Wednesday, February 25, 2009

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Michelle Haimoff: An Oscar Speech That Saved Lives Top
I watched the Oscars with a cynical group. In fact, because I was in LA this year, I watched the Oscars with two cynical groups; the gang at my friend Lauren's house in LA and, via text, the group at my friend Emily's apartment in New York. To give you a sense of just how cynical these groups are, the girl sitting next to me in LA mumbled, "The Oscars, brought to you by Final Cut Pro," as soon as the presentations started. When Jennifer Aniston co-presented the Best Animated Feature award with Jack Black, everyone in the LA room chanted, "Cut to Brad and Angelina! Cut to Brad and Angelina!" and cheered when a camera finally did. (There was also some speculation that someone might have lost his job last night for cutting to that shot.) And when Ben Stiller's spoofed Joaquin Phoenix's appearance on Letterman, one of the New Yorkers texted, "I have a feeling he's not laughing with us." The LA group decided that Jack Nicholson was absent because he was at a Lakers game and that the semi-circle of previous winners on stage presenting the awards was a scientology thing. My friend Lauren asked if it would have killed Phillip Seymour Hoffman to take a shower. But perhaps the most cynical moments were when Heath Ledger's family accepted Best Supporting Actor award on his behalf, and someone in New York texted, "Brad Pitt really overdid the Heath camera shot." And later when someone in LA said dryly, "I'm surprised they didn't put Mel Gibson in the Holocaust montage." People even commented on the commercials. During the arthritis medication ad, someone in the LA group said, "Side effects: arthritis." There was only one part of the Oscars everyone took seriously: Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black's truly remarkable acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay. In an industry that values physical qualities over integrity, where the studios often seem more concerned with pumping out clichéd, mass produced drivel than brave and original works of art, it was refreshing to see someone with a soul holding one of those golden statues. Certainly some of the cynicism among my friends last night was due to us being a particularly tough crowd (two particularly tough crowds), and not just to the campy event itself. But all of us -- straight and gay -- at both Oscar watching parties shut up during Black's acceptance speech. Some of us even teared up. Milk was a good movie and it was nice for Black to win an Oscar, but what got us was his greater mission. Black looked into the camera and said: If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by their churches, or by the government, or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what everyone tells you, God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours. He might have saved lives with that speech. In keeping with his promise of equal federal rights, here is a podcast I did with Evan Wolfson , founder and Executive Director of RightToMarry.org about the legal battles left for the gay community to fight and the most important thing for even apolitical gay Americans to do to achieve equality. Black showed us that Hollywood can be a force for good. I hope the rest of the industry takes note. More on The Oscars
 
Over 30 Illinois Banks Could Collapse In 2009: Report Top
More than 30 Illinois banks and thrifts have high levels of delinquent loans and stand a greater risk of being closed by regulators in 2009 if they don't improve performance, raise capital or get acquired, according to a new report. Foresight Analytics LLC, an Oakland-based financial research firm, said Illinois ranks third among states with the greatest number of problem banks .... More on Economy
 
Smile Pinki: The Other Indian Oscar Winner Top
When Brijmohan and Ruchi Gupta's baby was born, the young couple were nothing less than stunned. Their joy over the arrival of their first-born, Dimpy, was tempered by anguish over their son's twisted snarl of a mouth. "We were shocked to see it. We had never seen anything like it before, either in our family or elsewhere," said Mr Gupta, sitting today at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram hospital. In India, an estimated 35,000 children are born with cleft deficiencies every year. In the past those children may have been condemned to lives of ridicule, hardship and discrimination, but because of the efforts of a charity, those children now have a second chance. And it doesn't cost them a rupee. The work of the global charity Smile Train was featured in the 39-minute film Smile Pinki, which netted the best short documentary award at this year's Oscars. Directed by American filmmaker Megan Mylan, the film tells the story of Pinki Devi, an eight-year-old girl from the state of Uttar Pradesh who underwent surgery to repair a cleft lip for which she was once mocked as "hothkati" - the girl with the torn lip. "Thank you Pinki. Thank you for letting me tell your incredible story," said Ms Mylan during her acceptance speech. Watch a trailer for Smile Pinki: Like Pinki's parents, Mr and Mrs Gupta had no idea that their child's problem could be solved by straight-forward surgery. At the hospital, staff explained to them that the operation could take as little as an hour. Three month-old Dimpy will undergo surgery in a couple of days. "We're much more relaxed now that we've had it explained. Now we've no worries. We've seen other people in the same situation," said Mrs Gupta. Dr Rakesh Khazanchi is the head of the hospital's department of plastic surgery. He said that all parents are shocked until they discover that the problem of a cleft lip or palate can be repaired simply. While a cleft lip was largely a problem of appearance, a cleft palate meant someone could suffer from problems with speaking, eating, facial development and dental set-backs. "If it is just a lip problem then one operation may be enough," he said. "If it is a palate they may need three or four [until after puberty]." In the past 10 years, Smile Train has funded around 400,000 operations to repair cleft palates. Of those 150,000 have been in India. This year, the charity expects to pay for 50,000 such operations here, a figure which means they are slowly starting to tackle India's backlog of cases. "We always say that cleft palates are not a medical problem but an economic problem," said Satish Kalra, the charity's South Asia director. "The incidence of clefts is as high in the UK as it is in the [impoverished Indian state of] Bihar - around one in seven hundred. It's an economic problem, so let's solve it. You can treat someone for as little as $250 (150 STERLING)." Mr Kalra said that in rural India there was still a huge amount of superstition and myth attached to clefts. The most common, he said, was that if a pregnant woman used a knife or scissors during a solar eclipse her child would suffer the defect. Such has been the spread of this belief that in the southern Indian language of Telugu, the phrase for a cleft is "lip of the eclipse". Elsewhere, where a child's pre-maxilla protrudes through the gap created by the cleft, they are often likened to Ganesh, the elephant God. "Invariably if these children are boys they will be called Viniyaka, one of the names of Ganesh," said Mr Kalra. At Sir Ganga Ram hospital, Kelsang Choetso and her 16-month-old daughter Dolma had also been seeing the staff. When her daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate, Mrs Kelsang said she had fainted. "This was the first time I had seen anything like it. I thought I must have eaten something wrong during the pregnancy," she said. But now, following two operations, her daughter' face has been largely repaired. In a couple of months, specialists will operate again to build up her nose. When they have finished, there will be no trace of the problem that once disfigured her. That has also been the case of Pinki, the beaming star of the Oscar-winning movie. But while she was flown to Los Angeles to enjoy the ceremony, fatigue got the better of her before the award was announced. Dr Subodh Kumar Singh, the Varanasi-based surgeon who performed her operation, told the BBC: "Before the awards, she was very good on the red carpet and posed for pictures with the rest of the team. But she got tired and fell asleep." Read more at The Independent . More on India
 
Stocks extend slide as home sales fall sharply Top
NEW YORK — Another steep drop in home sales has dashed some hopes that the housing market would start to show some improvement. A real estate group's report that sales of existing homes fell in January to the lowest level in nearly 12 years is fanning a drop in stocks led by financial companies. The National Association of Realtors says sales of existing homes fell 5.3 percent to an annual rate of 4.49 million last month, from 4.74 million units in December. It was the worst showing since July 1997. Wall Street had expected sales would rise. The Dow Jones industrial average is down 140 at the 7,210 level. The blue chips had been down about 85 ahead of the report. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 16 at 757. The Nasdaq composite index is down 30 at 1,411. More on Recession
 
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Teen Cop Impersonator Case Implicates At Least Five Top
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago Police Department officials say there were violations of rules and regulations leading up to a 14-year-old police impersonator going on patrol. Internal Affairs Division chief Tina Skahill said Tuesday at least five members of the department violated rules and regulations. She added recommendations for discipline have yet to be sent up the chain of command. Police spokeswoman Antoinette Ursitti has said the findings won't be made public until Supt. Jody Weis (WEES) can address them. On Jan. 24, a teenager, wearing a uniform, entered a South Side police station through an unlocked back door. He posed as an officer for hours, including time in a patrol car with another officer. He was discovered after police noticed his uniform lacked a regulation star. The boy, whose name hasn't been released, pleaded not guilty to impersonating an officer. ___ Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/index
 
Robert Creamer: Obama and the Revival of Responsibility Top
In his speech last night, Barack Obama symbolically turned the page on eight years of irresponsibility and recklessness and called on Americans to take responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the future of the planet. The radical-conservative Republicans of the Bush era paraded around dressed in a cloak of oh so responsible "fiscal rectitude"- berating progressives as "reckless tax and spenders". But in reality they were more like children playing dress up in adult cloths. They pretended to be your sober, tight fisted grandfather but all the while they behaved like rich teenagers who came into their inheritance to early and squandered it on fast cars, and wild parties . Obama reminded America that his predecessors had squandered a fiscal surplus to enrich the wealthiest two percent of Americans with tax breaks. They refused to invest in the education and health care of our children. They endangered the future of our climate and planet to allow energy companies to engorge themselves with profit. And they jeopardized the peace of the world to satisfy their longing for empire. They let Wall Street bankers create a speculative bubble of trillions of dollars of artificial wealth and drain away the buying power of ordinary Americans that is necessary to sustain long term economic growth. They ignored the warning signs that the economic hour was late, and partied on like frat boys who decided to blow off the final exam. And when the final exam finally came, they failed. Last night Barack Obama spoke to Americans as adults . He told America that responsibility for others is not just a stupid value for chumps - but the definition of begin a grown up . He told us that the era of "where's mine" -where success is defined by seven figures salaries and five thousand dollar designer suits - is over. He challenged America to once again take charge of our futures and fulfill our potential - to invest in future generations. And he pledged to lead us there. Last week I was in Jordan and went to Mount Nebo, where Moses first looked over the River Jordan and saw the Promised Land. As we all know, Moses never made it to the Promised Land himself, but he lead his people there and built the foundation for the success of children he would never know. Someone once said that responsibility is about planting trees under which you will never personally sit. Responsibility is one of the cornerstones of progressive values. And it is critical to our success - especially in the new globalized world where events everywhere directly affect our lives. The idea that we are responsible for each other is embedded in all of the great religions - in the golden rule: "love they neighbor as thyself". But it's really a relatively new idea. Evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond' study of human development, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies , points out that the first question for a typical member of one band of hunter-gatherers, when he encountered a member of another band, was why he should not kill them on the spot. The universality of the ethical demand to "love thy neighbor as thyself" is a very recent development in human evolution. It has emerged only over the last several thousand years of our approximately seven million years of evolutionary history. Previously, most behavior involving moral content pertained only to members of our own band, tribe or ethnic group. At this point in history, responsibility for others is not some "soft" or "utopian" value, it is critical to our success and survival on our increasingly crowded planet. More than that, it's the key that will both prevent us from destroying ourselves - and can unlock exponentially expanding human possibility in the 21st century. And of course when you say it to people - when you call on their best instincts instead of pandering to their selfishness and prejudice - people know that you're right. They instinctively respond when they are called upon to be the best they can be; when - as Barack Obama did last night - they are addressed as adults and inspired by hope. As millions of people came to Washington to participate in Barack Obama's inaugural celebration the nation was swept by a rebirth of true patriotism -- not xenophobia but pride in what America could be once again. Last night Barack Obama honored a bank president who gave his $60 million bonus to all of his employees and retirees. He honored a young woman who wrote Congress to ask them for help for her school so that she and here classmates could get a descent education and make a contribution to our society - who said that she was not "a quitter". After a long absence, America once again has national leadership that truly believes in responsibility. Historians will look back on Obama's speech last night as one of the founding documents of a new progressive era. Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist and author of the recent book: "Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win," available on amazon.com . More on Barack Obama
 
