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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StoryUS military reversing Iraq troop surge
WASHINGTON - The first big test of security gains linked to the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq is at hand. The military has started to reverse the 30,000-strong troop increase and commanders are hoping the drop in insurgent and sectarian violence in recent months — achieved at the cost of hundreds of lives — won't prove fleeting.
Chertoff: US in Iraq keeps al-Qaida out
AMMAN, Jordan - The United States military must remain in Iraq long enough to ensure that al-Qaida cannot reclaim the havens it has lost there, the U.S. Homeland Security secretary said Monday.
If the news from Iraq is BAD, our troops have to stay there. If the news from Iraq is GOOD, our troops have to stay there.—Caro The Heretik
The WorldMusharraf's Army Losing Ground Along Border
The Pakistani army remains on the defensive against extremists near the Afghani border.
US plan to secure ally's nuclear arsenal
THE United States has developed contingency plans to safeguard Pakistani nuclear weapons. But US officials fear their limited knowledge about the location of the arsenal could pose a problem, according to newspaper reports a week after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.
Bhutto calls on Musharraf to resign
LAHORE, Pakistan - Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Tuesday urged President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to resign and ruled out serving under him in a future government after she was placed under house arrest for the second time in five days.
Iraq detains top police officer after bomb find
The head of police intelligence in Iraq's Kerbala province has been detained after roadside bombs and other weapons were found in a raid on his house, a police spokesman said on Sunday.
7 die after Hamas fires on Arafat rally
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - A rally of more than 250,000 Fatah supporters ended in mayhem Monday, with Hamas police opening fire and protesters hurling rocks or running for cover. Seven civilians were killed and dozens were wounded in the violence between Palestinian factions.
Gordon Brown threatens Iran’s oil interests unless it curbs nuclear ambition
Gordon Brown (Tuesday) night proposed a worldwide ban on companies developing Iran’s oil and gas fields if it failed to curb its nuclear ambitions. He promised to take the lead in seeking tougher penalties through the United Nations and the European Union as Britain and the United States seek to increase the pressure on Tehran.
UN chief worried about Darfur force
UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. chief appealed to the Sudanese government and other U.N. member states to help speed the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Darfur, expressing concern at repeated delays.
Fresh fighting erupts in Somalia as mass exodus continues
Somali government soldiers on Monday mounted a door-to-door search of a major marketplace in Mogadishu in search of Islamist insurgents as shell-shocked residents continued a massive exodus from the Somali capital. The Nation'Hidden Costs' Double War Price
Study says wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost average U.S. family of four more than $20,000.
'Frustrated' Anti-War Voters Raise Heat on Democrats They Put in Office
When the Democratic Party called up recently to ask Myrna Burgess for a campaign contribution, she answered with an emphatic ''no.''
Ahmadinejad Links May Kill Bush's Nuclear-Power Accord With India's Singh
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has nothing to do with the nuclear-power agreement between the U.S. and India. He may end up scuttling it anyway.
Senior Intelligence Official: Change Your Understanding of Privacy
(T)he nation's number-two intelligence official, Don Kerr, contended that you shouldn't expect the government to protect your anonymity. At least one prominent civil libertarian tells TPMmuckraker that Kerr should resign if his remarks reflect what he believes… "The Constitution protects the right of anonymity," says Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "If Mr. Kerr does not believe he can uphold the Constitution, he should resign."
Cookie To Be Chewed At House Hearing Wednesday
It's official: embattled State Department Inspector General Howard "Cookie" Krongard will finally testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday. Krongard, for the uninitiated, is the IG voted most likely to... not investigate waste, fraud and abuse.
Lobbying Stalls Generic Drug Legislation
WASHINGTON (AP) - Legislation aimed at speeding the availability of cheaper generic drugs has stalled in Congress in the face of major lobbying by the drug industry. The Senate bill would ban most settlements known as "reverse payments," in which a brand-name company pays a generic manufacturer to delay the introduction of the generic drug. The Federal Trade Commission, which has called on Congress to take action, says such settlements could cost American consumers billions of dollars.
Lies to White House Officials Key to Kerik Case
A significant portion of the federal criminal case against former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik involves alleged lies Kerik told White House officials in both written and oral statements when he was seeking positions in the Bush Administration.
Democrats oppose nuclear waste dump
LAS VEGAS - The leading Democratic presidential candidates are united on the government's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage plan: They'd scrap it.
Hagel Calls Giuliani, Clinton 'Cowboys' for Rejecting Call for Iran Talks
Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton were ''recklessly irresponsible'' and acting like ''cowboys'' for rejecting calls for direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, charged Senator Chuck Hagel, a top Republican lawmaker.
Al Gore to Join Kleiner Perkins as Partner, Advise on 'Green' Investments
Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president who won a Nobel peace price for his global warming campaign, will join venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers to find investments in green business.
