Friday September 16, 2005

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Yesterday's Feature Stories And Headlines

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Hurricane Disaster (click here)

The Supremes: Roberts Herarings (click here)

Global warming 'past the point of no return'

By Steve Connor, Science Editor, Independent
Published: 16 September 2005

"A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years."

We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
But I'm sure we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through, just the way you used to do
Till the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away

lyrics in the final scene of the 1964 film "Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"

'Rove In Charge' of NO Reconstruction, Wapo

Let's see. What was...
by Josh Marshall
16 Sep 2005 at 4:44am
Let's see. What was the problem with Michael Brown exactly? Let's see. No expertise or experience for the job. Got the...

Let's all be clear about this billion dollar Rove political operation
by Josh Marshall
16 Sep 2005 at 12:50am
Let's all be clear about one thing. As we suggested last night, and as President Bush has now put us on notice, the Gulf...

Rove Expected To Build Political Machine To Take Louisiana From The Dems
scroll down to "Asleep At The Wheel" (3rd item)
Crying would be appropriate. For those left homeless, abandoned by their government, destined to watch the funds intended to help them squirreled away in the biggest machine-building project in American history, a scream or two would do.

Fooling none of the people
by Robert Scheer
15 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
America learns the hard way that Bush provides flash, not substance

Buck stops with Duh-bya, and we all know it, Roeper
What is the meaning of Bush's 'responsibility?', Van Auken
MSP Still Not Investigating Bush, MediaMatters
Bush losing support of U.S. voters, poll shows, Purdum, Connelly

Mr. Bush in New Orleans: Talk Is Not Action
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
President Bush's words could begin a much-needed healing process if they are followed by deeds that are as principled, disciplined and ambitious as his speech.

Bush Pledges Federal Role in Rebuilding Gulf Coast
by ELISABETH BUMILLER
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
President Bush said the government would provide help on taxes, housing, education and job training for the hurricane victims.

Ignorance and Abdication That Amounts...
by John Berger
Ignorance and Abdication That Amounts to Madness

Music That Bush Clearly Doesn't...
by John Nichols
Music That Bush Clearly Doesn't Hear

Leave Katrina Relief Efforts to...
by Ted Rall
Leave Katrina Relief Efforts to Government

Katrina in Perspective
by Peter Dreier
Katrina in Perspective

Not the New Deal
by PAUL KRUGMAN
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
America's biggest relief and recovery program since the New Deal. And the omens aren't good.

Bush's crony capitalism shows G.O.P.'s true face
by Joe Conason
14 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Administration puts the 'con' in 'conservatism'

Peek: Trickle-down cronyism
by Array
Bush's appointee to head the Small Business Association wasn't no Arabian Horse guy...

You know me, Dubya
by Molly Ivins
15 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Texas governor writes Washington for hurricane relief

Republicans going crazy for Katrina relief, Jonathan Chait

G.O.P. Split Over Big Plans for Storm Spending
by CARL HULSE
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The drive to pour billions of federal dollars into the Gulf Coast is widening a fissure among Republicans over fiscal policy.

Bill Would Let E.P.A. Relax Rules for Cleanup
by MICHAEL JANOFSKY
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm

The E.P.A. could suspend any law governing air, water or land in responding to Hurricane Katrina under a measure introduced Thursday.

Severe Hurricanes Increasing, Study Finds
by Juliet Eilperin
A new study concludes that rising sea temperatures have been accompanied by a significant global increase in the most destructive hurricanes, adding fuel to an international debate over whether global warming contributed to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

Government credit cards for Katrina expenses draw scrutiny, Yen
Assessing Anti-Price-Gouging Statutes In The Wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ramasastry

Team Bush's African American conundrum
by Bill Berkowitz
15 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Will the Administration's shameful abandonment of New Orleans's African Americans torpedo its carefully calibrated campaign to woo black voters?

