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Police evacuate Birmingham centre BBC — Permalink Police in Birmingham are evacuating large parts of the city centre amid a security alert. West Midlands Police said people were being asked to leave the centre, particularly Broad Street, as a "precautionary measure". | |
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Jan Haugland: Birmingham centre evacuated - bomb scare — Large parts of the cente of the English city of Birmingham has been evacuated. Smash: BBC: "A West Midlands Police spokesman said people were being asked to leave the centre, particularly Broad Street, as... |
Jeff Quinton: Related: Info on Square Peg Public House Other news reports: BBC-more Sky News Reuters DEBKA AP /Yahoo Guardian... Jeff Goldstein: Developing… From the BBC: "Police in Birmingham in the Midlands are evacuating the city centre. |
Leading Cardinal Redefines Church's View on Evolution NYT — Permalink An influential cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, which has long been regarded as an ally of the theory of evolution, is now suggesting that belief in evolution as accepted by science today may be incompatible with Catholic faith. | |
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Avedon Carol: I see we have another cardinal whose faith is weak and who wants to cause more division both within in the church and between Catholics and others. Andrew Sullivan: Well, now we have Benedict in charge and the rush back to the Middle Ages, already seen in fundamentalist Islam and... Barbara O'Brien: Related reading: "Despite Scopes, Evolution Still on Trial"; "Leading Cardinal Redefines Church's View on Evolution" | bar.jpg |
Josh: I MUST ADMIT, I'M AT SOMETHING OF A LOSS TO UNDERSTAND THIS. Steve M.: Today, a follow-up article in the Times notes that Schonborn is close to Pope Benedict — and also that the op-ed was... John Cole: New Front in the War on Biology — Wunderbar: "An influential cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, which has long... |
| Also: Riggsveda @Corrente, Alex Tabarrok, Ed Cone, James Joyner, Orrin Judd, Ann Althouse | |
Security alert closes Birmingham BBC — Permalink Birmingham city centre has been shut down and 20,000 people evacuated amid a security alert. The Broad Street entertainment district and the city's Chinese quarter were cleared after intelligence warned of a "substantial threat" to the areas. | |
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Donald Sensing: The BBC reports, [quote] The Broad Street entertainment district and the city's Chinese quarter were cleared after intelligence warned of a "substantial threat" to the areas.[end quote] Dean Esmay: Explosions in Birmingham by Dean BBC is reporting bomb blasts in Birmingham, England. Command Post has continuing updates. |
Robin Burk: BBC and other sources report that British police have evacuated 20,000 people from the entertainment and Chinese... Wind Rider: Birmingham Bomb Scare — BBC is reporting that up to 20,000 people are being evacuated from mid-town Birmingham, England... |
London attacks show need to stay on offense-Bush By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush praised the resilience of Londoners on Saturday after the deadly bombings there and pledged to "stay on the offense" in the war on terrorism as he urged Americans to remain on alert. "This week, there is great suffering in the city of London. | |
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Chris Bowers: Now I Get It — Okay, this is finally starting to make sense: [snipped quote] Some may call Bush delusional here—how... Greg @TheTalentShow: This comment is so wrongheaded it even seems too stupid and insensitive for Bush (via Digby) : [snipped quote] Gilligan and Gomer Pyle have nothing on this ignorant piece of s**t. John @AmericaBlog: Bush to use military AGAIN for another propaganda speech — What a jerk. |
Cernig: Bush Chickens, Flies Home To Squawk — Georgie has sunk to an all-time low. Digby: Ferchristsake "After returning from the summit on Friday, Bush visited the British Embassy in Washington and signed a... |
BIRMINGHAM TERROR THREAT Sky News — Permalink Thousands of people are being evacuated from Birmingham city centre after police issued a terror warning. Bomb squad officers have reportedly carried out a series of controlled explosions in the Broad Street entertainment district. | |
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Matthew Sheffield: As of now, Britain's second-largest city Birmingham is being evacuated. |
Robin Burk: Other sources are reporting "controlled explosions", possibly the police detonating bombs that could not be safely removed otherwise. |
Let's Have This Fight By / WaPo — Permalink Should a temporary majority of 50.7 percent have control over the entire United States government? Should 49.3 percent of Americans have no influence over the nation's trajectory for the next generation? Those are the stakes in the coming fight over the next Supreme Court justice. | |
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Paul @PowerLine: More "heads I win, tails let's call it even" thinking from a partisan Democrat — E.J. Dionne keeps trying, but he never gets any better. PoliPundit: "Democratic" Democrats — Exemplifying just how un-democratic "Democrats" have become, columnist E.J. Dionne has this to... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: It was written in the aftermath of Justice O'Connor's. |
Newspaper Withholding Two Articles After Jailing By / NYT — Permalink The editor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer said last night that the newspaper, acting on the advice of its lawyers, was withholding publication of two major investigative articles because they were based on illegally leaked documents and could lead to penalties against the paper and the jailing of reporters. | |
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Jo Fish: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer has two stories, presumably having to do with the Coin of the Realm scandal in Ohio (it's the... Joe Gandelman: If this paper's action (or inaction) represents a trend (it's too early to tell) then it would mean a longtime... Orrin Judd: ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO OBTAIN LEGALLY: Newspaper Withholding Two Articles After Jailing (ROBERT D. McFADDEN, July 9,... |