Jindal Response 'Nihilism': David Brooks Top
Via Wonkette comes the essential video of suburban anthropologist/promoter of hyper-timidity David Brooks, reacting to Bobby Jindal's rebuttal speech about as strenuously as Brooks ever reacts to anything. I'll sum up: DISASTER NIHILISM INSANE DISASTER. Basically, the lyrics of the typical Norwegian black metal band, spoken aloud by the author of Bobos in Paradise . Anyway, for everyone who wanted a more substantive response to the man who launched a thousand channel changes than, "OMG he is Kenneth the Page," there you go. [WATCH.] LEHRER: How well did he do? BROOKS: Not so well. You know, I think Bobby Jindal is a very promising politician, and I opposed the stimulus package - I thought it was poorly drafted - but to come up at this moment in history with a stale, "government is the problem...we can't trust the government"...it's just a disaster for the Republican Party. The country is in a panic, now. They may not like the way the Congress passed the stimulus bill. The idea that government is going to have no role in this...in a moment where only the Federal government is big enough to do stuff...to just ignore all that and say government's the problem...corruption, earmarks, wasteful spending - it's just a form of nihilism. It's just not where the country is, it's not where the future of the country is. There's an intra-Republican debate: some people say the Republican party lost its way because it got too moderate, some people say they got too weird or too conservative. He thinks they got too moderate, and he's making that case. I think it's insane. I think it's a disaster for the party. I just think it's unfortunate right now. More on Video On HuffPost
 
Michelle Obama In Depth On The White House Dog Top
So, when? In April, Mrs. Obama says - after she and the President take daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, on a vacation for spring break. Here's a sample of a typical family conversation on the matter: "So Sasha says, 'April 1st.' I said, 'April.' She says, 'April 1st.' It's, like, April!," Mrs. Obama recalls. "Got to do it after spring break. You can't get a new dog and then go away for a week." And what kind of dog will soon be frolicking on the South Lawn? Mrs. Obama says the family is looking for a rescue Portuguese Water dog who is "old enough" and a "match" for the family dynamic. More on Obama Family
 
Obama Speech: Obama Finds Inspiration In Ordinary Americans, "We Are Not Quitters" Top
Last night, Obama gave his first State of the Union address, with a speech that was moving, optimistic, and worthy of 37 standing ovations . But amidst all the lofty rhetoric, Obama found inspiration in the average American, declaring that within these "anything but ordinary" citizens, there is a "generosity, a resilience, a decency and a determination that perseveres," as well as "a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity." These are their stories. I think about Leonard Abess , the bank president from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn't tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, "I knew some of these people since I was seven years old. I didn't feel right getting the money myself." I think about Greensburg, Kan ., a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is b eing rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community -- how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. "The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity." And I think about Ty-Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, S.C. -- a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters." Like Obama, we too find our inspiration in "anything but ordinary" citizens: our readers. A few weeks ago we asked you to share your acts of decency and generosity, as well as the moments of sheer perseverance and kindness of community you may have witnessed in others. You responded with a flood of answers -- so for more inspiration, take a moment to read the round-up of our readers' random acts of kindness . It is truly something "something worthy to be remembered."
 
Jeffrey Feldman: The One Word Obama Now Owns More Than Any Other Top
A fundamental shift in how Americans understand the word investment since Barack Obama became President was the key factor underlying the political theater of last night. If there was any doubt how much President Obama has taken hold of that word, redefined it, and re-injected it back into every kitchen table conversation across America--his speech and the weak response of Gov. Jindal (R-LA) put that doubt to rest. How exactly has the word  'investment' changed and what are the consequences? Before Obama took office, Americans used the word 'investment' primarily to talk about personal gain, not to talk about the public good. We talked about 'investment accounts,' asked friends if they 'heard about this good investment,' and watched our bank statements to make sure we were getting a 'good rate of return on our investments.'   When we talked or thought about our houses, our hearts quickened and filled with self doubt:  "Have I made a terrible investment?"  When our children open their college admission letters, we hugged them with pride, but then turned to our spouses later that night and said with shame,"I just don't know if we can afford this kind of investment right now." Without a doubt, the dire situation in the national and global economy will keep those conversations about personal investments going for some time.  But since President Obama took office, a new meaning has eclipsed the old. While the mainstream media and right-wing pundits obsessed over the word 'stimulus,' President Obama steadily pushed--and passed--an historic piece of legislation with the word 'investment' in the title:  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In speech after speech leading up to the passage of the bill, TV talking heads wondered whether or not the bill would succeed in 'stimulating' the economy.  Meanwhile, as that conversation was happening on DC circuit talk shows, Obama talked directly to the American people about the importance of 'investing' in new energy, infrastructure, and education.  And the public heard him. What the public has seen over the past 8-years of Bush Republican rule are the dangerous consequences that arise when the American people fail to maintain and modernize the systems and resources that we all use.   We saw these failures in the collapse of the levees in New Orleans and the collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis.  Friends and family members died.  The safety and security of such basic acts as driving on a road or sitting in one's home during a rainstorm--safety we took for granted--suddenly filled us with doubt.  So, President Obama spent weeks talking about investing in public works to upgrade and modernize our roads, bridges, and other structures.  And we heard the word 'invest' and we listened. We also saw that there is something horribly wrong with the role of oil and gas in American life.  We see our children and spouses sent off to fight wars in countries that we know nothing about other than the fact that they supply us with oil.   We see the price of gas at the pump change radically from month to month, causing havoc to our household budgets while the same handful of oil companies reap profits so large we cannot even comprehend them.  So, President Obama spent weeks talking about investing in a new energy economy that will stabilize prices, free us from fighting wars to protect foreign oil fields, and help us generate an energy revenue stream that benefits the whole country, not just a few large conglomerates.  And we heard the word 'invest' and we listened. We also saw how difficult it has become for our children to get the kind of education that allows them to become the kind of citizens they want and need to be.  We see our children saddled with more and more homework, more and more books, but less and less confidence.  We see our classrooms filled with more and more students, but less and less resources. We hear about the so-called success of the Bush-era school reforms, but we only see the quality of education of our school go down.  We see the price of college tuition push way past the point where anyone can afford it, and yet we see new stadiums and billion dollar endowments become routine. So, President Obama spent weeks talking about investing in better education for the benefit of more capable and more confident American children.  And we heard the word 'invest' and we listened. We also felt the fear of working hard our entire lives only to be sent into personal bankruptcy by a sudden illness.  We see our wives, husbands, parents and grandparents live every day in fear that they will be forced to choose between health and happiness, that they will be forced to choose between paying for prescriptions and paying for food.  We open insurance claim rejection letters from private companies we have paid out of our paychecks for years--paid on the idea that they would be there for us when we needed them, but now they are spitting in our faces. So, President Obama spent weeks talking about investing in a more affordable and more  modern health care system that would make sure that everybody would have the coverage they need--investing in a system that would finally tackle the fear of getting sick that we live with in this country.  And we heard the word 'invest' and we listened. Over a period of about a month, while our anxieties at the fate of our private and personal investments mounted, President Obama unrolled a hopeful definition of investment redefined as: expending resources in public projects for the benefit of all.  The word 'investment' defined as a private action was challenged, and ultimately overtaken by the word 'investment' defined as public action.  When President Obama finally said the following in his speech, last night, he did not need to explain it anymore to the American public, because we were already there with him: Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.  Now is the time to act boldly and wisely - to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.  Now is the time to jump start job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.  That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that's what I'd like to talk to you about tonight.  It's an agenda that begins with jobs.  ( link ) Expending resources now for the benefit of the future is the basic idea behind investment. But Obama was not speaking in the context of a new national story.  Whereas decades of Republican ideology had impoverished the idea of investment--demonized anyone who attempted to talk about public rather than private investments--last night a new, larger idea re-emerged. We have not lost the private definition of investment, but now it sits on a much broader playing field whose parameters are 'our community'  and 'we the people.' Gov. Jindal's response to President Obama's speech was another demonstration of how this new idea of 'investment'  has changed the debate. What Jindal tried to do last night was ignore George W. Bush and return to the rhetoric and ideas of Ronald Reagan.  Cutting through the words, the message in Jindal's speech came early on in this passage: To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and not to just put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you, the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything. ( link ) The problem here, is that Jindal has failed to understand how Obama has refocused the word 'investment' to the notion of care for the public good. Jindal criticizes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as if it is simply taking away from the private investments of individual citizens--as it if is undermining our personal gain.  That critique, however, is fundamentally out of sync with the experience of millions and millions of Americans.  We have saved, we have worked hard, we have invested in our retirement, paid our insurance bills, kept our cars and homes in good working order, sent our kids to college.  Still, the country we see day-to-day is crumbling around us and only a few, extremely wealthy people seem to benefit to a degree and in a way we never do.  We heard Jindal, in other words, and we thought, "Haven't you been listening to us?  Private investment is not enough!" Unfortunately, Gov. Jindal's devotion to Republican ideology and his nostalgia for Reagan's rhetoric leads him to conclude that things are bad for Americans because of the actions of government.  But when a bridge collapses or a level breaks, it is not the actions of government that is the cause.  It is the inaction--the neglect. And there we have it--the parameters of the new debate that have emerged from President Obama's redefining of the word 'investment.' Rather than talking about 'big government' vs. 'small government' or 'tax cuts' vs. 'tax raises,' we can finally talk about what matters to all of us:  investment or neglect.  Are we going to continue to neglect the future of our country to the detriment of our health, piece of mind, the well-being of our children?  Or are we going to invest in the health and confidence of all in a more just and inclusive democracy? For millions of Americans, after just a few short weeks of Barack Obama as President, the question is easy to answer.  Think about how hard it was for so many people to answer this time last year. Of course, now that President Obama owns the word 'investment,' it is also up to him to make sure that Americans recognize and understand how and when these newly defined investments come to fruition--both in the short and long term.  That is no easy task.   Next year at this time, it will be interesting to see how well the President has done. (cross-posted from Frameshop ) More on Bobby Jindal
 
