July 10, 2003

Rick Santorum: Americans must preserve institution of marriage for the sake of the children! "Legalization of gay marriage would further undermine an institution that is essential to the well-being of children and our society." Can he really blame the high rate of divorce, and out of wedlock births on Gays?  No, but he does try in this USA TODAY Editorial. 4:32:48 PM

US opens up bids for $1 bln Iraq oil contracts MSNBC -  The US Army invited bids on Thursday for two new contracts worth up to $1 billion to rebuild Iraq's oil industry, opening up the lucrative business to foreign firms previously excluded from such deals. 2:32:12 PM

Record industry asks countries to curb piracy Financial Times -The record industry on Thursday singled out 10 countries it wants to take urgent action against music piracy, as new figures showed that fake CDs sold last year exceeded 1bn for the first time. 2:24:30 PM

US satellite feeds to Iran jammed MSNBC - U.S. government officials as well as Iranian Americans and communications satellite operators confirm that all U.S.-based satellite broadcasts to Iran are being jammed by an unknown group or individual, possibly Iranian agents operating out of Latin America. 12:00:23 PM

Feds Search US Firms in Iran Arms Case ABC News - Federal authorities on Thursday announced that 18 US businesses were searched as part of a probe into arms shipments to Iran including components for fighter jets, missiles and other weapons. 11:57:47 AM

Osama Bin Laden promises to stop attacking US interests for three months if the US will stop hunting him, and releases all of the Taliban prisoners from US jails and Guantanamo. Sharon pressures Bush to consider this in the interest of long term peace. Ridiculous? Of course, just as absurd as this actual headline: US envoys try to bolster truce, ask Israel to free more prisoners Austin American Statesman - The Bush administration moved Wednesday to bolster embattled Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas while pressing Israeli officials to show more flexibility on releasing imprisoned Palestinians and removing controversial Jewish settlements in the West Bank. 10:10:33 AM

Fingerprinting technology could identify marijuana Globe and Mail, Canada - DNA fingerprinting technology might soon lay to rest any fears that Canada's newly approved medical marijuana could easily be funnelled into illegal street sales. For the past few years, law-enforcement research scientists in the United States, initially aided by their RCMP colleagues in Canada, have been developing a way to genetically fingerprint pot. 10:03:27 AM

Thugs of Tehran - Charles Paul Freund has a good point. 9:31:38 AM

After 19 years in dark, coma victim's first word: 'Mom' USA Today - A man who had been in a coma-like state for almost two decades suddenly began talking last month. Angilee Wallis displays photos of her son, Terry, now 39, who has awakened from a coma he entered after a July 1984 car accident. 8:57:17 AM

Computer tags replacing bar codes CBC News, Canada - Bar codes on products will be replaced by tiny computer chips this year in the US, allowing manufacturers to keep track of their goods and consumer's buying habits.  7:09:12 AM