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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top Story 'Coalition of the willing' shrinking
President Bush's "coalition of the willing," long seen by much of the world as a shell for a largely U.S. operation in Iraq, is quickly becoming a coalition of the unwilling. Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe
The WorldIraq insurgents again use 'dirty' attack
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents exploded a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters Wednesday — the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days — while a U.S. official said ground fire apparently forced the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter. All nine aboard the aircraft were rescued.
Iraq says ready to take over Basra after UK pullout
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government said on Thursday it was ready to take over security in southern Iraq once Britain withdraws 1,600 troops in the coming months, but insisted that British forces would still be needed for support.
Anti-American feelings soar among Muslims, study finds
The War on Terror has radicalised Muslims around the world to unprecedented levels of anti-American feeling, according to the largest survey of Muslims ever to be conducted. The findings come in a climate of growing mistrust between Islam and the West. Another recent survey in the US found that 39 per cent of Americans felt some prejudice towards Muslims.
Iran refuses to budge on UN demands
VIENNA, Austria - Iran called Wednesday for talks with the United States — but despite a U.N. Security Council deadline did not budge on council demands that it mothball its uranium enrichment program or face harsher sanctions.
Indian wealth is failing to stop children starving
India has higher rates of malnourished children than sub-Saharan Africa, despite having the money to tackle the problem
Philippine leader under fire over killings
MANILA (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo came under intense pressure Thursday to rein in the military after a second damning report implicated top commanders in a wave of political assassinations.
Australia looks to increase forces in Afghanistan
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia is considering plans to double its troop deployment to Afghanistan to about 1,000 to head off an expected spring resurgence of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said on Thursday.
Quebec separatists seek rule, then independence
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Quebec's separatist Parti Quebecois is hoping to unseat the governing Liberals in a March 26 election and then hold a referendum on taking the French-speaking province out of Canada.
Blair seeks e-opinions, gets 3 million
LONDON - Call it Pandora's inbox. Late last year, Prime Minister Tony Blair invited the public to post petitions directly on his official Web site, hoping a dose of cyber-savvy would attract disenchanted voters. Did it ever.
Britain to OK eggs donated for research
LONDON - The British government on Wednesday approved plans to allow women to donate eggs for stem cell and cloning research — and said they will also be entitled to compensation for costs incurred.
Europe's rising unease over 'terror war'
egal and vocal frustration in Europe over US policies have been sparked both by the length and ambiguity of the terror war, as well as the possible scale of the renditions-flights program of kidnapped suspects. An EU report issued last week in Brussels that condemns covert activity suggests "at least" 1,245 such flights in EU states occurred since 2001. It also suggests complicity between individual states and the US.
Prodi quits after pro-US policies cause defeat
Romano Prodi has resigned as Italian Prime Minister after losing a key parliamentary vote over its pro-US foreign policy
Sudan, Chad agree to boost border surveillance
KHARTOUM (AFP) - Sudan and Chad agreed to revive a year-old agreement aimed at boosting security along their troubled border during recent talks in Libya, a Sudanese official said Thursday.
Somali insurgents threaten suicide attacks against peacekeepers
Extremists in Somalia have threatened to carry out suicide attacks against any African peacekeepers deployed in the war-ravaged country. The NationBush administration calls British withdrawal from Iraq a good thing
The Bush administration said Wednesday that Britain's decision to withdraw 1,600 troops from Iraq is a positive sign that fits with the overall strategy for stabilizing the country.
Yes, and I like having a root canal, too. —Caro
Cheney, Democrats trade barbs over British troop move
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A war of words erupted between Vice President Dick Cheney and the top Democrat in Congress on Wednesday after Cheney said lawmakers opposing a U.S. troop buildup in Iraq "validate the al Qaeda strategy."
U.S won't soften policy toward Cuba
WASHINGTON - Despite pressure from members of Congress and business groups, the United States has no plans to soften its policies toward Cuba as the island heads into the post-Fidel Castro era, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez says.
Well, that’s their going-in position. Of course our policy toward Cuba will change when Fidel dies. —Caro
Ex-lawmakers find work with lobbyists
The cozy relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists that embarrassed Congress and cost some lawmakers re-election haven't stopped the revolving door between Capitol Hill and the lobbying industry that seeks to influence legislation.
Pelosi seeks tougher oversight on ethics
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for tighter ethics rules in federal agencies Wednesday after government officials approved the purchase of a $980,000 vacation home by a top Justice Department lawyer with an oil company lobbyist.
Obama, Clinton rivalry flares over donor
WASHINGTON - The rival presidential campaigns of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama traded accusations of nasty politics Wednesday over Hollywood donor David Geffen, who once backed Bill Clinton but now supports his wife's top rival.
McCain defends Christian outreach effort
VERO BEACH, Fla. - Republican presidential candidate John McCain is defending his outreach to conservative Christians, arguing that his effort is not political pandering to win the GOP nomination.