Can America ever go back?
by Sean Gonsalves
15 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Nation must come to terms with socioeconomic realities that caused Katrina disaster

U.S. After Katrina: It's a Third World After All
13 Sep 2005 at 9:38am
Katrina puts us—and the press—in a different place by Sydney H. Schanberg

MSP Ignores NO Rascist Bridge Story, DCCityPaper
New Orleans Neighbor Defends Closing Bridge to Evacuees, Nicholas Riccardi
Ethnic Cleansing in NO?, Army Times

A need to know what went wrong, sfc ed
GOP Senate opens Katrina hearings, Edward Epstein

Depression and Mistrust Prevail at...
by Clare Short
Depression and Mistrust Prevail at the UN

Venezuela's President Chavez arrives for UN Summit in New York after visa delays, Vheadline
President Chavez Demands Re-foundation of UN, Prensa Latina
Venezuela’s Chavez Says UN Needs a Revolution, headquarters moved out of US, Venezuelanalysis
Venezuela Condemns Washington Support of Opposition Party, Prensa Latina
Venezuelan Oil Exports to China to Increase Five-Fold, Venezuelanalysis
Global warming 'past the point of no return', Connor
US poultry giant under fire after segregation scandal is revealed, Buncombe
Malawi counts the cost of America's policy for funding anti-Aids drugs, Selva
UN summit has failed Africa, says Geldof, Grice
Britain sceptical over Bush's pledge to revise agricultural subsidies, Grice
It's good news for the UN as Bush eats a little humble pie, Rowat
Must we wait a generation for democracy, here and at the UN? , Toynbee
Bush trade pledge just easy words, says Mandelson , Seager
Cartoon: Blair at the U.N., through the eyes of Iraq, Rowson
Terrorism takes centre stage at UN summit, Bruce Cheadle

Iran's Leader Critical In First U.S. Visit
by Glenn Kessler
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 15 -- Newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, making his first trip to the United States, introduced himself to the U.S. media Thursday morning, displaying a dash of defiance at U.S. charges over Iran's nuclear program and a warning that the era of big-power...

U.S. Agenda on Iran Lacking Key Support
by Dafna Linzer and Colum Lynch
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 15 -- Despite an intense lobbying effort at the most senior levels, the Bush administration failed to persuade three key countries Thursday to back the United States in pressuring Iran to give up sensitive aspects of its nuclear energy program, diplomats and officials said.

Iran ready to share nuclear technology, president says, AP
'Iran is ready to transfer nuclear know-how to the Islamic countries', CBC News

Insurgents Strike Baghdad Again; Two-Day Death Toll Nears 200
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Suicide bombers struck the capital of Iraq again Thursday, lifting the death toll in two days of carnage to nearly 200.

Baghdad Toll Nears 200 as Insurgent Strikes Continue
by Ellen Knickmeyer
Two suicide car bombers struck back-to-back just half a mile apart in the Iraqi capital Thursday after another bombing hours earlier in the same neighborhood, bringing the day's death toll to at least 31 people in another day of deadly violence in Baghdad, according to Iraqi police.

The Sunni world turned upside down
by Stanley A. Weiss
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Washington's failure to grasp the true scope of the religious struggle in Iraq risks undermining its strategic goals across the region.

Waiting for a Constitution
by Geov Parrish
14 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Bush's prized 'democracy' in Iraq is a sham

Poll Shows Americans Want Troops...
by David Sirota
Poll Shows Americans Want Troops Brought Home; Top Dems Ignore the Public

US tempers its view of victory in Iraq, Sappenfield
Welcome to civil war in Iraq, Escobar
'Iraq's constitution, a failure for the US', The Hindu
Norwegian troops to quit Iraq, Bush told, Hindustan Times
Polls Confirm: US Out of Iraq, WorkingAssets
Chicago biggest city yet to call for bringing troops home, Spielman

