It is difficult to exaggerate the economic collapse of Gaza, with the Palestinian Authority cut off from funds by Israel, the United States and the European Union after Hamas won the legislative elections on Jan. 25, says STEVEN ERLANGER in The New York Times. "Since then, the authority has paid most of its 73,000 employees here, nearly 40 percent of Gaza’s work force, only … [Read more...] about “Children Go Hungry In Gaza”

The UK's Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has conceded that Prime Minister Tony Blair's refusal to call for a ceasefire during 34 days of slaughter in Lebanon may have been a mistake. "The war lasted 34 days. It left 1,393 people dead. Another 5,350 injured. And more than 1,150,000 displaced, of whom 215,413 are still homeless. The damage amounts to more than £2.6bn. … [Read more...] about UK’s Foreign Office Minister Points Out Tony Blair’s ‘Mistake’

...after being questioned by CNN's Nancy Grace on Grace's show. Usually it's the viewers of Grace's show who want to commit suicide. … [Read more...] about The Mother Of A Missing Boy Commits Suicide

So it seems... MEN have royally messed up everything...Iraq, Afghanistan, the media world and so on. It is time MEN took a backseat and let WOMEN be in the driver's seat. If I was an American I would vote for any WOMAN candidate belonging to any party in the next elections!!! And the WOMEN POWER is surely emerging! In the classes where I teach journalism in India the ratio … [Read more...] about India and UK Studies : Women Better Than Men?

His efforts on behalf of Israel's minorities (i.e., non-Jews) is in keeping with the best Jewish traditions. … [Read more...] about Barak the Jew

Is Air America, the talk radio network designed to counter and capitalize on the popularity of the conservative talk show genre that has swept the AM dial during the late part of the 20th century, about to declare bankruptcy? It depends which report you read. But given the history of Air America, at the very least it would appear that the young network is in trouble. Think … [Read more...] about Is Air America About To Declare Bankruptcy?

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Bush Vows to Google Bin Laden Enlists World's Most Powerful Search Engine in Hunt for Madman In a nationally televised speech today, President George W. Bush issued his most direct threat ever to Osama bin Laden, vowing to use the search engine Google to find the al-Qaeda terror leader. "Mr. Osama bin Laden, you can run, … [Read more...] about This Just In!

TMV's own posts will be very limited today. Keep checking this site for posts by our always independent-minded co-bloggers. … [Read more...] about TMV’s Own Posts VERY Limited Today

It may not seem like much, but Canada is sending more troops and equipment to Afghanistan. Prime Minister Harper used Monday's five-year anniversary of 9/11 to promote Canada's mission in Afghanistan, one of the most controversial policies of his premiership, not least with all the bodybags returning home, but this country, my country, remains deeply divided over whether we … [Read more...] about Canada boosts mission in Afghanistan

WaPo had an interesting story up yesterday on how the ravages of war in Iraq are affecting, of all things, Baghdad's dating scene. Didn't think Baghdad had much of a dating scene? Well, it does, and it makes sense that the vicious sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shiites, the one that sends so many bodies to the morgue, often so many more than reported, would produce … [Read more...] about Sectarian violence, sectarian dating

Yesterday, while I was guest blogging at The Carpetbagger Report, a commenter asked about conservative reaction to Bush's 9/11/06 address. He wondered if Bush's "guaranteeing freedom and democracy for the Mideast" doesn't "frighten them" -- conservatives, that is. Shortly thereafter, John Dickerson's latest piece was posted at Slate. It looks at Bush's message and how … [Read more...] about Republican malaise: Is Bush losing hold of his party on “the struggle between tyranny and freedom”?

From the New York Time's Maureen Dowd:Instead of going after Osama, we invaded Iraq. Now W. says we must stay in Iraq or it will be run by Osamas. We must kill all the terrorists we are creating. American soldiers must keep dying because American soldiers have died. If we criticize Mr. Bush, then we’re unmanning the whole country. The logic is deviously Rovian, and we are … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Maureen Dowd On Bush, Cheney, 911 And Iraq

Vice President Cheney claims that his job "is to think about the unthinkable, to focus upon what in fact the terrorists may have in store for us". And what a good job he claims to have done. Five years after 9/11 and there hasn't been another 9/11. Cheney credits the Bush Administration's homeland security efforts, particularly: – "the terrorist surveillance program"; – … [Read more...] about The day after the day after 9/11/06

Smash is on duty in Washington (he has retitled his blog Mr. Smash Goes To Washington) and has another encounter with Code Pink. Does it sound like they support the troops? … [Read more...] about Citizen Smash And Code Pink

Google caved, but Wikipedia is standing up to the forces of totalitarianism, "[defying] the Chinese government by refusing to bow to censorship of politically sensitive entries". Of course, Google and Wikipedia aren't the same thing. The one has shareholders, a share price, and market competitiveness to keep in mind. The other is, well, unbridled internet democracy, an … [Read more...] about The power and principle of Wikipedia

Jon Chait: [T]he Bush administration has decided to stake the 2006 elections on Bush's record of fighting terrorism. It sounds like a joke, but it isn't. He let our worst enemies escape; he is on the verge of creating a terrorist haven in Iraq where none existed before; and this is the issue he picks to highlight. Why not run on his record of evacuating New Orleans? Discuss … [Read more...] about Late Night Open Thread

Reflections on the primary results from my home state. … [Read more...] about MD 2006: Primaries

Washington Monthly has a fascinating — and amazingly blunt — collection of seven key conservatives explaining why they believe it's vital for the GOP to lose in November. The title:Time For Us To Go Conservatives on why the GOP should lose in 2006.The issue contains explanations by seven key conservatives on why they feel a defeat is vital to their party and to … [Read more...] about Conservatives On Why The GOP Should Lose In 2006

Amid talk that American Airlines is considering legal action or even pulling its ads from ABC due to the controversial two-part special "The Path To 911" it's clear that not only ABC and Disney aren't the only ones that walked away with black eyes due to the drama that didn't draw record-breaking audiences. Another casualty: former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean, co-chair of the … [Read more...] about Tom Kean’s Reputation Hurt By “The Path To 911”

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Ann Coulter Urges Using Nukes in War on Obesity 'We Must Take the Battle to the Lard-asses,' Says Pundit Conservative pundit Ann Coulter touched off a firestorm of controversy today in a nationally televised interview by urging the United States government to use nuclear weapons in the war on obesity. Appearing on the … [Read more...] about This Just In!