Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is being challenged by Democrats on one of his top priorities -- protecting makers of the gasoline additive MTBE from liability lawsuits, an issue that blocked energy legislation two years ago.
A draft Republican energy bill would protect MTBE makers, including several major oil and refinery companies in Texas, from lawsuits that contend the manufacturers knew the additive would contaminate drinking water, but pushed to have it widely used anyway.
DeLay, joined by Rep. Joe Barton, a fellow Texas Republican, has been the primary force behind the MTBE provision. It cleared the House two years ago, but prompted such an uproar in the Senate that it scuttled a massive energy bill that was nearing approval.
Democrats said they will try on Wednesday to strip the MTBE provision from a revised energy bill being worked on by Barton's Energy and Commerce Committee. Supporters of the measure said they are confident they can beat back the challenge.
From Answers.com:
Opponents of MTBE note that as an ether, MTBE has a chemical attraction to the water molecule and increases the solubility of other, harmful components of gasoline. Because of this, MTBE often ends up in drinking water, especially in cases where oil storage tanks leak near populated areas, and may make contamination by other compounds more likely. MTBE biodegrades very slowly, remaining in water for decades or more. The oil industry did not test MTBE for its effects on human health before approving it as an additive, as the EPA did not require such tests.
Advocates of MTBE use, such as the oil industry, contend that there are no harmful effects of MTBE in humans. They note that there are no reported cases of a person becoming sick from MTBE in drinking water. Although MTBE has been labelled a "potential human carcinogen" by the Environmental Protection Agency, no carcinogenic properties have been confirmed. Advocates also say that gasoline manufacturers have been forced to add MTBE to gasoline by law.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
UFCW Accuses WalMart of Bribery to Stop Unions
The union said its complaint, filed on Tuesday, asks the NLRB to "aggressively investigate whether Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart bribed employees to suppress worker support for union representation."
The complaint comes after The Wall Street Journal reported last week that former Wal-Mart Vice Chairman Tom Coughlin may have used undocumented expense payments to pay for anti-union activities, including paying union staffers to tell him of pro-union workers in stores.
"Wal-Mart's actions seemingly involved the criminal misappropriation of company funds to create an illegal anti-union slush fund," the union said in a statement.
GOP Reject $2 Billion for Veterans Hospitals
Republicans on Tuesday beat back a Democratic attempt to provide almost $2 billion in additional health care funding for veterans, rejecting claims that Veterans Affairs hospitals are in crisis.
The proposal was part of an $80.6 billion emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other costs. The bill would give President Bush slightly less than the $82 billion he sought. It is also less than the $81.4 billion approved by the House.
The Senate's Republican leaders hoped to have the bill approved by the end of the week and ready for Bush's signature by the end of the month. But the timing of the bill has become uncertain, with Senate leaders dealing with stacks of amendments and a possible battle over immigration restrictions.
The proposal was part of an $80.6 billion emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other costs. The bill would give President Bush slightly less than the $82 billion he sought. It is also less than the $81.4 billion approved by the House.
The Senate's Republican leaders hoped to have the bill approved by the end of the week and ready for Bush's signature by the end of the month. But the timing of the bill has become uncertain, with Senate leaders dealing with stacks of amendments and a possible battle over immigration restrictions.
The Onion: Cost of Living Now Outweighs Benfits
"This is sobering news," said study director Jack Farness. "For the first time, we have statistical evidence of what we've suspected for the past 40 years: Life really isn't worth living."
To arrive at their conclusions, study directors first identified the average yearly costs and benefits of life. Tangible benefits such as median income ($43,000) were weighed against such tangible costs as home-ownership ($18,000). Next, scientists assigned a financial value to intangibles such as finding inner peace ($15,000), establishing emotional closeness with family members ($3,000), and brief moments of joy ($5 each). Taken together, the study results indicate that "it is unwise to go on living."
Pandemic-causing 'Asian flu' accidentally released
The virus that caused the 1957 “Asian flu” pandemic has been accidentally released by a lab in the US, and sent all over the world in test kits which scientists are now scrambling to destroy.
There are fears the virus could escape the labs, as the mistake was discovered after the virus escaped from a kit at a high-containment lab in Canada. Such an escape could spread worldwide, as demonstrated in Russia in the 1970s.
The Eye Ball R1 for a 360-degree view of the crime scene
The Eye Ball R1, a wireless camera and microphone in a baseball-sized casing, can be tossed into a crime scene to give police watching a TV screen embedded in a handheld a 360-degree view of what the bad guys are up to.
Buzztracker
The Buzztracker software has been mining Google News (only English-language news sources) for over a year and keeping track of relationships between geographic locations mentioned in articles and draw maps that actually seem to reflect the "buzz" of the day. You can also dig down into the articles from which the maps were generated, add it to your website and get the RSS feed.
NASA Scientists speculate that a star explosion may have caused the Ordovician extinction 450 million years ago
The scientists calculated that gamma-ray radiation from a relatively nearby star explosion, hitting the Earth for only ten seconds, could deplete up to half of the atmosphere's protective ozone layer. Recovery could take at least five years. With the ozone layer damaged, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun could kill much of the life on land and near the surface of oceans and lakes, and disrupt the food chain.
Sharon urges Bush to pressure Iran on nuclear program
Spreading photographs of Iranian nuclear sites over a lunch table at the Bush ranch in Texas on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urged President Bush to step up pressure on Iran to give up all elements of its nuclear program, according to senior U.S. and Israeli officials.
Sharon said Israeli intelligence showed that Iran was near "a point of no return," according to the officials. Sharon gave no indication that Israel was preparing to act alone to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, a prospect that Vice President Dick Cheney, who was at the lunch, raised publicly three months ago.
In a conversation that lasted for more than an hour, however, Sharon argued that European nations now negotiating with Iran were softening their position and were willing to allow Iran to hold on to technology to enrich uranium.
U.S. officials said the evidence that Sharon presented, which included aerial photographs of some Iranian sites, was neither startling nor new to Bush. But they said the prime minister was clearly pressuring Bush not to allow the European negotiations with Iran to drag on.
Sharon said Israeli intelligence showed that Iran was near "a point of no return," according to the officials. Sharon gave no indication that Israel was preparing to act alone to attack Iranian nuclear facilities, a prospect that Vice President Dick Cheney, who was at the lunch, raised publicly three months ago.
In a conversation that lasted for more than an hour, however, Sharon argued that European nations now negotiating with Iran were softening their position and were willing to allow Iran to hold on to technology to enrich uranium.
U.S. officials said the evidence that Sharon presented, which included aerial photographs of some Iranian sites, was neither startling nor new to Bush. But they said the prime minister was clearly pressuring Bush not to allow the European negotiations with Iran to drag on.
Aljazeera: Israel Claims Photos Show Iran Nuclear Weapons SIte
Ariel Sharon’s military adviser General Yoav Gallan has reportedly handed Bush documents and aerial photos of Iranian nuclear installations during the Israeli prime minister’s Monday meeting with the U.S. President George W. Bush, Israeli public radio reported on Tuesday.
Gallan, who accompanied Sharon in his summit with Bush at his Texas ranch, presented the photos together with information the Israeli intelligence services gathered on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, the Israeli radio added, without mentioning how the photos were taken. It just said that the images showed that the Iranian nuclear programme was at a “very advanced” stage.
Gallan, who accompanied Sharon in his summit with Bush at his Texas ranch, presented the photos together with information the Israeli intelligence services gathered on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme, the Israeli radio added, without mentioning how the photos were taken. It just said that the images showed that the Iranian nuclear programme was at a “very advanced” stage.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
False Signatures Aided Fannie Mae Bonuses, Falcon Says
Armando Falcon Jr., director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, said the entries were related to the movement of $200 million in expenses from 1998 to later periods. The result of the changes was an increase in Fannie Mae's 1998 earnings per share and the release of a $27.1 million bonus pool for senior executives.
Bush Seeks to Overturn Army Panel Ruling
At the heart of the legal battle is the fact that President Bush has declared international treaty protections do not apply to Salim Ahmed Hamdan and all others deemed by the U.S. government to be linked to al-Qaida.
The judge's decision five months ago halted the trial of Hamdan, who joined forces with Osama bin Laden in 1996, the government says, serving as his personal driver and delivering weapons and ammunition to al-Qaida.
Hamdan's lawyers say he is an innocent civilian who was not part of al-Qaida and whose only crime was working for a very bad employer. A driver and mechanic with a fourth-grade education, Hamdan left his home country of Yemen to find a better job, his lawyers say, and he was captured by bounty hunters in Afghanistan, sold to the Americans and shipped to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Now Hamdan would be barred from part of his trial, while the government presents classified evidence that only his attorneys would be allowed to see. The government says national security necessitates the step, leading to the judge's ruling that the Bush administration's military commissions are unlawful.
RIAA Sues 400+ College Students
The students from 18 different universities around the nation were using the high-speed Internet2 research network to trade copyrighted music, according to officials. The organization plans to file the lawsuits Wednesday.
The music industry organization said it also has evidence of copyright infringement at another 140 schools in 41 states. Officials said letters have been sent to each of those schools alerting them to the illegal activities.
"This next generation of the Internet is an extraordinarily exciting tool for researchers, technologists and many others with valuable legitimate uses," Cary Sherman, RIAA president, said in a statement. "Yet, we cannot let this high-speed network become a zone of lawlessness where the normal rules don't apply."
Internet2 is a consortium of more than 300 U.S. universities, businesses and the government to develop and deploy advanced networking applications and technologies, such as IPv6 and multicasting.
PTSD and Civilian Deaths
"I was in the infantry; my job was to fight," Jones said. "We had a lot of casualties. I had to pick up several of my friends piece by piece. I had to kill women, children, old men - everyone."
Since returning back to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Getting help from the Marion VA, however, has been difficult he said. Jones refuses to take medications for his condition, but the wait to see a VA counselor can take up to three months.
"I haven't had a chance for therapy," Jones said.
Jones said most all of his buddies are also experiencing the same struggles.
According to a study published in July 2004 in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in five veterans is returning home from the Middle East with PTSD. A report released in September by the Government Accountability Office estimates the VA is treating up to 244,000 patients suffering with PTSD. Officials at six of the seven VA facilities visited by the GAO reported they may not be able to meet the increased demand for PTSD services caused by the war in Iraq.
Since returning back to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Getting help from the Marion VA, however, has been difficult he said. Jones refuses to take medications for his condition, but the wait to see a VA counselor can take up to three months.
"I haven't had a chance for therapy," Jones said.
Jones said most all of his buddies are also experiencing the same struggles.
According to a study published in July 2004 in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in five veterans is returning home from the Middle East with PTSD. A report released in September by the Government Accountability Office estimates the VA is treating up to 244,000 patients suffering with PTSD. Officials at six of the seven VA facilities visited by the GAO reported they may not be able to meet the increased demand for PTSD services caused by the war in Iraq.
CNN's New Boss: Progressives "Don't Get Too Worked up About Anything"
Over the years, media owners and editors have come up with different explanations for the lack of left or progressive voices across the media landscape. We're told those ideas are unpopular with the public, for example, or that leftists aren't as engaging or likeable as, say, Sean Hannity.
The new CNN President Jonathan Klein offered another theory during an appearance on PBS's Charlie Rose Show on March 25: Progressives aren't angry enough. When Rose asked if there could ever be a successful progressive version of Fox News Channel, Klein thought not. He explained that while Fox was tapping into a brand of "mostly angry white men" conservatism, "a quote/unquote, 'progressive' or liberal network probably couldn't reach the same sort of an audience, because liberals tend to like to sample a lot of opinions. They pride themselves on that. And you know, they don't get too worked up about anything. And they're pretty morally relativistic. And so, you know, they allow for a lot of that stuff."
Does Klein really think progressives don't get too worked up about anything? If he does, that might be because he's watching too much CNN, where centrists are often booked to stand in for bona fide progressives. (See "I'm Not a Leftist, But I Play One on TV,"Extra!, 9-10/04.)