Avedon Carol: Seen on the internets — This is exactly the kind of chilling effect I was worried about The New York Times forcing us... TChris: There are reasons to worry that jailing reporters will have a chilling effect on the media's willingness to report stories that are based on leaked information. Jim Romenesko: (Related story.) > "Two stories of profound importance languish in our hands," Clifton wrote in his June 30 column. |
Britons will never give in to terrorists By / Telegraph — Permalink The perpetrators of Thursday's atrocities are living in a fantasy world if they think the British people can be intimidated by terrorism, let alone converted to Islam. | |
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Iain Murray: WHAT THE BRITS THINK — The Telegraph has details of the first opinion poll of the British since the bombs. Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: The release of this poll of Brits after their terror bombings of two days ago indicates Hollywood may have... Marc @USSNeverdock: Britain - Terror Attack Backfires — The Telegraph reports the results of a Yougov poll on how the terror attack on London has backfired. |
Cori Dauber: Rally 'Round the Union Jack — Via Instapundit, USS Neverdock points to an amazing poll of Britons in the wake of the bombing. Captain Ed: The London Telegraph has a new poll taken in the aftermath of the bombings that show increased support for Tony Blair,... Paul @PowerLine: Britons never shall be slaves — USS Neverdock reports the results of a survey in The Telegraph of British opinion in the aftermath of Thursday's terrorist attack. |
| Also: Michelle Malkin | |
Cellphone Numbers Overtake Land Lines By / LAT — Permalink Hold the phone. The number of mobile-phone users in the U.S. surpassed the number of conventional land-based phone lines in the second half of 2004, the government said Friday. | |
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James Joyner: Cellphone Numbers Overtake Land Lines — Via Kevin Drum, I see there are more American cell phone numbers than land line numbers, according to FCC calculations. Kevin Drum: CELL PHONES....There are now officially more cell phone subscribers than there are land lines in the United States. |
Ezra Klein: No More Polls? As Kevin notes, there are now more cell phone subscribers than landline subscribers in the US. |
Stem Cell Legislation Is at Risk WaPo — Permalink Promising but still unproven new approaches to creating human embryonic stem cells have suddenly jeopardized what once appeared to be certain Senate passage of a bill to loosen President Bush's four-year-old restrictions on human embryo research. | |
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Jo Fish: Christo-Fascists Hate the Living — If the dissonance that arises from the pea-brained C-F's over using embryos bound... |
Orrin Judd: IT'S ALWAYS AND ONLY ABOUT POWER: Stem Cell Legislation Is at Risk: Backers Say Promise of New Techniques Threatens... |
Reid: Pick Nominee in Earl Warren Mold AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Contending that President Bush's far-right allies are pushing him to appoint an extreme conservative to the Supreme Court, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid pointed to liberal icon Earl Warren as a model. | |
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Captain Ed: While his fellow Democrats plan on going to war over the opening created by Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement, Reid... |
Orrin Judd: Reid: Pick Nominee in Earl Warren Mold (AP, Jul 9, 2005) [snipped quote] Well, John Ashcroft is a former governor and... |
Photos Plead: Have You Seen This Person? By / NYT — Permalink LONDON, July 9 - As work crews battle rats and crumbling walls to reach the bombed-out train and remaining corpses at the King's Cross Underground station, passers-by, just above them, linger before the images of the men and women who are still nowhere to be found. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: MOURNING — It is exceedingly difficult to read this. Especially when one's eyes are filled with tears. |
Josh: THE NYT HAS A HEARTBREAKING STORY about those still missing from the London attack. |
Democrats seek court nominee with 'big heart' By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid urged President Bush on Saturday to say "no to the far right" and nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court someone who will rule with "an open mind and a big heart." | |
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Kathryn Jean Lopez: SPONGEBOB, J. NEUTRON... ....only if he has a "big heart." That's Harry Reid's requirement for the Court. |
Hrairoo: Harry Reid and the other democrats want a Supreme Court nominee with "a big heart." I would prefer one with a large brain. |
Supreme Court Speculation Fuels Rumors By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court pulsed with retirement speculation Friday, with rumors focusing first on the ailing chief justice, then the oldest member, and even the tiniest justice. | |
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DeDurkheim: As the media buzz reaches a crescendo over the appointment of a successor for Sandra Day O'Connor, we have growing speculation about the impending retirement of William Rehnquist. |
Will Baude: The Meta-frenzy — As the New York Times and Associated Press point out, the feeding frenzy that has been developing the... |
I resent your success. I hate you and your kind. So I bomb you By / Times of London — Permalink APOLOGISTS for terrorism (and they are not in short supply) argue that it is a weapon used by people who despair of achieving their goals in any other way. It is a cry from the depths by those deprived of a voice in the political process. | |
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Donald Sensing: "I resent your success. I hate you and your kind. So I bomb you," by Roger Scruton, author of The West and the Rest: Globalisation and the Terrorist Threat. |
Andrew Cochran: . .An anatomy of the London bombing - Victor Davis Hanson on Islamic fascism I resent your success. I hate you and your kind. |
