Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Headlines

New York Times

Washington Post

Yesterday's Feature Stories And Headlines

Bushonomics

The Binge Continues
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The Bush administration is crowing about long-term budget deficit targets it cannot reach under any set of reasonable assumptions.

Big Rise in Corporate Taxes Is Predicted to Reduce Deficit
by ROBERT PEAR
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
However, the Congressional Budget Office discerned no improvement in the long-term fiscal outlook for the next decade.

More Than Minority Blues
by E. J. Dionne Jr.
Recently I ran across a small book, a collection of essays called "A House of Ill Repute," that should strike fear in the heart of today's Republican majority in Congress. Its critique of the status quo is devastating.

Israel, Bush adm to shakedown US taxpayers for additional $2 billion this year, AP

Fuel Economy Plan Seen Omitting Rule for Big S.U.V.'s
by DANNY HAKIM
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The Bush administration is expected to abandon a proposal to extend fuel economy regulations to include Hummers and other jumbo sport utility vehicles, auto industry and other officials say.

Land mismanagement, lat ed

Rove And Ashcroft Face New Allegations In The Valerie Plame Case, Waas

Losing Student Loans
by Post
WHEN THE HIGHER Education Act was reauthorized in 1998, Rep. Mark Edward Souder -- the Indiana Republican whose favorite pastimes include trying to disembowel the District's gun safety laws -- co-sponsored an amendment that would strip students of federal loans if they were convicted of possessing or selling drugs. Eligibility could be taken away for one year, two years or indefinitely, depending on the type and number of convictions. Since the law went into effect, it reportedly has had an impact on about 160,000 students.

House Bill Makes Largest Cuts Ever In Student Aid, Kamenetz

Bush: Out Standing In His Field, Harkavy
Cindy Sheehan's Fellowship Of Grief, Zappala+Zappala
Standoff In Crawford, Walker
The grieving mother who took on George Bush, Cornwell
Howdy from the home of the 'toxic Texan', Staff

Justice Sunday Reloaded
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
What the extreme right speakers at the second Justice Sunday rally object to is not activist judges, but judges who disagree with them.

Thousands Fill Church for 'Justice Sunday', Rucker

Iraqis Fail To Meet Constitution Deadline
by Ellen Knickmeyer and Omar Fekeiki
Iraqi factional leaders failed to meet Monday's deadline for drafting a constitution in an often-rancorous debate that appeared to have widened rifts among Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish and secular groups.

Leaders in Iraq Extend Deadline on Constitution
by DEXTER FILKINS and JAMES GLANZ
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Iraqi leaders were unable to resolve critical questions over the role of Islam, oil and the distribution of political power.

Iraq's Delayed Charter
by Post
THE DEADLINE for completing a draft of Iraq's new constitution was missed yesterday to the disappointment of Iraqis and American officials who had hoped that Monday would represent another major step toward full Iraqi sovereignty. But the slip in the schedule should not be viewed -- at least at this stage -- as a permanent obstacle on the road to an Oct. 15 referendum, the Dec. 15 national elections and a constitutional government beginning Dec. 31. The negotiators, finding themselves stuck on key issues, did not throw up their hands and quit the process. Instead, they requested, and received from the National Assembly, a one-week extension to produce a final draft of a permanent constitution. The alternatives to a seven-day delay would have been worse.

Despite Setback, Bush Optimistic on Iraqi Charter
by Peter Baker and Robin Wright
The failure to draft a new Iraqi constitution by yesterday's deadline represents another blow to President Bush's attempts to show progress that would pave the way for U.S. troop withdrawals, some analysts said yesterday, but U.S. officials called it a temporary setback and hailed Iraqi leaders for...

