Civilians bear fear, injuries, death, grief - "Jawad Najem, a surgeon at the hospital, said patients admitted Sunday had burns from phosphorous incendiary weapons used by Israel. The Geneva Conventions ban using white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against civilian populations and in air attacks against military forces in civilian areas. Israel said its weapons comply with international law."
U.N. observers' deaths fuel diplomatic firestorm - "A diplomatic furor erupted Wednesday after four U.N. observers died in southern Lebanon in what the U.N. secretary-general said was an "apparently deliberate" Israeli airstrike. Israel angrily denied the accusation."
U.S., allies divided over cease-fire terms - "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the international community on Wednesday to work quickly to end the "spasms of violence" rocking the Middle East, but the U.S. remained isolated from most of its allies by insisting that any cease fire address the region's long-term problems."
Islamists will set off dirty bomb, spy bosses believe - "Security sources have disclosed that the belief amongst most intelligence agencies is that a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack, using a so-called dirty bomb, is now inevitable."
Report: Proposal would allow hearsay evidence against detainees - "According to the draft, hearsay evidence would be allowed unless it was deemed to be unreliable. Defendants also would be barred from their own trials if it necessary to protect national security."
Leading lawyers say Bush creates loopholes in laws he doesn't like - "President George Bush's practice of writing exceptions to legislation as he signs it into law represents a violation of the constitution and a danger to democracy, America's leading lawyers alleged yesterday."
Video: Some Christians see Biblical endtimes in middle east violence - "The apocalypse is seen looming in two video clips--from CNN and Comedy Central."
Stand up to US, voters tell Blair - "Britain should take a much more robust and independent approach to the United States, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today, which finds strong public opposition to Tony Blair's close working relationship with President Bush."
Let’s have no more talk about Bush’s stupidity - "A lot of people think George W. Bush is stupid. It’s an understandable mistake: he often acts as though he is. But the truth is worse. The truth is that the things he doesn’t know are things he doesn’t want to know. His followers, the ones who also aren’t stupid and who aren’t simply lying about what they think, are on the same frequency; he and they are deliberately, sometimes heroically, ignorant."
The Diebold Bombshell - "Even more shockingly, we learned recently that Diebold and the State of Maryland had been aware of these vulnerabilities for at least two years. They were documented in analysis, commissioned by Maryland and conducted by RABA Technologies, published in January 2004. For over two years, Diebold has chosen not to fix the security holes, and Maryland has chosen not to alert other states or national officials about these problems. Basically, Diebold included a "back door" in its software, allowing anyone to change or modify the software. There are no technical safeguards in place to ensure that only authorized people can make changes."
Senate passes interstate abortion notification - "A bill that would make it a crime to take a pregnant girl across state lines for an abortion without her parents' knowledge passed the Senate Tuesday, but vast differences with the House version stood between the measure and President Bush's desk."
The Teen Endangerment & Grandmother Incarceration Act - "This legislation certainly won't reduce the number of abortions-- if lawmakers wanted to do that they'd fund medically accurate sex-ed and increase contraception access. Instead the law is designed to punish teenagers who need abortions and the people who are there to help them in a time of crisis."
Feds finally release info on 'superstate' - "After missing a deadline, the U.S. Department of Commerce finally has granted a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain complete disclosure of a congressionally unauthorized plan to implement a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that critics say could lead to a EU-style alliance in North America."
Government Trolls - Our Tax Dollars at Work - "Last week it was the revelation that the Department of Defense was going to be indexing blogs. Then it was the revelation that Marine recruiters were using My Space to lure people into the military. Now it seems our tax dollars are being used for military personnel to cruise blogs sites and spam the comment section. At least that is what it seems like after we received this comment today:"
Lubbock, Texas, plans to pray for rain - "Public officials in Lubbock, Texas, are organizing a day to pray for rain. "Nobody is going to tell God what to do and what not to do, but we are in a serious drought in West Texas and since he is the man who controls the rain clouds, we're asking him for his mercy and his help," Mayor David Miller told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal."
That Raise Might Take 4 Years to Earn as Well - "Those with bachelor's degrees are finding their incomes stagnate despite a growing economy."
Miss Indonesia under fire over 'insulting' swimsuit parade - "A MILITANT Islamic group has filed a police report against Indonesia's Miss Universe candidate, accusing her of indecency. Nadine Chandrawinata's participation in the contest and display of her body in a swimsuit "is actually insulting for Indonesian dignity and women", Islamic Defenders Front lawyer Sugito said yesterday."
CDC considers Texas for Morgellons study - "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a study of Morgellons disease that may target South Texas where more than 100 people are suffering from the illness."
Scientists find a second code besides genetics in DNA - "Researchers believe they have found a second code in DNA in addition to the genetic code."
Study: TV Makes Learning Less Efficient - "Multitasking may be a necessity in today's fast-paced world, but new research shows distractions affect the way people learn, making the knowledge they gain harder to use later on."
China to test its 'artificial sun' - "Scientists told the newspaper a successful test will mean the world's first nuclear fusion device of its kind will be ready to go into actual operation, the newspaper said."
Men may be banned from daring to bare their chests - "Men may be barred from baring their chests - and stomachs - in public under new local laws being considered by town halls. They would stop men stripping off their shirts in crowded town centres and give powers to police to remove any who defy the cover-up laws."
More Americans too fat for X-rays, scans - "More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate, radiologists reported on Tuesday."
Sun worries? Let your bikini do the talking - "As the bikini turns 60, it's entering the electronic age with a new model featuring a built-in alarm to warn wearers to get out of the sun--and ease concerns that the scanty swimsuits damage the health."
Are you a woman going solo? Try a blow-up man - "He fits in a car's glove box, appears at a flick of a switch and when a woman has finished using him, she can just pull the plug and he deflates. He's the "Buddy on Demand," a blow-up man launched on Tuesday with the aim of making solo female motorists feel less nervous about driving at night."
French police thwart joint-rolling world record attempt - " Police in France said they had thwarted an attempt by a group of marijuana smokers to roll the world's longest joint by seizing a work-in-progress measuring 80 centimetres (32 inches) in length."
New Monopoly game uses debit card, no cash - "A British version of the classic Monopoly board game released this week substitutes a Visa-imprinted debit card for the stacks of yellow, blue and purple play money long hoarded by children worldwide."
Quote of the Day
"Stroke of the pen, law of the land. Kinda cool."
~ Paul Begala, Presidential Aide
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