Bush: London attacks show need to stay on offense By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush praised the resilience of Londoners on Saturday after deadly transit bombings and pledged to "stay on the offense" in the war on terrorism as he urged Americans to remain on alert. | |
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Radley Balko: Heads we win, tails you lose. Incredulously, President Bush responded to the London attacks by touting flypaper theory. |
Atrios: Abroad — Flypaper talk is nothing new but it's a rather offensive thing to say about now: "We will stay on the offense,... |
Fox News slammed over 'callous' line Guardian — Permalink Rupert Murdoch's Fox News channel was under fire yesterday for comments by some of its leading journalists in response to the London bombs. Speaking about the reaction of the financial markets, Brit Hume, the channel's Washington managing editor, said:... | |
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Joe Gandelman: Truly Contemptable Comments — One of the most amazing aspects of the terrorism war and recent attack in London was the... John @AmericaBlog: FOX News says London attacks were a good thing, FOX looks forward to Paris getting blown up by Al Qaeda — As if we... |
Mimus Pauly: [from the guardian] what kind of petulant $#! + is this?! Scott Burgess: Today's Guardian reports: [snipped quote] How utterly reprehensible. John Gibson is a moron. |
Stone, Cage to Team Up on Film About 9/11 AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Nearly four years after the collapse of the World Trade Center, Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone will direct a film based on the story of two police officers who were trapped in the rubble on Sept. | |
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David Carr: It's yesterday once more — I can only assume that Michael Moore was too busy: "Nearly four years after the collapse of... |
Michelle Malkin: 9/11 THROUGH A TINFOIL LENS — Joe Gandelman blows the whistle on another 9/11 hijacking...by conspiracy-monger Oliver Stone. |
Taliban says beheads 'captured' U.S. commando By / Reuters — Permalink KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban said they beheaded a missing U.S. commando in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, but the Pentagon said it had no information to support the claim. | |
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La Shawn Barber: How about you? I wonder if Islamofascists can be considered "headophobic?" Related post: No Such Thing As Bad Publicity |
Jeralyn Merritt: Taliban Claims It Beheaded Missing U.S. Commando — The Taliban today claimed it beheaded a missing U.S. commando this morning. |
Police: London Blasts Were Seconds Apart By / AP — Permalink LONDON — Bombs that shook the city's subway system last week exploded within 50 seconds of each other and were made of high explosives, not homemade material, police said Saturday. | |
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Smash: London Bombing Updates FROM THE WIRES: - The official death toll is now 49. |
John Cole: The Cover-Up Continues — More facts are emerghing about the London bombings, including that there appears to have been... |
The trouble with New York Guardian — Permalink During the 1990s I went on holiday to America several times, and nobody objected, or noticed. President Bush and Iraq have changed everything. A fortnight in Florida shouldn't incur the disgrace of apartheid Sun City, exactly - but to many of my friends it would definitely take some explaining. | |
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Randall Cook: London's edging out of NY for the Olympics was perceived by some as an indication that the world has moved on from its... Stephen Pollard: Fatuous drivel — In today's Guardian, Decca Aitkenhead comes up with one of the most fatuous pieces of writing I have... |
Andrew Stuttaford: NUTS — If you want to see the increasingly bizarre turn that anti-Americanism is taking amongst the UK's chatterati,... |
Oliver Stone to make first major US film about September 11 AFP — Permalink LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone will direct superstar Nicholas Cage in the first major Hollywood movie about the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, producers announced. | |
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Ed Driscoll: Meanwhile, I suppose this isn't all that surprising an announcement: "Three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone will direct... Ann Althouse: Now, I read that not only is a movie too be made now, only four years after that terrible day, but that the movie is to be made by Oliver Stone. Jeff Jarvis: Oh, no, anything but that : Conspiracy nutjob, has-been, and bad filmmaker Oliver Stone is making the first movie about 9/11. |
Captain Ed: It appears that Spielberg has decided to simply work from rumor and innuendo — much more in the Oliver Stone mode than in the cinema verité of Schindler's List. Joe Gandelman: Oliver Stone is planning to make the first major film on the 911 terrorist attacks: "Three-time Oscar winner Oliver... |
London Bombs Seen as Crude; Death Toll Rises to 49 By / NYT — Permalink LONDON, July 8 - Investigators have concluded that the bombs that ripped through three subway trains and a bus on Thursday were relatively crude devices containing less than 10 pounds of explosives each. | |
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Cliff May: The NYT story. Randall Cook: Technically, their attacks were neither sophisticated nor especially lethal. Ogged @Unfogged: I'm Sure I'm The Only One Wondering, But — Ok, so... The bus bombing is also considered by investigators to be another clue of an amateurish attack. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Now, the New York Times reports, [snipped quote] Over at Huffington Post, Max Blumenthal analyzes the different theories,... Max Blumenthal: As the New York Times reports: Investigators have concluded that the bombs that ripped through three subway trains and a... |
Budget deal reached; state employees will return to work Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink ST. PAUL — Minnesota's partial government shutdown ended early today with the passage of a temporary spending plan and an agreement by state leaders on the outlines of a two-year budget. | |
