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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StoryMusharraf sworn in as Pakistan president
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pervez Musharraf embarked on a new five-year term as Pakistan's civilian president Thursday, but gave no indication of when emergency rule will be lifted — a key demand of both his domestic rivals and the United States. Seeds of Doubt
The WorldUS deaths in Iraq remain low in November
BAGHDAD - The number of U.S. troops killed in November remained at a low not seen since March 2006 on Thursday, a respite from years of bloodshed that forced some 2 million Iraqis to flee and prompted the buildup of nearly 30,000 more American forces.
That’s very good news. Now, let’s take the troops out of harm’s way altogether. Bring them home.—Caro
Olmert says Palestinian state vital
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published Thursday that creation of a Palestinian state is a vital Israeli interest, and that failure to reach a peace agreement could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle.
Campaigner: Viagra used to bribe voters
BANGKOK, Thailand - Vote-buying is an old practice in Thai politics, but one candidate for December's Thai election has reportedly come up with a new tactic — handing out Viagra instead of cash.
NKorea to come clean on secret nuclear programme: US envoy
SEOUL (AFP) - Work on shutting down North Korea's declared nuclear plants is going well, with the communist state expected to come clean soon about a suspected secret programme, the chief US nuclear envoy said Thursday.
Rudd names new Australian Cabinet
CANBERRA, Australia - Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd named his Cabinet on Thursday, choosing a woman as deputy leader for the first time, a former rock singer as environment minister and a lawyer from the Outback as foreign minister.
Botched coup bid in Philippines ends without casualties
MANILA (Reuters) - Elite military and police units stormed the Manila Peninsula Hotel on Thursday, ending a short-lived coup attempt by a small group of soldiers and others who had called on the army to mutiny.
Chavez seeks expanded power in charter
CARACAS, Venezuela - Hugo Chavez could have a shot at becoming president for life if voters approve a sweeping overhaul of the constitution Sunday that would give him unchecked power to reshape Venezuela's government, economy and society.
NOBODY should EVER be president for life of ANYTHING. And I’m beginning to wonder about Supreme Court justices, too.—Caro
Sarkozy says "thugocracy" behind French riots
PARIS (Reuters) - Riots which hit a Paris suburb this week were the work of a "thugocracy" of criminals and not the result of social deprivation, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday. The NationIgnoring Generals’ Words Of Caution, McCain And Lieberman Rush To Declare Success In Iraq
This month, as violence has dropped a bit in Iraq, military commanders and other Iraq experts have been hesitant to begin declaring victory, saying instead that the “positive” momentum is “not yet irreversible” and Iraq is “going nowhere” in “political terms.” But Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who traveled to Iraq for the Thanksgiving holiday, have been much less cautious in their public statements and have all but declared victory.
Bush shrinks federal pay raises
WASHINGTON - Federal workers living in more expensive regions of the country will get much smaller pay raises than scheduled under an order from President Bush, who said Wednesday that the proposed raises were unacceptably high.
VA's performance on benefits slips or is unchanged
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs fell farther behind this year in its attempts to give veterans timely decisions on their disability claims, new records show… Overall, the agency either has fallen behind or has made no progress in improving its performance in more than half of what it lists as its key goals.
Intel centers losing anti-terror focus
WASHINGTON - Local intelligence-sharing centers set up after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have had their anti-terrorism mission diluted by a focus on run-of-the-mill street crime and hazards such as hurricanes, a government report concludes.
Head of Rove Inquiry in Hot Seat Himself
WASHINGTON -- The head of the federal agency investigating Karl Rove's White House political operation is facing allegations that he improperly deleted computer files during another probe… Mr. Bloch said no documents relevant to any investigation were affected. He also says the employee claims against him are unwarranted. Mr. Bloch believes the White House may have a conflict of interest in pressing the inquiry into his conduct while his office investigates the White House political operation.
Livin' Large (by Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo)
You probably know DOJ voting section chief John Tanner for doing his level best to crack down on minority voting and telling an audience that voter ID laws aren't a problem since blacks and hispanics don't live that long anyway. Now it seems he's gotten in a bit of hot water for using his job to take a bunch of snazzy vacations on the taxpayer dime.
Rulings on Endangered Species Are Reversed
The Fish and Wildlife Service reversed seven rulings that denied increased protection for endangered species, after an inquiry found that the actions had been tainted by political pressure.
Probes find interference, bias by former Interior official
As deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, (Julie A.) MacDonald had a heavy hand in how 607 animal species and 744 plant species were protected under federal law… (An) investigation, finished this week, concluded that MacDonald had a potential conflict of interest when she oversaw an endangered species decision that could affect her Yolo County property in California.
Lott’s brother-in-law, nephew indicted for bribery.
