The Commentariat -- August 25

Sorry for the delays in posting, which were caused by major technical difficulties. Since I didn't look at anything for five or six hours last night, I posted an Open Thread on Off Times Square. ...

... Update: See the very fine post by FromTheHeartland in today's Off Times Square about cuts in Medicaid and other healthcare safety-net programs in, well, the Heartland. FTH also zeroes in on the media's sloppy reporting of data, in this case, misinterpreting and vastly underreporting the true reduction in healthcare services. Once again, commentary on Off Times Square beats what you'll find in mainstream media outlets.

E. J. Dionne: "... no good Obama deed goes unpunished." Especially if you've been critical of Obama's Libya policy, read this. (I've been --and still am -- critical of his refusal to ask for Congressional approval, tho not of the overall policy.)

A Worthy Campaign. Mike Allen of Politico: "President Barack Obama's reelection campaign on Thursday announced 'Project Vote,' a campaign-within-a-campaign that is aimed at increasing registration and participation among Democratic base constituencies — including young voters, seniors, African Americans and Hispanics, plus Native Americans and gay and lesbian voters."

Kevin Drum: "Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has gotten a lot of press for his campaign to get CEOs to halt all political contributions until politicians in Washington DC stop their insane bickering.... And for some reason they've decided that Republicans will cave in on this if they announce their intention to withhold all political contributions to both parties this year. Seriously? My guess is that the GOP leadership is laughing its ass off over this." CW: some while back, when one of the NYT lunkheads -- don't recall if it was Nocera or Friedman, but they're peas in a pod -- wrote a fawning column on this brilliant "plan," & I wrote a comment saying it was the stupidest idea I'd ever heard. The Times responded by refusing to publish my comment.

Rachel Maddow talks to Jared Bernstein about a jobs program that some Republicans -- like Tea Party darling Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) -- might buy:

Crazy Scott Brown Operative. Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe: "Eric Fehrnstrom -- a senior campaign adviser to US Senator Scott Brown" admitted he has been tweeting unflattering and racy remarks under the twitternym "CrazyKhazei, which he pretended were tweets by Brown Democratic opponent Alan Khazei." Fehrnstrom didn't volunteer that he had perpetrated a hoax; rather, spokesmen for the Massachusetts Democratic party discovered Fehrnstrom when he accidentally "sent out a 'CrazyKhazei’'-type tweet Tuesday from his Twitter account." Creep. ...

... Krugman, Master of Disaster. Dave Weigel of Slate: another fake Paul Krugman hoax, and the genius pundits on the right fall for it. No, Real Krugman did not tweet: "... we would see a bigger boost in spending and hence economic growth if the earthquake had done more damage." Krugman responds on his own blog. Thanks to Bob M. for the link.

David Pogue of the New York Times on Steve Jobs' remarkable impact on "a stunning range of industries." ...

... Here's a New York Times interactive page on Jobs' patents. ...

... Michael Rosenwald of the Washington Post on Jobs' resignation as Apple CEO.

It Depends on What the Meaning of "Power" Is. Forbes names "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women." Really? Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook is #5, entertainer Beyonce Knowles is #18, & Nancy Pelosi is #52? Really? No. 1 is German Chancellor Angela Merkel & #2 is Hillary Clinton, so they probably got those right.

If We Could Talk with the Animals. Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post: "Orangutans, gorillas, flamingos and red-ruffed lemurs [at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo] acted strangely before humans detected the historic magnitude-5.8 earthquake. Now the question hovering over the zoo is: What did the animals know, and when did they know it?" CW: I used to have Nubian goats who knew a storm was coming before I did.

Right Wing World *

Teabaggers Bag the GOP. Dave Weigel of Slate: "Tea Party candidates won't win any [primary] elections next year because mainstream Republicans now spout the same ideas."

