U.S. Fears Iraq Won't Keep Up Rebuilt Projects

Nov 21, 2009 - BAGHDAD — In its largest reconstruction effort since the Marshall Plan, the United States government has spent $53 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, building tens of thousands of hospitals, water treatment plants, electricity substations, schools and bridges. But there are growing concerns among American officials that Iraq will not be able to adequately maintain the facilities once the Americans have left, potentially wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and jeopardizing Iraq’s ability to provide basic services to its people. The projects run the gamut — from a cutting-edge, $270 million water treatment plant in Nasiriya that works at a fraction of its intended capacity because it is too sophisticated for Iraqi workers to operate, to a farmers’ market that farmers cannot decide how to share, to a large American hospital closed immediately after it was handed over to Iraq because the government was unable to supply it with equipment, a medical staff or electricity. - 6 Comments

Can You Believe This?

Nov 17, 2009 -   New mammogram guidelines raise questions Benefits of screening before age 50 don't outweigh risks, task force says   updated 7:39 a.m. CT, Tues., Nov . 17, 2009 NEW YORK - For many women, getting a mammogram is already one of life's more stressful experiences. - 7 Comments

The Absolutely Worst Bill Ever

Nov 11, 2009 - The Absolutely Worst Bill Ever By Peter Ferrara on 11.11.09 @ 6:08AM "The Worst Bill Ever." That is the title the always calm and rational Wall Street Journal put on its editorial on November 1 about the government health care takeover bill that passed the House last week on virtually a party line vote, 220-215. But even this label doesn't fully communicate the outright assault on the American people involved in this legislation. - 1 Comment

H1N1 stats

Nov 12, 2009 - With the new outrages stats that have come out today with regards to deaths related to Swine Flu, I thought I would post this article.   http://www.reuters.com/article/americasCrisis/idUSN11383966   ANALYSIS-New US swine flu death estimates will be guess Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:56pm EST Email | Print | Share | Reprints | Single Page [-] Text [+] Featured Broker sponsored link Flu deaths based on estimates Data take months to collect This pandemic spares the elderly -- to a pointBy Maggie Fox, Health and Science EditorWASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials are due to release new estimates of deaths from swine flu on Thursday, but the numbers will be just that -- a rough estimate.The U.S. - 18 Comments

Understanding todays Soviet Russia

Nov 11, 2009 - Twenty Years After the Fall By George Friedman We are now at the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet empire in Eastern Europe. We are also nearing the 18th anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union itself. This is more than simply a moment for reflection — it is a moment to consider the current state of the region and of Russia versus that whose passing we are now commemorating. - 0 Comments

Obama's "mild" presidency

Nov 05, 2009 - Analysis: Where was the downtown rally? Obama’s Madison visit a hallmark of his mild presidency By JOHN NICHOLS   Analysis: Where was the downtown rally? Obama's Madison visit a hallmark of his mild presidencyOne year ago Tuesday, Barack Obama redefined American electioneering to such an extent that it was possible to believe that the success of his transformational campaign would lead to a transformational presidency. - 16 Comments

8 Reasons Fox Is Not a News Organization

Oct 24, 2009 - Even before Barack Obama was elected to the presidency, Rupert Murdoch had declared war on him via the personalities of Fox News Channel, a subsidiary of Murdoch's media conglomerate, News Corp. Since Obama's election, the cable channel's hosts and paid analysts have launched a full frontal assault on the president, smearing his nominees, calling him a racist and suggesting that his administration was trying to persuade disabled veterans to off themselves. Now the fearmongers at Fox are crying foul since the president and his aides declared Fox not to be a news organization. - 5 Comments

Glenn Beck's Bizarre Outburst Against Meatless Mondays and Vegetarians

Oct 30, 2009 - This goes along with the story that I posted in 4.0 about Meatless Mondays in Baltimore schools Jon Stewart ended an interview with climate-change contrarian and Super Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt on Monday night by noting, "I've apparently frightened our audience by suggesting that conservation isn't the only way out of any of the problems of the world. I sincerely apologize." He added, "And I do also believe that we should just eat vegetables." - 13 Comments

Vatican Backs Obama’s Global Agenda

Oct 14, 2009 - By Cliff Kincaid  |  October 12, 2009 Accuracy in Media   Some pro-life Catholics are acting shocked that the Vatican warmly greeted the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama, who is pro-abortion. They don't seem to understand that the Vatican and Obama agree on most major international issues. This is the untold story-how Obama and the Vatican accept major ingredients of what has been called a New World Order. - 6 Comments