Next, Massachusetts
by Post
FOR THE SECOND time in as many weeks, a state legislature has bucked the ugly trend of writing discrimination against gays into state law. Last week, the California Assembly voted to allow same-sex marriage. This week, lawmakers in Massachusetts decisively rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to overturn the state's Supreme Judicial Court decision acknowledging gay marriage rights. The lopsided vote, 157 to 39, provides a kind of backhanded legislative validation of the court's ruling, which had been much derided for usurping the legislative function. Lawmakers have not voted to create same-sex-marriage rights, but they have decided not to take them away. The vote shows that as people grow used to gay marriages, which have been taking place in Massachusetts for more than a year, their discomfort -- and the political impetus for banning them -- diminishes.

Why California's Governor Need Not Veto The Same-Sex Marriage Bill, Amar and Lieb

Katrina's Unsung Victims
by Jennifer Moses
BATON ROUGE, La. -- I keep seeing pictures of the president with his shirt-sleeves rolled up, surveying the damage to New Orleans. But I wonder if he has any idea just who the folks are who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. I ask because here in Baton Rouge we keep hearing about the desperately poor, and sometimes criminal, hordes Katrina has washed up on the shores of decent, hardworking, middle-class America: the (mainly black) gangs from the projects who, even during normal times, wreaked havoc on their fellow citizens, not to mention the merely poor -- teen mothers, drug addicts, the chronically unemployed.

Rough waters for Katrina's youngest victims
by Sarah Clusen Buecher
14 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Tragedy is even worse through the eyes of children

Water Lifts Its Awful Veil on Landscape of Destruction
by MICHAEL LUO and SEWELL CHAN
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
For the first time since the storm it was possible to see the details of the devastation inflicted on New Orleans and some of its poorest residents.

For Evacuees at Shelter, An Uncertain Next Step
by Kevin Merida
DALLAS, Sept. 15 -- The Dallas Convention Center has been a strange but comforting replacement neighborhood for those whose real 'hoods were drowned by Katrina. Here, the miserable and the hopeful, thrown together by common circumstance, have been trying to sort out their futures.

After Katrina, Where Have All the Prisoners Gone?
by sharif
Democracy Now

Large Parts of New Orleans Will Reopen Next Week
by Daniela Deane
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced today that large parts of the flood-ravaged city will reopen over the next week and that 182,000 evacuated residents will be able to return to their homes and businesses, reversing earlier estimates that the metropolis could be closed for months.

Some in New Orleans Can Go Home, Nicholas Riccardi and Ashley Powers
President Seeks to Revive a Region -- and His Image, Doyle McManus
Bush promises to rebuild Gulf coast, Marc Sandalow
Democrats want Marshall Plan for Gulf Coast, Marc Sandalow
Profit system, not nature, main obstacle to rebuilding New Orleans, WSWS

Frustrated by Roberts, and Unsure How to Vote
by SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Senate Democrats appear divided about how, and whether, to use their vote to send a message to President Bush as he selects a candidate to fill a second Supreme Court vacancy.

Roberts Frustrates Committee Democrats
by Charles Babington and Jo Becker
Democratic senators angrily accuse Roberts of hiding his views on end-of-life questions, privacy and other contentious issues, but the nominee refuses to be drawn out, and his Republican supporters say his confirmation is virtually assured.

Roe v. Roberts
by Charles Krauthammer
In our lifetime has there been a more politically poisonous Supreme Court decision than Roe v. Wade ? Set aside for a moment your thoughts on the substance of the ruling. (I happen to be a supporter of legalized abortion.) I'm talking about the continuing damage to the republic: disenfranchising, instantly and without recourse, an enormous part of the American population; preventing, as even Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, proper political settlement of the issue by the people and their representatives; making us the only nation in the West to have legalized abortion by judicial fiat rather than by the popular will expressed democratically.

Ready? Cue the Sun...
by DAVID BROOKS
Welcome to the third day of the confirmation hearings of John Roberts.  ...

