News – Full Disclosure before Decision Making
North America
John Snow says we must hurry on reforming Social Security. I still dont’ see the crisis. I see that it’s obvious social security could have serious problems in the future, but that’s not near enough to prompt rash, hurried action. We have time to muse and investigate options. And evaluating the administration’s plans is made hard when they won’t give up the plan itself. I don’t know about anyone else, but I wouldn’t take Bush on his word with this. I would want to see the hard numbers before making a decision on supporting or not.
With Bush’s budget presented, now the congress has to decide what it will and won’t put in its own budget. There’s no small amount of unease, even in republican members of congress.
Rove is getting more to do at the White House, being made a deputy White House chief of staff. In that capacity he’ll be in charge of coordinating policy between the White House Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council.
The Bush plan to end subsidies for Amtrak, likely to push it into bankruptcy, could cause additional problems by disrupting train travel for millions of commuters. I’d assume that much would be obvious. If Amtrak goes down, there won’t be someone waiting to pick up the slack the next day, without a service interruption. If you regularly use Amtrak, I’d suggest starting to forge alternate travel plans, just in cast the worst happens.
A good place to look for redundant and unnecessary programs to cut is the military budget. There are a few items in there that seem to be less than necessary.
Analysts say that the Pentagon’s reliance on supplemental fund requests to pay for wars masks the true size of the US defense budget and inhibits congressional oversight.
Slate’s Fray scrutinizes security at our nation’s airports.
Middle East
The final results of Iraq’s election are being delayed while some ballot boxes are re-examined.
Though Sharon and Abbas have spoken of truce and ceasefire, partisan groups within Israel and Palestine seem unwilling to relax their guard. They’ll be the clearest impediments to success. The militant groups in Palestine and the settlers and settler backers in Israel. Hopefully the parties involved won’t let this moment slip away.
Abdul-Hussein Khazal, a correspondent for the US backed Alhurra television network was killed by gunmen along with his son. In related news, gunmen also abducted Colonel Riyadh Katei Aliwi, who worked in the operations department of Iraq’s Interior Ministry.
Asia
The child known only as ‘Baby 81’ has had a DNA test, a week required for the result to see if a couple claiming to be his parents are truly his biological parents.
Europe
Rice urges Europe to get tough with Iran. Also, Iran has expressed some impatience with the pace of talks with Europe. It would seek prudent to speed it up a little.
ETA sets off a car bomb in Madrid, injuring 39 bystanders. None were seriously wounded, fortunately.
General
What will be left for Star Wars fans after the final installment of the Star Wars movie series? A lot, I’m sure. With books and comics and other such things the story will ever continue.
Inserting an animal gene into tomatoes makes them hardier. An interesting discovery that expands the range of the tomato, could it do so for other vegetables.
Are advertisers who buy Super Bowl spots getting less for their money?
Today’s Papers has Condi’s talk at a Paris university being restricted, conservatives getting antsy at Bush’s efforts to increase government size and influence over Americans, details about the truce declared and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Problem at the office? Build your own micro-claymore mine
Nine weirdest tax write-offs. Your dog gets cash
Anna Kournakova’s stalker swims naked to the wrong house and exposes himself to a child
Anti-litter extremist assaults young girl for dropping candy wrapper on the pavement
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this building, or how it got this way
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this old yellow phone
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Give Pedro from South of theBorder a makeover