This is a very friendly view of Hank Paulson, whose personal style and characteristics are emphasized. There is no critical examination of his account of the fiscal fiasco the Fed and Treasury abetted Wall Street in executing.

Krugman views current Rightist attacks on Obama, via the healthcare proposals, as continuation of the irrational anti-Clinton mania "that eagerly seizes on every wild rumor manufactured by the right-wing media complex. This opposition cannot be appeased." Examples show this to be GOP strategy, which he believes only can be thwarted with "a sense of passion and outrage — passion for the goal of ensuring that every American gets the health care he or she needs, outrage at the lies ... More »

This is close to non-news, with Washington claiming a key Taliban commander killed by drone-missile attack, but Taliban denying it, while Pakistanis remain silent.

This presents verbatim conservative talking points on health care without any documentation to back a purely ideological stance. The author has worked with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative free market think-hole noted for corporate funding and action resulting in banning an environmental textbook from Texas schools.

The article is too brief to detail the difficulties Boeing is experiencing, although several links are provided. Closer coordination between the parties is deemed necessary to avoid redesign delays. Not mentioned is that that Dreamliner is the first airliner to go from computer to manufacture without a full-scale mockup.

This is a shallow apologia for a failed US health care industry. The author admits it's "in need of reform. It's inefficient, its costs are rising at unsustainable rates and it leaves too many people uninsured." Then he damns by faint praise, "most Americans do get something for the fortune they pour into health care — pretty good treatment, at least compared to the rest of the world."

This commentary puts forth some positions absent from the mainstream media, which the author characterizes as "from the same class as Mousavi's supporters, and so instinctively identify with them". His major contentions: Aside from Ahmadenijad's appeal to the poorer classes, the US black ops are reputed to have been working up to this for two years, also not noted in MSM. The goal of the US is not for a more democratic Iran, but a servile client state willing to be exploited for ... More »

The author presents the liberal agenda as health care reform defined exclusively as universal health insurance. His thesis is that that option is estimated to be too expensive, although he admits no knowledge of the details making it so. The article speculates on what cuts may ensue. There is little substance here.

Reason Magazine is a no-holds-barred free enterprise at any cost libertarian podium which opposes government regulation of anything, including pollution and tobacco. Ergo, predictable bias on upcoming health care reforms. Also note the author is a science correspondent, not a medical or insurance specialist. A few of his observations need balancing; "lower premiums are essentially achieved by imposing price controls." Aren't health care costs in need of control? "Medicare ... More »

The assessment of Reagan's presidency is decidedly critical, but extensively detailed with events to support the negative view. This is a "must read", regardless of your political inclinations.

The article describes an alarmingly crass profit-motivated assault on the dwindling blue-fin tuna stocks. It is a conceivable plot, given the Japanese cultural penchant for delicacies that threaten both shark and whale populations. Unfortunately, the evidence that Mitsubishi intends to decimate the species is asserted by a former fisherman turned filmmaker, but no corroboration is presented. The company contends it is following normal procedures, but both WWF and Greenpeace are ... More »

Billions of dollars are dedicated to job retraining unemployed workers, there is a screaming need/benefit to the nation's efficiency, but all is in flux (new products, companies, consumer reticence) so there is uncertainty about how high this plan might fly. There are numerous quotes from "on-the-ground" individuals, a few experts, and no comprehensive analysis of the big picture. The link "Stimulus plan provides boost to green jobs" is a valuable overview of green jobs by Van Jones.

The article delivers a bewildering array of prices, authorities, and some perspective on their meanings, but it is intended for those familiar with financial business. The implicit message is that Treasury is allowing taxpayers to take a beating on TARP sales.

I was curious enough to review some other articles on this fossil discovery, and a much better overview is also from LiveScience, May 20, by Clara Moskowitz. It cites a number of varied viewpoints not mentioned in Meridith F. Small's, and notes criticism of the excessive commercial hype of the announcement by the History Channel and related book promotion by Little, Brown. The bottom line is that it's a prime specimen that offers nothing new.

