Friday, June 12, 2009

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William Bradley: Obama's Crisis Management: North Korea, Again Top
The United Nations Security Council approved tougher sanctions against North Korea. President Barack Obama changed the old kabuki in dealing with his second North Korean crisis. The first time around, back in April, dealing with a long-range missile test that failed to place a satellite in orbit, Obama treated the effort as more of the same rather baffling attention-seeking by the Hermit Kingdom. This time, after a string of provocations including an underwhelming underground nuclear detonation, a series of missile launches, and the imprisonment of two California-based journalists, Obama went in another, tougher, direction that may lead to a naval confrontation. North Korea, one of the most secretive nations on the planet, has been developing missiles and working for years on a nuclear weapons program. In the long-established pattern, the North Korean regime engages in provocative acts and the US and allies pay it off, while working to limit the risk from North Korea's activities and promoting sanctions that don't accomplish much. In 2008, President George W. Bush -- who in 2002 proclaimed North Korea part of the "Axis of Evil" with Iraq and Iran -- actually removed North Korea from the list of terrorist states. Defense Secretary Bob Gates declared North Korea's latest actions "a grave threat" at last week's meeting of Asian defense ministers in Singapore. Naturally, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claimed Obama was making America less safe by his handling of the April crisis. Obama was also dealing with the Somali pirates crisis in April, ordering the Navy Seal team rescue of a captured American freighter captain. Then Obama gave more attention in his public statements, though less in private discussion, to the North Korean missile launch during that crisis. That's because North Korea, unlike the Somali pirates, is a nation-state. And because North Korea has a pretty well-established pattern of trying to get attention and validation through various missile launches and brandishings of nuclear reactors. In a sense, it was all part of an established kabuki. The launch actually failed in its mission of putting a North Korean satellite in to orbit. While the first stage of the rocket was successful, launching it over an agitated Japan, failure occurred somewhere in the second or third stages. In June 2008, then President George W. Bush removed North Korea from the terrorist state list and ended key trade sanctions. Some over on the American right said that Obama should have stopped the North Korean launch. Obama had ordered US Navy destroyers with anti-missile capability into the area, but did not order the shoot-down. A fulminating Gingrich said the missile should have been stopped, if not shot down, perhaps by special operations forces. He was quite vague, actually, perhaps because what he was saying didn't make much sense. Since the missile could have been shot down, it wasn't necessary to actually do so. And North Korea - which the Bush/Cheney Administration removed from the list of threatening rogue nations after going through this sort of thing on several previous occasions - has a habit of making a spectacle of itself in order to publicize one of its few industries which actually has some success, and to try to get international aid. This time around, Obama, working through the United Nations to gain legitimacy for his strategy, moved against North Korea's lucrative arms trade. The United Nations Security Council action came slower than anticipated in levying tough new sanctions against North Koreas for its recent string of international provocations. But it did come today, with a unanimous vote, including support from frequent North Korean allies China and Russia. North Korea made a show last summer of destroying a nuclear reactor tower that was the most visible symbol of its nuclear weapons program. One reason for the slowness of UN Security Council action is that the resolution gives other nations legal sanction for naval interdiction of North Korean shipping to see if nuclear materials and technology or advanced rocketry is being sent elsewhere in the world. Think of it as a potential "quarantine." That's the phrase then President John F. Kennedy used to describe his sending the Navy to inspect shipping coming into Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A country may refuse inspection of one of its flagged ships at sea, but then has to direct the ship to a nearby port for inspection by local authorities. So there may be ways around it. But giving the Navy the legal right under international law to challenge any suspect shipping is a major escalation of tactics against North Korea that will give its potential partners great pause. North Korea promised "merciless retaliation" to any nation trying to interfere with its missile test earlier in the spring. Meanwhile, North Korea may be prepping a third underground detonation of a nuclear device. The first was in October 2006 and the second was last month. Both were underwhelming in terms of yield, well below the weapons used in 1945 by the US against Japan. And detonating a nuclear device underground is still a far cry from delivering a warhead. North Korea may also be prepping a long-range missile test. Its last such, early this spring, was something of a dud. The Hermit Kingdom sought to place a satellite in orbit. But failed miserably at the task. It's unlikely to take this biggest challenge yet to its ability to peddle its weaponry lying down. Or at least, not without a lot of barking. You can check things during the day on my site, New West Notes ... www.newwestnotes.com. More on Barack Obama
 
Medical Identity Theft Is A Fast-Growing Crime Top
Brandon Sharp, a 37-year-old manager at an oil and gas company in Houston, has never had any real health problems and, luckily, he has never stepped foot in an emergency room. So imagine his surprise a few years ago when he learned he owed thousands of dollars worth of emergency-service medical bills.
 
