Volume 2 Issue 60

April 25, 2003

Congested

Paying for roads, a big Iraqi fish is caught, and something else you don't want to see in the cockpit

Exhausted after a busy week, sorry so short today, full strength on Monday!

Should you pay to drive? Is congestion pricing the solution to traffic woes? Will the politician that confronts traffic be unbeatable?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2081970/

Tariq Aziz: The former Hussein aide's son apparently negotiated his surrender, and Aziz may be in poor health, suffering from 2 heart attacks in recent days -
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/Primetime/iraq_aziz0304 25.html

He is being questioned now by American officials -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2976241.stm

Meeting behind Bush's Back? Bill Clinton and Tony Blair apparently met multiple times during the build up to war -
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,943161,00. html

So Who's Looting Now? Turns out that the US troops and reporter may have looted as much as the Iraqi's did. First we had the Fox news producer (and AU grad!) smuggling in art and other assorted memorabilia, and now we have investigations over whether troops stole almost a million dollars out of a palace -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/worldspecial /25THEF.html

And in another incident under investigation, troops apparently stole up to $12 million!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35080-2003Apr24.html

That Other Country: Boy, things are really going well in the world. So North Korea now claims they have a nuclear weapon, and that if we aren't nice to them they'll use it or sell it to Osama -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/asia/25KORE. html

China's trying to gloss over the problem -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/international/asia/25CND-KOREA.html

Pyongyang (great, another city to learn how to spell) apparently made a secret offer to the US to end the crisis, after the talks broke down -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-658905,00.html

Outbreak: China has quarantined another hospital in Beijing -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2974739.stm

Is Hu really in control of China?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2081976/

Rebuilding New York: New York Governor George Patiki laid out a formal timeline for the rebuilding of Ground Zero -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/nyregion/25REBU.html

Dumb Republican Senators: Rick Santorum's post is probably safe for now -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5710705.htm

What if Santorum wrote an advice column?
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/

Santorum has brought back the issue of how Catholic politicians portray themselves -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A34853-2003Apr24¬Found=true

Look Who's Running for President: Paul Krugman discusses Dick Gephardt's health insurance plan -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/opinion/25KRUG.html

Bank Run! A bank in NYC endured a 3rd day of a run -
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/nyc-bankrun0425,0,6585937.story?coll=ny%2Dnynews%2Dheadlines

Speaking of banks, a Scottish Bank is said to be close to buying the naming rights to the Philadelphia Phillies new ballpark. If it goes through, locals have already coined a nickname for it "Scotland Yard" -
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/5712524.htm

Check your pockets: While we still wait for the new color of money to be unveiled (it was supposed to happen last month, I suppose it was delayed by the war), the Mint has another surprise for you...new nickels!
http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/24/news/economy/nickel/index.ht m

One financial analyst asks, "can you please stop screwing with my money?" -
http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/24/commentary/wastler/wastler/i ndex.htm

And Watch your Mouth: An Iowa town wants to ban lying, which the mayor says has gotten out of control...I'm sorry, but this town sounds like one fucked up place to live -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/25/national/25LYIN.html?8hpib

Come Fly the "Friendly" skies: Southwest has fired two pilots who apparently decided to fly the plane naked one day -
http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/25/news/companies/southwest_pil ots/index.htm

Only in New Jersey: You have to love machine-style Camden County, NJ politics... -
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m042503a.h tm

Eh, 101, 114, 120, who cares? There's some debate on how old the oldest woman in the US really is...but get this, her daughter is 90!
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5710731.htm

A Big Start: After being stranded in the middle of nowhere by the team bus, a rookie on the Philadelphia Phillies hit a grand slam in his first at bat -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5710824.htm

Swamp Commencement Speakers of the Day:

University of Maine at Presque Isle, May 10, 2003
Irvin Belanger, a former teacher, high school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent in the Caribou School System in Maine
So let me tell you about trying to teach Caribou...