"Know-Nothings Opt for Scary New Frontrunner." Steve Stromberg of the Washington Post: "It’s official: Rick Perry is the 'frontrunner' for the Republican presidential nomination.... A new Gallup poll has the Texas governor with the support of 29 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, compared to only 17 percent for heretofore 'frontrunner' Mitt Romney. A Public Policy Polling survey also came in ... with similar results.... Gallup conducted the poll from August 17 to 21. The 17th was just four days into Perry’s campaign, but by then the candidate had already managed to suggest that Ben Bernanke ... was 'treasonous,' imply that President Obama doesn’t love America, and speculate that climate science was an elaborate, cynical fraud."

* Where Know-Nothings are the deciders.

News Ledes

Boston Globe: "Nearly 10 years after a worldwide clergy sexual abuse crisis erupted in the Boston Archdiocese, Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley today released a long-awaited roster of 159 archdiocesan clerics who have been accused of sexually abusing children. But O’Malley’s action was immediately criticized by Attorney General Martha Coakley and advocates for clergy abuse victims because it lists only those priests who have already been publicly accused, and omits the names of dozens of accused priests from religious orders and other dioceses, as well as those who left the priesthood before accusations were leveled againt them."

New York Times: "The Security Council committee that monitors sanctions against Libya agreed on Thursday to unfreeze $1.5 billion in Libyan assets for emergency aid to the country, where rebel forces that have ousted Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi are confronting a humanitarian crisis as they attempt to establish security and form a new government."

New York Times: "Rebels intensified their hunt for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and his sons on Thursday, engaging in an intense fight with loyalists in a neighborhood of apartment blocks near his former Tripoli fortress, as Western officials said NATO was actively helping in the effort to find the elusive leader. But in a new taunt, Colonel Qaddafi urged Libyans in a brief audio broadcast to cleanse Tripoli of the insurgents, whom he called 'rats, crusaders and unbelievers.'”

Buffett Bails out BoA. New York Times: "Warren E. Buffett comes to the rescue, again. On Thursday, Berkshire Hathaway, run by Mr. Buffett, announced plans to invest $5 billion in Bank of America, a vote of confidence for the beleaguered financial firm. The conglomerate has agreed to buy 50,000 preferred shares that will pay a 6 percent annual dividend. Bank of America has the option to buy back the shares at any time for a 5 percent premium."

New York Times: "The Obama administration is considering further actions to strengthen the housing market, but ... plans must help a broad swath of homeowners, stimulate the economy and cost next to nothing. One proposal would allow millions of homeowners with government-backed mortgages to refinance them at today’s lower interest rates, about 4 percent, according to two people briefed on the administration’s discussions who asked not to be identified because they were not allowed to talk about the information."

Al Jazeera: "Rebel reinforcements have streamed into the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to join in the fight against Muammar Gaddafi loyalists, who are putting up strong resistance in some pockets of the city." With video. ...

... Al Jazeera's liveblog on Libya is here. ...

New York Times: Former Vice President Dick Cheney says in a new memoir that he urged President George W. Bush to bomb a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor site in June 2007. But, he wrote, Mr. Bush opted for a diplomatic approach after other advisers — still stinging over 'the bad intelligence we had received about Iraq’s stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction' — expressed misgivings.."

New York Times: Naoto Kan, the embattled Japanese prime minister, is likely to step down by early next week, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday, a long-expected resignation that will nevertheless bring uncertainty to a country still reeling in the aftermath of its natural and nuclear disasters.

The Commentariat -- August 24

Tom Friedman, against all odds, comes up with half a plausible thesis: President Obama is "off his game." ...

... I've posted a Friedman page on Off Times Square.

Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling: "Rick Perry is looking increasingly like the Republican favorite for President- he led in the Iowa poll we released this morning and he leads by double digits in the national poll we'll release tomorrow. The biggest beneficiary of Perry's rise? It might be Barack Obama. In our first national poll pitting the two Obama leads Perry 49-43.... It's a different story for Obama ... against Romney. There he can only achieve a tie at 45%, and because there are a lot more undecided Republicans than Democrats in all likelihood Romney would come out ahead if voters had to go to the polls and really make a decision today." ...

For all of you progressives who think it would be great to have someone other than Obama at the top of the Democratic ticket, Nate Silver looks at statistical data and the histoical record to demonstrate "Why Another Democrat Wouldn’t Do Better Than Obama in 2012." Silver, I should tell you, is almost never wrong.