Pittsburgh Penguins Win Stanley Cup Title Top
DETROIT — Slide over Super Mario and make room on the Stanley Cup for a new batch of Pittsburgh Penguins. Max Talbot scored two second-period goals, and the Penguins overcame the loss of captain Sidney Crosby to beat the defending champion Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Friday night in Game 7 and win the Stanley Cup. Instead of the Red Wings becoming the NHL's first repeat champion since winning titles in 1997 and 1998, this turned into a Penguins party. The last time Pittsburgh won the Cup, in 1991 and '92, it was captained by owner Mario Lemieux. Marc-Andre Fleury was stellar in making 23 saves _ none bigger than the one he made with one second left as he dived across the crease and knocked away a shot by Niklas Lidstrom. "I knew there wasn't much time left," Fleury said. "The rebound was wide. I just decided to get my body out there and it hit me in the ribs so it was good." He erased the memories of a 5-0 loss in Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena that put the Penguins on the brink of elimination. Pittsburgh returned home and gutted out a 2-1 win, behind Fleury's 25 saves, on Tuesday that forced a seventh game in Detroit. This was Pittsburgh's second championship in four months, following the Steelers' Super Bowl victory in February. Fleury's last save started a wild scene in the crease that culminated in the awarding of the Cup. Crosby took it from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and skated a half lap to center ice before handing it off to Bill Guerin, who joined the team at the trade deadline and became a champion for the first time since 1995 with New Jersey. Lemieux, the No. 1 pick in the 1984 draft by Pittsburgh, celebrated on the ice with Crosby _ the phenom who has been living in the owner's house since joining the team. The Penguins turned the tables on the Red Wings and captured the Cup on enemy ice, just as Detroit did in Pittsburgh last year. The Penguins are the first to win the title the year after losing in the finals since Edmonton did it 25 years against the New York Islanders _ the last finals rematch before this one. Evgeni Malkin, who led the playoffs with 36 points, earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP. He assisted on Talbot's first goal. Crosby, just four years after being the No. 1 selection in the draft, became the youngest captain of a champion at 21 years old. He played just one shift after leaving the ice during the second period after taking a hard hit along the boards from Johan Franzen. "It's unbelievable. It's the stuff you dream of as a kid. It's reality now," Crosby said. "We worked so hard. It's amazing to see how far we've come, and couldn't feel any better." Jonathan Ericsson made it tense when he cut the Red Wings' deficit to 2-1 with 6:07 remaining. His shot from inside the blue line sailed past Fleury's glove and sent the fans into a frenzy. Niklas Kronwall nearly tied it with 2:14 left, but his drive smacked the crossbar flush and caromed out of danger. The Red Wings pressed further in the Penguins end after goalie Chris Osgood was pulled, but the puck ended up behind the net as time ran out. Pittsburgh had gone 1-5 in Detroit in the past two final series before pulling this one out at the most clutch time. The Penguins' only other victory at "The Joe" was a triple overtime win in Game 5 last year that kept them alive. Talbot made it possible by scoring the tying goal with 35 seconds left in regulation. The Penguins are the first team since the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Cup after trailing the series 3-2 and the first to take Game 7 on the road after the home team won the first six games since the 1971 Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago. Crosby crumpled against the boards after he was hit and seemed to get his left leg caught. He glided to the bench hunched over and stayed bent at the waist as he was guided to the dressing room 5 1/2 minutes into the period. He was limited to two shifts, totaling 2 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time in the frame, but his teammates doubled the lead while he was gone. Crosby made it back to the ice midway through the third period for the one shift. "I just wanted them to keep doing what they were doing," Crosby said of what he told his teammates before the third period. "We did a pretty good job of keeping things away from (Fleury) and he was doing a good job of making saves when he needed to." Uncharacteristic mistakes by the experience-laden Red Wings led to both Pittsburgh goals. Malkin, the NHL's leading scorer in the regular season and the playoffs, forced defenseman Brad Stuart into making a bad pass from the right corner. Talbot intercepted the puck and fired it between Osgood's pads at 1:13. The rest of the Penguins stood tall after Crosby left the ice, and Talbot turned a 2-on-1 into a two-goal lead. "Max came up with some big goals there," Crosby said. "We just wanted to play the same way. It's not easy watching, especially this time of year." Stuart pinched at the right point of the Penguins zone, and Chris Kunitz beat Jiri Hudler to a loose puck. Kunitz swept it out and onto the stick of Talbot, who raced up ice with Tyler Kennedy and only Kronwall back for Detroit. Talbot snapped a wrist shot from the middle of the left circle that sneaked in under the crossbar to make it 2-0 at 10:07. Fleury took care of the rest, looking more solid in the Detroit nets than ever before. He wasn't fazed by Red Wings crashing the net or screening him or any funky bounces off the end boards that tortured him in the earlier games of the series. Rookie coach Dan Bylsma elected to keep his team home in Pittsburgh an extra day during the two-day break between Games 6 and 7, giving up a chance to practice in Detroit one more time. The move paid off, and Bylsma became the second coach to win the Stanley Cup with a team he took over midseason. Bylsma helped rescue the Penguins from a near-playoff miss by leading them to a 18-3-4 mark after replacing Michel Therrien on Feb. 15. Bylsma was on the losing side as a player in 2003 with Anaheim in the last series in which the home team won all seven games. The Mighty Ducks team that lost then was coached by current Red Wings bench boss Mike Babcock. The Red Wings were the overwhelming favorite coming in with four players on the verge of their fifth Stanley Cup rings. Detroit had been 11-1 at home in the playoffs. NOTES: Bylsma is the 14th rookie coach to win the Cup. ... Both teams stood at the benches and tapped their sticks on the boards when Muhammad Ali was shown on the video screen and introduced to the crowd during a first-period stoppage. ... The last road team to win Game 7 of the championship round in any major league was the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the World Series in Baltimore. More on Sports
 
