The Times Square bomb exploded our assumptions: Can we finally snap out of our oil addiction?

The Times Square bomb exploded our assumptions: Can we finally snap out of our oil addiction?: ""

Why Elena Kagan makes both sides nervous. - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine

Why Elena Kagan makes both sides nervous. - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine: ""

(Via .)

Op-Ed Columnist - Root Canal Politics - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - Root Canal Politics - NYTimes.com: "DEATH NOTICE: The Tooth Fairy died last night of complications related to obesity. Born Jan. 1, 1946, the Tooth Fairy is survived by 400 million children living largely in North America and Western Europe, known collectively as ‘The Baby Boomers.’ ‘We’ll certainly miss the Tooth Fairy,’ one of them said following her death, which coincided with the 2010 British elections and rioting in Greece. The Tooth Fairy had only one surviving sibling who will now look after her offspring alone: Mr. Bond Market of Wall Street and the City of London."

(Via .)

Climate Scientists Fight Back

Climate Scientists Fight Back: "In the face of dwindling public confidence and a renewed surge in attacks from global-warming skeptics, climate scientists are fighting back. In the May 7 edition of Science, 255 members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, including 11 Nobel laureates, signed a letter decrying what they call the 'political assaults on scientists and climate scientists in particular.' 'There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions,' the authors write. '[F]or a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.'"

(Via Drudge Retort.)

Illegal Status of Army Spouses Often Leads to Snags

Illegal Status of Army Spouses Often Leads to Snags: "Many service members have fought to gain legal status for their family members — only to hit a legal dead end."

(Via NYT > Home Page.)

Oil companies' history of ducking safety improvements before big spills.

Oil companies' history of ducking safety improvements before big spills.: "In the last half-century, three major oil spills have significantly marked American politics—the 1969 Santa Barbara, Calif., spill, the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill, and now the 2010 spill in the Gulf. They have a striking thing in common: Each occurred after the oil industry successfully resisted demands for safety improvements that would have greatly reduced the damage the spills caused. These technological fixes either were already standard or would later become so—and mandatory.  By fighting them off in the short-term, the oil companies cost themselves huge amounts of money and the rest of us an environmental debacle.

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(Via Slate Magazine.)

Why President Obama revealed how many weapons are in the U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Why President Obama revealed how many weapons are in the U.S. nuclear stockpile.: "In an underreported bit of news this week, the Obama administration revealed how many weapons are in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The number, which until now has been classified, turns out to be 5,113.

(Via Slate Magazine.)

Lieberman's pretzel logic

Lieberman's pretzel logic: "Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) talked to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell today about his new proposal to strip the citizenship of any American suspected of affiliating with foreign terrorist groups. From the rush transcript of Lieberman:"

(Via The Rachel Maddow Show - The Maddow Blog's Column - Articles and Seeds.)

Video: Brits head to polls for historic election

Video: Brits head to polls for historic election: "

BBC’s Matt Frei discusses whether Britain’s Conservative Party will have a chance to regain power after 13 years. (Other)

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(Via msnbc.com: Decision '08.)