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Today’s headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StoryKing, LBJ worked together to change the nation
The greatest fairy tale of the 2008 campaign so far is the accusation that there is some tint of racism or putdown of Martin Luther King Jr. in Hillary Clinton's comment that "it took a president," Lyndon Johnson, to realize the civil rights leader's dreams. The visionary preacher and the tough-talking master politician would be the first to say that they needed each other. I know how they came to work together, in a complex partnership, to produce a social revolution that has saved this nation. Wikimedia Commons
The WorldShiite holiday marred by violence
Hundreds of thousands of frenzied Shiites beat their heads and chests in unison and whipped themselves with chains Saturday across Iraq to honor the martyrdom of one of their most revered saints. The processions were marred by violence with a deadly bombing in northern Iraq and clashes south of Baghdad.
About 60 rebel targets destroyed in Turkish air strike in Iraq
Turkish warplanes destroyed about 60 Kurdish rebel positions in neighbouring Iraq in a bombing raid earlier this week, the military said Friday. The targets in three regions along the Turkish border included two anti-aircraft posts, four ammunition depots as well as training and logistical bases.
US backs Turkey's nuclear plans, seeks partnership
The US has expressed support for Turkey's plans to develop nuclear energy and encouraged Ankara to become a member in an international partnership facilitating the worldwide expansion of nuclear energy in a safe manner, US officials said.
Israel strikes Gaza as lockdown sparks fuel fears
Israel kept up strikes against Gaza militants on Saturday, killing at least two in a new raid, as its lockdown of the impoverished Palestinian territory started to take its toll on residents. As news of the new measures spread, residents across the Gaza Strip stocked up on diesel fuel, leaving several service stations empty.
U.S. says Iran still training Iraqi militias
The U.S. military said on Sunday there had been a dramatic drop in the number of Iranian weapons being smuggled into Iraq but no let-up in Tehran's training and financing of Iraqi militias.
Bush is still spoiling for another war.—Caro
Afghanistan war is just beginning: report
The Taliban has seriously rejoined the fight in Afghanistan, an NGO security group said in a report that concluded the country was at the beginning of a war, not the end of one. The Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) said the Taliban's "easy departure" in 2001, when a US-led invasion drove them from power, was more of a strategic retreat than an actual military defeat.
Britain 'as inept as US' in failing to foresee postwar Iraq insurgency
The government's top foreign policy advisers were as inept as their US counterparts in failing to see that removing Saddam Hussein in 2003 was likely to lead to a nationalist insurgency by Sunnis and Shias and an Islamist government in Baghdad, run by allies of Iran, the Guardian has learned. The revelation undermines the British claim that it was US myopia which was to blame for the failure to foresee what would happen in postwar Iraq.
Kenyans hacked to death with machetes
NAIROBI, Kenya - Several people were beaten and hacked to death with machetes in a Nairobi slum Sunday in renewed ethnic fighting over Kenya's disputed election, residents said. The NationUS: Armor-piercing bomb attacks down
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military worried Sunday about "mixed messages" from Iran, listing a dramatic drop in Iranian-made weapons reaching Iraq but no reduction in the training and financing of Shiite militants.
U.S. forces may be in Iraq for 10 years
As security conditions improve in Iraq, the United States should be able to reduce forces at a slow but consistent pace beyond this summer, but air support and ground troops are likely to be needed for five to 10 years, a top military commander said Thursday.
Ailing GIs deployed to war zones
Fort Carson sent soldiers who were not medically fit to war zones last month to meet "deployable strength" goals, according to e-mails obtained by The Denver Post. One e-mail, written Jan. 3 by the surgeon for Fort Carson's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, says: "We have been having issues reaching deployable strength, and thus have been taking along some borderline soldiers who we would otherwise have left behind for continued treatment."
US to deploy 500 mine-resistant vehicles to Afghanistan
The US military plans to ship 500 roadside bomb-resistant vehicles to Afghanistan amid a reinforcement of 3,200 extra US troops to be deployed to fight Taliban militants. While the mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles remain a top priority for Iraq, where US soldiers face frequent attacks from armor-piercing explosives, more MRAPs will be sent to Afghanistan, said Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
But the surge is working.—Caro
CIA blames Al Qaeda, Taliban for Bhutto assassination
Director of CIA says "no reason" to doubt Islamist group's responsibility, echoing findings of Scotland Yard.
DHS Suggests a REAL ID Could be Necessary for Medicine
A top homeland security policy maker suggests that the recently released mandates for a de-facto national I.D. card could help stop meth labs, if the government required that pharmacy's demand that cold medicine buyers show their REAL ID.
