Headlines For 7-14-08

The Bush Administration asks Congress to back Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while the Federal Reserve said the two companies can borrow directly from it. What does it mean? “The government [is] effectively the only lender for millions of Americans engaged in the largest transactions of their lives.” New York Times

From Russia (and China) with Love. The two countries veto Zimbabwe sanctions proposed by the U.N. Security Council. The West isn’t happy, especially since Russia agreed to impose sanctions at the G8 Summit. Telegraph Do sanctions actually work? BBC

This could be a bit of scare-mongering, but here’s a worst-case analysis of last week’s Iranian missile test. Economist And a profile of Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: (London) Times.

There were problems during the first weekend of the “Second Coming” of the iPhone. Fortune

This Bud’s for you! Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. beer leader, agrees to be bought by the Belgian-Brazilian company InBev. Wall Street Journal

Iran: Now What?

U.S. intelligence agencies say Iran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago. Here’s a rundown of the story from the New York Times. A new National Intelligence Estimate – which is a report that has the stamp of approval of all 16 U.S. spy agencies – says in part:

“We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program; we also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons.”

The NIE says that the earliest they could produce enough highly enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon is sometime between 2009 and 2015.

This brings up some questions:

- The report also states, “we do not know whether [Iran] currently intends to develop nuclear weapons.” Since Tehran’s intentions aren’t known and they have left the door open to develop nuclear weapons, will we still hear saber-rattling from some corners in Washington?

- Will the rhetoric from Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad now have a “told you so” attitude? And therefore get more belligerent toward the U.S.?

- Can the report’s conclusions be trusted? There was a National Intelligence Estimate in 2003 that said Iraq did have WMD. And this new report is a 180 from an NIE submitted in 2005.

Stay tuned…

See Who Iran Would Turn To

Time Magazine has an interesting article about Iran and the Vatican. Apparently, the Islamic Republic and the Holy See are friendly: They have had diplomatic relations for 53 years and the article quotes an Iranian diplomat in Rome as saying relations between the two are “very good.”

But here’s the twist:

“According to several well-placed Rome sources, Iranian officials are quietly laying the groundwork necessary to turn to Pope Benedict XVI and top Vatican diplomats for mediation if the showdown with the United States should escalate toward a military intervention.”

For now, the Pope is keeping a “low profile” on the issue, but if the American drumbeat for military action grows louder, Iran may already have a miracle ally ready to slow things down.

Headlines

UN nuclear agency chief says Iran should open itself up to inspectors, and criticized the aggressive rhetoric coming from the U.S. MSNBC (video) Iran is adapting to economic sanctions by taking business elsewhere in the world. Washington Post

Crude oil tops $90 a barrel.. up 16% in a month. Here are some reasons why: CBS (video)

Indian children, as young as 10, found to be making clothes for The Gap. Guardian

The Red Sox sweep the World Series. AP/Sports Illustrated

Embarrassing

Alberto Gonzales’ appearance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday is a great example of how you should not testify in front of a Congressional Committee or anyone else: Time Jon Stewart is our Sherpa as we’re taken up Bullshit Mountain. The Daily Show (video)

The current White House Chief of Staff and the former White House Counsel are issued contempt of Congress citations. Washington Post

What’s up with the weather in Europe? 500 people have died in Hungary over eight days in a heat wave. Reuters (video) Britain gets rain, but jeez!! Flooding there could cause 340,000 people to be without fresh water for two weeks. ITV

Iran says it will never abandon its nuclear program. Reuters

Apple stock is up for the quarter. BBC But i-Phone sales haven’t met everyone’s expectations. Wall Street Journal

How were these two able to get up and walk away?

More Time

The Pentagon extends tours for active-duty soldiers from 12 to 15 months in Iraq and Afghanistan. New York Times

The attack on the Algerian prime minister’s office by a group recently affiliated with al-Qaeda brings renewed fear in that country. BBC What threat could this group cause to France and the rest of Europe? Time

More Power? The National Intelligence Director - America’s spy chief - wants to give intelligence agencies even more power. AP/MSNBC

Behind Iran’s announcement of an industrial-scale nuclear program. It’s not all it’s hyped up to be. Time Background Q&A on the Iran nuclear standoff and nuclear weapons around the world. BBC

Don’t understand the extent of the genocide in Darfur? See it on Google Earth. Reuters

First, Live Aid. Then, Live 8. This summer: Live Earth which intends to raise awareness about the environment. (London) Times

Writer Kurt Vonnegut has died at the age of 84. New York Times


These action figures are pretty realistic.. And gory: Jets, flamethrowers, and in the accessory kit, ground beef!