Students Find Naked Man Tied To A Rock Top
ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. — A 53-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being naked near a high school on Lake Tahoe's east shore. The naked man was arrested Monday after three Whittell High School students reported spotting him tied to a rock and lying face down behind the school. When the students asked if he needed to be untied, the man answered no. Douglas County sheriff's deputies said the man told them he was watching some buzzards flying overhead at the time. The man, who said he was a freelance writer, was arrested on a charge of loitering on school grounds. He's scheduled to appear Monday in Tahoe Township Justice Court. ___ Information from: Tahoe Daily Tribune, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/ More on WTF
 
Todd Palmer and Rob Pringle: Why Science Deserves Its Stimulus Money Top
In the car the other day, we caught a bit of Kai Ryssdal's Marketplace on NPR. We like Marketplace --because it places economic news in its social and economic context, it's the perfect business show for people like us, who don't know much about business. But we do know a bit about science, so our ears perked up when Ryssdal began interviewing Paul Basken , of the Chronicle of Higher Education , about the money allocated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ($10.4 billion and $3 billion, respectively). The discussion focused on two questions. First, will these appropriations produce better science? And second will they . . . well, actually stimulate the economy? The answer to both questions is, "Absolutely." Unfortunately, Basken's noncommittal replies, while undoubtedly well-intentioned, omitted so many key points that they were actually misleading. Here he is responding to the first question and posing the second: "We'll have to see. But there's certainly good reason to expect that. The question I think also is whether we're going to see a large number of jobs from this. Because remember the whole point of the economic stimulus bill was to create jobs. And in this kind of funding it's a little questionable as to how many jobs you're really creating, because what you're doing is giving money to university researchers who already have jobs at their universities. They buy some scientific equipment, but a lot of times that scientific equipment may have been made in another country. There's been some criticism, or at least questioning, as to whether this kind of spending is a jobs creating mechanism." Just to kick things off, it's not technically true that "the whole point" of the stimulus bill was to create jobs. That's the primary point, but the Act has a related social agenda that includes promoting renewable energy and education. As those who designed and signed the bill understood, true recovery requires building a robust foundation by investing in growth industries and human capital. Now, because Basken doesn't specify the "good reasons to expect" better science from increased appropriations, we will. In recent years, the NSF has received far more high-quality proposals than it could fund-- only 56% of grants rated "Very Good" or "Excellent" got the nod. In other words, there is a backlog of outstanding, ready-to-go research projects. The NSF is funding some of these with the stimulus money. This little financial cushion also means that the agencies can afford to fund the pursuit of Big Ideas. When money is tight, the tendency is to fund only projects that seem guaranteed to succeed; this discourages the pursuit of major, potentially boundary-shattering projects, which are inherently slightly risky. So yes, we'll get better science from this--and not a moment too soon, as we contemplate overhauling our energy and health-care sectors. But what about boosting the economy? Aren't we just subsidizing a bunch of nerds who already have cushy academic jobs and buy fancy Japanese-made instruments? No. First of all, 50-60% of most federal research grants go not to the scientists, but to their universities in the form of indirect costs (a.k.a. overhead). That money is lifeblood for institutions that employ thousands of non-academics --administrative assistants, cafeteria workers, compliance and student-services officers, maintenance people, IT staff, analysts, etc. And these people are losing their jobs. In the library downstairs from where we're typing this, the staff is anxiously awaiting news about layoffs--the folks who used to run the copy center there are already gone. Second, the grant money that remains for the scientists after indirect costs doesn't all go to fancy foreign-made equipment. There's inevitably some of that, even though grants funded with stimulus money come with Buy-American strings attached. But a large portion of these grants will go directly to--you guessed it--employing people. These are the graduate students, post-docs, research assistants, and technicians who make modern research happen. These people purchase goods and services just like everybody else, and without NSF and NIH grants, most of them wouldn't have jobs. It's also worth pointing out that the students and post-docs are not just being employed, but are also being trained to train the students and post-docs of the future. This is part of the long-term investment in capacity that is one of the stated purposes of the stimulus package. But we're not done yet. Of the $3 billion going to the NSF, only $2 billion is being distributed as research grants. The remaining 33% will be allocated in other economy-stimulating ways: $600 million for infrastructure and facilities development, which will fuel industries ranging from steel ( American steel !) to construction; $65 million for teacher scholarships; and so on. The NIH appropriation has another $1.5 billion for renovation and construction of federal and non-federal facilities countrywide. Mr. Basken did get one thing right, though: "But then again, people also point out, when you spend this kind of money what you do is you get spinoffs, and you get companies that are formed. You hit the next Google or whatever, maybe that alone will create thousands of jobs." Google is actually a great example, since it began as the research project of two NSF-funded graduate students working with an NSF-funded professor . But it's certainly not the only example . We have the NSF to thank for MRIs, the biotech revolution, geographic information systems, and much more. Millions of Americans have the NIH to thank for not being dead yet . Truthfully, the return on our relatively modest investment in basic science over the last half-century is so astronomical that it's impossible to calculate. Basic science hasn't just stimulated the economy; it has revolutionized the economy, and our lives along with it. Finally, take a second to put these investments in perspective . $70 billion for an inept insurance group. $80.4 billion for the folks who gave us Hummers and the Dodge Nitro . $1.5 trillion ( trillion ) in Federal Reserve rescue efforts. $677 billion (and counting ) for a war based on a lie. If we can afford all of that--and even if we can't--we can afford $13.4 billion for the agencies that underwrite almost all of American science. It's the right thing to do, it's long overdue, and it's good business, too. More on Barack Obama
 
