The Taliban blew up a girls’ school in Pakistan’s Khyber district, where troops are fighting against militants in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, an official said Wednesday. Militants detonated explosives overnight at the government-run school in Bazgarah town, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Peshawar, capital of the violence-plagued North West Frontier Province. via [...]
Sunrise votes nudge health care bill forward Tues. – AP
December 22, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Two down, one to go. President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul cleared its second 60-vote test in the Senate early Tuesday morning — moving it a step closer to passage by Christmas. Senate Democrats remained united behind their compromise bill, over steadfast Republican opposition. The motion, to shut off debate and move to a vote [...]
Russia’s Market Reform Architect Dies at 53 – Obituary Obit – NYTimes.com
December 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
MOSCOW — Yegor T. Gaidar, the economist who oversaw the largest transition from Communism to capitalism as the first finance minister of post-Soviet Russia, only to be vilified by his countrymen for the decade of poverty that followed, died on Wednesday. He was 53. via Russia’s Market Reform Architect Dies at 53 – Obituary Obit [...]
White Americans’ majority to end by mid-century – AP
December 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The estimated time when whites will no longer make up the majority of Americans has been pushed back eight years — to 2050 — because the recession and stricter immigration policies have slowed the flow of foreigners into the U.S. Census Bureau figures released Wednesday update last year’s prediction that white children would become a [...]
China tells U.S.: No deal on climate change – POLITICO.com
December 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
COPENHAGEN — China’s climate negotiators have told Western counterparts they can’t agree to an “operational agreement” on climate change that President Barack Obama had hoped to bring home from Copenhagen –- and will push for a short, noncommittal collective statement at the end of the talks, according to American staffers briefed on the situation.It’s not [...]
Dean urges defeat of emerging health care bill – AP
December 16, 2009 By 2 Comments
Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean argued Wednesday that the health care overhaul bill taking shape in the Senate further empowers private insurers at the expense of consumer choice.”You will be forced to buy insurance. If you don’t, you’ll pay a fine,” said Dean, a physician. “It’s an insurance company bailout.” Interviewed on ABC’s “Good [...]
Climategate distracts at Copenhagen – - POLITICO.com
December 10, 2009 By 1 Comment
COPENHAGEN — “Climategate” has muddied the good green message that was supposed to come out of the United Nations climate change talks here, forcing leaders to spend time justifying the science behind global warming when they want to focus on ending it. Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin stirred the pot Wednesday with a [...]
Poll: Narrow majority support Obama’s Afghan strategy – USATODAY.com
December 4, 2009 By 1 Comment
WASHINGTON — A narrow majority of Americans support President Obama’s revamped strategy on Afghanistan, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Wednesday, but there are broad concerns that the costs of the war will sap the government’s ability to address problems facing the nation at home. via Poll: Narrow majority support Obama’s Afghan strategy – [...]
A Spoonful of Saccharine: If You Can’t Change Reality, Mock It
December 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Rachel Maddow took a moment from her busy, busy schedule Wednesday night to mock Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). She did so, because he said something that hits perhaps just a little too close to home for leftists like Maddow who believe in the transformative power of government to fix all our ills.
McConnell had [...]