The Future Of Mother Nature

Another Climate Change report is out with a grim picture of the future. BBC Since countries like the U.S. and China refused to allow some portions not to be printed in the final report, here’s what didn’t get in. Washington Post How climate change will affect areas around the world. BBC Is nuclear energy the way to go? 60 Minutes (video)

Speaking of nuclear.. Iran is supposed to have “good nuclear news” today. Good for whom? AFP/France 24

The British sailors and marines who were held in Iran are allowed to sell their stories to the press. And a lot of people are pissed off about it. Telegraph After being held captive for 13 days, what do you get in an Iranian “goody bag?” Sky

What life will be like in 35 years.. And it’s not all the cool stuff you usually hear in stories like this. Guardian

Think there are lower airfares than the ones on Expedia and Orbitz? Or trying to find a flight that isn’t delayed all the time? Check this out: New York Times

What’s more painful? This guy being so broken up about his ex that he breaks glass on his back and chest? Or how supportive his current wife is?

Gone Fishing

The FBI has been playing fast and loose with it’s Patriot Act Powers by fishing for info on U.S. citizens. Between 2003 and 2005, the Bureau “issued more than 143,000 requests for information on more than 52,000 people” about half of whom were U. S. citizens and asked the phone companies for “more than 3,000 phone numbers -- often without a subpoena, without an emergency or even without an investigative case” by using National Security Letters. Washington Post What is a National Security Letter? AP/Houston Chronicle

“First Step:” The U.S. and Iran met with other countries to figure out what to do about Iraq. New York Times Iran may already be in Iraq (not how you might think). And why would they be so happy to get the U.S. out of Iraq? Independent Iran wants to take its nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council. AP/MSNBC Bush asks for more troops for Afghanistan and even more troops for Iraq. He wants to cut some domestic programs to pay for it. USA Today

Good news from the Bureau, considering the top post today: The FBI has set up a task force to prosecute the “last of the lynchers” thought to be involved in Civil Rights Era crimes. Guardian

There are very few ways to escape that 2-year sentence known as a cell phone contract, but it’s not impossible. New York Times

The game of darts is under fire in - of all places - England, where only 10% of bar-goers surveyed have thrown a dart in the last year. Telegraph

It’s NCAA Tournament Time.. And therefore Tournament Pool Time. Here’s the bracket: Sports Illustrated


The criminally-minded folks that used to produce “The Man Show” put a smart-mouthed boy scout in front of a liquor store to see if people would buy him beer. We wonder if a “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” charge followed this clip.

Can We Talk?

After resistance talking to Syria and Iran - a recommendation of the Iraq Study Group - the U.S. will talk to the two countries about Iraq. Washington Post This change of course, along with the change in policy over North Korea, isn’t a change that happened overnight. New York Times And now there are doubts about North Korea’s uranium enrichment program. Washington Post

Worldwide markets collectively freaked out on Tuesday when China’s stocks took a dip on Tuesday. Did the rest of the world overreact? Time Amidst its financial ascendance, China proclaimed socialism for another 100 years. Telegraph U.S. stocks to open today lower as Asian stocks have another tough day, but reports and deals could help keep U.S. number up. CNNMoney

McCain tells Letterman he’s officially in the race for president. Presumably, McCain didn’t announce on a news show because he’s already been running for months now. Late Show (video)

Do you have to practice what you preach? Especially if you’ve won an Oscar for your preachin’? Al Gore’s Tennessee home bill averages about $1200 a month. AP/Yahoo

One in four U.S. women age 14 - 59 have HPV, an STD that could lead to cervical cancer. Reuters

Japanese cars top the list of reliable rides according to a Consumer Reports survey. MSNBC Here are the picks: Consumer Reports

What Do You Think? Check this out: A man is suing his ex-fiancé because she won’t return the $48,000 engagement ring he bought her two years ago. No word about who broke it off, but does he have a right to ask for it back? Is an engagement ring given on the condition the couple walks down the aisle? Or once the rock is given, it’s hers even if they go splitsville. Let us know at Joe.


Feeling a little dirty? Being a little sinful? Look out for The Bible Thumpers! This God Squad is out to kick ass and save souls.



The Morning Joe will be taking a break on Monday, March 5. We’ll be posting again on Thursday, March 8. Have a good week!