U.S. Congress Set To Open Cuban Exiles' Passage Back Home Top
The 1,128-page budget bill that will begin to work its way through Congress this week contains key paragraphs that alter the shape of U.S.-Cuba policy and ease Cuba family travel restrictions by not funding enforcement. More on Cuba
 
Esther Wojcicki: Bill Before Congress May Close Medical Research to Average American Top
It looks like Congressman John Conyers needs to do his homework on the impact of science policy on the health care for the average American. Turns out that he introduced a bill that would effectively forbid the US National Institutes of Health from allowing taxpayers (you and me) from reading the results of medical research that we have paid for with our tax dollars. He introduced a bill called "Fair Copyright in Research Works Act" that is anything but fair. It is opposed by 33 Nobel Prize winner, a coalition of patients' rights organizations, and American Research Libraries among others. It should also be opposed by anyone who thinks someday they might get sick and need the latest medical research---which means all of us. "This bill would forbid us from building the World Wide Web for science, even for the research that taxpayers have funded. And that is truly a tragedy", according to James Boyle professor of law at Duke and co-founder of Science Commons. "We cannot create such a web until scientific articles come out from behind the publishers' firewalls." Right now the NIH requires researchers who get federal funds to make their articles available no later than one year after publication -- so publishers have a year of exclusivity. This Bill would forbid even that modest approach if there was any contribution to the article by anyone other than the Federal government (for example, by an editor.) Effectively, that means that any article published in a commercial journal would be off limits to the public that paid for the research behind it, unless they paid a second time to see the final results. How to protest? Send a letter to your congressman and tell him how you feel about locking up medical researchbehind financial walls. Tell him/her we need to open up science research to improve everyone's access to important medical data. Alert him that even his doctor may not have access to important medical information that may impact his life. More on Health
 
Gays In Latin America: Gay Rights Movements Coming Out Into The Mainstream Top
Most analysts haven't noticed, but a major social revolution is taking place in Latin America. The region is becoming gayer. It's not that there are more gays and lesbians living in Latin America (we would never know). Rather, the region is becoming more gay-friendly. A generation ago, Latin America was the land of the closet and the home of the macho. Today, movements fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are taking advantage of the region's more globalized, open regimes. They are promoting their cause through smart, mainstream political and economic alliances. So, though closets and machos are still ubiquitous, Latin America is now the site of some of the most pro-gay legislation in the developing world. More on Latin America
 
Crystal Smith: Positive Change Top
Listening to President Obama speak at his Presidential Address was inspiring and motivating. His address confirms that change is here and as a country, we are moving forward. Before coming President of the United States, Barack Obama faced many challenges while striving for office. From what we could see, without much sweat on his brow, he pushed passed any obstacles that confronted him and moved forward in accomplishing his goal to become President Barack Obama. While watching one of my favorite morning shows, "Morning Joe," I too noticed something that the President did at his address that was encouraging. Joe Scarborough mentioned that after his address, President Obama exited from the podium on his left side to shake hands with the Republicans on the right (some also got autographs). By the looks of things, it seems like they were enchanted by his approach. I'm not saying that they had their arms open wide, but they definitely received him well. Basically, my point is that our President is an excellent role model for positive change. He's being a strong example of how we, as a country are striving to be. We're striving to change our attitudes amongst people. We're striving to change our attitude towards this economy. We are striving to change our attitude towards ourselves. We need to continue to understand that it takes each of us to help move forward to a brighter, more secure future. It's time to abort our negative thinking. Negative thinking as individuals and as an entire country has allowed us to become stagnant, depressed and frustrated. Just the other day, I witnessed a man running across a very busy highway, not getting hit once, but twice. Thank goodness that he's still alive, but things are not so overwhelming that he had to play Russian Roulette with his life. And what about the gentleman in Pennsylvania earlier this past year who took his life along with his family's because he didn't think he could survive or support his family. People, we are progressing. Our country is like a rubber band - we will always snap back. President Obama is not a miracle worker, but he definitely is a strong example of a man striving to achieve a positive purpose. He's an excellent definition of a role model. What's greater, we have many role models, who may not be in the forefront, but have a positive purpose in this country and is sharing that purpose with our youth who will eventually take over this world. Although we are watching banks, companies and homes dissolve (We keep those in our thoughts who need a roof over their heads). We need to follow in the footsteps of our leader and move forward. No matter the struggle, we're a strong nation. Let us be determined to make a positive change. Let us not focus and nitpick on everything that may or may not be wrong with this stimulus plan. At least we have a fearless leader who has stepped in and decided to take action to help our country. More on President Obama
 
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Tribune Tower Taken Off The Market Top
Tribune Co. has scrapped plans to put the Tribune Tower up for sale because of cratering real estate prices and the company's late-year bankruptcy protection filing. The media giant hired brokers last summer to sell the landmark tower as well as the Los Angeles Times' headquarters complex, known as Times Mirror Square, and had hoped to get marketing materials to prospective investors early this year. But the moribund real estate investment sales market prompted the company to shelve those plans, says Stephanie Pater, Tribune's director of real estate. More on Real Estate
 
Bangladesh Troops Revolt, Leading General Allegedly Killed Top
Soldiers in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, have revolted against senior officers apparently over rations and pay, with television reports claiming the troops killed a major general. More on Asia
 
Dating A Banker Anonymous A Hoax, New York Times Issues Correction Top
Remember the DABA Girls? Late last month the Web buzzed about their blog, Dating a Banker Anonymous, which bills itself as a place for Wall Street women to vent about how the financial crisis has killed their love lives. ("If your monthly Bergdorf's allowance has been halved and bottle service has all but disappeared from your life," this is your site, the homepage cheers.) Populist outrage followed the publication of a credulous profile in the New York Times, and was furthered with the news last week that the DABA girls have signed with big name agencies in Hollywood and New York publishing--United Talent and Janklow Nesbit, respectively. This has, of course, renewed rumors of a book, a movie and maybe even a TV series based on the blog. But even after a full turn of the media world -- NPR has raised doubts about the site's authenticity and the New York Times was forced to defend its story-- the question remains: are these girls for real? No, not really, as Newsweek found out in a recent interview. In response to inquiries by Newsweek, the Times plans to issue an Editor's Note, indicating that it was misled about the nature of DABA, and should not have referred to it as a support group.
 
Biden Channels His Inner McCain: I'll Make Stimulus Abusers Famous Top
Channeling his inner-John McCain, Vice President Joseph Biden promised on Wednesday to publicly shame those individuals and businesses that misuse stimulus funds. During an interview on CBS's Early Show, meant to advance the themes of President Obama's address before Congress Tuesday evening, Biden pledged to return to the program to express his anger and disappointment should a stimulus recipient use the money inappropriately. "I'm going to be moving to let people know exactly what's going on and when. And when we find that the money isn't being used as it's intended to be used -- when governors, if they were to take the money and put it in a rainy-day fund instead of creating new jobs, we will expose that. We will make it clear," said Biden. "And I will literally come on your show. I will be on television saying that we're disappointed. This is what happened. The money was supposed to be spent for this; it got spent for that." The remark was reminiscent of the rallying cry Sen. John McCain deployed with dramatic effect on the campaign trail, when he would promise to publicly humiliate authors of porky earmarks. "I'll veto every pork-barrel bill that comes across my desk," the Arizona Republican was keen on saying (and saying, and saying again). "I'll make them famous, and you will know their names. You'll know every one of them!" It also fits nicely with the political enforcer-persona that president Barack Obama bestowed on Biden during his Tuesday night speech. "I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will work," the president said . "That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort... Because nobody messes with Joe." Unfortunately, for Biden, his first steps as consigliere of the economic recovery package included some shaky moments. In the same interview with CBS, he briefly forgot the name of the White House website devoted to publicizing all aspects of the stimulus: RODRIGUEZ: By the way, do you know the Web site? BIDEN: You know, I am embarrassed. You know the Web site number? You know, I should have it in front of me, and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed. RODRIGUEZ: All right. I'm going call for office, too, and get it. BIDEN: It is recovery.gov. Recovery.gov. More on Joe Biden
 
Russia To Modernize Its Nuclear Arsenals Top
MOSCOW — Modernization of Russia's strategic nuclear forces is a top priority for the government, a senior Cabinet official said Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that upgrading ground, sea and air components of the nation's strategic forces is costly but necessary. "It's expensive, it's very expensive, but there is no other way," Ivanov told lawmakers in the lower house of parliament. "We will develop and modernize our strategic deterrent forces." The Kremlin has welcomed Washington's stated intention to intensify arms control talks to negotiate a successor to the pivotal 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, which expires in December. But at the same time, Russian officials continue to emphasize the need for modernization of Russian nuclear forces. Ivanov said last fall that the government budgeted 1.3 trillion rubles ($36 billion) for weapons purchases this year. The exact figures for spending on each category of weapons, including nuclear forces, were not released. The military's modernization efforts have gone slowly, despite Kremlin pledges to revive the nation's power and global prestige during what had been eight years of economic growth. The Russian military's weaknesses, such as shortages of precision weapons and modern communications, were spotlighted during its August war with Georgia. Ivanov told lawmakers Wednesday that other priorities for the military include upgrading the nation's satellite network, modernizing the military's information networks and procuring "smart" weapons. He said the most important program for the air force is the development of a next-generation fighter jet. Officials said that the new jet is to make a maiden flight this year. The navy should focus on smaller ships, no bigger than frigates or corvettes, Ivanov said. The statement apparently indicated that authorities have ditched the plans for building new aircraft carriers that they discussed before the current financial crisis set in, draining government coffers. Ivanov said the spending on new weapons planned for this year will not be cut, despite the financial crisis. He pledged that the government will help provide loans to Russian defense enterprises which have suffered from a severe money crunch. Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russian Technologies state holding company that includes top arms manufacturers, pushed for more support from the state. He warned that about one-third of enterprises in the holding are on the verge of bankruptcy. Even before the crisis, officials said defense industries were in desperate condition because of old equipment and aging personnel. Chemezov said Wednesday that about 80 percent of equipment in Russia's weapons plants is outdated and the average age of their workers is over 50. "We are nearing an end of safety and survivability margin for the military-industrial complex," Chemezov told lawmakers. Experts said that a steady decline of Russian arms industries has swelled production costs and eroded quality, jeopardizing government hopes to boost arms sales. Last year, Algeria returned 15 MiG-29 fighter jets it bought from Russia, complaining of their poor quality. Some experts said that substandard parts were also the main reason behind a series of test failures of Russia's prospective Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile, intended to equip Russia's nuclear submarines, has failed in five out of 10 of its test launches, making its deployment prospects uncertain. A new test is tentatively scheduled for March, Russian news reports said. More on Russia
 
Conde Nast Suffering Worst Among Publishers, Portfolio, Wired Down The Most Top
FOR years, Condé Nast seemed to ride above the fray in the consumer magazine world. But in 2009, that is no longer the case. The publisher is reeling more than its rivals, as luxury-goods retailers hoard their ad dollars. While the industry is down 24 percent in ad pages so far in the first quarter, many of Condé's venerable titles are down 30 percent. Start-up mag Portfolio is down a staggering 60 percent, while Wired is off 57 percent.
 
