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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top Story Dems: Senate debate on Iraq inevitable
WASHINGTON - A lengthy Senate floor debate on the Iraq war is inevitable, despite a Republican effort to block it, Democrats say.
Give it an UP OR DOWN VOTE, Republicans. How dare you stand in the way of an UP OR DOWN VOTE???? What are you afraid of? Why won’t you tell Bush stop doing what the vast majority of Americans want him to stop doing? —Caro On Yahoo! News at 5:37 AM ET today: 
Then a few minutes later: 
The WorldDozens killed as Baghdad crackdown nears
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Bombings and mortar attacks killed dozens across Baghdad on Monday as Iraqi troops set up new checkpoints and an Iraqi general took command — indications that the much-awaited operation to restore peace to the capital is gearing up nearly a month after it was announced.
Officials: Iranian diplomat seized by gunmen wearing army uniforms in Baghdad
Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms seized an Iranian diplomat as he drove through central Baghdad, officials said Tuesday.One Iraqi government official said the diplomat was detained Sunday by a special Iraqi army unit that reports directly to the U.S. military.
U.S. advisers find joint patrols with Iraqis don't go as planned
In the pre-dawn chill, 1st Lt. Seth Reimers briefed his men. A joint patrol of about 60 soldiers equally divided between Iraqi and U.S. forces would storm a compound outside of town and grab a suspected insurgent financier.
Iraqi Shiite Calls for U.S.-Iran Talks
A senior Iraqi Shiite leader said on Monday that such talks were important for the security of the region.
Israeli army says Hezbollah bombs found
JERUSALEM - The Israeli army on Monday said it uncovered four bombs on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon and accused Hezbollah guerrillas of planting the explosives in recent days.
Afghanistan war crime amnesty denounced
KABUL, Afghanistan - A group of lawmakers on Monday denounced a nonbinding resolution passed by Afghanistan's lower house of parliament calling for amnesty for warlords and other Afghans accused of war crimes during a quarter-century of fighting.
Indian Army and Police Implicated in Kashmir Killings
A string of recent deaths has unearthed a deep well of resentment among the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
China says global warming in hands of wealthy nations
BEIJING (Reuters) - Rich nations are responsible for greenhouse gases fuelling global warming, China said on Tuesday, urging them to cut emissions and deflecting questions about whether Beijing will accept limits.
U.S. wants Nicaragua missiles destroyed
MANAGUA, Nicaragua - The United States insisted Monday that Nicaragua destroy hundreds of Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles after President Daniel Ortega said the weapons were needed for the country's defense.
Zimbabwe threatens white farmers
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwe's national security minister has told the country's last remaining white farmers that they will be jailed if they refuse to abide by a deadline that passed over the weekend for them to leave their farms, according to a newspaper report on Monday.
Ethiopian PM embraces 'strong developmental state'
LONDON (AFP) - Market reforms in Africa at the urging of western institutions have not succeeded and a "strong developmental state" is the best way forward for Ethiopia, the country's prime minister said in an interview published in the Financial Times.
Do you suppose that means the same thing as a “unitary executive”? How can we be an example to the world when so many Americans advocate dictatorship here? —Caro The NationPlan calls for no tax hikes; Dems say it's 'disconnected from reality'
The proposed $2.9 trillion budget that President Bush sent Congress Monday sets the stage for a series of politically difficult debates over war, taxes and the safety net for poor, elderly and disabled Americans.
Democrats to question Bremer on Iraq contracts
Democrats begin their scrutiny of contracts in Iraq on Tuesday by grilling the top civilian official in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Paul Bremer, the former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
DNC Meeting Provides Preview of 08 White House Primary
The meeting of the the Democratic National Committee (DNC) last weekend in Washington, D.C. — its first since the party’s takeover of the Senate and the House in the 2006 elections — provided the first real showcase for those hopefuls who want to pursue the Democrats’ next big goal: taking back the White House in the 2008 election.
2008 Democratic Primary: Clinton 34% Obama 18%
After two weeks in which Senator Hillary Clinton (D) was pulling away from other contenders for the Democratic nomination, the latest Rasmussen Reports Election 2008 polling shows that the race has stabilized a bit.