Democrats Consider a Voting Strategy on Roberts, Maura Reynolds and Richard Simon
Roberts Gains Respect, if Not Converts, David G. Savage and Richard B. Schmitt
Roberts throws a curve, Oliphant
Roberts unscathed by grillings, Democrats turn gaze to court's 'swing' seat., Chaddock
Senate Dems frustrated by Roberts' refulsal to answer questions, Goodman+et al

Boston Globe

Evil then, evil now, White-Hammond + Grossman
Roberts exercises right to avoid specifics, Klein

Jobless claims, energy prices rise in latest reports, Crutsinger
Average family health policy nears $11,000, Appleby

Roberts dazzles, baffles senators , Bob Egelko
Schwarzenegger Signs Junk Food Ban, Lynda Gledhill
God Loves The 1974 VW Dasher, Mark Morford

More Iraqis Lured to Al Qaeda Group, Greg Miller and Tyler Marshall
Afghan Warlords Fix Sights on Political Power, Paul Watson
Bush's rescue mission, Editorial

Judge Declares Mich. Abortion Law Illegal, Eggert

Israeli Supreme Court orders barrier rerouted, CBC News

Canadian sailors expected to return early, Canadian Press
Hurricane spurs consideration of reduced lumber duties, Canadian Press

Katrina oil spills may be among worst on record , Borger and Vidal
Hurricane Katrina: Interactive guide to its environmental impact, Staff
Galloway vs. Hitchens: Cruising for a bruising , Younge
Schröder's government has made mistakes, but it is on the side of the disadvantaged, Grass
Chechnya: Whose side are you on? , Paton Walsh
Iraq: No easy solution as the death toll rises , Lead article
Iraq: Sliding into Civil War, Tisdall
Tough talks with Iran's leaders fail to end nuclear standoff , MacAskill and Traynor
US takes the war on drugs to Canada's Prince of Pot , Campbell
Sex, drink, and the coca boomtown blues , Muse
Banned stun guns and leg irons advertised at arms fair , Norton-Taylor
Hurricane Katrina has made the US news media start acting like reporters again, Patterson

Arts world unites for plea to pull troops out of Iraq, Russell
US politicians foiled in effort to ban web gaming, Griffiths and Stevenson
Book review: Holy Terror, by Terry Eagleton, Gray
Orson Welles: Cinema's lost genius, McNab

A third of soldiers heading for Iraq or Afghanistan, Bruce
What a friend we have in . . . Che Guevara?, Bannerman
Russia: Protests follow claims of race murder, MacDonald

Ex-FEMA chief tells of frustration and chaos, Kirkpatrick, Shane
Afghanistan: Rolling the dice for democracy, Inderfurth
Tussle over MacArthur highlights split over U.S., Choe

Pope decries corruption, inequality to Mexican bishops, El Universal
For second time, Elba Esther Gordillo loses out on PRI presidency, El Universal
Environmental activist released from prison , El Universal
Central American Poor Struggle as Oil Prices Soar, Planet Ark
Remember Daniel Ortega? He's back., CSM
Strategy to Fight Violence in Panama Redefined, Prensa Latina
After PJ Patterson, what?, Jamaica Observer
Millennium Development Goals Are Reality in Cuba inspite of embargo, Prensa Latina
Ecuadorian President ´Fumigates´ FM who Opposed Plan Colombia, Prensa Latina
Bush Should Use Brazil's Corruption to Show Real Friendship, Brazzil
Ex-President Cardoso Is in The Wings, Ready to Play Savior of Brazil, Brazzil
Scandal rocked Brazilian Congress expels “whistleblower” , Mercosur
On the Shores of Brazil's Sea of Mud There Are Pleasant Gardens, Brazzil
Fujimori Causes Controversy in Peru, Prensa Latina
Bolivian Region Strikes Over Oil Money, Prensa Latina
Bolivian coca truce about to expire, WPH

