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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StorySenate approves Mukasey nomination
The Senate confirmed Michael Mukasey as attorney general late Thursday, capping three weeks of heated debate over CIA interrogation tactics and giving President Bush a major political victory on Capitol Hill.
The headline should be, “Senate approves torture. In the dead of night.”—Caro
Mukasey vows to be independent advocate
WASHINGTON - Neither of Washington nor President Bush's Texas power circle, Michael Mukasey won his new job as attorney general in large part by promising to be an advocate of law enforcement independent of White House and any other politics.
He’ll be just as independent as he was when he recanted his first day of testimony on his second day of testimony.—Caro The Heretik
The WorldWill 'armloads' of US cash buy tribal loyalty?
(P)aying tribes to keep the peace is nothing new. It was one of Mr. Hussein's tools in his selective patronage system designed to weaken and control all institutions outside his Baath party. The British also tried it when they ruled Iraq last century. But the strategy is fraught with risks, including the serious potential for wars among the tribes themselves and the creation of militias in die-hard Sunni Arab lands where many continue to question the legitimacy and authority of the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad.
The question is, will they STAY bought?—Caro
9 Iranians released in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Nine Iranians were released Friday from U.S. custody in Iraq, including two the military had accused of being members of an elite Iranian force suspected of arming Shiite extremists in Iraq.
Palestinians ease demands for conference
JERUSALEM - Encouraged by a conciliatory speech by Israel's prime minister, Palestinian negotiators have eased their demands that an upcoming U.S.-hosted peace conference lay out a plan for statehood, officials said Thursday.
District chief among several killed in Afghan violence
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) - Taliban militants gunned down the head of a hard fought-over district in Afghanistan, while US-led forces killed several insurgents in separate fighting, officials said.
Bhutto under house arrest in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police backed by armored vehicles detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at her Islamabad residence Friday and reportedly rounded up 5,000 of her supporters to block her mass protest against emergency rule.
Glad you made that phone call, Mr. Bush.—Caro
Myanmar's Suu Kyi meets party, junta
YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday met members of her opposition party for the first time since 2004, as she pledged to cooperate with the regime that has kept her under house arrest for years.
Japan's parliament extends term amid naval mission row
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan extended the current parliamentary session as the ruling parties strive to secure a resumption of a controversial naval mission supporting the US-led "war on terror."
As military balks, Chinese public pushes for aircraft carriers
China remains the only major global power without aircraft carriers in its fleet. For years, military leaders have weighed the pride that such vessels would bring the nation with the costs and complexity of operating the giant ships, continually postponing a decision. But now public sentiment is running strongly in favor of launching a program to build aircraft carriers, and some military experts say construction may be inevitable.
Insert snarky comment here about which toxic materials might be used to build this aircraft carrier.—Caro
Sudan defends expulsion of UN official
KHARTOUM, Sudan - The U.N. humanitarian director was ordered to leave south Darfur because he was discouraging civilians displaced by violence from returning to their villages, Sudan's justice minister said Thursday.
U.N. peacekeeping force for Somalia not viable: Ban
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sending U.N. peacekeepers to Somalia is not realistic and the international community should consider other options including a "coalition of the willing," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. The NationBush visits injured veterans in Texas
SAN ANTONIO - President Bush paid an emotional visit Thursday to soldiers maimed or badly burned in combat and said his administration is determined to mend the nation's system of caring for veterans.
Uh oh. That can only mean he’s cutting funding for them. Yep, see below.—Caro
Congress passes Pentagon non-war budget
WASHINGTON - Congress on Thursday approved a big boost in the Pentagon's non-war budget for President Bush's signature, even as a spending bill containing far smaller increases for health and education programs headed for a certain veto.
Cheney Tried to Stifle Dissent in Iran NIE
WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (IPS) - A National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran has been held up for more than a year in an (unsuccessful) effort to force the intelligence community to remove dissenting judgments on the Iranian nuclear programme, and thus make the document more supportive of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's militarily aggressive policy toward Iran… The White House has now apparently decided to release the unsatisfactory draft NIE, but without making its key findings public.
US wants to keep passenger review secret
WASHINGTON - After blowing a disclosure deadline, the Bush administration said Thursday it probably will keep secret many of the documents sought by a privacy group about how the U.S. shares airline passenger data with the European Union.
Bush’s 2000 recount lawyer set to blast Bush in speech.
Barry Richard, the lawyer who “achieved fame for his successful representation of George Bush in the Bush v. Gore recount suits, is set to give a speech blasting the Bush administration Saturday night” at the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys’ (NAFUSA) annual conference. There will also be a panel discussion featuring two of the ousted U.S. attorneys.
Congress overrides Bush veto of water projects bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress on Thursday overturned President George W. Bush's veto last week of a popular water projects bill, marking the first time lawmakers have mustered enough votes to override the president. The Senate voted 79-14 to overturn Bush's veto. The House of Representatives had overwhelmingly met the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto when it voted 361-54 on Tuesday.
