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Morning headlines brought to you by Carolyn Kay MakeThemAccountable.com Top StoriesWarming to drive droughts, flood, storms in 21st century, says UN panel
PARIS (AFP) - UN scientists have delivered their starkest warning yet about global warming, saying fossil fuel pollution would raise temperatures this century, worsen floods, droughts and hurricanes and melt polar sea ice.
Scientists offered cash to dispute climate study
Scientists and economists have been offered $10,000 each by a lobby group funded by one of the world's largest oil companies to undermine a major climate change report due to be published today. Letters sent by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), an ExxonMobil-funded thinktank with close links to the Bush administration, offered the payments for articles that emphasise the shortcomings of a report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Exxon Mobil posts record annual profit
HOUSTON - Oil giant Exxon Mobil topped its own record for the biggest annual profit by a U.S. company last year, racking up earnings that amounted to $4.5 million an hour for the world's largest publicly traded oil company.
Al Gore seen as possible winner of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
Former US vice president Al Gore is seen as a possible winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to save the planet from global warming, the head of the Oslo Peace Research Institute has said. Two Norwegian members of parliament have nominated Al Gore jointly with Sheila Watt-Cloutier. Steve Greenberg, Ventura County Star
The World130 killed in attacks across Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A pair of suicide bombers detonated explosives Thursday among shoppers in a crowded outdoor market in a Shiite city south of Baghdad, killing at least 73 people and wounding 163, police said. Bombs and a mortar attack killed at least 17 others in both Shiite and Sunni areas of Baghdad.
Gaza erupts in fatal clashes after truce
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas fighters blew up a pro-Fatah radio station in Gaza, ambulances were caught in the crossfire and gunmen exchanged heavy fire in deserted streets as a new wave of factional fighting raged Friday throughout the chaotic coastal territory.
Diplomats: Iran working on uranium plant
VIENNA, Austria - Iran has begun putting down piping and electric cables for its underground uranium enrichment plant, diplomats said Friday, enlisting hundreds of workers in an effort to move ahead quickly with a program that can be misused to make nuclear arms.
12 militants killed in west Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan police clashed with suspected militants in western Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 12 of the fighters, officials said.
Pakistan's Musharraf admits lapses in terror war
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has said that some members of the security forces had turned a "blind eye" towards Taliban militants launching attacks in Afghanistan.
Australian lawmakers ask U.S. for Hicks release
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australian lawmakers have written to their U.S. counterparts calling for Australia's only Guantanamo Bay inmate to be sent home for trial, saying new rules set up to try detainees "stomped on basic American values."
Ex-Guantanamo inmate to run in Australia election
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian once detained in Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of helping al Qaeda said on Friday he would stand for election to the New South Wales state parliament.
Gov't: Ecuadorean Congress will remain
QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuador's new leftist government said Thursday that it does not plan to dissolve Congress despite a bitter fight over a push to overhaul the country's charter that led protesters to storm the capitol this week.
Colombia's Uribe orders assets seized
BOGOTA, Colombia - President Alvaro Uribe on Thursday ordered the seizure of assets belonging to demobilized paramilitary leaders after the killing of a woman who was leading a campaign to reclaim land stolen by the illegal militias.
A foiled plot in Britain may signal chilling tactic
LONDON - British security officials were claiming Wednesday to have foiled a terrorist plot which would have imported for the first time to Britain the grisly Iraq-style tactic of kidnapping a victim, torturing and beheading him and filming the atrocity for broadcast on the Internet.
China and Sudan cement economic partnership
KHARTOUM (AFP) - China and Sudan have cemented their economic partnership with a series of trade agreements despite international pressure on China to use its influence to resolve the conflict in Darfur.
Ethiopia says foiled Eritrean-backed attack
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia foiled an Eritrean-backed attack that had targeted the African Union summit attended by some 40 heads of states in Addis Ababa this week, an Ethiopian police statement said on Friday. The Nation
White House welcomes tougher oversight
WASHINGTON - A White House management official said Thursday there is "very little real accountability" in the federal government, and he welcomed the tougher oversight the Democrats have promised now that they control Congress.
You can be assured that the White House will fight tooth and nail to keep Congress from uncovering all its many misdeeds. —Caro
Casey: Only half of troop boost needed
WASHINGTON - The outgoing top U.S. general in Iraq diplomatically aired his differences with the commander in chief on Thursday, telling lawmakers that President Bush has ordered thousands more troops into Iraq than needed to tamp down violence in Baghdad.
