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Seymour M. Hersh / New Yorker:
THE IRAN PLANS — Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb? — The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack.
Discussion:
AMERICAblog, Firedoglake, The Left Coaster, Think Progress, NewsHog, The Huffington Post, The Poor Man Institute, Bring it On!, Secular Blasphemy, No More Mister Nice Blog, Atlas Shrugs, Midtopia, blogenlust.net, Democrats.com, Carol Platt Liebau, CorrenteWire, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, TalkLeft, Economist's View and Decision '08
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Agence France Presse:
US considers use of nuclear weapons against Iran — WASHINGTON (AFP) - The administration of President George W. Bush is planning a massive bombing campaign against Iran, including use of bunker-buster nuclear bombs to destroy a key Iranian suspected nuclear weapons facility, The New Yorker magazine has reported in its April 17 issue.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
Scott Shane / New York Times:
For President, First a Leak; Now, a Jam — WASHINGTON, April 7 — That President Bush authorized an aide to disclose classified intelligence on Iraqi weapons, as asserted in court papers, comes as no shock to official Washington. The leaking of secrets has long been a favored tool of policy debate …
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Richard B. Schmitt / Los Angeles Times:
Disclosure Could Hurt Libby Defense — His lawyers have said the former aide misspoke as he thought of other issues. But papers show his bosses' minds were on rebutting a critic. — WASHINGTON — The disclosure that a Bush administration effort to rebut an Iraq war critic included …
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Help Wanted! — Scott Shane of the NY Times picks up their coverage of the "President Authorized Leaks!!!" story: … I scarcely have time to read this, let alone comment, but... Rick Shenkman has a blog and is a prof at George Mason in the History Department. — Which is close!
Eleanor Clift / Newsweek:
Farewell, Fig Leaf — Bush called for a criminal investigation to 'get to the bottom' of the CIA leak scandal. It turns out he may be the bottom. — April 7, 2006 - President Bush promised to restore honor and dignity to the White House. It was a not-so-veiled reference to the indiscretions of his predecessor.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, The Mahablog, The Heretik, California Conservative, Angry Bear and Viking Pundit
Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Kerry Sharply Criticizes Bush on Several Fronts — Senator John Kerry made a slashing attack on the Bush administration yesterday, comparing it to the faltering government in Iraq and equating its war strategy with its planning for Hurricane Katrina, while also invoking Jesus as he criticized federal Medicaid policy.
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Jonathan Finer / Washington Post:
Threat of Shiite Militias Now Seen As Iraq's Most Critical Challenge — BAGHDAD, April 7 — Shiite Muslim militias pose the greatest threat to security in many parts of Iraq, having killed more people in recent months than the Sunni Arab-led insurgency, and will likely present the most daunting …
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New York Times:
U.S. Study Paints Somber Portrait of Iraqi Discord — WASHINGTON, April 8 — An internal staff report by the United States Embassy and the military command in Baghdad provides a sobering province-by-province snapshot of Iraq's political, economic and security situation …
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Hotline On Call:
Mollohan Story: A Game-Changer? — The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that the feds are investigating Rep. Alan Mollohan's (D-WV 01) finances and "whether they were properly disclosed." — According to the Journal, Mollohan's household assets exponentially grew (from $565K in '00 to at least $6.3M in' 04).
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Philip Shenon / New York Times:
Lobbying Cases Shine Spotlight on Family Ties — WASHINGTON, April 8 — On Dec. 3, 2003, Aeneas Enterprises opened for business in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, and judging by its bank records, the small consulting company with no listed telephone number was an instant success.
Discussion:
TPM Muckraker
Daniel Gross / Slate:
Snow's Job — Why no Wall Street CEO wants to be the new Treasury secretary. — Several Democrats yesterday unveiled the Hamilton Project, an effort to create a new vision for economic policy. Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to engineer their own Hamilton project …
Massimo Calabresi / Time:
Why the Immigration Deal Flopped — Politics wins out, as a compromise plan falls apart. But don't count out immigration reform just yet. — Talk about cold feet. Less than 24 hours after the leaders of the Senate's Democratic and Republican families had announced a marriage of convenience …
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Ronald Bailey / Times of London:
Anyone for tennis, at the age of 150? — Scientific progress promises us far longer, happier lives. Yet the 'bioconservatives' want to stop it — BY THE END of this century, the typical European may attend a family reunion in which five generations are playing together.
Ryan Singel / Wired News:
Whistle-Blower Outs NSA Spy Room — AT&T provided National Security Agency eavesdroppers with full access to its customers' phone calls, and shunted its customers' internet traffic to data-mining equipment installed in a secret room in its San Francisco switching center …
Discussion:
Confederate Yankee, EFF: Breaking News, AMERICAblog, War and Piece, Booman Tribune and Brilliant at Breakfast
Sarah Womack / Telegraph:
Pub smoking ban 'will boost female binge drinking' — Smoke-free bars and public houses will attract more female customers and could fuel the rise in binge drinking among women, a report warns. — It points out that as bars and pubs become more appealing venues to women …
Discussion:
Tim Worstall