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Scott @PowerLine: Winners, losers and collaborators — The Minneapolis Star Tribune Web site carries a breaking news AP story that... |
Mitch Berg: Unlamented, Ineffective Shutdown Ends Unnoticed — The 18% of Minnesota government workers affected by the mis-named... |
Mystery Thickens in Secret Source Case By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Was it Karl Rove, after all? Or is President Bush's longtime political advisor getting a bum rap, fueled by wishful thinking of administration critics? | |
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Betsy Newmark: Richard B. Schmitt of the LA Times has an article acknowledging that no one really knows anything about the Valerie... |
Orrin Judd: CAN'T LEAK WHAT FOLKS ALREADY KNOW: Mystery Thickens in Secret Source Case: After two years, more questions than answers... |
Boom in Jobs, Not Just Houses, as Real Estate Drives Economy By / NYT — Permalink FREDERICK, Md. - Danilo Molina has never flipped a house to make a quick profit from rising real estate values. He has not refinanced a mortgage. He does not even own a home. Nonetheless, the decade-long housing boom has been very good to Mr. Molina, a slight 21-year-old with a shy smile. | |
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Chris @AmericaBlog: The house of cards real estate problem — I know that the brillant economic minds in Washington such as Greenspan keep... |
Orrin Judd: ENGINES: Boom in Jobs, Not Just Houses, as Real Estate Drives Economy (DAVID LEONHARDT, 7/09/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] Mr. Molina and his employees need to live somewhere too. |
Resolute G-8 Leaders Unveil African Aid By / AP — Permalink GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) - Vowing not to be sidetracked by the deadly London bombings, world leaders unveiled a $50 billion package Friday to help lift Africa from poverty and proposed up to $9 billion to help the Palestinians achieve peace with Israel. | |
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Randall Cook: Indeed, in the interests of appearing to have been unimpeded by terrorism, the G8 agreed to at least put on a good show... |
Arthur Chrenkoff: London 3 — Update 2: In Gleneagles, meanwhile, the terrorists have not won. |
Rev. Billy Graham's daughter accused of beating up husband Sun-Sentinel — Permalink NEW SMYRNA BEACH — The daughter of the world's most influential evangelist was arrested a week ago in the parking lot of a discount store, accused of domestic battery against her husband. | |
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Jo Fish: Xtian Love Unrequited, but a bit...battered — You would have thought that Billy Graham's daughter would have at least... |
Tbogg: Spare the rod and strangle the husband — Someone hasn't been reading that part in the Bible about honoring the husband. |
Bush, Stabenow have job ratings below 50 percent AP — Permalink (AP) — President Bush's ratings in Michigan took a tumble in EPIC/MRA's latest survey, released Friday. In March, 51 percent had a favorable opinion of the Republican president, compared to 44 percent now. | |
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Alexander K. McClure: 2006 Michigan Senate Race — The new EPIC/MRA poll also looks at the Senate race next year in the Wolverine State. |
Gerry Daly: I also found this one which mentions numbers for Bush and for Stabenow: "Only 43 percent gave Bush a positive job rating, compared to 48 percent three months ago. |
Condemnation Not Enough Arab News — Permalink The barbaric terrorist attacks in London yesterday were condemned by all civilized nations. In addition to condemning the atrocities, Muslim and Middle Eastern leaders were among the first to send messages of support, sympathy and solidarity with Britain. | |
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Dean Esmay: In the meantime, while I'm mentioning muslims who are finally speaking up, in addition to Irshad Manji's terrific piece... |
Peter Burnet: MORE: Condemnation Not Enough (Adel Darwish, 7/08/05, Arab News) "The barbaric terrorist attacks in London yesterday were condemned by all civilized nations. |
Reagan's Biggest Mistake Finally Retires By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink The fundamental goal of the next Supreme Court justice should be to create a record that would not inspire Sen. Chuck Schumer to say, as he did of Justice O'Connor last week: "We hope the president chooses someone thoughtful, mainstream, pragmatic - someone just like Sandra Day O'Connor." | |
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Paul @PowerLine: Charles Krauthammer writes along the same lines today. And don't miss Ann Coulter's less measured take-down of O'Connor. |
John Cole: Someone Didn't Like Justice O'Connor — Yikes: [snipped quote] Just thought Coulter's shrillness was amusing. |
Cleveland's Plain Dealer: We're Holding Big Stories Because of Miller Jailing By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink Plain Dealer Editor Doug Clifton says the Cleveland daily is not reporting two major investigative stories of "profound importance" because they are based on illegally leaked documents — and the paper fears the consequences faced now by jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller. | |
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Kevin Drum: Yesterday, Editor & Publisher picked up on it and Clifton elaborated: "Plain Dealer Editor Doug Clifton says the... John Cole: Via those crazy Kossacks, this story about the Cleveland Plain Dealer holding back on stories: [snipped quote] Rather... Jim Romenesko: Plain Dealer holds two stories because of leaked documents — Editor & Publisher | New York Times CLIFTON Cleveland... |
Joe Gandelman: A Sign Judith Miller Jailing Is Already Changing Journalism — And here it is for you: a living, breathing example of the "chilling effect." Craig Crawford: Craig Crawford: Jailed Reporter Fallout — Fear of jail forces newspaper to spike two major investigative stories of... Cookie Jill: putting truth telling on ice we now have the chilling after affects on journalism of the cooper and judy courtroom dog and pony show. |