The new CNN President Jonathan Klein offered another theory during an appearance on PBS's Charlie Rose Show on March 25: Progressives aren't angry enough. When Rose asked if there could ever be a successful progressive version of Fox News Channel, Klein thought not. He explained that while Fox was tapping into a brand of "mostly angry white men" conservatism, "a quote/unquote, 'progressive' or liberal network probably couldn't reach the same sort of an audience, because liberals tend to like to sample a lot of opinions. They pride themselves on that. And you know, they don't get too worked up about anything. And they're pretty morally relativistic. And so, you know, they allow for a lot of that stuff."
Does Klein really think progressives don't get too worked up about anything? If he does, that might be because he's watching too much CNN, where centrists are often booked to stand in for bona fide progressives. (See "I'm Not a Leftist, But I Play One on TV,"Extra!, 9-10/04.)
OTM: Philadelphia Seeks Wireless Internet for Whole City
If all goes according to plan, the summer of 2006 will see Philadelphia launch the United States' first city entirely accessible to wireless internet. The service will blanket Philadelphia's 135 miles, so that any Philadelphian will be able to get on line, and with the costs subsidized, the mayor says every citizen will be able to afford it. The city first decided to take on the project when it found internet providers ignoring low income neighborhoods, and those same internet providers have tried to block the plan, by legally challenging the city's right to make wireless internet access just another public utility. Dianah Neff is the chief information officer for the City of Philadelphia.
Over 1 Million Troops Fought Since 9/11
Three and a half years have passed since U.S. bombs started falling in Afghanistan, and ever since then, the U.S. military has been engaged in combat overseas. What most Americans are probably unaware of, however, is just how many American soldiers have been deployed. Well over 1 million U.S. troops have fought in the wars since Sept. 11, 2001, according to Pentagon data released to Salon. As of Jan. 31, 2005, the exact figure was 1,048,884, approximately one-third the number of troops ever stationed in or around Vietnam during 15 years of that conflict.
More surprising is the number of troops who have gone to war since 9/11, come back home, and then were redeployed to the battle zone. Of all the troops ever sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, one-third have gone more than once, according to the Pentagon. In the regular Army, 63 percent of the soldiers have been to war at least one time, and almost 40 percent of those soldiers have gone back. The highest rate of first-time deployments belongs to the Marine Corps Reserve: Almost 90 percent have fought.
The data sheds new light on how all-consuming the post-9/11 wars have been for the U.S. military, and suggests a particular strain on U.S. ground forces. An increasing number of military experts believe those forces -- the Army and Marines -- are months away from being overtaxed to the point of serious dysfunction. The situation in Iraq must continue to stabilize. If it doesn't, and the Bush administration continues to both reject the idea of a draft and rebuff efforts to permanently increase the size of the Army and Marines, U.S. ground forces will break down to a point not seen since just after Vietnam.
More surprising is the number of troops who have gone to war since 9/11, come back home, and then were redeployed to the battle zone. Of all the troops ever sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, one-third have gone more than once, according to the Pentagon. In the regular Army, 63 percent of the soldiers have been to war at least one time, and almost 40 percent of those soldiers have gone back. The highest rate of first-time deployments belongs to the Marine Corps Reserve: Almost 90 percent have fought.
The data sheds new light on how all-consuming the post-9/11 wars have been for the U.S. military, and suggests a particular strain on U.S. ground forces. An increasing number of military experts believe those forces -- the Army and Marines -- are months away from being overtaxed to the point of serious dysfunction. The situation in Iraq must continue to stabilize. If it doesn't, and the Bush administration continues to both reject the idea of a draft and rebuff efforts to permanently increase the size of the Army and Marines, U.S. ground forces will break down to a point not seen since just after Vietnam.
The Portable People Meter (Sure Looks Strange to Me)
According to a story in this Sunday's New York Times magazine, Nielsen's competitor, Arbitron, will soon be testing a brand new audience measurement device called the Portable People Meter. It's a plastic box the size of a pager that volunteers will wear throughout their waking hours and that will eventually record virtually all their media consumption. Jon Gertner, who wrote the Times story, says the small box is putting big smiles on the faces of advertisers who, of course, largely determine what gets produced on television in the first place. Traditional Nielsen data, says Gertner, has simply not kept up with the ever-expanding TV universe.
...JON GERTNER: The engineers at Arbitron began with a couple of military contractors and some other academic advisors to look at this idea called psychoacoustic masking. Psychoacoustic masking places an electronic digital code just beneath the frequency of the sound we hear. The engineers at Arbitron hope that, by getting every channel, whether it be television or radio, in the country, to code their broadcasts with this kind of digital repeating code, their portable people meter could then pick up the code. The CEO of Arbitron believes that eventually all media with sound will be encoded. That includes DVDs, video games, supermarket muzak, anything you can think of, really.
...JON GERTNER: The engineers at Arbitron began with a couple of military contractors and some other academic advisors to look at this idea called psychoacoustic masking. Psychoacoustic masking places an electronic digital code just beneath the frequency of the sound we hear. The engineers at Arbitron hope that, by getting every channel, whether it be television or radio, in the country, to code their broadcasts with this kind of digital repeating code, their portable people meter could then pick up the code. The CEO of Arbitron believes that eventually all media with sound will be encoded. That includes DVDs, video games, supermarket muzak, anything you can think of, really.
OTM: Branded News - New and Improved VNR's
"Well, basically, a VNR or video news release was just like a press release. It was a well put together PR message, you know, highly produced by a VNR company that was distributed to stations, and they chose whether to air it or not or air it in its entirety or not. What's going on now is these companies are actually going out and securing time, actually buying the time, to make sure that message runs intact, exactly the way the marketer or the corporation intended it. And most importantly, they can plan and buy the audiences they want, much like Madison Avenue can, and they can actually figure out what demographic, what type of person, consumes this media and they can control it."
OTM Interviews Scientific American Editor on Prank
BROOKE GLADSTONE: But do you think that the media have been complicit, by presenting established scientific doctrine as a he said/she said argument that requires balanced reporting on both sides?
JOHN RENNIE: There's nothing wrong with balance in principle. Balance is a very important thing to have in stories, in the same way that you want to have fairness, and - heaven forbid - accuracy. On lots of issues, it's very hard to know where the ultimate truth lies. So the best you can do is present lots of different views and leave it to the - your, your audience to try to piece together the truth for themselves. But on some scientific issues, that's really not the best you can do. Sometimes, for example, in the case of evolution versus creationism, on one side you have the entire mass of the biology community; you have tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles; you have masses of experiments going back more than a century and a half at this point - all of which have fit together to paint a picture of, of how very, very true evolution is. And on the other side, you have people who present no real evidence, yet still claim that their idea is just as good as evolution, and therefore they deserve equal time.
JOHN RENNIE: There's nothing wrong with balance in principle. Balance is a very important thing to have in stories, in the same way that you want to have fairness, and - heaven forbid - accuracy. On lots of issues, it's very hard to know where the ultimate truth lies. So the best you can do is present lots of different views and leave it to the - your, your audience to try to piece together the truth for themselves. But on some scientific issues, that's really not the best you can do. Sometimes, for example, in the case of evolution versus creationism, on one side you have the entire mass of the biology community; you have tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles; you have masses of experiments going back more than a century and a half at this point - all of which have fit together to paint a picture of, of how very, very true evolution is. And on the other side, you have people who present no real evidence, yet still claim that their idea is just as good as evolution, and therefore they deserve equal time.
Government Hires M&M's Marketer to Design Update on Food Pyramid
At a time when the government is increasing its use of public relations techniques to promote its agenda, its hiring a company with a stable of food industry clients to sell the national nutrition plan has some public health advocates concerned.
Government nutrition guidelines and the icon that illustrates them are more than keys to healthy eating. They can be powerful marketing tools for the food industry; a favorable nod toward one food group or another can result in millions of dollars in sales, food manufacturers say. They also influence federal food programs costing $46 billion a year, including food stamps and meals for schoolchildren.
Several former or current Porter Novelli clients offered formal comment on the guidelines and the new icon at government hearings last year. The Campbell Soup Company suggested that processed foods be given better standing than in the current pyramid. The Dole Food Company said fruits and vegetables should have a starring role.
And as soon as the guidelines were released in January, Porter Novelli account executives used them as a hook to promote client products like California almonds.
Government nutrition guidelines and the icon that illustrates them are more than keys to healthy eating. They can be powerful marketing tools for the food industry; a favorable nod toward one food group or another can result in millions of dollars in sales, food manufacturers say. They also influence federal food programs costing $46 billion a year, including food stamps and meals for schoolchildren.
Several former or current Porter Novelli clients offered formal comment on the guidelines and the new icon at government hearings last year. The Campbell Soup Company suggested that processed foods be given better standing than in the current pyramid. The Dole Food Company said fruits and vegetables should have a starring role.
And as soon as the guidelines were released in January, Porter Novelli account executives used them as a hook to promote client products like California almonds.
Man's Claims May Be a Look at Dark Side of War on Terror
Khaled el-Masri says his strange and violent trip into the void began with a bus ride on New Year's Eve 2003.
When he returned to this city five months later, his friends didn't believe the odyssey he recounted. Masri said he was kidnapped in Macedonia, beaten by masked men, blindfolded, injected with drugs and flown to Afghanistan, where he was imprisoned and interrogated by U.S. intelligence agents. He said he was finally dumped in the mountains of Albania.
"One person told me not to tell this story because it's so unreal, no one would listen," said Masri, a German citizen who was born in Lebanon.
A Munich prosecutor has launched an investigation and is intent on questioning U.S. officials about the unemployed car salesman's claim that he was wrongly targeted as an Islamic militant. Masri's story, if true, would offer a rare firsthand look at one man's disappearance into a hidden dimension of the Bush administration's war on terrorism.
When he returned to this city five months later, his friends didn't believe the odyssey he recounted. Masri said he was kidnapped in Macedonia, beaten by masked men, blindfolded, injected with drugs and flown to Afghanistan, where he was imprisoned and interrogated by U.S. intelligence agents. He said he was finally dumped in the mountains of Albania.
"One person told me not to tell this story because it's so unreal, no one would listen," said Masri, a German citizen who was born in Lebanon.
A Munich prosecutor has launched an investigation and is intent on questioning U.S. officials about the unemployed car salesman's claim that he was wrongly targeted as an Islamic militant. Masri's story, if true, would offer a rare firsthand look at one man's disappearance into a hidden dimension of the Bush administration's war on terrorism.
Idaho: HCR029 Napoleon Dynamite Bill
WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!"
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we commend Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for showcasing the positive aspects of Idaho's youth, rural culture, education system, athletics, economic prosperity and diversity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Idaho, advocate always following your heart, and thus we eagerly await the next cinematic undertaking of Idaho's Hess family.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Jared and Jerusha Hess, the Mayor of the City of Preston and the Principal of Preston High School.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we commend Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for showcasing the positive aspects of Idaho's youth, rural culture, education system, athletics, economic prosperity and diversity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Idaho, advocate always following your heart, and thus we eagerly await the next cinematic undertaking of Idaho's Hess family.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Jared and Jerusha Hess, the Mayor of the City of Preston and the Principal of Preston High School.
Journalist Freed from House Arrest
Jim Taricani, a television journalist for an NBC station, was freed last weekend after four months of house arrest for refusing to reveal his sources. And Judith Miller of this newspaper and Matthew Cooper of Time magazine have been ordered to jail for up to 18 months for protecting their sources, although they remain free until their appeals run out.
In short, the climate for freedom of the press in the U.S. feels more ominous than it has for decades. One appropriate response is to protest vociferously and seek the passage of a federal shield law for journalists. But it's also crucial for us to reflect on why this is happening now - and a major reason, I think, is that we in the news media are widely perceived as arrogant, out of touch and untrustworthy.
...A recent report from the Pew Research Center, "Trends 2005," is painful to read. The report says that 45 percent of Americans believe little or nothing in their daily newspapers, up from 16 percent two decades ago.In this kind of environment, it's not surprising that journalists are headed for jail. The safety net for American journalism throughout history has been not so much the First Amendment - rather, it's been public approval of the role of the free press. Public approval is our life-support system, and it is now at risk.