San Francisco Chronicle In Danger Of Folding Top
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Chronicle joined the lengthening list of imperiled newspapers as its owner set out to purge the payroll and slash other expenses in a last-ditch effort to reverse years of heavy losses. If it can't reduce expenses dramatically within the next few weeks, the Hearst Corp. said Tuesday it will close or sell the Chronicle, northern California's largest newspaper with a paid weekday circulation of 339,430. Hearst didn't specify a savings target or a deadline for wringing out the expenses. A Hearst spokesman didn't immediately respond to messages Tuesday. But management made it clear that the cost-cutting will require a significant number of layoffs. "Our current situation dictates that we accomplish these cost savings quickly," Chronicle Publisher Frank Vega wrote in a memo to the staff. "Business as usual is no longer an option." The Chronicle has given Hearst financial headaches since the New York-based company bought the newspaper in a complex deal valued at $660 million. The late 2000 acquisition proved to be ill-timed. Shortly after Hearst took control, the San Francisco Chronicle was hard hit by a high-tech bust that caused its advertising revenue to shrivel. The newspaper's losses have been piling up ever since, despite previous job cuts and other austerity measures that were designed to stanch the bleeding. Now the 14-month-old recession, coupled with more advertising options on the Internet, has apparently pushed the 144-year-old newspaper to the breaking point. Having lost more than $50 million last year, the Chronicle is off to an even worse start this year, said Hearst, as advertisers clamp down on their marketing budgets and increasingly divert more money to the Internet. Given the challenges facing the Chronicle, Tuesday's grim warning hardly came as a surprise, said Kevin Fagan, who has been a reporter at the newspaper for 16 years. "The mood here is more upbeat than you would expect," Fagan said. "There has been a lot of gallows humor but reporters are still doing what they do _ write stories." He said the newsroom of about 275 employees is still clinging to hope that the paper will survive because there still appear to be ways to lower the sprawling operation's overhead. Several other newspapers around the country are facing a fate similar to the San Francisco Chronicle's. Just last month, Hearst laid out plans to close the Seattle Post-Intelligencer if a buyer isn't found before April. A similar fate awaits The E.W. Scripps Co.'s Rocky Mountain News in Denver and Gannett Co.'s Tucson Citizen in Arizona unless buyers are found for those papers. But there would still be at least one large daily newspaper left in those other big cities where publishers are mulling a shutdown. The only other daily newspaper in San Francisco _ a city with a population of about 800,000 _ is the Examiner, which is given away for free. Hearst owned the San Francisco Examiner, but sold it for just $100 and even provided the new owners with a $67 million subsidy as a condition for completing the Chronicle acquisition. The Examiner changed hands in 2004, and is now owned by the Anschutz Co.
 
Elisabeth Murdoch Turned Down Seat On News Corp Board Top
LOS ANGELES -- In the weeks that Rupert Murdoch was locked in unsuccessful negotiations to keep his longtime No. 2 at News Corp., the media baron also had to accept his daughter Elisabeth's decision to turn down a spot on the company's board, sources told Fortune. Murdoch's interest in having Elisabeth rejoin the family business adds to the palace intrigue surrounding president Peter Chernin's pending departure and the question of who will eventually run the globe-spanning media conglomerate Murdoch assembled and controls through a 37% voting interest. Indeed, Elisabeth was in New York today as an "observer" at the company's first board meeting since announcing Chernin's departure yesterday, two people said. She could not be reached for comment.
 
George Will On Obama Speech: "I Don't Know When Men Started To Hug Each Other" Top
Asked for a "final thought" on the president's speech last night, conservative columnist George WIll chose to focus on the fact that Obama was able to wrap his arms around another man, in friendship. "I don't know when men started to hug each other, but hug they do, and look at that," he said. Wise words. Watch: More on President Obama
 
Chuck Kennedy, McClatchy Photographer, Takes White House Job Top
Chuck Kennedy, a veteran photographer who's covered presidential campaigns, the White House and Congress for two decades, is leaving the McClatchy-Tribune Photo Service to take a job in the White House.
 
James Moore: The Great American Makeover Top
"America is the land where people find whatever they have lost." - Gunter Grass I vaguely recognized the nation President Obama was describing as he spoke to a joint session of congress. This was America, the one I have been reading and hearing about since I was a boy. I've never lived in the country the president was detailing; none of us has, but we have always been told it is a possibility. And here, in the midst of crisis and collapse, Mr. Obama says the ideal America is within our grasp. It's a tough sell. In this new America, 95 percent of us will be getting tax cuts. In fact, the money is already in the mail. People without jobs are going to receive extended unemployment and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create 3.5 million new jobs with 90 percent of them in the private sector. The president said we will rebuild and we will recover but he provided a vision that went well beyond those simple parameters. His images are of a nearly complete makeover of American institutions and the founding of new government entities. If approved and funded by congress, there will be a new federal lending authority to deliver loans to students and businesses and people seeking credit for a new car. He spoke of new loan programs to help families struggling to stay in their homes and said we will help responsible families refinance their mortgages. In this America, if it is achieved, there will be money to save homeowners and families and banks that lend to them but not for Wall Street bosses or bankers' salaries. There will also be health care in the Obama America. According to the president, health care costs cause a bankruptcy every 30 seconds in the U.S. and that premiums are growing four times faster than wages. He was convincing when he indicated that work would begin on a national health care plan next week and that the issue "has weighed down our economy and our conscience for too long and it cannot wait, must not wait, and will not wait until next year." I want to live in this place the president is building for us because we will facilitate renewable energy and provide money to see that our children have education from birth to employment and we'll all have affordable health care. Did I mention health care? Tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will go away and the money flowing from their increased responsibilities will create a social equity and will help to finance the educations we provide our young in return for serving their country. The war will be brought to an end in Iraq but we'll keep pursuing terrorists in Afghanistan as we should have been since 2001. Guantanamo Bay detention center will be closed and no one will be tortured any more in the name of America. Parents will be held responsible for the behavior of their children. American automakers won't get more handouts but they'll retool assembly lines and create new types of transportation to compete with the world and keep jobs within our borders. Mr. Obama has painted a more idyllic America than Norman Rockwell. But I'm with you, Mr. President. Can you really pull this off? Can we? If we do, you'll be honored through the ages. And your hero Lincoln might need to scootch over just a bit on his chair. Also at http://www.moorethink.com
 
Paula Abdul: Fourth "Idol" Judge A Mistake Top
PAULA Abdul isn't too keen on the addition of fourth judge Kara DioGuardi to "American Idol" this season. It's nothing personal, she says - just business. More on American Idol
 
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: I Work At Not Being Fat Top
Like many people, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus admits she struggles when it comes to maintaining her weight. "I have to work at not being fat," Louis-Dreyfus, 48, tells Shape in its April edition. "I'm always trying different things to see what sticks." Whether it's running for four miles at a park or jumping on the elliptical machine at home, the New Adventures of Old Christine star says finding balance between her indulgences and discipline helps her stay slim - and sane.
 
Stephen Colbert's Bears & Balls: Why Sbarro Should Not Get A Bailout Top
Stephen Colbert on Tuesday evening took on a story by US News and World Report that 15 companies will go bankrupt this year. That's good news, since "I wasn't sure we had 15 companies left," Colbert quipped. He proceeded to pull out a giant red button, similar to the "easy" button featured in Staples commercials, to determine whether these companies should get a bailout. First up was Sbarro's "the mall staple." Noting that the finest cheese is aged, "and no cheese slice sits out longer than the ones at Sbarro," Colbert seems at first undecided. Luckily the red button came in handy, dishing out a blunt "F*#$K 'Em" in response to the bailout query. Other companies heading toward Chapter 11 include Circuit City, Linens 'N Things, and "Circuit 'N Linens, which makes bedding for your DVD player." WATCH: The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Bears & Balls - Company Bailouts Colbert Report Full Episodes Funny Political News Christian Bale Parody Joke of the Day More on Stephen Colbert
 
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Yves Saint Laurent Auction Nets $380 Million--So Far Top
PARIS — An auction of artworks and treasures collected by the late designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner has already brought in more than €300 million ($382 million) and broken several world records _ and it's not over yet. The exceptional, three-day auction at Christie's in Paris is to finish on Wednesday night in a finale that includes two disputed bronze fountainheads looted from a palace outside Beijing in 1860. The Chinese government wants them back, and has asked Christie's to halt the sale of the bronzes. Christie's and Saint Laurent's partner, Pierre Berge, insist the auction should go ahead as planned. The controversy _ and the world financial crisis _ threatened to overshadow the auction, but buyers seemed little deterred. The first two days of the auction netted €307 million ($391.8 million) _ already topping Christie's expectations of €200 million to €300 million for the whole event. That is welcome news for a world art market worried that the crisis was cutting into art investments, and for Christie's, which was looking to the auction to boost flagging sales. In the auction's second round Tuesday night, 19th century paintings and 20th century decorative artworks took in a total of €101 million ($128.9 million), bringing the total so far to €307 million ($391 million), according to Christie's. The auction house said an armchair embellished with snakes and designed by Eileen Gray set a record for a piece of 20th century furniture, selling at €21.9 million ($27.95 million). Snakes fascinated Saint Laurent. A vase with a serpent by Jean Dunand was sold for €270,000 ($344,600) _ nine times higher than the highest pre-auction estimate. Another threshold was passed for a painting by Ingres, "Portrait de la comtesse de La Rue" (Portrait of the Countess of La Rue), which sold for €2.081 million ($2.66 million), a record for the French neoclassical painter, Christie's said. Saint Laurent's enormous collection, gathered over half a century, was put on public view in New York and London before coming to Paris. The designer died last year at age 71. A large portion of the proceeds is to go to a foundation to support AIDS research. The items that caused the most attention were the two Chinese bronzes, which disappeared from the summer Imperial Palace on the outskirts of Beijing when French and British forces sacked it at the close of the second Opium War. The fountainheads _ heads of a rabbit and a rat _ date to the early Qing Dynasty, established by invading Manchu tribesmen in 1644. They are expected to sell for up to $13 million each, according to pre-auction estimates. China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage wrote to Christie's last week urging it to stop the auction, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Christie's issued a statement Tuesday saying it "supports repatriation of cultural relics to their home country and aids in the process where possible by sourcing and bringing works of art to the auction platform to give buyers a chance to bid for them."
 
