4/27 - Robin Williams
- Karl Rove. Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove testified on April 26 before a federal grand jury, his fifth time testifying in connection with the investigation into the potential leak of an undercover CIA agent's identity. This was Rove's first appearance before a grand jury since former Time magazine reporter Viveca Novak testified that she had told Rove's lawyer in early 2004 about a conversation Rove had with Time reporter Matthew Cooper, which Rove had not discussed in prior appearances before the grand jury. The New York Times reported on April 28 that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was considering whether to bring perjury charges against Rove for his failure to not disclose the Cooper conversation earlier.
- Iraq Visit. Some information about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's April 26-27 visit to Iraq is on-line here.
- Bush Approval. A Gallup poll taken in mid-April (on-line here) found President George W. Bush's job approval rating to be 36%. A graph showing Bush's approval and disapproval ratings over time is below:
- Global Political Stock Market: Politics. Former Enron CEO Ken Lay testified and was cross-examined this week in his trial on charges relating to securities fraud. Lay's website, where he says he is innocent of all charges, is on-line here.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who has been criticized for delaying on ordering a mandatory evacuation before Hurricane Katrina made landfall as well as for comments in January that the city would be rebuilt as a "chocolate" city and that Hurricane Katrina was sent by God because of the war in Iraq, took 38.4% of the vote in an April 22 election. He will face Louisiana Lt. Governor "Mitch" Landrieu, who took 29.12% of the vote in a May 22 runoff election. Election results on-line here.
- Global Political Stock Market: Fiendex. New videos were released this week by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leader of the Iraqi insurgency, and by Osama Bin Laden. A New York Times article on the Zarqawi video is on-line here.
A federal jury is in deliberations as to whether Zacarias Moussaoui should be executed for his role in the September 11 attacks (lying to federal agents when taken into custody in August 2001). Moussaoui testified last week that he was supposed to have been part of the September 11, 2001 attacks and was to have flown a fifth airplane into the White House, but his defense lawyers, whom Moussaoui has clashed with, have argued that Moussaoui is trying to bolster his involvement to become a martyr. Information on the case is on-line here.
According to the second superseding indictment (on-line here), Moussaoui came to the United States in February 2001, took flight lessons in August 2001, and lied about why he was present in the United States to federal agents. Moussaoui was in a Minnesota jail on September 11.
- Global Political Stock Market: Mergers (Integralux). President George W. Bush announced on April 26 that Fox News commentator Tony Snow, who was a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush's administration, would succeed Scott McClellan as White House spokesman. Transcript on-line here.
- Global Political Stock Market: Legacies. A press release about the unveiling of portraits of Bill and Hillary Clinton is on-line here.
- Reference to the Decider. In the face of recent calls by retired generals for replacing Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush re-iterated his support for Rumsfeld by referring to himself on April 18 as the "decider" (transcript on-line here). "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense," he said.
4/26 - Kimberly Strassel
- Airbus. The New York Times reported on April 25 that Airbus was proposing to build standing-room seats to Asian carriers, though none had agreed to it yet. Article on-line here.
- Fox Populi. President George W. Bush announced on April 26 that Fox News commentator Tony Snow, who was a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush's administration, would succeed Scott McClellan as White House spokesman. Transcript on-line here.
- The Big House. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-California) pled guilty on November 28, 2005 to (1) conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud and tax evasion and (2) tax evasion. Cunningham resigned from Congress later that day. According to a press release giving details about the charges (on-line here), Cunningham admitted receiving at least $2.4 million in bribes.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 98 percent of incumbent House members and 96 percent of incumbent Senators facing election in 2004 were reelected (on-line here).
- Pyramid Scene. An article about a recent discovery of what could be a pyramid under a Bosnian hill is on-line here.
- Reference to Gas Prices. U.S. retail gasoline prices have increased in recent weeks, approaching the levels seen in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Retail prices are now about twice as much as they were in 2003, and are approaching the inflation-adjusted highs of the 1970s. The graph below is based on information on-line here.
President George W. Bush said on April 25 (transcript on-line here) that he was trying to fight higher gas prices in several ways. Among other things, he said that he had directed the federal government to investigate illegal price manipulation (this is the manipulation Bush referred to when he said that "this administration is not going to tolerate manipulation"), had ordered the Department of Energy to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during the summer (the federal government regularly stockpiles oil) in order to reduce demand and thus help lower gas prices, and was encouraging the temporary lifting of fuel requirements.