Someone tell the president the war is over, nyt
'From bad to worse,' is one of the common phrases Iraqis use, Peggy Gish
Sadr City lacks electricity, water and sewage., CPT
How To Make A Kurdistan, Harkavy
How to Get Out of Iraq, Dreyfuss
Letting Go of Iraq, Starr
Iraq's Shotgun Wedding, Harkavy
U.s. Corporations March Into Baghdad, At The Expense Of Self-determination, Juhasz
A Constitution That Means Nothing To Ordinary Iraqis, Fisk
Reality check for Bush administration in Iraq, Regan
Colonel predicts politics, not warfare, will bring Iraq pullout by 2006, Chamberlain
Fallout of Iraq Charter Delay Is Uncertain, Tyler Marshall and Alissa J. Rubin
Iraq misses constitution deadlines, US ambassador blames weather, AFP
An exit strategy for Iraq now, Tom Hayden
Iraq's constitution: A stumbling start, Lead article
Iraq: 'It is all promises and lies' , Carroll
Iraq: Arab champion or cauldron of civil war? , Carroll
Will Iraqi women will be the biggest losers in the country's new Constitution?, Prothero

Names of the Dead
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The Department of Defense has identified 1,847 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the deaths of the following Americans yesterday:.

A rush to make room for returning troops, Sappenfield

U.S. eyes relaxing air security rules, Tim Harper

Clarke suggests link between London attacks , Travis and Norton-Taylor
Muslim groups warn of radical backlash to harsh measures in U.K., Tempest and agencies
Looking for something more meaningful than capitalism: Race, Islam and terrorism , Beckford

Talk to Tehran
by Fareed Zakaria
Two things are very expensive in international politics, the game-theorist Thomas Schelling once observed: threats when they fail and promises when they succeed. President Bush appears to be headed on a path that could teach him this lesson.

Schröder, the Underdog, Plays an Old Card With a New Face: Iran
by RICHARD BERNSTEIN
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder introduced Iran into the current German campaign, saying he would not allow German troops to be used in any military campaign there.

Bush Pulls Out HIs Weapon On Prime Time Israeli TV, Harkavy
Bush's blind spot on Iran, Robert Scheer
All the president's men, Haeri
Will Bush make fools of us again over Iran?, Linda Heard
Schroder Warns US On Iran Military Action, Benoit
Iran is a riddle that America cannot solve, Reid
Analysis of Iran, nuclear ambitions, Bush's threats, and the price of oil, Hamilton

Israeli Troops Press Settlers to Quit Gaza
by STEVEN ERLANGER
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Israeli police officers warned residents that they had until early Wednesday to leave before they were pulled out of their homes.

Steady Exodus From Gaza Continues
by Scott Wilson
Kisameem Crossing, Gaza Strip, Aug. 16 -- A small but steady exodus of settlers from the Gaza Strip was underway Tuesday, as other settlers, along with protesters who traveled here from across Israel, awaited Wednesday's eviction deadline for a possible confrontation with Israeli troops.

Gaza: Tomorrow's Iraq
by Richard Cohen
It is the solemn obligation of a columnist to connect the dots. So let's call one dot Iraq and another the Gaza Strip, and note that while they are far different in history and circumstance, they are both places where Western democracies, the United States and Israel, are being defeated by a common enemy, terrorism. What is happening in Gaza today will happen in Iraq tomorrow.

Gazans to Monitor How Vacated Land Is Used
by JAMES BENNET
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
The major Palestinian factions have agreed to oversee how the Palestinian Authority uses land left behind as Israeli settlers and soldiers leave the Gaza Strip.

Mother Knows Best
by ZEV CHAFETS
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
With George Bush in the White House and his mother's influence on his mind, Ariel Sharon is ready to give peace a chance.

Withdrawal from Gaza: Disengagement and ethnic cleansing , Baram
Sharon's Disinngenuous Game Of Bait-And-Switch, Harkavy
Gaza is a first step, nyt
Face-offs in Gaza as eviction notices arrive, Myre
Sharon at Peace With Himself Over Decision, Laura King
In Gaza, Troops and Settlers Take Each Other's Measure, Ken Ellingwood and Laura King
The Gaza gamble, lat ed
Sharon praises 'pioneers', Mitch Potter
It seems that Israel wants to lock up Gaza and throw away the key, McCann
Hardline Settlers Dig In For Last Stand, O'Loughlin

For Retirees, The Day of Reckoning
by Thomas J. Healey and Robert Steel
The tremendous cost of providing health care coverage to its 1.1 million employees, retirees and their dependents is hitting General Motors Corp. hard. The automaker recently suffered its largest quarterly loss in more than a decade, and it placed the blame squarely on its mounting health care obligation. GM estimates that this massive fixed-cost burden -- which could increase to nearly $6 billion this year -- adds $1,400 to the sticker price of every car and truck built in the United States, putting GM at a significant disadvantage with foreign competitors.