Best Late Night Jokes Of The Week: Susan Boyle, The FDA, Conan's Billboards, And More! (VIDEO) Top
Jon Stewart explored the elections across the pond this week and found an interesting political connection to Susan Boyle. Colbert discussed America while in Iraq, praising the FDA for approving at-home lasers. To see last week's best jokes click here. WATCH: Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter! More on Late Night Shows
 
Privacy May Be A Victim In Cyberdefense Plan Top
A plan to create a new Pentagon cybercommand is raising significant privacy and diplomatic concerns, as the Obama administration moves ahead on efforts to protect the nation from cyberattack and to prepare for possible offensive operations against adversaries' computer networks.
 
Steve Parker: This weekend's www.TalkRadioOne.com automotive shows Top
Join us LIVE Saturday and Sunday at 5pm Pacific time on www.TalkRadioOne.com for our exclusive LIVE motoring and motorsports talk shows! Steve Parker's The Car Nut Show Saturday starting at 5pm Pacific Special guest: Bruce Meyer, one of America's premier car collectors, the man responsible for hot rods being shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, talks about the upcoming Father's Day Concours on Rodeo Drive ... in Beverly Hills. There's a new man in-charge at GM, someone who admits, "I don't know anything about cars!" Chrysler is now officially part of Fiat, so can I buy the Alfa Romeo 8C supercar at a Dodge dealer next year? Great move: Fiat CEO Marchionne makes former Toyota exec Jim Press the top man at Chrysler. Ferrari is making a hybrid. The US is "churning" the vast government fleet, and buying more cars and trucks from Ford than GM or Chrysler ... And Steve reviews the amazing little Honda FIT. Be sure to call-in and join the action! Honda's FIT, like Toyota's Yaris and Nissan's Versa, is a new-generation small car for the US which has seen success in its native Japan Steve Parker's World Racing Roundup Sunday starting at 5pm This weekend, it's the greatest sports car race in the world, the 24 Hours of LeMans, and there's lots of live coverage of this monumental event on radio, TV and the Web for us to talk about. Steve reviews the movies "LeMans" and "Grand Prix," "the essentials" for racing fans - and those you'd like to become racing fans! F1, NASCAR, IndyCar and even NHRA continue to produce the same winners week-after-week ... how can racing survive this and the cutbacks coming from Detroit car-makers, too? Be sure to call- in and let us know what you think! Peugeot (shown) and Audi will be running turbocharged V12 diesel engines at LeMans this weekend in the world's most prestigious sports car race That's this Saturday and Sunday at 5pm USA Pacific time on www.TalkRadioOne.com! More on Cars
 
6 More Bodies Found In Air France Jet Crash Top
RECIFE, Brazil — Six more bodies were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean where an Air France jet crashed, Brazilian officials said Friday, as the race to find the black boxes and gather key evidence from human remains and debris gained urgency. On the coast, investigators examined corpses and received the first wreckage: two plane seats, oxygen masks, water bottles, and several structural pieces, some no bigger than a man's hand. Almost two weeks after the crash, Brazil's military said the search is becoming increasingly difficult and a tentative June 25 date for halting efforts has been set. Beginning Monday, officials will meet every two days to evaluate when to stop the search, depending on whether they are still finding bodies or debris. The black boxes _ whose emergency locator beacons begin to fade after 30 days _ along with debris and bodies from the jet, all contain crucial clues as to how and why Air France Flight 447 went down en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Navy Vice Adm. Edison Lawrence said the Brazilians "have information" that a French ship has found six more bodies _ which would bring the total found to 50. It was not clear when these bodies were recovered, Lawrence said he thought it was either Thursday or Friday. It wasn't immediately possible to verify this with French officials. William Waldock, who teaches air crash investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, said the ability for a body to float in water _ and remain visible to searchers _ depends highly on water temperatures and sea life in the area. According to the Brazilian military, the water temperature in the areas they are looking is averaging about 82 degrees (28 degrees Celsius) _ warm water that speeds up the process of a body surfacing, floating, and then sinking once again, Waldock said. "At this point, it's not really surprising you are hearing them (the Brazilian military) talking about an end to the search," he said. In water temperatures like those in the search area, Waldock said an intact body could likely float for two or three weeks _ Air France Flight 447 went down May 31 with 228 on board. Those warm waters also mean there is a lot of marine life in the area and "they'll break a body down faster." A body, once torn open, will quickly sink, Waldock noted. Medical authorities examining the 16 bodies already brought on to land in Recife have refused to release information about the state of the corpses. Meanwhile, military ships and planes continued to struggle in worsening weather to find more bodies and debris. Brazilian ships didn't pick up more bodies on Friday, but they did find more debris, the details of which weren't disclosed. The most important piece recovered to date is the virtually intact vertical stabilizer, which could give the French investigative agency BEA solid clues about what prompted the crash. "The debris will be at the disposition of the BEA and they will decide what to do with it," said Brazilian Air Force Gen. Ramon Cardoso. He also said French ships equipped with sonar looking for underwater wreckage were approaching an area extending out some 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the last known position of the plane _ within the main search zone. The plane's black boxes _ perhaps the best hope of definitively learning what went wrong _ remain elusive. A French nuclear submarine is scouring the search area in the hopes of hearing pings from the boxes' emergency beacons. The first of two U.S. locator listening devices won't arrive until Sunday. Meanwhile, the weather in the mid-Atlantic is bad and getting worse. Rains have reduced visibility for ships, and cloud cover has blocked satellite imagery. So far, there is no evidence of an explosion or terrorist act, but a number of clues that describe systemic failures on the plane. A burst of 24 automatic messages sent during its final minutes of flight show the autopilot was not on, but it was not clear if it was switched off by the pilots or stopped working due to conflicting airspeed readings, perhaps caused by iced-over speed sensors. If the black boxes are not found, the cause could still be determined _ though with much more effort. The Brazilians have deferred all questions on the investigation to the French, who haven't said how they'll handle the wreckage. BEA spokeswoman Martine del Bono said she "absolutely can't respond now" to questions about reconstructing the aircraft from debris. She wouldn't comment Friday on whether this is because not enough debris has been collected to make the effort worthwhile. Without any other solid clues, investigators have focused on the possibility that external speed monitors iced over and gave false readings to the plane's computers. Air France ordered these Pitot tubes replaced on the long-range Airbus planes on April 27 after pilots noted a loss of airspeed data in a few flights on Airbus A330 and A340 models, he said. ___ Marco Sibaja reported this story from Recife and Bradley Brooks from Rio de Janeiro. AP writer Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
 