Well, that’s that. Shame on you for leading us on, Mr. Gore.—Caro MediaPermanent link to MTA daily media news
Why are we afraid of discussing the gender imbalance in progressive media? I’ve only heard from two people about it, both women, both of whom defend the status quo because they’re satisfied with THEIR positions in the blogfirmament.
Monkeys Fuss Over Inequality
In a new study, envy reared its ugly head if capuchins, primates like us, landed slices of cucumber while their cage mates received tasty grapes—considered more desirable. The recognition of an unfair situation could be critical for maintaining relationships in cooperative societies such as those of capuchins, as well as among humans, the researchers said. The study also suggests the roots of human fairness stretch well back in evolutionary time.
This kind of information, too, would be in my book, if I could ever find a publisher. “Evolutionary biologists are finding that social skills, including altruism, honor, and even a sense of fairness and justice are tendencies found in the apes, our closest relatives. (See Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Frans de Waal.)” The fact that social skills are built in runs counter to the right-wing insistence that all group efforts are bad because they breed dependency. In fact, group effort proved indispensable to our ancestors, and that’s why these attributes are now ingrained in us.—Caro
Fox host 'let down' by implausibility of suitcase nukes (The Raw Story)
(T)he suitcase nuke, a nuclear bomb small enough to be easily hidden, is unlikely to exist, according to experts. The revelation left the anchors of the Fox News program Fox & Friends more than a little disappointed. "You mean '24' isn't true," Co-host Page Kelly inquired, referring to Fox's national security-themed prime time hit, starring Kiefer Sutherland as CIA agent Jack Bauer. "'24's my favorite show." "It is a little bit of a let down," agreed Greg Kelly.
Click through to watch the video.—Caro
What the Public Really Wants (by Ruy Teixeira, Center for American Progress)
The public supports curbing Bush's tax cuts, increasing domestic spending, and reducing the deficit
Washington Post: Forget Edwards -- The Dem Primary Is Nothing More Than A "Clinton-Obama Rivalry" (by Greg Sargent)
According to WaPo, Edwards' speech was all about trying to "elbow his way" into the Hillary-Obama "rivalry." This makes it sound as if Campaign 2008 were less a political race than some kind of exclusive party that Hillary and Obama are throwing that Edwards is rudely trying to crash. But who decided that this race is little more than a Hillary-Obama rivalry in the first place? Why, WaPo did, of course!
Broder Says He Won't Write About Rudy's Marriage -- Despite Devoting Multiple Columns To The Clinton Marriage (by Greg Sargent)
As recently as two months ago -- Sept 6, 2007 – (David) Broder wrote that the Clintons' marriage was the most important political fact about Hillary. Yet now, suddenly, when a questioner asks Broder whether he sees serial adulterer Rudy's marriage as fodder for judging his fitness for the Presidency, Broder effectively dodges the allegation of his and the media's double standard by suddenly going all high-minded and saying he won't be discussing the marriages of Rudy or Hillary.
Bunker Hillary (The National Review)
Reporters' jabs and errors are long remembered, and no hour is too odd for an angry phone call. Clinton aides are especially swift to bypass reporters and complain to top editors. "They're frightening!" says one reporter who has covered Clinton. "They don't see (reporting) as a healthy part of the process. They view this as a ruthless kill-or-be-killed game." Despite all the grumbling, however, the press has showered Hillary with strikingly positive coverage.
I have to say, I don’t blame her. She and her husband both have been mercilessly attacked by the right-wing media, and the mainstreamers never hesitated to jump aboard.—Caro
TIME TO GIVE UP ON THE BOYS OF THE BURBS: (by Bob Somerby at The Daily Howler)
It’s time to give up on Kevin (Drum) and Matt (Yglesias) and all the Good Boys of the Village (Beltway insider) suburbs… According to Matt and Kevin, (NBC’s Tim) Russert performs a stale, stupid version of gotcha journalism. But land o’ goshen, people! He does it to everyone!... At this point, it’s astounding when liberals go out of their way to say that Russert treats Republicans the same way he treats Democrats. If you want to know how Dems lose elections, just gaze on the way these two fine fellows refuse to fight; refuse to observe; refuse to stand up for your side.
Donaldson's Digits: Wrong Number (Radar Online)
Rob Capriccioso, a Washington, D.C., blogger and sometime (now former) Radar freelancer, reported on his own blog, bigheaddc.com, this morning that Sam Donaldson's phone number appears on the D.C. Madam's supposed client list—the record of outgoing phone calls that Deborah Jean Palfrey made while operating the high-end-hooker operation that serviced Sen. David Vitter and other D.C. potentates… What he didn't report is that Palfry told him, repeatedly, in no uncertain terms, that her single telephone call to Donaldson had nothing to do with prostitution.
Mythbuster: Study Debunks Theory On Teen Sex, Delinquency (thanks to Jeff Fecke at Shakesville)
Researchers at Ohio State University garnered little attention in February when they found that youngsters who lose their virginity earlier than their peers are more likely to become juvenile delinquents… (But it) is probably not true. Other things being equal, a more probing study has found, youngsters who have consensual sex in their early-teen or even preteen years are, if anything, less likely to engage in delinquent behavior later on.