4/25 - Tom Selleck
- Gas Pains. U.S. retail gasoline prices have increased in recent weeks, approaching the levels seen in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Retail prices are now about twice as much as they were in 2003, and are approaching the inflation-adjusted highs of the 1970s. The graph below is based on information on-line here.
President George W. Bush said on April 25 (transcript on-line here) that he was trying to fight higher gas prices in several ways. Among other things, he said that he had directed the federal government to investigate illegal price manipulation (this is the manipulation Bush referred to when he said that "this administration is not going to tolerate manipulation"), had ordered the Department of Energy to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve during the summer (the federal government regularly stockpiles oil) in order to reduce demand and thus help lower gas prices, and was encouraging the temporary lifting of fuel requirements.
- Counterinsurgency Writing Competition. Information about the "countering insurgency" essay competition is on-line here. Entries will be evaluated by a panel composed of "members of the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center staff and faculty, as well as invited readers with expertise in counterinsurgency."
4/24 - Efraim Halevy
- The King and Them. The Nepali people have protested for about three weeks against King Gyanendra, who dissolved the country's parliament in 2002 and who seized total control of the government in February 2005. Gyanendra called on April 24 for the reinstatement of an elected house of parliament, a move that was praised by the United States (statement on-line here), and expressed sympathies for protesters who had been killed by his security forces. As noted, Gyanendra was proclaimed king in June 2001 following an incident in which Crown Prince Dipendra reportedly shot and killed his father, his mother, two siblings, an uncle and several aunts before killing himself. The State Department has background notes on Nepal on-line here.
- Queen of the Stone Age. A website for Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday (April 21) is on-line here.
- Happy Earth Day. President George W. Bush's April 22, 2006 remarks for Earth Day are on-line here. Bush has made calls in the past for hydrogen-powered cars. Among other things, he proposed additional funding for hydrogen research in his 2003 State of the Union address (on-line here).
4/20 - Sen. Ted Kennedy
- Karl Rove. President George W. Bush announced on April 19 that he had named Joel Kaplan as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (release on-line here). White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who announced his resignation on April 19 (transcript on-line here), said that Karl Rove would continue to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff and as Senior Advisor to the President, and that Kaplan would focus on "day-to-day management of the policy process" whereas Rove would "focus more on the larger strategic planning" (transcript on-line here).
Some have speculated that Rove may have leaked the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame to conservative columnist Robert Novak in July 2005. According to the October 28, 2005 indictment of I. Lewis Libby (on-line here), Libby spoke on July 10 or 11 to a "senior official in the White House ("Official A") who advised Libby of a conservation Official A had earlier that week with columnist Robert Novak in which Wilson's wife was discussed as a CIA employee involved in Wilson's trip. Libby was advised by Official A that Novak would be writing a story about Wilson's wife."
This senior official may be White House advisor Karl Rove. Matthew Cooper of Time has said that he discussed Wilson's wife with Rove on July 11. Moreover, White House spokesman Scott McClellan, who said on September 29, 2003 that the idea that Rove was the leak was a "ridiculous suggestion" (transcript on-line here) and who said on October 10, 2003 that Rove had provided assurances that he was not involved (transcript on-line here), declined in July 2005 press conferences to answer questions on Rove or to back up his prior statements, saying on July 12 (on-line here) that it was "not the appropriate time to talk about those questions while the investigation is continuing."
- Who's Hu in America. A transcript of Microsoft head Bill Gates' April 20 remarks welcoming Chinese President Hu Jintao is on-line here. A transcript of President George W. Bush's April 20 remarks welcoming Hu is on-line here.
- Not in Your Front Yard. An article about the sign controversy in the Westchase community is on-line here.
- Iraq Vote. Sen. Edward Kennedy was one of 23 senators who voted on October 11, 2002 against a Congressional resolution that authorized the use of military force against Iraq (vote information on-line here. The resolution, which President George W. Bush signed into law on October 16, authorized Bush to "use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to (1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq." An October 10, 2002 statement by Kennedy on the vote is on-line here.
4/19 - Dennis Quaid
- Scott Free. White House spokesman Scott McClellan announced on April 19 that he would resign as press secretary after a transition (transcript on-line here). In recent weeks, Andrew Card resigned as chief of staff and was succeeded by Joshua Bolten.