Burris Special Election Blocked By Top Illinois Dems Top
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A plan to change the way Illinois fills vacant U.S. Senate seats faces a tough road in the state Legislature, despite the new governor's support and the ex-governor's vivid illustration of problems with the current system. Gov. Pat Quinn has endorsed legislation that would end the current practice of letting the governor decide who should be appointed to the Senate. Instead, voters would choose a new senator in a statewide special election. That would eliminate the possibility of a governor essentially selling a Senate appointment, as former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was accused of doing in criminal charges that led to his removal from office. After his arrest, Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to the position, creating a cloud of suspicion that has led to calls for Burris to resign. But top Democrats in the Legislature show little interest in switching to a special election to fill empty seats. Senate President John Cullerton supports the general idea but won't take a position on a specific bill unless the House passes something, his spokeswoman said. House Speaker Michael Madigan simply says the idea is under review. "We do a lot of reviewing around here. It's good. We review a lot," Madigan said Tuesday. One version of the plan was assigned to a House committee that supporters call "a graveyard." Meanwhile, local officials object to the potential cost of a special election _ perhaps $50 million. Supporters aren't giving up. Rep. Jack Franks, a Democrat, said he hopes to talk to Madigan about the need for special elections. The speaker rarely rushes into anything but has shown a willingness to keep an open mind and eventually take action, notably on impeaching Blagojevich, he said. "I think Madigan is deliberative and it takes some time, sometimes, for him to come around," Franks said. Quinn spokesman Bob Reed said the governor will continue pushing for the change. "I'm sure he'll make a strong case with all involved," Reed said. While Democrats ponder the issue, Republicans are accusing them of putting politics ahead of cleaning up Illinois government. They claim Democrats don't want to risk holding an election they might lose if another Senate vacancy occurs. "It's time for Speaker Madigan to do what is right by giving the people of Illinois a vote in choosing their next U.S. Senator," said Andy McKenna, chairman of the state Republican Party. Like most states, Illinois fills Senate vacancies by letting the governor appoint someone to serve until the next regularly scheduled election. That meant Blagojevich had the power to name a new senator when Sen. Barack Obama was elected president. Federal prosecutors say Blagojevich used that power to try to help himself financially and politically. They arrested him a month after the election, alleging that they captured him on tape essentially trying to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder _ a charge that Blagojevich denies. Immediately after his arrest, politicians lined up to call for stripping the governor's power to appoint a senator and switching to an election instead. But many Democrats backed away from that. Critics argue the reversal was prompted by worries that a scandal-weary public might elect a Republican senator if they had the chance. Calls for a special election were renewed after Burris began amending accounts of his discussions with Blagojevich's aides before his appointment. Eventually Burris acknowledged the governor's brother asked him to raise campaign money for Blagojevich and that he tried but failed to do it. Scores of Illinois leaders, including Quinn, have called for Burris to resign. They argue he hasn't been forthright and can't be an effective senator because of the doubts about how he got the job. Burris insists he did nothing wrong and won't resign. Republicans even proposed changing the terms of Burris' appointment so that it would end this spring and a special election would decide who takes over. That has generated little support, however, as people on both sides agree it would probably generate long legal battles. But the idea of changing the rules for any future vacancy _ perhaps created by Burris' resignation _ has more support. Franks' bill would require a special election whenever a vacancy occurs more than 180 days away from a regularly scheduled election. The governor could appoint a temporary senator to serve until the special election takes place. The latest version of his bill hasn't been assigned to any committee. An earlier version was sent to the Executive Committee, where Madigan has tremendous influence over the votes.
 
Schiphol Crash: Turkish Plane Crashes In Amsterdam (SLIDESHOW) Top
A Turkish airlines plane carrying 135 people crashed while trying to land at Amsterdam's main airport, Schiphol, on Wednesday. The AP reports that 9 people have died and more than 50 were injured. The flight left Istanbul early Wednesday morning. Continue to check back as this is breaking news. Here is a slideshow of the accident. The BBC has a map of the airport and details about the crash of Turkish Airlines Flight TK1951. The crash happened at approximately 1030 local time. The plane was making its final approach to runway 36L when it crash landed in a ploughed field close to the A9 motorway and broke into three pieces. Helpers arrived at the scene very quickly and gave first aid on the spot. ... All flights at the airport were suspended immediately after the crash. The cause of the accident is not known yet, and the weather was calm with a light drizzle, reports the New York Times. Tuncer Mutlucan, a passenger who survived the crash, told NTV, a private broadcaster in Turkey, "It was the back of the plane that hit the ground. We left the plane from the back. My colleague and I saw people stuck in between seats as we were trying to leave and we tried to help them." " It all happened in something like ten seconds," Mr. Mutlucan said Candan Karlitekin, the chairman of Turkish Airlines, said most of the injured were seated at the back of the plane. More on Slideshows
 
James Boyce: I May Be A Complete Idiot But I've Never Lost $645 Million Every Day For An Entire Quarter. Top
I have bought low and sold lower. I have bought high and sold low. I never have bought low and sold high and frankly, if I did the shock would probably kill me. I have built businesses, blown up businesses, learned from failure and still hope to learn from success. However, one thing I've never done is lose $645,000,000 a day every day for an entire quarter. Which is exactly what the so-called 'executives' at AIG have just managed to do. After receiving $80 billion in our money and then another $150 billion in our money, they have just reported their 4th quarter earnings. AIG LOSES $60 BILLION IN A QUARTER Well, thank god we gave them the money because otherwise, well, it could have been really bad. $60 billion a quarter breaks down to about $645 million a day or $26 million an hour, $433,000 a minute. Figure that this takes you a little over 2 minutes to read and those geniuses have lost another million dollars. Enough. Seriously, President Obama, enough. Let the market do its dirty work and kill off these idiots. There is no possible reason, other than sheer incompetence, that any business can lose this kind of money. Here is one thought from The London Times about how AIG ended up here. AIG became one of the biggest losers of the credit crunch last summer after bad bets linked to the sub-prime housing market brought it to its knees. Bad bets. Not sure why we are running with $235 billion dollars of tax payer money to cover 'bad bets.' Imagine if every 2 minutes, we gave $1,000,000 to a new start up company (I have one going right now where we are looking for funding.) 30 times an hour all day every day for a quarter, we'd fund new companies with $1,000,000 checks. Every day, hundreds of new businesses would be launched. And the taxpayer owns a chunk of each and every company. This would spawn a new generation of companies, green companies, service companies, people that are figuring out how to invent, innovate and move our country forward. "Now is the time to act boldly and wisely," President Obama said. What could be wiser than having the government empower a new generation of businessmen and women? What could be bolder than saying? No, we will not fund failure but we will fund success. More on Economy
 
Burris Obama Speech Reception Frosty Top
WASHINGTON — Sen. Roland Burris got unmistakably polite but distant treatment from House and Senate members at President Barack Obama's address to Congress Tuesday _ a sure sign of trouble in the culture of Capitol Hill. A few nodded, smiled at him or shook his hand. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. gave him a hug on his way into the chamber. "I did nothing wrong, Jesse. I did nothing wrong," Burris said, not needing to fill Jackson in on the calls for Burris' resignation from Illinois to Washington. Jackson nodded but didn't say much. Burris turned, grinned and waved _ it wasn't clear to whom _ as he moved down the aisle between Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and John McCain, R-Ariz. They were polite, but focused elsewhere. There were no cheers of support for Burris, the only black member of the Senate. Someone showed Burris to his seat just under the press gallery. Nobody immediately chatted with him, so Burris held up a hand to shield him from the glare and appeared to scan the galleries, presumably for friends or family. He glanced at his program. Members of Congress have special public rituals for pariahs who cannot, for various reasons, be ejected. At best, they show a distinct lack of made-for-TV enthusiasm for the scorned. At worst, they'll stare into the middle distance as if through Those Not to Be Acknowledged. More commonly, they smile, but not warmly; hug everyone else and issue a polite nod or maybe back-pat to the undesirable before moving on. Rarely, they'll turn their backs or be rude. Particularly not on live television. Burris, the Democrat from Illinois, was urged to resign hours earlier by the other Senate Democrat from Illinois, Dick Durbin. He had been appointed by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, was resisted and then accepted by Senate Democrats only when the political cost of keeping him out ran too high. New questions about how Burris won the appointment, and his evolving answers, generated calls for his resignation back home. Almost as soon as he hit the ground in Washington Tuesday, Durbin made the same, er, suggestion. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid didn't even make that much effort, dispatching a spokesman to say that Burris would have to make up his own mind on that. For Tuesday at least, Burris remained a United States senator and as such merited a seat on the House floor for Obama's address to Congress. Someone showed Burris to his seat, very near to where Obama sat last year. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., turned around and chatted with him briefly. So did Democratic Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Kent Conrad of North Dakota. But Sen. John Tester of Montana soon sidled in one row back and gave Casey a bear-hug. Conrad resumed speaking to someone in front of him. And Burris spent much of the time before Obama began speaking standing between the backs of his seat mates. ___ Where there was a perceived snub a year earlier, there was a kiss and a hug Tuesday night. Obama opened his arms wide when he spotted his secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and leaned in to give her a kiss. She responded in kind. Briefly, they made a sandwich of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, who scooted out from between them. The hug resumed, then ended and Obama moved on to greet members of the Supreme Court. A year ago, at former President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address, Obama and Clinton were Democratic senators clenched in a bitter battle for their party's presidential nomination. Obama, seated between Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., saw Clinton coming up the aisle toward him when McCaskill tapped him on the shoulder. Obama took the opportunity then to turn toward McCaskill and away from Clinton, who continued past him with no greeting between the two. ___ Ailing and deeply respected members of the Washington establishment were saluted in different ways Tuesday. Obama called for an education bill to be named after Kennedy, D-Mass., who was absent and fighting brain cancer. It was a tribute to Kennedy's slain brother, President John F. Kennedy. And perhaps the loudest applause went to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, also being treated for cancer, as she made her way slowly to her seat. ___ Tsk-tsk. Twittering while the president is addressing a joint session of Congress? While you're in the same room with him? Yep. Dozens of members of Congress did just that during Obama's speech Tuesday night. Mostly, they outlined favorite lines _ "Americans are not quitters" being a popular one. But snark doesn't always play well, as one lawmaker apparently found out. "Let's do whatever proves necessary? Again he expresses no governing or guiding principles," Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, tweeted during the speech. Then: "Hold onto your wallet, America," he continued. Toward the end, he concluded, "We are at war _ seems to me honoring our troops should come on page one rather than at the end of the speech." But whoops, it's all about bipartisanship, people. And covering for oneself. "This is a great privilege to be here and I will try hard to find ways to work together while preserving my core principles," Culberson wrote moments later. ___ Associated Press photographer Pablo Martinez Monsivais contributed to this report.
 
