Weekend Odds and Ends

It's the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. Something to think about. Here's news-

The administration intends to appease the immigration hardliners at all costs... "The Bush administration will use its authority to bypass more than 30 laws and regulations... [and] cut through bureaucratic red tape and sidestep environmental laws that currently impede the Homeland Security Department from building 267 miles of fencing in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, according to officials familiar with the plan." Hey, gotta get that fence up asap. The rule of law is sacrosanct, you know.

But on a related issue, states are fighting back! "Officials of 18 states are taking the EPA back to court to try to force it to comply with a Supreme Court ruling that rebuked the Bush administration for inaction on global warming."

Meanwhile, members of Congress shake their fists at oil company executives.

Elsewhere in congressional news, the Senate has agreed on a bill to deal with the housing crisis. It "contains $4 billion in grants to local governments to buy and refurbish foreclosed homes, new authority for states to issue bonds to be used to refinance subprime mortgages and a $7,000 tax credit for people buying new homes or properties in foreclosure." Yay?

And with food and fuel costs rising, worldwide hunger is becoming a growing epidemic.

In other news, President Bush remains hopeful that NATO will do as he wishes. He got "strong support Thursday for a missile defense system in Europe" and asked for more suckers to help him save Afghanistan. And NATO makes a decision on new alliance members.

In Zimbabwe, they are still working out the fallout from their recent elections.

Finally, reform in Cuba? The new Castro regime "loosened controls on consumer goods and invited private farmers to plant tobacco, coffee and other crops on unused state land." Among the goods they are now allowed to purchase are "DVD players, motorbikes and pressure cookers." Yes, democracy is on the march now!