Abortion ban fails in S.D. Senate panel
PIERRE, S.D. - A South Dakota bill to ban most abortions in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade appeared dead Wednesday after a state Senate committee rejected it. Economy & BusinessDow, S&P fall on inflation worries, HP results
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue-chip stocks fell on Wednesday after stronger-than-expected inflation data dimmed hopes for an interest-rate cut and computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. failed to impress investors with its latest earnings report.
Medical costs boost consumer prices
WASHINGTON - Consumer prices increased at a faster pace than expected in January while a gauge of future economic activity posted a tiny increase, raising concerns about inflation and future growth.
US health care spending seen doubling in 10 years
WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - U.S. spending on prescription drugs, hospital care and other health services is expected to double to $4.1 trillion over the next decade, up from $2.1 trillion in 2006, a government report released on Wednesday found.
This portfolio is child's play
An 8-year-old has crafted a simple, winning, "lazy" portfolio that beats the S&P 500, and is less risky. MediaThe News Media Wonder Whether Iran is Next: Feb. 11 - 16, 2007
For much of 2007, the conflict in Iraq has dominated news coverage. Last week, a scenario that had largely been confined to a few cable hosts—the role of Iran and the possibility of war there—made its way onto the media agenda.
The Lies They Tell: How to Stop the Fox Propaganda Machine
The “Sliming Bowl” is well under way, and Fox's influence is too big -- and too damaging -- to ignore. Can the progressive Internet media and blogosphere bring it down?
We need to develop alternative media, and that includes ensuring that entities like AlterNet and even MakeThemAccountable are well funded. And it’s not just Fox. Columnists for major newspapers are a big problem, too, as you can see below. —Caro
BACK TO THE FUTURE!
hat does it mean when Geffen says that Clinton is “incredibly polarizing?” It means this: Right-wing nut jobs invented a string of ugly tales about Clinton. Geffen isn’t angry at the haters and crackpots for this sorry history. Not him! He’s angry at Clinton instead! Obama will turn out to be “incredibly polarizing” himself, as soon as he gets the nomination. (Or he’ll turn out to be a flip-flopper, like Kerry. Or he’ll turn out to be a big liar, like Gore.) The same Hate Machine which made Clinton so “polarizing” will make this brilliant man a big punch-line too. Indeed, Dowd is already hard at work on the project. Make no mistake: This will continue until liberals get smart—until we say that this must stop, until we go after these tortured souls whenever they slander any one of our candidates
Wash. Post published four op-eds attacking prosecution and trial of Libby, none supporting them
During the weekend before closing arguments in the perjury trial of former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, The Washington Post published two guest op-eds critical of the prosecution of Libby or of the conduct of the trial. Since a federal grand jury indicted Libby on October 28, 2005, the Post has published a total of four op-eds condemning the indictment and prosecution or suggesting that the trial is unfair. By contrast, since Libby was indicted, the Post has not published a single op-ed supporting the prosecution.
You’re welcome, mm-tips@mediamatters.org. A mention and a link would have been nice. —Caro
It's not just Walter Reed: What a top journalism prize says about America's shocking treatment of its own troops
On Monday night, they announced the winners of the George Polk Awards for Journalism, honoring the best news reports and articles that appeared over the course of 2006. And three out of the 12 winners. amazingly, were for stories that chronicled mistreatment or abuse or unnecessary risk to Americans fighting in Iraq -- along the lines of the Walter Reed story, yet arguably worse in some cases, because in these instances young men and women actually died…
Tony Snow and White House Reporters Slam The ‘Hateful,’ ‘Polarized’ Blogosphere
In a press roundtable at the National Press Club tonight, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow led a discussion with White House correspondents about the impact of the internet on their respective jobs. Their conclusion? They don’t like being challenged by blogs.
Thomas to be demoted to second row in WH briefing room
Helen Thomas' front-row seat will be given to a cable news channel, which Mike Allen notes is "a sign of Washington's changing pecking order, and of the new ways that Americans get their news." Thomas, 86, tells him: "I didn’'t think I had a monopoly on that seat. Since my peers have decided that I don't belong there, I'll bow to their -- I'll drink the -- what did Socrates drink?" Hemlock? "I'll drink it. You have to submit to the will of the people, and apparently this is the will of my peers."
NYT organizes Presidential election coverage in a new way
Times executive editor Bill Keller explains: "A central political desk will supervise coverage for the newspaper and the web. This new desk will include not only newspaper editors, but also people with experience in web production, database reporting and software development. Newspaper and online journalism will get equal emphasis -- we are well past the day when we can think of ourselves as a newspaper with a Web site on the side -- for an audience that now expects its political news to arrive in full multimedia, interactive glory."
New York Times to Publish First User-Generated Videos with "How We Met" Wedding Announcements
The New York Times, which has been producing original videos for the past three years, has taken the bold step of inviting its readers to submit videos for publication on the paper's site. This will mark the first time The Times has published user-generated video. The first videos will be of engaged couples in a series titled "How We Met."