And would birth control pills and condoms be next? If Republicans stay in power, there’s that real danger.—Caro
Montana Governor Foments Real ID Rebellion
Montana declared independence Friday from a federal identification rules and called on governors of 17 other states to join him in forcing a showdown with the federal government which says it will not accept the driver's licenses of rebel states' citizens starting May 11. If that showdown comes to pass, residents of non-complying states could not use a driver's license to enter a federal courthouse or a Social Security Administration building nor could board a plane without undergoing a pat-down search.
Court Rules that Children’s Faces Put on Adult Bodies Does Not Constitute Child Porn (by Jonathan Turley)
In the last few years, the Supreme Court and lower courts have been considering claims of virtual child pornography — where the images look real but are actually computer generated. It creates a difficult legal question. However, Marshal Zidel presented an equally difficult question for the New Hampshire Supreme Court: Is it child pornography when the camp photographer took the faces of children at the camp and superimposed them on the bodies of adults? The state supreme court ruled that it is not.
Disgusting. I don’t know what the answer is to the problem, but this is sick.—Caro
Americans Abroad Can Now Vote Online
MEXICO CITY (AP) - This year, for the first time, expatriate Democrats can cast their ballots on the Internet in a presidential primary for people living outside the United States.
And we thought VOTING MACHINES were a problem!—Caro
Aerospace industry fears aging workforce's impact
WASHINGTON — Roughly a quarter of the nation's 637,000 aerospace workers could be eligible for retirement this year, raising fears that America could be facing a serious skills shortage in the factories that churn out commercial and military aircraft. "It's a looming issue that's getting more serious year by year," said Marion Blakey, the president and chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association. "These are real veterans. It's a hard workforce to replace."
Industry has yet to realize the impact of the wave of retirements that are coming. Temporary placement companies could ease the pain for both the companies and the retirees, if they were able to see how short sighted it is to refuse to hire older workers.—Caro MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
MOYERS ON CLINTON, OBAMA, KING AND JOHNSON (by Bill Moyers)
(Lyndon Johnson signed) into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and black people were no longer second class citizens. Martin Luther King had marched and preached and witnessed for this day. Countless ordinary people had put their bodies on the line for it, been berated, bullied and beaten, only to rise, organize and struggle on, against the dogs and guns, the bias and burning crosses. Take nothing from them; their courage is their legacy. But take nothing from the president who once had seen the light but dimly, as through a dark glass — and (then) did the right thing. Lyndon Johnson threw the full weight of his office on the side of justice… (T)here is no inevitability to history, someone has to seize and turn it. With these words at the right moment — "we shall overcome" — Lyndon Johnson transcended race and color, and history, too — reminding us that a president matters, and so do we.
Click through to read or to watch the video of the entire commentary.—Caro
Delegate Math: Who Won Nevada? (by Chris Cillizza at The Fix, the Washington Post)
Both the chairwoman of the Nevada Democratic Party and a senior adviser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign are insisting that the contention that Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) won more delegates in today's caucus is incorrect. "The calculations of national convention delegates being circulated are based upon an assumption that delegate preferences will remain the same between now and April 2008," said Jill Derby, the chairwoman of the state party. "We look forward to our county and state conventions where we will choose the delegates for the nominee that Nevadans support."
Crack Pipe (by Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo)
I do find myself wondering what sort of crack Chris Matthews is smoking during the station breaks. He was just describing Hillary's win in Nevada, saying she beat expectations that Obama was going to take it. Olbermann then helpfully pointed out that Hillary was actually ahead in all the polls.
Martian Observer (by digby)
Somebody give David Shuster a bib, because with the way he's fluffing Matthews right now he's going to need it. “Shuster: I love listening to you analyze politics, Chris...Matthews… (T)he Clintons … would say the obvious as a topper, a trumper, not particularly original, but it would work. Especially in American culture the Clintons are very good at hitting that middle, the people who are not living on irony and surprise and novelty but those basic bread and butter Democratic values. David, I obviously give a lot of thought to this stuff. Shuster: Chris you are brilliant, and thanks for coming on” How much do they pay these guys?
Mythbuster: Obama's Dubious Praise for Reagan (by Robert Parry at Consortiumnews)
Sen. Barack Obama … seemed to suggest that Reagan's 1980 election administered a needed dose of accountability to the U.S. government. In reality, however, accountability wasn’t part of Reagan’s medicine for America. Indeed, one could say the opposite… Obama’s negative comparison of former President Bill Clinton to Reagan also could be viewed as a slap at the husband of his principal rival.