23 killed as suicide bombers strike Baghdad, AFP
Bush pleads guilty to storm mistakes but promises grand reconstruction, AFP
Clinton opens rival summit on world's problems, AFP

Sharon: My next goal is to end conflict, Aluf Benn
Likud MK: At UN, Sharon said goodbye to his party, Aluf Benn
Analysis: Sharon understands he must head toward the center, Aluf Benn
IDF searching for Palestinian infiltrators near Gaza border, Nir Hasson
Five Jewish families move into Arab property in Hebron, heating up conflict there, Nadav Schragai
Land for carpets, Editorial
High Court tells state to reroute fence, but rejects Hague ruling, Yuval Yoaz
Fenced out, wall cuts off villagers from two-thirds of their land, Ada Ushpiz

Deadly attack on Iraqi labourers, Marine killed, cleric killed, Agencies
US jets bomb Ramadi, fierce clashes erupt on the ground, Aljazeera TV
Saudi pledges more crude if needed, but problem is lack of refined fuels not crude, Reuters
Annan: Iraqis' right to life in peril by excessive use of force, Reuters
Sharon: Peace onus on Palestinians, Reuters

Iran Offers Islamic States Nuclear Technology, Reuters
Abbas Faces Crisis Over Gaza Chaos, Agencies
Fighting Before Afghan Elections Kills Six, AP
Killing Fields of Iraq, Editorial
Worsening Humanitarian Situation in Chechnya, Murad Batala Al-Shishani

Al-Qaeda has lost any claim it may have had to moral, noble or rational objectives., Editorial
Al-Qaeda's operatives now dominate the ideologues, Reuven Paz
For Kurds, sovereignty easily beats out the Iraqi constitution, Bashdar Ismaeel

Iranians, most influential people in intl. arena: president , IRNA
Some drawing UN blueprint are mostly concerned about their own interests, M. A. Saki

North Korea: When the talking ends .., Klingner
Middle East: Fundamental flaws, Reiss

Reactor ‘gift' continues to stall 6-way talks, Lee

Manmohan's appeal to the Indian-American community, The Hindu
Indo-Pak relations: 'We will not let terrorism hinder peace process', The Hindu
Kashmiris skeptical about PM-Mush meet, The Times of India
Manmohan-Musharraf meeting: Why the talks failed, The Times of India
Mush softens stand, says talks not a 'failure', The Times of India
UN suffers from democracy deficit: Manmohan, The Hindu
G-4 nations vow to remain united, Hindustan Times
US-Iran relations: India needs to stand firm, The Hindu
Our forked tongues, The Indian Express
Negotiating the Persian maze, The Indian Express
Indo-French nuclear cooperation, Deccan Herald
Rediscovering the art of sensitive governance, The Hindu
Gohana violence pre-planned: Fact-finding mission, The Hindu
Exposure of US democracy, Kashmir Times
Pak-Israel relations: Musings on recognizing Israel, Kashmir Times
Foreigners held in UK crackdown, The Hindu

Pharmaceutical Companies Influence Medical Students, Roman Bystrianyk
Judge Warns: Vioxx Mistrial Possible , Reuters
The Great Direct-To-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising Con, Dani Veracity

China's Banks a New Frontier for Global Finance, Chandrasekhar
Progressives, Firefighters And Nurses Need To Run Disaster Response, Weinstein
Beyond the “Vietnam Syndrome”, Solomon
Baghdad: The Bloodiest Day, Cockburn

Seeking a cure for the hurricane hangover, Staff
Hurricanes: Storm surge-the most damaging types are becoming more frequent, Staff
California's precautions: Getting ready for 'The Big One', Staff
Poverty in Latin America Social programmes , Staff
America's airlines, flying on empty, Staff
Human Development Index, Staff