Leigh: Media revolution endangers the role of the reporter
Guardian investigative editor David Leigh says when the media fragment and splinter into a thousand websites and a thousand digital channels -- all weak financially -- then we'll see a severe reduction in the power of each individual media outlet. "The reporter will struggle to be heard over the cacophony of a thousand other voices. Politicians will no longer fear us. And if that day comes, I'm afraid it really will be the end of the reporter."
They’ll have to compete for attention just like the rest of us. I feel REAL sorry for ‘em.—Caro
Some Ad Networks Are Bad News
Opinion: When you trust a Web site, you trust everyone it's in bed with, including its advertisers. Some of these have been sending you to malware sites recently. Technology & ScienceGoogle Releases Android SDK, Offers $10 Million Developer Challenge
Developers will need an x86-based computer running Windows XP or Windows Vista, Mac OS 10.4.8 or later, or the Linux Ubuntu Dapper Drake OS.
Registration open for 'virtual college fair'
It won't come to this, but none of the 10,000-plus students expected at today's big college fair will know if Cristan Trahey and her staff show up in their pajamas. "Some of us will be in our office," says Trahey, acting admissions director at American University.
Computer scientist fights threat of ”˜botnets’
“Some of the most worrisome threats today are things called ‘botnets’ — computers that are taken over by an outside party and are beyond the user’s control,” says (computer scientist Paul) Barford of UW–Madison. “They can do all sorts of nasty things: steal passwords, credit card numbers and personal information, and use the infected machine to forward spam and attack other machines. “Botnets represent a convergence of all of the other threats that have existed for some time,” he adds.
PDAs Helping Smokers Quit
A pilot program created by the University of Nebraska Medical Center uses a PDA programmed with smoking cessation tools to help quitters deal with withdrawal symptoms and offer tips to deal with situations that trigger smoking.
ADHD Delays Growth of Certain Brain Areas
But affected children do catch up over time, researchers add
Long-Term Beta Carotene Use May Protect Against Dementia
A beneficial effect was found after at least 15 years, study says.
From Ants to People, an Instinct to Swarm
Researchers are discovering simple rules that allow thousands of animals to form a collective brain able to make decisions and move like a single organism.
Chocolate began as beer-like brew 3,100 years ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chocolate enjoyed around the world today had its origins at least 3,100 years ago in Central America not as the sweet treat people now crave but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol, scientists said on Monday.
Stone Age feminism?
(A) recent study introduces (a new) explanation (for the extinction of the Neanderthals): Stone Age feminism. Among Neanderthals, hunting big beasts was women's work as well as men's, so it's a safe bet that female hunters got stomped, gored, and worse with appalling frequency. And a high casualty rate among fertile women - the vital "reproductive core" of a tiny population - could well have meant demographic disaster for a species already struggling to survive.
Jill at Feministe says, “If only we could do it again.”—Caro
Experts find jawbone of pre-human great ape in Kenya
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Researchers have discovered a 10-million-year-old jaw bone in Kenya they believe belonged to a new species of great ape that could be the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans. EnvironmentCLIMATE CHANGE: The Worst Can Still Be Avoided
MADRID, Nov 12 (IPS) - Climate change is not inexorable, if measures are adopted immediately, said scientists and government officials as the 27th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began Monday in Spain.
Millions of jobs at risk from climate change: U.N
GENEVA (Reuters) - Millions of jobs worldwide could be casualties of climate change, though efforts to mitigate its effects will also create huge new waves of employment, United Nations officials said on Monday.
Whatever Happened to Earthships?
Earthships are self-sufficient homes built of recycled tires that embody the core values of sustainable living. They generate their own electricity, maximize solar heating and use only rainwater. Yet, they aren't for everyone… (M)ost people live in cities and are fond of their modern conveniences. This is why (Diego Mulligan of New Village Institute) and others are taking ideas from earthships and other sustainable designs and applying them to communities that the majority of people could imagine living in.
EU chief urges India and China to help cut greenhouse gas emissions
Rome - Europe must take the lead in cutting environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions, but developing giants such as China and India must also do their bit, the European Union's top official said Monday
Waste water plus bacteria make hydrogen fuel: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bacteria that feed on vinegar and waste water zapped with a shot of electricity could produce a clean hydrogen fuel to power vehicles that now run on petroleum, researchers reported on Monday.
Energy From Hot Rocks
Two UC Davis geologists are taking part in the Iceland Deep Drilling Project, an international effort to learn more about the potential of geothermal energy, or extracting heat from rocks. "We hope to understand the process of heat transfer when water reacts with hot volcanic rocks and how that changes the chemistry of fluids circulating at depth," (Robert) Zierenberg said. "We know very little about materials under these conditions." For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.
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