ThinkFast: November 8, 2006
ThinkFast: November 8, 2006
[ThinkProgress' election news round-up will be posted shortly.]
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases today on the legality of the federal ban on “partial-birth” abortions. The court is deciding whether a 2003 law outlawing the procedure is unconstitutional because it lacks an exception for the pregnant woman’s health.
At least 60 Iraqis were killed or found dead on Wednesday.
“In what critics call another sign of waning American influence in Central and Latin America, an ‘all-out’ effort by the United States to convince Nicaraguans not to elect former Sandinista president Daniel Ortega to a second term has apparently failed.”
New York City plans to “make it easier for transgender New Yorkers to switch the sex listed on their birth certificate even without undergoing sex-change surgery, putting the city at the forefront of efforts to redefine gender.”
“The quietest hurricane year in a decade officially ends in three weeks, but meteorologists and disaster managers on the Gulf and Florida coasts agree that the season is already over.” “We “dodged a bullet this year,”” said meteorologist Gerry Bell of the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. ““If there was ever a time that we needed a break, we got one.” ”
Sudan has tightened restrictions on aid workers and journalists traveling to Darfur, and analysts say the aim is to conceal renewed hostilities between rebels and the army.
The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that “profanities can be used in news interviews but not on awards shows or in fictional shows.” Chairman Kevin Martin: “Hollywood continues to argue they should be able to say the F-word on television whenever they want. The commission again disagrees.”
The “debate among senior U.S. military officials” over whether to support the International Criminal Court “seems to be shifting away from staunch opposition, and a fresh assessment of the court seems to be underway.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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November 8th, 2006 at 11:28 amgood morning, america! …whew!
November 8th, 2006 at 11:33 amdid everybody sleep in late?
well, my do-nothing shimkus is still in congress, breaking his own term limit promise, but at least he won’t be able to rubberstamp his way around anymore…
Well, it looks like Daryll was right!
Jesus returned morality and sanity to the House by returning the Democrats to majority!
November 8th, 2006 at 11:34 amWon’t agreeing to support the International Criminal Court put limits on what the US military can and can’t do in theatres of war?
Presumably, that is the idea.
Does the International Criminal Court apply to mercenaries, or “private security” as well? I’ve heard stories from Australian soldiers about unbelievable violence and brutality dished out by so-called security guards working for American companies in Iraq.
Rumsfeld is going to hate this stuff about the ICC. It’ll snap his dried up old brain.
But then, who cares what he thinks anymore? It seems remarkable that he is actually going to still be around, and in charge of the Pentagon, for TWO MORE YEARS.
Congratz Americans on getting rid of the Bush Co. One Party Rule. The world is waiting for the US to reclaim its cherished crown as the guiding light of freedom, democracy, peace and human rights.
The Fourth World War Blog
November 8th, 2006 at 11:36 amputting the city at the forefront of efforts to redefine gender
It’s good to know that NYC is working on solving such time sesitive, imperative issues, instead of say, finishing the WTO memorial, or port security, or a number of other issues.
Also, it’s an easy definition, girls have innies, guys have outies.
November 8th, 2006 at 11:38 amGood morning America, it’s a new day. Just take a moment to feel really bad for all those republican congressional staffers who soon will be unemployed. They labored mightily in their efforts to support the rubberstamps, with talking points, statistical forecasts, and helping their representatives devise such legislation as the medicare prescription bill, the Terri Schaivo legislation, the fake troop redeployment bill introduced by Hunter, and a host of others. They will take with them a truly disastous record of achievement, and some will no doubt be called to account for their past actions in court, under oath. These congressional trout will be dragging their now-ideologically-spent carcasses upstream, crawling back to the think-tanks and consortiums from whence they spawned, some successfully making the trip, others falling victim to the waiting, hungry carnivores of the House investigative committees. Good luck, you once-mighty republican staffers, may you reach those millionaire-financed havens of last resort, and take your place in the cycle of life.
November 8th, 2006 at 11:41 amI have been pleasantly surprised as to the lack of hurricanes this year. After being personally affected by Katrina and other storms last year, this break was definitely time for me to catch my breath.
November 8th, 2006 at 11:49 amAnyway, so what’d I miss?
America’s Least Wanted
Re: hurricane season
*waits for trolls to say this is proof global warming is a hoax*
Nobody is happier than me that this year was a quiet one for hurricanes… but having a record quiet year doesn’t prove anything. Neither does a record year of strong hurricanes. The long term trends are what’s important. I’m still betting that the scientists are right. Weather does happen in cycles… strong ones and weak ones… we’re going through the lull before the next round of power houses. My personal prediction, as a non-meteorologist or hurricane expert (or even accredited scientist) is that within 5 years we’ll see the Katrinas coming back to haunt us again.
November 8th, 2006 at 11:55 amThose whacky justices, they had a great time on that chartered yaght, Clarence’s behavior was caught on video. It’ll be out for Christmas “Justices Gone Wild” video.
November 8th, 2006 at 12:02 pmWell, of course, by Republican logic, this year proves we’re never going to have to worry about hurrricanes EVER AGAIN!
November 8th, 2006 at 12:04 pmOrtega’s victory in Nicaragua is a triumph for democracy and a defeat for the US’ interventionist foreign policy.
Pres Bush’s rhetoric about democracy sharply contrasts with his administration’s meddling in Nicaragua’s internal affairs, and the threats of cutting off financial aid if a candidate they do not approve of wins.
Nicaragua joins the club of LatinAmerican nations whose voters are not afraid of exercising their rights to vote and show the world they are citizens of a sovereign nation.
The US does not call the shots anymore. That is a positive (albeit unintended) legacy of Pres Bush’s policy.
November 8th, 2006 at 12:40 pmTP, please stop using the right-wing, inflammatory term, “partial-birth” abortion, and start using the technical or medical term. Thank you.
November 8th, 2006 at 1:20 pm