AKMuckraker: Palin, Letterman, and the Double Standard About Double Standards. Top
We all heard it. Sarah Palin on The Today Show with Matt Lauer... After a brief discussion of the gas line that glossed over Alaska's new unholy alliance with its old foe Exxon, the topic changed. Lauer: Can we talk about some of the other ways you've been in the news lately, and you know about this. There's been this feud this week with Late Show... Palin: (interrupting) If we must... Lauer: I know.... But there's been a feud this week with David Letterman about some comment he made... They go on to discuss the issue. Then at 3:37 in the interview, something interesting happened. Palin looks down at the Blackberry she is holding in her hand. Palin: Let me read to you something that I received in the middle of the night, and email I received from somebody who's not a (dismissive hand wave) known feminist, not someone who is an activist, but this I think speaks to the issue. She then reads the letter. If we are led to believe by Palin that she really doesn't want to talk about Letterman....that she'd much rather be talking about the gas line, and only talks about Letterman "if we must," then why does she have a Blackberry in her lap all set up with an email on the screen ready to be read aloud, the subject of which is....David Letterman? Palin was totally prepared and ready to talk on the subject, but took the opportunity to paint the picture that Lauer was the one bringing it up, much to her feigned dismay. In another lesson on how you can be right in principle (yes, the joke was tasteless and inappropriate as Letterman admitted) and still totally blow it (yes, the Palins now look even worse than Letterman), here's how she reacted when Lauer asked about the statement issued by her spokeswoman Meg Stapleton: Lauer: (reading) "The Palin's have no intention of providing a ratings boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show. Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman." I'd like you to explain what that meant. Are you suggesting that David Letterman can't be trusted around a 14-year old girl? Palin: Hey, take it however you want to take it... So if we "want to take it " that she thinks David Letterman is a pedophile, that's OK with her? Lauer gets this, and follows up. Lauer: But is that not, in fact, in bad taste also governor if you're...if you're suggesting that a 62-year old man can't be trusted... Palin: It's not in bad taste. It's not in bad taste. (pause) Palin: Hey, maybe he couldn't be trusted because Willow's has had enough of this type of comments. Maybe Willow would want to...uh....uh...uh..react to him in a way that..uh...would catch him off guard. That's one way to interpret such a comment. In her clumsy attempt to justify this comment, she basically ends up implying that Willow is the one who can't be trusted to act appropriately. Then she goes on to talk about the "real problem," the oft used Palin talking point - the double standard. The problem is... Here's the problem, Matt. It's the double standard that's been applied here. [snip] ...remember in the campaign, Barack Obama said "Family's off limits. You don't talk about my family, and 'the candidate who must be obeyed'....everybody adhered to that, and they did leave his family alone, and they haven't done that on the other side of the ticket, and it has continued to this day. So that's a political double standard. Since somehow, Barack Obama got dragged into the drama, just for clarity, I looked up his quote from the campaign about families being off-limits, so we can examine this supposed double standard. Here it is: I have heard some of the news on this and so let me be as clear as possible. I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics, it has no relevance to governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18. And how family deals with issues and teenage children that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that is off limits . So, in reality, where most of us live, Obama was actually defending her family specifically. Now that we've cleared that up, let's have a little thought experiment. Let's just suppose that someone had asked David Letterman if, when he told that joke, he meant to insinuate that Willow Palin has promiscuous sex with older men, and he had said, "Hey, take it however you want to take it." You know...since we're talking about double standards.
 
Donald Remy, Obama's Nominee To Be Army's Top Lawyer, Withdraws Top
President Obama's choice to be general counsel of the Army, Donald M. Remy, withdrew his nomination late Friday.
 