| Also: SusanG @DailyKos | |
London Bombs Likely Simple and Homemade By / AP — Permalink LONDON - The bombs that destroyed three London Underground cars and a double-decker bus each weighed less than 10 pounds and could be carried in a backpack, police said Friday. Police said the bodies of 49 people had been recovered, but warned that the number of deaths would rise. | |
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Randall Cook: The one apparent 'suicide bombing' was the result not of a fanatical desire to witness paradise, but of user and/or equipment failure. Max Blumenthal: Max Blumenthal: Where The One-Eyed Man Is King 3005hamzab.jpg By now, it's pretty clear that the bombs that ripped... Stirling Newberry: AP confirms that bombs were of a type similar to M11 bombs Simple timer detonated devices. Permalink Stirling Newberry - Comments (1) |
Randall Parker: Unmarked Semtex stolen from Czechoslovakia is a possibility and is easily available on the black market from Russian mafia and others. John @AmericaBlog: Iraqi govt chief spokesman confirms Al Qaeda is now headquartered in Iraq — Brought to you by the proud team of Bush &... |
If It's a Muslim Problem, It Needs a Muslim Solution By / NYT — Permalink Yesterday's bombings in downtown London are profoundly disturbing. In part, that is because a bombing in our mother country and closest ally, England, is almost like a bombing in our own country. | |
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Juan Cole: He wrote in his latest column, "To this day - to this day - no major Muslim cleric or religious body has ever issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden." Jeff Jarvis: But today, Tom Friedman dances closer to the flames. Glenn Reynolds: TOM FRIEDMAN: "Because there is no obvious target to retaliate against, and because there are not enough police to... |
Fontana Labs: More from Friedman — Thomas Airmiles Friedman: The Al Qaeda threat has metastasized and become franchised. Tom Smith: AND this seems exactly right to me. (via instapundit) James Joyner: Friedman: Terrorism Needs a Muslim Solution — Thomas Friedman's Friday column, "If It's a Muslim Problem, It Needs a Muslim Solution" is well worth a read. |
| Also: Dean Esmay, Ed Cone, Marc @USSNeverdock | |
D.C. Wonders When Rehnquist Will Go Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Though the White House insisted Friday that it had not been in communication with the Supreme Court over the timing of a resignation letter from Chief Justice William Rehnquist (search), rumors abound that his departure is imminent. | |
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John Derbyshire: Watching the coy little dance Justice Rehnquist is performing with the media — will he resign or won't he? — it occurs to me that there is a point of ethics here. Ann Althouse: UPDATE: And the whole day goes by with nothing more than Rehnquist saying "That's for me to know and for your to find out." Josh: Stay tuned ... UPDATE: "That's for me to know and you to find out." |
Smash: Only Rehnquist knows for certain, and he ain't talkin'. Michelle Malkin: The chatter builds. Todd Zywicki: "That's for me to know and you to find out": The Chief answering questions on whether he'll retire. (HT Drudge). |
Blogs seen as powerful new tool in U.S. court fight By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Political groups preparing to battle over the first U.S. Supreme Court nomination in 11 years have a powerful new tool — Internet blogs — to spread information quickly and influence decision makers without relying on traditional media. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: This story has the details of the role the Blogosphere may play in the confirmation fight and is most interesting. Joe Gandelman: Blogs Will Be Wooed In Supreme Court Justice(s) Fight — To those of you who email or say blogs are unimportant little... Jeralyn Merritt: Reuters: Blogs to Play Big Role in Supreme Court Fight — Reuters has a good article today on the influence blogs will have in the upcoming battles over Supreme Court nominations. |
Gateway Pundit: Tonight there is another article at Yahoo news that says something similar... Blogs seen as powerful new tool in U.S... Taegan Goddard: Blogs To Play Key Role in Court Fight — "Political groups preparing to battle over the first U.S. Supreme Court... |
C-Log: Conservative Web Log Townhall.com — Permalink I just got back from "Bloggers and Journalists: Are They Enemies Or Friends?" at The Heritage Foundation. Featured speakers were Ed Morrissey, Jim Hill of the Washington Post Writers Group, and Daniel Glover of National Journal. | |
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Matthew Sheffield: For a good summary of what went on, see this post from Mary Katherine Ham, a blogger at Heritage, whom I also had the pleasure of seeing again. Mary Katharine Ham: I blogged the gist of all of their comments over at Townhall. |
Captain Ed: Mary Katherine Ham from Townhall blogged the event. A number of bloggers also came for the presentation. Lorie Byrd: Great Quotes — I love this post from Mary Katharine Ham on the great quote from Chief Justice Rehnquist. |
Italy to start Iraq troop pullout in fall By / AP — Permalink GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Italy plans to begin withdrawing some of its troops from Iraq in September, Premier Silvio Berlusconi said Friday. Speaking at the end of the G-8 summit, Berlusconi said the withdrawal plans could change because they depend on security conditions on the ground and denied it was linked to any terrorist threats against Italy. | |
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Trey Ellis: The Italians are drawing down their small force and even the British as well. We too need to hop on that train before it leaves the station. Cookie Jill: another one flees the dust another one flees the dust...and another one gone...and another one gone....another one flees the dust. |
Donald Sensing: And Italy's Premier Silvio Berlusconi said today that he will withdraw 300 Italian troops from Iraq in September. Kos @DailyKos: Italy will begin Iraqi pullout in September — Another ally is quiting Iraq. |
