Polar scientists say that “for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.” The scientists “believe the chances of a totally ice-free North Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by huge wathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.”
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) said John McCain is “blowing smoke” about the impact of offshore oil drilling. “Anyone who tells you that this will bring down our gas prices immediately or anytime soon is blowing smoke,” Schwarzenegger said. “To look for new ways to feed our addiction (to oil) is not the answer.”
Conservative senators blocked a Medicare bill yesterday, meaning that doctors will “face a 10 percent cut in Medicare payments next week.” The bill averting the cuts overwhelmingly passed the House Tuesday, in a 355-59 vote.
“Barack Obama will travel to Iraq and Afghanistan before the Democratic convention in August, Democratic sources tell CBS News. Earlier today, Obama spoke to Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, and told Talabani he will be visiting the war zone soon.”
On the trail today: Sen. John McCain will hold “an employee town hall meeting at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant in Warren.” Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) hold a “Unite for Change” rally Friday at Unity Elementary School in Unity, N.H.
The Senate yesterday approved at $162 billion war spending plan, which includes “a doubling of GI Bill college benefits for troops and veterans” and “a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and $2.7 billion in emergency flood relief for the Midwest.” The bill now heads to President Bush for his signature.
According to research done by Faith In Public Life, James Dobson’s attack on Barack Obama was mentioned a total of 189 times on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News yesterday. By comparison, a new Pew Survey “documenting the diversity and tolerance of people of faith and the growing consensus around issues like poverty and the environment” was mentioned only 8 times.
Oil prices reached a record high of $140 yesterday, which, combined with “mounting anxiety over the health of such disparate industries as banking, auto manufacturing and technology,” sent the Dow Jones industrial average “tumbling by 3 percent to its lowest level in almost two years.”
Yesterday the Supreme Court struck down the so-called Millionaires Amendment, which imposed special rules for wealthy political candidate financing their own campaigns. The 5-4 decision said the law forced wealthy candidates to “choose between the First Amendment right to engage in unfettered political speech and subjection to discriminatory fund-raising limitations.”
And finally: Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Robert Byrd (D-WV) was in high spirits yesterday. He was “wheeled into the hearing room just before the start of a committee markup” and bellowed, “Hello, folks!” to the packed room. People then cheered when he yelled, “Applause, applause, applause!” Seeing Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) walk in, he welcomed her with, “Hello there, darling Dianne” and began singing, “Diaaaanne, oooh Dianne!” He also pointed out the “growth” on Sen. Pete Domenici’s (R-NM) face.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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