News – Fuel for the Immigration Debate Fires
Americas
A lawyer explains how to use the H1-B visa program to reject American tech workers and hire foreign tech workers within the law. This is pretty foul, looking for every single legal basis to disqualify American workers for the sole purpose of hiring foreign workers for less.
The White House denies that Gitmo is going to be closed anytime soon. Really, if they want to keep up the facade that they require to have so much free hand as they do for the unspecified duration of this War on Terror, they can’t close it.
Might Nader run in 2008? Personally, I don’t think he should unless he has some new message for people. I don’t see how he’ll win with the same old that he’s had going for him.
Paris Hilton gets out of jail on Tuesday and she already has an interview lined up. It should prove amusing.
The House votes to overturn a ban on sending aid to overseas groups that practice abortion. Bush will likely veto it.
Middle East
Abu Obieda(with the same name as the man who is a spokesperson for Hamas) commands the Izzidine Qassam Brigades, the military branch of the group. He talks in this article about what his plans are for Gaza. All things said, he sounds like a reasonable individual on some levels. The sort of person who could make a change from armed conflict to political conflict.
Six Sunni tribal leaders are amongst the dead after a bomb attack on a hotel in central Baghdad. That will surely fan the flames that continue to trouble the country.
Remember Cpl Gilad Shalit, one of the Israeli troops captured, which started that whole Lebanon thing? His captors say he’s still alive and well.
Meanwhile the captors of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston release a video of him with what looks like a bomb vest on, saying they’ll detonate it if any attempt is made to free him.
According to Brigadier General Mick Bednarek, commander of the new offensive north of Baghdad, Iraqi troops still aren’t up to the task of holding territory regained by the US. And that many are still lacking in basic equipment and weapons. So why is it that we’re doing this again? Couldn’t we have checked to make sure the forces were intact and trained enough to hold gains before gaining them?
The US wants Israel to play nice and start easing restrictions on the West Bank, but Israel’s leaders are resisting. They did, however, release held tax revenues to Fatah.
Africa
Kenya is preventing 140 trucks with food aid for over a hundred thousand people from crossing into Somalia. Which is strange cause they’ve allowed aid through before.
The worsening environment in Darfur is pointed at as a root cause for the conflict there. A change there considered required to see long term peace.
Nigeria’s general strike ends after some compromising. It won’t last unless the unions and the government can focus on a more lasting agreement, no doubt.
Asia/Pacific
North Korea has confirmed the transfer of funds that was holding up progress on the agreement to shut down their main nuclear reactor. Hopefully we’ll see some confirmed progress now.
On the other side of things, the US and South Korea renegotiate their trade pact.
Europe
Fifteen former workers at the Eiffel Tower have been fined for embezzling hundreds of thousands of euros from ticket sales at the tower.
General
The longstanding theory on how HIV infection depletes the body’s capacity to fight infection is being challenged. Based on some research, if the current means were true it would deplete the body’s T cell count in months rather than years.
How you get batteries to last longer in electronic devices.
The Blogs look at the declassification of CIA documents that reveal the agency’s illegal activities from the 1950s to the 1970s, the merits of the Muslim niqab in British society and whether eating garbage can be counted as anti-capitalist and eco-friendly.
Today’s Papers has the second part in its series about Vice President Dick Cheney, waning Iraqi interest in the trials of Saddam and his cadre, the US doing everything it can to get Iraqi tribes involved in taking out alQueda and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Think you had a bad day? Try finding a dead bull in your bathroom on for size
There’s an aging, half-senile monkey on the loose in St. Louis. Again
The Dinosaur Plant can go 50 years without water and still come back to life. It can also help you piss like a T-Rex
How to steal a million bucks over twenty years
Paleontologists name stegosaurus tail-weapon “thagomizer” after Gary Larson “Far Side” cartoon
Reporting your car stolen, forgetting the drugs in it, leaving footprints in the dew at a golf course burglary, and showing up at the police station with money stolen from a Subway means you FAIL at crime (with mugshots)
Travelers at Los Angeles International Airport suddenly soaked to the bone when sprinkler system decides to take a giant whizz on everyone
Burglar busted while stuck in a window. (Paneful picture goodness)
Step 1: Find unsuspecting clerks at Target. Step 2: Put 99-cent price tags on expensive items. Step 3: Profit? (with almost-Milfy mugshot)
Jaw arthritis for hotdog champ, allegedly from eating hotdogs
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this lack of comment
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop President Bush and Bono
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop theme: What will Bob Barker do with his time now that he has retired?