Drug-resistant TB may 'spiral out of control,' U.N. says
by Tim Johnson
BEIJING — The world is on the cusp of an explosion of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases that could deluge hospitals and leave physicians fighting a nearly untreatable malady with little help from modern drugs, global experts said Wednesday."The situation is already alarming, and poised to grow much worse very quickly," said Dr. Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organization. |
Petraeus says Israel may 'choose' to attack Iran
by John Byrne
The head of the US military's Central Command David Petraeus told a Congressional hearing Wednesday that Israel might "choose" to attack in Iran if it sees itself materially threatened by the bomb. The remark comes just a day after Israel's new Prime Minister seemed to threaten an Iran strike "in months." |
O'Reilly reveals Cheney refused to come on his show; Letterman calls O'Reilly a 'goon'
by Raw Story
David Letterman is having his own pundit war."I think of you as a goon," Letterman point-blank told O'Reilly on Tuesday night's show. Then, holding up the cover of O'Reilly's book, "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity," which has a photo of O'Reilly as a boy, Letterman quipped, "I look at that and I see this sweet, adorable kid... I have a sweet adorable kid and I wonder, 'What if he too becomes a goon?'" |
Scooter Libby shows up for neoconservative foreign policy summit
by David Edwards and Muriel Kane
With the Democrats holding the presidency and majorities in Congress, neoconservatives find themselves out of power in Washington. In response, they have formed a new think-tank, the Foreign Policy Initiative, headed by two of the founders of the Project for a New American Century (PNAC). |
Cheney has moles in Obama Administration, reporter says
by John Byrne and David Edwards
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has moles in the Obama government which report back to him from the Pentagon, investigative reporter Seymour Hersh told NPR and MSNBC on Tuesday.Speaking with NPR's Terri Gross, Hersh revealed that the former Vice President -- who he characterized as "really smart" -- has individuals that report back to him from key positions in government. He called these individuals "stay-behinds," an intelligence term generally applied to insiders left behind in foreign governments after the occupying power is driven out. |
No joke: stop smoking
by Stephen C. Webster
There's lots of April foolery going on today, especially across the Internets, but this blog is no joke: the US government wants you to stop smoking or pay the piper. Today, federal cigarette taxes triple, which means it's our turn to jump on the media bandwagon and demonize tobacco. |
G20: One Size Does Not Fit All
by Sanjay Suri
LONDON - There is on the face of it a fairness in the language hanging over the G20 summit that is quite seductive. "A global crisis requires a global solution," everyone who matters seems to be saying, at least towards the richer end of the G20 spectrum. Such talk is getting louder by the day as heads of state and government head for a meeting in London Thursday to address the global economic crisis. |
It's a bird...It's a plane...No... it's Spitzer to the Rescue
by Mike Whitney
If Obama was serious about restoring confidence in the markets, he'd dump SEC chief Mary Schapiro and replace her with Eliot Spitzer. That would send a message to the world that the administration means business. Schapiro is another Wall Street toady who believes in "self regulating" markets. Right. As the head of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or Finra, she twiddled her thumbs while the financial giants increased their leverage to gigantic levels and spread their derivatives-contagion to every part of the system. |
Iran and US have preliminary talks on sidelines
by Aimee Kligman
On the sidelines of a special conference at the Hague being held for the Afghanistan issue under the auspices of NATO, Richard Holbrooke met with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Akhundzadeh.The meeting between the two men was described as 'cordial' by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr. Akhundzadeh was critical of President Obama's latest strategy to send 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, saying that the situation had not shown any improvement. Iran is recommending that foreign aid should be used to train Afghan police and armed forces, and that focus be kept on providing development and security rather than on military and/or political response. |
"The Left"
by Ernest Partridge