3 Gitmo Detainees Sent Home To Saudi Arabia Top
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say three Guantanamo Bay detainees have been sent home to Saudi Arabia. The Justice Department say the trio will be subject to judicial review in Saudi Arabia before they participate in a rehabilitation program administered by the Saudi government. With the latest transfer, the U.S. has removed 10 detainees from Guantanamo in the past week, sending four to Bermuda, one to Chad, one to Iraq, and one to face trial in New York City. That leaves 229 detainees still at the U.S. military detention center in Cuba. The three men sent to Saudi Arabia are Khalid Saad Mohammed, Abdalaziz Kareem Salim Al Noofayaee and Ahmed Zaid Salim Zuhair. More on Saudi Arabia
 
In Search Of The Bizarre And Dangerous Stone Fish (VIDEO) Top
In this video from "Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr," the National Geographic host goes in search of the venomous stonefish in Australia. More on Australia
 
Robert Naiman: Jane Hamsher's Call to Action Against the War/IMF Supplemental Top
Can Jane Hamsher's internet army teach Rahm Emmanuel and Timothy Geithner a lesson about accepting the input of progressive Democrats? That would be change I could believe in. Here she makes the case against progressive Democrats caving in to leadership pressure that they vote for the War/IMF Supplemental: Here's the lesson I want Rahm Emmanuel and Timothy Geithner to learn. To paraphrase another President from Illinois: you can piss on all of the progressive Democrats some of the time, and some of the progressive Democrats all of the time, but you cannot piss on all of the progressive Democrats, all of the time. What makes the present situation particularly outrageous is this: the White House and the House leadership now want progressive Democrats in the House to abandon their constituents, their commitments, and their principles and vote for the War/IMF supplemental. But when progressive Democrats tried to have input into the process earlier, they were locked out by the leadership, on orders from the White House and Treasury. Representative Jim McGovern tried to introduce an amendment on the war supplemental requiring the Pentagon to submit to Congress an exit strategy from Afghanistan. But McGovern's amendment was not even allowed to be considered. As a freestanding bill [ H.R.2404 ], McGovern's amendment has 85 Democratic and Republican co-sponsors. Representative Maxine Waters and forty other Democrats presented a package of commonsense reforms to U.S. policy at the International Monetary Fund. But they were not allowed by the House leadership to offer any amendments - that was the whole point of sneaking $108 billion for the IMF into the Senate version of the supplemental - to evade normal legislative process in the House. On Thursday, House-Senate conferees made their deal on the war supplemental. They agreed to include Treasury's request for $108 billion dollars for the International Monetary Fund, the bulk of which will almost certainly be used for full bail-outs of European banks from their risky bets in Eastern Europe. But in the conference report, the House-Senate conferees did not agree to any of the four demands for IMF reform put forward by 41 House Democrats, led by Representative Maxine Waters. On June 3, 40 other Democrats joined Waters in sending a letter to the House appropriators, asking for IMF reform language to be included in any IMF appropriation. Specifically, the 41 Democrats asked for: - language to ensure that the funds allocated by Congress for global stimulus are used for stimulatory, and not contractionary, purposes. [That is, the money should not be used as leverage to demand austerity policies such as government budget cuts and high interest rates.] - language requiring the U.S. Executive Director to the IMF to ensure that some of the revenue from the planned gold sales and/or other sources of income will be used to provide at least $5 billion in non-debt-creating assistance to the world's poorest countries - either via debt relief or grants. - language requiring the U.S. Executive Director to the IMF to ensure parliamentary approval of all IMF loans. [So that IMF agreements can't be used to undermine democratic process in recipient countries.] - language to ensure greater transparency and public availability of documents within a reasonable time period. [So that people can see what government officials - from developed as well as developing countries - are doing in IMF board meetings and in negotiating agreements mandating changes to government policy in recipient countries.] A summary of the conference report is here . The full conference report is here . Here's what the summary says about the IMF: International Monetary Fund (IMF) 1. To enable the IMF to respond to grave threats to the stability of the international monetary system, particularly in developing countries severely impacted by the financial crisis, the bill provides an increase in the U.S. quota in the IMF of roughly 5 billion in Special Drawing Rights valued at about $8 billion. The bill also provides for loans to the IMF, as requested, to enable the U.S. to increase its share of the New Arrangements to Borrow, which establishes a set of credit lines extended to the IMF, from approximately $10 billion (6.6 billion in SDRs) to the equivalent of $100 billion. 2. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to agree to the sale of nearly 13 million ounces of IMF gold which will finance an endowment the return on which will fund a portion of IMF administrative expenses and expand the IMF's investment authority. A portion of the sale of gold (at least $4 billion) would also be used to address the short-term financing needs of low-income countries. As you can see, there is no mention in the summary of policy reforms on ensuring that IMF funds go for stimulus rather than economic contraction, no mention of transparency, no mention of parliamentary approval. [There's no mention of these issues in the full conference report either - the IMF part starts on page 142.] Regarding low-income countries, the summary refers to "short-term financing," implying loans that would add to poor country debt, rather than debt relief and grants, as 41 Democrats called for in their June 3 letter. Moreover, even this figure is $4 billion, 20% less than called for in the June 3 letter. Thus, the demands 41 Democrats made on June 3 regarding the IMF appropriation have been ignored. If these Democrats want to be taken seriously by Treasury about IMF reform, they should vote no on the war supplemental with the IMF funding included. If they vote yes, they're communicating to the U.S. Treasury Department that they're not willing to fight for their demands. And that would validate Treasury's longstanding view that it can safely ignore progressive Democrats in Congress regarding U.S. policy at the IMF and the World Bank. If progressive Democrats vote no, and the IMF funding is defeated, then Treasury will have to go through normal Congressional process to get the money. And that would mean that the criticisms of the 41 Democrats would get a full airing, and they would have an opportunity to try to amend the legislation. Twenty-two of these 41 Democrats voted no on the war supplemental in May. Here's what we know about their positions now, thanks to FireDogLake : Tammy Baldwin: expected to vote no again. Yvette Clarke: expected to vote no again. John Conyers: expected to vote no again. Donna Edwards: expected to vote no again. Keith Ellison: current position uncertain. Sam Farr: expected to vote no again. Bob Filner: certain to vote no again; signed a Dear Colleague letter with Dennis Kucinich against IMF funding in the supplemental. Alan Grayson: expected to vote no again. Raul Grijalva: expected to vote no again. Luis Gutierrez: expected to vote no again. Michael Honda: current position uncertain. Jay Inslee: expected to vote no again. Dennis Kucinich: certain to vote no again; signed letters against war funding and IMF funding in the supplemental. Barbara Lee: expected to vote no again. John Lewis: expected to vote no again. James McGovern: certain to vote no again; told the Wall Street Journal he was voting no. Donald Payne: current position uncertain. Jan Schakowsky: current position uncertain. Maxine Waters: expected to vote no again. Diane Watson: expected to vote no again. Mel Watt: current position uncertain. Lynn Woolsey: certain to vote no again; signed a letter with Kucinich against the war funding. To summarize: Keith Ellison , Michael Honda , Donald Payne , Jan Schakowsky , and Mel Watt voted no on the war supplemental in May, and then signed a letter saying that money for the IMF should have IMF reforms attached. But with the House now scheduled to vote early next week on the same war supplemental with money for an unreformed IMF, they have yet to state that they will vote no. If you would like to ask them where they stand, you can use FDL's " Citizen Whip Tool ." Eighteen of the 41 Democrats who wrote against funding an unreformed IMF voted for the war supplemental in May (one of the 41 was a non-voting Member.) Here's what we know about their positions now: Robert Brady: expected to vote yes. Corinne Brown: current position uncertain. André Carson: current position uncertain. Danny Davis: current position uncertain. Chaka Fattah: current position uncertain. Marcia Fudge: expected to vote yes. Charles Gonzalez: current position uncertain. Al Green: current position uncertain. Phil Hare: current position uncertain. Alcee Hastings: expected to vote yes. Maurice Hinchey: current position uncertain. Jesse Jackson: expected to vote yes. Sheila Jackson-Lee: expected to vote yes. Carolyn Maloney: current position uncertain. Gwen Moore: current position uncertain. Charles Rangel: current position uncertain. Laura Richardson: current position uncertain. Robert Scott: current position uncertain. Disturbingly, not one of this second group of Members, who wrote in opposition to IMF funding without reform, has yet to say that they will back up that position with their vote. If you want to ask them about it, you can do so here . If you'd like to write a letter to your local newspaper against the War/IMF Supplemental, you can do that here . More on Afghanistan
 
