Moammar Gadhafi made a calculated decision to abandon his nuclear program earlier this decade, mainly because it was in his own self-interest to do so, writes Israeli ambassador Michael Oren in the Wall Street Journal . Gadhafi feared the US would do to him what it did to Saddam Hussein if…
Continue reading …Chuck Schumer’s mini-gaffe on a conference call today is still bouncing around the political blogs. It began when Schumer—unaware reporters were on the line—gave talking points to Democrats about how to characterize Republicans in the budget fight: “I always use the word extreme,” he said, as quoted by…
Continue reading …The seesaw fight in Libya continued to tilt in Moammar Gadhafi’s favor as his better-organized forces kept rebels in retreat mode, reports the Los Angeles Times . Gadhafi maintained control of his pivotal hometown of Sirte as panicked rebels fled east to Bin Jawwad and demanded more airstrikes: “Where is Sarkozy?…
Continue reading …Maybe just a wee bit too greedy? Feds say an FDA chemist figured out that his inside information about drugs under review by the agency could pay off in the stock market, and he reaped at least $3.6 million since 2006, reports Bloomberg. The SEC and the Justice Department…
Continue reading …It may sound a little bananas, but it turns out that, well, bananas could help create more fuel-efficient cars. Brazilian scientists have come up with a way of using fibers from that fruit, as well as pineapples and coconuts, to make a lighter, stronger plastic. In fact, it’s 30% lighter,…
Continue reading …The Education Department has fined Virginia Tech the maximum allowable amount—$55,000—over how it handled the 2007 shooting rampage that left 33 people dead, reports the Richmond Times Dispatch . Federal officials say the university didn’t warn the campus quickly enough: The school learned that two students had been…
Continue reading …Social Security’s shaky financial picture is common political territory, but Rick Santorum has a distinctive take on how to help fix it: Abolish abortion. Salon takes note of a Santorum appearance on New Hampshire radio station WEZS in which the conservative former senator and potential GOP candidate links the two…
Continue reading …Silvio Berlusconi wants a high-profile witness for the defense: George Clooney. The Italian prime minister’s lawyers have included the actor and his girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis, on their wish list of witnesses for Berlusconi’s prostitution trial, reports Bloomberg . The PM is accused of paying an underage model for sex and then…
Continue reading …The uprisings sweeping across the Arab world could never have happened if we hadn’t taken out Saddam Hussein—and we ought to admit we’re trying to give Moammar Gadhafi the same treatment, writes Christopher Hitchens of Slate . “Can anyone imagine how the Arab spring would have played out if a…
Continue reading …Amazon has launched a new service that allows people to store their music on the company’s servers and play it on their computers or Android devices, reports CNET . The move is getting plenty of buzz because Amazon beat both Apple and Google in the development of a so-called cloud system,…
Continue reading …