In short, the climate for freedom of the press in the U.S. feels more ominous than it has for decades. One appropriate response is to protest vociferously and seek the passage of a federal shield law for journalists. But it's also crucial for us to reflect on why this is happening now - and a major reason, I think, is that we in the news media are widely perceived as arrogant, out of touch and untrustworthy.
...A recent report from the Pew Research Center, "Trends 2005," is painful to read. The report says that 45 percent of Americans believe little or nothing in their daily newspapers, up from 16 percent two decades ago.In this kind of environment, it's not surprising that journalists are headed for jail. The safety net for American journalism throughout history has been not so much the First Amendment - rather, it's been public approval of the role of the free press. Public approval is our life-support system, and it is now at risk.
New Yorker: The Fall of the Dollar
The dollar’s decline, grim as it seems, has so far had little impact on the everyday lives of most Americans. To be sure, there are new burdens: the price of truffles is up sharply, and the cost of a trip to Paris now rivals that of a semester in college. But inflation and interest rates are still low, the stock market is above where it was three years ago, and Americans have had no trouble slaking their appetite for foreign-made goods. Doomsayers have been predicting for a while that the profligacy will lead to serious trouble. So why hasn’t it?
One answer is that Asia won’t let it. Last year, Asian countries invested almost four hundred billion dollars in the United States, mostly in government bonds. China is effectively taking most of its excess national savings and lending it to the United States. The Japanese, who despite their creaking economy remain flush with savings, bought a quarter trillion dollars of American debt last year, even though the interest is lousy and the assets themselves are losing value. More than any other nation in history, the United States depends, economically, on the kindness of strangers. Right now, Asian investors appear very kind.
Texas Bill Allowing Denial of Health Care
A new Texas bill seeks to give pharmacists the right to object to dispensing emergency contraceptives. The bill was spurred by over a year's worth of debate about an incident in Denton where a rape victim was denied a morning-after pill by a pharmacist at Eckerd's. Supporters say that pharmacists should be able to opt out of dispensing drugs that are used for abortions, but the opposition points out that the bill's definition of emergency contraceptives can be construed to include all birth control. Should pharmacists be allowed to morally object, or is this an anti-birth-control boondoggle? [from MetaFilter.com]
Gay Editor Leaves Atwood Kansas After Anti-Gay Amendment
I sincerely apologize that I cannot represent Atwood anymore. I am completely disappointed and heartbroken (for lack of a better word) at the actions of my hometown, a community that always says how much it cares for others.
You know when I first created AtwoodKansas.com I did so because of my desire to do everything I could to save my hometown from dying like so many other Midwestern towns.
... I know that Atwood Voters made their decision based on the information put in front of them by the sponsors and backers of the Amendment rather than research on their own. They took the word of people who dedicate 100% of time and resources to oppression of Gay people. Did you know that Sponsors & Backers of this Amendment spent more money on this campaign than the entire budget of ALL the school districts that make up the NWKL. Imagine if they put that money to good use and gave it to education in the first place, we might not be in this mess today.
All of this is for what? To “Protect the Sanctity of Marriage”? Please explain how a gay person has affected your marriage, your ability to get married or your family? What can 2 gay people in love do to the Sanctity of Marriage that hasn’t already been done by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, the city of Las Vegas or shows like “Who Wants to marry a Millionaire", "the Bachelor", "the Bachelorette", "Will you marry my Daddy", or even the people of Rawlins County who have been married, gotten divorced, remarried, divorced and yet again remarried? The Sanctity of Marriage means that you marry someone, spend the rest of your life in a committed Union of two. It has nothing to do with sex or sexual orientation, it’s a lifelong commitment. Why should you care if 2 people next door or 50 miles away want to spend the rest of their lives together and get the same benefits you enjoy, it's not going to affect you in the least bit, unless you spy on them. If you don't like what's on Television, you change the channel, you don't get the Government to ban the show.
You know when I first created AtwoodKansas.com I did so because of my desire to do everything I could to save my hometown from dying like so many other Midwestern towns.
... I know that Atwood Voters made their decision based on the information put in front of them by the sponsors and backers of the Amendment rather than research on their own. They took the word of people who dedicate 100% of time and resources to oppression of Gay people. Did you know that Sponsors & Backers of this Amendment spent more money on this campaign than the entire budget of ALL the school districts that make up the NWKL. Imagine if they put that money to good use and gave it to education in the first place, we might not be in this mess today.
All of this is for what? To “Protect the Sanctity of Marriage”? Please explain how a gay person has affected your marriage, your ability to get married or your family? What can 2 gay people in love do to the Sanctity of Marriage that hasn’t already been done by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, the city of Las Vegas or shows like “Who Wants to marry a Millionaire", "the Bachelor", "the Bachelorette", "Will you marry my Daddy", or even the people of Rawlins County who have been married, gotten divorced, remarried, divorced and yet again remarried? The Sanctity of Marriage means that you marry someone, spend the rest of your life in a committed Union of two. It has nothing to do with sex or sexual orientation, it’s a lifelong commitment. Why should you care if 2 people next door or 50 miles away want to spend the rest of their lives together and get the same benefits you enjoy, it's not going to affect you in the least bit, unless you spy on them. If you don't like what's on Television, you change the channel, you don't get the Government to ban the show.
Poland to Pull Troops from Iraq at End of Year
Poland, a close ally of Washington in Europe and one of the few supporters of its war to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, has about 1,700 soldiers in south-central Iraq, where it runs a multi-national stabilization force.
U.S.: Pay Gap Widens Between CEOs and Workers
The chief executives of major U.S. corporations enjoyed double-digit pay raises last year, adding to a record of ''jaw-dropping'' compensation largely undisturbed by recent years' falling profits and share prices and a wave of scandals involving management chicanery, the country's leading labor federation said in a new survey.
Chief executive officers (CEOs) were being enriched at the expense of working families' retirement savings, the AFL-CIO said in its Executive Pay Watch study, released Monday as a Web site. The latest annual update aimed to rally support for labor and other investors who plan to force some 140 companies to confront pay issues at annual shareholders' meetings in coming months.
Chief executive officers (CEOs) were being enriched at the expense of working families' retirement savings, the AFL-CIO said in its Executive Pay Watch study, released Monday as a Web site. The latest annual update aimed to rally support for labor and other investors who plan to force some 140 companies to confront pay issues at annual shareholders' meetings in coming months.
Public Broadcasting Group Will Replace Top Executive
While it seeks a successor for Ms. Cox, the corporation will be led by W. Kenneth Ferree, a former senior official at the Federal Communications Commission who played a significant role in the failed effort to loosen rules to make it easier for media companies to expand into new businesses and geographic areas. Last month, Mr. Ferree, a telecommunications lawyer, was named chief operating officer of the corporation.
Mr. Ferree said he hoped to be a candidate for the job, and he took issue with statements raised by groups critical of his appointment.
Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, said on Monday that during Mr. Ferree's time at the F.C.C., he "seemed to be dismissive of the public interest obligations of broadcasters."
Mr. Ferree said he hoped to be a candidate for the job, and he took issue with statements raised by groups critical of his appointment.
Chellie Pingree, president of Common Cause, said on Monday that during Mr. Ferree's time at the F.C.C., he "seemed to be dismissive of the public interest obligations of broadcasters."
RNC Protesters Jailed Under False Pretenses
Accused of inciting a riot and resisting arrest, Mr. Kyne was the first of the 1,806 people arrested in New York last summer during the Republican National Convention to take his case to a jury. But one day after Officer Wohl testified, and before the defense called a single witness, the prosecutor abruptly dropped all charges.
During a recess, the defense had brought new information to the prosecutor. A videotape shot by a documentary filmmaker showed Mr. Kyne agitated but plainly walking under his own power down the library steps, contradicting the vivid account of Officer Wohl, who was nowhere to be seen in the pictures. Nor was the officer seen taking part in the arrests of four other people at the library against whom he signed complaints.
A sprawling body of visual evidence, made possible by inexpensive, lightweight cameras in the hands of private citizens, volunteer observers and the police themselves, has shifted the debate over precisely what happened on the streets during the week of the convention.
For Mr. Kyne and 400 others arrested that week, video recordings provided evidence that they had not committed a crime or that the charges against them could not be proved, according to defense lawyers and prosecutors.
During a recess, the defense had brought new information to the prosecutor. A videotape shot by a documentary filmmaker showed Mr. Kyne agitated but plainly walking under his own power down the library steps, contradicting the vivid account of Officer Wohl, who was nowhere to be seen in the pictures. Nor was the officer seen taking part in the arrests of four other people at the library against whom he signed complaints.
A sprawling body of visual evidence, made possible by inexpensive, lightweight cameras in the hands of private citizens, volunteer observers and the police themselves, has shifted the debate over precisely what happened on the streets during the week of the convention.
For Mr. Kyne and 400 others arrested that week, video recordings provided evidence that they had not committed a crime or that the charges against them could not be proved, according to defense lawyers and prosecutors.
Papers Illustrate Negroponte's Contra Role
The day after the House voted to halt all aid to rebels fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua, U.S. Ambassador to Honduras John D. Negroponte urged the president's national security adviser and the CIA director to hang tough.
The thrust of the envoy's "back channel" July 1983 message to the men running the contra war against Nicaragua was contained in a single cryptic sentence: "Hondurans believe special project is as important as ever."
"Special project" was code for the secret arming of contra rebels from bases in Honduras -- a cause championed by Negroponte, then a rising diplomatic star. In cables and memos, Negroponte made it clear that he saw the "special project" as key to the Reagan administration's strategy of rolling back communism in Central America.
As Negroponte prepares for his Senate confirmation hearing today for the new post of director of national intelligence, hundreds of previously secret cables and telegrams have become available that shed new light on the most controversial episode in his four-decade diplomatic career. The documents, drawn from Negroponte's personal records as ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985, were released by the State Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Post.
The thrust of the envoy's "back channel" July 1983 message to the men running the contra war against Nicaragua was contained in a single cryptic sentence: "Hondurans believe special project is as important as ever."
"Special project" was code for the secret arming of contra rebels from bases in Honduras -- a cause championed by Negroponte, then a rising diplomatic star. In cables and memos, Negroponte made it clear that he saw the "special project" as key to the Reagan administration's strategy of rolling back communism in Central America.
As Negroponte prepares for his Senate confirmation hearing today for the new post of director of national intelligence, hundreds of previously secret cables and telegrams have become available that shed new light on the most controversial episode in his four-decade diplomatic career. The documents, drawn from Negroponte's personal records as ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985, were released by the State Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from The Washington Post.
Trade deficit hits all-time high in February
The U.S. trade deficit, exacerbated by surging imports of oil and textiles, soared to an all-time high of $61.04 billion in February.
The Commerce Department said the February imbalance was up 4.3 percent from a $58.5 billion trade gap in January as a small $50 million rise in U.S. exports of goods and services was swamped by a $2.58 billion increase in imports.
The surging trade deficit is leading to an increase in protectionist pressures as American textile and clothing manufacturers are lobbying the administration to limit imports of Chinese textile and clothing goods to ward off a flood of products now that global quotas have expired.
The Commerce Department said the February imbalance was up 4.3 percent from a $58.5 billion trade gap in January as a small $50 million rise in U.S. exports of goods and services was swamped by a $2.58 billion increase in imports.
The surging trade deficit is leading to an increase in protectionist pressures as American textile and clothing manufacturers are lobbying the administration to limit imports of Chinese textile and clothing goods to ward off a flood of products now that global quotas have expired.
Nuclear Plants Not Keeping Track of Waste
Pervasive problems plague the control of radioactive waste at the nation's nuclear power plants, in part because the federal government has been sluggish in instituting and enforcing safeguards, according to a federal report issued yesterday.
The Government Accountability Office's indictment of the nuclear facilities and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the most comprehensive reckoning to date of problems that have begun to emerge at a number of plants in recent years.
The Government Accountability Office's indictment of the nuclear facilities and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the most comprehensive reckoning to date of problems that have begun to emerge at a number of plants in recent years.