Tobacco Companies Don't Have to Repay Medicare, Bradley, Esq. Anderson Publications

Roberts Memo Cited 'Abortion Tragedy'
by Amy Goldstein and Jo Becker
As a senior legal adviser to President Reagan, John G. Roberts Jr. concluded that a controversial memorial service for aborted fetuses, organized by a group of California doctors who opposed Roe v. Wade , was "an entirely appropriate means of calling attention to the abortion tragedy."

Roberts's Files From 80's Recall Big Debates of Era
by LINDA GREENHOUSE
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
There was nothing "squishy" about Judge John G. Roberts Jr.'s response to an employment discrimination theory known as "comparable worth."

Christian Science Monitor

Bush makes history - a five-year streak without saying 'no', Burek

Santorum, Casey race in national spotlight, AP
Nationwide gas prices set another record, AP

Polls show partisan divide for president, Lester, AP
Iran presses for talks with Europe, Dareini
Flaws are found in validating medical studies, Kranish

`Marine of the Year' accused in shooting, TNS

Iraqis Extend Deadline for Constitution, Ashraf Khalil and Caesar Ahmed
Files From Roberts' Reagan Years Are Released, David G. Savage and Henry Weinstein
Budget Outlook Is Heartened by Tax Windfall, Joel Havemann

Activist mother sued for divorce, Peter Fimrite
End the drilling delusion, Editorial
Life on the Left Coast, Editorial

Canadian man abducted and killed in Iraq, CBC News
North Dakota starts draining lake into Canada, CBC News
Two Canadian female peacekeepers slightly wounded after blast at Egypt airport, CBC News

Gaza Watch, Mark MacKinnon
Sponsorship scandal off Canadians' radar: poll, Campbell Clark

Deadlock over Iraq constitution, BBC
New claims of Iraq prisoner abuse, BBC
US arrests 103 members of notorious El Salvador street gang, MS-13, BBC
Sharon's speech on Gaza pullout, BBC
'Zarqawi aide killed in ambush', BBC
Niger way of life 'under threat' as their livestock die of starvation, BBC

Anger in Canada over the extradition to the U.S. of the 'Prince of Pot', McIlroy
A comforting life with no purpose , Monbiot
Tigers and gorillas - for sale on the internet , Vidal
Environment: Palm oil plantation plan panned , AP
BBC rapped over daytime sex documentaries, Gibson
Murdoch replaces Lachlan with Ailes at Fox, Cozens
Babies tune in to foreign beats, Radford

From permafrost to permatan, Alaska basks in record heat, Usborne
Britain's biggest low-level nuclear dump a 'safety risk', Woolf
Did double whammy of volcano and asteroid wipe out dinosaurs?, Connor
Pope Benedict to use Cologne visit to 'spark wave of new faith' worldwide, Patterson
'A billion people are seeking their destiny in a democracy', Singh
Motherhood and apple pie? Not in the 21st century, Brown
Men have been reduced to sperm donors, says Buerk, Hodgson

Health threat to cities from fast-growing superweeds, Stewart
Bank’s veg row grows, Wilson
Eco-friendly plan to bring earthships to south-west, MacLauglin
The Herald finds all creatures great and small in cyberspace, Staff