Let’s make this a habit, Democrats.—Caro
Pelosi says new Iraq vote could come this week
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that she wants a vote as early as Friday on a spending measure calling for withdrawal of troops from Iraq to begin immediately.
Two Democrats move to outlaw waterboarding
WASHINGTON — The practice of waterboarding would be outlawed specifically, along with other extreme interrogation techniques, under legislation pushed by two Democratic senators.
Is this America? Really? We have to pass laws against what’s already illegal? And what will happen when Bush vetoes it, or otherwise ignores it? They’ll have to pass ANOTHER law to tell him to obey THIS one. And then ANOTHER one… Well, you get the idea.—Caro
Report: Abstinence programs don't work
Programs that focus exclusively on abstinence have not been shown to affect teenager sexual behavior, although they are eligible for tens of mil lions of dollars in federal grants, according to a study released by a nonpartisan group that seeks to reduce teen pregnancies. "At present there does not exist any strong evidence that any abstinence program delays the initiation of sex, hastens the return to abstinence or reduces the number of sexual partners" among teenagers, the study concluded.
Stanford students protest Rumsfeld appointment
STANFORD, California (Reuters) - More than 100 Stanford University students demonstrated on Thursday against a decision to make former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution amid campus discontent over a symbol of U.S. failings in the Iraq war. MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
I will be a guest on Tony Seton’s America Back on Track today at 3:30 PM ET. Listen to Tony from 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET every weekday on the Quality News Network.
A little jello wrestling, a little cheesecake, and, voila! Problem solved (Lance Mannion)
By way of Amanda at Pandagon, who learned of it from Echidne, comes the news that Atrios was on C-SPAN the other night and he got asked the question. You know THE Question. "Where are all the women bloggers?" Sigh. There are plenty of women blogging, of course. What there are not are any who are regularly linked to by the top five or six male bloggers …, who are the only ones the producers who book slots for talk shows care about.
Extraordinary Rendition (PBS Frontline)
Abu Omar says his torture lasted 14 months; the worst of it taking place at the secret police headquarters in Cairo. To date, more than 60 prisoners are believed to have been sent there by the United States. This is the dark story of “extraordinary rendition,” says Grey, a secret program in which the United States captures terror suspects around the world and flies them to countries like Egypt, Syria or Morocco, where, critics say, torture is routine.
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
$40,000:
Amount former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will receive to speak at the University of Florida later this month. It will be Gonzales’s first speaking appearance since his departure from the Bush administration.
PROGRESS vs. SUPPORT.... (by Kevin Drum, Washington Monthly)
(O)ver the past three months the PR campaign from General Petraeus combined with the decline in casualties has produced about a five point increase in the number of people who think the war is going well. But over the same time, it's also produced a three or four point increase in the number of people who oppose the war. Apparently, the American public increasingly opposes the war regardless of how well it's going.
Lieberman: ‘Paranoid, Hyper-Partisan’ ‘Left-Wing Blogs’ Wrote ‘Conspiracy Theories’ On Iran
Speaking (Thursday) at the Johns Hopkins Center for Politics and Foreign Relations, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) accused “left-wing blogs” of making up “conspiracy theories” about the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, which passed the Senate last month. It designated part of the Iranian army a terrorist organization. Lieberman called opponents of the amendment “politically paranoid” and “hyper-partisan.” He also claimed that the “amendment contained nothing” that could be seen “as a green light” for war.
We are lowly, unwashed rabble who have no right to an opinion. And Lieberman is either gullible or stupid.—Caro
A Tale of Two Headlines - Regarding Tuesday’s elections in a number of states: AP, “Voters reject slew of ballot measures”; Reuters, “Voters OK most bonds, nix stem cell research”
In the Long Run Everything Will Turn Out Fine (by Digby)
... for millionaires and their kids. Speaking of Jim Cramer, I just heard him casually claim on MSNBC that we will be paying 10 to 15 dollars a gallon for gas in the next five years. He didn't say what would happen when a gallon of milk also costs $10.00 as a result. Also, he assured us that if we get the right president in office "we'll take a nasty recession" like Brazil did to get off the oil teat. Gotta be done people. Too bad about your (worthless) lives.
FOXNews’ John Gibson: Bush Saved The Homeless, Won Iraq And Gave You A Job (by Logan Murphy at Crooks and Liars)
So STFU you stupid libs, and get to reporting the GOOD news about George W. Bush. If it weren’t for you dirty f*cking hippies reporting the truth, President Bush’s approval ratings would be skyrocketing by now — at least that’s what FOXNews’ John Gibson wants his fringe fans to believe.
I linked to that story on the homeless a couple of days ago. I just don’t see how we can have more people in poverty than when George Bush became president, but fewer homeless.—Caro
Fox News airs bizarre claim that Hillary ordered hit on cats
Fox News on Wednesday aired a bizarre accusation that Sen. Hillary Clinton is connected with the murder of two cats. Sen. Clinton's accuser is Kathleen Willey, the one-time White House aide who in 1993 claimed to have been groped by then-president Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. Willey raised the strange cat-killing allegation -- and a raft of others -- in her new book, Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Fox and Friends morning program detailed charges in the book that Willey's cat, Bullseye, was the victim of a targeted hit by a Clinton-hired henchman.