War Morphs Into 'Security' , DefenseNews
Rice on Iraq: Latte Factor, ThinkProgress
More DHS Heads Browned, Ports UnSafe, M.Petrelis
Hughes To Control US Message, WaPo
VoteFraWd: DieBold Insider Talks, Brad-Blog
Roberts: Manchurian For the Job, B.Shein
Anti-War Activists Fed Trial , St. Pat 4.Org
Rep Lee's DownSt. Memo Bill Shot Down, Oak.Trib
BushWorld: Expansion of Domestic Mililtary , Yahoo
Norway to Pull Support From Iraq, San Diego UnionTrib

Bush to Rebuild New Orleans, Somehow
15 Sep 2005 at 8:03pm
President throws expensive bag of gimmicks at Katrina disaster by James Ridgeway
John Roberts's Glaring Innocence
15 Sep 2005 at 3:44pm
Has any present Supreme Court justice seen a cop lying on the witness stand? by Nat Hentoff
How to Be Broke and Live Large
15 Sep 2005 at 2:45pm
San Franciscans write the book(s) on living lean by Anya Kamenetz
Fiore: Petrotheism, the Quest for Fuel
15 Sep 2005 at 9:21am
by Mark Fiore
Notes on Cashing In After Katrina
14 Sep 2005 at 12:27pm
Bush takes responsibility for hurricane foul-up, sorta. Halliburton, others, take the cash for real by James Ridgeway
Relief Radio Skirts FEMA at Astrodome
13 Sep 2005 at 9:04pm
Activists sidestep FEMA bureaucracy to broadcast relief info to Katrina survivors by Sarah Ferguson
Go Down In The Flood...
by Christopher Cooper
Go Down In The Flood Gonna Be Your Own Fault
The Many Faces of Dr....
by Max Blumenthal
The Many Faces of Dr. Coburn

The Nation: All Weblogs

Capital Games: Bush's Big (and Easy) Speech in New Orleans
by David Corn
15 Sep 2005 at 9:10pm
Busy says he's "responsible for the problem 'and' the solution." Is he half-right?
The Online Beat: Accountability 101
by John Nichols
15 Sep 2005 at 3:26pm
If Bush really wants to meet the responsibility imposed by the Gulf Coast crisis, it'll take more than nice words and photo ops.

AlterNet.org

Peek: Bush the 'bad dad' and a press that OKs it
by Array
Bush's version of the 'strict father' as illustrated by Lambert, plus a slowly withering press.
Peek: Saddled with wombs
by Array
Oh dear, those crazy feminists are gettin' all uppity about Roberts. Again!
Peek: Remembering 'Hurricane Pam'
by Array
When FEMA playacts, it seems they really are just playacting.
Peek: Documents on 9/11 hijacker destroyed
by Array
When conspiracy theory becomes reality: the Pentagon had a whole library of documents on Mohammed Atta.

Talking Points Memo

President Bush: "It is now...
by Josh Marshall
16 Sep 2005 at 1:24am
President Bush: "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces -...
Notice a problem? Roll Call...
by Josh Marshall
15 Sep 2005 at 9:36pm
Notice a problem? Roll Call (sub. req.) has just posted a piece on its website with the headline: "House OKs Bipartisan Katrina Review Panel". That's followed by...
Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY), chairman...
by Josh Marshall
15 Sep 2005 at 7:26pm
Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY), chairman of the NRCC (the GOP House reelection committee), tells his fellow House Republicans to abandon Social Security phase-out for the...

