Daily Briefing - 2/21/07

While we still have 621 days until the 2008 election, there's only 7 days until the first spring training game! Woohoo! It seems that our friends in Congress are feeling the spirit of baseball as well.

On to the briefing...

MW

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Daily Briefing – 2/21/07
621 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- EPA reports a 16% rise in greenhouse gases
- Maryland House approves cut in car emissions
- International group composed of nearly 100 corporations, organizations, and experts set a plan to curb global warming
- A battle over the costs
- Montana should lead in fight against global warming
- Bush Administration official explains, accepts climate change and our role in it… he has now gone missing (kidding of course)
- U.S. public aware of global warming, but not sure of its seriousness. Same U.S. public once made now bald and crazy Britney Spears a top selling artist… just sayin’
- Religious, scientific, and social bodies unite
- University of Tennessee signs the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment
o Chronicle of Higher Education has a description of the commitment (subs. req’d)
- Incandescent bulbs are getting the axe in Australia
- Global warming eats into wheat output in India
- Energy [R]evolution
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- Conservatives target GOP war critics
- Sen. Johnson improving, moved to rehab facility
- Cubin loses natural resources post
Potential ‘08ers…
- McCain (chastised by the VP), Clinton (emphasizing her gender), Obama (his first big screen test), Obama again (the anti-Brownback – a perfect voting record), Romney (launches his first ad, is it because he’s faltering in the polls?), Giuliani (can it happen?),
- The first debate is today in Carson City. That’s right folks, you heard me correctly. They’re already debating!
- National poll from Quinnipiac, Giuliani and Clinton are in the lead
Other News from the Media
- Small group blocks coal-fired power plants in Texas
- Britain to announce a major reduction of troops in Iraq
- Louisiana levee plan leaves some helpless
- British government forced to rethink nuclear power plant plans
- Abu Dhabi to build $350 million solar power plant
…and the Blogosphere
- Democracy in America: Not too optimistic about politicians seriously confronting global warming
- DailyKos: Defending Obama from Maureen Dowd
- Arianna Huffington: A town torn between two lovers. Obama v. Hillary, first is a whole lot of money
- National Review: The Beer Test
- New blog from the Wall Street Journal: Energy Roundup
- The cheese-eating, surrender-monkey caucus? Oh, my…
- Grist:
o Get excited… ok, are you excited? It’s Michael Crichton on Charlie Rose!
o What should greens do about air travel?
o More on carbon offsets
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Freedom Tower signed off on
- Finally doing something important in Congress and recognizing a true American hero (GO YANKEES.)
- You might soon refer to him as Nobel peace prize awardee, Oscar winner and Dr.
- This seems like a logical step
- Now this is sad: Jazz endangered in New Orleans
Quotes O’ the Day
"I guess I'm what this country is all about." ~ The man, the legend… The Mick. #7, Mickey Mantle.