James Love: Obama, Carl Malamud, and where are all of the open source people? Top
On Facebook, I have seen two campaigns to make Carl Malamud the new head of the Government Printing Office (GPO). Carl is the subject of this affection because he has spent considerable time and ingenuity to open up government records, so they are accessible to everyone. ( See here and here ). I first meet Carl in the early 1990s, when I was organizing a campaign (the Crown Jewels Campaign) to put government information on the Internet. Carl cracked two of the toughest nuts -- the SEC's "EDGAR" database of corporate disclosure filings, and the USPTO database of patent filings. Now he's focusing on legal information. What Carl did with the EDGAR system was create a small free web based system of access to EDGAR, at a time when the SEC and most of Congress wanted to keep it as a subsidized resource for a small handful of politically connected database vendors. He put the entire database on the Internet for free, for a while, showing how cheaply it could be done, and after gaining a large following, he announced he would no longer run the servers himself, but would train the SEC to run the system. (See, for example, here , here .) The SEC bowed to public pressure, and now we all have free access to those filings. (Which would be more useful if the SEC would do other parts of its job). When Carl threaten to do the same thing for the USPTO, it too finally agreed to provide the public with access to the text of patents. While it is a long shot to make Carl the head of the GPO (the decisions are made by Congress, and the statutory requirements may be an issue), the campaign for Carl raises a larger issue. Where are the free spirits and open source people in the Obama Administration? So far, they are certainly not getting high profile jobs, unlike, for example, the many copyright lawyers who are known for their devotion to the entertainment business. The Obama Administration should be reaching out to and recruiting people like Carl Malamud. It should be challenging the well entrenched interests that seek to build walls around and locks on information, and they should have a strategy to promote access to knowledge, and sustainable support for public goods.
 
Bobby Jindal Is Kenneth The Page (VIDEO) Top
Our friends over at Buzzfeed make an interesting point: Bobby Jindal is Kenneth the page from NBC's "30 Rock." They noted that the blogosphere was atwitter last night with comparisons. Andrew Sullivan found that if you closed your eyes last night during Jindal's response to Obama , you were sure to see sweet Kenneth Parcell 's face float through your head. Sullivan went on to say that he "can barely count the number of emails making that observation." Mattfraction on Twitter noted that "Within an hour of the speech, a Google search for "jindal kenneth 30 rock" yielded almost 75,000 hits." It now offers more than 85,000. Our own Jason Linkins saw the undeniable similarities and said : "If it wasn't such a dead-on comparison it would be catty to say out loud...but there's no denying it: Bobby Jindal was totally channeling Kenneth The Page from NBC's '30 Rock' tonight. (With maybe a touch of 'Moviefone guy.')" Gawker offers a bet: "$20 on the already-hot Jack McBrayer playing Jindal this weekend on 'Saturday Night Live'." So what do you think? They're both Southern, and they both have weird religious things going on what with Jindal's exorcisms and Kenneth's views that "choosing is a sin" and that hot is "the devil's temperature." They also both have the tendency to look like they're dressing up in their fathers' suits. Is this the kind of hard-hitting interview we can expect in the 2012 election? More on Bobby Jindal
 
Biden: Stimulus Money Can Be Taken Back Top
WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden is warning that if states don't use federal stimulus money as intended, the Obama administration may take the money back or mount a public campaign to embarrass them. Biden, appearing Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," will be overseeing implementation of President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan. Biden says the money "cannot be squandered" and warns that states will be held accountable for what they do with the money. Some Republican governors have criticized the plan as wasteful and several have said they may reject some of the funds. If states don't use the money as intended, Biden says the government in some cases can withdraw the money. In other cases, he says, the government may "use the television and the radio and the media to embarrass them for them not doing what they're supposed to do." More on Joe Biden
 
Greg Mitchell: Mission Accomplished: National Poll Reports Obama Speech Provoked "Inspiration" Across the Board Top
It was a hit pretty much across the board, except perhaps for the many GOP dead-enders in Congress (you know who you/they are). We are referring,. of course, to last night's State of the Unionish speech by President Obama to Congress. A national independent survey confirms this with fairly startling results. Even better, the national study among 1,600 Democrats, Republicans and Independents revealed that "inspiration" was the emotion felt most among viewers, including better than 1 in 4 Republicans. In fact, the poll results are headed: "President Obama's Speech to Congress Elicits Feelings of Inspiration among All Political Parties." After the speech, Obama's approval ratings significantly increased among all parties, as well as his likability, believability and sincerity ratings, according to the pollsters, HCD Research. Before the speech Obama's overall approval rating was 80% for Democrats, 22% for Republicans and 51% for Independents. After, they climbed sharply to 88%, 33% and 67%. Respondents were asked to choose from a list of emotions to indicate those that best reflected their feelings while viewing the speech. Democrats reported feeling inspiration (59%) and pride, with Independents also naming inspiration (54%) with only 26% choosing skepticism. GOPers reported skepticism (47%) but also inspiration (29%). Acros the board, members of both parties and Indies had a more favorable view of Obama's handling of various issues, including the economy. On nearly every issue, the Republicans had given him "poor" ratings before the speech, which now shot up to at least "fair." So maybe the public, if the GOPers in Congress, are willing to shed partisan politics in this time of crisis -- sort of like post-9/11. * Greg Mitchell's new book is "Why Obama Won." He is editor of Editor & Publisher. More on President Obama
 
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Legislating The Butterfly Effect To Save Polar Bears Top
Projects that emit greenhouse gases anywhere in the U.S. could be blocked under a Democratic proposal because of potential harm to endangered species, Republican lawmakers said. The provision authorizes President Barack Obama to reverse a Bush administration rule that said energy projects outside the habitat of polar bears couldn't be blocked solely because emissions might add to global warming and destruction of the arctic species. The House plans to vote as soon as today on a $410 billion spending measure containing the provision. Representative Doc Hastings of Washington, the top-ranked Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the change could allow the U.S. to block projects anywhere in the country if emissions could conceivably harm a species thousands of miles away. More on Animals
 
Shelly Palmer: Andy Richter to Reunite with Conan on Tonight Show: MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer February 25, 2009 Top
Former Late Night with Conan O'Brien sidekick Andy Richter will join Conan as part of the Tonight Show . Richter, who left the show years ago to pursue a film career, will take on the role of announcer at the Tonight Show. Of the news, O'Brien said "We have a proven chemistry that will be an incredible asset to The Tonight Show. I'm looking forward to working with Andy on a daily basis again, particularly since he owes me $300." Yesterday the Senate's anti-trust subcommittee began its first hearing on the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger . The hearing focused on the merger of the two conglomerates, how it will affect consumers and, ultimately, the future of the concert business. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Ticketmaster settled charges brought on the NJ Attorney General Anne Milgram, over an issue where fans were directed to the company's auction site for Bruce Springsteen tickets, which were selling for hundreds of dollars more than face value. Ticketmaster will pay New Jersey $350,000 and will give users involved in the dilemma a second chance at buying tickets. Google experienced a plethora of problems yesterday with its GMail service . First the email system crashed in the morning, leaving users unable to access their inbox. Then, GoogleTalk users were bombarded with attempts by scammers to steal their login information. If you get a message that reads "Hey check out this video! http://tinyurl.com/bska5z", do not click the link. Microsoft is set to continue to invest in research and development despite tough economic times . Chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie noted that Microsoft's efforts to bolster its R&D is essential to its "long-term survivability." Mundie also said "Particularly in times like this, the disparity between the relatively short term view of the investment community and what the management view is of what it takes to have the company succeed for the long term stands in the starkest contrast." In an effort to cut costs, the NY Post has fired Page Six columnist Liz Smith . Through dumping the 86 year old gossip columnist, whose column was cut from six days a week to just three last year, the Post will save $125,000. Liz Smith's final column will appear tomorrow on Page Six. Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards ). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here . Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net More on Conan O'Brien
 
"Glacial Pace" Not As Slow As Hoped, Sea Levels To Rise Top
GENEVA — Antarctic glaciers are melting faster across a much wider area than previously thought, scientists said Wednesday _ a development that could lead to an unprecedented rise in sea levels. A report by thousands of scientists for the 2007-2008 International Polar Year concluded that the western part of the continent is warming up, not just the Antarctic Peninsula. Previously most of the warming was thought to occur on the narrow stretch pointing toward South America, said Colin Summerhayes, executive director of the Britain-based Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research and a member of International Polar Year's steering committee. But satellite data and automated weather stations indicate otherwise. "The warming we see in the peninsula also extends all the way down to what is called west Antarctica," Summerhayes told The Associated Press. "That's unusual and unexpected." For the International Polar Year, scientists from more than 60 countries have been conducting intense Arctic and Antarctic research over the past two southern summer seasons _ on the ice, at sea, and via icebreaker, submarine and surveillance satellite. The biggest west Antarctic glacier, the Pine Island Glacier, is moving 40 percent faster than it was in the 1970s, discharging water and ice more rapidly into the ocean, Summerhayes said. The Smith Glacier, also in west Antarctica, is moving 83 percent faster than it did in 1992, he said. All the glaciers in the area together are losing a total of around 103 billion tons (114 billion U.S. tons) per year because the discharge is much greater than the new snowfall, he said. "That's equivalent to the current mass loss from the whole of the Greenland ice sheet," Summerhayes said, adding that the glaciers' discharge was making a significant contribution to the rise in sea levels. "We didn't realize it was moving that fast." The glaciers are slipping into the sea faster because the floating ice shelf that would normally stop them _ usually 650 to 980 feet (200 to 300 meters) thick _ is melting. The warming of western Antarctica is a real concern. "There's some people who fear that this is the first signs of an incipient collapse of the west Antarctic ice sheet," Summerhayes said. Antarctica's average annual temperature has increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degrees Celsius) since 1957, but is still 50 degrees Fahrenheit (45.6 degrees Celsius) below zero, according to a recent study by Eric Steig of the University of Washington. Summerhayes said sea levels will rise faster than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group set up by the United Nations. A 2007 IPCC report predicted a sea level rise of 7 to 23 inches (18 to 58 centimeters) by the end of the century, which could flood low-lying areas and force millions to flee. The group said an additional 3.9 to 7.8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) rise was possible if the recent, surprising melting of polar ice sheets continues. Summerhayes said the rise could be much higher. "If the west Antarctica sheet collapses, then we're looking at a sea level rise of between 1 meter and 1.5 meters (3 feet, 4 inches to nearly 5 feet)," Summerhayes said. Ian Allison, co-chair of the International Polar Year's steering committee, said many scientists now say the upper limit for sea level rise should be higher than predicted by IPCC. "That has a very large impact," Allison said, adding that extremely large storms which might previously have occurred once in a year would start to occur on a weekly basis. The IPY researchers found the southern ocean around Antarctica has warmed about 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) in the past decade, double the average warming of the rest of the Earth's oceans over the past 30 years. More on Environment
 
