The Republican-crafted energy bill was blocked from coming to a vote Friday in the United States Senate. One of the main issues that led to the bill being blocked was a series of provisions shielding corporations from product liability lawsuits over groundwater contamination caused by the gasoline additive MTBE. These provisions of the bill bring into sharp focus some of the more disagreeable themes of the Bush administration. [Kuro5hin.org]
4:08:56 PM
A new bill boosts the scope of the Patriot Act by extending the FBI's power to acquire records from almost any business without a judge's approval. It's a huge blow to checks and balances. [Wired News]
12:23:13 PM
As reported here at NewsMax: "Already, critics of the U.S. Patriot Act, rushed through Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, have argued that the law aims to curtail civil liberties and sets a dangerous precedent. But Franks' scenario goes much further. He is the first high-ranking official to openly speculate that the Constitution could be scrapped in favor of a military form of government." [Kuro5hin.org]
3:41:10 AM