The Trouble with Tasers
Amnesty International says the tasers are making it too easy for the police to use excessive force. "Claims that tasers have led to a fall in police shootings need to be put into perspective, given that shootings constitute only a small percentage of all police use of force," says the November report. "In contrast, taser usage has increased dramatically, becoming the most prevalent force option in some departments. While police shootings in Phoenix fell from twenty-eight to thirteen in 2003, tasers were used that year in 354 use-of-force incidents, far more than would be needed to avoid a resort to lethal force."
eBay Pulls Billionaires for Bush's Auction of Social Security
View a copy of the eBay auction page before it was removed:
Due to the surprising failure of carefully staged "conversations" across America to convince the American Public that Privatizing Social Security is a good thing, we have decided to take matters into our own hands.
As a favor to President Bush and offered exclusively here to the winning bidder who meets our reserve, (must be a private Brokerage Firm, see details below) Billionaires For Bush can't wait to pull the switch on retirement security by circumventing Congress, the Will of the People, and good sense. Why not cut right to the chase?
Concurrent with White House Goals and the Cato Institute, we're AUCTIONING OFF SOCIAL SECURITY!
Billionaire's for Bush
Due to the surprising failure of carefully staged "conversations" across America to convince the American Public that Privatizing Social Security is a good thing, we have decided to take matters into our own hands.
As a favor to President Bush and offered exclusively here to the winning bidder who meets our reserve, (must be a private Brokerage Firm, see details below) Billionaires For Bush can't wait to pull the switch on retirement security by circumventing Congress, the Will of the People, and good sense. Why not cut right to the chase?
Concurrent with White House Goals and the Cato Institute, we're AUCTIONING OFF SOCIAL SECURITY!
Billionaire's for Bush
Texas: Faith-based prison is closer to becoming reality
Tom Green County commissioners have moved one step closer to building a 620-bed faith-based prison with the creation of the Concho Valley Community Facilities Corp.
The corporation would build the $25 million private prison east of San Angelo and lease it.
The medium-security facility would be for inmates in the final two years of their sentences and would serve as a rehabilitation program.
The corporation would build the $25 million private prison east of San Angelo and lease it.
The medium-security facility would be for inmates in the final two years of their sentences and would serve as a rehabilitation program.
GOP Students in Maine Push for "Student Bill of Rights"
"Academic freedom in the classroom in discussing subjects while making the students aware of serious scholarly viewpoints other than that of the faculty member or instructor and encouraging intellectual honesty, civil debate and the critical analysis of ideas in the pursuit of knowledge and truth"
GOP students want bill of rights
The legislation, which is being considered by the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, reflects a belief among political and social conservatives around the country that their views are neglected in classroom and campus discussions. Similar legislation has been proposed in other states in recent years.
"I am here today with my fellow College Republicans because I feel you must be made aware of a scary trend occurring on all Maine campuses," said Mia Dow, a member of the College Republicans at the University of Maine, Orono. "I have been taunted, sworn at and humiliated beyond the realm of imagination, and I am sick of this treatment," she said.
Testimony continued late into the evening as legislators, professors and other young Republicans from campuses around the state spoke in favor of the bill. The committee is expected to discuss the bill in a workshop before voting on it.
Opponents said such a bill could stifle discussion on controversial topics.
Allen Berger, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maine at Farmington, said requiring faculty to abide by "definitions imposed by outsiders and possibly measured by political standards that diverge from academic criteria would be to severely constrain their academic freedom."
GOP students want bill of rights
The legislation, which is being considered by the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, reflects a belief among political and social conservatives around the country that their views are neglected in classroom and campus discussions. Similar legislation has been proposed in other states in recent years.
"I am here today with my fellow College Republicans because I feel you must be made aware of a scary trend occurring on all Maine campuses," said Mia Dow, a member of the College Republicans at the University of Maine, Orono. "I have been taunted, sworn at and humiliated beyond the realm of imagination, and I am sick of this treatment," she said.
Testimony continued late into the evening as legislators, professors and other young Republicans from campuses around the state spoke in favor of the bill. The committee is expected to discuss the bill in a workshop before voting on it.
Opponents said such a bill could stifle discussion on controversial topics.
Allen Berger, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maine at Farmington, said requiring faculty to abide by "definitions imposed by outsiders and possibly measured by political standards that diverge from academic criteria would be to severely constrain their academic freedom."
Bush Booed at Pope's Funeral
Dignitaries from at least 155 countries were in Rome, including the president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, and Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei – both of them Muslims.
Israeli President Moshe Katsav put aside differences with Syria to shake hands with the country’s President Bashar Assad.
But when Mr Bush’s face appeared on giant screens showing the ceremony – many in the crowds outside St Peter’s Square booed and whistled.
Israeli President Moshe Katsav put aside differences with Syria to shake hands with the country’s President Bashar Assad.
But when Mr Bush’s face appeared on giant screens showing the ceremony – many in the crowds outside St Peter’s Square booed and whistled.
Albom Column Suspended While 'Freep' Investigates
Mitch Albom's work will not appear in the Detroit Free Press while the newspaper investigates his past-tense column about something that hadn't happened yet.
...Miller said the investigation -- being conducted by a Free Press editor and four reporters -- will not only look at Albom's April 3 column but also Albom's previous work to see if similar mistakes were made. And the team will review the editing process that allowed the April 3 column to get into print. No editors have been suspended at this point, added Miller.
...Miller said the investigation -- being conducted by a Free Press editor and four reporters -- will not only look at Albom's April 3 column but also Albom's previous work to see if similar mistakes were made. And the team will review the editing process that allowed the April 3 column to get into print. No editors have been suspended at this point, added Miller.
Black Churches' Bad Tradeoff
In trying to figure why so many black pastors are adopting issues and causes dear to white evangelicals, I realized that, more often than not, these black pastors hope to score points with the Bush administration and, therefore, increase their chances of winning big bucks from the president's "faith-based initiatives" program.
With their own church-sponsored social programs costing large sums, some black ministers are lining up for a federal handout. For his part, Bush, along with other Republicans, gets the conservative black Christian vote.
What is the tradeoff in this scenario? What is the cost to the black church's traditional mission and its viability in the communities it serves?
A Top Christian Nationalist Comes to Massachusetts
David Barton is perhaps the leading proponent of the notion that the U.S. was once, and should again be a "Christian Nation." He wants to sell you on that idea. He has books and tapes to sell too. The problem is that his slick products and presentations don't stand up to scrutiny. For example, in 1996, the mainstream Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs wrote a detailed critique, debunking Barton's Christian nationalist notions.
Barton is speaking in Worcester, Massachusetts at a Christian homeschooling convention at the end of the month -- in the wake of a firestorm of criticism in Washington, DC about his bogus version of history, his attacks on the role of the federal judiciary, and concerns about his theocratic political agenda.
Barton is currently at the center of a series of controversies in Washington, DC regarding his association with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN).
Barton is speaking in Worcester, Massachusetts at a Christian homeschooling convention at the end of the month -- in the wake of a firestorm of criticism in Washington, DC about his bogus version of history, his attacks on the role of the federal judiciary, and concerns about his theocratic political agenda.
Barton is currently at the center of a series of controversies in Washington, DC regarding his association with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN).
Beef and milk from cloned cows declared safe
The composition of milk and meat from cloned cattle is no different from those of the same products obtained from naturally reared animals, says a team of US and Japanese researchers.
In one of the most comprehensive comparisons carried out to date, Xiangzhong Yang of the University of Connecticut in Storrs and his colleagues analysed more than 100 characteristics of the products. But the researchers' data is unlikely to defuse the debate over whether humans should actually eat these foods.
"All the parameters examined for the clones in this study were within the normal range of beef and dairy products approved for human consumption," says Yang. "We found no significant differences between the clones and their controls." The researchers' findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In one of the most comprehensive comparisons carried out to date, Xiangzhong Yang of the University of Connecticut in Storrs and his colleagues analysed more than 100 characteristics of the products. But the researchers' data is unlikely to defuse the debate over whether humans should actually eat these foods.
"All the parameters examined for the clones in this study were within the normal range of beef and dairy products approved for human consumption," says Yang. "We found no significant differences between the clones and their controls." The researchers' findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Intel offers $10K for original Moore's Law article
Intel is offering $10,000 for anyone who can produce a copy of the electronics magazine in which founder Gordon Moore first enumerated "Moore's Law."
We are looking for the April 19, 1965 issue of Electronics Magazine (contains "Moore's Law" article by Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder).Link (Thanks, The Cranky Consumer!) [from BoingBoing.net]
$10,000 for mint condition copy! Will choose based on best condition - take good photos!
Monday, April 11, 2005
Tim Russert falsely claimed "no evidence that Mr. Chalabi was associated with Curveball"
On the April 10 edition of NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert falsely claimed that "there's no evidence" that Ahmed Chalabi, former Iraqi exile and head of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), "was associated with Curveball," a relative of a top Chalabi aide who became the most influential source for U.S. intelligence on Iraq's biological weapons program. In fact, the recently released Robb-Silberman report on intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and independent news reporting indicate a clear connection between Chalabi and Curveball: U.S. intelligence first encountered Curveball's fabricated claims about Iraq's biological weapons via German intelligence, and it was Chalabi's INC that originally provided Curveball to the Germans.
Iraq's New President Wants Amnesty for Insurgents and no Death Penalty for Hussein
The new president of Iraq, Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani, said Sunday the new Iraqi government should extend amnesty to Iraqi insurgents who had "killed combatants, including possibly US and Iraqi troops." (Iraqi insurgents are primarily supporters of the previous regime, or Iraqi citizens opposed to US "occupation" of Iraq.) The Washington Post reports that Mr. Talabani said, however, that Al Qaeda members and other foreign fighters should not be included in any general amnesty.
'There are two kinds of killing [said Talabani]: In battle or in action, this could be covered by the amnesty. Those who are involved in killing innocent people, detonation of car bombs, killing people in mosques and in churches, these would not be covered by the amnesty.'
Talabani did not specifically if his proposal "would include those who had killed US troops," but he did call for the amnesty to cover fighters loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. He also did not offer any specifics on an amnesty.
'There are two kinds of killing [said Talabani]: In battle or in action, this could be covered by the amnesty. Those who are involved in killing innocent people, detonation of car bombs, killing people in mosques and in churches, these would not be covered by the amnesty.'
Talabani did not specifically if his proposal "would include those who had killed US troops," but he did call for the amnesty to cover fighters loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. He also did not offer any specifics on an amnesty.
Meeting of the Judeo-Christian Council for Constitutional Restoration
Having won control of two branches of the federal government, the activists of the religious right have come to see the courts as the intolerable obstacle thwarting their dream of a reborn Christian nation. They believe in a revisionist history, taught in Christian schools and spread through Christian media, which claims biblical law as the source of the Constitution. Thus any ruling that contradicts their theology seems to them to be de facto unconstitutional, and its enforcement tyrannical.
Some believe that the problem can be rectified by replacing liberal judges with conservative ones. Others, noting that even judges appointed by Republicans often rule against them, have become convinced that they must destroy the federal judiciary itself. Thus, ideas offered at the conference ranged from ending the filibuster and impeaching all but the most right-wing judges to abolishing all federal courts below the Supreme Court altogether. At least one panelist dropped coy hints about murder.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, originally scheduled as the keynote speaker, was called away to Pope John Paul II's funeral, but he delivered a laudatory welcome via video. DeLay accused the judiciary of having "run amok," and said that to rein it in, it would be necessary to "reassert Congress' constitutional authority over the courts." His endorsement was one of many signs that this intense conclave, with all its apocalyptic despair and exhilarated calls for national renewal, represented something more than a frustrated eruption by the febrile fringe. However odd the ideas emanating from the conference seemed to a secularist, they are taken seriously by people with real power in our nation. Indeed, they're taken more seriously than such oft-derided relics as "separation of church and state," which the conferees treated as a devilish heresy.