- The Decider. In the face of recent calls by retired generals for replacing Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush has re-iterated his support for Rumsfeld. Bush said on April 18 (transcript on-line here) that he recognized the speculation about Rumsfeld but that "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense."
Art for "The Decider" was done by R Sikoryak, who is on-line here.
- Let's Glow Iran. Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on April 11 that Iran had enriched uranium for use in nuclear power plants, advancing its nuclear plans. This announcement came just weeks after a March 29 statement by the United Nations Security Council (on-line here) calling for Iran to suspend all nuclear enrichment activities.
The Bush administration has emphasized the use of diplomacy to handle the Iran situation. However, Seymour Hersh reported in the New Yorker's April 17 issue (posted on-line on April 8) that the Bush administration "has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack," and that sources said that Air Force planners are identifying targets and that combat troops are operating in Iran. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on April 10 that such reports "are based on wild speculation, and not on the administration's thinking" (transcript on-line here).
4/18 - Ryan Nerz
- Duke Charges. Two Duke University lacrosse team members were indicted on April 17 on rape-related charges relating to a March 13 off-campus party. Duke cancelled the men's lacrosse season in April and has information on the incident on-line here.
- Easter Egg Roll. While some have criticized President George W. Bush for not meeting with gay parents at this year's Easter Egg roll, others have criticized him for allowing openly gay parents to attend the event at all. In response to a question critical of allowing openly gay people to attend, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that "the Easter Egg Roll is a very happy tradition at the White House that dates back to 1878. It is a time for families, and we welcome all families and their children who want to come and participate" (transcript on-line here). The White House has information on the event on-line here.
- Earthquake Anniversary. The U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program has information on San Francisco's 1906 earthquake, including estimates on when the city may be affected by another earthquake, on-line here.
4/17 - Jon Meacham
- Exxon CEO Compensation. The New York Times reported on April 15 that recently retired Exxon Chairman and CEO Lee Raymond received more than $686 million in compensation during his 13 years leading the company, or about $144,573 per day, including a $98.4 million pension. Much of this compensation reportedly is in the form of stock options and restricted stock that has not yet vested. Other executives have received large amounts of compensation in stock options. For context, the New York Times also reported that Steve Jobs received $775 million in 2000 from Apple and that Michael Eisner received $577 million in 1997 from the Walt Disney Company, both mostly related to stock options. Article on-line here.
- War Wars. In the face of recent calls by retired generals for replacing Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush re-iterated his support for Rumsfeld on April 14 (on-line here). "I have seen first-hand how Don relies upon our military commanders in the field and at the Pentagon to make decisions about how best to complete these missions. Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this critical period. He has my full support and deepest appreciation," Bush said.
The Defense Department also reportedly issued on April 14 a memo defending Rumsfeld to a group of retired military commanders and civilians. The memo reportedly states that "senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process in the Department of Defense" and provides statistics on Rumsfeld's contact with military leaders.
- The Eagle has Loitered. The city of Homer, Alaska is on-line here. According to a February 15, 2006 article in the Homer News (on-line here), the Homer city council banned the feeding of eagles but allowed an exemption for Jean Keene, the "Eagle Lady," until 2010.
3/30 - Sharon Stone
- Note. I missed this episode when it first aired but footnoted it after it was re-broadcast on April 13.
- Rahman and Carroll Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who faced the death penalty in Afghanistan for converting from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago, was released from prison on March 27. Many leaders had expressed outrage over the case, though many Muslim clerics reportedly supported the case. President George W. Bush said on March 22 that the United States would use its influence in Afghanistan to "remind them that there are universal values" and said that it was "deeply troubling that a country we helped liberate would hold a person to account because they chose a particular religion over another" (transcript on-line here).
Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll was released by her Iraqi kidnappers on March 30 after 82 days of captivity. During her captivity, Carroll was forced to make statements in support of her kidnappers. The Christian Science Monitor has articles on Carroll on-line here.
- Aliens vs. Senators. A compromise Senate immigration bill that was announced on April 6 and that would have provided amnesty for many illegal immigrants failed to be voted upon before Congress broke on April 7 for a recess, with Democrats blocking some Republican amendments to the bill that Democrats said would have reduced the effectiveness of the amnesty provisions. The compromise bill would have allowed some illegal immigrants who had been in the United States for more than five years to become citizens, forced illegal immigrants who had been in the United States for two to five years to leave and apply to be part of a new guest-worker program, and forced illegal immigrants who had been in the United States for less than two years to leave without eligibility for return.