Full Steam Ahead

Iran’s president says, its nuclear program is moving forward like a train with “no brake and no reverse gear.” Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. Rice offers to talk directly with Iran if they halt the program. BBC Here’s the article about the alleged U.S. plan to attack Iran. It also discusses the complex relationship between Sunni and Shia in the region. And how the U.S. has maneuvered through it. New Yorker The U.S. denies planning to go to war with Iran Reuters Is the U.S. backing insurgent groups in Iran to overthrow the country’s regime? Telegraph

You must’ve heard about the dust-up between Sens. Clinton and Obama. So, why do politicians care so much about Hollywood donors and approval? New York Times

Starbucks chief Howard Schultz says the company may have cheapened its own brand. Maybe it’ll cheapen its coffee, too. Reuters

Show ‘em what you got: A new x-ray scanner that debuted in a Phoenix airport is straight out of “Total Recall.” Not only do privacy advocates fear it’s too invasive, but pics of your backside could end up on YouTube. MSNBC (video)

If you couldn’t stay up past Midnight (on the East Coast), here’s the list of those who took home an Oscar: Los Angeles Times

Not sure if this is real, but do you work with this guy who thinks he’s too important for everyone else’s comedic enjoyment?

Movin' Out

The UK will withdraw about 1600 of its 7100 troops out of Iraq. Blair’s statement in the House of Commons: Guardian The Bush Administration said it’s a good thing. AP/USA Today The pullout means more politically than it does on the ground. Economist

Beyond the revelation that the U.S. and Iran are “natural allies,” here’s a very interesting and hopeful interview with a senior Iranian official: CNN Meanwhile, an International Atomic Energy Agency report to be released today is expected to say Iran has accelerated its uranium enrichment program. Reuters

That baby born at only 22 weeks went home on Wednesday. Not to be cold-hearted, but this writer asks if the baby should have been kept alive: Guardian

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe tNurned 83 on Wednesday and will celebrate with a lavish party on Saturday. Why is that significant? With inflation at 1600%, impoverished Zimbabweans literally can’t find a loaf of bread on store shelves. New York Times

The E.U. wants to say, “We know who you are and we know what you did,” on your mobile and on the Internet. New York Times

Sirriusly, what does the satellite radio XMerger XMean for listeners? AP/Yahoo

Is it looking like you’ll be spending every weekend at a wedding this spring? Here’s one couple’s solution: Reuters


In the latest parody of the PC vs. Mac ads, it’s Gates vs. Jobs, in which we learn Macs get you laid and the Commodore 64 is a dirty old computer.

Do We Believe Them? (Part 2)

Do We Believe Them? (Part 2) Bush says it’s “preposterous” that the Administration would make up the story that Iran is giving weapons to Iraqi insurgents. He added he’s not looking for a pretext for war. Then why does it feel like it’s 2003 and we’re talking about Saddam? Washington Post

A “first step” was reached to dismantle the North Korean nuclear program. BBC Why a deal now with a member of the Axis of Evil? Newsweek What does this mean for the nuke standoff with Iran? Los Angeles Times

Russia, China, Indian chat about making a more “democratic ‘multipolar world.’” (London) Times

New Yorkers and Californians are most likely to be the victims of identity theft. Reuters

DaimlerChrysler cuts 13,000 Chrysler jobs, and could be cutting the entire Chrysler unit. CNBC

Iverson joins Kidd, Nash and others who are out injured for this weekend’s All-Star game because of an injury. Here’s the line-up.. As long as no one else has an injury. ESPN

Beyonce in swimsuits.

Models in Swimsuits.

It’s all in the

2007 Sports Illustrated

Swimsuit Issue.

Do We Believe Them?

U.S. Intelligence says Iran is behind bombings that have killed U.S. troops in Iraq. Washington Post The hottest ticket in Damascus, Syria: Dinner at the Iranian Embassy. Time

It’s official: The BaRock Star threw his hat in. And he had an eventful first weekend. CNN It’s ridiculous that some actually question this, but yes, he is black. New York Times Stephen Colbert breaks it down. The Colbert Report (video)

Since the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, there’s been back and forth about supporting the troops or undermining the troops. What does that mean? Time

He pushed through campaign finance reform legislation. Now McCain is tapping that big cash for his own campaign. Washington Post

Everyone knows an 8-megapixel camera is better than a 4-megapixel camera, right? Blowing up the Megapixel Myth: New York Times

Are the Blue Devils done? Fox Sports

You go to Vegas for gambling, food, shows, and what ever else happens you think should stay there. But would you want to see a pro sports team there? New York Times

There was some sarcasm in the Cafferty file on Anna Nicole Smith when CNN’s Jack Cafferty talked to Wolf Blitzer.