** "A Sales Tax on Wall Street." Economics Prof. Nancy Folbre in the New York Times: "... a sales tax on Wall Street of 0.5 percent could raise up to $175 billion in tax revenue a year, even if, by discouraging frequent trades, it cuts the total number of transactions in half.... Speculative purchases of stocks, bonds and other financial instruments in the United States go untaxed but for a tiny fee (less than a half-cent) on stock trades that helps finance the Securities and Exchange Commission.... President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany recently announced plans to introduce a [sales] tax in the 27 nations of the European Community.... Wall Street hates it, because it would cut into trading profits. But proponents like Dean Baker ... assert that it would primarily affect short-term 'noise traders' and discourage speculation.... Less speculation could lead to less volatility in prices, encouraging long-term investors." CW: surely Republicans will go for it! Folbre doesn't say so, but this tax would mostly hit the rich. Thanks to Doug R. for the link.

Henry Blodgett of the Business Insider: "Why is Bank of America's stock tanking? Because the market thinks Bank of America is worth much less than Bank of America's management says it is.... After observing the government's behavior during the financial crisis, the obvious bet would be that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is even now cooking up some new bailout scheme that, per usual, will save the bank and hose taxpayers. But Americans certainly have gotten sick to death of bailouts, so maybe that isn't such a foregone conclusion this time.... UPDATE: In an extraordinary move, Bank of America has issued a statement addressing some of the 'claims' in this post. In addition to taking a shot at me personally...," BoA disputed some of the figures Blodgett cited. ...

     ... Blodgett has a follow-up post here. ...

... And Then There Were Three (Big Banks, That Is). Douglas McIntyre of 24/7 Wall Street: "There is a rumor circulated on Wall St. that JP Morgan ... will take over Bank of America ... within the week. The government will support the deal with a $100 billion investment in preferred shares issued by the combined entity. Alternatively, the government may guarantee the value of a large pool of Bank of America assets. The word is that Treasury Secretary Geithner has discussed the transaction with JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon. The 'merger' would completely destroy the value of BAC’s common shares."

Leila Fadel and Joby Warrick of the Washington Post: "With rebel fighters celebrating in the streets of Tripoli on Tuesday, opposition leaders in this eastern Libyan city now face tough questions about how they will guide the country through what is expected to be a tumultuous transition."

Mackenzie Weinger of Politico: "The vast majority of members [of Congress] lack an academic background in business or economics, according to a study by the Employment Policies Institute, a nonprofit group that takes a conservative stand on fiscal issues. Only 13.7 percent majored in business or accounting, and 8.4 percent have an economics degree.

PolitiFact: "Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-Ohio] says Wall Street hedge fund managers pay a lower tax rate than a typical sheet metal worker or a teacher."

Right Wing World

Harold Meyerson of the Washington Post: "Republicans like to complain that Democrats practice “class warfare” and “the politics of division,” as House GOP leader Eric Cantor argued on this page Monday. What the Republicans’ position on the payroll tax makes high-definitionally clear is their own class warfare on working- and middle-class Americans. Their double standard couldn’t be more obvious: Tax cuts for the wealthy are sacrosanct; tax cuts for everyone else don’t really matter. Norquist, Cantor, Ryan, Camp, the Journal editorialists and the whole Republican crew give hypocrisy a bad name." ...

... "Boundless Cynicism." Jim Fallows: "Through the artificial debt-ceiling 'crisis,' through the Moonie-like spectacle in Iowa of candidates (including Mr. Sanity, Jon Huntsman) raising hands to promise never to accept any tax increase, the Republican field has been absolutist and inflexible about not letting any revenue increase, in any form, be part of dealing with debts and deficits. Except, it now turns out, when the taxes are those that (a) weigh most heavily on the people who are already struggling, and (b) would have the most obvious 'job-killing' effect if they went up."