A federal grand jury indicted outgoing GOP Sen. Trent Lott’s brother-in-law, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, today “on charges that he and four other men tried to bribe a Mississippi state court judge.” Scruggs and his associates allegedly conspired to “bribe Mississippi Third Circuit Court Judge Henry L. Lackey with at least $40,000 in cash” after “Scruggs’ firm was named as a defendant in a dispute involving $26.5 million in attorneys’ fees.” The group of Mississippi attorneys in the indictment also include a former state auditor and Lott’s nephew Zach.
Virginia Republicans Will Demand Oath of Loyalty From Primary Voters
The (Virginia) State Board of Elections on Monday approved a state Republican Party request to require all who apply for a GOP primary ballot first vow in writing that they'll vote for the party's presidential nominee next fall. There's no practical way to enforce the oath.
Like most Republican initiatives—coercive, mean spirited, and unenforceable.—Caro MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
CondeNet Pushing Content (And Ads) Through YouTube (by Kristen Nicole at Mashable)
CondéNet, one of the old media members that has been a bit more fearless in its online efforts, has signed an advertising and distribution deal with YouTube. CondéNet gets to sell the advertising, and it’s then split with Google… Now that enough of its online properties have achieved a certain amount of growth and have been rather established for some time, the larger push for traditional media to give out more free content puts pressure on the entire industry to better monetize online products.
Better monetizing, of course, means more support from advertising. It’s the same in progressive media. We complain about the control corporations have over our lives, but we push content providers into supporting themselves by depending on advertising money from those same corporations.—Caro
When Media Content is Free, It's Worth Every Cent (by Ted Rall)
Print media is dragging content providers into the abyss. First comes downsizing. Writers, cartoonists, and photographers are losing their jobs to peers willing to do the work for less or, in the case of readers invited to submit their comments and images for the thrill of appearing in the local rag, nothing. Then they squeeze those who remain for pay cuts.
Gee, it’s just like what happened to me in computer work. With all the in-sourcing and out-sourcing over the last 15 years, salaries and job opportunities in IT have been devastated. And the Democratic Party is doing it, too. See below. When does allowing participation become exploitation?—Caro
Via email from Mike Gehrke, Research Director of the DNC:
For a few months, we've had Democratic Party "trackers" recording hundreds of hours of Republican candidates in the field… (W)ith the Internet giving ordinary Americans like you access to the tools you need to change an election with the click of a mouse, we need to make sure you have everything you need to do just that. The video is yours -- you can just let us know what you find, or you can take it, re-mix it, add music, and make your very own ad out of it. It's up to you… Take a look at the video, forward your favorite clips to your friends, and make a contribution of $20 to keep this and other programs going strong through the 2008 election.
My response: You want ME to PAY YOU to DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU? Please tell me that I'm misunderstanding this message.—Caro
Study: More Than 60% Don't Trust Campaign Coverage
The Harvard University survey also revealed four out of five people believe coverage focuses too much on the trivial and more than 60% believe coverage is politically biased. "Americans believe the media focuses too much on the polls and candidates' personal lives," the report said.
THE USES OF TRIVIA: (by Bob Somerby at the Daily Howler)
Kevin (Drum) is right … (that by) the official rules of the game, modern reporters are not allowed to come out and say who would make the best president. But that doesn’t mean that they’re driven to trivia because they aren’t allowed to (state) their view and have nothing else to discuss. Do you mind if we state the obvious facts concerning what actually happens on earth? Here’s what happens: Forbidden to tell you directly who’s best, reporters use elements of trivia and personality to convince you, indirectly, about who would make the best president. Surely, everyone knows that they do this by now—unless they believe the earth is flat.
WaPo Edit Page Says White House Outreach To Syria Might Work -- After Blasting Pelosi For Same Thing (by Greg Sargent at TPM Horse’s Mouth)
As you may recall, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last spring, The Washington Post editorial page was the leading institutional editorial voice against it. The paper published a widely discussed editorial, called "Pratfall in Damascus," that helped set the tone for much mainstream criticism… Now, however, the Bush administration has decided to engage Syria as part of its current Mideast initiative. And right on cue, WaPo has published a new editorial which, while pessimistic about the initiative in general, nonetheless offers modest praise of the Bush administration's invitation of that country.
Expert: Both parties cooperate to keep administration crimes secret (by David Edwards and Muriel Kane at the Raw Story)
(Jonathan Turley, on Keith Olbermann’s Countdown,) "Today, the (so-called national security) privilege is used primarily not to keep something secret, but to keep something from being used against the government"… (According to Turley,) members of both parties are happy to see these cases dismissed because they are determined to keep impeachment off the table. "There's a lot of people, both Democrats and Republicans, that ... don't want a court to say that the president did something that is a federal crime."
