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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StoryU.S. not ‘tactically’ safer as a result of Iraq war.
The director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Scott Redd, tells NBC News that, “in the short term,” the Iraq war “probably” has created a “giant recruiting tool” for terrorists. In response to a question about whether the US is generally safer after having invaded Iraq, “tactically, probably not,” Redd responded. “Strategically, we’ll wait and see.” All Hat No Cattle
The WorldTurkey to approve troops to Iraq
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will defy international pressure on Wednesday and grant its troops permission to enter northern Iraq to crush Kurdish separatist rebels based there.
Putin warns US against attacking Iran
TEHRAN, Iran - Russian leader Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran. He also said countries bordering the Caspian Sea must jointly back any oil pipeline projects in the region.
U.S. Patriot accidentally launched in Qatar
A U.S. Patriot missile was accidentally launched (Monday) night from an American military base in the Gulf country of Qatar, Pentagon officials confirmed today. Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the missile self-destructed after the launch and its debris was found three to four miles from the launch site… No one was injured and no damage was reported.
Syria denies report on nuclear strike
DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria denied on Wednesday reports that one of its representatives to the United Nations said that a nuclear facility was hit last month by Israeli warplanes, and added that "such facilities do not exist in Syria," the state-run news agency said.
Protests as Pakistan court hears Musharraf case
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside Pakistan's top court as hearings opened on the legality of President Pervez Musharraf's election victory this month.
Myanmar junta: 3,000 detained in protest
YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military junta acknowledged Wednesday that it detained nearly 3,000 people during a crackdown on recent pro-democracy protests, with hundreds still remaining in custody.
Dalai Lama brushes off Chinese criticism
WASHINGTON - The Dalai Lama, after meeting privately Tuesday with President Bush, brushed off China's furious reaction to U.S. celebrations this week in his honor. "That always happens," the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists said with a laugh, speaking to reporters gathered outside his downtown Washington hotel.
Britain considering claim for seabed off Antarctica
LONDON (AFP) - Britain is considering submitting a bid to the United Nations for sovereignty over more than 385,000 square miles of seabed off Antarctica, a foreign ministry spokeswoman told AFP Wednesday.
Somali forces storm UN compound in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somali government forces stormed the United Nations compound in Mogadishu on Wednesday and detained the World Food Programme's (WFP) top representative in the capital.
South Sudanese to rejoin national government
JUBA, Sudan (Reuters) - Sudan's former southern rebels said on Wednesday they would rejoin the national government to work through a stalemate on implementing a 2005 peace deal which ended Africa's longest civil war. The NationMarine chief: We are overstretched by Iraq war.
Commandant Gen. James Conway said yesterday that “he is concerned about the Marines Corps’ ability to respond to security flare-ups around the world” because of “the demands put on it by the Iraq war.”… Conway’s comments come after The New York Times reported last week that Marine officials are pushing to redeploy their forces to Afghanistan to relieve these burdens.
Iraq drawdown to begin in volatile area
WASHINGTON - Commanders in Iraq have decided to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces in volatile Diyala province, marking a turning point in the U.S. military mission, The Associated Press has learned.
House rebukes State over Iraq corruption
WASHINGTON - The House passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning the State Department for its refusal to divulge public details on Iraqi corruption in a new showdown with the Bush administration over the war and its classification policies.
Nuclear Deal With India May Be Near Collapse
The main obstacle does not involve the specific terms of the agreement but rather India's internal politics, including fears from leftist parties that India is moving too close to the United States… Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indicated over the weekend that he would rather save his coalition government than the nuclear pact.
Lots of Americans are against this pact, too. But neither President Bush nor the Congress seems to care much about that.—Caro
Treasury: Is the Social Security Trust Fund Real?(by Mark Thoma, Economist’s View)
("Social Security Reform: A Framework for Analysis" ) makes the case, or at least considers it a strong possibility, that the Trust Fund cannot be protected from congress. The claim is that congress spends more when the surplus is present, so we need to look to ways to protect the Trust Fund assets… It mentions private accounts as a way to lock up the Trust Fund… The rest of the discussion is about whether Social Security pre-funding is "real", and what happens if it isn't.
I agree that Congress is mis-spending the Trust Fund, but the administration is hugely at fault, too. So, according to the Bushies, better to let the Wall Street sharks get their hands on the money.—Caro
Mukasey favors independent Justice Dept.
WASHINGTON - Lobbying for the job of the nation's top law enforcement officer, Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey pledges to strike a delicate balance between keeping the nation safe and protecting the civil liberties of Americans.
Sure, that’s what he says NOW. Even Supreme Court justices lie before their appointments are confirmed.—Caro
Phone Utilities Won’t Give Details About Eavesdropping
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 — The three biggest phone carriers have refused to tell members of Congress what role, if any, they had in the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program. The utilities said it would be illegal to divulge classified information.
Watada's Double Jeopardy
Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse to serve in Iraq, … was tried in a military court in February for failing to deploy and conduct unbecoming an officer for his statements opposing the war. After the prosecution had completed its case, the military judge, Lt. Col. John Head, intervened, declared a mistrial and ordered Watada to be retried… The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that no person shall be "subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb."