I suppose that I might be described as a “leftist.” However, after more than a century of abusive propaganda that has been dumped on “the left,” I can’t say that I am comfortable with that label.Some time ago, I heard an anonymous caller to a talk show remark that it is no mere coincidence that the word “right” refers both to the political “right” (self-described “conservatives”) and to the moral right. In point of fact, it is exactly that: a mere historical coincidence, and nothing more.. The terms “right” and “left” are derived from the seating of the various parties in the French Assembly during the nineteenth century. |
No More Hummer Nation
by Maureen Dowd
You know you’re in trouble when Old Europe chastises you for being too socialist. But, hey, nobody’s perfect — except maybe Michelle Obama, who landed in London with a huge Obama entourage, wearing a daffodil yellow dress and looking like a confident ray of U.S.A. sunshine. |
Democrat leads by 65 votes in upstate New York special election
by Jeremy Gantz
UPDATE 5: Wednesday morning, NBC's Mark Murray called the race "essentially tied," and provided details on what will happen next."Counties will begin recanvassing the vote on Friday, although some counties will begin that as early as today," Murray writes, and "Counties will need to begin counting absentee and military overseas ballots." |
Justice Department drops charges against ex-senator Stevens
by Rachel Oswald
The Justice Department will move to dismiss the corruption conviction it obtained last fall against former Sen. Ted Stevens, according to a motion filed in federal court, because evidence was withheld from his defense lawyers by prosecutors.NPR reported early Wednesday morning that Attorney General Eric Holder will order the case against the former Alaskan senator dropped rather than continue to try to defend the government's conviction in the face of mounting criticism from the judge in the case over prosecutorial misconduct. |
The nationalization of America
by Doug Thompson
Steadily, and without much opposition, the federal government is taking over America's business, industries, financial institutions and -- in the end -- our way of life.Uncle Sam now owns major pieces of some of this country's largest financial institutions. The administration of Barack Obama feels it has the authority to tell the CEO of America's largest auto maker to resign and that CEO meekly complies. |
'We the People' to 'King of the World': You're Fired!
by Michael Moore
Friends,Nothing like it has ever happened. The President of the United States, the elected representative of the people, has just told the head of General Motors -- a company that's spent more years at #1 on the Fortune 500 list than anyone else -- "You're fired!" |
G20 Protests: Thousands Flood Into City of London
by Telegraph Media Group
G20 summit protesters have clashed with police after crowds flooded into central London as world leaders prepare to discuss the global economic meltdown.Eleven arrests were reported before a tense standoff developed between rows of police holding batons and a surging crowd close to the Bank of England. |
Employment reports show mixed picture
by Jessica Dickler and Ben Rooney
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The private sector lost more than 700,000 jobs in March, according to payroll-processing firm Automatic Data Processing, but a separate report released Wednesday suggested that the pace of job cuts may be slowing.The ADP report, which is based on payroll data from 500,000 U.S. businesses, said the private sector eliminated 742,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in March. That up 36,000 from last month's revised figure of 706,000. |
Nearly 8 years after 9/11, Rush tells NY to 'drop dead'
by Ron Brynaert
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who has been treated like a GOP leader since Obama's election, didn't mince words when it came to pontificating on a new New York tax plan which reportedly aims at the state's highest earners."Drop dead," the self-proclaimed "El Rushbo" wrote on Monday. |
Minnesota court ruling supports Franken; Coleman appeal likely
by Jeremy Gantz
It could very well be the beginning of the end for Norm Coleman. Or the harbinger of a whole new legal battle for his tireless lawyers.As much as Al Franken's lawyers celebrated it Tuesday, the long-awaited Minnesota state court ruling on Norm Coleman's appeal of the Senate race recount has – you guessed it – not quite put an end to the post-election showdown, now more than four months long. |
Big Brother wants to smell your fear
by Stephen C. Webster
If you know someone who's not yet been taken aback by the ever growing police surveillance complex, show 'em this.From the Sunday Times: LAW enforcement agencies are seeking scientists to develop an artificial nose that can detect the smell of fear as terrorists pass through security at airports. |