Nadya Suleman Scared The Hospital May Keep Her Babies Top
LOS ANGELES — Nadya Suleman apparently has bigger worries than taking care of her 14 children. Talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw says she may have to prove she can handle the load, or else have hospital officials withhold her newborn octuplets. McGraw said the 33-year-old unemployed mother called him Tuesday, distraught that Kaiser Permanente officials told her they were concerned about the babies living at her home in suburban Los Angeles. "What she is telling me is that unless and until she has a better living arrangement, that they are not likely to release the children to her," McGraw told the Los Angeles Times. Suleman has taped two episodes of McGraw's "Dr. Phil" show. The first was scheduled to air Wednesday. Suleman gave birth to the octuplets Jan. 26 in Kaiser's hospital in nearby Bellflower. She has six other children, lives in her mother's three-bedroom home in Whittier and relies on food stamps and disability income to provide for them. The home is under threat of foreclosure and could be sold at auction beginning May 5 because Suleman's mother is $23,225 behind in her mortgage payments, property records show. Kaiser officials declined to comment on Suleman's case. "Any conversations that the mother may or may not have had on this topic are private and we could not discuss them," said Kaiser spokesman Jim Anderson. Social workers evaluate parents of very premature babies to determine what services the children and family may be entitled to, said Vicky Bermudez, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at the Kaiser hospital in Roseville. The octuplets were born nine weeks premature. "If they feel there's a risk to a baby, they contact Child Protective Services and Child Protective Services would make a determination as to whether or not there's a reason for concern," Bermudez said. A call to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services was not returned Tuesday night. Suleman has not responded to repeated interview requests from The Associated Press. Her phone has been disconnected and she no longer has a publicist. ___ Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com More on Nadya Suleman
 
EPA Considering Taking Up Forgotten Fight In Great Lakes Top
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency says the Obama administration will reconsider rules that critics say do too little to prevent cargo ships from dumping invasive species into the nation's waterways. The EPA in December released a general permit for cargo vessels entering the Great Lakes or other U.S. waters from overseas that includes rules for 26 types of discharges, such as ballast, oily bilge water and "gray water" from showers and sinks. Breaking with the Bush administration, EPA head Lisa Jackson said Tuesday the permit "doesn't begin to address some of the concerns that are out there." "I don't have an answer for you today but I want to you know that's very much on my radar screen," she said during a meeting of the Great Lakes Commission in Washington, D.C. Ballast water, which keeps vessels stable in rough seas, is a leading pathway for zebra mussels and other aquatic invaders, which have overwhelmed native species and cost billions in economic damage. The EPA permit requires vessels heading for U.S. ports with full ballast tanks to exchange the water at least 200 miles from shore. Ships with empty tanks must rinse them with salt water to kill freshwater organisms lurking in residual puddles or sediment. But those measures already had been required by Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard, and critics say they still could let some invasives get through. Several environmental groups sued EPA last month, saying the permit did not meet requirements of the Clean Water Act. They want shippers to install systems for sterilizing tanks, which the maritime industry says are being developed but remain unavailable. Activists praised Jackson's promise to revisit the issue. "She recognizes what everyone in the Great Lakes knows: the permit was nowhere close to good enough," said Jennifer Nalbone of Great Lakes United, a U.S.-Canadian group. Jackson also told officials and activists from the region the administration would honor President Barack Obama's campaign pledge to pump more federal money into Great Lakes restoration, despite the staggering budget deficit. As a candidate, Obama proposed a $5 billion "down payment" toward implementation of a $20 billion restoration plan released by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration in 2005. It includes drinking water and sewage system upgrades, toxic site cleanups, improvements to wetlands and wildlife habitat and continued efforts to keep foreign species out of the lakes. Jackson said she was optimistic about prospects for progress toward those goals. "I don't think there's any reason to question the president's continued commitment to the Great Lakes," she said. Officials expect the region to get nearly $2 billion for wastewater and drinking water system upgrades under the recently enacted stimulus package. Jackson acknowledged more was needed. "Investment in water infrastructure has tremendous payoffs" in improved water quality and job creation, she said. Jackson also promised to seek more money for removing toxic sediments from highly polluted harbors and rivers across the region. The House authorized boosting the program's budget from $54 million to $150 million last fall. But the bill died in the Senate after EPA turned against it. "The EPA under the previous administration took the position that current funding was sufficient and they were content to move cautiously," Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry said. "It sounds like Administrator Jackson is going to be more aggressive." More on Animals
 
Mohammed al-Dayni, Embattled Iraqi Lawmaker, Has Immunity Lifted Top
BAGHDAD — Iraqi lawmakers voted Wednesday to lift the parliamentary immunity of a Sunni legislator accused of directing a private terror cell _ just hours after a plane carrying the embattled politician from Baghdad was ordered turned around in mid-flight. The emergency session vote could clear the way for authorities to arrest Mohammed al-Dayni, who faces allegations he masterminded a string of attacks that include a 2007 suicide bombing inside the parliament building and mortar strike on Baghdad's Green Zone. Al-Dayni has strongly denied the charges, claiming they are part of a campaign by the Shiite-led government to silence critics. Al-Dayni has frequently spoken out against alleged rights abuses of Sunni prisoners and suspected Iranian influence over the nation's Shiite leaders. The showdown over al-Dayni risks reopening Sunni-Shiite rifts after U.S.-backed efforts for political reconciliation. His supporters have called for a full-scale probe of all parliament members suspected of links to sectarian violence. Wisem al-Zeidi, a top parliament aide, said majority of lawmakers at an emergency session voted to lift al-Dayni's immunity from prosecution. But he did not immediately give further details of the vote breakdown. Al-Dayni claims he was traveling to Jordan to see family members when authorities ordered the Iraqi Airways jet to return to Baghdad just as it was about to leave Iraqi airspace. "I was banned from traveling ... I am nervous, but I'm not afraid," he told The Associated Press by telephone after his plane landed back in Baghdad. A number of Iraqi political figures facing charges of corruption or violence have fled to neighboring Jordan or Syria. Videotaped interrogations of two former bodyguards _ one also al-Dayni's nephew _ were released last week, implicating him as the ringleader of a network that waged a nearly three-year reign of violence. Iraq's government, meanwhile, welcomed reports of a U.S. combat troop withdrawal by August 2010. "The Iraqi troops are ready to take responsibility. There is nothing to worry about and the withdrawal will be carried out in coordination between the two sides," said Sadiq al-Rikabi, one of al-Maliki's top advisers. President Barack Obama was expected to order all U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq by August of next year. An announcement by Obama could come as early as this week, a senior White House official told the AP on Tuesday. Obama's announcement will speed up the timeline of a U.S.-Iraqi security pact, which took effect Jan. 1, calling for American troops to withdraw from Iraq's cities by June 30 and completely pull out troops by the end of 2011. But the withdrawal of troops under Obama's plan would still have U.S. troops in Iraq well after parliamentary elections this year, which military officials have said is one of the next big security tests. There are more than 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. Reaction among Iraqis was mixed. "I have no trust with Iraqi security forces that they could keep security because army and security forces were built on a sectarian basis," sad Thabit Mohammed Jassim, a 40-year-old Sunni shop owner in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. Jassim said he believed violence would likely climb after American combat troops leave Iraq. "Obama wants to withdraw not for Iraqis, but because of economic problems they face internally and of hardships his troops are facing in Iraq," he said. But Hussein Jassim Mohammed, a 35-year-old Shiite from Baghdad, said he would like to see U.S. troops leave sooner rather than later. "We hope the withdrawal will take place sooner, before the given timetable," he said, adding that it was "a good step for Iraqis to secure" their own country. Mohammed said there were some who worried about an increase in violence, but said it was time for "security forces to live up to their responsibility." ___ Associated Press Writers Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, and Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad contributed to this report. More on Iraq
 
Heart-Shaped Subway Map And More Fun With Transportation Top
We like talking about promoting public transit here on Treehugger and at Planet Green, noting that cities and countries that get it right can create a very positive image that in turn steers more people towards leaving their car at home. So, I was happy to see Zero Per Zero, a Seoul-based design team, re-thinking railmaps and subway maps. Using bright colours and a big dose of humour, Kim Ji-Kwan and Jin Sol from Hongik University are now in Tokyo to display their work. The maps come in a small folder with stickers for marking favorite spots, restaurants, appointments, hotel locations, and major attractions. When traveling, the folder can also be used to jot down notes and to hold transit passes, tickets, and more. Made of paper. More on Japan
 
Turkish Plane Crashes In Amsterdam, 9 Die Top
AMSTERDAM — A Turkish Airlines plane with 135 people aboard slammed into a field while attempting to land at Amsterdam's main airport Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring more than 50, the area's acting mayor said. The aircraft fractured into three pieces on impact. The fuselage split in two, close to the cockpit, and the tail broke off. One engine was visible lying almost intact near the wreck in the muddy field and the other was some 200 yards (200 meters) from the plane and heavily damaged, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said. The airline had said at first that everyone survived. But at a news conference later, Michel Bezuijen, acting mayor of Haarlemmermeer, reported the fatalities. "At this moment there are nine victims to mourn and more than 50 injured," he said. At least 25 of the injured were in a serious condition and that the injured included crew members and passengers alike. He said there was no immediate word on the cause of the crash. Candan Karlitekin, the head of the airline's board of directors, told reporters in Turkey that visibility was good at the time of landing. "Visibility was clear and around 5,000 yards (4,500 meters). Some 550 yards (500 meters) before landing; the plane landed on a field instead of the runway," he said. "We have checked the plane's documents and there is no problem concerning maintenance," he added. Turkish Airlines head Temel Kotil said the captain, Hasan Tahsin, is very experienced and a former air force pilot. Gideon Evers, spokesman of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, said the cause remained unclear. "Certainly it appears to be an unusual circumstance, but as always the sensible course of action is to wait for the results of the investigation into the causes leading up to the accident," he said. There was no indication that the crash had anything to do with the fuel level, Evers said, adding that regulations require all commercial flights to carry ample reserves. According to mandatory limits, a passenger airliner must carry sufficient fuel to get to its destination, remain in holding patterns for 45 minutes, possibly divert to an alternate airport, hold for another 45 minutes, and then carry out a normal approach. The fact that the plane crash landed in a muddy, plowed field may have contributed to making the accident less deadly, experts said, by absorbing much of the force of the hard impact. It may also have helped avert a fire resulting from ruptured fuel tanks and lines on the underside of the fuselage, which appeared to have suffered very heavy impact damage. The initial impact with the ground appeared to have sheared off the hot engines, which could have ignited leaking fuel, and the loose soil would have absorbed it _ further decreasing the risk of fire.
 