Restaurant Owner's Ad Denounces Bad Review
The owner of Kobe Club, Jeffrey Chodorow, may have spent more than $80,000 for a full-page advertisement in the New York Times that he used to defend his new steakhouse against what he called a personal attack by an unqualified food critic in a review in that paper earlier this month.
The lesson? Bad reviews pay off. —Caro
Syndicated Ratings: Mags Soar With Anna Nicole Smith Coverage
Coverage of the death of former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith in the week ending Feb. 11 sent ratings for syndicated magazine shows through the roof. Entertainment Tonight recorded its best numbers in over three years and the biggest week-to-week increase of any of the mags, up 12% from the week before to a 6.4 rating, according to Nielsen. It was ET's highest ratings since the week after Janet Jackson's Super Bowl half-time, half-dressed appearance.
Neutrality On the Net Gets High '08 Profile
Bloggers and other Internet activists … are pressing candidates to back a handful of issues that are obscure to many Americans but vital to those who base their livelihoods on the Internet and track its development. One of those is "net neutrality." Hardly a household term, it has no overtly partisan or ideological dimensions. Yet it is shaping up as a Democratic issue this year, largely because its most fervid advocates are liberal bloggers and other Internet activists who play a big role in the early stages of choosing a Democratic presidential nominee.
PBS Ombudsman Criticizes Drug Company Sponsorship
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline continues its attempts to shape news content with advertising money, and PBS appears to be willing. Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy writes that an "entire show could be seen as a plug for the company" sponsoring it while they "just happen...to have a recently approved for over-the-counter drug on the market...for 'use by overweight adults.'"
Tortured "24" politics
The hit show has turned the tables in the censorship debate, with the left saying it goes too far and the right saying it's only TV.
Some Fear Billboards Distract Drivers
MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP) - When officials in this Minneapolis suburb didn't like the two eye-popping digital billboards that Clear Channel erected along the freeway, they pulled the plug. They had the power company cut off the electricity.
NBCU, Transit Pact to Bring News to L.A. Buses
NBC Universal’s stations in Los Angeles have partnered with Transit TV (also in Los Angeles) to provide local news, weather, sports and entertainment programming over Transit TV’s wireless LCD network on buses, the companies announced Wednesday.
Google sees video anti-piracy tools as priority
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., racing to head off a media industry backlash over its video Web site YouTube, will soon offer anti-piracy technologies to help all copyright holders thwart unauthorized video sharing, its chief executive said on Wednesday. Technology & ScienceCisco, Apple settle 'iPhone' dispute
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Cisco Systems Inc. and Apple Inc. have agreed to share the "iPhone" name, but both companies are staying tightlipped about what future products might come from the resulting deal to collaborate on "interoperability" between the companies' products.
Cisco backtracks on open source promise
San Francisco (InfoWorld) - After promising to turn the client software for its CTA (Cisco Trust Agent) into an open-source application, Bob Gleichauf, CTO of Cisco's Security Technology Group, said that the company has not made up its mind yet about the future of the software.
Google to sell online software suite
SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. will begin selling corporate America an online suite of software that includes e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and calendar management, escalating the Internet search leader's invasion on technological turf traditionally dominated by Microsoft and IBM.
IBM, Duke develop Web site for patients
WASHINGTON - Patients in Duke University's health system can now go to one Web site to pay medical bills, schedule doctor appointments and eventually view their personal medical histories.
First woman honored with Turing Award
One of the most prestigious prizes in computing, the $100,000 Turing Award, went to a woman Wednesday for the first time in the award's 40-year history.
10 hot home products
From ovens that e-mail you to locks that open with a wave of your hand, these practical tools are also fun.
Cities Can Make You Skinny
People who live in the densest, pedestrian-friendly parts of New York City have a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) compared to other New Yorkers, a new study finds. Lower BMI indicates less body fat. The researchers say placing shops, restaurants and public transit near residences may promote walking and independence from private automobiles.
Study: Group Thinking Clouds Decisions
People have a harder time coming up with alternative solutions to a problem when they are part of a group, new research suggests. The researchers speculate that when a group of people receives information, the inclination is to discuss it. The more times one option is said aloud, the harder it is for individuals to recall other options, explained Krishnan, associate professor of marketing at Indiana University. EnvironmentEU Seeks Ambitious Global Warming Goal
EU environment ministers agreed on an ambitious target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 ? a goal likely to lead to mandatory limits for cars and pollution allowances for airlines.
Turn Your Home Green
Danny Seo suggests simple steps that would not only make your house more environmentally friendly, they would also save you money.
Cheap solar power poised to undercut oil and gas by half
Within five years, solar power will be cheap enough to compete with carbon-generated electricity, even in Britain, Scandinavia or upper Siberia. In a decade, the cost may have fallen so dramatically that solar cells could undercut oil, gas, coal and nuclear power by up to half. Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil fuels. |
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