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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

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Bush pardons Thanksgiving Turkey
WASHINGTON - The turkey at the White House really draws a crowd.* When President Bush stepped into the Rose Garden on Tuesday, he found visitors in every coveted seat, reporters standing three rows deep and staff members craning for just one good glimpse. They came for one of those signature White House moments: Bush saving the life of a huge, white, gobbling bird.
*From the Associated Press, yet!—Caro

Have a great Thanksgiving!
Bartcop

The World

Suicide bomb hits Ramadi; injures 6
BAGHDAD - A suicide car bomb exploded Wednesday at an Iraqi police checkpoint guarding a courthouse in Ramadi, injuring at least six people in the largest attack on Anbar province's capital in months, police said.

U.S. and Iran set new Iraq talks
BAGHDAD — Iran and the United States have agreed to meet soon for a fourth round of talks on Iraqi security, underscoring what Iraqi officials say is growing, if grudging, cooperation between the two adversaries. Officials in Iran and Washington confirmed Tuesday that new talks would take place, though no date was announced.

Israel OKs armored vehicles for Abbas
JERUSALEM - Israel has approved a shipment of armored vehicles and guns to help Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fight militant groups in the West Bank, Israeli officials said Wednesday, in an effort to bolster the moderate leader ahead of a Mideast conference next week.

Pakistan's Musharraf set to quit army within days: officials
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pervez Musharraf is set to resign as army chief and become Pakistan's civilian president by the weekend, officials said Wednesday as the military ruler moved to shore up his emergency rule.

Pakistan parties waver on boycott
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Opposition parties wavered Wednesday on whether to boycott crucial Pakistani elections, backing off their most strident calls to shun the vote unless President Gen. Pervez Musharraf ends his state of emergency.

Myanmar faces calls for Suu Kyi release at Asia summit
SINGAPORE (AFP) - Myanmar was hit Wednesday with demands to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and criticism over its bloody crackdown on dissent, at a regional summit that embraced its friends and foes.

Venezuelans struggle to find food
CARACAS, Venezuela - The lines formed at dawn and remained long throughout the day — hundreds upon hundreds of Venezuelans waiting to buy scarce milk, chicken and sugar at state-run outdoor markets staffed by soldiers in fatigues.

EU's Kosovo envoy pessimistic on deal with Serbs
BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union's envoy to talks on Kosovo played down on Wednesday prospects of a broad agreement on the status of the breakaway Serbian province ahead of a December 10 deadline.

Sudan president vows 'no return to war' with south
KHARTOUM (AFP) - Sudanese President Omer al-Beshir vowed on Wednesday that despite a simmering crisis with southern former rebels there would be no return to war two years after a peace deal was signed.

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of having "declared war"
ASMARA (Reuters) - Eritrea said on Wednesday arch-foe Ethiopia had "long since declared war" on Asmara by refusing to implement a five-year-old border ruling marking their shared frontier.

The Nation

Holiday travelers hit the road, skies
NEW YORK - Millions of Americans showed up at airports and train stations early Wednesday in hopes of getting a jump on what was predicted to be the largest Thanksgiving pilgrimage ever — despite rising gas prices and fears of air delays.

Holiday mail deadlines approaching
WASHINGTON - It's time to start that "to do" list for holiday cards and packages. The Postal Service is reminding customers that deadlines for sending holiday packages are approaching, particularly for those going to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Report: KBR Dominates Iraq, Afghan Contracting
Former Halliburton subsidiary KBR, Inc. has won more contract work in recent years with the U.S. government than any other firm operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new report. The Bush regime has awarded KBR more than $16 billion for work in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2004 and 2006, the Center for Public Integrity found.

Jury eyes Blackwater role in shooting
WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury is said to be investigating the role of Blackwater Worldwide security guards in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

Wiretap Issue Leads Judge to Warn of Retrial in Terror Case
A federal judge warned Tuesday that if the government did not allow lawyers to review classified material on possible wiretapping of an Islamic scholar convicted of inciting terrorism, she might order a new trial for him.

Supreme Court will hear historic gun rights case
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider a challenge to Washington D.C.'s strict handgun ban, setting up one of the biggest Second Amendment cases in U.S. history… The case returns the high court to a question it last considered in 1939: Whether individuals, outside of a state militia, enjoy a constitutional right to own firearms.
Gee, I wonder how the George W. Bush appointees will vote?—Caro

FBI: Hate crimes escalate 8% in 2006
Hate crimes in the USA increased 8% in 2006, but some groups, including gays, Muslims and people with mental disabilities, experienced larger spikes in attacks, the FBI says.

