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It didn't take long for details about the mysterious program that Dick Cheney hid from Congress to find their way into the press. The ultra-secret program involved an executive order to capture or kill higher-ups in al Qaeda, The Wall Street Journal reports. Although the program was authorized in 2001, it had not become fully operational when CIA Chief Leon Panetta ended it this June. Much of the initiative remains unclear; the controversy surrounding it—thus far—is focused on the decision to not inform Congress. It appears that the CIA recognized that parts of the plan, which involved targeted assassinations, were not feasible. The Journal cites an unnamed source who described the plan's ambition: "It was straight out of the movies. It was like: Let's kill them all."
While the rest of America is still reeling from the economic crisis, Goldman Sachs is back on track and bringing in billions of dollars only a month after the bank repaid bailout funds. Analysts predict that Goldman will report profits over $2 billion in the period stretching from March to June, The New York Times reports. Those fortunate enough to work at Goldman will benefit greatly from the profits: $18 billion will be distributed among the company's 28,000 employees. Described as "the envy of Wall Street," the company is unequaled in its ability to play the world markets. The company, according to observers, is able to manage risk in a way far superior to the competition. Brace for the populist outrage when the earnings report is released Tuesday.
Which Sonia Sotomayor do you believe in: The hardworking, dedicated judge who climbed the social ladder, or the radical, "activist" judge? It probably depends on your political affiliation. Democrats and Republicans are preparing their starkly different messages for Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, which begin Monday. Republicans will paint her as an "an extremist who could use her Supreme Court seat to even the scales for minority groups she considers victimized by American history," according to The Wall Street Journal. Democrats, meanwhile, will focus on her experience—including that, as a judge, she has voted with the majority in over 98 percent of constitutional cases.
South Korean television is reporting that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has pancreatic cancer, though the report is unsourced. If true, the news leaves the future of North Korea uncertain, though there is little doubt that Kim's successor will seek to continue to rule with an iron fist. A number of news outlets are reporting that Kim's youngest son, Jong-Un, will succeed him; the last time the elder Kim appeared in public, he was noticeably frail. Analysts say North Korea's latest saber-rattling is an attempt to "pave the way for (a) successor" by reaffirming that the nation is not to be messed with.
An arrest in the killing of a former boxing star: Brazilian police have charged Arturo Gatti's wife with his murder. Police officials say Amanda Rodriguez strangled the rough-and-tumble boxer with the strap of her purse while he was sleeping. Nicknamed "The Thunder," Gatti was found dead on his honeymoon with his wife and 10-month-old son on Saturday, police report. Witnesses say the couple were fighting the night before Gatti's death and that their relationship was on the outs, despite their recent marriage. Rodriguez quickly established herself as a prime suspect with major inconsistencies in her story. Gatti, 37, won acclaim as one of the most compelling television fighters of the modern era. "He was a great guy. He enjoyed life," said fellow boxer Micky Ward. "He was the heart and soul of boxing. I'm going to miss him."
Political candidates looking for someone to make vituperative attacks on opponents, get your calls in early: Sarah Palin tells The Washington Times that she will stay in politics by campaigning on behalf of candidates who share her values of limited government, strong defense, and energy independence. "I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," Palin said. "People are so tired of the partisan stuff—even my own son is not a Republican.” It remains to be seen, however, if Republican candidates will take up her offer—so far candidates in swing districts and states have been cool on the prospects of a Palin visit.
Has the media world gone mad? The Washington Post’s Andrew Alexander dissects the sponsorship scandal unraveling at his own paper. Earlier this month, off-the-record “salon” events discussing public policy issues were being peddled by the paper. For $25,000, underwriters could sit with lawmakers, administration officials, think tank experts, and business leaders, with the paper’s publisher Katharine Weymouth and Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli serving as hosts. It appears that others inside the newsroom worried about the news personnel in off-the-record settings, effectively charging for access to them, and, Alexander writes, the general manager of the Washington Post Conferences and Events business may be partially to blame. Charles Pelton apparently greenlit the flier—exposed by Politico in early July—that said participants could “build crucial relationships with Washington Post news executives in a neutral and informal setting” although high-level editors also weighed in with their thoughts, though no one took action until controversy erupted.
In Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno, the gay, Austrian titular character dreams of becoming “uber-famous”—and it seems those dreams are coming true. The film topped the box office this weekend, grossing $30.4 million after its midnight debut. (For context, Cohen’s first film, Borat, made $9.2 million on its first day—though Bruno debuted on more than three times as many screens as the one starring the infamous green thong-wearing provocateur.) Coming in second was the third Ice Age movie, raking in $28.5 million. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen dropped 58 percent in its third week with $7.6 million—what, is everyone already over Megan Fox?
