Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
The squealing is now getting idiotic: The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development claimed on Wednesday that GOP budget cuts for the 2011 budget “would lead to 70,000 kids dying.”
“These Aren’t Serious People.” Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit today puts the whole budget mess in clear perspective. As usual, the charts are what make his point so clearly.
Shipwreck of 60-foot, single-masted sloop from 1830s found in Lake Michigan.
The ripples in the rings of Saturn and Jupiter were caused by comet impacts decades ago.
Comparing the view of Earth, interpreted differently by Russian and American satellites.
More proof it’s nothing but pork: Witnesses at House committee hearing express strong concerns about the heavy-lift rocket plan (the-program-formerly-called-Constellation) imposed on NASA by Congress.. Key quote:
“We simply do not know what is next,” said Maser, president of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, which builds the space shuttle’s main engines. “We are in a crisis.”
Hail storm hits Endeavour on launchpad.
A cautionary tale: Adventures in federal budget cutting.
The experience has been difficult and has caused me some personal problems. I am afraid this will be the case for anyone who tries to cut spending — in the face of an entrenched bureaucracy that thrives on ever-increasing budgets.
Gotta have your KGB: Homeland Security accused of witness tampering, political manipulation of FOIA requests, and the attempted theft of Congressional committee documents.
So this is why they lobbied for the crappy bill: AARP’s billion dollar Obamacare windfall.
Almost half of the $500 billion in ObamaCare’s Medicare cuts come out of Medicare Advantage. The cuts don’t kill the program, but they mortally wound it. CBO estimates that the Medicare Advantage program will be cut in half, causing over 7 million seniors to lose their health care coverage. They will be forced to return to traditional Medicare and, in most cases, will need to purchase Medi-Gap coverage.
Using very conservative assumptions (AARP keeps its current share of the Medi-Gap market and premiums don’t rise), this increase in the Medi-Gap market will generate more than $100 million a year in additional license fee revenue for AARP. Over a billion dollars every decade. Keep in mind, this revenue is simply for using AARP’s name, so it is almost pure profit.
Dreamliner: a nightmare for Boeing.
Now CNN reports a deal in Congress calling for $73 billion in cuts for this year.
Once again, though these amounts are minuscule, I like the political trend, which is blowing increasingly in the direction of cuts, and cuts only.
Got $4.5 million? A new private commercial jet flew at 489 mph on a test flight March 11.
Ancient books uncovered in Jordan may date from the start of Christianity. Then again, they may be forgeries.
The books are currently the subject of a dispute between authorities, archeologists and an Israeli Bedouin who smuggled the books into Israel and hid them, claiming they were found by his great-grandfather, The Telegraph reports. Authorities in Jordan want the books returned, since under Jordanian law, they are property of the Kingdom of Jordan, according to the news release. Archeologists in Israel claim the books are forgeries, while British archeologists are committed to saving and studying the ancient scrolls.
The reckoning is about to arrive: The federal treasury is down to $58.6 billion in cash with only $130.5 billion in borrowing authority.
Meanwhile former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos reports that a tentative deal between the parties in Congress will finalize the cuts from last year’s budget at $33 billion.
As I said, the reckoning is about to arrive.
A quick summary of the legal situation in Wisconsin.
What does this tell us about the intellectual bankruptcy and political leanings of these academics: The University of La Plata in Argentina is giving Hugo Chavez a journalism award.
Maybe it’s because the leftwing Chavez likes to shut down opposition news organizations.
Geert Wilders: Time to unmask Muhammad.
Anyone who voices criticism of Islam and Muhammad is in grave personal danger – as I have experienced. And whoever attempts to escape from the influence of Islam and Muhammad risks death. We cannot continue to accept this state of affairs. A public debate about the true nature and character of Muhammad can provide insight and support to Muslims all over the world who wish to leave Islam.
Which near-Earth asteroids are ripe for a visit?
Are they blinking finally? Harry Reid (D-Nevada) suggested yesterday that the Democrats might be willing to compromise in budget talks.
When is an asteroid not an asteroid?
The layered structure of Vesta (core, mantle and crust) is the key trait that makes Vesta more like planets such as Earth, Venus and Mars than the other asteroids, McCord said. Like the planets, Vesta had sufficient radioactive material inside when it coalesced, releasing heat that melted rock and enabled lighter layers to float to the outside. Scientists call this process differentiation.
This question immediately demonstrates once again the terrible mess the International Astronautical Union made when it decided several years ago to define what makes a planet, and came up with a definition that simply doesn’t work. For if Vesta should be considered a planet, why not Pluto?
Civility for thee but not for me: Bill Maher considers it perfectly acceptable for him to use four-letter words to attack conservative women like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.
The first image from Mercury orbit.
Repeal the goddamn thing already! It appears that Louisiana will be the ninth state to seek a waiver from Obamacare.
Congressmen rack up unpaid parking tickets.
As Glenn Reynolds would say, laws are for the “little people.”
The first test flight of a German electric-powered airplane.
The single-seat Elektra One is claimed to have a three-hour endurance using rechargeable batteries and a range of more than 216 nm. The aircraft has a payload of 220 pounds and is claimed to cruise at 86 knots.
More leftwing civility: A death threat video attacking a black conservative who opposes illegal immigration.