A quest for compensation in Guam, Brooke

Aguilar: Nation not overrun by crime, there are public security hot spots, El Universal
López Obrador avoids spat with Marcos , El Universal
Murky image marrs president Fox's family, El Universal
Thirty dead in Guatemala prison gang battles, Reuters
Police chief wants private sector to halt downtown Kingston rot, Jamaica Observer
Cuban Biotechnology Company Receives Quality Accreditation, Prensa Latina
Colombian Mercenaries Recruited for work in Iraq, americas.org
28 Massacred by rightwing paramilitaries in Putumayo, Colombia, americas.org
Hugo Chávez: Latin America's Rising Superstar, COHA
Venezuela to Deny Diplomatic Immunity to DEA Agents, Venezuelanalysis
Week of Expectation in Brazilian Political Crisis Started, Prensa Latina
In Poor Brazil, Much Money Spent Legally, Is Still an Act of Corruption, Brazzil
US troops in Paraguay, Noticias Aliadas.
Uruguay moves to heal wounds from military rule, Reuters
Outrage in Chile over reopening of polluting plant, Santiago Times

Chavez threatens to cut off oil exports to U.S., AFP

Partners in unilateralism, editorial
Who seared whom?, Aluf Benn

Iraqis miss constitution deadline, Agencies
US downplays Iraq charter delay, Reuters
Scores killed in Iraq attacks, Agencies
Israeli police take control of settlement, AP
Arabs welcome pullout as first step, AFP

Kingdom Calls for Total Israeli Pullout, renews land for peace offer, staff
Taleban Kidnap Lebanese Engineer, AFP
Yemen Rebels Disrupt Start of Terror Trial, Khaled Al-Mahdi
Iran Vows Not to Give Up Legitimate N-Rights, Agencies

Israel begins historic pullout from Gaza Strip, DS staff
The bitter dispute over privatization in Lebanon is premature, Editorial
The best antidote to terrorism is democracy, Alvaro Vasconcelos
Israeli unilateralism has uses, but is ultimately defeatist, Shlomo Brom

Why nations die, Spengler
Cindy, Don and George, Engelhardt
Three-way pull in Iraq, Ahrari
The anniversary elegy, Bin

Russia, India sign defense deal, The Hindu
The Raj and the famines of good governance, The Hindu
Asian women's power rocks Heathrow, The Hindu
Forest-dwellers take to the streets, The Hindu
The politics of apology and 1984, The Hindu
Arabian nightmare for 13 girls as grooms flee, The Times of India
Delhi pledges free education to all girl students, The Hindu
Meet the Al-Jazeeras of India, in Kashmir, The Times of India
Kashmir: Removing militancy with peace, Kashmir Times
Poverty eradication is no dream: Manmohan, The Hindu
28 militants killed in Afghanistan, The Hindu
Israel begins historic pull-out, The Hindu
Chechnya death toll 160,000, The Hindu

Toward A Northeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, Hiromichi

Iran: A Crisis Of Choice, Graham
'Liberal' Hawks Would Rather Lean Right Than Do Right, Berman
States Shred The Safety Net, Hawkins

Aceh peace agreement leaves Indonesian military in place, Aaluddid+Niarn
Israeli settlers resist Gaza pullout, Goodman+et al

The Right Fight: Science Wars, Mooney

Westernizing' Arab Employee's Name Costs Company $60K, Coady, Esq. Anderson Publications

New York Times

The Governor's Proxy
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
When it comes to the International Freedom Center at ground zero, Gov. George Pataki has sacrificed any illusion of leadership.
The Underprivileged Press
by BOB DOLE
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Congress must pass a bill that sets clear standards the federal government must meet before it issues a subpoena to a reporter in a criminal or civil case.
No Emotion Left Behind
by TIMOTHY P. SHRIVER and ROGER P. WEISSBERG
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Promoting students' social and emotional skills plays a critical role in improving their academic performance.

NYT > National

In the Hospital, a Degrading Shift From Person to Patient
by BENEDICT CAREY
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Within the medical system, the small courtesies of life are often neglected precisely when they are needed most.
Law Cutting Adoption Payments Is Faulted
by ERIK ECKHOLM
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Advocates for parents' and children's rights sought to block a new Missouri law that limits financial aid for some parents who adopt foster children.
Executed Woman to Get Pardon in Georgia
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Lena Baker is being granted a posthumous pardon, 60 years after she was put to death for killing a man she said had held her in slavery and threatened her life.
Magazine Publisher Is Eulogized as a Shaper of History
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
John H. Johnson, who founded Ebony and Jet magazines, was remembered as a man who left "an imprint on the conscience of a nation."
Marine Charged in Firing Shotgun Pleads Not Guilty
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
A Marine accused of firing a shotgun at a crowd of clubgoers was ordered to be evaluated at a state psychiatric hospital.

