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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StorySenate Republicans block Iraq withdrawal plan
WASHINGTON — After a rare all-night debate, Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a Democratic plan that would have forced President Bush to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within 120 days and to complete it by next April. The Heretik
The World2 US soldier charged with murder in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Two U.S. Army soldiers have been charged with the premeditated murder of an Iraqi, and a lieutenant colonel has been relieved of command in connection with the case, the U.S. military announced Thursday.
Iraq calls on Turkey to stop shelling border towns
The Iraqi government said Turkish artillery and warplanes bombarded areas of northern Iraq on Wednesday. Iraq called on Turkey to stop the military operations and resolve the conflict diplomatically.
US: arms smuggling to Lebanon proven
UNITED NATIONS - The United States said Wednesday there was clear evidence of arms smuggling across the Syrian border to terrorist groups in Lebanon, and accused Iran and Syria of playing a negative role in the country.
Assad: Israel and Syria in touch via third country
Israel and Syria are holding contacts through a third party, Syrian President Bashar Assad said (Wednesday)…. In a speech to parliament after taking the oath of office for his second term, Assad said he would be willing to send envoys to a third country to accelerate contacts between the parties. "That is the maximum that we are willing to do," he said.
Two More Attacks In Pakistan
Suicide attacks, bombings and shootings blamed on Islamic extremists and a bloody army siege of radicals in Islamabad's Red Mosque have killed over 240 people in Pakistan so far this month, stirring doubts about the country's stability.
Russian youth rally at pro-Putin camp
It was like the first day of summer camp at this lakeside resort, but the scrubbed young campers in T-shirts and casual clothes had more than beadwork and canoeing on their minds. The NationAfter GOP Iraq-Withdrawal Filibuster, Reid Sets Aside Defense Authorization Bill
In an in-your-face response to Republicans continuing to block a full Senate vote on withdrawing American troops from Iraq, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) just moments ago set aside the pending Defense Authorization Bill until the Senate's Republican leadership stops defying the will of the majority of Congress and the American people and allows votes on the Iraq occupation.
Democrats Won't Budge On Troop Withdrawal
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says Senate will not vote on Iraq proposals until Republicans stop filibuster efforts, accept majority vote.
Pentagon finds $1.2 billion for mine-fortified vehicles
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, shifting money among the military branches, has come up with another $1.2 billion to supply troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with special armored vehicles that are built to withstand explosive devices and mines.
How many lives would have been saved, and how many not ruined, if they had “found” this money before mindlessly attacking Iraq?—Caro
60 percent
Number of Military.com readers (the nation’s largest military and veteran membership organization) who “believe the US should withdraw troops from Iraq now or by the end of 2008. … More than 40 percent of the respondents agreed the pullout should begin immediately.
Ex-Cheney aide gets 10 years in prison in spy case
NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - A former White House official who took top secret documents from U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office and gave them to opposition figures in the Philippines was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison.
Senate leader wants 'airing' of Vitter scandal
WASHINGTON - The Democratic leader in the Senate said Tuesday the call-girl scandal that has engulfed Sen. David Vitter, R-La., should have "a full airing" and noted that there is an open criminal investigation into the escort service that Vitter acknowledged calling… Reid stopped short of calling for an ethics committee investigation of the freshman senator and is not likely to, preferring to let the scandal play out on its own.
Imprisoned Cunningham outlines depths of corruption to FBI
According to an 11-page FBI summary of the sessions, obtained by Copley News Service, (former Rep. Randy “Duke”) Cunningham was very much the initiator of his corrupt actions, demanding bribes, accepting envelopes with cash and displaying an insatiable appetite for more money, more cars, more drink, more fine food and more expensive goods.
Congress asked to probe Alabama case
WASHINGTON - Forty-four former state attorneys general have asked Congress to investigate whether politics at the Justice Department influenced the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman on corruption charges.
Congress considers fund to build, rehab affordable housing
WASHINGTON — After years of watching the nation's affordable housing stock deteriorate and disappear, Congress is moving to pass one of the most important pieces of housing legislation in years.
Millionaire farmers could lose subsidies
WASHINGTON - The House Agriculture Committee voted Wednesday to ban federal subsidies to farmers with incomes averaging more than $1 million a year and stop farmers from collecting payments for multiple properties. Only farmers whose incomes exceed $2.5 million a year are now disqualified from such aid. MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
Proof Bin Laden Tape Is 5-Year-Old, Re-Released Footage
Though some reports included the proviso that the tape could contain old footage, the importance and ceremony attached to the re-release of the Bin Laden tape over the weekend left the distinct impression that the footage was new and that it correlated with the alleged increase of "chatter" amongst terrorist organizations indicating that a new attack is imminent… In reality, the tape was being released for the third consecutive time, having first popped up in 2002 before re-airing again in 2003. The footage of Bin Laden was filmed six years ago in October 2001.
Curious Timing
Hot on the heels of (Tuesday)'s release of the declassified NIE on Al Qaeda, the U.S. military in Baghdad announced today that it has captured a top leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq… (T)he capture took place two weeks ago but was not announced until (Wednesday)… And the detainee just happened to confess to a greater level of coordination between AQ in Iraq and Osama bin Laden's global AQ, right in line with the official White House line.