Vote Suppression Measure Hits the Mark (by Paul Kiel at TPM Muckraker)
Earlier this month, we reported on a Florida law that requires the state to reject voter registration applications if the data does not match driver's license or Social Security records… This weekend, Southwest Florida's News-Press ran an analysis of state records, and, well, the law seems to have had a predictable effect…: “(A)pplications from more than 43,000 Floridians hoping to become eligible voters over the past 21 months were rejected by state computer programs and kicked out for special review. More than 14,000 initially rejected — three-quarters of them minorities — didn't make it through that last set of hoops.”

FEC Eases Rules on Ads Before Elections
WASHINGTON (AP) - Unions and businesses may pay for TV and radio "issue ads" that name candidates in the days before elections, federal regulators said Tuesday, easing previous restrictions and opening the way for interest groups to influence next year's elections with big-money advertising.

Many voters fear U.S. is on the wrong course
WASHINGTON - Most Americans say they are personally happy and feel in control of their lives and finances, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo News survey on the mood of voters. But there is a widespread unease -- shared by 77 percent -- that the country has meandered off in the wrong direction.

Media

Permanent link to MTA daily media news

Scare Tactics: Despite Lacking ‘Specific Information,’ Townsend Claims Al Qaeda May Target 2008 Elections
The 2008 elections are still a year away, but this morning outgoing Homeland Security Adviser Frances Fragos Townsend told CNN that al Qaeda may target the presidential elections. She said that while there is currently no “specific information,” “we know that Al Qaeda views these periods as being a particularly vulnerable period.”
Click through to watch the video.—Caro

More Scare Tactics: Bush Administration Stokes Fear Of Massive Army Layoffs To Force Congress To Drop Redeployment
The Bush administration is threatening that it will issue furlough notices to up to 150,000 civilian workers at military bases in mid-December if Congress does not approve unrestricted Iraq funding immediately. As part of this campaign, the Pentagon is distributing a document warning that the Army may cease to function if it does not receive the funds now… In (Tuesday) morning’s White House gaggle, spokeswoman Dana Perino admitted they’re making civilian employees fear for their jobs as a way to “remind Congress” to pass a bill, despite the fact the funding has passed the house and is being blocked by Republicans in the Senate.
Click through to watch some highlights of Rep. John Murtha’s press conference explaining how ridiculous the White House’s threats are.—Caro

Military Says Bonus Letter Was A 'Mistake'
A KDKA investigation is getting national attention and results for a wounded soldier from Mt. Lebanon and perhaps thousands of others. The Army ordered Jordan Fox to return thousands of dollars in bonus money because his injuries prevented him from completing his tour. When in Iraq, Fox survived machine gun battles and a roadside bomb that knocked him unconscious and blinded him in his right eye.
If not for this television station’s investigation, would this man have had to pay the money back? How many more cases like this are out there?—Caro

Hillary-Backer Carville Set To Appear On Sunday's Meet The Press -- Without Any Obama Or Edwards Backers (by Greg Sargent at The Horse’s Mouth)
Well, guess who is now set to appear on Meet the Press this coming weekend? Hillary supporter James Carville, of course. The network has just confirmed to me that Carville is one of the guests set to appear this Sunday. The other guests, as of now, are Bob Shrum, Mary Matalin and Mike Murphy -- which is to say, no backer of any of the other Dem candidates.

Fact Check: Health Plans Of GOP Cancer Survivors Won’t Cover Cancer Survivors Like Themselves
Last month, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani began running radio ads in which he used his experience as a survivor of prostate cancer to bash government provided universal health care plans… Giuliani says he prefers a “free market” approach that uses tax incentives to encourage Americans to enroll in private health plans. But, as the Los Angeles Times reports (Tuesday), Giuliani’s plan would be unlikely to cover cancer survivors such as himself… Along with Giuliani, the plans of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN), who also are both survivors of cancer, would likely exclude Americans such as themselves.

Time rejected Rove as a columnist.
Radar reports that, prior to securing a spot as a Newsweek columnist, Karl Rove approached Time magazine for a job. Time, however, rejected Rove as “essentially like an unindicted coconspirator in a whole host of felonies”.

Alberto Gonzales Heckled At University Of Florida Speech
Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales delivered his $40,000 speech at the University of Florida last night. Gonzales’ first stop on a nationwide college speaking tour got off to a very rocky start, as he had to endure shouts of “criminal” and “liar” throughout his speech.
Click through to watch some video of students standing on the stage with hoods over their heads. People we disagree with have a right to speak, too. Demonstrating OUTSIDE the facility and inviting speakers to counter those we disagree with is a better way to go.—Caro

The Liberals Made Them Do It (by digby)
Guess whose fault (the housing meltdown) is (according to the American Spectator)?... "One of the biggest liberal criticisms of the market was that low-income people -- particularly blacks and Hispanics -- were excluded from ownership through 'blackballing,' 'red-lining,' and other forms of discrimination. So the banks and mortgage markets responded. They invented 'sub-prime' loans for high-risk customers and tried to spread the risk by bundling them into broader financial instruments. Eventually the market became overextended and we're all suffering the consequences.”