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
CNN Rejects 5,000 YouTube Questions Submitted By The Public To Give Airtime To Grover Norquist
CNN and YouTube billed tonight’s Republican debate as one in which “YOU ask the questions of the candidates through videos you submit on YouTube.”… Out of almost 5,000 video submissions, CNN chose to pose 34 to the candidates (Thursday night). Instead of alloting all slots to ordinary citizens — who don’t normally have access to politicians — CNN gave airtime to a question from Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist.
Click through to watch the video of that segment of the debate. —Caro
Democrats Cancel Debate At Picketed CBS
So much for anchor Katie Couric's moment in the presidential political spotlight. That televised debate set for next month among the Democratic presidential candidates has been canceled to avoid a potential conflict with striking WGA writers.
Tough times for local TV reporters who play it straight
They're being shunted aside for those with flash and panache and who entertain more than inform, writes Sam McManis. Former Sacramento TV reporter Naj Alikhan recalls being encouraged to slap his neck while doing a report on West Nile virus spraying. He refused to do it and eventually left the station, deciding he'd had enough.
Size Limits for Cable Look Likely
WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 — Coming off a setback at the hands of the cable television industry, the head of the Federal Communications Commission moved to reassert himself on Wednesday by proposing that the commission quickly adopt a rule that would prevent Comcast, the nation’s biggest cable company, from becoming larger, commission officials said.
New Software Detects Web Interference
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Increasingly worried over Internet providers' behavior, a nonprofit has released software that helps determine whether online glitches are innocent hiccups or evidence of deliberate traffic tampering. Technology & ScienceMTV says "Rock Band" is flying off shelves
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc's (VIAb.N) MTV Networks said on Wednesday that copies of "Rock Band," its new music-based video game, have been "flying off the shelves" in the first week of sales.
Soup Up Your Cellphone
Widgets will not turn your vintage Motorola StarTAC into an iPhone, but they will add features and functions that you didn’t think were capable on your phone.
Stem cell pioneer says embryonic research still needed
TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese scientist who helped produce stem cells from skin says controversial research on human embryos must continue for now, as it will take time to put the new breakthrough into practical use.
Genes May Explain Role of Race in Colon Cancer Risk
Differences in a key piece of DNA seem important, scientists say
Autistic Children Have More Gray Matter in Brains
This imbalance may make it tougher for them to function socially, study suggests
Obesity Rates Leveling Off Among U.S. Adults
But more than a third of Americans still weigh much too much, study finds
Men Talk More Than Women
Women may have a reputation as the chattier gender, but research into the matter shows that men may actually be a little more talkative than women—though it all depends on the situation.
Dogs Do Well on Computers
They sport bejeweled chokers, lavish in bubble baths at spas and have their own leather-bag chauffeurs. And now our almost-like-human dogs might also try their paws at computers. In order to test whether dogs can visually categorize pictures, and transfer their knowledge to new situations, four dogs were shown landscape and dog photographs, and expected to make a selection on a computer touch-screen.
Speeding Star to Escape from Milky Way
One of the fastest moving stars ever seen is challenging theories to explain its blistering speed. The cosmic cannonball, a neutron star known as RX J0822-4300, was discovered with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. Astronomers used five years of Chandra observations to show that the rogue star is careening away from the Puppis A supernova remnant, leftovers of a star that exploded about 3,700 years ago. The neutron star is racing of our Milky Way Galaxy at about 3 million mph (4.8 million kph).
Scientists Discover 'Teenager Galaxies'
LONDON (AP) - Young galaxies, so faint that scientists struggled to prove they were there at all, have been discovered by aiming two of the world's most powerful telescopes at a single patch of sky for nearly 100 hours. An international group of researchers has identified 27 pre-galactic fragments, dubbed "teenager galaxies," which they hope will help astronomers understand how our own Milky Way reached adulthood. EnvironmentU.N. Warns of Climate-Related Setbacks
A report warns that progress toward prosperity in the world’s poorest regions will be reversed unless rich countries promptly begin curbing emissions linked to global warming.
Japan to propose new climate forum with U.S., China
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan wants to involve China and the United States in talks over a new pact on climate change by launching a working group that will bring together all countries, including the major emitters that oppose existing plans.
U.S. greenhouse emissions fell 1.5 percent in 2006
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. emissions of the gases blamed for global warming fell 1.5 percent in 2006 on mild weather and increased use of natural gas to generate power and alternative energy, the government estimated on Wednesday.
Global system could cut disaster toll by 2018
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A global satellite system should come on line next decade, potentially saving billions of dollars and thousands of lives by boosting preparedness for natural disasters, a top scientist said on Wednesday.
Climate change may cost Florida $345 billion a year: study
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - If nothing is done to combat global warming, two of Florida's nuclear power plants, three of its prisons and 1,362 hotels, motels and inns will be under water by 2100, a study released on Wednesday said.
Scientists use paintings to track climate change
The vivid sunsets painted by J.M.W. Turner are revered for their use of color and light and for their influence on the Impressionists. But could they also help global warming experts track climate change? For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.
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