Minimum wage bill heads to negotiations
WASHINGTON - Republicans are warning Democrats not to tamper with Senate-passed minimum wage legislation, saying the bill's mix of $8.3 billion in tax breaks and a $2.10 an hour wage hike offers the right economic and political balance.
Lawmakers eye child insurance program
WASHINGTON - Congress probably will take its time in considering President Bush's plan for expanding health insurance coverage. Lawmakers, however, are moving more quickly to renew a program that now provides coverage to 6 million people, mostly children.
Senate chaplain cancels appearance
WASHINGTON - Senate Chaplain Barry Black has canceled his scheduled appearance at a Christian evangelical conference after he was pictured with columnist Ann Coulter and other prominent conservatives in a brochure promoting the event.
Good for you, Chaplain Black! Ann Coulter has often called for the deaths of people who simply disagree with her political views. How can that behavior be called Christian? —Caro
FBI agent shows doubts for Libby's story
WASHINGTON - In a case that hinges on credibility, FBI agent Deborah Bond is making it clear from the witness stand just how believable she finds former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to be: not very.
Testimony summary from leak witnesses
A summary of testimony from witnesses in the obstruction and perjury trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby:
Official says U.S. willing to help Cuba
MEXICO CITY - U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said Thursday that Washington is willing to help Cuba make the transition to a more open, democratic society.
U.S. removes Saddam photo from Gitmo
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A news report about Saddam Hussein's execution was removed from a recreation area at the Guantanamo Bay detention center after a detainee's lawyer accused officials of using it to frighten prisoners, a U.S. military spokesman said Thursday. Economy & BusinessDow at record high
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Thursday, propelling the Dow to a record close, on optimism about strong profits from companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., and hopes for steady interest rates.
U.S. manufacturing contracted in January
WASHINGTON - The nation's manufacturing sector contracted in January, surprising many economists and signaling a shaky start to the new year for industry amid weakness in housing and autos.
Savings tumble poses risk to boomers
WASHINGTON - People are saving at the lowest level since the Great Depression, and that could be a problem for the millions of baby boomers getting ready to retire.
German employees of Airbus take to streets over shake-up plans
BERLIN (AFP) - German employees of European airplane maker Airbus have staged demonstrations at plants all around the country in protest against restructuring plans which they fear could lead to the loss of up to 8,000 jobs in Germany. MediaGoodbye, Molly I.
There was more to Molly Ivins than insightful political commentary packaged in an aw-shucks Southern charm. She was an authentic female voice on opinion pages across the country with her passionate and eloquent defense of the poorest and the weakest among us and her glee in exposing the corruption of the most powerful. But more than that, Molly Ivins was a woman who loved and cared deeply for the world around her. And her warm and generous spirit was apparent in all her words and deeds.
Why are there so few female political commentators? Even in progressive media? —Caro
Did Spitting 'Victim' From D.C. Protest Cry Wolf?
"The media interest surrounding Pvt. Joshua Sparling's claim that he was spit at during the Washington, D.C., protest merits skepticism, considering" that even now corporate journalists still peddle similar Vietnam War-era myths—not to mention that Iraq veteran Sparling's "previous claims of victimhood have turned out inaccurate, and that he's been a frequent associate of right-wing figures such as Sean Hannity and Oliver North."
Clinton and Obama Hog the Headlines
We’re sure you can name all of them already, but just in case you were unsure, there are already 20 people in the race to succeed George Bush in 2008. But not all are getting equal treatment by the media. Not even the two parties get the same amount of newshole. Okay, you can guess whose No. 1 and 2, but what about after that?
Will The Politico Foster More Horse Race Coverage?
Do you care about which legislative aide to Senator Carl Levin writes the senator's questions for his Armed Services Committee grillings? What about whom Nancy Pelosi might endorse for president? Or why Representative Loretta Sanchez quit the Congressional Hispanic Caucus? Hello? You still there? If you are, welcome to the land of inside baseball, otherwise known as the week-old highly touted new Web site, The Politico.
Demand That Your Newspaper Raise Hell
Upon retirement, a four-decade newspaper writer defines journalistic "hell-raising" as "stories that lead to change and that someone—often the government—would prefer newspapers not print," and explains the current lack of it:
FCC ruling changed phone industry in 1968; it could happen again today
The landmark 1968 Carterfone Decision is a "neat historical analogy" to a couple of current conflagrations in technology, says J.P. Auffret, professor at George Mason University's business school. One should alter cable TV this year. Cable companies will have to unbundle the cable system by sharing the descrambling code with other device makers. The other might result in cellphones that work with any wireless carrier — the way any telephone works no matter what company you use for landline service.