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GM Bankruptcy Fees Could Reach $1.2 Billion, Top Lehman Brothers Top
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- A General Motors Corp. bankruptcy might yield a $1.2 billion "bonanza" for bankers, accountants and lawyers, surpassing record fees being made by advisers on the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. GM, trying to lower debt and wages out of court, said Dec. 2 it must slash $62 billion in liabilities by almost half, excluding government loans. Otherwise it may wind up like Lehman, which will pay an estimated $906 million in judge-approved charges for professional services, said Lynn LoPucki, who teaches bankruptcy law at the University of California, Los Angeles.
 
Iran Tests Its First Nuclear Power Plant Top
BUSHEHR, Iran — Iran's nuclear chief says the country has increased the number of centrifuges enriching uranium to 6,000, the latest show of defiance to U.N. demands it halt the enrichment program. In November, Iran said it had 5,000 centrifuges running at its enrichment plant in the central city of Natanz. The nuclear chief, Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, says Iran will continue to install more centrifuges and enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel for future Iranian power plants. Uranium enriched to a low level is used as fuel in a reactor. Further enrichment makes it suitable for nuclear weapons. The United States and its allies accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear arms. Tehran denies this, saying its program is aimed only at generating electricity. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. BUSHEHR, Iran (AP) _ Iranian and Russian officials began a test-run of Iran's first nuclear plant on Wednesday, a major step toward launching full operations at the facility, which has long raised concerns in the U.S. and its allies over Iran's nuclear ambitions. The pilot operations at the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor, built with Russian assistance under a $1 billion contract, have long been delayed over construction and supply glitches. It's unclear when the reactor could be switched on. Test runs normally occur a few months before a reactor's startup. The plant, which will run on enriched uranium imported from Russia, has worried the West because the spent fuel could later be turned into plutonium, potential material for nuclear warheads. U.S. concerns over the reactor softened somewhat after Iran agreed to return spent fuel to Russia to ensure Tehran does not reprocess it into plutonium. Russia's fuel deliveries to Iran began in 2007. Iran has its own domestic program for enriching uranium that it says will be used in future reactors. The U.N. is demanding Iran suspend this program because of fears it could enrich uranium to a higher degree and produce a nuclear warhead. Iran has denied it is pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining its program is only for peaceful purposes. Wednesday's tests at the reactor, located in the southern port city of Bushehr, were a computer run to ensure the reactor's processes work properly. For the tests, technicians loaded a "virtual fuel" of lead into the reactor to imitate the density of enriched uranium, said Iranian nuclear spokesman Mohsen Shirazi. The aim is to run the equipment and ensure there are no malfunctions when actual enriched uranium fuel is put in. No electricity is produced during the testing. "This (test) is one of the major elements of an extensive project," he said. Once the virtual fuel is in place, "we will check to see how the reactor will operate," said Russian nuclear agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko, who was inspecting the process. Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, who heads the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the test was going well and engineers told him they expected no problems in the test run. "Today was one of the most important days for the Iranian nation," Aghazadeh told reporters. "We are approaching full exploitation of this plant." Kiriyenko said Bushehr witnessed "remarkable progress in recent months" but that work remains to be done to "speed up the launching of the site." The Russian-Iranian team was "approaching the final stage" before the plant becomes operational, he said. In Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said, "Iranians are showing again that they are making progress in their nuclear race." "This should be understood as very bad news for the whole of the international community," Palmor said, calling for "immediate and very determined steps in order to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power." The Bushehr reactor was initially to start in 2008, and some 700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia over four years to operate the plant. The Bushehr project dates backs to 1974, when Iran's U.S.-backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi signed an agreement to build the reactor with the German company Siemens. The company withdrew from the project after the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the shah. In 1992, Iran signed an agreement with Russia to complete the project and work began on it in 1995. Russia says there is no evidence that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and has joined China in weakening Western-backed sanctions in the U.N. Security Council, arguing that punishing Tehran too harshly for its nuclear activities would be counterproductive. The U.N. Security Council has passed three sets of sanctions against Iran over uranium enrichment and is considering further measures. Tehran also plans to build a 360-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin, in the southwestern Khuzestan province that would use locally produced enriched uranium. ____ Associated Press Writer Matti Friedman contributed to this report from Jerusalem. More on Iran
 
The Best Picture You'll See Today Top
Um, I love this child and want to raise it as my own. Fine, that's an exaggeration, but this is a fabulous sign and kudos to any parent who let their child go out and be photographed carrying this message of hope. (via myconfinedspace.com) More on Miley Cyrus
 
Chris Brown Enrolls In Anger Management Course Top
The troubled R&B singer, who was arrested two weeks ago on suspicion of making criminal threats against girlfriend Rihanna, attended his first class in Glendale, Calif., on Monday afternoon. According to a source, Brown opted for anger management at the behest of his spin doctor, Michael Sitrick. "Chris doesn't actually have to go by law," our insider tells us, "but he believes it will make him look better to the public, and he wants to try to get in a few classes before March 5," his court date.
 
Jeremy Piven To Defend His Mercury Case At Hearing Top
JEREMY PIVEN is on the hook. He goes before the grievance committee of Actors' Equity tomorrow to defend his much-snickered-at claim that high levels of mercury in his bloodstream, brought on by a passion for sushi, forced him to abandon the Broadway revival of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow." Piven is expected to attend the hearing, which will be held at Equity headquarters on West 46th Street, so that he can make his case in person, sources told The Post.
 
Fortunoff Liquidation Begins Top
NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the sale of luxury retailer Fortunoff Holdings LLC to a group of seven liquidators, setting the stage for it to begin liquidating as early as Wednesday. Liquidators Great American Group, Hudson Capital, SB Capital, Tiger Capital, Kimco Realty Services, and jewelry liquidators Bobby Wilkerson Inc and The Gordon Company had made the winning bid at a bankruptcy auction for the company on Monday. They are planning to begin going-out-of-business sales on Wednesday, Great American Group said.
 
Is Obama Hitler Or The Antichrist? Those Are The Only Two Options (VIDEO) Top
The Daily Show's Jason Jones took a hilarious and frightening look at two religious leaders who think President Obama is either Hitler or the Anti-Christ. Reverend Daniel W. Blair, a Baptist minister whose likes include, "seeing people snatched from the fire of eternal damnation and transformed by the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ," thinks Obama is "The Beast" who will usher in the end times. Pastor James David Manning, on the other hand, thinks the President is Hitler. (And also a bisexual...or bicycle.) The key part of the the segment, though, is the main stream media's coverage of these men and their "theories." Sean Hannity even invited Manning on his show to discuss his Hitler comparison. Luckily Jones deflates both men skillfully with only a couple references to Ashton Kutcher, "The Usual Suspects," and "Howdie Do It." WATCH: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c Unusual Suspect Daily Show Full Episodes Important Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political News Joke of the Day More on Daily Show
 
Energy Talk In The State Of The Union And The Rebuttal Top
Last night's State of the Union speech held no real surprises for environmentally-minded watchers. The president sounds like he's ready for, well, change -- and a cap-and-trade bill. Joe Romm recapped the energy-related portions of the speech at ClimateProgress: Yet he made clear that even in these darkest of times -- indeed, especially in these darkest of times -- we must make clean energy a top priority, we must address our dependence on oil, and we must "save our planet from the ravages of climate change" if we are to remain a great nation.... "But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.... "I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community -- how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. "The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity." THE REPUBLICAN REBUTTAL Grist's Kate Sheppard wrote up the energy-related highlights of the Republican response by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal : The GOP solution Jindal offered sounded something like the Obama proposed just before, but included nuclear power and increased oil and gas drilling. "To stop that from happening, we need to increase conservation, increase energy efficiency, increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels, increase our use of nuclear power, and increase drilling for oil and gas here at home," he said. "We believe that Americans can do anything and if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence." Jindal criticized the newly enacted stimulus package for including funds to purchase more efficient vehicles for the federal government and for high-speed rail. "It includes $300 million to buy new cars for the government, $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, such as a 'magnetic levitation' line from Las Vegas to Disneyland, and $140 million for something called 'volcano monitoring,'" he said. "Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C." Jindal also spoke at length about government failures during Hurricane Katrina, and Grist notes that the governor didn't mention which party was in power at the time. One more detail Jindal doesn't mention is that the mag-lev train from Las Vegas to Disneyland is actually part of a transportation bill signed by the previous president . And Matthew Yglesias reported that there was no special plan for a Las Vegas train , finding instead a map of possible rail routes that included a great deal of rail in the midwest, in the rust belt and three routes out of Jindal's own Louisiana. More on Bobby Jindal
 
Rich Americans' UBS Suit To Keep Names Secret Top
UBS was sued on Tuesday in a Swiss federal court by wealthy American clients seeking to prevent the disclosure of their identities as part of a tax-evasion investigation by the United States Justice Department. The lawsuit accuses UBS and Switzerland's financial regulator, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or Finma, of violating Swiss bank secrecy laws and of conducting what Swiss law considers illegal activities with foreign authorities.
 
Owning Home Versus Renting, Balance Shifts Toward Buying Top
The relative cost of owning versus renting is swinging back in favor of homeownership in some U.S. markets, buoyed by several quarters of sharp declines in home prices. At the height of the housing boom, as home prices surged, demand for rentals started to rise as the gap between owning and renting widened significantly. Even after the housing market soured, apartment demand grew as former homeowners became renters, allowing landlords to push healthy rent increases. More on Real Estate
 

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