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
How Will Media Play Kerik's Indictment?
ABC News is reporting that Rudy top cop Bernie Kerik has been indicted on charges stemming from tax evasion and corruption allegations. So, some questions about the press coverage of this that we'll see tomorrow and in the days ahead: Will Rudy Giuliani's name be in the headline and lede of tomorrow's stories, given that this is only important really because Rudy is running for President? Will the stories prominently point out that this is a blow to Rudy's campaign? How many pundits will say this?
Right Wing Trumpets Global Warming Denial Of Discredited ‘TV Weatherman’
As (John Coleman, a founder of The Weather Channel) admits, his “expertise” is in weather — not climate change science. In fact, he “has been a TV weatherman since he was a freshman in college in 1953.” Coleman came up with the “idea” for a 24-hour channel devoted to weather, but he ran the station for only one year. Since then, the Weather Channel has prominently embraced the fight against global warming.
Al Gore Cameos on “30 Rock” (by SilentPatriot at Crooks and Liars)
Vice President Gore appeared on NBC’s “30 Rock” Thursday night to help promote the network’s Green Week. And he killed it. For those of you who don’t watch the show and are willing to give it a chance — which I highly recommend you do — NBC offers entire episodes on their website.
Click through to watch a clip of the Gore appearance. Click here to watch the full episode.—Caro Technology & ScienceU.S. Internet Control Lead Topic in Rio
NEW YORK (AP) - Debate over U.S. control of core Internet systems threatens to overtake an international meeting in Brazil next week that was meant to cover topics including spam, free speech and cheaper access.
Georgians to Pray for Rain
ATLANTA (AP) -- What to do when the rain won't come? If you're Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, you pray. The governor will host a prayer service next week to ask for relief from the drought gripping the Southeast.
A Little Wine, Sunlight Help Boost Women's Health
Two small studies suggest life-enhancing, life-extending benefits
Pill Poses Little Cervical Cancer Risk
And women's risk gets even smaller 10 years after stopping the drug, researchers say.
Adult Brain Circuitry Surprisingly Flexible
The brains of young people are very flexible—one reason teens can be so flighty and forgetful. But scientists have long thought that by adulthood, the circuitry becomes hard-wired and truly fixed in place. A new look inside grown-up mouse brains reveals far more literal flexibility than expected, however.
One-Third of Popular Songs Refer to Substance Abuse
Rap and country top the list with references to alcohol, drugs, study finds
Ingredients for Salad Dressing Found in 2,400-year-old Shipwreck
Genetic analysis has revealed the contents of an ancient shipwreck dating back to the era of the Roman Republic and Athenian Empire. The cargo was olive oil flavored with oregano. Beyond discovering ingredients for Italian salad dressing on the sea floor, such research could provide a wealth of insights concerning the everyday life of ancient seafaring civilizations that would otherwise be lost at sea.
NASA pressed to avert catastrophic Deep Impact
WASHINGTON (AFP) - NASA penny-pinching risks exposing humankind to a planetary catastrophe if a big enough asteroid evades detection and slams into Earth, US lawmakers warned Thursday.
SETI: Is It Worth It?
It's a risky long shot that burns up money and might never, ever pay off. So is searching for intelligent creatures on unseen worlds worth the candle? After all, aren't there better ways to use our monies and technical talents than trying to find something that's only posited to exist: sentient beings in the dark depths of space?
New Theory on Rays’ Sprint Across Space
Scientists say they now have evidence that ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays come from supermassive black holes that rumble at the hearts of many galaxies. EnvironmentSeawater Treatment Plants Could Combat Climate Change
The seas themselves might be modified to combat global warming by absorbing climate-altering carbon dioxide from the air, research now reveals.
40 Million Electric Bikes Spark Environmental Dilemma in China
Electric bike users have taken Chinese cities by storm, quickly outnumbering the cars and in many cities, bicycles.
Fuel Without the Fossil
Nipping at the heels of various companies using biological methods to develop fuels from plant matter is a new group of entrepreneurs who favor chemistry.
U.S. Government Dumping $100 Million Into Filthy Fuels Project
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the final environmental impact statement (EIS) on its proposal to contribute $100 million toward a new plant that will convert coal to liquid fuels. According to the statement, … the plant will directly emit more than 114 million tons of the greenhouse gas over its lifetime. The massive injection of public funds into this major new emissions source stands in stark contrast to growing demands for meaningful U.S. action to mitigate climate change.
China emission-cutting fund to reap up to $3 bln
China could have as much as $3 billion coming to a state-owned fund that supports emissions-reducing ventures, if a slate of projects on its books win U.N. approval, the Finance Ministry said on Friday.
The American Green House
Mass-market retailers are offering more eco-friendly home furnishings, but without industry standards it's hard to tell the green from the greenwashed. For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.
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