This Times report uses Defense sources, congresspersons (some anonymous), The Brookings Institute, and the Institute for Science and International Security to bolster the premise that Pakistan is rapidly increasing its nuclear arsenal, or at least materials for it. There are fears that US aid for security and infrastructure may be sidetracked toward this end, and that the US has uncertain controls on the situation. Adding to the rising alarm is the specter of a Taliban ... More »

The NPR segment is a pretty fair assessment of the appointee's Chicago experience, and explores his view of national reform. Duncan has engaged in grandstanding; firing of all staff of some schools, closing neighborhood schools over parental protest, and been confrontational with teachers. He has had modest success except in the most poverty stricken schools. The strongest arm of his program is the increased hands-on training of recruits, which has produced more effective beginning teachers.

James Baker is given free reign by the WSJ interviewer to proclaim his opinions as truth. He faults Obama's team for not focusing on the economy "quite as laser-like and extensive as the focus that we put on it in '81." He also blames Obama for failing "to achieve the bipartisanship he said he wanted to achieve." He is warm to talks with Iran and Syria if it's "not talking just for talking's sake", and presents a revisionist history of Reaganomics to critique Obama's deficit ... More »

The video on YouTube is prejudicial in its title, but proceeds to embarrassing simple-minded schlock with no useful information or analysis, and apparent intent to discredit hybrids. The treatment roughly follows; The Prius regenerates power upon braking, but (scary music and melodramatic faces on actors accompany) its electrical system can, OH NO!, kill you. So if you want a safer, less complicated option, go see an all-electric. All electric Tesla is presented with exciting ... More »

The author restricts his analysis with assumptions and assertions that many economists question; "it's not a good idea to try to raise all that extra money just from households with annual incomes of more than $250,000..., a level at which taxes begin to discourage people from working and investing...that would prompt them to invest significant time and money to find new ways to evade taxes...Obama wants to raise the top income tax rate to 40 percent from 35 percent, which is ... More »

This too brief article states that Americans question the IRS enforcement of "arcane requirements" on both IRS employees and mundane citizenry, when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HHS appointee Kathleen Sebelius walked unscathed from their tax "oops" omissions.

This N.Y. Times story is long on details of the personal experiences of one Company in a small area of Afghan valleys. It exudes a vaguely optimistic prognosis due to the Obama "surge" in advanced equipment and additional troops, but acknowledges the unfriendly populace and uncommitted Afghan officials make securing the area problematic.

This 10 minute broadcast interview with two well known oceanographers presents some of their basic conclusions, needing more depth. They say; Most ocean areas are unexplored, poorly understood except for extractive and fishing purposes. The biggest threat is acidification due to excessive carbon in the atmosphere, but destruction of ecosystems, beginning with coral reefs and other rich spawning areas looms large (fisheries down by half). They are excited about the appointment of ... More »

This is an optimistic, speculative piece, taken from American Chemical Society material, that admits too little is known and years of research are needed before production could occur. It omits both the high cost of deep water mining of clathrates and the dangers of destabilizing structures containing huge amounts of volatile methane, a gas 20 times more dangerous for atmospheric warming than CO2.

This argumentative piece begins with the dangers the coal industry imposes on localities and the world at large, It then continues with a rich history of the industry's advertising strategy, and details of the politics, dollars, and personalities at play. The future of coal is unclear and politically turbulent, luring fiscal hawks, and repulsing greens. Clean coal (CCS) is mostly a figment of Big Coal's PR campaign, but it has tremendous appeal as a safe haven for political ... More »

The two paragraph story presents a technological innovation to meet demands that exceed normal production by paying commercial accounts who agree to standby on short notice for cutting their delivery. It could explore a more basal attack centering on adequate insulation to prevent excessive demand during heat waves, and promotion of solar powered adsorption cooling.

The article presents a conflict, which is very real for Obama-ites, between dirty energy producers and would-be regulators without addressing the PR/Lobbying blitz by Big Coal, nor the stimulus that would result for millions of workers in new clean renewable energy. The back-story of the politics, economics, and even health consequences would flesh out a routine account of political conflict.