And if that’s not mudslinging, I don’t know what is. But Obama fans don't like to hear anything negative, even if true, about their hero.—Caro
Debunking the Reagan Myth (by Paul Krugman)
Historical narratives matter. That’s why conservatives are still writing books denouncing F.D.R. and the New Deal; they understand that the way Americans perceive bygone eras, even eras from the seemingly distant past, affects politics today. And it’s also why the furor over Barack Obama’s praise for Ronald Reagan is not, as some think, overblown… (P)rogressives have been granted a second chance to argue that Reaganism is fundamentally wrong: once again, the vast majority of Americans think that the country is on the wrong track. But they won’t be able to make that argument if their political leaders, whatever they meant to convey, seem to be saying that Reagan had it right.
Because historical narratives matter, and because our corporate media refuse to provide historical or any other kind of context for their reporting, progressives should be funding a media infrastructure to provide that context. And we’re not doing it. We’re leaving history hostage to those willing to pay big bucks to see it distorted.—Caro
Is the New Supply Side Better Than the Old? (by Austan Goolsbee, economics professor at the University of Chicago and economic advisor to the Barack Obama campaign)
The academic debate continues, but thus far, the new Laffer curve has looked more like a fleeting figment of economic imagination. That is sad, because it would be great if we could cut taxes and raise revenue at one stroke. Alas, the research suggests that we will have to pay for high-income tax cuts the old-fashioned way — by actually cutting spending or just busting the budget.
Yes, it would be nice if we could have our bread and eat it, too. But since we can’t, we’ll have to give up bread altogether. Is that what this man is saying? Is that what Obama believes? Remember, the Economics Department of the University of Chicago housed Milton Friedman, who caused more misery to his fellow humans than anyone who ever lived.—Caro
Are Democrats over 45 Racists? (by digby)
Apparently, some people think so. Here's a headline on CBS: “Obama's Age Gap: Is It Race?
CBS's Dick Meyer Says Older Americans Have So Far Proven Unwilling To Vote For Barack Obama”(.) How about young voters have so far proven unwilling to vote for an older person? Is it ageism? Really, this is ridiculous. It's not all that hard to figure out that older voters would vote for the person who is running on "experience" just as it's not surprising that younger voters would vote for the man who promised "change."
H&C: Dick Morris Loves Him Some Dirt… (by Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars)
I really don’t understand why FOXNews likes using Dick Morris as an “analyst”. The guy comes off as so oily and unctuous that I want to take a whole bottle of hand sanitizer to my computer every time I see him. What’s funny now is that even Fox’s designated milquetoast “balance” Alan Colmes can’t take him seriously any more… “DM: It’s very funny. You have all of these people savaging Obama, emails that he’s a Muslim. You have people savaging McCain… AC: We have you to savage the Clintons…”
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
10 years ago: When the Lewinsky bombshell sparked a Web revolution -- Here's how it happened
NEW YORK It was precisely 10 years ago that the "Lewinsky Affair" burst into full view, largely at first via the new Drudge Report and then in a frenzy, with the Web leading the way.
MySpace to Spin Off Its Incubator Into A Separate Company; Financed By News Corp (Paid Content)
This will be a separate company, tentatively named Slingshot Labs, and will be financed by News Corp. Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace anticipates that it will nurture four or five consumer websites at a given time. Fox Interactive media, of which MySpace is a part, has had an incubator for a while, and has developed new services for MySpace. So now instead of buying startups that survive off the MySpace economy, it will actively spur new ones to be born, just as its pace of growth is slowing down (and the competition with Facebook is white hot).
News Corp. is always looking for new ways to enhance its media presence, giving it more and better ability to spread the right-wing gospel of Rupert Murdoch. Meanwhile, rich progressives sit on their hands. And their funds.—Caro
The "Google generation" not so hot at Googling, after all (Ars Technica)
(Teens) "tend to use much simpler applications and fewer facilities than many imagine." So what's true about the Google generation? • They like to cut-and-paste. "There is a lot of anecdotal evidence and plagiarism is a serious issue." • They prefer visual information over text. "But text is still important... For library interfaces, there is evidence that multimedia can quickly lose its appeal, providing short-term novelty." • They multitask all the time. "It is likely that being exposed to online media early in life may help to develop good parallel processing skills."
What Exactly Does Google Want From The 700 MHz Auction? (by Sean P. Aune at Mashable)
Google’s interest in the 700 MHz auction has been a bit of mystery since it was first rumored to be planning to partake in the process some months ago… There has to be an “end game” they are aiming for. And my thoughts are it has all to do with (Google’s free mobile phone platform) Android. It’s not difficult to imagine an Android-powered device operating on an ad-supported system; allowing anyone to pick up a gPhone, possibly for free, and using the handset anywhere in the United States (over the 700 MHz band).