Google Magazine?
An interesting patent was granted to Google on November 8, titled “Customization of Content and Advertisements in Publications.” A number of blogs picked it up and speculated that Google may soon begin to offer users the ability to create customized, printed magazines from Internet content. And print ads included in the magazine would be customized, too. The speculation doesn’t appear to be far off.

ABC Pays their Internet Writers (by Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins at Mashable)
ABC, we learn (Tuesday), pays its writers for Internet work, whereas not surprisingly NBC doesn’t. If there’s one thing we can be thankful of this season, it is that the Writer’s Guild of America strike is allowing us a rare glimpse into the mundane details of who gets paid for what in terms of Old Media creations.

Facebook - The New Big Brother? (by Ari Rabin-Havt at Open Left )
On Saturday night I used Fandango to purchase the tickets for the movie Michael Clayton. Then on Sunday, I looked at my Facebook feed and saw this: "Ari bought Michael Clayton on Fandango. 5:25PM" Having your privacy violated is a strange feeling… If the producers of Michael Clayton, without permission, decided to send post cards to the friends of everyone in the theater saying "XXXX saw Michael Clayton this weekend" there would be a massive outcry. This is essentially what Facebook (and Fandango) did as part of their new "Beacon" advertising program. Under Beacon, third party sites pay FaceBook to use its members, without permission, as their corporate spokespeople.
John Aravosis at AMERICAblog says, “Kind of creepy if you consider that Ari could have told his fiance that he was working late that night while Facebook said otherwise (he didn't, but I'm just saying). Or how about if Ari kept buying tickets to gay films, would that have been an interesting fact for Facebook readers to know about, let alone Ari's fiance?”—Caro

Town may criminalize online harassment
The MySpace-fueled suicide of Megan Meier will take another twist tonight when officials in her home town vote on whether to make online harassment a local crime.

Technology & Science

One more thing cellphones could do: Replace wallets
Instead of reaching for your wallet in the next few years, you'll be able to pull out your cellphone and wave it over a scanner to make a payment.

Skin cells made to mimic stem cells
Researchers have found recipes to give skin cells the power to turn into virtually any kind of human tissue — a technique that could ease the ethical debate over stem cells.
We’ve heard this kind of news before, so let’s not get ecstatic yet.—Caro

Make Thanksgiving a Feast of Health
Simple substitutions on the traditional menu offer lower-fat dishes without compromising taste.

Thankgiving Myth: Turkey Makes You Sleepy
What's making you sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner is any combination of booze, bad conversation and a carbohydrate-heavy meal, but not the turkey itself.

Pedometer Pushes People to Walk More
More steps lead to lower blood pressure, more weight loss, study finds.

Citrus Juice Gives Boost to Green Tea Antioxidants
The combo may help your body better absorb the healthy compounds, study suggests

Most U.S. Companies Do Little to Boost Worker Health Benefits
Executives typically ignore data on plans that give best value for money, study finds

Congo Creates Massive Reserve to Protect Close Human Cousin
Congo has announced the establishment of a rain forest preserve intended to protect the bonobo, one of human beings’ two closest ape relations.
This is very good news. We can learn a lot from bonobos. They form matriarchal societies, and groups of females keep aggressive males in line.—Caro

Ancient sea scorpion was bigger than a human
The discovery of the 390-million-year-old specimen in a German quarry suggests prehistoric spiders, insects and crabs were much larger than previously thought, researchers at Britain's Bristol University said on Wednesday.

Earth's Moon is Rare Oddball
The moon formed after a nasty planetary collision with young Earth, yet it looks odd next to its watery orbital neighbor. Turns out it really is odd: Only about one in every 10 to 20 solar systems may harbor a similar moon.

Environment

Proposed global warming solution needs more scientific research
Neither the safety nor the effectiveness of ocean fertilization – adding iron or other ‘micronutrients’ to the sea to encourage plankton to grow – have been established and the method should not be touted as a cure for climate change until they have been, cautions the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

India and China sign deal to stabilize greenhouse gases
According to a copy of the final text obtained by Reuters, the 16 nations of the East Asia Summit "commit to the common goal of stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations in the long run, at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."

Japan eyes affordable cellulosic ethanol technology
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Wednesday it aimed to introduce new, cost-efficient technology for producing cellulosic ethanol by 2015 to help reduce gasoline demand in the world's third-biggest oil consumer.

Russia may ban river oil shipments after spill
ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Russia may impose limits on oil products shipments by river in 2008 following a massive fuel oil spill from a river barge in the Kerch Strait earlier this month, industry and government sources said on Wednesday.

For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.

Kick!

Caro

:kick: TODAY!!!