Getting It Backwards. Jim Tankersley of the National Journal: "Want a textbook example of Washington spin at its fiercest? ... [A] press release from House Speaker John Boehner’s office ... proclaim[ed]: 'Majority of economists say spending cuts needed to reduce deficit, not tax hikes.' Punchy headline. Convenient harmony with Republicans’ anti-tax message. Also, not true. In fact..., a wide majority of [survey] respondents believe the federal government should reduce its budget deficit with a combination of spending cuts and, at least in small part, tax increases. Only 12 percent said the deficit should be reduced 'only with spending cuts.'"

** Walter Shapiro in The New Republic writes a tour-de-force on "Rick Perry: The God-Fearing, Know-Nothing, Pistol-Packing Embodiment of Liberals’ Worst Nightmares." ...

Another option would be to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (providing the power for the income tax) altogether, and then pursue an alternative model of taxation such as a national sales tax or the Fair Tax. -- Rick Perry, urging repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment, which provided for a federal income tax

Jonathan Chait of The New Republic: Perry, of course, wants to devolve virtually all the functions of the federal government to the state level. That would, among other things, result in a far more regressive tax code. Consider the Texas tax system:

Texas relies heavily on its sales tax.... The poorest 20% of Texans paid an average of 6% of their income in sales tax, while the top fifth—households with an income of roughly more than $126,000 — paid 1.3%... [citation from the Wall Street Journal].

Perry's hatred of redistribution puts him perfectly in step with the current Republican Party, for whom opposition to the (downward) redistribution of wealth is the lodestar."

The Lord High Executioner. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "In his nearly 11 years as the state’s chief executive, [Gov. Rick] Perry ... has overseen more executions than any governor in modern history: 234 and counting. That’s more than the combined total in the next two states — Oklahoma and Virginia — since the death penalty was restored 35 years ago.... As the 2012 presidential race unfolds, Perry’s record will inevitably become part of the debate in a country where the number of death sentences handed down continues to fall and some states are renouncing executions.... [Perry] vetoed a bill that would have spared the mentally retarded, and sharply criticized a Supreme Court ruling that juveniles were not eligible for the death penalty.... And Perry’s role in the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham — who supporters said should have been at least temporarily spared when experts warned that faulty forensic science led to his conviction — is still the subject of investigation in Texas." ...

... CW: You thought Dubya was a poor student? Here's Rick Perry's Texas A and M transcript. Note the "D" in Principles of Economics. It was probably a gift:

Click for larger image.

I think we’re seeing it almost weekly or even daily, scientists who are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change. -- Rick Perry ...

... Getting It Backwards. Brad Plumer of the Washington Post: "It’s not just that Perry’s wrong. In many ways, the field of climate science is moving in precisely the opposite direction that he’s suggesting.... Much of the climate science that’s been published since 2007 appears to have strengthened the consensus, not weakened it." ...

... PolitiFact: "Perry's remarks give the impression that the science of global warming is in dispute, that some scientists feel one way, and some scientists feel another way. He says that skepticism is growing. In fact, our research shows that's not the case. We found that there is solid consensus among the major scientific organizations and that the skeptics seems to be small minority."

Alex Pareene of Salon on how bad a Ron Paul presidency would be for the nation, especially with a Republican Congress. CW: If you're feeling even a teeny bit depressed, you probably should not read Pareene's post; the scenario he envisions is disastrous.

Steve Kornacki of Salon: "How to make Sarah Palin disappear: ... if you're tired of all of the media oxygen that the former half-term Alaska governor still manages to consume, then you really should be hoping that Palin actually does get into the [presidential] race: It may be the best way of making her disappear for good. Why? Because a presidential campaign would almost certainly end in defeat for Palin. And not just any kind of defeat -- epic, humiliating defeat, the sort of disaster that might once and for all convince the political and media worlds that the empress has no clothes."

AND the East Coast Earthquake Is Obama's Fault. Steve Stromberg of the Washington Post: "... So often, the president’s critics — on left and right — commentate as though Obama has some sort of magic button available for use at his sole discretion that can fix the economy, lower gas prices, instantly vaporize Moammar Gaddafi, rig congressional votes and, perhaps, prevent earthquakes — if only the president weren’t too busy doing other things to use it!" ...

