Wednesday News Bucket

8 Comments

1. 

   idredit on May 9, 2007 at 10:16 am

   Whiners:  So unfair says Wolfowitz. Waaaaah, I need more time.  More of his whining, here
   
   The sand under Wolfy’s feet is washing out to sea. Steve Clemons cites “IMF Legend Michael Mussa: Wolfowitz Should Resign”

   “The way he can make the strongest contribution to the bank is by resigning,” said Michael Mussa, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund and now a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “When you get to that stage, it doesn’t matter how you got to that situation.

   No Takers: White House struggles to fill senior posts:

   The Bush administration is facing growing difficulties in filling a rising number of high-level vacancies following a recent spate of senior departures.

   • 

     ask on May 9, 2007 at 10:22 am

     Who’s afraid of the big, bad Wolfowitz?

     On Countdown last night (look for the link to video – I could not embed directly).

2. 

   ask on May 9, 2007 at 10:26 am

   World Bank criticises Israel over Palestinian economy

   The World Bank today called on Israel to ease its extensive restrictions on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to fuel a Palestinian economic revival.

   In a harsh report (pdf), the bank criticised Israel for extending legitimate security measures to expand and protect settlement activity and the relatively unhindered movement of settlers and other Israelis in and out of the West Bank.

   The US has been pushing Israel to relax some of the restrictions to allow the hard-pressed Palestinian economy scope for recovery, and the World Bank’s 18-page report – a comprehensive assessment of the restrictions – reinforced that message.

3. 

   ask on May 9, 2007 at 10:32 am

   UN warns on impacts of biofuels

   A UN report warns that a hasty switch to biofuels could have major impacts on livelihoods and the environment.

   Produced by a cross-agency body, UN Energy, the report says that biofuels can bring real benefits.

   But there can be serious consequences if forests are razed for plantations, if food prices rise and if communities are excluded from ownership, it says.

   And it concludes that biofuels are more effective when used for heat and power rather than in transport.

4. 

   CabinGirl on May 9, 2007 at 10:39 am

   because their National Guards are stuck in Iraq: NYT

   For months, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and other governors have warned that their state National Guards are ill-prepared for the next local disaster, be it a tornado a flash flood or a terrorist’s threat, because of large deployments of their soldiers and equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

   Then, last Friday night, a deadly tornado all but cleared the small town of Greensburg off the Kansas map. With 80 square blocks of the small farming town destroyed, Ms. Sebelius said her fears had come true: The emergency response was too slow, she said, and there was only one reason.

   “As you travel around Greensburg, you’ll see that city and county trucks have been destroyed,” Ms. Sebelius, a Democrat, said Monday. “The National Guard is one of our first responders. They don’t have the equipment they need to come in, and it just makes it that much slower.”

   For nearly two days after the storm, there was an unmistakable emptiness in Greensburg, a lack of heavy machinery and an army of responders. By Sunday afternoon, more than a day and a half after the tornado, only about half of the Guard troops who would ultimately respond were in place.

   And it isn’t even hurricane season yet, either.

5. 

   Alice on May 9, 2007 at 11:22 am

   Alternet says Majority of Iraqi Lawmakers Now Reject Occupation:

   On Tuesday, without note in the U.S. media, more than half of the members of Iraq’s parliament rejected the continuing occupation of their country. 144 lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal, according to Nassar Al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the Al Sadr movement, the nationalist Shia group that sponsored the petition.

   It’s a hugely significant development. Lawmakers demanding an end to the occupation now have the upper hand in the Iraqi legislature for the first time; previous attempts at a similar resolution fell just short of the 138 votes needed to pass (there are 275 members of the Iraqi parliament, but many have fled the country’s civil conflict, and at times it’s been difficult to arrive at a quorum).

   Looks like representative democracy to me.

6. 

   dada on May 9, 2007 at 11:43 am

   new contract in hand, climbing ratings, and bill o’lielly still in his sights…

   Keith Olbermann to Get First Molly Ivins Award From AAN

   NEW YORK: MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann will receive the first Molly Ivins Award from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies later today, according to AAN officials.

   […]

   The organization, which represents 125 alternative publications, created the award to “honor those who practice the same bold, fearless journalism for which Ivins was renowned during her years as co-editor of AAN member The Texas Observer and as a syndicated columnist.”

   […]

   AAN officials stated in a release that Olbermann’s show “is notable for its literate writing, fast-paced delivery, historical and pop-culture references and the host’s signature wit, all of which make ‘Countdown’ one of the most vital and colorful newscasts on the air.”

   AAN plans to donate $2,000 in Olbermann’s name to the Molly Ivins Fund for Investigative Reporting at the Texas Observer, stating “Ivins remained a passionate supporter of the non-profit bi-weekly newsmagazine until her passing.”

   via E&P

   …and from: The Kethies 2007:

   1st Annual Best of the Stuff We Found on the Internets Awards

   “Countdown’s” The First Annual Best of the Stuff We Found On The Internets Awards has concluded after a week of viewer voting. These are the winners of “The Keithies!

   The announcement of the YouTube video awards led us at “Countdown” to stake our share of the same turf and establish the 1st Annual Best of the Stuff We Found on the Internets Awards, the Keithies.  After all, YouTube has been making money off other people’s work on the Internet since February 2005, and we’ve been doing it since we were founded in March 2003, so we are inclined to say our little Keithie Awards carry a lot more weight.

   […]

   ITMF’sA

   

7. 

   idredit on May 9, 2007 at 12:29 pm

   Kick the Press Out  (via Thinkprogress)

   Cheney during a quick trip to Baghdad, never mind the official reason, is overheard telling staff kick the press out

   What is not a surprise writes Steve Soto Cheney’s visit  is all about Oil, to be specific the Oil Law.

   For another viewpoint, read David Ignatius’
   Cheney And the Saudis