Top Items:
New York Times:
Justice Deputy Resisted Parts of Spy Program — WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 - The top deputy to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft refused two years ago to approve important parts of the secret program that allows domestic eavesdropping without warrants, prompting two leading White House aides …
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Byron Calame / New York Times:
Behind the Eavesdropping Story, a Loud Silence — THE New York Times's explanation of its decision to report, after what it said was a one-year delay, that the National Security Agency is eavesdropping domestically without court-approved warrants was woefully inadequate.
Michelle Malkin:
HOW THE NYTIMES IS RINGING IN 2006 — Yes, it's New Year's Eve. And since there's no rest for the NYTimes, I'm not taking it easy tonight either. — You see, NYTimes' reporter James Risen has been a busy bee over the holidays. The co-author of the infamous Chicken Little opus exposing …
Kelli Kennedy / Associated Press:
Coming Home, 'Consequences' Await Teen — The mother of a 16-year-old prep school student who journeyed to Iraq on a journalistic whim hasn't decided how her son will be punished. She's just relieved he's on his way home. Farris Hassan left Baghdad Friday to begin traveling home …
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Jason Straziuso / Associated Press:
Fla. Boy Who Traveled to Iraq Flying Home — A 16-year-old from Florida who traveled to Iraq on his own without telling his parents was put on a flight home Friday, the U.S. Embassy said, while warning Americans of the dangers of undertaking similar journeys.
Patterico / Patterico's Pontifications:
Patterico's Los Angeles Dog Trainer Year in Review 2005 — It is time for this blog's third annual review of the performance of the Los Angeles Times, which long-time Patterico readers know as the Los Angeles Dog Trainer. The first annual review was posted here.
Washington Post:
Alito, In and Out of the Mainstream — In Analysis, Nominee Defies Portrayals by Left and Right — During 15 years as an appeals court judge, Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. has been highly sympathetic to prosecutors, skeptical of immigrants trying to avoid deportation …
Lisa Rein / Washington Post:
Down on the Ranch, President Wages War on the Underbrush — Bush Conscripts Aides in Tireless Pursuit of Clearing Ground — CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 30 — On most of the 365 days he has enjoyed at his secluded ranch here, President Bush's idea of paradise is to hop in his white Ford pickup truck …
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Amygdala, Liberty Street, Jesus' General, The Sundries Shack, Norwegianity, firedoglake and The Heretik
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Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
Rendition Started Under Clinton — After months of debate about the Bush administration's supposed support of torture through the "rendition" policy of sending captured terrorists to their nations of origin for questioning, it turns out that the policy did not start with the Bush administration after all.
Reuters:
Palestinian gunmen blow up U.N. club in Gaza City — GAZA (Reuters) - Masked gunmen stormed into a club for United Nations workers in Gaza City on Sunday and blew up the drinking hall in a new sign of spiralling unrest ahead of a Palestinian election. — It was the first such attack in Gaza …
New York Times:
23 Sudanese Die as Egypt Clears Migrants' Camp — CAIRO, Dec. 30 - Egyptian riot police officers rushed into a crowd of unarmed Sudanese migrants early Friday morning, killing at least 23 people, including small children, after the group refused to leave a public park it had occupied …
Discussion:
Publius Pundit
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
President Uses a Quiet Vacation to Prepare His Agenda for 2006 — CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 31 - For six days, President Bush has stayed in nearly complete isolation on his ranch here - just mountain-biking and brush-clearing, the White House insisted daily, with only one guest, his mother-in-law, Jenna Welch.
Jerusalem Post:
'US planning strike against Iran' — The United States government reportedly began coordinating with NATO its plans for a possible military attack against Iran. — The German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel collected various reports from the German media indicating that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization …
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Steve Bainbridge / ProfessorBainbridge.com:
Mitt Romney for President? — In an extended analysis of Mitt Romney's prospects, James Taranto observes: … I don't find Romney's religion disqualifying, but I can't help being skeptical of any politician who would abjure all of my favorite vices. — "I never can understand how anyone …
Abdi Mari / Associated Press:
Bomb Blast Kills 8 in Indonesian Province — PALU, Indonesia — A bomb ripped through a crowded meat market Saturday in an Indonesian province that has been plagued by sectarian violence, killing at least eight people and wounding 45, officials said. Many of the victims were believed to be Christians.
Discussion:
Looking for Someone …
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Dave Schuler / The Glittering Eye:
My predictions for 2006 — Disheartened by my cluelessness on popular culture I'm going to concentrate on politics, geo-politics, and economics where my track record was a little better. Here are my predictions for 2006: — Iran will test a nuclear weapon.
thedenverchannel.com:
GOP Lobbyist May Deal With Prosecutors — WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors and lawyers for lobbyist Jack Abramoff are putting the finishing touches on a plea deal that could be announced early next week, according to people familiar with the negotiations. — The plea agreement would secure …
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