The story presents the basic facts of recent EPA action to delay use of permits, issued under Bush administrators, to blow up verdant habitat and displace rural residents for profit. The account needs to present these issues for greater depth. The coal conglomerates express grief for jobs lost, Environmentalists sigh in relief.

The extended conflagration of energy developers against preservationists finds fuel in the desert. The story is well-sourced, but with a conservative bias. The conflict may be less than meets the eye, with mutual respect for habitat expressed by both sides. There needs to be a national effort to survey lands if a renewable energy future can be constructed, and the article needs biologists to weigh in on what the costs will be if desert areas are "sacrificed" for the greater good.

Brooks points out that American citizens' outrage over bonuses is a distraction (but symbolic). Although he casts foreigners as being in precarious situations, many of their economies are not as shot through with fraud, and some have nationalized banks for strict controls we do not have. He may be correct that the G-20 is headed for impotence, because Europeans want no more of our exported fraud. Hence their emphasis on long-term architecture, and international regulations ... More »

The article details a day of "intrusion" by poor blacks into a wealthy Chicago suburb, whose students "were oblivious" to their privileged state. More details of students' reactions would add much, but the irony is that they were kept apart throughout the school day. School boards and legislators should read this and discuss how their situations embody similar inequities. The funding inequality is not only from inner city to suburb, but from North to South, always wealthy ... More »

Jeffrey Gettleman lays out a smooth flow of historical fact and his interpretation of the forces of geopolitical meddling, Islamic sectarianism, and lawlessness for survival and profit in the pitiable land of Somalia. Be not timid about the 5 pages, for they slip by easily, and inform mightily.

Turkey's potential importance as a strategic US route out of Iraq is the limited topic of this article. Limited US-Turkey relationship history is given, but leaves me wanting details of the frictions of 2003 leading to cooperation in Kurdish issues, and a broader understanding of alliance, and Turkey's payoff for that.

There was a committee who was confused and asked questions of the Treasury guy who was vaguely assuring that, although difficult, the government will provide appropriate financing for banks, that will run into $ trillions. This seems like no news considering the loop-tape message we've been hearing since the Bush men admitted there was a problem. The links add a little more detail.

Very little of the article weighs national needs or cost and benefit values of a rapid passenger rail system; the implication that a tawdry freight system must continue to lose importance is counter-intuitive in an energy expensive future. Instead attention is focused on political posturing and maneuvering. Basic elements of the story are unclear; how much rail will $10 billion deliver?, why are rail companies uncooperative?, did Reid get $ billions for an LA to LV rail line?, ... More »

This speculative Op-Ed piece proposes that Obama should exploit every opportunity to contrast himself to the poor performance of the Bush regime. It recaps Clinton's exit, with Neo-Con rumors of stolen silverware, sabotaged offices, etc. suggesting Demos follow suit; "they ought to let every embarrassing detail out." It also implies a danger of Bush's image improving as time erases painful images of war, hurricanes, and fiscal fallout. It's interesting in a mean-spirited way ... More »

The author details her extensive previous exposition of coal industry damages to the Appalachian mountains, with numerous useful links. She proceeds to detail the affronts to environment through favors bestowed on vested energy interests by the Bush administration, including the most recent, the massive toxic coal waste flood under the supervision of the TVA. A thoughtful ending; she asks if it is time to turn our time and energy away from Bush's "Legacy" to concentrate on holding ... More »

It's mostly a short list of the author's favorite points to look for in the Official History Rewrite, known as the Bush Legacy Project. Follow the link, and choose your own.

Here are words to heed from Nobel winner Krugman, who outlines salient facts of a new economic system in the offing. Although nobody knows quite what that will be, what it won't be is another bubble, with Americans spending their brains dizzy. That means the global economy will search for another economic engine while the US hunkers down just to subsist, albeit with much government help, for a long time.

This too-short piece manages to ponder the question of Wall Street excesses in a Jewish context, with a Rabbi's views.