Activists: Obama Admin Falsely Claiming They Had To Defend Marriage Ban Top
Ben Smith at Politico just reported the following statement from the Department of Justice over their brief, filed last night, comparing gay marriage to incest: As it generally does with existing statutes, the Justice Department is defending the law on the books in court. The president has said he wants to see a legislative repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act because it prevents LGBT couples from being granted equal rights and benefits. However, until Congress passes legislation repealing the law, the administration will continue to defend the statute when it is challenged in the justice system. More on Gay Marriage
 
Dr. Michael J. Breus: The Sounds and Sleeplessness in the ICU--Part I Top
Noise. Whether it's the blare of traffic and the hustling sounds of a city, or just your neighbor's barking dog and lawn mower cutting into your Sunday snooze, noise pollution is something we all have to deal with to some degree. But what about indoor disturbances--in a hospital when you're lying in the Intensive Care Unit? I know, it's not something we think about much, which is partly why there hasn't been extensive investigations into this arena. But a fresh study out of the U.K. sheds some fascinating light on this subject. As we all can attest from experience, noises can disturb sleep and make for rude awakenings when your body is trying to cycle through its motions to refresh and rejuvenate itself. But for people under compromised health conditions and enduring recoveries in ICUs, noises and their resulting sleep interruptions can be especially problematic. And most aren't in a position to complain or tell people in the room to tone it down. Most case studies show that the noise levels in hospitals are much higher than established guidelines, and the very nature of ICUs in particular make for off-the-charts excessive noise levels. How does this all affect a sleeping patient? Significantly. Here are just a few consequences highlighted by the recent study: Deeper delirium: --the state of mind typical of those suffering through a trauma or fever and who experience restlessness, illusions, and incoherent thoughts and speech. No doubt any drugs a patient will be on can make this state worse, but so can poor sleep brought on by something as simple as too much ambient noise. Delirium not only increases a person's length of stay in a hospital, but also the severity of their condition. Irregular circadian rhythms: ICU patients don't usually keep their normal sleep-wake patterns. Their physical condition can have them sleeping on and off during the day and night. Add to that intermittent loud noise and you've got a recipe for more erratic sleep patterns. Post-traumatic stress disorder: Not all patients experience post-traumatic stress disorder after a stay in the ICU, but for those who don't get the sleep they need to recover quickly and stave off episodes of delusional memories, the risk for post-traumatic stress disorder rises considerably. Lowered immune function: Just two days of sleep deprivation has been shown to impair the immune system. So imagine what this means for patients in need of their immune system the most at times like these. Cardiovascular and respiratory effects: Studies have shown how noises can lower the function of these critical systems, causing a speed-up of the heart and negatively dampening respiratory performance.  Being in the ICU is hard enough to endure. Throw in sleeplessness caused by noise pollution and just about everything worsens.  Sleep is essential in the recovery from illness or injury . Of all the places that should shelter sleep, the ICU has to be close to the top of the list. So what can we do about all this? I'll get to that in my next post, when I cover the study's examination of noise-reduction techniques in Part II. Do they work? And can you try them in your home? Sweet Dreams, Sweet Dreams, Michael J. Breus, PhD, FAASM The Sleep Doctor This article on sleep is also available at Dr. Breus's official blog, The Insomnia Blog . More on Health
 
