The Flashlight Feb. 10-16, 2007
THE FLASHLIGHT, February 10-16, 2007
The Wellbeing of the Young in Europe and the US
NY Times 2-13. A UNICEF report on the well-being of children and adolescents in 21 economically advanced countries, found that the best countries for the young were, in order: The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain,
Switzerland, and Norway. The worst country was the UK, and the next to the worst, the US. The US scored average on economic well-being, but very low on health and safety, family and peer relationships, and dangerous and risky behavior (use of drugs, alcohol and unsafe sex). .
US Women
NY Times 2-10. For the first time in its beginning in 1636, Harvard has selected a woman as president. She is the historian Drew Gilpin Faust, 59, current dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Born in an upper class Virginia family, she worked in the field of Civil War southern society. This appointment is a landmark in the struggle of women for advancement in the academic world.
US and Iraq War
CNN. 2-16. The House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution against the escalation of the war in Iraq by a vote of 246-182. Seventeen Republicans voted with the Democrats. Tomorrow the Senate will debate a similar resolution, which will detain senators for the weekend. Meanwhile, four state legislatures have approved similar resolutions: California, Iowa, Vermont, and Maryland; and 19 other states are considering them.
Speaker Pelosi has said that the President has no authority from Congress to
attack Iran.
Washington Post 2-16. Speaker Pelosi and Rep. John Murtha are rewriting the President’s request for funding the war by setting strict standards for the training, equiping, and rest for soldiers sent to Iraq. This tactic could curtain troop deployments and alter the course of US policy in the war.
Senator Biden and seeking to repeal the 2002 authorization to wage war in Iraq, since there are no WMD’s and Saddam is dead. Biden would sharply narrow the remaining mission.
North Korea
NYT 2-14. North Korea has agreed to a deal with the US, China, USSR, So. Korea, and Japan, according to which North Korea will stop, seal, and ultimately disable its nuclear facilities in return for shipments of fuel oil. North Korea will let inspectors in to check to see if there is another secret nuclear program there.
This was brought about in part because China, angered by North Korea’s nuclear test, cut off military aid and helped the US crack down on banks that financed the cognac and Mercedes lifestyle of the Kim and his men.
Turkey
Guardian 2-16. Democrats in the House are endorsing a bill to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide by the Turks. The Turks are no longer very valuable to the US as an ally, since they did not allow US troops transit through Turkey to Iraq or permission to use bases in Turkey in 2003. Turkey has threatened to send troops into northern Iraq against the Kurds if Congress passes the Genocide resolution. [This threat may not distress the peshmerga, Kurdish militia, who might like to take on the Turkish army.] The White House is against the genocide resolution, but probably will not be able to block it. The murder in Turkey of the Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink last month did not help the Turkish government any.
Science: Partial restoration of sight in blind patients
Guardian 2-16. Within two years it is expected that a surgical implant provided 60 pixels of vision will be available to partially restore the sight of the blind. If the visual center of the brain is intact, the brain can fill in information. The operation will take about 90 minutes and cost $30,000.
The Wellbeing of the Young in Europe and the US
NY Times 2-13. A UNICEF report on the well-being of children and adolescents in 21 economically advanced countries, found that the best countries for the young were, in order: The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain,
Switzerland, and Norway. The worst country was the UK, and the next to the worst, the US. The US scored average on economic well-being, but very low on health and safety, family and peer relationships, and dangerous and risky behavior (use of drugs, alcohol and unsafe sex). .
US Women
NY Times 2-10. For the first time in its beginning in 1636, Harvard has selected a woman as president. She is the historian Drew Gilpin Faust, 59, current dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Born in an upper class Virginia family, she worked in the field of Civil War southern society. This appointment is a landmark in the struggle of women for advancement in the academic world.
US and Iraq War
CNN. 2-16. The House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution against the escalation of the war in Iraq by a vote of 246-182. Seventeen Republicans voted with the Democrats. Tomorrow the Senate will debate a similar resolution, which will detain senators for the weekend. Meanwhile, four state legislatures have approved similar resolutions: California, Iowa, Vermont, and Maryland; and 19 other states are considering them.
Speaker Pelosi has said that the President has no authority from Congress to
attack Iran.
Washington Post 2-16. Speaker Pelosi and Rep. John Murtha are rewriting the President’s request for funding the war by setting strict standards for the training, equiping, and rest for soldiers sent to Iraq. This tactic could curtain troop deployments and alter the course of US policy in the war.
Senator Biden and seeking to repeal the 2002 authorization to wage war in Iraq, since there are no WMD’s and Saddam is dead. Biden would sharply narrow the remaining mission.
North Korea
NYT 2-14. North Korea has agreed to a deal with the US, China, USSR, So. Korea, and Japan, according to which North Korea will stop, seal, and ultimately disable its nuclear facilities in return for shipments of fuel oil. North Korea will let inspectors in to check to see if there is another secret nuclear program there.
This was brought about in part because China, angered by North Korea’s nuclear test, cut off military aid and helped the US crack down on banks that financed the cognac and Mercedes lifestyle of the Kim and his men.
Turkey
Guardian 2-16. Democrats in the House are endorsing a bill to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide by the Turks. The Turks are no longer very valuable to the US as an ally, since they did not allow US troops transit through Turkey to Iraq or permission to use bases in Turkey in 2003. Turkey has threatened to send troops into northern Iraq against the Kurds if Congress passes the Genocide resolution. [This threat may not distress the peshmerga, Kurdish militia, who might like to take on the Turkish army.] The White House is against the genocide resolution, but probably will not be able to block it. The murder in Turkey of the Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink last month did not help the Turkish government any.
Science: Partial restoration of sight in blind patients
Guardian 2-16. Within two years it is expected that a surgical implant provided 60 pixels of vision will be available to partially restore the sight of the blind. If the visual center of the brain is intact, the brain can fill in information. The operation will take about 90 minutes and cost $30,000.
posted by THE FLASHLIGHT at 4:59 PM
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