Category: News

The US trade deficit was $54.04 billion in August. The two major elements driving this is the deficit with China: $15.39 billion and oil producers: $14.18 billion. A big storm is brewing. [John Robb's Weblog]

NYT. Eliot Spitzer is great. He is doing the work that the government should be doing: going after corruption. Our system isn't nearly the level and efficient playing field it should be. His latest attack is on massive bid rigging by the insurance industry. I concur with Philip Bobbit that the nation-state system is giving… Continue reading NYT

William Gibson on military foresight. He's right. Fourth generation warfare and Netwar were penned in the US (Global Guerrilla theory brings those older concepts to the next level based on natural paths of evolution in motion today). Unfortunately, our enemies read this theory and applied it. Our “leaders” didn't. [John Robb's Weblog]

BW. The US employment machine is in low gear and likely to stay that way. Another problem that's not well understood, a widespread employment downshift: the vast number of Amercian families that have found employment, but at a much lower level of income than they used to enjoy. Too bad part time employment or downshifting… Continue reading BW

Iraq audit can't find billions. WASHINGTON — About half of the roughly $5 billion in Iraq reconstruction funds disbursed by the US government in the first half of this year cannot be accounted for, according to an audit commissioned by the United Nations, which could not find records for numerous rebuilding projects and other payments.… Continue reading Iraq audit can't find billions

President. I could go through every one of these basic values—but I’ll pick just one: safety. Safety because, right now, this is the most pressing issue. I want a president who will: 1. Actively fight terrorists where they are. 2. Use every weapon at his disposal: military, diplomatic, and economic. 3. Prevent attacks on America.… Continue reading President

Ann Petigrew: “Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush, you are responsible for the inaccurate intelligence assessments, inadequate troop strength, Iraqi prisoner abuses, inadequate logistical support for U.S. forces, and fraudulent contracting billing for the Iraq reconstruction.” [Scripting News]

New York Times – free registration required Congress Close to Establishing Rules for Driver's Licenses. WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 – Following a recommendation of the Sept. 11 commission, the House and Senate are moving toward setting rules for the states that would standardize the documentation required to obtain a driver's license, and the data the license… Continue reading New York Times

Economy, security dueling issues in Ohio battleground. One in a series of occasional articles examining the handful of states where the 2004 election is likely to be decided. [Boston Globe — Front Page]

Flu shot shortage shows system flaws. For two decades, America's system for discovering, developing, and producing vaccines has been careering toward crisis, and today it can be crippled by a single mistake at a single factory, putting lives at risk from preventable diseases. [Boston Globe — Front Page]