Jeopardy attaches after a mistrial? An interesting concept that would have major ramifications.—Caro
Craig says he was entrapped in sex sting
WASHINGTON - Idaho Sen. Larry Craig said he was entrapped in a sex sting at an airport men's room and was not aware of the bathroom's reputation as a spot to cruise for gay sex. "Well, I certainly am now," Craig told NBC's Matt Lauer in an interview aired Tuesday night.
Universal healthcare: it’s not just for Dems anymore (by Steve Benen)
Republicans on Capitol Hill apparently have a new idea: they’ll introduce a universal healthcare plan of their own… I’m well aware of the fact that the Republican plans for universal coverage aren’t going to be very good. That’s not the point. It’s more important to realize the big picture — we’ll soon have Dems and Republicans arguing not over whether to have every American insured, but how best to have every American insured.
Cheney and Obama are distant cousins: Mrs. Cheney
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There's no sign of a family reunion planned, but U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama are distant cousins.
Failing to Pass the Laffer Test (by Paul Krugman)
(E)verything you’ve heard about how revenues have boomed since the Bush tax cuts is wrong. What really happened was that revenue plunged, as a percent of GDP, in the early Bush years, then staged a partial, but only partial, recovery. And that recovery seems to have run its course. Yet on the basis of this experience, both Bush and his would-be Republican successors are proclaiming that tax cuts actually increase revenue.
Click through to see graphs of the data from the CBO.—Caro MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
Air America host Randi Rhodes wasn't mugged
Rhodes' lawyer told the Daily News she was injured in a fall while walking her dog. He said she's not sure what happened, and only knows that she fell down and is in a lot of pain. The lawyer said Rhodes expects to be back on the air Thursday. He stressed there is no indication she was targeted or that she was the victim of a "hate crime."
Randi Rhodes (by Nancy Scola, official AAR blogger)
Here's what I have on Randi, from AAR: “October 16-NEW YORK-On Sunday evening, October 14, Air America host Randi Rhodes experienced an unfortunate incident hindering her from hosting her show. The reports of a presumed hate crime are unfounded. Ms. Rhodes looks forward to being back on the air on Thursday.”
So why the careful wording? And why was Jon Elliott so certain Randi was mugged? I don’t think we’ve heard the whole story yet.—Caro
More are swayed by gossip than truth
People are influenced by gossip about others, even when it contradicts what they see with their own eyes, suggests a new study.
'9/11' and Diana funeral among TV's most memorable moments: poll
LONDON (AFP) - Television footage of planes crashing into the World Trade Center on 9/11, the funeral of Princess Diana and the landing on the moon have been voted Britain's most memorable TV moments of the past 50 years, according to a poll published Tuesday.
CBS’ Logan: ‘We’re doing extremely badly’ in Iraq.
Last night on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CBS News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan was asked, “How are we doing” in Iraq? Logan responded, … “We’re doing extremely badly, from my point of view… It’s much worse than the picture, the image we even have of Iraq.”
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
Report Confirms 'E&P' Charges of Upsurge in 'Noncombat' Deaths Among U.S. Troops
NEW YORK For several weeks, E&P has documented what appears to be a surge in non-combat deaths among U.S. troops in Iraq. These fatalities come from vehicle accidents, illness, suicides and friendly fire. The military always states that they are under investigation and it is local newspapers that usually first get word, often from families, about what might have really happened. Now today comes confirmation of these concerns.
Troop blogs show increasing criticism of war
In the past year, as soldiers and Marines return for the second, third or even fourth deployments, and the death toll approaches 4,000, some soldiers began questioning the war… “The toothpaste is out of the tube. And, try as they might, the military’s information nannies are not going to be able to stuff it back in,” said Noah Schatman of Wired Magazine in an e-mail from Taji, Iraq.
Right Wing Gleefully Smears Two Yr-Old SCHIP Recipient Bethany Wilkerson
(Monday), TrueMajorityAction released an ad of 2-year old Bethany Wilkerson, who was born with a serious heart problem and received health insurance through the SCHIP program… Heralding the arrival of a “new toddler-aged human shield,” (Michelle) Malkin writes that “the Wilkersons made a choice”… (T)he National Review’s Mark Hemingway attacks the Wilkersons as irresponsible parents.
Agence France Presse and Reuters aren’t the usual conduits for American right-wing talking points, but can it be a coincidence that these two articles appear right at the time right wingers are trying to pretend that the S-CHIP program is “socialized medicine”, and so Congress shouldn’t override Bush’s veto? AFP: “English 'pull own teeth' as dental service decays”; Reuters: “Canadian surgery wait times up: report”—Caro
Absolute Nonsense from Dana Milbank on Social Security (by Dean Baker)
Milbank is either too young or to old to remember that Social Security had faced problems in the past. In 1983, the program literally ran out of money. Guess what? No one missed a check… (I)f we changed our immigration rules so that the Post and other news outlets could freely hire more qualified columnists than Mr. Milibank at lower wages, it could eliminate close to half of the projected shortfall by bringing a larger share of wage income under the cap on the Social Security wage tax. This would be a real win-win policy. Where are the free-traders?