Senator Mel Martinez (R-Florida), one of the sponsors of the Senate compromise bill, said on April 6 (on-line here) that the bill addresses border security while also providing a guest-worker program "so we can take the pressure off illegal entry" and allowing "a way forward for the people that are here already." Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), a vocal critic of the Senate compromise bill, said in an April 6 statement (on-line here) that the bill was "miserable public policy" by offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on April 7 that the White House had been "encouraged" to see the "comprehensive" Senate bill and that it was unfortunate that the bill was not voted upon before the recess (transcript on-line here).
The House of Representatives voted in December in favor of a border-security bill that would make living in the United States illegally into a criminal felony (doing so is now a violation of civil immigration law subject to deportation, not jail time) and could subject priests and social workers to jail time for assisting illegal immigrants (H.R. 4437) on December 16 (239 for and 182 against). The House bill does not provide for a temporary worker program, which President George W. Bush has called for and which would allow illegal aliens currently in the United States to pay a fee and become legally eligible for jobs which U.S. employers cannot fill with U.S. workers.
Various surveys have estimated that the number of illegal immigrants grew dramatically over the 1990s. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service estimated in 2003 that there were 7 million illegal immigrants in the United States in January 2000, almost doubling since 1990 (on-line here). A more recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center (on-line here) estimated that there were 10.3 million illegal aliens in the United States in March 2004.
- Lou Dobbs. A transcript of the March 27 episode of Lou Dobbs Tonight, in which Dobbs discussed his view on St. Patrick's Day, is on-line here.
- Save the Date! The New York Times reported on March 27 about a January 2003 memo that gives details about a meeting between President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in which the two leaders discussed arranging their diplomatic strategy around military planning and said the tentative start date for the military campaign would be March 10. The United States began its military campaign on March 19.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on March 27 (on-line here) that the United States was seeking a diplomatic solution in January 2003, though it recognized that military action may be necessary. "We were continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution, but we recognized that it was necessary to prepare and plan accordingly in the event we would need to use force, and that's what we were doing at that time, as well," he said.
4/6 - Josh Hartnett
- DHS Arrest. Department of Homeland Security deputy press secretary Brian Doyle was arrested on April 4 on charges relating to child pornography (press release on-line here). Rep. Peter King (R-New York), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, reportedly has called for a hearing on Homeland Security's hiring practices.
- Rice A Rongi. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's comment about "thousands" of "tactical errors" was made in a March 31 press conference (on-line here) and was made in the context of a question about whether the United States had learned from the past three years. Rice went on to distinguish tactical errors from strategic ones, and said that "[w]hen you look back in history, what will be judged is did you make the right strategic decisions. And if you spend all of your time trying to judge this tactical issue or that tactical issue, I think you miss the larger sweep. Now, absolutely we think all the time about what can be done better, what needs to be adjusted. But I think I just think of it a little bit differently than trying now to catalogue every "mistake" and react to it."
Rice was asked in an April 1 appearance which tactical mistakes were the most significant. Rice said her earlier comment had been figurative and focused on her belief that the United States' strategic decision had been right even if there had been tactical mistakes. A transcript of this conference is on-line here.
- Beach Ploys. The marketing agency featured in this segment is on-line here.
- Votive or Die. A recent study published by the American Heart Journal (abstract on-line here) found that prayer by strangers on behalf of heart patients beginning the night before surgery had no effect on whether recovery was free of complications, and found that those patients who knew that strangers were praying on their behalf had a higher incidence of complications.
4/5 - General Tony Zinni
- Race: The Afrospanicindioasianization of America: Population by Race. The U.S. Census projected in 2004 that the white, non-Hispanic part of the population would be 50.1 percent in 2050, compared to roughly 83 percent in 1970 and 69.4 percent in 2000. Census projections indicate that Asian and Hispanic populations will see the largest growth between 2000 and 2050. Data about these projections is on-line here and data about historical trends is on-line here.
