Necessary Evil
Nirvanus Interruptus
Dave GallagherThe congressional establishment ... from 1994 to 1984
Page Two
Necessary Evil
US to expel Venezuelan diplomat
• BBCThe United States has ordered the expulsion of a senior Venezuelan envoy in a tit-for-tat move that has drawn criticism from Caracas.
Media ignored revelation White House destroyed emails
• Media Matters (video links, news links)Few major news outlets have covered the fact—first reported by the New York Daily News—that special counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald said that numerous emails from 2003 are missing from the White House computer archives.
Abramoff and gaming Indians: Just the tip of the iceberg
• Daily KosThe much bigger scandal involving everyone from Jack Abramoff to Gale Norton to Richard Pombo to Grover Norquist, and generally every major Republican in between. It too has to do with Indians, but not only those with gaming operations. In fact, th
Patent office to re-examine JPEG patent
• CNET NewsThe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will re-examine the validity of the so-called JPEG patent held by Forgent Networks, who claim that their patent covered the JPEG compression technique used in digital cameras and PCs. Forgent has collected $105 mi
Russian officer hired conscripts for slave labor
• The GuardianThe Russian military was facing growing public anger when, amid a flurry of high-profile cases of abuse, a senior officer was convicted of hiring his troops out as slave labour and pocketing the fees. A Russian military court fined him 60,000 roubles
Police videotaping police protest sued
• New York TimesThe demonstrators arrived angry, departed furious. The police had herded them into pens. Stopped them from handing out fliers. Threatened them with arrest for standing on public sidewalks. Made notes on which politicians they cheered and which ones t
Unemployment drops lowest in 5 years in time for election
• Associated PressThe unemployment rate dropped from 4.9 percent to 4.7 percent, the lowest since July 2001. For blacks, the rate fell to 8.9 percent, the best since September 2001. The unemployment rate for Hispanics fell to a 5-month low of 5.8 percent.
The squeeze on American pocketbooks
• Christian Science MonitorAmericans are working as hard as ever, but their paychecks aren't keeping pace with rising inflation. That means trouble for their pocketbooks - and for an economy that's fueled by their spending.
Rocket Racing League (NASCAR in Space?) - The New X-Prize Project
Ernest HancockThe mission is to serve as a technology accelerator in the areas of airframe, propulsion and spacecraft design, and reach for the future to inspire the next generation of spaceflight enthusiasts.
Judge Refuses Immunity From Suit For Ex-EPA Chief Over Sept. 11
• Associated PressThe EPA and Whitman said repeatedly—beginning just two days after the 9/11 attack—that the air appeared safe to breathe. The EPA's internal watchdog later found that the agency, at the urging of White House officials, gave misleading assurances.
World Bank and IMF driving price of chocolate up
• Associated PressThe levies are supposed to be used to help farmers through loans, development projects and a planned return to a minimum price for cocoa beans, which had been in place before liberalization of the cocoa industry in 1999.
Bush Administration lied about savings in Veterans Administration
• Assocated PressEager to reduce spending, the Bush administration falsely claimed savings of more than $1.3 billion in the Department of Veterans Affairs to justify cuts to health care services, congressional investigators say. The agency used misleading accounting
NASA Probing Inspector General
• Washington PostA federal watchdog agency is investigating multiple complaints against NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb, including accusations he failed to investigate safety violations and retaliated against whistle-blowers.
British rationing fuel, affecting US airlines
• USA TodayU.S. airlines are chafing under the added costs of a jet fuel shortage at London Heathrow airport, and travelers to Great Britain may face fewer flight options as a result. "There could be very serious disruptions" in the not-too-distant fu
Blair-Bush deal before Iraq war revealed in secret memo (British TV footage)
Ernest HancockRichard Norton-Taylor from Guardian Unlimited - Mr Bush told Mr Blair that... "flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft planes with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours". Mr Bush added: "If Saddam fired on them, he would be i
Bush 'plotted to lure Saddam into war with fake UN plane'
• The IndependentBush considered provoking a war with Saddam Hussein's regime by flying a US spyplane over Iraq bearing UN colours, enticing the Iraqis to take a shot at it. Worried by the lack of evidence that Hussein had broken UN resolutions
Bush lies about domestic spying: see it for yourself
• Page One (video link, turn on audio)Compilation of Bush's video tapes interviews regarding domestic spying on American citizens.
Who Was It that Thought He'd Be Indicted?
• FiredoglakeJust why was Mr. Hadley so worried about being indicted? Could it have anything to do with the improperly archived e-mails from the offices of the Vice President and Executive Office of President?
Reporting on domestic spying hurting CIA
• Associated Press"The damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission," CIA Director Porter Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee, citing disclosures about a variety of CIA programs that he suggested may have been compromised.
Rep. Boehner Elected to Replace DeLay as Majority Leader
• Associated PressBoehner refused to return some $30,000 in donations from Indian tribes represented by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and for donations received from Sallie Mae. The student loan provider has interests before the committee he chairs.
Bush move closer to war with Iran
• Agence France PresseElBaradei said the showdown over Iran was "reaching a critical phase but it is not a crisis situation." Iran's nuclear program "is not about an imminent threat. I should make that very clear." US Intelligence said Iran does no
Secret of dinosaur crests
• ReutersDuckbilled dinosaurs of about 90 million years ago had huge crests with complex nasal passages, and used them to honk sexual and social messages. "The crest likely evolved to play a role in behavior of both vocal and visual display -- to call to
Government decrying Blackberry shutdown
• IDG News ServiceA court-ordered shutdown of RIM's BlackBerry service in the US could hamper response to emergencies, and keeping government users connected while cutting off others might not be feasible, according to a brief filed by the federal government in th
Iraq, Niger Uranium, And The CIA
• National JournalVice President Cheney and his then-Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were personally informed in June 2003 that the CIA no longer considered credible the allegations that Saddam Hussein had attempted to procure uranium from the Africa
More light on CIA agent Plame being exposed
• by John Byrne and Ron Brynaert (Raw Story)A series of striking revelations have emerged after the release of dozens of pages of court files in the CIA leak investigation. The outed agent’s husband will not testify at a trial, and that a third Time reporter has been fingered as having informa
Bush — Blair discussed using Spyplane to lure Saddam into war
• Channel 4Minutes from that meeting, which took place in the White House on 31 January 2003. The two leaders discussed the possibility of securing further UN support, but President Bush made it clear that he had already decided to go to war.
Blair-Bush deal before Iraq war revealed in secret memo
• The GuardianTony Blair told President George Bush that he was "solidly" behind US plans to invade Iraq before he sought advice about the invasion's legality and despite the absence of a second UN resolution, according to a new account of the build-
Stalking my girlfriend: The how to manual
• The GuardianFor the past week I've been tracking my girlfriend through her mobile phone. I can see exactly where she is, at any time of day or night, within 150 yards, as long as her phone is on. It has been very interesting to find out about her day. ...how
Remotely unlocking, immobilizing and tracking your vehicle
• Asia News ChannelSingapore company Asia Tracks has invented a new device to remotely trace, lock and immobilise your car anywhere using just your mobile phone. With just the touch of a finger, a car can be traced and immobilised anywhere, anytime
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