Some believe that the problem can be rectified by replacing liberal judges with conservative ones. Others, noting that even judges appointed by Republicans often rule against them, have become convinced that they must destroy the federal judiciary itself. Thus, ideas offered at the conference ranged from ending the filibuster and impeaching all but the most right-wing judges to abolishing all federal courts below the Supreme Court altogether. At least one panelist dropped coy hints about murder.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, originally scheduled as the keynote speaker, was called away to Pope John Paul II's funeral, but he delivered a laudatory welcome via video. DeLay accused the judiciary of having "run amok," and said that to rein it in, it would be necessary to "reassert Congress' constitutional authority over the courts." His endorsement was one of many signs that this intense conclave, with all its apocalyptic despair and exhilarated calls for national renewal, represented something more than a frustrated eruption by the febrile fringe. However odd the ideas emanating from the conference seemed to a secularist, they are taken seriously by people with real power in our nation. Indeed, they're taken more seriously than such oft-derided relics as "separation of church and state," which the conferees treated as a devilish heresy.
Robotic Camel Riders are Ready to Race
Camel racing is to be transformed as a spectator sport in the United Arab Emirates with robot riders taking the place of child jockeys.
The remotely operated riders were developed following a ban on the use of jockeys under 16 years of age, imposed by the UAE Camel Racing Association in March 2004.
Camel racing is a lucrative sport with a long tradition among Bedouin Arabs. But human rights groups have linked it to the kidnap and mistreatment of children as young as four years old. Riders have traditionally been younger than 16 years-old and weighed less than 45 kg (7 stone).
The first full trials involving the remote-controlled robots have now been conducted successfully, according to a statement issued by the UAE government on Sunday. "The mechanical jockey is light in weight and receives orders from the instructor via a remote control system fixed on the back of the camel," the statement says.
The remotely operated riders were developed following a ban on the use of jockeys under 16 years of age, imposed by the UAE Camel Racing Association in March 2004.
Camel racing is a lucrative sport with a long tradition among Bedouin Arabs. But human rights groups have linked it to the kidnap and mistreatment of children as young as four years old. Riders have traditionally been younger than 16 years-old and weighed less than 45 kg (7 stone).
The first full trials involving the remote-controlled robots have now been conducted successfully, according to a statement issued by the UAE government on Sunday. "The mechanical jockey is light in weight and receives orders from the instructor via a remote control system fixed on the back of the camel," the statement says.
Tough Questions to Bolton from Democrats
``The United States is committed to the success of the United Nations, and we view the U.N. as an important component of our diplomacy,'' Bolton said Monday.
That is a firmer statement of support for the world body than conservatives in and out of the Bush administration have sometimes offered, and some Democrats suggested Monday that Bolton hadn't really been converted.
Bolton retains a go-it-alone attitude about U.S. foreign policy that is out of step with Bush's second-term pledge of international cooperation, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
``My overall assessment is that you have nothing but disdain for the United Nations,'' she said.
``You can dance around it, you can run away from it, you can put perfume on it, but the bottom line is the bottom line,'' Boxer said. ``It's hard for me to know why you'd want to work at an institution that you said didn't even exist.''
That is a firmer statement of support for the world body than conservatives in and out of the Bush administration have sometimes offered, and some Democrats suggested Monday that Bolton hadn't really been converted.
Bolton retains a go-it-alone attitude about U.S. foreign policy that is out of step with Bush's second-term pledge of international cooperation, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
``My overall assessment is that you have nothing but disdain for the United Nations,'' she said.
``You can dance around it, you can run away from it, you can put perfume on it, but the bottom line is the bottom line,'' Boxer said. ``It's hard for me to know why you'd want to work at an institution that you said didn't even exist.''
American universities fall way behind in programming
American universities -- once the dominant force in the information technology world -- fell far down the ranks in a widely watched international computer programming contest held this week.
The University of Illinois tied for 17th place in the world finals of the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest. That's the weakest result for the United States in the 29-year history of the competition.
The University of Illinois tied for 17th place in the world finals of the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest. That's the weakest result for the United States in the 29-year history of the competition.
Foiling Spies at the Vatican
Vatican security refused to discuss the details of any anti-bugging measures to be used during the conclave. But Giuseppe Mazzullo, a private detective and retired Rome policeman whose former unit worked closely with the Vatican in the past, said the Holy See will reinforce its own experts with Italian police and private security contractors.
Open-Access Journals Flourish
At least 1,525 journals provide free access, making up 5 to 10 percent of the world's journals. The free journals are gaining influence too: Thomson Scientific, which tracks academic publishing, found they're commonly cited by other journals, suggesting that they're well-read. Meanwhile, other journals are opening their archives to readers for free.
"It's very exciting that publishers the world over are recognizing the benefits of open access and are conducting their own experiments," said Gavin Yamey, senior editor of PLOS Medicine, one of two flagship journals published by the Public Library of Science, which helped spearhead the concept of providing free online access.
... Many of the open-access journals make money by charging researchers who want to have their papers published. At PLOS Medicine and PLOS Biology, for example, authors pay $1,500 each, unless they can't afford it. (PLOS began with $9 million in grant money, but the funds don't defray author fees.) Three new PLOS journals scheduled to debut later this year -- covering pathogens, genetics and computational biology -- will also charge $1,500 an article.
This American Life: What Really Happens in Marriage
[RealAudio] Ira visits marital researcher John Gottman, who's part of a generation of researchers that have revolutionized the way we see marriage by observing successful and unsuccessful marriages and trying to figure out what the successful happy ones are doing that the ones who end up in divorce are not. Marriage research and links to marriage education programs for couples are online at www.smartmarriages.com. (23 minutes)
FDA Satisfied with Milk from Cloned Cows
Cattle-cloning scientists at the University of Connecticut say milk and meat from cloned animals are safe for human consumption.
The FDA has been waiting for additional evidence on the safety of meat and milk from cloned cows since a National Academy of Sciences report (.pdf) said last year that while the food would not likely make anyone sick, more research should be performed. The Connecticut researchers published their results in a scientific journal on Monday.
["Substantial equivalence" is the criteria the FDA uses to evaluate genetically modified food. "If it looks like milk and it tastes like milk, we will assume it is as safe as milk. This stands in contrast to the "precautionary principle:" "If there is a potential for harmful unforseen consequences, better not to implement the idea."
The FDA has been waiting for additional evidence on the safety of meat and milk from cloned cows since a National Academy of Sciences report (.pdf) said last year that while the food would not likely make anyone sick, more research should be performed. The Connecticut researchers published their results in a scientific journal on Monday.
["Substantial equivalence" is the criteria the FDA uses to evaluate genetically modified food. "If it looks like milk and it tastes like milk, we will assume it is as safe as milk. This stands in contrast to the "precautionary principle:" "If there is a potential for harmful unforseen consequences, better not to implement the idea."
Bush Lobbying Effort Skirts Law
The Bush administration has spent millions of dollars in the past two months on its campaign to overhaul Social Security, narrowly skirting laws that prohibit spending of taxpayer funds to indirectly lobby Congress
President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and more than 20 other administration officials have blanketed the country since early February, delivering more than 100 speeches in 37 states in an effort to rally the public behind Bush's Social Security plans.
Although no hard figures on costs are available, rough calculations show the White House and other agencies have spent at least $2.2 million on the campaign so far.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has been asked by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to investigate the costs of the pro-privatization effort. Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee have also asked quietly for an accounting, according to the Washington Post.
President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and more than 20 other administration officials have blanketed the country since early February, delivering more than 100 speeches in 37 states in an effort to rally the public behind Bush's Social Security plans.
Although no hard figures on costs are available, rough calculations show the White House and other agencies have spent at least $2.2 million on the campaign so far.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has been asked by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to investigate the costs of the pro-privatization effort. Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee have also asked quietly for an accounting, according to the Washington Post.
Kerry: Trickery Kept Voters from Polls
Many voters in last year's presidential election were denied access to the polls through trickery and intimidation, former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry told a voters' group Sunday.
"Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated," the Massachusetts senator said at an event sponsored by the state League of Women Voters.
"There is no magic wand. No one person is going to stand up and suddenly say it's going to change tomorrow. You have to do that," he said.
Kerry supporters have charged that voting irregularities in largely Democratic areas made it difficult for voters to cast ballots in the November election. A lawsuit in Ohio cited long lines and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.
Kerry also cited examples Sunday of how people were duped into not voting.
"Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote," he said.
Kerry has never disputed the outcome of election, saying voting irregularities did not involve enough votes to change the result. Bush won the pivotal state of Ohio by 118,000 votes, giving him enough electoral votes to win re-election.
The Republican National Committee dismissed Kerry's comments Sunday.
"Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated," the Massachusetts senator said at an event sponsored by the state League of Women Voters.
"There is no magic wand. No one person is going to stand up and suddenly say it's going to change tomorrow. You have to do that," he said.
Kerry supporters have charged that voting irregularities in largely Democratic areas made it difficult for voters to cast ballots in the November election. A lawsuit in Ohio cited long lines and a shortage of voting machines in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.
Kerry also cited examples Sunday of how people were duped into not voting.
"Leaflets are handed out saying Democrats vote on Wednesday, Republicans vote on Tuesday. People are told in telephone calls that if you've ever had a parking ticket, you're not allowed to vote," he said.
Kerry has never disputed the outcome of election, saying voting irregularities did not involve enough votes to change the result. Bush won the pivotal state of Ohio by 118,000 votes, giving him enough electoral votes to win re-election.
The Republican National Committee dismissed Kerry's comments Sunday.
Popularity of using "in five years" to predict near-magic technology
"Why is this story not the biggest story in the media right now??!!?? (Cure for Cancer Within Five Years) Surely the best news of the millenium so far. A cure for cancer! all cancer! Posted as a side article on bbc news april 8th.
Whenever I read an article about a cure for peanut allergies (my daughter has a life threatening nut allergy), the articles always quote some researcher as saying it'll happen "in five years."
Curious about the popularity of "in five years," I googled the following terms:
"in two years" -- 1,320,000 results
"in five years" -- 1,420,000
..."in a trillion years" -- 933
"in a quadrillion years" -- 51
"in a googol years" -- 38
"in a googolplex years" -- 2
"never" -- 296,000,000
US accused of seizing Iraqi women to force fugitive relatives to give up
American forces were yesterday accused of violating international law by taking two Iraqi women hostage in a bungled effort to persuade fugitive male relatives to surrender.
US soldiers seized a mother and daughter from their home in Baghdad two weeks ago and allegedly left a note on the gate: "Be a man Muhammad Mukhlif and give yourself up and then we will release your sisters. Otherwise they will spend a long time in detention."
It was signed Bandit 6, apparently a military code, and gave a mobile phone number. When phoned by reporters an American soldier answered but he declined to take questions and hung up.
Salima al-Batawi, 60, and her daughter Aliya, 35, were blindfolded, handcuffed and driven away in a Humvee convoy on April 2, leaving the Arab Sunnis of Taji, a suburb north of the capital, incandescent.
Instead of surrendering, her three sons, Ahmad, Saddam and Arkan, alerted the media. None of them are called Muhammad, but it is believed that the note referred to Ahmad and that the Americans wanted all three brothers.
The brothers have spent time in Abu Ghraib jail, but have never been charged and say they are citrus farmers with no connection to the insurgency.
US soldiers seized a mother and daughter from their home in Baghdad two weeks ago and allegedly left a note on the gate: "Be a man Muhammad Mukhlif and give yourself up and then we will release your sisters. Otherwise they will spend a long time in detention."
It was signed Bandit 6, apparently a military code, and gave a mobile phone number. When phoned by reporters an American soldier answered but he declined to take questions and hung up.
Salima al-Batawi, 60, and her daughter Aliya, 35, were blindfolded, handcuffed and driven away in a Humvee convoy on April 2, leaving the Arab Sunnis of Taji, a suburb north of the capital, incandescent.
Instead of surrendering, her three sons, Ahmad, Saddam and Arkan, alerted the media. None of them are called Muhammad, but it is believed that the note referred to Ahmad and that the Americans wanted all three brothers.
The brothers have spent time in Abu Ghraib jail, but have never been charged and say they are citrus farmers with no connection to the insurgency.
Personal Treasure: A 1946 Photo of Einstein
All Things Considered · Commentator Freeman describes one of his most prized possessions: a photograph of Albert Einstein lecturing at a historically black college in 1946.
