Iran has missiles that put Europe in range: report - "Iran has received a first shipment of missiles from North Korea that are capable of reaching Europe, Israel's military intelligence chief was quoted on Thursday as saying."
60 Minutes: CIA Official Reveals Bush, Cheney, Rice Were Personally Told Iraq Had No WMD in Fall 2002 - "Tonight on 60 Minutes, Tyler Drumheller, the former chief of the CIA’s Europe division, revealed that in the fall of 2002, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and others were told by CIA Director George Tenet that Iraq’s foreign minister — who agreed to act as a spy for the United States — had reported that Iraq had no active weapons of mass destruction program."
Exxon Mobil profit rises on soaring prices - "Net income in the first quarter was $8.4 billion, or $1.37 a share, up from $7.86 billion, or $1.22 a share, a year earlier. Revenue jumped to $88.98 billion from $82.05 billion."
ConocoPhillips profit soars as oil prices surge - "Net income in the first quarter surged to $3.29 billion, or $2.34 a share, compared with a profit of $2.91 billion, or $2.05 a share, in the year earlier period."
Going a Short Way to Make a Point - ""Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled!" charged Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), standing at an Exxon station on Capitol Hill where regular unleaded hit $3.10. "They are too cozy with the oil industry." She then hopped in a waiting Chrysler LHS (18 mpg) -- even though her Senate office was only a block away. ... America may be addicted to oil, as President Bush puts it. But America is in the denial phase of this addiction -- as evidenced by the behavior of its lawmakers."
Senators to push for $100 gas rebate checks - "Every American taxpayer would get a $100 rebate check to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday. However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration, which most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose." -- First off, this is underhanded and sneaky. Second, what will $100 do for anyone except maybe fill up the tank twice? Big deal.
Privately, Bush Says He Favors Citizenship - "President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting."
Senate OKs $2 billion to stop illegals - "The Senate yesterday approved immediately spending nearly $2 billion to stop illegal immigration, the largest such infusion of emergency cash for the effort in recent years."
U.S. seeks to keep evidence from 9/11 families - "Prosecutors asked a judge to rethink granting 9/11 families suing airlines access to evidence gathered for the criminal case against al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui." -- Hmmm.
Senate Panel Recommends Abolishing FEMA - "The recommendations conclude that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is crippled beyond repair by years of poor leadership and inadequate funding. They call for a new agency - the National Preparedness and Response Authority - to plan and carry out relief missions for domestic disasters."
Wounded Soldiers Fight Off Bill Collectors at Home - "The draft report by the Government Accountability Office, which ABC News obtained, said that hundreds of wounded soldiers had military debts incurred through no fault of their own turned over to collection agencies."
Senate Panel Demands Oil Co. Tax Records - "The Senate Finance Committee promised "a comprehensive review of the federal taxes paid" by the oil companies on their record profits last year."
Cheney still profits from Halliburton ties - "The $211,465 that Halliburton paid him in 2005 was more than Cheney’s government salary of $205,031. So who does he really work for? Us, supposedly. This is why the Halliburton payout, which Cheney negotiated before he ran for vice president in 2000, has always been controversial. And it is why Cheney’s dismissive attitude toward the appearance of a conflict of interest should have been taken more seriously back at the beginning — that is, before the word “Halliburton” became associated with the phrase “waste, fraud and abuse.”"
Neil Young: Exclusive 'Impeach the President' Lyrics - "Here, for the first time, the lyrics to Neil Young’s “Let’s Impeach the President”:"
Can we criticize Israel without being labeled anti-Semitic? - "Earlier this semester, I wrote a column criticizing Israel's hard-line response to the newly-elected Hamas Palestinian government. The day it ran, someone asked me why I thought I was qualified to comment on that miserable and bloody conflict. Any interest group that lobbies my government to the tune of nearly $3 billion per year is well within my range of criticism. And any government that engages in questionable foreign policy with my country's name attached to the sales receipt is well within the sphere of my written word."
House reverses course, supports expanded use of deadly force - "In a surprise turnaround, the House supported legislation it defeated last month that would give people more leeway to use guns to defend themselves in public places. It also voted for a bill to bar the state from taking guns or ammunition from people during a state of emergency."
Survey: Americans uncomfortable with new surveillance technologies - "The most negatively viewed surveillance method concerns implanting an electronic chip to track identity. Also, more than half of respondents perceive spyware, the U.S. government's use of wiretaps and the widespread deployment of RFID tags that could track people as unacceptable modes of surveillance."
N.H. Leads Revolt Against Federal ID Rules - "New Hampshire has suddenly become a battleground in the fight over privacy rights versus homeland security, with state legislators voting against strict new federal standards for issuing driver's licenses. At issue is the federal Real ID Act, which is intended to keep terrorists from getting fake IDs. It requires states by 2008 to verify documents such as birth certificates, Social Security cards and passports when people apply for driver's licenses. State databases with driver information and photos will also be linked. Last month, the Republican-controlled New Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly to bar the state from participating in the program."
'Jesus with erection' ignites outrage - "A Catholic activist organization has written to Oregon's governor and state lawmakers to protest a University of Oregon student newspaper for having published cartoons showing Jesus Christ naked and with an erection."
Chinese Internet writer charged with subversion - "A Chinese Internet writer has been charged with attempting to "subvert state power" for backing a movement by exiled dissidents to hold free elections for a new democratic government, his lawyer said on Thursday."
America's rags-to-riches dream an illusion: study - "America may still think of itself as the land of opportunity, but the chances of living a rags-to-riches life are a lot lower than elsewhere in the world, according to a new study published on Wednesday."
Is 35 now over the hill? - "Telecom giant LM Ericsson AB is offering buyouts to up to 1,000 of its employees in Sweden, a voluntary package that is only being offered to employees between the ages of 35 and 50. The novel initiative is meant to clear the way for younger workers. Ericsson also announced plans to hire 900 new employees—only those under 30 need apply—over the next three years."
Preparing for the Economic Typhoon - "Is it really possible for one man to single-handedly obliterate the world’s most robust economy? Guess so."
Obesity and technology: Can the stomach be fooled? - "The company that invented the heart pacemaker is employing the same technology to trick obese patients into thinking their stomachs are full. And Medtronic Inc., the world's biggest maker of medical devices, is not the only medical technology company trying to tap into the $100 billion obesity market."
Your Thoughts Are Your Password - "What if you could one day unlock your door or access your bank account by simply "thinking" your password? Too far out? Perhaps not."
What Does Your Sneeze Say About You? - "But you may want to listen to all that sneezing: A body language expert said that a sneeze can offer a revealing look at someone's personality."
You, To, Can Right Like a Blogger - "Some people claim surfing the web and reading blogs can actually improve your writing skills. Others shudder as a very public disaster unfolds."
Video Of Girls' Fight As Parent Watches Circulates On MySpace - "Videotape of the fight, which lasts about 7 minutes, was recently posted on MySpace. A woman can be seen standing over the girls and watching the scuffle. Fresno police said they know who the girls are but they don't know who filmed the fight and who posted it online. If the person who put the fight online is an adult, they could face charges, Local 6 News reported."
Quote of the Day
"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
~ Mark Twain
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