People Power By / Slate — Permalink "Britain is burning with fear and terror, from north to south, east to west," the Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe crowed after yesterday's London bombings. "We warned the British government and the British people repeatedly." Sound familiar? | |
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Glenn Reynolds: WILL SALETAN: "Bin Laden's whole game plan is to turn the people of the democratic world against their governments. Betsy Newmark: William Saletan also understands that the bombing yesterday wasn't about Iraq. |
Orrin Judd: ANOTHER BENEFIT OF ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM: People Power: The terrorist plot to destroy democracy from within. Eugene Volokh: I Like It When Slate Gets Bloody-Minded: William Saletan writes: [snipped quote] Can, should, and will. |
450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey AP — Permalink ISTANBUL, Turkey — First one sheep jumped to its death. Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported. | |
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Orrin Judd: THIS MUST BE HOW FOLKS FELT WHEN MARILYN COMMITED SUICIDE: 450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey (The Associated... James Joyner: 450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey — A 450 sheep pileup created havok in a Turkish province recently. Ann Althouse: Such sheep. Sheep are such sheep. |
John Derbyshire: HEADLINE OF THE MONTH — Surely. Joe Gandelman: 450 Sheep Jump To Their Deaths In Turkey — TWO THOUGHTS when you see this headline: (1)how can sheep jump inside of a... |
Free to Choose Obesity? By / NYT — Permalink The obvious model for those hoping to reverse the fattening of America is the campaign against smoking. Before the surgeon general officially condemned smoking in 1964, rising cigarette consumption seemed an unstoppable trend; since then, consumption per capita has fallen more than 50 percent. | |
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Will Baude: Accounting for taste — Pauls Krugman and Goyette champion government regulation of obesity. Of what form exactly, neither one makes clear. Steve Antler: The day after the London bombings Paul Krugman thinks the most important thing to write is how it takes a village to fight fatness. James Joyner: Free to Choose Obesity? In a column entitled, "Free to Choose Obesity?" |
Jesse Taylor: Fat By Fiat, Proud By Choice — The inevitable Luskin response to today's Krugman: adults are getting really fat, too! Radley Balko: Except for this: "Above all, we need to put aside our anti-government prejudices and realize that the history of... Ed Cone: Fat-ass America — Krugman on politics and obesity: [snipped quote] Orson Scott Card, on the other hand, says much of the... |
'Morning-after' pill doesn't increase unsafe sex Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Allowing 'morning-after' contraceptive pills to be sold over the counter does not increase their use, suggesting that easy availability does not lead to an upsurge in unprotected sex, British investigators report. | |
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Amanda Marcotte: Unfortunately for us orgiastic baby-hating slut-beasts, our nefarious plan to get the country f**king and then being... Kerry Howley: Plan B's Plan B — A British study demonstrates, for the umpteenth time, that putting the morning-after pill over the counter does not increase the likelihood of unprotected sex. |
Cookie Jill: another rethug wingnutia theory shot down by facts let's just see if this administration starts calling the brits... |
J. Harvie Wilkinson III By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — The short answer is: J. Harvie Wilkinson III. A longer answer to the question of who President Bush should nominate to fill today's Supreme Court vacancy is: Constitutional law is rife with clashing certitudes generated by too-clever theories purporting to illuminate the one valid approach to construing the Constitution. | |
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Ramesh Ponnuru: WRONG ANSWER — George Will has a candidate for the Supreme Court: J. Harvie Wilkinson. Orrin Judd: NOT CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH: J. Harvie Wilkinson III (George Will, July 8, 2005, Townhall) [snipped quote] He's only a traditionalist conservative—I'd never vote Republican again.... |
Nate F.: J. Harvie Wilkinson III: Excellent editorial here by George Will extolling the virtues of my former boss and... |
U.S. Budget Deficit May Drop to $325 Bln This Year, Agency Says Bloomberg — Permalink July 8 (Bloomberg) — Rising tax payments and a growing economy may push the U.S. federal deficit down to $325 billion or lower, a 24 percent decline from the previous estimate, the Congressional Budget Office said. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS — Excuse me—that should be very good economic news: "Rising tax payments and a growing economy may... Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: This news seems pretty good, too: "Rising tax payments and a growing economy may push the U.S. federal deficit... |
Clayton Cramer: The other good news is that in spite of spending a huge amount of money in Iraq, the deficits are falling: "July 8... |
Jail Where Reporter Is Held: Maximum, Modern Security By / NYT — Permalink There are no bars in the 70-square-foot cell that Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter, is expected to call home for the next four months or so, as she serves her contempt-of-court sentence in the Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia. | |
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William J. Dyer: Judy's jail — Am I the only one who's wondering — after reading this NYT description of Judith Miller's jail, her... Jo Fish: And poor Judy, she's sleeping on the floor tonight... [snipped quote] It's all about the book deal, you can be sure. |
James Joyner: Jail Where Reporter Is Held: Maximum, Modern Security (NYT, July 8) [snipped quote] While it's really sweet that they... Jim Romenesko: > In jail, Miller has to wear a green or brown jumpsuit with the word "prisoner" on the back, reports Lorne Manly. (NYT) |