And further suppose that the local broadcast transmission ties in to the internet backbone, bypassing the telecoms. See below.—Caro
FCC will test Internet over TV airwaves
Federal regulators said they will try again to test prototypes on Jan. 24 for transmitting high-speed Internet service over unused television airwaves. Technology & ScienceDiscovery Cuts Cost Of Next Generation Optical Fibers
The procedure cuts the production time of hollow-core optical fibres from around a week to a single day, reducing the overall cost of fabrication. Initial tests show that the fibre is also superior in virtually every respect to previous versions of the technology, making it an important step in the development of new technologies that use light instead of electrical circuits to carry information.
Betting on a Bright Future for Rear-Projection TVs
Texas Instruments hopes that new chips can lead to more realistic video game play and 3-D DVDs.
Pentagon Explores 'Human Fear' Chemicals; Scare-Sensors, 'Contagious' Stress in the Works? (Danger Room, Wired)
American military researchers are working to uncover and harness the most terrifying chemical imaginable: that most primal odor, the scent of fear.
New Contact Lenses Go Bionic
For the first time, engineers have installed an electronic circuit and lights on a regular contact lens. The prototype they created does not actually light up or display information. But it proves that it is possible to build an electronic lens that is safe to wear and doesn't obstruct vision.
New Findings Confirm Darwin's Theory: Evolution Not Random
(T)he findings of an international team of biologists demonstrate that evolution is not a random process, but rather occurs through the natural selection of successful traits… (T)he main mechanism for the development favoring a natural selection of successful traits, the researchers said.
Embryonic Stem Cells Create Healthy Muscle in Mice
Scientific feat could lead to new treatment for muscular dystrophy, experts say.
Heart Association Renews Call for CPR Training
If more people knew the technique, more lives could be saved
Bone-Strengthening Drugs May Be Overprescribed
Doctors suggest drug makers exaggerate benefits for women who do not have osteoporosis
Virtual Biopsy Cuts Out Need For Diagnostic Surgery
ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2008) — A non-invasive diagnostic tool to detect surface cancers quickly and painlessly using technology currently employed by gyms to calculate body composition has been developed by a QUT PhD medical physics researcher.
When Stress Makes You Bitter: The Embitterment Disorder
ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2008) — The term 'posttraumatic embitterment disorder' (PTED) was recently introduced to describe a subtype of adjustment disorders, characterized by prolonged embitterment, severe additional psychopathological symptoms and great impairment in most areas of life in reaction to a severe negative but not life threatening life event.
There's Got to Be an Invisible Sky
"Touch the Invisible Sky" contains 60 pages of color images of nebulae, stars, galaxies and a few of the telescopes used to capture the pictures. The authors added embossing of lines, bumps and other textures to each image, rendering colors, shapes, and other details in a third dimension. Descriptions that accompany each of the 28 images in the book are supplied in Braille and large-print text, making the information accessible to readers having differing visual abilities.
Could The Universe Be Tied Up With Cosmic String?
ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2008) — A team of physicists and astronomers from the University of Sussex and Imperial College London have uncovered hints that there may be cosmic strings - lines of pure mass-energy - stretching across the entire Universe. EnvironmentGreenhouse gases at new peak in sign of Asia growth
TROLL STATION, Antarctica (Reuters) - Atmospheric levels of the main greenhouse gas have set another new peak in a sign of the industrial rise of Asian economies led by China, a senior scientist said on Saturday.
Adjustments to Agriculture May Help Mitigate Global Warming
A recent report from Greenpeace details the direct and indirect effects of agriculture on climate change and suggests how the sector can move from being a major greenhouse gas emitter to being a carbon sink.
Japan follows Europe by tapping offshore wind for power
KORIYAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Overlooking a mountain lake a few hours drive from Tokyo, dozens of tall wind turbines spin in the breeze creating carbon-free power for the world's fifth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
Internal EU report casts doubts on its biofuel strategy
An internal European Commission study, seen by AFP Friday, criticises an EU plan to boost the use of biofuels in transport, concluding that their costs outweigh the benefits… The cost-benefit study looks at whether using biofuels reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves security of supply and creates jobs and delivers an unenthusiastic opinion on all three counts… "The costs of EU biofuels outweigh the benefits," the researchers state.
Safeway Converts U.S. Fleet to Biodiesel
PLEASANTON, Calif., Jan. 21, 2008 -- The retailer's fleet uses more than 1,000 big rigs throughout its operations. The move will help Safeway avoid about 75 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Tajiks see new plant as way out of energy crisis
SANGTUDA, Tajikistan (Reuters) - Tajikistan, its utilities paralyzed by the coldest winter in decades, on Sunday opened a new Russian-built power plant hailed by the authorities as a step towards solving an energy crisis. For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.
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