... Media Matters: "Conservatives Can't Decide If Obama Was Too Busy Golfing Or Biking To Stop The Earthquake." ...

... Maureen O'Connor of Gawker: Earthquake hits near D.C.; Obama misses golf putt. "Finally, someone figured out why God sent an earthquake to the East Coast: To punish Barack Obama for vacationing." ...

He’s not deserving of criticism for the common cold on up. -- Jeb Bush, on President Obama ...

... Dan Hirschhorn of Politico: "Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush warned the Republican presidential hopefuls against ideological intransigence and knee-jerk opposition to President Barack Obama on Tuesday, saying they risk turning off middle-of-the-road voters."

News Ledes

NBC News: "Silicon Valley legend Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since Jan. 17, resigned as chief executive of Apple Wednesday, saying he could 'no longer meet my duties and expectations.' Interim CEO Tim Cook was immediately elevated to CEO, while Jobs, 55, will stay on as chairman of the board." Includes CNBC video report.

New York Times: "The Congressional Budget Office sharply reduced its projection of total deficits over the next decade in the wake of the recent deficit-reduction deal between President Obama and Congress, yet it warned that the extension of Bush-era tax rates and other policies would more than offset those savings." The CBO budget summary report is here; the page includes a link to the full report.

New York Times: "Rebel fighters scoured Tripoli on Wednesday in their continued search for an elusive and defiant Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, a day after they crashed through the gates of his fortresslike compound, running madly across its sprawling lawns, ransacking its barracks for weapons and carting off mementos of his 42-year dictatorship.... Colonel Qaddafi, in an address broadcast early Wednesday over a local Tripoli radio station, called his retreat from the compound 'tactical.' ... He blamed months of NATO airstrikes for bringing down his compound and vowed 'martyrdom' or victory in his battle against the alliance. It was the second such address by Colonel Qaddafi, 69, since his forces lost control of Tripoli." ...

... AP: "Supporters of Moammar Gadhafi have resumed attacks on rebels who say they control most of the Libyan leader's sprawling government compound."

... Al Jazeera's liveblog is here. ...

... Al Jazeera: A senior figure in Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) has urged all Libyans to come together to rebuild the country. Addressing a press conference in Qatar on Tuesday, Mahmoud Jibril said "Libyans need to heal and be united together, from every city and every neighbourhood. After the transition and elections, people who suffered injustices will regain their rights,' he promised." ...

... Reuters: Libyan rebel leader Mahmoud Jibril will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Wednesday to discuss prospects for a political transition in a post-Muammar Gaddafi era."

Weather Channel: "Hurricane Irene gained strength Tuesday night and is now approaching major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale).... Hurricane Irene will track across the Bahamas the next couple of days on a path towards the East Coast of the U.S. Friday into the weekend."

     ... Updated story here. 

New York Times: "When the Federal Reserve chairman [Ben Bernanke] speaks at an annual gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyo., this Friday, markets will be searching for something, anything, that indicates whether more stimulus is on the way."

Washington Post: "Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who is leading foreclosure settlement negotiations with the nation’s largest banks on behalf of all 50 states, abruptly removed New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman from the coalition’s executive committee Tuesday, saying he had 'actively worked to undermine' the group’s efforts in recent months."

The Commentariat -- August 23

I'm extending yesterday's Open Thread on Off Times Square.

President Obama, speaking yesterday about Libya:

     ... The transcript is here.

... Ben Smith of Politico: "leading from behind" works. "... the low-profile, inexpensive ouster of Col. Muammar Qadhafi marks an important milestone for the administration, foreign policy analysts say — perhaps the most concrete evidence that the more modest American foreign policy approach that has become Obama’s hallmark and perhaps his biggest area of contrast with his more interventionist predecessor might actually work."

Economist Dean Baker: "Joe Nocera ... really misses the boat in today's complaint about the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) costing jobs. The basic story is that the NLRB is obstructing Boeing's efforts to move production facilities from their unionized facilities in Washington State to non-union South Carolina. There are several aspects to the issue that are misrepresented in the column." Read Baker's entire post. See also my comment and Karen Garcia's in today's Off Times Square. Nocera's column is here. Thanks to commenter Kat for the link.