Our Ally, Our Problem By / NYT — Permalink AS the shock waves from yesterday's terrorist attacks in London - which seem to be the work of jihadist militants - reverberate across the Atlantic, a grim truth should become increasingly clear: one of the greatest terrorist threats to the United States... | |
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Randall Parker: Britain, European Muslim Citizens Seen As Terrorist Threats To United States — Peter Bergen, author of Holy War Inc.:... Orrin Judd: NOT NECESSARILY OUR PROBLEM: Our Ally, Our Problem (PETER BERGEN, 7/08/05, NY Times) "AS the shock waves from... |
Ken Masugi: UPDATE #2: Claremont Institute intern Matt Valkovic quoted on the Frontline documentary on terrorism to air tonight... |
M Is for Moronic By / The Nation — Permalink "I frankly feel at PBS headquarters there is a tone deafness to issues of tone and balance," Kenneth Tomlinson, the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, said in May. Since he was appointed to his position by President Bush, he has set about to change the "tone" and rectify the "balance." | |
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DeDurkheim: M is for Moronic — Max Blumenthal on Right Wing attack on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Read it here. Atrios: Great Little Racket — Max Blumenthal on the Mann Report. |
Kos @DailyKos: It would be too kind to call it a joke. According to the report, Sen. Chuck Hagel, he of the 100 percent rating by the Christian Coalition, is a Liberal. |
Please Appease Me By / TCS — Permalink Predictably, George Galloway, the Member of Parliament who was ousted from Britain's Labour Party for his radical views on the Iraq War, said yesterday's attacks that killed nearly 40 people and wounded hundreds of others, were the price Britons had to pay for their foreign policy. | |
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Justin @SouthernAppeal: Stupid is as stupid says: From TCS — "Predictably, George Galloway, the Member of Parliament who was ousted from... James Joyner: TCS: Please Appease Me — A revised and extended version of my early morning post on those who would appease the... Glenn Reynolds: JAMES JOYNER LOOKS AT CALLS FOR APPEASEMENT, while Lee Harris looks at blood feuds. He neglects the obvious way to put them to a stop, though. |
Andrew Sullivan: APPEASEMENT ROUND-UP: Here's a selection from Britain; here's a three-part round-up of surrender-now pieces from the Guardian. Smash: JAMES JOYNER notes similar sounds coming from the British Left, while others rebut such appeasement. |
Congress Likely to Restore Transit Funds By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Three weeks before London's bus and subway bombings, a Senate committee voted to slash spending on mass transit security in the United States, a decision sure to be reversed when Congress returns next week. | |
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Chris @AmericaBlog: The vote to cut 1/3 of the budget just happened in May and now suddenly they're changing course after the London attacks. |
Digby: Thinking Ahead — [snipped quote] [snipped quote] I don't know, money's pretty tight. |
Terrorist Attack Backfires By / Fox News — Permalink The bombings in London: This is why I thought the Brits should let the French have the Olympics (search) — let somebody else be worried about guys with backpack bombs for a while. But, all Thursday proved is that they come to get you anyway. | |
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Ezra Klein: Fox vs. France — Via Sam Rosenfeld, John Gibson turned in a column today that's the deranged spawn of mother ignorance... Sam Rosenfeld: Lo and behold, the day following those hilarious digs witnessed an actual major terrorist attack replete with scores of... |
Radley Balko: Nope: "The bombings in London: This is why I thought the Brits should let the French have the Olympics — let somebody else be worried about guys with backpack bombs for a while." Chris Bowers: Which is why he wrote yesterday that it would be good if France was bombed: "The bombings in London: This is why I... |
Job growth tepid, jobless rate drops Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers added 146,000 jobs in June, below Wall Street forecasts, but the unemployment rate fell to its lowest point since September 2001 as few people joined the labor force, a government report showed on Friday. | |
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Gateway Pundit: The Headline at the Washington Post is, get this,... Job growth tepid, jobless rate drops Justin @SouthernAppeal: From WaPo (via Drudge): "June's tepid employment growth came in below analyst expectations for 188,500 new jobs in the month. |
Steve Antler: Discouraged worker effect rediscovered in new form... When Reuters can't claim the U.S. unemployment rate understates... James Joyner: Job growth tepid, jobless rate drops [snipped quote] Granted, the good news is diminished in comparison with even better forecasts. |
Out of Practice, Senate Crams for Battle Over Court Nominee By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 7 - The placard that identified Pete Jensen's office as part of the Senate Judiciary Committee was removed not long ago, to discourage unwanted visitors from riffling through his voluminous files. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Confirmation Battle Reading List — Senate Judiciary Committee chief council Michael E. O'Neill has compiled a... Stirling Newberry: Frist Feels the Fear — New York Times The hearings will be the first in the Internet era, and the first to be subjected... |
Jeralyn Merritt: A Senate Out of Practice (by Last Night in Little Rock) The New York Times reports this morning that 56 Senators were... |
The Same Old, Same Old . . . NRO — Permalink An anatomy of the London bombing. The British may react very differently than the Spanish did after Madrid — by doing nothing rather than by retreating from Iraq. In the corrupt West these days, that is something. | |
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Joe Katzman: Victor Davis Hanson offers the Islamists a winning strategy, and explains how this tired game is played and what our enemies depend on. Ted Belman: The Same Old, Same Old . . . An anatomy of the London bombing. |