- Reference to Immigration Proposals. The House of Representatives voted in December in favor of a border-security bill that would made living in the United States illegally into a criminal felony (doing so is now a violation of civil immigration law subject to deportation, not jail time) and could subject priests and social workers to jail time for assisting illegal immigrants (H.R. 4437) on December 16 (239 for and 182 against). The House bill does not provide for a temporary worker program, which President George W. Bush has called for and which would allow illegal aliens currently in the United States to pay a fee and become legally eligible for jobs which U.S. employers cannot fill with U.S. workers. Such temporary workers would be able to stay in the United States for three years and would have to return to their home countries afterwards, but would get legal protections while in the United States, Bush said.
Various surveys have estimated that the number of illegal immigrants grew dramatically over the 1990s. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service estimated in 2003 that there were 7 million illegal immigrants in the United States in January 2000, almost doubling since 1990 (on-line as a PDF here). A more recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center (on-line as a PDF here) estimated that there were 10.3 million illegal aliens in the United States in March 2004.
4/4 - Studs Terkel
- DeLay: The Inevitable. Representative Tom DeLay (R-Texas, on-line here) announced on April 4 that he would resign his House seat at some time before June (statement on-line here). DeLay stepped down as House majority leader in September 2005 after being indicted on campaign finance charges related to the allegedly illegal transfer in 2002 of certain money to the Republican National Committee so that the money could be transferred to campaigns for the Texas state legislature. DeLay had close ties to lobbyist Jack Abramoff and decided not to seek the leadership post again after Abramoff's guilty plea in January 2006.
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman. A statement by Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia) about her March 29 incident with a Capitol police officer is on-line here. McKinney served in the House from 1993 to 2002, lost her seat in a 2002 election, and regained her seat beginning in 2005.
- Citizen McCain. Liberty University announced on March 28 that Sen. John McCain would be its commencement speaker on May 13 (release on-line here). Liberty University founder and chancellor Rev. Jerry Falwell is a leader among conservative Christians, having led the Moral Majority organization in the 1980s and having relaunched the group as the Moral Majority Coalition (on-line here) following the November 2004 elections.
- Studs Terkel. Author and radio personality Studs Terkel is on-line here.
4/3 - Ricky Gervais
- Moussaoui Trial. A jury ruled on April 3 that Zacarias Moussaoui was eligible for the death penalty for his role in the September 11 attacks (lying to federal agents when taken into custody in August 2001) and will soon begin deliberating as to whether he should be executed. Moussaoui testified last week that he was supposed to have been part of the September 11, 2001 attacks and was to have flown a fifth airplane into the White House. Information on the case is on-line here.
According to the second superseding indictment (on-line here), Moussaoui came to the United States in February 2001, took flight lessons in August 2001, and lied about why he was present in the United States to federal agents. Moussaoui was in a Minnesota jail on September 11.
- Mess O'Potamia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's April 1 comment about Iran was a response to questions as to whether the United States would use military options against Iran. She went on to say: "Iran is not Iraq. I know that's what's on people's minds. Iran is not Iraq. The circumstances are different. We don't have 12 years of Security Council resolutions, a case in which a state attacked its neighbor or tried to annex its neighbor, as it did with Kuwait, where we were still in a state of war after the armistice in 1991. I just want to be very clear: Iran is not Iraq. However, the President of the United States doesn't take his options off the table. We are committed to a diplomatic course because we believe that a diplomatic course can work." (transcript on-line here).
On March 29, the United Nations Security Council called upon Iran to suspend its nuclear activities and called for a report on Iran's compliance within 30 days (statement on-line here). Iran also began military maneuvers last week.
- Itza Boy. President George W. Bush met with Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Mexico on March 30 and 31. A transcript of Bush's March 31 press conference is on-line here.
- This Week in God. A March 20 article about the reportedly missing "Buddha Boy" is on-line here.
The Canadian Supreme Court decision overruling a school board's decision to prohibit a Sikh student, Gurbaj Singh, from carrying a kirpan even if he took certain precautions to keep the kirpan sealed inside his clothing is on-line here.
According to a State Department report on religious freedom in Turkmenistan (on-line here), Turkmenistan does not have an official state religion but monitors religious expression and has promoted President Saparmurat Niyazov's books Rukhnama and Rukhnama II as religious texts which are to be treated similar to the Koran. The government reportedly requires all schools to provide regular instruction on the Rukhnama and requires all children to bring personal copies to school.