Record Number of FISA Requests for 2004
"During calendar year 2004, 1,758 applications were made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for electronic surveillance and physical search," according to the latest Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) annual report to Congress.
That established a new annual record for domestic counterintelligence and counterterrorism surveillance and search activity. A copy of the 2004 FISA annual report to Congress, dated April 30, 2005, is here: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/2004rept.pdf
and "The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: An Overview of the Statutory Framework and Recent Judicial Decisions," updated September 22, 2004: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL30465.pdf
[from Secrecy News]
Jeffords on Iraq and Politics
“I think it was all done to get oil,” Jeffords said of invading Iraq. “And the loss of life that we had, and the cost of it, was to me just a re-election move, and they're going to try to live off it. Probably start another war, wouldn't be surprised, next year. Probably in Iran.”
“Do you think that's likely?” VPR host Bob Kinzel asked.
“I probably shouldn't even talk on it, I just feel so bitter about the thinking that's gone on behind them, and the reasons they go to war and went to war,” Jeffords replied. “But I feel very strongly that they are looking ahead, and that there will be an opportunity to go into Iran and try to get their son elected president. I don't know, but you do it each time they (are) going to have a new president. I’m very, very (Jeffords chuckles). Oh, well, I better be quiet.”
"UK Poison Cell" Suspects Found Not Guilty
The "UK poison cell" that was cited by Secretary of State Colin Powell as part of his February 5, 2003 presentation to the United Nations to justify U.S. military action against Iraq has proved to be yet another alarmist misrepresentation of elementary facts, according to a judicial ruling in London last week.
A British jury found that the so-called "UK poison cell" was "not guilty of conspiracy to murder by plotting ricin attacks and, generally speaking, not guilty of conspiracy to do anything," wrote George Smith of GlobalSecurity.org, who consulted in the trial. The verdict followed a remarkable series of missteps and misunderstandings by intelligence analysts, law enforcement personnel and government officials.
"Reclaiming America for Christ"
It's February, and 900 of America's staunchest Christian fundamentalists have gathered in Fort Lauderdale to look back on what they accomplished in last year's election -- and to plan what's next. As they assemble in the vast sanctuary of Coral Ridge Presbyterian, with all fifty state flags dangling from the rafters, three stadium-size video screens flash the name of the conference: reclaiming america for christ. These are the evangelical activists behind the nation's most effective political machine -- one that brought more than 4 million new Christian voters to the polls last November, sending George W. Bush back to the White House and thirty-two new pro-lifers to Congress. But despite their unprecedented power, fundamentalists still see themselves as a persecuted minority, waging a holy war against the godless forces of secularism. To rouse themselves, they kick off the festivities with "Soldiers of the Cross, Arise," the bloodthirstiest tune in all of Christendom: "Seize your armor, gird it on/Now the battle will be won/Soon, your enemies all slain/Crowns of glory you shall gain."
Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back.
Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back.
Investor lobby group leads crusade against big business
Big business and institutional investors are at loggerheads over whether to water down laws, introduced in the aftermath of the Enron and WorldCom scandals, designed to help clean up the nation's boardrooms.
Emboldened by the Republican election victory last year, big business has launched an assault on legislation that it claims is restraining the entrepreneurial spirit motivating the nation's corporate leaders.
...US business is fighting investor-backed legislation that will soon force companies to include stock options on their profit and loss account, a move that will reduce profitability but help provide greater clarity about a company's true financial position.
Big business' ferocious campaign to dilute the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation - designed to tighten up internal financial controls and corporate governance - is yielding results, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission hosting a round table summit on the issue later this week.
States Appeal Federal Ruling Dismissing Carbon Dioxide As Pollutant
The case has big potential implications for numerous federal and state programs under the Clean Air Act, as well as for the auto industry. Along with other forms of transportation, motor vehicles account for about a third of all U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions -- the chief gas scientists blame for global warming.
In a courtroom packed with auto industry representatives, environmentalists and government employees, three justices of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sternly questioned lawyers for the states and the EPA. The judges wondered how far the government should go in the face of scientific uncertainty over global warming.
"We can't even tell what the weather's going to be two weeks from now, but these models tell us what the climate is going to be like 100 years from now," said Judge A. Raymond Randolph, whose questioning appeared to favor the EPA's position.
The judges did not indicate when they might rule in the case; such decisions typically take months.
In a courtroom packed with auto industry representatives, environmentalists and government employees, three justices of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sternly questioned lawyers for the states and the EPA. The judges wondered how far the government should go in the face of scientific uncertainty over global warming.
"We can't even tell what the weather's going to be two weeks from now, but these models tell us what the climate is going to be like 100 years from now," said Judge A. Raymond Randolph, whose questioning appeared to favor the EPA's position.
The judges did not indicate when they might rule in the case; such decisions typically take months.
Scientific American: We feel so ashamed
There's no easy way to admit this. For years, helpful letter writers told us to stick to science. They pointed out that science and politics don't mix. They said we should be more balanced in our presentation of such issues as creationism, missile defense and global warming. We resisted their advice and pretended not to be stung by the accusations that the magazine should be renamed Unscientific American, or Scientific Unamerican, or even Unscientific Unamerican. But spring is in the air, and all of nature is turning over a new leaf, so there's no better time to say: you were right, and we were wrong.In retrospect, this magazine's coverage of so-called evolution has been hideously one-sided. For decades, we published articles in every issue that endorsed the ideas of Charles Darwin and his cronies. True, the theory of common descent through natural selection has been called the unifying concept for all of biology and one of the greatest scientific ideas of all time, but that was no excuse to be fanatics about it. Where were the answering articles presenting the powerful case for scientific creationism? Why were we so unwilling to suggest that dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago or that a cataclysmic flood carved the Grand Canyon? Blame the scientists. They dazzled us with their fancy fossils, their radiocarbon dating and their tens of thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles. As editors, we had no business being persuaded by mountains of evidence. [dated April 1]
John C. Danforth: In the Name of Politics
By a series of recent initiatives, Republicans have transformed our party into the political arm of conservative Christians. The elements of this transformation have included advocacy of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, opposition to stem cell research involving both frozen embryos and human cells in petri dishes, and the extraordinary effort to keep Terri Schiavo hooked up to a feeding tube.
Standing alone, each of these initiatives has its advocates, within the Republican Party and beyond. But the distinct elements do not stand alone. Rather they are parts of a larger package, an agenda of positions common to conservative Christians and the dominant wing of the Republican Party.
...The problem is not with people or churches that are politically active. It is with a party that has gone so far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political extension of a religious movement.
When government becomes the means of carrying out a religious program, it raises obvious questions under the First Amendment. But even in the absence of constitutional issues, a political party should resist identification with a religious movement. While religions are free to advocate for their own sectarian causes, the work of government and those who engage in it is to hold together as one people a very diverse country. At its best, religion can be a uniting influence, but in practice, nothing is more divisive. For politicians to advance the cause of one religious group is often to oppose the cause of another.
Standing alone, each of these initiatives has its advocates, within the Republican Party and beyond. But the distinct elements do not stand alone. Rather they are parts of a larger package, an agenda of positions common to conservative Christians and the dominant wing of the Republican Party.
...The problem is not with people or churches that are politically active. It is with a party that has gone so far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political extension of a religious movement.
When government becomes the means of carrying out a religious program, it raises obvious questions under the First Amendment. But even in the absence of constitutional issues, a political party should resist identification with a religious movement. While religions are free to advocate for their own sectarian causes, the work of government and those who engage in it is to hold together as one people a very diverse country. At its best, religion can be a uniting influence, but in practice, nothing is more divisive. For politicians to advance the cause of one religious group is often to oppose the cause of another.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Illinois Church Donations Diverted to Politicians
All told, 220 tax-exempt churches, charities, universities and foundations have given $186,475 to state and local candidates and political organizations during the last five years. Baptist churches -- many of them on Chicago's West Side -- were the biggest group of givers, contributing about $52,000.
The gifts include cash, ticket buys for political fund-raisers and even college basketball tickets, the Chicago Sun-Times learned while researching the BGA's findings.
Higher Prices, Stagnant Wages Produce Pay Cut for U.S. Workers
For the first time in 14 years, the American work force has in effect gotten an across-the-board pay cut.
The growth in wages in 2004 and the first two months of this year trailed the growth in prices, compounding the squeeze from higher housing, energy and other costs.
...The effective 0.2-percentage-point erosion in workers' living standards occurred while the economy expanded at a healthy 4 percent, better than the 3 percent historical average.
At the same time, corporate profits hit record highs as companies got more productivity out of workers while keeping pay raises down.
Some see climbing profits and stagnant wages as not only unfair but ultimately unsustainable. "Those that are baking the larger pie ought to see their slices expanding," said Jared Bernstein, an economist with the liberal Economic Policy Institute in Washington.
The growth in wages in 2004 and the first two months of this year trailed the growth in prices, compounding the squeeze from higher housing, energy and other costs.
...The effective 0.2-percentage-point erosion in workers' living standards occurred while the economy expanded at a healthy 4 percent, better than the 3 percent historical average.
At the same time, corporate profits hit record highs as companies got more productivity out of workers while keeping pay raises down.
Some see climbing profits and stagnant wages as not only unfair but ultimately unsustainable. "Those that are baking the larger pie ought to see their slices expanding," said Jared Bernstein, an economist with the liberal Economic Policy Institute in Washington.
News Publishers and Internet Industry Urge Reversal in Apple Case
A coalition of news publishers and two Internet industry trade associations filed friend-of-the-court briefs today in Apple v. Does, urging the California Court of Appeal to protect the confidential sources of journalists and defend email privacy. On behalf of three online journalists, EFF is appealing the California Superior Court's earlier decision in the case, which allows Apple to subpoena a journalist's email in order to discover the source of information he published about a forthcoming Apple product code-named "Asteroid."
The news publishers argued that the trial court incorrectly allowed trade secret law to trump First Amendment rights, and that Apple has failed to exhaust all other alternative sources for the information it seeks before going after journalists' sources, as required by the reporter's privilege under the First Amendment. The brief
The news publishers argued that the trial court incorrectly allowed trade secret law to trump First Amendment rights, and that Apple has failed to exhaust all other alternative sources for the information it seeks before going after journalists' sources, as required by the reporter's privilege under the First Amendment. The brief
Gonzales Recuses Himself From Enron Trials
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has recused himself from the Enron Corp. criminal prosecutions, his office said Thursday.
Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra would not say why Gonzales made that decision.
But the attorney general did legal work for Enron when he was practicing law in Houston. And while he was a Texas judge, he accepted a campaign contribution from an Enron political committee.
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft also recused himself from overseeing the Enron prosecutions because he accepted campaign funds from the company when he was running for the U.S. Senate.
With the recusal, the Enron Task Force prosecutors will not report all the way up the chain of command to Gonzales.
Steven Lubet, a law professor at Northwestern University, has said there is no law governing such recusals, nor was there an ethical principle that precluded Gonzales from overseeing the case.
"It was the prudent thing to do," Lubet said in a story in Friday's Houston Chronicle. "Ensuring public confidence is always a good idea."
Gonzales did legal work for Enron in the early 1990s while at Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston. Enron was that law firm's largest client for several years.
Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra would not say why Gonzales made that decision.
But the attorney general did legal work for Enron when he was practicing law in Houston. And while he was a Texas judge, he accepted a campaign contribution from an Enron political committee.
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft also recused himself from overseeing the Enron prosecutions because he accepted campaign funds from the company when he was running for the U.S. Senate.
With the recusal, the Enron Task Force prosecutors will not report all the way up the chain of command to Gonzales.
Steven Lubet, a law professor at Northwestern University, has said there is no law governing such recusals, nor was there an ethical principle that precluded Gonzales from overseeing the case.
"It was the prudent thing to do," Lubet said in a story in Friday's Houston Chronicle. "Ensuring public confidence is always a good idea."
Gonzales did legal work for Enron in the early 1990s while at Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston. Enron was that law firm's largest client for several years.
RFID Passport: "Shoot Me!"
The reason RFID is more controversial than, say, a bar code is that the data on the chip is read by a remote reader. The State Department asserts that the tags it will use can be read from only 4 inches away. But privacy advocates say there's no way the State Department can guarantee that.