No Labels called every [Congressional] office, and only 40% are scheduling open town hall meetings.... No Labels activists spoke to all ... current members of the House of Representatives to find that only 175 of them scheduled meetings. The results of the phone survey also reveal that members of both parties share the blame, with 67% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans stating they had no town hall meetings scheduled for the recess period." The post includes a list of representatives who are and are not holding public townhalls this month.

Right Wing World

Alex Pareene of Salon: the view from the right: President Obama is far too weak to have accomplished what just actually happened in Tripoli.... There's no point in countering [their] arguments with reason, of course, because these are not actually fact-based responses to news, they're just rote recitations of Republican dogma: Obama weak! (Except domestically, where he is an autocrat.)" ...

... Steve Benen calls out Sens. John McCain and Lindsay Graham for their craven, obvious hypocrisy. Read the whole post. ...

... Weasels. Sarah Wheaton of the New York Times: Republican presidenial candidates "sought to offer tentative praise for the developments in the region without giving [President] Obama any commendation, as the president is now poised to claim credit for eliminating both Osama bin Laden and Colonel Qadaffi." ...

.. Thomas Lane of TPM: "The main GOP presidential candidates' responses to events in Libya were strikingly diverse. However, one factor they had in common was the lack of any mention of one person: the President who actually committed US forces to the conflict. The exception to this was former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. 'Ridding the world of the likes of Gadhafi is a good thing,' he wrote. 'But this indecisive President had little to do with this triumph.'"

... A least one right-winger has the guts to tell the truth: Eli Lake of the Washington Times:

Art by a friend.Dave Weigel of Slate: "Republicans have finally found a group they want to tax: poor people." Weigel, by the way, is a conservative/libertarian, but even he sees this as crazy.

David Savage of the Los Angeles Times: "Texas Gov. Rick Perry, faulting much of what the federal government did in the 20th century, has called Social Security a 'failure' and 'an illegal Ponzi scheme' and also cast doubt on the constitutionality of federal laws on food safety, minimum wages, bans on child labor, environmental protection and Medicare.... Now that he is running for the Republican nomination for president, his views on Social Security and other federal programs will be carefully scrutinized."

Greg Sargent: "So Paul Ryan has now made it official: After a period of deliberation, he really, truly, definitely, absolutely will not run for President. His decision is final. That means he won’t be reconsidering it next week, or the week after that, or the week after that."

The Romneys' Cheesy La Jolla Tear-down. San Diego Union-Tribune.... When One of Your Luxury Homes Just Isn't Big Enough. Christopher Cadelago of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney ... is ... working on plans to nearly quadruple the size of his $12 million oceanfront manse in La Jolla. Romney has filed an application with the city to bulldoze his 3,009-square-foot, single-story home ... and replace it with a two-story, 11,062-square-foot structure." ...

... Julie Weiner of Vanity Fair: "Large Things That Could Fit Inside Mitt Romney’s New House." Includes "The top-of-the-line luxury spa at the Trump International™ Hotel & Tower Las Vegas."

CW: this post is pretty ancient, but I just found the site, thanks to a friend. The issue is well-worh discussing, even now. Historian Ann Little on Michele Bachmann's flexible fundamentalism: "This seems to me like just another example of the rhetorical and moral flexibility of some evangelical Christians who think that biblical and moral rules only apply to the little people, and that Great Leaders whose salvation is utterly assured can indulge in the very things they rail against because, well, they know they’re saved." Read the whole post.

Andy Borowitz: "The mystery surrounding Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s whereabouts was resolved today as the dictator announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in a town hall meeting in Concord, New Hampshire." Thanks to reader Bonnie for the link.

News Ledes

Al Jazeera: "Australian police are investigating claims that a government MP [Craig Thomson] allegedly misused his trade union credit card to pay for sex with prostitutes. An accusation which, if proven, could bring down the minority government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard." ...