Ken Masugi: UPDATE: Victor Davis Hanson on our reaction today versus what we did in WW II— our grandfathers and fathers knew better. Marc @USSNeverdock: Islam - Petri dish of Islamic fascism — Victor Hanson nails it. |
Tancredo peddling his message in Iowa By / Rocky Mountain News — Permalink DAVENPORT, Iowa - Rep. Tom Tancredo started barnstorming through eastern Iowa on Thursday, talking immigration to religious conservatives and stepping up his flirtation with the 2008 presidential race. | |
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Zoe Kentucky: You Won't Get Far with that Attitude — Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is currently testing the waters in New Hampshire and Iowa for a possible 2008 presidential run. Taegan Goddard: Tancredo Begins Iowa Campaign — Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) "started barnstorming through eastern Iowa on Thursday,... |
Sam Rosenfeld: Speaking of hot-button issues that open up elite/base fissures in the Republican Party, this account of Colorado... ArchPundit: Quick! Get Oberweis to Moline so he can Campaign with his Hero Tancredo That's Tom Tancredo (R - Friggen Immigrants). |
Armstrong Heads for Hills With Tour Lead By / AP — Permalink KARLSRUHE, Germany - They tire the legs and burn the lungs, but the Tour de France's punishing climbs can't come soon enough for Lance Armstrong. After an unnerving first week of fast racing, where crashes are a constant risk, Armstrong is looking to the hills... | |
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Jim Henley: No comment yet, add yours? » July 8, 2005 Armstrong Heads for Hills With Tour Lead - Yahoo! |
Bill Hobbs: The race is heading toward the mountain stages. |
Granholm leads DeVos in poll; over half give positive job rating By / AP — Permalink LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm leads likely Republican opponent Dick DeVos 51 percent to 33 percent in a new poll released Friday. Sixteen percent were undecided. The governor's job approval and favorability ratings remain above 50 percent, nearly unchanged since March. | |
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Alexander K. McClure: 2006 Michigan Governor Race — According to a new EPIC/MRA Poll, Jennifer Granholm leads Dick DeVos 51%-33%. |
Gerry Daly: Granholm leads DeVos in poll; Stabenow faltering — Detroit Free Press: "Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm leads likely... |
Group of 8 Leaders Announce Pacts on Aid to Africa By / NYT — Permalink AUCHTERARDER, Scotland, July 8 - Striking tones of optimism and defiance a day after the attacks in London, President Bush and the leaders of seven other big industrial nations concluded a summit meeting here today saying they had made substantial progress in addressing African poverty, global warming and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. | |
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Michael @AmericaBlog: But in a truly callous, unChristian and despicable act, Bush signed off on the pledge by the eight industrialized... |
Orrin Judd: ALPHA MORON: Group of 8 Leaders Announce Pacts on Aid to Africa (RICHARD W. STEVENSON, 7/08/05, NY Times) |
Camera Phones Lend Immediacy to Images of Disaster By / WaPo — Permalink Some of the most intimate images of yesterday's bomb blasts in London came from cell phones equipped with cameras and video recorders, demonstrating how a technology originally marketed as entertainment has come to play a significant role in up-to-the-minute news. | |
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Cori Dauber: Indeed, according to the Washington Post there are all sorts of images along with the first person accounts on the web (although we had those starting with September 11.) Jim Romenesko: > News orgs relied heavily on amateur photos, video from cellphones (LAT) > "Citizen journalism" will reshape role of... |
Garrett M. Graff: It's good that he's holding firm because, after all, this week's London bombings totally proved that the citizen journalism thing is soooo overrated. Bill Hobbs: London Bombings a New Kind of News Story — Today's Washington Post looks at how cellphone digital cameras added... |
Judicial Jeopardy By / NRO — Permalink As I have previously outlined, if Alberto Gonzales were appointed to the Supreme Court in the near future, he would likely have to recuse himself from virtually all the cases that the administration considers of greatest importance to the nation. | |
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William J. Dyer: His newest full-fledged op-ed on NRO, and a follow-up post on the blog, feature Mr. Whelan's fairly technical debate... Feddie @SouthernAppeal: Judicial Jeopardy—"Justice Gonzales" supporters fail to make the case, according to Edward Whelan over at NRO. |
Michelle Malkin: SCOTUS WATCH: THE GONZALES PROBLEM — There is one fundamental issue that matters more than any other in choosing the next Supreme Court justice—a wartime Supreme Court justice. |
Wired subscriber gets a jolt By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Wired magazine, the bible of the tech set, may have its finger on the pulse of all that's cool. But the San Francisco publication has been using decidedly uncool tactics when it comes to getting some people to renew their subscriptions. | |
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Jim Romenesko: How Wired "tricks" readers into renewing their subscriptions — San Francisco Chronicle The magazine's collection agency sends "scary letters" to readers who refuse to renew. |
Rex Hammock: We'll kill this dog*: "Wired has been using decidedly uncool tactics when it comes to getting some people to renew their subscriptions." |
Blair's Rising Star Runs Into a Treacherous Future By / NYT — Permalink LONDON, July 7 - It is said, usually as a kind of joke, that a day is a long time in politics. Rarely has that been so true - and so bloodily so - as in the past 24 hours of Prime Minister Tony's Blair's roller coaster ride from triumph to tragedy. | |
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Tim Graham: BOOS FOR COWELL — Within hours of the London violence, New York Times reporter Alan Cowell was already forecasting... |
Gregory Djerejian: Cowell in the NYT — These kinds of New York Times pieces (they don't ever bother to advertise this one as a "news... |