View from the Top: Bob Iger
For decades in the media business, when a new platform emerges, the old platform feels threatened and tension is created. A good example would be what happened when television came of age in the fifties, and movie companies like Walt Disney decided to put its content, its movies and its television shows, on television. If we don’t put our content on these new platforms, which the consumer has obviously embraced, the endorsement is there from the consumer, other entities will create content and fill that void. In the end, the respect that we have to have needs to be for our consumer, and I believe by doing so, that’s how we will continue as a company to create shareholder value.
Smart Local Search at Boston.com
Hyperlocal news (at the town or neighborhood level) faces a substantial challenge: It's often not easy to find, especially online. However, local and hyperlocal news and information is likely to be a core strength as news organizations evolve and search for stronger business models.
YOU'VE GOT ADS
AOL reported a stunning 49 percent increase in advertising revenue for the quarter, which was higher than most analysts expected. And while revenue decreased 8 percent to $1.9 billion, due mainly to the loss of 2 million subscribers during the quarter, the advertising figure is more important to its new direction.
Times Exec Questions Online Subscription Model
Nicholas Ascheim, director of entertainment, video and audio products at The New York Times, told a panel that hiding content behind a subscription wall might turn off future readers. However, he believes TimesSelect is working, but still wants "more time to experiment."
Publishers' Dilemma: The Book World Confronts The Digital Age
GalleyCat's Sarah Weinman braves the Google Unbound conference and returns unscathed to tell us that the guys from Mountain View are taking the publishing industry digital...with or without the blessing of the traditional players.
Consumer Mags Online: Real Strategy or Band-Aid?
More consumer publishers are closing their magazines in favor of Web sites—from the teen category to men’s magazines and possibly newsweeklies next—but just how committed are they to an Internet strategy? A recent study from The Bivings Report, called “Analyzing the Presence of Magazines on the Internet”, finds that some of the most popular print magazines continue to lag behind the adoption of cutting-edge features (RSS feeds, RSS feeds that include ads, tags, mobile versions, video, podcasts, reporter blogs, reporter blog comments, blogrolls, comments on articles, registration required, book marking, message boards, and RSS feeds for different sections).
Nielsen, Arbitron Form Apollo LLC
Arbitron and The Nielsen Co. announced Thursday the companies have formed a jointly-owned limited liability company to expand and potentially commercialize Project Apollo, the national marketing service in development since May 2005. Technology & ScienceEarth Will Survive Global Warming, But Will We?
The notion that human activity, or the activity of any organism, can affect Earth on a planetary scale is still a hard one for many people to swallow. And it is this kind of disbelief that fuels much of the public skepticism surrounding global warming.
Global Warming Wakes Groundhogs Earlier
Balmy winter weather has snapped awake groundhogs and other hibernating animals too early, well before their food is available.
Seas rising faster than U.N. predicts: study
PARIS (Reuters) - Sea levels are rising faster than predicted amid global warming, a group of scientists said on Thursday in a challenge to the U.N.'s climate panel which is set to issue a report toning down the threat of rising oceans.
Engineers: 122 levees at risk of failing
WASHINGTON - One hundred twenty-two levees from Maryland to California are at risk of failing, according to a list released Thursday by the Army Corps of Engineers.
"Silver surfers" choose Web over gardening
LONDON (Reuters) - Retired people are starting to prefer browsing the Internet to more traditional pastimes such as gardening, travel and DIY, according to a survey on Friday.
Blackboard makes patent pledge
Facing sharp criticism from academic computing experts, Blackboard Inc. announced Thursday what it calls a legally binding promise that it won't pursue patent lawsuits against users of open-source online classroom technology.
NASA agrees to advise spaceship ventures
Two of the also-rans in NASA's $500 million competition for new spaceship concepts won a consolation prize on Thursday: the space agency's promise to advise them as they continue to develop their concepts with private funding.
I think this is definitely the kind of public-private partnership we should pursue. The government should get paid for providing its expertise, though. Hey, maybe we should be doing the same thing with the pharmaceutical companies. Let’s SELL them the basic research we’re now giving them free, and that they use to make drugs that they charge us a premium to buy. —Caro
French health minister wants study on allowing workers to nap
The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job. France launched plans this week to spend $9 million this year to improve public awareness about sleeping troubles.
I think a lot of companies in Japan have nap rooms. How about day care centers, too? Why don’t we make it easy for parents to work? —Caro |
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