... Sydney Morning Herald: "Craig Thomson has resigned as the chairman of a parliamentary committee as the NSW Fraud Squad began examining allegations of credit card misuse when he was a union official. Mr Thomson stepped down as chairman of the House Economics Committee last night after police agreed yesterday to ''assess'' a dossier of information provided by the shadow attorney-general, George Brandis. Mr Thomson continued to deny any wrongdoing but said the controversy surrounding him was distracting the committee from its work."

New York Times: "The National Science Foundation has found no evidence of research misconduct by Michael Mann, the Pennsylvania State University climatologist who has faced waves of attacks from foes of action to curb greenhouse gases.... The office’s inquiry, limited to research done using science foundation money, went several steps beyond the investigation of Mann conducted by his university, which also cleared him."

New York Times: "Stock indexes advanced more than 2 percent Tuesday, partly helped by stronger economic data in Asia and Europe. It was the second consecutive day of gains for many stocks after weeks of turmoil that were fueled by concerns about slowing economic growth and the widening impact of sovereign debt problems."

New York Times: "An earthquake sent tremors from the nation’s capital to New York City and New England Tuesday afternoon, the result of what officials said was a 5.9 magnitude temblor based in Virginia. Buildings throughout major metropolitan centers in the northeast were evacuated after the quake, and tremors were felt as far north as Bath, Me., and as far south as Hampstead, N.C., with some limited reports of damage reported near the quake’s epicenter in Virginia, where a nearby nuclear power plant was taken offline. AMtrak trains were temporarily halted, and cellphone service was disrupted as calls flooded cellular systems." The Washington Post has updates here. ...

     ... The Washington Post now has a story here.

New York Times: "The criminal case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, officially ended Tuesday after a Manhattan judge dismissed all charges at the prosecution’s request."

New York Times: "The crackle of gunfire and the rumble of explosions spread across Tripoli in renewed fighting on Tuesday and Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi remained at large hours after his son Seif al-Islam made a surprise appearance at a hotel with foreign journalists, taunting the rebels and urging loyalist forces to resist." ...

     ... New Lede: "Rebel fighters flooded into Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s sprawling compound on Tuesday, overwhelming what remained of its defenses and running pell-mell through the grounds, as the crackle of gunfire and rumble of explosions spread across a confused and wary Libyan capital in spasms of renewed fighting."

... Al Jazeera: "Heavy fighting is taking place in areas of Tripoli for a second day, with opposition forces concentrating their firepower on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's compound in the Bab al-Azizya district of the Libyan capital. The al-Mansoura district was also the focus of fierce clashes between government forces and opposition fighters on Tuesday, two days after the rebels marched into the heart of the city, prompting scenes of jubiliation." With video. ...

... Al Jazeera's liveblog on Libya is here. ...

New York Times: "Immigration officials have issued their first reprives for undocumented workers under a new policy put into effect by the Obama Administration. "Under the policy, immigration authorities will use powers of prosecutorial discretion in existing law to suspend the deportations of most immigrants who, although they have committed immigration violations (which generally are civil offenses), have not been convicted of crimes. In particular, officials will look to halt deportations of longtime residents with clean police records who came here illegally when they were children, or are close family of military service members, or are parents or spouses of American citizens."

New York Times: "Emergency officials from Florida to the Carolinas were closely watching Irene Tuesday as the first hurricane to seriously threaten the U.S. in three years churned over energizing tropical waters. The storm has already cut a destructive path through the Caribbean. Forecasters say the hurricane could grow to a monstrous Category 4 storm...."

New York Times: Naoto Kan, the embattled Japanese prime minister, is likely to step down by early next week, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday, a long-expected resignation that will nevertheless bring uncertainty to a country still reeling in the aftermath of its natural and nuclear disasters.

Cape Cod Times: "President Barack Obama ... spent much of his time ...dealing with the evolving situation in Libya [yesterday], then segued into an afternoon session of basketball at a local school. In the morning and early afternoon, the president stayed home, but tuned in to national and international developments. According to pool reports, Obama was briefed on Libya and the stormy possibilities of Hurricane Irene, now churning near Florida."