News -- November 17, 2006

Kucinich Calls for Cutting Off Iraq War Funds - ""I want to say that there's one solution here, and it's not to engage in a debate with the President, who has taken us down a path of disaster in Iraq, but it's for Congress to assume the full power that it has under the Constitution to cut off funds. We don't need to keep indulging in this debate about what to do, because as long as we keep temporizing, the situation gets worse in Iraq. "We have to determine that the time has come to cut off funds. There’s enough money in the pipeline to achieve the orderly withdrawal that Senator McGovern is talking about. But cut off funds, we must. That's the ultimate power of the Congress, the power of the purse. That's how we'll end this war, and that’s the only way we’re going to end this war."

Debate Grows Over Beefing Up U.S. Force in Iraq - "Military Leaders Oppose McCain's Push for Thousands of Additional Troops."

The New Media Offensive Against Withdrawal - " The present situation is grimly instructive for anyone who might wonder how the Vietnam War could continue for years while opinion polls showed that most Americans were against it. Now, in the wake of midterm elections widely seen as a rebuke to the Iraq war, powerful media institutions are feverishly spinning against a pullout of U.S. troops." -- There's money to be made in death and destruction.

CIA Acknowledges 2 Interrogation Memos - "After years of denials, the CIA has formally acknowledged the existence of two classified documents governing aggressive interrogation and detention policies for terrorism suspects, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. But CIA lawyers say the documents -- memos from President Bush and the Justice Department -- are still so sensitive that no portion can be released to the public."

President Authorized Abu Ghraib Torture, FBI Email Says - "Among a new batch of documents rights groups have forced the gov't to release, a Bureau communication refers to a presidential Executive Order endorsing some forms of torture witnessed at Iraq prison."

CNN host to first-ever Muslim congressman: "Prove to me that you're not working with our enemies." - ""I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " Beck added: "I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way."" -- Shut up Glenn Beck. You're an idiot.

Rice: U.S. Concerned About Rising China - "The United States has some concerns about a rising China, including a military expansion that may be excessive, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday." -- China's military expansion may be excessive?

Report: Israel developing 'bionic hornet' weapon - "Israel is using nanotechnology to try to create a robot no bigger than a hornet that would be able to chase, photograph and kill its targets, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday."

Americans To Be Tortured For Refusing To Show ID? - "A horror video that wouldn't look out of place in Maoist China or Nazi Germany shows a student being repeatedly shot with a stun gun by UCLA police for the crime of not showing his ID. As similar cases begin to pile up how long will it be before Americans are routinely tortured for noncompliance and refusing to have their 4th amendment violated?"

US to unveil new citizenship test - "Starting this winter, questions will center on American ideals rather than historical facts. ... It will continue to be an oral test, conducted in English, and will have 10 questions. Six correct answers will earn a passing grade. But the content, which is tightly under wraps, is expected to shun simple historical facts about America that can be recounted in a few words for more explanation about the principles of American democracy, such as freedom."

Nev. town to fine for foreign flags - "The Nevada town of Pahrump is taking a stand not just against illegal immigrants but flags they may bring with them."

Belmont to be first U.S. city to ban all smoking - "The Belmont City Council voted unanimously last night to pursue a strict law that will prohibit smoking anywhere in the city except for single-family detached residences. Smoking on the street, in a park and even in one’s car will become illegal and police would have the option of handing out tickets if they catch someone."

Scientists say pollution may be helpful - "If the sun warms the Earth too dangerously, the time may come to draw the shade. The "shade" would be a layer of pollution deliberately spewed into the atmosphere to help cool the planet. This over-the-top idea comes from prominent scientists, among them a Nobel laureate. The reaction here at the U.N. conference on climate change is a mix of caution, curiosity and some resignation to such "massive and drastic" operations, as the chief U.N. climatologist describes them."

Are humans responsible for climate change on the outer reaches of the solar system, or is it the sun? - "But how do we square the fact that almost every planet in our solar system is simultaneously undergoing temperature change and volatile weather patterns. Does this not suggest that global warming is a natural cycle as a result of the evolving nature of the sun? Can Al Gore fill me in on this one?"

Diseases Appear on Rise With Temperature - "A warmer world already seems to be producing a sicker world, health experts reported Tuesday, citing surges in Kenya, China and Europe of such diseases as malaria, heart ailments and dengue fever."

Arctic resists warming - "Yet the researchers also found new patterns of cooling ocean currents and prevailing winds that suggested the Arctic, long considered a bellwether of global warming, may be reverting in some ways to more normal conditions not seen since the 1970s."

Bush has undone a century of environmental progress in America - "It is staggering how much environmental progress President George W. Bush is trying to undo. There is a cumulative sense over the last nearly six years of a level of greed and exploitation encouraged by the White House that at some points of America’s history would have been the stuff of impeachment."

Science, technology not making the grades in U.S. - "The United States may be the world's biggest consumer of technology, but when it comes to churning out scientists and engineers, American schools and families are not generating enough interest, educators say. ... Why aren't American students pursuing degrees in science and technology? ... Research shows that students often decide their career paths long before they reach college, according to Robert H. Tai, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education. ... Moreover, fewer children have family members working in science or engineering to explain it to them, noted Ms. DiGennaro of the Center for Excellence in Education. ... On the national level, Ms. DiGennaro said the U.S. government needs to provide more incentives for students pursuing science and technology degrees in the form of grants and scholarships. Competitors such as China and India have made science and technology education a nationwide priority and, as a result, are seeing an increase in graduates in those areas, she said. ... "A lot of kids in Algeria got into computer engineering because it's very needed," he said. "In Asia, they are forced to learn the math and sciences early. Americans have the choice to stay away from it.""

Genetic archaeology - "Scientists said Wednesday that by unleashing a new kind of DNA analyzer on a 38,000-year-old fragment of fossilized Neanderthal bone, they had reconstructed a portion of that creature's genetic code -- a technological tour de force that has researchers convinced they will soon know the entire DNA sequence of humans' closest cousin."

Wanted: man to land on killer asteroid and gently nudge it from path to Earth - "The US space agency is drawing up plans to land an astronaut on an asteroid hurtling through space at more than 30,000 mph. It wants to know whether humans could master techniques needed to deflect such a doomsday object when it is eventually identified. The proposals are at an early stage, and a spacecraft needed just to send an astronaut that far into space exists only on the drawing board, but they are deadly serious. A smallish asteroid called Apophis has already been identified as a possible threat to Earth in 2036."

Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Expected This Weekend - "At the peak, people in these favorable locations could see up to 150 shooting stars per hour, or more than two per minute."

Is Overachieving Bad for Girls? - "A new book praises hyper-achieving 'alpha girls.' But their behavior may be symptomatic of a larger trend in outwardly high-achieving and inwardly self-hating young women."

School Officials To Investigate Sex Party Reports - "Health and school officials said this week that middle and high school students in Carroll County were participating in sex games that sometimes involved up to 30 people. ... "There are days when seven or so teens come for emergency contraception, and all come from the same high school or middle school," Marucci-Bosley said. "There's a huge number of 16- and 17-year-olds who say they've had 30 or 40 partners.""




Quote of the Day
"The government will never tell you that the asteroid is coming."
~ Gregory J. Hobbs