Social media news and TV – Current.com Blog – Your guide to Current

Yesterday we introduced a new experiment on Current.com called Developing Stories. As expected, there has been some confusion around the concept, but we’re working to clear things up as we go, after all it’s an experiment. Ed. Note — If you’ve already read our intro post, please re-read it as it’s been updated with information about pitching stories for consideration as Developing Stories. Thanks!

Our first ever Developing Story came from current89 titled, “House Dems set for health care vote: AARP to endorse bill.”

This morning, we have our first scoop. WakeUpPeople posted a story titled, “Bachmann calls on protestors to use scare tactics against Congress.” This was considered a scoop because it’s a new development in the health care reform bill story, so current89’s story has been removed from featuring on the Current.com homepage, removed from the Current Developing Stories group, and placed in the Developing Stories Archives. Also note, both of these stories have been connected via links in their comments.

It will be interesting to see how this develops going forward. Kudos to both current89 and WakeUpPeople for getting Developing Stories off and running!

Got a scoop? Want to suggest a story for development? Here’s how!

If you want to get your story on our radar for consideration, please tag it with “Current Developing Stories” when you submit to Current.com. PLEASE NOTE: Tagging is not the same as adding to a group. The “Current Developing Stories” is a CLOSED group managed by the editors, so you will not be able to add stories there. Tagging, however, will allow you to be seen by our editors we will monitor that tag for potential stories to develop.

The first half of the day is coming to a close, but before you run off to grab lunch take a look at a few of the recently featured stories on Current.com.

On matters of health care, filmmaker/documentarian Michael Moore advises Democrats to “find your spine.” He directed this at the Democrats in Congress that he feels have been “dogging” the health care debate. What’s your take? Join the conversation here.

Hot on the heels of the U.S. being called ‘climate illiterate’, we’re learning that even more utility companies are backing out of the U.S. Chamber of Congress as the global warming legislation debate continues to heat up in Congress.

The defections began when PG&E Chairman and CEO Peter Darbee sent a sharply worded two-page letter outlining why the privately owned utility, which provides gas and electricity to 15 million customers from Eureka to Bakersfield, is pulling out of the chamber, which represents 3 million large and small businesses across the country and has one of the most powerful lobbying operations in Washington.

Darbee, who has invited leading climate scientists to meet with PG&E’s board of directors in recent years, was particularly alarmed that the chamber recently requested a public “trial” to weigh the scientific evidence that global warming endangers human health.

“We find it dismaying that the Chamber neglects the indisputable fact that a decisive majority of experts have said the data on global warming are compelling and point to a threat that cannot be ignored,” Darbee wrote. “In our view, an intellectually honest argument over the best policy response to the challenges of climate change is one thing; disingenuous attempts to diminish or distort the reality of these challenges are quite another.”

Weigh in on this story here

The Washington Times has revealed that employee porn surfing is apparently out of control at the National Science Foundation. Here’s what you need to know:

1. 6 out of 10 misconduct cases involve online pornography.
2. One Sr. Exec was found to have spent 331 days either viewing porn, or participating in XXX webchats with women via his computer.
3. The NSF received $6 billion in taxpayer funding in 2008.

Feel like chiming in about this? You can join the conversation on Current.com by clicking here.

A pretty nice list for today’s top 5 on current, so curl up to your lunch (or mid-afternoon snack if you’re on the East Coast), and give these stories a look. I’ve even included a bonus for those of you who make it all the way to #5.

1. The “Climate Illiterate” US could hurt Copenhagen deal, says expert

   Even with growing awareness around climate change, the US trails in awareness on a global scale. It looks like this may end up costing us:

   “Nobody should dream of the possibility that numbers and targets for countries will be sealed in Copenhagen,” said Schellnhuber, one of the world’s foremost climate scientists. “If the US doesn’t move then nothing will happen.”

   He added: “The US in a sense is climate illiterate. It is a deeper problem in the US, if you look at global polls about what the public knows about climate change. Even in Brazil and China, you have more people who know the problem, who think that deep cuts in emissions are needed.”

   Read more here.

2. Kenya’s heart stops pumping
   

   High in the hills of Kenya’s Mau forest, some 20,000 families are facing eviction from their farms – accused of contributing to an ecological disaster which has crippled the country.

   The authorities are to start the process of removing them any day now. Farmers will be asked to surrender their title deeds for inspection.

   If their documents are genuine, they have a chance of being resettled or compensated.

   If not, they will simply be told to go.

   “We are afraid. Not only me, but all of us here,” says Kipkorir Ngeno, a teacher and father of six, from a village known as “Sierra Leone”.

   “They call us squatters – a very bad name. But this is my land. It is not illegal.”

   Read more here.

   Also, Vanguard’s Mariana van Zeller has reported from Sierra Leone several times before, covering cursed diamonds, the traditions of female circumcision, and recovering war-wounded amputees.

3. Drunk soldiers killing demonstrators in Guinea

   Andrew Fitzgerald, online producer for Current News, posted on the blog about this disturbing story from Guinea about pro-democracy demonstrators who were killed in the streets by soldiers. He’s busy gathering more information on this story as it develops, and plans to have raw video footage up this afternoon.If you have anything to contribute, or just want to comment, please head over here.

4. 22 Misspelled Political Signs

   Political signs seem to be frequently accompanied by misspellings and grammar mistakes. My theory is that people get so excited about expressing themselves that they overlook the simple gaffes made in their haste. Or, perhaps our illiteracy extends beyond mere climate change awareness.Read more here.

5. Secret Service investigating Facebook poll on “Killing Obama”

   Facebook was the center of a stir yesterday when a user posted a poll asking other Facebook users, “Should Obama be killed?” The shocker is that 5% of the respondents actually said “yes” in response, before Facebook disabled the application used to create the poll. Now we are learning that the U.S. Secret Service is launching an investigation into the matter, in partnership with Facebook.Read more here.

   BONUS ROUND

6. First Listen: Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack

   Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the altered-for-the-trailer version of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” is going to be included on the soundtrack. Thanks for pointing this out, richjm.

Judging by how well this McCarthyism mash-up (via The Huffington Post and comprised of McCarthy-era footage and claims that Obama and company are a band of Communists from the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh) plays, I’d say we’re a stone’s throw away from Congressional hearings.

Don’t think so? At around the 6:05 mark, footage taken from the Chris Matthews helmed Hardball (from last October) features Congresswoman Michele Bachmann laying out what she would like to see occur:

“What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look, I wish they would, I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and take a look at whether they are pro-America, or anti-America. I think people would love to see an expose like that.”

Here’s the full clip:

What do you think? Are we embroiled in a new era of modern day McCarthyism? Leave your thoughts on this thread.