Getting filibusters backwards
Josh Marshall has been documenting just how irresponsible the media has been in neglecting to report on GOP filibusters, leading to widespread confusion as to why Congress isn’t passing legislation. Now, once the media finally brings itself to start introducing the word to the public, major news outlets get it backwards. I can almost understand (Fred) Barnes screwing this up, but Diane Sawyer has been a professional political correspondent in DC since 1978.
The Politico Sewer
Noting that the Politico's posting of "another vapid, petty and inane 'news story'--the type of story which has, in just a few short months, become its hallmark": An account of the $300 that Republican Mitt Romney spent on makeup consulting. While this might be seen as a "balance" to the Politico's obsessive coverage of John Edwards' $400 haircut, the rest of the media showed little sign of leaping on the Romney story the way they had with Edwards--and that to the extent that the left wing of the blogosphere paid attention to the story, it was mostly to condemn it.
Tucker Carlson on Clinton: "(W)hen she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs"
(P)roducer Willie Geist described a Clinton doll being advertised at the website HillaryNutcracker.com that features "serrated stainless steel thighs that, well, crack nuts," according to Geist. He introduced the story by saying, "I think the metaphor in this next story, Tucker, is pretty clear. So I will just report the straight facts." He later asked, "What do you think they're saying about Hillary?" Host Tucker Carlson replied, "I have often said, when she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs."
O'Reilly defends comparison of Daily Kos to Nazis and KKK
During the July 17 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, discussing comments he made the previous night comparing the Daily Kos blog to the Nazi Party and to the Ku Klux Klan, host Bill O'Reilly asserted that "(t)he comparison is valid."
Larry Flynt says he has 30 more names!
Larry Flynt told Larry King that he has at least 30 more names to release in his quest to expose Republican hypocrisy. And ye shall be shocked at a certain Senator that he has left unnamed so far.
Cult of the Amateur? Keen v. Weinberger
David Weinberger (Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder) … "Amateurs aren't driving out the pros… The old media are available on line. If some falter, other credentialed experts will emerge… The history of the Web so far says that we are highly motivated to come up with ways to make sense of a world richer and more interesting than the constrained resources of the traditional media let on." Technology & ScienceWal-Mart to sell $300 PC with OpenOffice
San Francisco (IDGNS) - Wal-Mart opened its campaign for the back-to-school PC sales season on Wednesday by unveiling a $298 desktop from Everex that combines three of the most popular industry trends -- open-source software, a power-efficient processor, and a lack of "bloatware."
Swedish woman, 75, gets superfast Net
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - She is a latecomer to the information superhighway, but 75-year-old Sigbritt Lothberg is now cruising the Internet with a dizzying speed… Peter Lothberg, who is a networking expert, said he wanted to demonstrate the new technology while providing a computer link for his mother.
Geckos inspire a new breed of glue
Glue like the kind that mussels use to glom onto rocks has been combined with the stickiness seen in gecko feet to form a new adhesive dubbed geckel that could one day bind wounds closed and help robots climb walls underwater.
Natural Cancer-Fighting Protein May Also Slow Aging
Mice with extra p53 lived longer, even after factoring in cancer deaths, study finds
UCLA researchers show that culture influences brain cells
Mirror neurons fire when an individual performs an action, but they also fire when someone watches another individual perform that same action. Neuroscientists believe this "mirroring" is the neural mechanism by which we can read the minds of other people and empathize with them. When it comes to the influence of culture, they found that indeed, the mirror neuron network responds differently depending on whether we are looking at someone who shares our culture, or someone who doesn’t.
Monkeys don't go for easy pickings
Animals' natural foraging decisions give an insight into their cognitive abilities, and primates do not automatically choose the easy option. Instead, they appear to decide where to feed based on the quality of the resources available and the effect on their social group, rather than simply selecting the nearest food available.
They’re social beings. Like us. Only they don't try to pretend they're not.—Caro EnvironmentReport: Japan plant had another leak
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan - Japanese regulators discovered a fresh leak of radioactive material Thursday from a nuclear power plant damaged in an earthquake this week, a report said, adding to criticism of the embattled plant operator.
Fears grow of fallout from Ukraine toxic spill
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Scores of people sought medical help on Wednesday after a poisonous chemical spill in Ukraine, Greenpeace said, and warned of the dangers to health and the environment from the toxic fumes.
Picking Berries Protects Rain Forests Best, Study Shows
Small community projects for picking fruits and nuts are the best way to alleviate poverty and protect the Amazon and other tropical forests, but are largely ignored by governments, a study showed Monday.
In the Desert, Harnessing the Power of the Sun by Capturing Heat Instead of Light
(A)ccording to the Solar Energy Industries Association, representing manufacturers of both photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, power from solar thermal electricity costs 12 to 14 cents a kilowatt-hour to produce, while power from solar cells costs 18 to 40 cents a kilowatt-hour. The national average retail price of electricity is about 10.5 cents a kilowatt-hour. For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com. |
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