Odds and Ends

A post-vacation roundup of interesting news before the big/blah speech tonight...

The White House and Congress continue to debate the stimulus package.

And here's a sign of the times... for the first time since the '80s, union membership is up.

Matthew Yglesias looks at polls which show that-- despite Republican obsession-- the majority of Americans (even conservatives) don't think making Bush's tax cuts permanent should be a priority for the country. Health-care, jobs, energy, immigration, and security remain top concerns.

Spencer Ackerman has a great piece in The Washington Independent on CIA interrogation/torture tactics and what a disaster this all is.

Finally, the birth control pill has one more use... it may protect against ovarian cancer.