Jurors to hear Libby grand jury tapes
WASHINGTON - Jurors appeared intrigued when they were told they'd be hearing audiotape of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's grand jury testimony and were handed transcripts so they could follow along.
States say call 911 on drunken drivers
WASHINGTON - Driving home one night, Caroline Cash spotted a black Honda swaying in and out of its lane on a busy Interstate in suburban Washington. Economy & BusinessTechs buckle under Microsoft, Wal-Mart helps Dow
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. tech stocks fell on Monday as investors worried that Microsoft Corp.'s new Vista operating system may not be enough to sustain the recent rally in the company's share price.
January service growth strongest in 8 months
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The pace of growth in the U.S. service sector increased to its strongest in eight months in January on steady demand and lower costs, according to a report released on Monday.
February tax to-do list
These tax questions take time to resolve. February's the month to get the answers. MediaWar Dominates Again, But Breaking News Defines the Week: Jan. 28 - Feb. 2, 2007
The deteriorating conflict in Iraq was still the leading story line in the news last week. But the media were also tested by a terror false alarm, a major campaign trail gaffe, lethal weather, and the tragic death of a great athlete, according to the PEJ News Coverage Index.
Firms to Pay $2M Over Boston Bomb Scare
BOSTON (AP) -- Turner Broadcasting Systems and a marketing company have agreed to pay $2 million compensation and apologize for their advertising campaign that caused a widespread terrorism scare, the attorney general said Monday.
Where News Consumption Is Heading
I quizzed an assortment of people who I think have a good handle on where media and news habits are heading. I hope that folks running newspaper companies right now will listen to them, because they're telling you what sorts of things you should be investing in to survive as viable media companies.
Most Trusted Name in News
CNN spent 5-10 minutes on the decor in the Pentagon press room.
Blitzer failed to challenge claim of "incontrovertible" evidence of Iran's role in Iraq violence
On The Situation Room, Wolf Blitzer did not challenge the undersecretary of state for political affairs, Nicholas Burns, when he stated that there is "incontrovertible evidence that the Iranians have been giving very sophisticated explosive technology to Shia insurgent groups" in Iraq. In particular, he did not mention that a dossier detailing the evidence to which Burns referred was delayed reportedly due to concerns within the government that it may not be strong enough.
Limbaugh: "The government's been taking care of (young blacks) their whole lives"
On the February 1 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh responded to a Reuters report on a University of Chicago study that found that "a majority of young blacks feel alienated form today's government" by asserting: "Why would that be? The government's been taking care of them their whole lives."
In media appearances promoting The Enemy at Home, D'Souza backpedaled from book's central conclusions
In recent weeks, right-wing author Dinesh D'Souza has published op-eds in four major newspapers and appeared in interviews with all three major cable news channels to discuss his latest book The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11 (Doubleday, 2007). Yet in several of these media appearances, D'Souza has misrepresented some of the book's primary conclusions, understating and whitewashing his attacks on "the left." This pattern was most pronounced in his January 28 Post op-ed, in which he argued that much of the literary "reaction" to his book has been "a little hysterical":
Weingarten suggests "goosing" heds to boost street sales
Under Gene Weingarten's plan, the headline in the home-delivery paper might read "Bernanke Praises Good Economy," while the street-sale edition might read "BERNANKE HANGED BY ANGRY MOB." The WP humorist writes: "Maintaining our all-important commitment to accuracy, the stories themselves will not be affected. It is only the headlines that might be 'goosed' a little to stimulate impulse buying."
Is there a saturation point when it comes to "TV news lite"?
Communications prof Tom McPhail probably won't be tuning in to the fourth hour of the "Today" show when it debuts in September. "Dressing up 'Today' anchors on Halloween is one thing; to deliberately move toward coverage of the latest gossip and dysfunctional lifestyles as a strategic choice is a new low, even for NBC," he tells Peter Johnson.
"Bartiromo partners with the world she's supposed to cover"
Edward Wasserman says CNBC no longer perceives a difference between journalist and show pony. He doesn't buy the network's claim that Maria Bartiromo's jet-setting is source development. "She's a corporate emissary and brand-enhancement, helping favored companies -- many of them CNBC advertisers -- to put on successful events. So what happens when her duties as a journalist obligate her to report news that would displease her network-approved consorts on the intercontinental banquet circuit? Do we get the news, or do they get the Money Honey? Do you have to ask?"
