Category Archives: National news

Here’s a little quiz, from something I saw in the news yesterday but didn’t get around to commenting on. See if you can identify the speaker and the subject of the following quote. “Because those who are fighting against it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I haven’t seen anyone else mention this, so I’ll note that a new federal building has just opened in Oklahoma City to replace the one that was destroyed by the terrorist Timothy McVeigh. OKLAHOMA CITY – A new Oklahoma City … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to the 40-year retrospectives about the Kennedy assassination. It’s just a subject that doesn’t interest me much. I did, however, take the time to read this touching article about Dallas police officer … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Looks like the secret to good economic health this holiday season is rich folks buying stuff. “The stars are aligned for the wealthy,” said Howard Davidowitz, president of Davidowitz & Associates, a national retail consulting firm in New York. “Who’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Everything you want to know about Alabama judge Roy Moore’s removal from the court can be found in the War Liberal “Get Your Moore On” archives. As the latest entry indicates, Mac is skeptical about Moore’s prospects for higher office, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

During one of the brief times that I got to do a little websurfing last week, I was shocked to read (via Making Light) that there had been a deadly crash involving the Staten Island Ferry. I took the Ferry … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Mark Evanier mentions an aspect of the Roy Horn tiger-mauling story that I hadn’t considered. Beyond the obvious tragedy here, it’s sad to think about how many lives this accident has impacted. Most of the 150-180 people who worked on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ugh. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, whose efforts to install a monument to the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of his state’s Judicial Building were thwarted by federal courts, spent a busy Sunday in Houston promoting his cause. The same … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I second Patrick‘s recommendation of this Jim Henley piece. Continue reading →

Hope gives a rundown of the various states whose legislatures have authorized license plates with the slogan “Choose Life”, the fees for which go in part to antiabortion groups of some kind. (Her permalinks are screwy; scroll past the birthday … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The top picture here is what Americans who hate America really look like. Via Angry Bear. Continue reading →

The Chron has a two-part overview of Rod Paige (Sunday and Monday), the Secretary of Education and former Superintendant of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Not much there that isn’t general knowledge (I’m moderately surprised to hear that Eric … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tom Spencer points to this article about doings in the Missouri Senate, which contains the following rather amazing proposal to add to the state’s coffers: After defeating the governor’s plan, Republicans took up their own blueprint for raising additional revenue. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Would you believe that our nation’s outstanding debts might include bonds from the Louisiana Purchase? A find by the National Archives suggests that the United States might have shortchanged the investors who financed the Louisiana Purchase 200 years ago last … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Well, if TAPPED is willing to believe that Tim Robbins got cut off by The Today Show in mid-interview, maybe I should believe it, too. Did anyone reading this actually see what happened? I’d love to hear from you. Meanwhile, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s time for another segment of Is This Headline Real, or Is It From The Onion: Media Banned From Free Speech Event. CLEVELAND – Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia banned broadcast media from an appearance Wednesday where he will receive … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Having had my fun with New Mexico’s recent spate of legislative looniness, I feel compelled to point out this affirmation of civil rights and liberties which has been introduced into their state house. Go read the whole thing and ask … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Wow. SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who vanished from her bedroom nine months ago, was found alive today, riding in the car of a drifter who had once done work at the family’s home, police said. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It’s a sad day in the neighborhood: PITTSBURGH – Fred Rogers, who gently invited millions of children to be his neighbor as host of the public television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for more than 30 years, died of cancer early … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Ten years ago today the World Trade Center was bombed by terrorists who hoped to bring the Towers down. Looking back on it, we never really realized it for what it was: a declaration of war. Pretty easy to see … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There’s been a big explosion at an oil storage facility on Staten Island, my hometown. One person is confirmed dead so far, one is missing, and one is in critical condition. This facility is about as far away as you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

In case you didn’t notice, the GAO dropped its lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney over his Top Secret Energy Meetings from 2001, so we’ll never get to know if they did in fact play Five Minutes In The Closet … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The space shuttle Columbia exploded over Central Texas on its way back to its scheduled landing in Florida. Shuttle commander Rick D. Husband, pilot William C. McCool, payload commander Michael P. Anderson, mission specialists David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

One look at today’s business section and it’s obvious why President Bush had so little to say about the state of the Union in his State of the Union address. We’ll start with Markets Dipping in Shaky Session, in which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Rob reports on this article about abstinence-only education as it’s practiced in Lubbock, Texas (which as Rob also notes has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Texas). Abstinence-only is how Team Bush wants sex ed taught around the country, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Yeah, I know, “allegedly cloned”, at least until DNA tests can be performed. In any event, the baby and her mother arrived in Florida yesterday and were transported to a secure undisclosed location. Testing will be done later, at which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Famed photographer Herb Ritts has died of pneumonia at the age of 50. Ritts was one of the best ever at photographing supermodels, but there was a lot more to his work than that. Continue reading →

Here’s a great Christmas story from the news: A New York City police officer got a Christmas gift of $3,000 from homeless people who wanted to thank him for standing up for them. Officer Eduardo Delacruz was suspended for 30 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I agree with Atrios, this post on eRiposte about the mass arrest of immigrants who had responded to an INS request to come in for some paperwork processing is a must read. This is bad on many levels, and it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve seen a couple of exhortations to observe Buy Nothing Day. I’m not impressed. The idea of picking one day to change one’s behavior may have pop culture appeal, but like the Great American Gas Out it will accomplish nothing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Those new environmental rules that Team Bush has unleashed on us look awfully familiar to us folks in Texas. Well hey, Bush promised to do to America’s economy what he did to Texas’, so why should things be any different … Continue reading → Continue reading →

From today’s Chron: The Bush administration today eased clean air rules to allow utilities, refineries and manufacturers to avoid having to install expensive new anti-pollution equipment when they modernize their plants. The long-awaited regulation issued by the Environmental Protection Agency … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’m at a loss for words after reading this interview with James Kopp, the man who shot and killed Dr. Barnett Slepian in his home in 1998: “The truth is not that I regret shooting Dr. (Barnett) Slepian. I regret … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Now that he’s done his best to give a helping hand to pharmaceutical companies in the name of Homeland Security, what’s next for Dick Armey? Why, consulting for the ACLU, of course. It’s not as big a leap as it … Continue reading → Continue reading →