Tuesday News Bucket

20 Comments

1. 

   CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 6:45 am

   looks like it will be quite a growing industry post Iraq/Afghanistan war, if any of the people who need it can pay for it: CNN

   Nearly a third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who received care from Veterans Affairs between 2001 and 2005 were diagnosed with mental health or psychosocial ills, a study published Monday has concluded.

   The study was published in the March 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine and carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

   They looked at data from 103,788 veterans; about 13 percent of them women, 54 percent under age 30, nearly a third minorities and nearly half veterans of the National Guard or Reserves.

   Of the total, 32,010 (31 percent) were diagnosed with mental health and/or psychosocial problems, including 25,658 who received mental health diagnoses. More than half (56 percent) were diagnosed with two or more disorders. (Watch how the wars are blamed for an “epidemic” of mental disorders Video)

   WTF is that last line there about?  As if the war is being unjustly accused of causing widespread mental trauma?

2. 

   CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 7:08 am

   unveiled today: Guardian

   Britain’s first ever climate change bill is published today, setting legally binding targets on the reduction of carbon emissions for the first time.

   Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and the environment secretary, David Miliband, are unveiling the landmark bill – which aims to cut emissions by 60% by 2050 – at Downing Street this morning.

   But the bill stops short of Conservative demands for annual emissions targets to reduce greenhouse gases.

   Glad to see some forward movement on climate change, but 43 years to make those changes?  Do we have that much time to fool around?

   Not according to Steven D’s diary from yesterday, we don’t.

3. 

   olivia on March 13, 2007 at 9:24 am

   Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will be holding a press conference at 10:45 today to discuss the latest revelations. LINK

   Lots of info coming out now … including the quiet resignation today of the AG’s Chief of Staff.

   Perhaps as telling, according to the new Times article, Kyle Sampson, Alberto Gonzales’s Chief of Staff and the guy who was actually in charge of drawing up the list … well, he resigned today. LINK

   Harriet Miers wanted to fire all USAs, but Rove thought it was ill-advised.

   The idea to replace U.S. attorneys was first floated by White House counsel Harriet Miers in February 2005. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales “rejected that idea as impractical and disruptive.” And Karl Rove “vaguely recalls telling Miers that he also thought firing all 93 was ill-advised.” LINK

   Scroll through the posts at at Talking Points Memo and TMP Muckraker for more info.

   • 

     CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 9:28 am

     Thanks olivia!  

     If this isn’t considered a high crime or misdemeanor…

     • 

       olivia on March 13, 2007 at 9:33 am

       I can’t believe it. What has been happening … what has been allowed to happen while we all cheer for the next American Idol.

       • 

         CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 9:43 am

         It’s incredible.  Two months of the GOP having lost control of the legislative branch, and look at how much more stuff has started to come out about the criminal activities of BushCo.

         They weren’t just rubberstamping, they were aiding and abetting.

         Are they televising Schumer and Feinstein’s presser?

         • 

           olivia on March 13, 2007 at 10:05 am

           TPM has been updating regularly, and says that Schumer is on CNN right now.

         • 

           olivia on March 13, 2007 at 10:10 am

           Stated during CNN appearance via Americablog.

         • 

           CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 10:19 am

           Well, it did look pretty suspiscious last week when the administration gave in to limiting Abu’s powers and having his aides testify this week…now we definitely know that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg so far.

         • 

           olivia on March 13, 2007 at 12:18 pm

           Here: LINK

           Snippet:

           This weekend I called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to step down. Today’s staff resignation does not take heat off the attorney general. In fact, it raises the temperature. Kyle Sampson will not become the next Scooter Libby, the next fall guy.

4. 

   olivia on March 13, 2007 at 12:02 pm

   LINK

   • 

     CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 12:16 pm

     Thanks…I’ll be watching.

     • 

       olivia on March 13, 2007 at 12:20 pm
       • 

         CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 1:10 pm

         It seems Abu is running late for his appearance…

5. 

   dada on March 13, 2007 at 12:41 pm

   I am asking you to be a citizen co-sponsor of the strongest global warming bill in the Senate — the Sanders/Boxer bill, S.309, which has twelve Senate sponsors so far.

   Sen. Barbara Boxer

   become a citizen co-sponser… HERE

   march on the pentagon: 3.17.07

   Draft Al Gore: 2008

6. 

   CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 1:21 pm

   He’s talking about the core principles he believes in…incuding the independence of the US attorneys, the AG, serves at the pleasure of the preseident, he beieves in the advice and consent role of the congress and wouldn’t try to circumvent it (yaright), he accepts responsibility for the mistakes and yup, pledges to find out what went wrong here.

   He’s overcome a lot of obstacles in his life to become AG…now taking questions.

   Asking about Miers starting this off with wanting to fire all 93 US attorneys.  Abu denies knowledge of that, but admits to question from WH approx 2 years ago about firing them all and replacing them…Abu didn’t think that was a good idea.  But began ranking the USAs for future purge.

   • 

     CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 1:24 pm

     Some unintelligible question about Sampson.  Abu goes on about how he is working for the American people (not me, Abu!)

     Obviously concenred about the incomplete information to the congress, and he will be making sure that complete and accurate information will be given to congress.  WHAT A LIAR!

     Now making more excuses that he wasn’t aware of what was going on, saying it was all based on wanting to improve US attorney performance throughout the country.  GAG.

     I think they purposely have the microphones for the reporters turned down so we can’t hear their questions.  Am I being paranoid?

     • 

       CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 1:26 pm

       I think his voice sounds like he knows he’s in deep sh*t.

       The banner on CNN is suggesting that the WH is blaming Harriet Miers for the whole thing.  And after she was so loyal to her man George…

       It’s over already.

       • 

         CabinGirl on March 13, 2007 at 1:28 pm

         Short version:  I take responsibility, but I didn’t know what was going on in the justice department.

         Huh?  Even the talking meatsticks think that’s a bunch of contradictory crap.

         • 

           olivia on March 13, 2007 at 2:38 pm