NYT > International

Clues Sought to Cause of Puzzling Air Crash in Greece
by ANTHEE CARASSAVA and IAN FISHER
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
At least six of the 121 passengers and crew members who died were still alive at the end of the jet's descent, Greek officials said.
Koizumi Apologizes for War; Embraces China and South Korea
by NORIMITSU ONISHI
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi observed the 60th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II on Monday by apologizing for the country's past militarism in Asia.
For a Basketball League in Gaza, It's the Finals
by DINA KRAFT
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Residents of Neve Dekalim reveled in the home basketball team's win against a rival Gaza settlement in what would most likely be the league's final championship game.
William J. B. Dorn Dies at 89; South Carolina Congressman
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 Aug 2005 at 10:00pm
Mr. Dorn represented western South Carolina in Congress for 13 terms and he was an early advocate for integrating public schools.

Fortresses Of Faith
by Eugene Robinson
ATLANTA -- What's the difference between a church and a megachurch? Bishop T.D. Jakes, whose Potter's House congregation in Dallas boasts more than 30,000 members, impressed a gathering of the National Association of Black Journalists this month with a welter of facts and figures about the megachurch phenomenon. But it was a questioner from the audience who gave the best illustration.
Spy Satellites Are Under Scrutiny
by Walter Pincus
Bush administration intelligence chief John D. Negroponte is reviewing two multibillion-dollar spy satellite programs, according to congressional and administration sources, and will make recommendations on their future to House and Senate intelligence committees next month.
U.S. Seeks to Replace Judge In Long Case of Indian Trusts
by Post
The Justice Department took the unusual step yesterday of asking that a new judge be assigned to a nine-year-old lawsuit by American Indians seeking a century's worth of unpaid oil and natural gas royalties.

Mad Cow Rule Violations Cited
by Post
Over 17 months from January 2004 through May, inspectors found 1,036 violations of rules aimed at preventing mad cow disease from reaching humans, the Agriculture Department said yesterday, adding that no contaminated meat went to consumers.
NATION IN BRIEF
by Post
ALBANY, Ga. -- Lena Baker, the only woman ever executed in Georgia's electric chair, will be posthumously pardoned, 60 years after the black maid was put to death for killing a white man she said held her in slavery and threatened her life.
Indonesia and Rebels In Aceh Sign Accord
by Alan Sipress
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 15 -- Indonesia signed a peace agreement Monday with rebels in Aceh province who have fought for nearly 30 years for a separate state, lending a crucial boost to efforts at rebuilding the tsunami-battered region.
Cabin Pressure Failure Requires Fast Action
by Sara Kehaulani Goo
The loss of cabin pressure -- an apparent factor in the crash of a Helios Airways flight that killed 121 near Athens on Sunday -- is a rare event in commercial planes and requires a quick response, aviation experts said yesterday.

Kremlin Not Amused By Life of This Party
by Peter Finn
MOSCOW -- The 39 defendants sat in cages lined up against the wall of a Moscow courtroom one day this month. The prisoners, most of them students in their teens and early twenties, were members of the National Bolshevik Party, a radical opposition group with a penchant for tossing eggs at officials,...
30 Inmates Die in Gang Violence in Guatemala Jails
by Post
ESCUINTLA, Guatemala, Aug. 15 -- At least 30 inmates were killed when rival Guatemalan gang members attacked one another with knives, firearms and grenades at prisons throughout the country, government officials said.
WORLD IN BRIEF
by Post
ESCUINTLA, Guatemala -- At least 30 inmates were killed when rival Guatemalan gang members attacked one another with knives, firearms and grenades at prisons throughout the country, government officials said.