What do the billionaires behind ProPublica hope to achieve?
Herbert and Marion Sandler are funding the nonprofit ProPublica, which will produce investigative journalism and give it away. "Philanthropists, especially those who earned the fortune they're giving away, tend not to distribute their money with a blind eye to the results," writes Jack Shafer. "How happy will they be if ProPublica gores their sacred Democratic cows? Or takes the 'wrong' position on their pet projects: health, the environment, and civil liberties?"
Public Radio Station Halts Planned Parenthood Spots
The move comes after the station’s license holder, Duquesne University, decided the organization was “not aligned with our Catholic identity.” Technology & ScienceRumor: GPhones Shipping Out for Christmas?
Rumor has it that Google is shipping out its cell phones by the end of this year. It’s been reported that a Taiwanese handset manufacturer, HTC, will be shipping about 50,000 cell phones that run on Google’s mobile operating system. Is this really going to go down this time?
MySpace, Skype announce partnership
SAN FRANCISCO - News Corp.'s MySpace will offer members of its popular social network free Internet phone calls with a new feature based on eBay Inc.'s Skype service, the companies announced Tuesday.
Angioplasty Equals Bypass Surgery for Heart Patients: Study
Survival rates virtually the same, but some people may prefer one option over the other
Garlic May Ward Off Heart Woes
It spurs a chemical linked to healthy blood vessels, study finds
Doctors study how brains stay sharp
When aging hampers memory, some people's brains compensate to stay sharp. Now scientists want to know how those brains make do in hopes of developing treatments to help everyone else keep up.
The Chinese Secret to Long Life
In China's big cities, … exercising seems more widespread and woven into the culture (than in the U.S.). The social interaction seems to be as important as the calories burned and the joints lubricated. Most heartening is the number of older people out and about, fighting the isolation that often comes with old age in the United States. Could it be that public exercise, as common as tea drinking here, helps ward off the cancers, strokes and organ diseases that surely would come from living in a polluted city?
Why Males Die Before Females
In humans and many other animals, males age faster and die earlier than females.
New research suggests this might happen because of intense competition over sex.
Fall Foliage: Why Leaves Change Color
In response to chilly temperatures and fewer daylight hours, leaves stop producing their green-tinted chlorophyll, which allows them to capture sunlight and make energy. Because chlorophyll is sensitive to the cold, certain weather conditions like early frosts will turn off production more quickly. Meanwhile, orange and yellow pigments called carotenoids—also found in orange carrots—shine through the leaves' washed out green.
Scientists Discover Rare Marine Species
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Scientists exploring a deep ocean basin in search of species isolated for millions of years found marine life believed to be previously undiscovered, including a tentacled orange worm and an unusual black jellyfish.
Back in the space race: Russian revival raises new questions
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AFP) - The Soyuz rocket, carrying an American, a Malaysian and a Russian, was a study in world peace as it thundered toward the stars on the latest mission to the International Space Station. EnvironmentClimate-change Clues From Wisconsin's Lakes
Madison, Wisconsin - As part of the world carbon cycle, bacterial communities in freshwater lakes break down carbon in decaying organic matter, converting it into carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. However, in humic lakes — darkly stained, bog-rimmed bodies of water that contain high levels of decaying organic matter — this process creates even higher carbon-dioxide emission levels.
Energy Efficiency Good First Step for Businesses to Fight Climate Change: Survey
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2007 -- A panel of 154 Switzer Fellows, scientists and climate change leaders participated in a survey titled, "What the Scientists Know: How Business Leadership can Help Solve Climate Change."
Better Biofuel: Corn with No Ears
Ear-less corn holds heaps of sugar that could be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, a new study finds. When grown in the Midwest, this "tropical maize" lacks nutrient-needy cobs, so the crops require less nitrogen and other fertilizers.
Irish company claims wave power success
DUBLIN (AFP) - A prototype wave energy converter has begun harnessing electricity from Atlantic waves off the west coast of Ireland, the Wavebob company said on Tuesday.
Houses built on bottles (video)
Oct. 16 - A house made of recycled bottles has given a Bolivian family a much-needed sturdy dwelling while combatting trash build-up.
Office Depot Extends Tech Recycling Service Continent-Wide
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 17, 2007 -- The retailer's recycling program, which premiered in 2006 in just 100 stores, has already diverted more than 100,000 pounds of electronics, batteries and printer cartridges from landfills.
Drought Grips Nearly Half Of U.S.
If there's a ground zero for the epic drought that's tightening its grip on the South, it's once-mighty Lake Lanier, the Atlanta water source that's now a relative puddle surrounded by acres of dusty red clay.
Experts: Mississippi River needs help
States and the EPA are not doing enough to monitor and manage the water quality of the Mississippi River and its impact on the Gulf of Mexico, where "dead zones" that kill marine life have popped up, according to a major scientific assessment released Tuesday. For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com. |
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