As security expert Bruce Schneier writes on his blog: "Unfortunately, RFID chips can be read by any reader, not just the ones at passport control. The upshot of this is that travelers carrying around RFID passports are broadcasting their identity. Think about what that means for a minute. It means that passport holders are continuously broadcasting their name, nationality, age, address and whatever else is on the RFID chip. It means that anyone with a reader can learn that information, without the passport holder's knowledge or consent. It means that pickpockets, kidnappers and terrorists can easily -- and surreptitiously -- pick Americans or nationals of other participating countries out of a crowd."
As security expert Bruce Schneier writes on his blog: "Unfortunately, RFID chips can be read by any reader, not just the ones at passport control. The upshot of this is that travelers carrying around RFID passports are broadcasting their identity. Think about what that means for a minute. It means that passport holders are continuously broadcasting their name, nationality, age, address and whatever else is on the RFID chip. It means that anyone with a reader can learn that information, without the passport holder's knowledge or consent. It means that pickpockets, kidnappers and terrorists can easily -- and surreptitiously -- pick Americans or nationals of other participating countries out of a crowd."
Fired 'NYT' Foreign Correspondent Angrily Denies Charges
Sachs told E&P "this nightmare" began last month. "I leave it to The Times to provide you the details of the false accusations that have been made," she wrote.
Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis would not elaborate on the dismissal Friday, saying only that Sachs "is no longer in the employ of the company.” Mathis said Sachs, 53, became Istanbul bureau chief in March 2004, after five months heading the Baghdad bureau, where she was replaced by John Burns.
Sachs allegedly sent e-mails or letters to the wives of foreign correspondents Burns and Dexter Filkins, according to the New York Daily News.
In proclaiming her innocence, Sachs offered a lengthy defense of her work and experience as a reporter.
“The accusations against me have nothing to do with the credibility of my journalism, my writing or my reporting. I will say that in the 32 years I have been a journalist, I have never been accused of impropriety, let alone punished, suspended or fired,” the e-mail said. “My honesty in my personal life and in my professional life has never been questioned. I never would have imagined that, at the age of 53 and with a spotless record, such baseless accusations would threaten my reputation, my career, my livelihood and the livelihood of my dependents.”
Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis would not elaborate on the dismissal Friday, saying only that Sachs "is no longer in the employ of the company.” Mathis said Sachs, 53, became Istanbul bureau chief in March 2004, after five months heading the Baghdad bureau, where she was replaced by John Burns.
Sachs allegedly sent e-mails or letters to the wives of foreign correspondents Burns and Dexter Filkins, according to the New York Daily News.
In proclaiming her innocence, Sachs offered a lengthy defense of her work and experience as a reporter.
“The accusations against me have nothing to do with the credibility of my journalism, my writing or my reporting. I will say that in the 32 years I have been a journalist, I have never been accused of impropriety, let alone punished, suspended or fired,” the e-mail said. “My honesty in my personal life and in my professional life has never been questioned. I never would have imagined that, at the age of 53 and with a spotless record, such baseless accusations would threaten my reputation, my career, my livelihood and the livelihood of my dependents.”
'Boston Herald' Drops Columnist Who Got Government Money
The Boston Herald has fired a columnist who signed a contract worth up to $10,000 to help Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration promote its environmental policies.
Herald Publisher Patrick Purcell initially said the paper would continue Charles Chieppo’s weekly column, a day after he began working for the governor’s Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The contract calls for him to help officials write op-ed pieces and internal documents.
A few hours later, however, Purcell released a second statement that read, “Upon further review, the Boston Herald has decided to sever our relationship with Charles Chieppo.”
Herald Publisher Patrick Purcell initially said the paper would continue Charles Chieppo’s weekly column, a day after he began working for the governor’s Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The contract calls for him to help officials write op-ed pieces and internal documents.
A few hours later, however, Purcell released a second statement that read, “Upon further review, the Boston Herald has decided to sever our relationship with Charles Chieppo.”
Threatening Language Against Judiciary and Justice Kennedy
Conservative leaders meeting in Washington yesterday for a discussion of "Remedies to Judicial Tyranny" decided that Kennedy, a Ronald Reagan appointee, should be impeached, or worse.
Not to be outdone, lawyer-author Edwin Vieira told the gathering that Kennedy should be impeached because his philosophy, evidenced in his opinion striking down an anti-sodomy statute, "upholds Marxist, Leninist, satanic principles drawn from foreign law."
...Ominously, Vieira continued by saying his "bottom line" for dealing with the Supreme Court comes from Joseph Stalin. "He had a slogan, and it worked very well for him, whenever he ran into difficulty: 'no man, no problem,' " Vieira said.
The full Stalin quote, for those who don't recognize it, is "Death solves all problems: no man, no problem." Presumably, Vieira had in mind something less extreme than Stalin did and was not actually advocating violence. But then, these are scary times for the judiciary. An anti-judge furor may help confirm President Bush's judicial nominees, but it also has the potential to turn ugly. [from DailyKos.com]
Kos replies: Edwin Vieira has made a name for himself decrying the unconstitutionality of paper money, among other things. So ya know he's not f---ing nuts or anything.
At this point, it seems prominent batshit-crazy conservatives are running to outdo themselves in just how suggestively they can muse over the murder of federal judges they don't like. Seriously, WTF? Is this a contest I don't know about? Reading up on the guest list for this conference, I am for no apparent reason reminded of a particular South Park episode depicting hooded members of a Klan rally playing "what's the funniest thing you've got on under your robe?"
Does the conservative who can get closest to openly endorsing judicial assassinations without getting dragged off in handcuffs get to take home a pie or something?
Not to be outdone, lawyer-author Edwin Vieira told the gathering that Kennedy should be impeached because his philosophy, evidenced in his opinion striking down an anti-sodomy statute, "upholds Marxist, Leninist, satanic principles drawn from foreign law."
...Ominously, Vieira continued by saying his "bottom line" for dealing with the Supreme Court comes from Joseph Stalin. "He had a slogan, and it worked very well for him, whenever he ran into difficulty: 'no man, no problem,' " Vieira said.
The full Stalin quote, for those who don't recognize it, is "Death solves all problems: no man, no problem." Presumably, Vieira had in mind something less extreme than Stalin did and was not actually advocating violence. But then, these are scary times for the judiciary. An anti-judge furor may help confirm President Bush's judicial nominees, but it also has the potential to turn ugly. [from DailyKos.com]
Kos replies: Edwin Vieira has made a name for himself decrying the unconstitutionality of paper money, among other things. So ya know he's not f---ing nuts or anything.
At this point, it seems prominent batshit-crazy conservatives are running to outdo themselves in just how suggestively they can muse over the murder of federal judges they don't like. Seriously, WTF? Is this a contest I don't know about? Reading up on the guest list for this conference, I am for no apparent reason reminded of a particular South Park episode depicting hooded members of a Klan rally playing "what's the funniest thing you've got on under your robe?"
Does the conservative who can get closest to openly endorsing judicial assassinations without getting dragged off in handcuffs get to take home a pie or something?
Guantanamo Bay military tribunals: "I don't care about international law."
A terror suspect held at Guantanamo Bay asked his U.S. military judge a pointed question: "Is it possible to see the evidence in order to refute it?" In another case, a judge blurted out: "I don't care about international law."
Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press are giving dozens of Guantanamo detainees what the Bush administration had sought to keep from public view: identities and voices.
...Little information about those held at Guantanamo has been released through official government channels. But stories of 60 or more are spelled out in detail in thousands of pages of transcripts filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, where lawsuits challenging their detentions have been filed.
The previously anonymous detainees provide accounts of their imprisonment and impressions of U.S. justice. Some express defiance, others stoic acceptance of their fate. [from DailyKos.com]
Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press are giving dozens of Guantanamo detainees what the Bush administration had sought to keep from public view: identities and voices.
...Little information about those held at Guantanamo has been released through official government channels. But stories of 60 or more are spelled out in detail in thousands of pages of transcripts filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, where lawsuits challenging their detentions have been filed.
The previously anonymous detainees provide accounts of their imprisonment and impressions of U.S. justice. Some express defiance, others stoic acceptance of their fate. [from DailyKos.com]
US nuclear warhead plan under fire
Democrats and American arms control groups warned yesterday that a new Bush administration scheme to replace ageing nuclear warheads could be used as a cover for the eventual construction of a "black arsenal" of new weapons.
The plan, known as the reliable replacement warhead programme (RRW), was unveiled this week by Linton Brooks, the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Instead of maintaining the old stockpile by monitoring the warheads and replacing occasional spare parts, RRW would entail the design, production and deployment of a new generation of warheads. These would not require testing, and therefore would not break the US moratorium on nuclear tests.
The plan, known as the reliable replacement warhead programme (RRW), was unveiled this week by Linton Brooks, the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Instead of maintaining the old stockpile by monitoring the warheads and replacing occasional spare parts, RRW would entail the design, production and deployment of a new generation of warheads. These would not require testing, and therefore would not break the US moratorium on nuclear tests.
Bush's choice for UN faces bullying claims
President George Bush's controversial choice for America's ambassador to the UN faces possible rejection at Senate confirmation hearings next week as Democrats explore allegations that he bullied US officials into supporting Washington's foreign policy positions.
Hearings into the nomination of John Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control who has a record of harsh criticism of the UN, were due to start last Thursday but were postponed because some members of the Foreign Relations Committee were travelling to Rome for the papal funeral.
But more serious trouble is now brewing with the nomination after Democrats on the committee who oppose him began researching claims that Mr Bolton may have more than once pressured officials at the State Department to support administration views on Iraq and other issues.
Hearings into the nomination of John Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control who has a record of harsh criticism of the UN, were due to start last Thursday but were postponed because some members of the Foreign Relations Committee were travelling to Rome for the papal funeral.
But more serious trouble is now brewing with the nomination after Democrats on the committee who oppose him began researching claims that Mr Bolton may have more than once pressured officials at the State Department to support administration views on Iraq and other issues.
Teachers and Classmates Express Outrage at Arrest of Girl, 16, as a Terrorist Threat
At Heritage High School in East Harlem, where the student idiom is hip-hop and salsa, the 16-year-old Guinean girl stood out, but not just because she wore Islamic dress. She was so well liked that when she ran for student body president, she came in second to one of her best friends - the Christian daughter of the president of the parent-teacher association, Deleen P. Carr.
Now Ms. Carr, a speech pathologist who calls herself "a typical American citizen," is as outraged as the girl's teachers and classmates, who have learned that the girl and another 16-year-old are being called would-be suicide bombers and are being held in an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania.
"They have painted this picture of her as this person that is trying to destroy our way of life, and I know in my heart of hearts that this is bogus," said Ms. Carr, who welcomed the Guinean girl to her house daily and knows her family well. "I feel like, how dare they? She's a minor, and even if she's not a citizen, she has rights as a human being."
According to a government document provided to The New York Times by a federal official earlier this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asserted that both girls are "an imminent threat to the security of the United States based on evidence that they plan to be suicide bombers." No evidence was cited, and federal officials will not comment on the case.
Now Ms. Carr, a speech pathologist who calls herself "a typical American citizen," is as outraged as the girl's teachers and classmates, who have learned that the girl and another 16-year-old are being called would-be suicide bombers and are being held in an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania.
"They have painted this picture of her as this person that is trying to destroy our way of life, and I know in my heart of hearts that this is bogus," said Ms. Carr, who welcomed the Guinean girl to her house daily and knows her family well. "I feel like, how dare they? She's a minor, and even if she's not a citizen, she has rights as a human being."
According to a government document provided to The New York Times by a federal official earlier this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has asserted that both girls are "an imminent threat to the security of the United States based on evidence that they plan to be suicide bombers." No evidence was cited, and federal officials will not comment on the case.
Iraqis Protest on Anniversary of Saddam's Fall
Tens of thousands of followers of a rebel Shi'ite cleric marched in Baghdad on Saturday to denounce the U.S. presence in Iraq and demand a speedy trial of Saddam Hussein on the second anniversary of his overthrow.
