That 'harmless' and 'neccessary' Patriot Act  —  i tried to link to this, but every place that had it required "free registration."  This is a story people need to see, without all that bulls**t, so i'm re-posting it here.  Put the title in quotes and do an online search if you'd like.

New Video Shows Blanco Saying Levees Safe  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — In the hectic, confused hours after Hurricane Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast, Louisiana's governor hesitantly but mistakenly assured the Bush administration that New Orleans' protective levees were intact, according to a new video obtained …

Oscars for Osama  —  Nothing tells you more about Hollywood than what it chooses to honor.  Nominated for best foreign-language film is "Paradise Now," a sympathetic portrayal of two suicide bombers.  Nominated for best picture is "Munich," a sympathetic portrayal of yesterday's fashion in barbarism: homicide terrorism.

"The Head of the Snake"  —  SULEIMANIYA, IRAQ - Suleimaniya is the most liberal city in Iraqi Kurdistan, partly because of its long-standing and deep ties to nearby Iran, one of the most culturally liberal countries in the Middle East.  The Iraqi Kurds I met who have been to Iran wanted me to know …

Bush and India Reach Pact That Allows Nuclear Sales  —  NEW DELHI, March 2 — President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India announced here on Thursday what Mr. Bush called a "historic" nuclear pact that would help India satisfy its enormous civilian energy needs while allowing it to continue to develop nuclear weapons.

Ethics Office For Hill Rejected  —  Bipartisan Defeat For Independent Lobbying Overseer  —  A Senate committee yesterday rejected a bipartisan proposal to establish an independent office to oversee the enforcement of congressional ethics and lobbying laws, signaling a reluctance in Congress …

Democratic group targets Senate GOP  —  Daschle aiding project to gather, spread criticism  —  WASHINGTON — Hoping to strike back at Republicans who mounted a yearslong effort to oust him from office, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle is helping raise millions of dollars to form …

U.S. Intel: Qaeda Plotting 'Big Bang'  —  (CBS/AP) U.S. officials tell CBS News that intelligence has picked up reports that al Qaeda in Iraq is planning what one source calls the "Big Bang," a spectacular terrorist attack in Iraq against either a single high-profile target or multiple targets simultaneously.

Antarctic Ice Sheet Is Melting Rapidly  —  The Antarctic ice sheet is losing as much as 36 cubic miles of ice a year in a trend that scientists link to global warming, according to a new paper that provides the first evidence that the sheet's total mass is shrinking significantly.

Oscar nominee: People hate Israelis for a reason  —  Hany Abu-Assad, Israeli-born director of Oscar-nominated film 'Paradise Now,' which has stirred controversy for its depiction of two young Palestinian suicide bombers, says in interview with Yedioth Ahronoth terror derives from another terror …

Harper's Publishes AIDS Denialist  —  The latest issue of Harper's Magazine contains a stunning 15-page article by well-known AIDS denialist Celia Farber (formerly of Spin magazine) that extensively repeats UC Berkeley virologist Peter Duesberg's discredited theory that HIV does not cause AIDS.

Italian Panel: Soviets Behind Pope Attack  —  An Italian parliamentary commission concluded "beyond any reasonable doubt" that the Soviet Union was behind the 1981 attempt to kill Pope John Paul II _ a theory long alleged but never proved, according to a draft report made available Thursday.

U.S. Cites Exception in Torture Ban  —  McCain Law May Not Apply to Cuba Prison  —  Bush administration lawyers, fighting a claim of torture by a Guantanamo Bay detainee, yesterday argued that the new law that bans cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees in U.S. custody does not apply to people held at the military prison.

Clinton Challenger Pulled From Reagan-Era Hat  —  It was supposed to be a marquee Republican campaign of the 2006 elections — a fusillade-style effort to defeat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, which, even if it did not succeed, would excite donors nationally, raise millions for the party …

Poll Finds Americans Overwhelmingly Disapprove of Port Deal  —  WASHINGTON — Americans, by a greater than 3 to 1 margin, oppose the proposed deal that would allow a state-owned Arab firm to assume control of operations at several U.S. ports, a Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

Snorer in the court?  Ruth Bader Ginsburg snoozes  —  Justice dozes off during political redistricting hearing, colleagues let her sleep  —  Was it a case of dreaming of a better America, napping on the job, or just being asleep at the switch?  —  Serving on the highest court in the land …