WorkingForChange

BuzzFlash interview: Bill Lofy
by BuzzFlash Interviews
15 Sep 2005 at 1:00am
Author of new Paul Wellstone biography

An Election to Nowhere
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
It would be a terrible first step for Fernando Ferrer's mayoral campaign to take hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayers' money for an election in which he is the only candidate.
Still Eating Our Lunch
by THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
American parents had better understand that the people who are eating their kids' lunch in math are not resting on their laurels.
Jihad's Fresh Face
by WALEED ZIAD
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Terrorists demonize not just the West, but mainstream Islamic culture and philosophy as well.
Just What the Professor Ordered
by IAN AYRES
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Why should students pay $150 for one textbook?
On helping the poor
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
President Bush mentioned three important goals on reducing poverty in front of the world Wednesday at the United Nations and now it's time to implement them.
Judging John Roberts
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
By subjecting Judge John Roberts Jr. to tough questioning, U.S. Senate Democrats are sending a message that if President Bush chooses a far-right nominee, he can expect a major fight.
Other Views: Seattle Times, Daily Star, Kathimerini
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
Opinions from around the world.
Time to talk to Al Qaeda?
by Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
The best strategy for the U.S. in dealing with Al Qaeda may well be to address the collective reasons in which it anchors its acts of force.
Afghanistan: Rolling the dice for democracy
by Karl Inderfurth
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
If successful, the elections in Afghanistan will mark the conclusion of the formal process to map out the country's transition to a democratically elected government, including the adoption of a new constitution.
The German elections: Enough is enough, again
by Sven Hillenkamp
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
There are good reasons to believe that the people who are disappointed in Schröder are now bound to be let down by a Merkel government.
Caution on Turkey
by Jonathan Power
16 Sep 2005 at 5:00am
A ''yes'' to Turkey starting negotiations to enter the European Union on Oct. 3 would be consistent with previous promises, however, it must be a Ryes, but.R
Nominee Reveals Pragmatic Approach to Constitution
by ADAM LIPTAK
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Judge John G. Roberts Jr. made clear that his approach to interpreting the Constitution is varied and flexible.
Slow and Meandering Storm Weakens Off North Carolina
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Hurricane Ophelia crawled along the North Carolina coast on Thursday, prolonging its punishment of the Outer Banks with rain and wind.
White House Backs NASA Plan for Vehicles
by WILLIAM J. BROAD
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
The plan would rearrange the components of the space shuttle into a new design expected to be more powerful and safer.
Iran Promises Proposals to End Nuclear Stalemate
by STEVEN R. WEISMAN and WARREN HOGE
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Iran's president said he would present "new proposals" to break the impasse with Western nations over his nuclear programs.
Sharon Tells U.N. It's Time for Palestinian Peace Steps
by JOEL BRINKLEY
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel challenged the Palestinians to demonstrate their commitment to peace now that Israel has completed its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
North Koreans Insist on Demand for New Reactor in Nuclear Talks
by JOSEPH KAHN
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
North Korea on Thursday refused to drop a new demand that the outside world build it a nuclear reactor before it dismantles its nuclear weapons.
Court Says West Bank Barrier Must Detour by 5 Arab Villages
by GREG MYRE
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
Israel's highest court ruled that part of the separation barrier has imposed hardships on a group of Palestinian villages.
The Front-Runner in Germany Runs Scared
by MARK LANDLER
15 Sep 2005 at 10:00pm
After spending four months with a seemingly unassailable lead in the polls, Angela Merkel finds herself in a dogfight with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