Chanting "No, no to the occupiers," men loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr streamed from the poor Shi'ite district of Sadr City to Firdos Square in central Baghdad where Saddam's statue was torn down two years ago, in a peaceful show of strength.
The square and side streets were quickly packed with crowds waving Iraqi flags and brandishing effigies of Saddam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush.
"No America! No Saddam! Yes to Islam!" many chanted. One group of demonstrators burned an American flag.
"We want a stable Iraq and this will only happen through independence," said a statement from Sadr's office read out at the rally. "There will be no security and stability unless the occupiers leave... The occupiers must leave my country."
Iraqi security forces shut down central Baghdad ahead of the march and were keeping a tight watch. U.S. forces, around 135,000 of whom remain in Iraq, were out of sight. Most protesters were searched for weapons before reaching the square.
Chanting "No, no to the occupiers," men loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr streamed from the poor Shi'ite district of Sadr City to Firdos Square in central Baghdad where Saddam's statue was torn down two years ago, in a peaceful show of strength.
The square and side streets were quickly packed with crowds waving Iraqi flags and brandishing effigies of Saddam, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush.
"No America! No Saddam! Yes to Islam!" many chanted. One group of demonstrators burned an American flag.
"We want a stable Iraq and this will only happen through independence," said a statement from Sadr's office read out at the rally. "There will be no security and stability unless the occupiers leave... The occupiers must leave my country."
Iraqi security forces shut down central Baghdad ahead of the march and were keeping a tight watch. U.S. forces, around 135,000 of whom remain in Iraq, were out of sight. Most protesters were searched for weapons before reaching the square.
"Spamalot" Brings Straight White Guys to the Theater
"Spamalot," Broadway's hottest show, drawn from the 1975 cult film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," has managed to tap into a rare, highly prized Broadway demographic: men; specifically, the kinds of teenagers and 20-somethings who find jokes about fish, flatulence and the French absolutely sidesplitting and who normally wouldn't be headed to the theater unless dragged by a girlfriend, school trip or court order.
"They are what the movie preview experts call young males under 35," said Mike Nichols, who directed "Spamalot." "And we have them."
Indeed, "Spamalot" may have created an entirely new breed of raving musical theater fan, one who has probably never heard of Rodgers and Hammerstein or Kander and Ebb or even - gasp - Stephen Sondheim, but who can quote full stretches of dialogue from 30-year-old films by British sketch-comedy troupes.
"They are what the movie preview experts call young males under 35," said Mike Nichols, who directed "Spamalot." "And we have them."
Indeed, "Spamalot" may have created an entirely new breed of raving musical theater fan, one who has probably never heard of Rodgers and Hammerstein or Kander and Ebb or even - gasp - Stephen Sondheim, but who can quote full stretches of dialogue from 30-year-old films by British sketch-comedy troupes.
Frist Says Courts in Schiavo Case Acted Fairly
U.S. Senate Republican leader Bill Frist said on Tuesday that courts had acted fairly in the Terri Schiavo "right-to-die" case, differing sharply from a vow of retribution by his House of Representatives counterpart, Tom DeLay.
"I believe we have a fair and independent judiciary today," said Frist, now trying to resolve a battle with Democrats over judicial nominations that threatens to tie his chamber into knots. "I respect that."
Frist and DeLay, as the Senate and House majority leaders, had led a charge for emergency legislation calling on the federal courts to review the Schiavo case.
"I believe we have a fair and independent judiciary today," said Frist, now trying to resolve a battle with Democrats over judicial nominations that threatens to tie his chamber into knots. "I respect that."
Frist and DeLay, as the Senate and House majority leaders, had led a charge for emergency legislation calling on the federal courts to review the Schiavo case.
How would you remake CBS News?
Lizz Winstead has some interesting ideas, while Don Hewitt and Al Primo stick to what they know. Meanwhile, Mark Burnett's take is the most hilariously stereotypical piece ever written by a sleazy television producer. So, does anyone else have any ideas? [from MetaFilter.com]
Lizz Winstead (Daily Show founder) Gives Advice for CBS Evening News:
Excerpt: We're in a state now where - and we have been for a time - where the thought of the evening news, for me, is steadily becoming obsolescent. But there still needs to be some kind of information given at 6:30.
When I heard that Les Moonves wanted to, maybe, do the CBS Evening News as an ensemble - sort of like a morning show at night - I thought, "'We don't need to candy up the news any more."
What we learned for sure doing "The Daily Show" is that young people love controversy, and they love to be proven right, when they think they hear something someone did wrong. They like to really hear facts. That's why MoveOn.org and all these other organizations are super-successful. Somebody is trying to break it down for them. Two things CBS News doesn't have right now are young people and credibility.
People are watching news on the internet, and watching a lot of the news stories that are told throughout the day on cable, with a constant spin. Why not do a show where you get people who take the big stories of the day, tell them in headline form, and then say: "This is how Fox, MSNBC, The New York Times, blah, blah, all covered this story. This is how they got it right, this is how they got it wrong."
The big complaint from everybody trying to get information these days is: Who is the media? What are they trying to tell me? Who's actually a journalist? Who's actually a spin doctor? Who's a liar?
Corporations Monitoring Blog Traffic
"Fortunately for PR professionals," writes PR Week, technologies including blog search engines and tagging "allow companies and agencies alike to monitor the dialogue regarding their organizations." One product "allows companies to compare evocations of its name versus the names of competitors." A "marketing intelligence" executive said savvy companies see "blogs as a way to create stakeholder goodwill." The PR firm Edelman recently "released a directory of the most influential bloggers." The directory (only available to clients) also "gives advice on blogger behavior and jargon." Edelman's Rick Murray warned that companies face risks when "attempting to communicate with the blogosphere -- you will do yourself harm."
Medicare administrator won't rule out video news releases
Medicare administrator Mark McClellan on Tuesday wouldn't rule out using government-produced video news releases in the future to inform seniors about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.
A congressional agency, the Government Accountability Office, has concluded that the made-for-TV releases, which mimic actual news segments, may violate a ban on government propaganda. But a Justice Department opinion found that they don't as long as the information is truthful.
In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, McClellan said Medicare would "fully comply with the law" regarding government-made video news releases. But he wouldn't pledge to ban their use, which Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., pressed him to do.
Federal agencies, including McClellan's, have sometimes sent video news releases, in which actors portray newscasters reporting on government activities, to television stations for public broadcast. Their use has increased over the last decade as TV news budgets shrank and stations scrambled to make more money from their local news shows.
A congressional agency, the Government Accountability Office, has concluded that the made-for-TV releases, which mimic actual news segments, may violate a ban on government propaganda. But a Justice Department opinion found that they don't as long as the information is truthful.
In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, McClellan said Medicare would "fully comply with the law" regarding government-made video news releases. But he wouldn't pledge to ban their use, which Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., pressed him to do.
Federal agencies, including McClellan's, have sometimes sent video news releases, in which actors portray newscasters reporting on government activities, to television stations for public broadcast. Their use has increased over the last decade as TV news budgets shrank and stations scrambled to make more money from their local news shows.
The Next Wave Of Offshoring
"I don't think most people appreciate the magnitude of the change in the world's workforce," says Intel's chief executive, Craig Barrett. "Over the next 10 years you are going to see major, major dislocation," he warns. He should know. Intel is hiring thousands of new workers overseas.
Big and small companies alike in industry after industry have done the math and are rushing to move even their most specialized jobs to Asia to cut wages by between half and four-fifths. "We're now outsourcing investment banking to Mumbai," says Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley. "I don't know why we would ever hire another software programmer in New York again."
Big and small companies alike in industry after industry have done the math and are rushing to move even their most specialized jobs to Asia to cut wages by between half and four-fifths. "We're now outsourcing investment banking to Mumbai," says Stephen Roach, chief economist at Morgan Stanley. "I don't know why we would ever hire another software programmer in New York again."
Military Academies in Public Schools
The academy is part of a growing trend, in Philadelphia and other cities, of military schools that are part of the public school system, most of them in low-income areas with black and Hispanic residents. Two more public military academies are scheduled to open in Philadelphia in the next two school years, and student interest is already overwhelming. According to Col. Russell Gallagher, director of Philadelphia's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, some 2,000 applicants have applied for 125 spots for September in the city military academies.
Chicago now has three public Army-oriented high schools with more than 1,600 students, and officials plan to open a public naval academy in September. The city also has eight military academies within regular high schools.
"I'm the biggest fan of small schools everywhere, and the military academy option is very attractive," said Arne Duncan, chief executive officer of the Chicago public schools. "It helps to define a culture, and many students thrive in that culture."
In recent years public and charter military academies have also opened in California, Minnesota, Maryland and Florida, and officials say there is interest elsewhere.
Chicago now has three public Army-oriented high schools with more than 1,600 students, and officials plan to open a public naval academy in September. The city also has eight military academies within regular high schools.
"I'm the biggest fan of small schools everywhere, and the military academy option is very attractive," said Arne Duncan, chief executive officer of the Chicago public schools. "It helps to define a culture, and many students thrive in that culture."
In recent years public and charter military academies have also opened in California, Minnesota, Maryland and Florida, and officials say there is interest elsewhere.
Thousands Protest Schwarzenegger's Visit
Unions aligned against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's package of reforms rallied Tuesday night outside a hotel where the governor was raising money for a slate of potential ballot measures.
About 2,000 protesters demonstrated outside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in San Francisco, where Schwarzenegger was hosting a fundraiser on behalf of proposed ballot measures he hopes to qualify for a special election next fall.
A plane flying overhead carried a banner reading "ARNOLD: CALIFORNIA IS NOT FOR SALE" and some protesters carried signs, once which said, "''ARNOLD CAN'T BE BOUGHT, BIG BUSINESS ALREADY OWNS HIM."
About 2,000 protesters demonstrated outside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in San Francisco, where Schwarzenegger was hosting a fundraiser on behalf of proposed ballot measures he hopes to qualify for a special election next fall.
A plane flying overhead carried a banner reading "ARNOLD: CALIFORNIA IS NOT FOR SALE" and some protesters carried signs, once which said, "''ARNOLD CAN'T BE BOUGHT, BIG BUSINESS ALREADY OWNS HIM."
U.S. mad cow coverup alleged
A former American government packing plant veterinarian says the United States government is hiding cases of mad cow disease.
Dr. Lester Friedlander said Wednesday that colleagues with the United States Department of Agriculture have told him of cases that the USDA has chosen not to announce.
Friedlander, who has been invited to speak to Parliament's agriculture committee next week on proposed changes to Canadian inspection legislation, refused to give details. He said the USDA employees are close to retirement and risk losing their pensions.
He has previously spoken out, however, about a Texas cow that had mad cow symptoms and went untested to a rendering plant after a USDA veterinarian condemned it at a packing plant in San Angelo.
Dr. Lester Friedlander said Wednesday that colleagues with the United States Department of Agriculture have told him of cases that the USDA has chosen not to announce.
Friedlander, who has been invited to speak to Parliament's agriculture committee next week on proposed changes to Canadian inspection legislation, refused to give details. He said the USDA employees are close to retirement and risk losing their pensions.
He has previously spoken out, however, about a Texas cow that had mad cow symptoms and went untested to a rendering plant after a USDA veterinarian condemned it at a packing plant in San Angelo.
Pope reborn as superhero in Colombian comic
Pope John Paul II is being reborn in a Colombian comic book as a superhero battling evil with an anti-Devil cape and special chastity pants.
The first episode of the "Incredible Popeman" is about to go on sale in Colombia and shows the late Polish pontiff meeting comic book legends such as Batman and Superman to learn how to use superpowers to battle Satan.
"The pope was a real-life superhero, of flesh and blood," said Colombian artist Rodolfo Leon, a non-practicing Catholic who has been working on the comic book for about a year.
The first episode of the "Incredible Popeman" is about to go on sale in Colombia and shows the late Polish pontiff meeting comic book legends such as Batman and Superman to learn how to use superpowers to battle Satan.
"The pope was a real-life superhero, of flesh and blood," said Colombian artist Rodolfo Leon, a non-practicing Catholic who has been working on the comic book for about a year.
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