Many of us have long felt this kind of coziness is a big problem with the Washington Press Corps, also. —Caro
Bloggers should consider following ethics and disclosure rules
Blogger and journalist Scott Kirsner says he'd like to know about factors that may have had an impact on what he's reading on a blog: "Is the travel writer who is telling me about a fabulous new Fijian resort someone who was given a weeklong stay for free?" Bloggers need to consider adapting some of the ethics and disclosure practices that guide traditional print and broadcast outlets, he says. "Ultimately, cultivating those practices may enable them to develop a more transparent and accountable relationship with their readers than the mainstream media have ever had."
As we saw in the previous article, traditional media aren’t doing such a good job of this themselves. Not that they shouldn’t. —Caro
Screening shows on other people's sites
The News Corp. group, which owns 35 TV stations across the country, struck a deal last week with Internet company Critical Mention Inc. to push video segments from its local news shows to blogs and other enthusiast websites. When the service rolls out in the spring, a KTTV-TV Channel 11 story about fire safety, for example, might get plastered on fire department websites, with some ad revenue going to the sites' owners.
The old model was that websites should pay content providers. Now News Corp. is going to pay the websites to display their material? What independence can those websites claim? —Caro
Visible World to Launch Digital Vid. Customizer
Visible World, an advertising technology company that provides advertisers with the ability to deliver customized TV spots to various consumer segments, said it will launch a similar product for digital video advertising. The company’s existing ad delivery product, which allows brands to tweak their TV spots down to the last minute - based on factors like geography, price changes, sales trends and even weather patterns, will now be available for video spots delivered within broadband content and even mobile video.
Mobile giants plot secret rival to Google
Vodafone, France Telecom, Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, Hutchison Whampoa, Telecom Italia and one American network, Cingular, are among the companies that will come together for secret, high-level talks at the mobile industry's biggest annual trade show in Barcelona next week. Faced with declining revenues as calls become cheaper, network operators are determined to secure a large slice of the lucrative search advertising market. In the UK alone, more than 20 per cent of subscribers are expected to have access to mobile internet at broadband speeds by the end of 2007
Google CEO Eric Schmidt outlines Internet trends
The people who organize the information for an online world will be the winners, he said. Earlier this week, Schmidt said continual tweaks to Google's algorithms was making the company better at matching shoppers and advertisers and making more money while showing fewer ads to the general users of its search engine. ``We're trying to be a one-stop shop for all this advertising value,'' he said Technology & ScienceWal-Mart to sell video downloads: reports
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are set to announce a deal with several major Hollywood studios that would allow the retailer to sell digital movies and television shows on its Web site, according to media reports on Tuesday.
Princeton library joins Google Books project
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Google's controversial endeavor to digitize the world's books and put them online continued to grow with the addition of Princeton University's centuries-old library.
EBay targets auto sales growth with new service
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Internet auctioneer eBay Inc. on Monday rolled out a service for U.S. auto dealers intended to drive a tenfold increase in the inventory of cars available for purchase on its Web site.
Depression, loneliness tied to physical ills
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Depression, severe mental illness and loneliness are linked to illnesses such as heart disease and dementia, according to several studies published on Monday.
And depression leads to suicide. And there are more suicides when conservative governments are in power, in Britain and Australia and also in the United States. Why are right wingers trying to kill us? Why do they hate Americans? —Caro
Researchers Uncover Best Bosses’ Success Secret
Bully bosses need to lighten up and wallflower managers would do well to stand up, according to a new study of what makes an effective business leader. The researchers found that leaders tend to miss the mark when it comes to assertiveness, either erring on the side of overly aggressive or Mr. Nice Guy. This overlooked Achilles heel of a successful manager could cost companies big time in terms of high turnover and low productivity, they suggest.
Theory versus observation in astronomy
There is ongoing theoretical debate regarding how and where to spot other worlds circling distant stars. And there are new ground and in-space observational tools that are locking into real-time data.
Undergrads getting to help with research
Traditionally, undergraduate education has taken place in the classroom, while research has been for graduate students and faculty. No more. College and universities are pushing hard to get many more undergraduates involved in research. |
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