gunshots from my "elite-urban" apartment last night.  I don't care if you want to hunt, be my guest.  I enjoy shooting occasionally.  I still think it's not asking too much for a freaking background check.

No one hates corn.  At best, you can say that no one cares about corn.  But I've never heard anyone say anything negative about corn.  It's freaking corn.  This is a non-issue for urban people.  So no, we probably don't care about it as much as a rural person, but we're not actively doing anything against it either.  We don't spend any political energy fighting corn, I don't even know what that means.

Gas tax - ahhh yes.  The gas tax, that elitist idea that you actually have to pay for the infrastructure you build.  It's not easy for anyone - people who live in cities aren't all rich.  Most of us aren't.  Sure, we might have better public transit options, but many of us still drive and it still sucks to pay a lot for gas.  But guess what?  We all need roads and money doesn't grow on trees.  As it is, we have some of the cheapest gas in the world and our bridges and roads are falling apart.  Personally, I'd gladly pay a slightly higher gas tax so I don't end up on a bridge while it fails, killing everyone.  But I guess that's just lil' old elitist me.

Mostly, I'm really sick of the implication that everyone who lives in a city is rich (elitist).  That is not the world I've ever lived in.  New York City is a lot bigger than Manhattan.  There's nothing elite about urban poverty.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, FMR. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're not race blind. Of course we have racial tensions. The United States has made enormous progress in race relations and it is the best place on earth to be a minority. The idea that you would play such a card and try fear mongering among minorities just because you disagree with Republicans, that they're somehow all racist - I find it appalling, I find it insulting and as a Republican black woman from the south - I would say really? Is that really the argument you're going to make in 2014?

RICE: First of all, does it mean you're not acting black if you speak well and are interested in progress? What are we doing to our kids if we tell them their ethnic identity has to make them unsuccessful? That to me is a racist thing to say. I've been asked many times myself and I say, I've been black all my life, you don't have to tell me how to be black. In my mind, the greatest thing about the US is you can be of any color, ethnic group, nationality, religion and you can have dreams and aspirations that are your own and pursue them. That's what this country is all about

I like Condi get tired of the race argument in politics.

Raise your hand if you think this bodes well for governing.

 - from the above article:

Authorities say that they were able to arrest Benthall after an undercover Homeland Security agent was able to gain the trust of Silk Road 2.0′s administrators and received access to "private, restricted areas" of the site reserved for its leaders. Through that operation, the agent said he was able to interact directly with Defcon.

It seems that the sanctions against Russia by the gummint are having a negative impact on American businesses in Russia.

I would guess that the Repubs would be gung-ho for sanctions, but if that's really not too good for business....

What will they do?
What will they do?

Sharyl Attkisson refused to answer questions from Politico about the inconsistencies in her story of alleged government hacking into her computer. Instead, she once again lashed out at Media Matters.

In a Huffington Post interview yesterday, Attkisson changed her story about an alleged intrusion into her laptop computer. In her book Stonewalled, Attkisson wrote that an anonymous source had given her the identity of the person who had hacked into her computer. But while speaking to Huffington Post, Attkisson said she didn't know who the hacker may have been, but "I just know that there's some government tie."

When Politico reporter Dylan Byers asked Attkisson about these inconsistencies, she refused to address them. Instead, she told Politico that "I am not reading Media Matters and would caution that they are an unreliable, partisan, vested 'source' that in the past has produced much incorrect and distorted information."

She added, "I continue to be surprised that anyone treats them as a credible source--while never seeming to seriously address allegations from it's right wing counterparts. The media's disparate treatment of the two politically-motivated groups is addressed in stonewalled. So, in short, Media Matters is a proven, unreliable, partisan source."

Media Matters previously consulted with security experts about a video released by Attkisson showing evidence of purported "hacking," and they concluded it was more likely that the backspace key was stuck on her device.

The attack on Media Matters follows her pattern of claiming - without evidence or substantiation - that Media Matters has gotten reporting on her wrong. Similarly, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Attkisson said "I actually read little to zero of what [Media Matters] write[s]," but again claimed "they have definitely said many, many, false things."

Think this is why the American people don't "feel" the good news the numbers say they should.

I don't think this is all Obama's fault other then to say the policies of the past aren't going to work with tomorrow's economy.

We need something different to spur new job growth that isn't low paying and part time.

Mr. Todd dissects "the promise versus the reality of Obama" and concludes that he will be regarded, at least in the near future, as "a president whose potential wasn't realized." He writes that "income inequality is worse than ever," that the Middle East could well be "more unstable when Obama leaves office than when he took it," and that while he "wanted to soar above partisanship," his tenure in office will likely "be remembered as a nadir of partisan relations."

and this:

what critics see as Mr. Obama's passive leadership and lack of managerial experience; his disdain for, but inability to change, politics as usual in Washington; and his reluctance to reach out to Congress and members of both parties to engage in the sort of forceful horse trading (like Lyndon B. Johnson's) and dogged retail politics (like Bill Clinton's) that might have helped forge more legislative deals and build public consensus.

Nothing to see hear only republicans can be racist you know. - Slado