"Confrontation"

The Senate has subpoenaed documents from the White House over the NSA wiretapping program. The White House has previously turned down requests for these documents. Washington Post Trans-Atlantic passengers flying European airlines to the U.S. will have 34 pieces of information about them given to the U.S. The info will be kept for 15 years. BBC

Gordon Brown takes over as the new British Prime Minster. Who is he? BBC Tony Blair’s new job is a “thankless task with four bosses and no office.” Guardian

World opinion is turning negative about large powerful nations like the U.S., China and Russia. BBC

Why did sci-fi and fantasy become so successful on television? Guardian

New York Times tech writer David Pogue got an iPhone before its launch tomorrow. He shows off all its goodies!

"Jewels" On Display

The CIA will reveal the “Family Jewels” this week. The “Jewels” are documents containing information about domestic spying, assassination plots and other illegal activity conducted by the agency between the 1950s and the 1970s. BBC

Vice President Cheney refuses to comply with an executive order to disclose how his office has handled classified documents. Washington Post How big of a liability is Cheney for Bush? Time

How the West could make “martyrs” and “traitors” in the Middle East. Economist

The U.S., France, China, Russia and several other nations begin a conference in Paris today to discuss ways to stop the genocide in Darfur. AFP/France 24

A court has ruled that once an email leaves your mailbox, it’s private: the government can’t look at it unless they tell you. Funny thing is, emails weren’t legally recognized as private before this. Time

It’s not a cure for the common cold, but researchers say there is something that can reduce the chances of catching one. BBC

Let boys be boys. Washington Post

You never know when you might need a “do it to it” waistband.

Left The Party

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is no longer a Republican. New York Times The election is 17 months(!) away and he’s not even running yet, but everyone is asking if Bloomberg could win the White House. Time

Now that Hamas and everyone else living in Gaza is isolated, what is life like for Palestinians there? MSNBC (video)

“Toys made in China make up 70 to 80 percent of the toys sold,” in the United States. This is troubling since Chinese products are “responsible for about 60 percent of all product recalls” in the U.S. New York Times China has become the world’s #1 CO2 emitter. Guardian

Looking for terrorists and protecting oil interests in Africa. Economist

Iwo Jima has a new name -The name it was called before World War II. Guardian

Smoking bans in bars are definitely a good thing, but it caused a problem in Finland. (Melbourne) Age

Alvin and the Chipmunks were never this dramatic.

Two-State Dilemma

With Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank, are there two Palestinian states for the West to deal with? New York Times The U.S. plans to restore aid to Palestinians once Fatah has a new government without Hamas. BBC Why should we care about what happens in Gaza? Newsweek

Finally, some progress in Darfur. BBC

Go out on that limb. Five issues on which the candidates for president need to be courageous. Time On what issues should the candidates be courageous?

Want to play video games all day and get paid for it? They’re doing it in China. (Yes, it’s too good to be true.) New York Times (video)

Morgan Freeman, who just turned 70, began hitting the links later in life. Here’s what it taught him: Newsweek

Will Kobe stay or will he go? AP/MSNBC Here’s the post from his blog. What do you think?

This fight was on Mother’s Day. Did they even try to take a picture for Father’s Day?

Taking Control

After five days of fighting, Palestinian group Hamas has taken control of almost all of the Gaza Strip from Fatah. BBC "We are witnessing the first signs of a cruel civil war," in Gaza, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Australian In a leaked report, the former U.N. Middle East envoy said American support for Israel has hurt the peace process. Guardian

Congressional subpoenas have been issued for two former White House officials over the firings of the nine U.S. attorneys. Reuters

The Justice Department refocuses civil rights cases on religion, not race. New York Times

A few post-its, paper napkins, wrapper for that office product, an empty cup of joe. How much trash do you produce in a day? Guardian But you recycle, right? Economist

No, I didn’t like your presentation. Yes, those pants make you look fat. It’s called Radical Honesty. Esquire Is it too honest for you?

Ever notice those radio stations that play hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s love to advertise that they don’t play rap?

Home Soon?

The troops will come home from Iraq - most of them anyway. A small force will remain there for a long time say Pentagon planners. Washington Post

G8 recap. Maybe that $60 billion commitment to fight AIDS in Africa and the other agreements made there aren’t as great as they sound. BBC Here are some examples of where they fell short: Telegraph Sure, the world leaders said they agreed on several things, but does there need to be a summit with these leaders? Time

Why is everything - EVERYTHING! - such a big secret? Washington Post

Can the rich get richer without the poor getting poorer? New York Times What do you think?


Tony, Carmela and AJ get their onion rings. That guy at the counter goes to bathroom. Meadow walks in. Tony looks up. And that’s it? The end of The Sopranos? Was it a winner or a loser?

Dropping some money when dropping an f–bomb is fine if the cash goes to the office swear jar.

Cold Climate

The G8 summit begins and the widening rift between Russia and the West, reminiscent of the Cold War, takes center stage.. Reuters ..Along with climate change. The U.S. has rejected a proposal on targets for cutting greenhouse gases. New York Times On climate change, Blair says it’s the G8.. Plus another 5. Guardian

Scientists say they have grown stem cells from skin cells. It could eliminate the use of embryos. Washington Post

“You can sleep when you’re dead.” Indeed. The zombie nation may already be upon us. Telegraph Already a zombie? How little sleep do you get?

There’s a bonus embedded on those i-Tunes digital downloads that don’t have copy protection: Your info. AP/CNN Now that you know this, will it stop you from buying those DRM-free songs?

Star Wars just celebrated its 30 Anniversary and Emperor Lucas unveiled his plans for the animated Clone Wars series, but what if there were to be an Episode VII? Here’s what it might look like.

Bridging The G8

Ahead of the G8 summit, Tony Blair tries to close the climate change gap between the U.S. and the other world leaders. Scotsman What Blair has learned in his ten years at Number 10. Economist

What’s that chill in the air? Could it be the return of a cold war as Russia’s Putin says he could point nukes at Europe? (London) Times

The plot to blow up fuel tanks and pipelines at JFK wasn’t close to being executed, and the announcement may have been over-hyped. New York Times How big is the threat of a terrorist attack in the U.S. from the Caribbean and South America? Los Angeles Times

There’s a debate over whether to prosecute a member of “Canada’s first family of terrorism” for war-crimes allegedly committed when he was 15 years-old.. And even younger than 10. New York Times Do you think special consideration should be given to minors who are charged with war-crimes?

Higher fares. Fewer seats. Flying this summer is going to be bad enough. To keep traveling from getting even worse, here are some airports to avoid. U.S. News & World Report

The $1300 this mom spends to give this little girl a fake tan for her school picture - to look like Lindsay Lohan - is a down payment on therapy 20 years from now.