Newspaper & online reporters and analysts explore the cultural and news stories of the week, with photos frequently added by Esco20, and reveal their significance (with a slant towards Esco 20's opinions)
September 19, 2014
SCOTLAND VOTES: LET'S STAY TOGETHER/ CHRISTIE ESCAPES BLAME (SO FAR)
Read it at BBC
Scottish voters turned out in record numbers to decide whether to sever their 307-year-old union with England, and in the end decided in a close vote to stay in the United Kingdom. Turnout for the referendum was as high as 91 percent in some constituencies as the no vote prevailed 55 percent to 45 percent.
Early results consistently gave the no vote a lead of between a few thousand and as many as 15,000 votes, although a few important cities, such as Dundee, voted yes. early. At one point the nationwide margin was a razor-thin 50.9 no, 49.1 yes. By the time the counting reached the halfway point, 16 of 32 constituencies, the margin stood at 56-44 in favor of staying. Results from the biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, did not come in until about 5 a.m. local time. As far as Scotland's biggest cities, 53 percent of Glasgwegians voted to quit the union, while 61 percent of Edinburgh residents voted no.
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Read it at NBC New York
After nine months of investigating Chris Christie’s role in the “Bridgegate” scandal, the Justice Department has so far found no information that the New Jersey governor knew in advance or directed the closing of traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge, NBC 4 New York reports in a story quoting federal officials.
The officials said the probe is continuing and that no final determination has been made. Christie has maintained that he did not direct underlings to close lanes on the bridge in September 2013. A Christie staff member and Christie political appointees worked together to create traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey. They allegedly did so to punish Fort Lee’s mayor for not endorsing Christie in last year’s gubernatorial election.