These announcements by the New York Times are NOT the signs of a healthy, thriving newspaper:The New York Times is planning to reduce the size of the newspaper, making it narrower by one and a half inches, and to close its printing operation in Edison, N.J., company officials said yesterday. The changes, to go into effect in April 2008, will be accompanied by a phased-in … [Read more...] about The New York Times Is Ailing: Its Paper Will Shrink

If this report is correct, it is a gross miscarriage of justice and will result in more nurses and physicians leaving the healthcare profession, leading not only to staff shortages but also to rotten pain management for the terminally ill. AP via MSNBC: Doctor, 2 nurses charged in Katrina deaths Suspects arrested in connection with alleged killing of hospital patientsNEW … [Read more...] about More Katrina Victims

Have you noticed a trend in news coverage? Russia's bigwig Vladimir Putin has now taken world center stage as a kind of "high concept" leader — someone who has developed a finely-etched personality that comes across strongly in print and broadcast news reports. In this age of personality-increases-clout-politics acquiring an immediately recognizeable media personality is … [Read more...] about Putin Takes Center Stage

If you don't think they sing the same song, here's definitive proof: UPDATE: Apparently Tony Blair isn't the only one GWB likes. … [Read more...] about The Bush Blair Relationship

Sometimes-Lebanon-resident Michael Totten makes a legitimate point about Israel's retaliation. I dissect it a little over at TDL. … [Read more...] about Focus on Hezbollahland

Uh, oh, the PC (Politically Correct) Police — those who decry how plastic politicians are but leap all over them when they speak in everyday language — will be all over this one:It wasn't meant to be overheard. Private luncheon conversations among world leaders, picked up by a microphone, provided a rare window into both banter and substance — including President … [Read more...] about Big Deal? Bush Swears When Discussing Hezbollah With Blair

In a speech delivered at San Diego State University over the weekend, DNC Chair Howard Dean "accused President Bush... of being weak on national defense and absent in the escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon". Some of his remarks: -- You know, people say the Republicans are tough on defense. How can you be tough on defense if five years after … [Read more...] about Dean comes out swinging on national security

As sectarian violence soars, many Sunni Arab political and religious leaders once staunchly opposed to the American presence here are now saying they need American troops to protect them from the rampages of Shiite militias and Shiite-run government forces, says NYT. … [Read more...] about Should the US get embroiled in Shia-Sunni fratricide?

Jerusalem Post: Lebanese bloggers express their views on the crisis Jerusalem Post: Israeli Bloggers LETTER FROM DR. K'S SISTER IN HAIFA: Yesterday was a hard day. (Was it only yesterday)? The first barrage of rockets in Haifa came without warning...They hit a railway garage downtown and killed 8 people, wounding about 40 others. After that, we got sirens throughout the … [Read more...] about Israeli and Lebanese Bloggers

March of Folly By PAUL KRUGMAN Published: July 17, 2006 NYT Since those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it — and since the cast of characters making pronouncements on the crisis in the Middle East is very much the same as it was three or four years ago — it seems like a good idea to travel down memory lane. Here’s what they said and when they said … [Read more...] about Iraq : Costs, quotes and other things

Over at The Reaction, regular guest blogger Capt. Fogg asks this provocative question: Whom would Jesus torture? See here. … [Read more...] about Jesus and torture

Haaretz: The Israel Defense Forces on Monday said it believed Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon attempted to fire an Iranian-made missile with a range of 200 km at Israel which malfunctioned and fell onto Lebanese territory. The falling missile, described as a Zilzal, was the likely source of Lebanese reports that an Israel Defense Forces aircraft had been hit and brought down … [Read more...] about UPDATED: “Downed Plane” An Apparent Hezbullah Missile

Bill Clinton, that is. Here's what he said, via The Boston Globe: If we allow our differences over what to do now in Iraq to divide us instead of focusing on replacing Republicans in Congress; that's the nuttiest strategy I ever heard in my life. Also: "Clinton defended Lieberman's Democratic credentials, mentioning how the senator has been endorsed by labor unions, … [Read more...] about Clinton stands up for Lieberman

First this...WASHINGTON, July 16 — The Bush administration says it plans sweeping changes in Medicare payments to hospitals that could cut payments by 20 percent to 30 percent for many complex treatments and new technologies. [...] Medicare pays more than $125 billion a year to nearly 5,000 hospitals. The new plan is not expected to save money, but will shift around … [Read more...] about 3M’s Medicare Boondoggle

Today would have been my late father's 72nd birthday. In his memory I post an article by a friend who grew up much as I did. [I added the explanatory text in brackets]: The Bris [Circumcision of male Jews on their 8th day of life] Miriam Karp, Cincinnati OH USA July 17, 2006 A tiny little head, cradled in his father’s arms. The proud chain, pushing over each other in … [Read more...] about A Friend Writes on Sending Her Son Off to War

The indispensible site Watching America has this must-read post translation (a translation only available on the WA site) of a Lebanese opinion piece on the new Middle East turmoil. We'll give you WA's set up and then a key excerpts here:Is the Israeli attack on Lebanon a signal that the United States can no longer be counted upon to follow through on its commitments? … [Read more...] about Lebanese Wonder, ‘Can We Count on America?’

From Cox & Forkum: … [Read more...] about Disproportionate Response

Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs, and Israel's ambassador to the UN from 1997 to 1999, has a piece in the Telegraph that needs to be read in full. The key quotes are at the end:This is a regional war. Iran is seeking to dominate Iraq, particularly its southern Shia areas - the provinces where British troops are deployed. Iran's aim is to dominate … [Read more...] about Former Israel Ambassador: Iran Seeks To Dominate Middle East

...in the 21st century. … [Read more...] about The “Rat Pack” Lives On

Is there "blowback" in Chicago? … [Read more...] about Big Box Stores