Over Two Days Hannity Devotes One Sentence To Holocaust Museum Murder Top
Fix News host Sean Hannity only devoted one sentence to discussing the shooting at the Holocaust Museum on his program this week, Media Matters reports . This comes after Hannity had criticized other networks for not giving significant coverage to the recent shooting at an Army recruiting center in Arkansas. Instead of discussing the shooting at the Holocaust museum, Hannity did, according to Media Matters, dedicate significant time on his show this week to "David Letterman's jokes about Sarah Palin, the firing of Miss California Carrie Prejean, and actor Craig T. Nelson's take on the proper role of government." More on Video
 
Mark Kirk Targeting Potent Marijuana, Wants Tougher Penalties Top
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk will call for legislation Monday that would toughen drug trafficking laws regarding a highly-potent form of marijuana, with penalties of up to 25 years in prison for a 1st-time offense.
 
Venezuela: Why We Banned Coke Zero Top
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's Health Ministry said Friday it banned sales of Coca-Cola Zero because the company failed to declare that the no-calorie soft drink uses an artificial sweetener allegedly harmful to health. Health officials said tests show the cola contains sodium cyclamate. Coca-Cola Co. disputes that, saying the product sold in Venezuela uses different artificial sweeteners, Acesulfame-K and Aspartame. Cyclamate is not prohibited in Venezuela. But the ministry said the company failed to report sodium cyclamate as an ingredient in Coca-Cola Zero when it received its initial health permit to begin selling the drink in April. Coca-Cola is "failing to comply with sanitary norms," the ministry said in a statement published in the newspaper Ultimas Noticias. The ministry urged Venezuelans to refrain from trying the drink, saying it is "considered harmful to the health." The U.S. prohibits the use of cyclamates in human food because of health safety concerns. Sales of Coca-Cola Zero elsewhere in Latin America have met with resistance over the use of cyclamate. Rosy Alvarez, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Servicios de Venezuela, told The Associated Press on Thursday that "no ingredient of Coca-Cola Zero is harmful to peoples' health." But the company is complying with Venezuela's ban and has begun halting production, she said. Kerry Kerr, a spokeswoman at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, said Thursday that the company was in discussions with the Venezuelan government. Coca-Cola sells many other soft drinks in Venezuela, including Coca-Cola Classic, Chinoto, Frescolita and Hit. More on Venezuela
 
Tasha Gordon-Solmon: Miss California: The Morality Paradox Top
This whole Carrie Kerfuffle (if I may call it that) has got me thinking. Last month when Prejean defended herself by saying, "I'm a model, and a I'm a Christian", I didn't give it much thought. But now that she's been dethroned, I realize she was on to something. She is facing discrimination based on all sorts of aspects of her identity. The former Miss California has been widely criticized for publicly opposing gay marriage. She says that's intolerance on the part of the Left. I say it's more than that. She made those comments while holding the title of Miss California. California is a state that keeps voting for Proposition 8. So really, everyone is criticizing her for doing her job and worse, for being a Californian. And yes, she signed some statement for the Miss USA organization, attesting to the fact that she had always acted "in accordance with the highest ethical and moral standards." And yes, there is a specific clause that says she never took nude or semi-nude photos. So technically lingerie modeling would be cause for dethronement. But then how is wearing a bikini on national television kosher? (Don't let the misleading term "swimsuit competition" deceive you. They're not wearing full body wetsuits.) Is partial nudity only "ethical and moral" when the Miss USA Organization is making money off of it? And does that make Donald Trump a pimp? Oooh wait a minute... I get it! Beauty Pageants are a kind of legalized prostitution. And that's moral, but people of the same gender getting married isn't. There is no sexual discrimination of any kind going on here. The world makes sense again. Now I can get back to worrying about important things, like T he Bachelorette . Yes, people. Dirty.com has come out with yet another incriminating photo. All in favor of rescinding Michael Phelps' Olympic medals say aye! (The LATimes has confirmed that that is, indeed, Phelp's butt . His immoral behavior must be stopped.) More on Miss California
 

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