Daily Briefing - 11/29/06

As of an hour or so ago, the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments on the validity of including greenhouse gases as pollutants in the Clean Air Act. Such a a decision would force the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate these global warming causing gases. Look for a more in-depth post on the SC proceedings later on today. In other global warming news, renowned scientist and creator of the Gaia theory, James Lovelock thinks that Britain will triumph over global warming and it will make them a world power again. The distinction may be disputed however as "environmental power" is only one of the "World Power" titles. "Military Power," "Economic Power," and WBC title holders must also be taken into consideration.

In Washington, Jim Webb almost picked a fight with the President (I'm not kidding), and Sen. Reid set out his agenda. Sadly, nobody took him seriously because honestly, the Democrats don't have any plans. Speaker-elect Pelosi decided an impeached (but NOT convicted) Federal Judge would not be the best choice as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, and '08ers are all over the place... including Boston's North End (Hey Mitt, grab me a canoli from Mike's Pastries... they're THE BEST).

In other news, Laurie David picks on teachers for siding with oil companies over Al Gore, a judge sides with blind people over people who prefer their money smooth, and the Bush Administration said if this step doesn't work Kim Jong Il will have to sit in time-out. Finally, the Vice President took all the necessary precautions not to shoot anybody this time around. All that and more... in the briefing.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 11/29/06
705 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- It’s on! Supreme Court hears the case today.
o Analysis from Forbes, SF Chron, Boston Globe, Washington Post, USA Today, WSJ, NYT, NPR, Guardian (UK), and Yahoo
- The politics of global warming
- Scientist predicts Britain’s triumph over global warming will make them RULER OF THE WORLD
- Warming oceans storing climate disaster
o Also from The Sydney Morning Herald
- The Standard (China): Escaping Global Warming
- Warming and storm intensity tied
- Hartford Courant: Fight Warming with Pollution?
- Scientists drill down
- Grist: The problem with carbon taxes
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Majority Leader-elect Reid sets agenda for the Senate
- Pelosi will not name Rep. Alcee Hastings (the once impeached, yet never convicted Federal Judge) as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee
- Democrats take the PA State House for the first time in a dozen years… and in their only pickup, the GOP won back the MT State House after a recount
- “Webb confessed that he was so angered by this that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief.”
- John Hall is “still the one” – arrgh, I can’t believe I just made that joke
- Potential ‘08ers…
o Obama (angering the Christian right), Frist (won’t run), Clinton (worried about Obama), Obama again (going to New Hampshire), Vilsack (Also going to NH), Clark (won’t start late again), Edwards (in Iowa), Romney (setting up digs in the North End), Romney again (locking down staff)
Other News from the Media
- The National Science Teacher Association doesn’t want to upset their “certain targeted supporters,” -- ahem, ExxonMobil – by receiving free copies of An Inconvenient Truth
- Study reports that energy use could be cut by more than half over the next 15 years by efficiency
- Paper money unfair to the blind?
- The Bush Administration has begun to deal with the now nuclear North Korea… by taking away their iPods
- Ecobabes! Raising funds and blood pressure for the Climate Protection Campaign of Sonoma County
- When is a fish really organic?
- Michael Grunwald on The Greening of America… not our kind of green, the kind that pays for stuff
…and the Blogosphere
- The Fix: Voters hot on Giuliani, cold on Kerry
- DailyKos: On San Francisco Values
- They’re working on giving “Cold Cash” Jefferson the boot over at MYDD
- RedState: What is dividing Republicans --moderates or conservatives?
- From Grist:
o A talk with pop star and social activist, Moby
o Sustainability in world politics
o Pharmaceutical animal testing shifts to China
- Sen. Inhofe on eco-terrorism
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- And if you’re a nerd like me who would find this interesting – The results of a 20 year study into the moral reasoning in athlete populations
- “Argentina, former safe haven for Nazi war criminals, is drawing the line at the Bush twins.”
- Parts of Interstate 10 were blocked off in Florida yesterday and for good reason… The Vice President was hunting.
- PETA’s worst dressed: Nicole Richie, animal skin and bones.
Quotes O’ the Day
“I got into this race because my wife told me to stop yelling at the TV." ~ Representative-elect John Hall (D-NY19)