Afghanistan Votes
by Post
FOUR YEARS AGO this weekend, the Taliban dictatorship of Afghanistan rejected a U.S. demand that it break its bond with Osama bin Laden, despite the attacks on New York and Washington one week earlier and the threat of American military action. This weekend, as many as 12 million Afghans will vote in nationwide elections for parliament and provincial councils in a historic step toward democracy. Among the 6,000 candidates are representatives of almost every faction that has contended for power in Afghanistan over the past several decades. There are tribal leaders and Western-educated liberals; communists and the mujaheddin who once fought them and, later, each other; and several former officials of the Taliban itself. Five hundred eighty-two of the candidates are women, who four years ago were banned from holding jobs, going to school or appearing on the street without covering themselves from head to foot. They will fill at least 68 of the 249 seats in the parliament.
The Vioxx Hex
by Post
PROCEEDINGS began this week in the lawsuit filed by Frederick Humeston
Putin's Chosen 'Public'
by Masha Lipman
MOSCOW -- Last month President Vladimir Putin's broadly televised public activities included flying a strategic bomber, driving an old Soviet-era Volga automobile, overseeing naval maneuvers on board a nuclear missile cruiser, inaugurating a highway tunnel and visiting a children's cancer hospital, where he had a friendly meal with a sick boy and ordered that a new, state-of-the-art ward be constructed without delay. He listened to the defense minister's report on Russian-Chinese military maneuvers and presided over grand celebrations of the 1,000th anniversary of the city of Kazan, attended by Russian regional leaders and presidents of most of the former Soviet republics. Western political scholars and journalists who met with him during the first week of September were nearly unanimous in their favorable impression of the Russian leader: "Energetic" and "confident" were the most frequent assessments heard from those who attended.
Don't End Their Hope of a Home
by Ann Hornaday
When Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the White House today, he and President Bush are expected to discuss such global issues as the environment, trade agreements, nuclear weapons and terrorism. But I hope that at some point they get around to talking about Alexei, Katya, Roma, Misha and Victoria.
Solidarity Isn't Forever
by George F. Will
When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,
We Can Pay Teachers More
by Chris Whittle
With schools back in session it's worth reminding ourselves of a sobering fact: America's average public school teacher is paid $46,000 a year. Largely because of the persistent efforts of teachers unions, that number is much higher in real terms than it was two decades ago. Still, it pales in comparison with the compensation of other professionals.
Study: Half of All Teens Have Had Oral Sex
by Laura Sessions Stepp
Slightly more than half of American teenagers, ages 15 to 19, have engaged in oral sex, according to a recent federal study.
Ophelia Brings N.C. Heavy Rains, Minimal Flooding
by Alan Cooperman
BUXTON, N.C., Sept. 15 -- After lashing the North Carolina coast for two days and testing the post-Katrina readiness of disaster agencies, Hurricane Ophelia appeared on Thursday to be weakening and heading back out to sea.
Vatican to Survey Seminaries for Homosexuality
by Caryle Murphy
The Vatican has ordered an inspection of Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States to look for "evidence of homosexuality" and for faculty members who dissent from church teachings, according to a document containing guidelines for the year-long review.
Groups Criticize Romney's Comments
by David A. Fahrenthold
BOSTON, Sept. 15 -- Civil liberties and Muslim groups criticized Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Thursday for suggesting that authorities should spend more time monitoring mosques and their attendees, possibly with wiretaps.
Germans Haven't Forgotten Schroeder's Unfulfilled Pledge
by Craig Whitlock
BREMEN, Germany -- When he took office seven years ago, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder made a big promise he didn't keep.
Election Gives Group That Battled Taliban Chance at a Comeback
by N.C. Aizenman
BAZARAK, Afghanistan -- The green-domed mausoleum housing the tomb of Afghanistan's legendary guerrilla leader Ahmed Shah Massoud sits atop a windblown cliff with a breathtaking view of the lush Panjshir Valley. This was Massoud's northern redoubt over two decades of fighting against a succession of...
7 Detained In Britain As Threats To Security
by Ed Johnson
LONDON, Sept. 15 -- British authorities detained seven foreigners Thursday for deportation as threats to national security, and the government backed a police proposal to hold terrorism suspects for as long as three months without charge.
WORLD IN BRIEF
by Post
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province started handing over weapons to international monitors Thursday, a crucial element in a peace deal that has brought hope to the tsunami-ravaged region.
Talks Deadlock Over N. Korea's Demand for Reactor
by Edward Cody
BEIJING, Sept. 15 -- U.S. and North Korean diplomats acknowledged an irreconcilable deadlock Thursday in long-stalled nuclear disarmament talks, casting doubt on the future of Chinese-sponsored six-party negotiations.