The Obama team is known for being masters at message control, but the administration saw its first slip-up this week, the Washington Post's Jim Hoagland writes in his Sunday column. The White House's recent announcement that they'll be sending an ambassador back to Syria came as a surprise to many, but perhaps none more than Hillary Clinton's State Department; it was still hoping to win "more movement" from Damascus on Middle East issues, including helping to stop terrorist acts like the bombings that hit northwestern Iraq last week. While "little of substance may have been lost by the poorly timed disclosure," Hoagland writes—Syrian promises on terrorism are "notoriously unreliable"—the rare crossed wires represent a significant event in an administration that prides itself so highly on its rock-solid internal (and external) communications.
“‘I believe Michael was murdered,” LaToya Jackson tells the Daily Mail. “I felt that from the start. Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people.” Los Angeles police chief William Bratton has confirmed that investigators have not yet ruled out a murder. “He was surrounded by a bad circle," LaToya says. "Michael was a very meek, quiet, loving person. People took advantage of that. People fought to be close to him, people who weren’t always on his side. Less than a month ago, I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded bypeople who didn’t have his best interests at heart.”
Britain first made its economic mark during the industrial revolution, and it hopes to repeat history during the green revolution. In a newspaper column on Sunday, on the heels of last week's G8 summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issues a call to arms to Britons: He is determined that the UK be at the forefront of the transition to low-carbon societies, he writes, in large part "because this new approach will underpin [their] push towards economic recovery," providing new growth, jobs, industries and opportunities. The global environmental sector will be worth £4.3 trillion by 2015, he continues, and sustain tens of millions of jobs. "Just as the Victorians made Britain the first industrialized nation and reaped the rewards," he concludes, "so we can harvest the benefits of being among the first major developed countries to convert to a green economy."
Somali-American students raised in Minneapolis are giving up dreams of becoming doctors or entrepreneurs to instead join a militant Islamist group aligned with Al Qaeda that is fighting to overthrow the shaky Somali government. More than 20 students are the focus of what may be the most significant domestic terrorism investigation since Sept. 11. Members of the jihadist group are said to have carried out beheadings, amuptations, and the stoning of a 13-year-old rape victim. One of the men, Shirwa Ahmed, blew himself up in Somalia in October, becoming the first known American suicide bomber. The men—who, growing up embraced, basketball and the prom, and the Mall of America—appear to be motivated by a mix of politics, faith, and a feeling of loyalty to their homeland, and they are trying to recruit other young Americans to their cause. “This case is unlike anything we have encountered,” said Ralph S. Boelter, the F.B.I. agent leading the investigation.
The Obama administration may not be so quick to “turn the page,” after all: Newsweek reports that Attorney General Eric Holder “is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do.” Holder’s decision could come within weeks.. "I hope that whatever decision I make would not have a negative impact on the president's agenda," Holder says. "But that can't be a part of my decision." Holder has asked for a list of 10 candidates for special prosecutor, five from within the administration and five from outside it.
What led Sahel Kazemi, the mistress of Steve McNair, to murder? The New York Post publishes the most extensive report on their relationship yet. After meeting Kazemi at a Dave and Buster’s, McNair had promised Kazemi he would leave his wife and children for her, and bought her a car and took her away on vacation. But things began to sour after Kazemi once saw another woman leaving McNair’s condo. On July 2, she was pulled over and slapped with a DUI while McNair was in the car, but instead of comforting her, he got in a cab and left. He paid her bail, but that afternoon, she purchased the weapon with which she killed him. On July 3, she told a coworker, “My life is a ball of shit, and I should just end it.”
President Obama defended the $787 billion stimulus on Saturday, saying it "has worked as intended," in response to Republican criticism of his handling of the economy. “It has already extended unemployment insurance and health insurance to those who have lost their jobs in this recession,” he said in his weekly radio and Web address. “It has delivered $43 billion in tax relief to American working families and business.” House Minority Whip Eric Cantor responded, calling the bill "full of pork-barrel spending, government waste and massive borrowing cleverly called 'stimulus.'" Obama called for the public to be patient, saying the stimulus "was not designed to work in four months—it was designed to work over two years." Unemployment rose to its highest rate since 1983 in June and Obama has said he expects unemployment to rise further, to 10 percent.
Perhaps he can use his power ring to create a good actor? The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Warner Bros. has chosen Ryan Reynolds to play the Green Lantern in the studio’s upcoming movie about the DC comic-book hero. Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, and Justin Timberlake were also considered for the role. “If the deal is completed, it would make Reynolds the only actor to have played heroes for both Marvel and DC," as he also played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings begin Monday, and the Supreme Court nominee has been rehearsing for over a week with Obama administration lawyers to prepare for senators' hard-hitting questions. Republicans will target her "wise Latina" comment, linking it to President Obama's earlier comment that it's important for a judge to have empathy. "Empathy is great, perhaps, if you're the beneficiary of it," Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a Senate speech last week. Republicans say they will press Sotomayor on her 10 years as a board member of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, when Sessions said she took "extreme positions," as well as her decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, the firefighter discrimination case. Abortion will most likely not be an issue, since she won't tip the court's balance, though if senators press her on hot-button issues she might have to rule on as a justice, Sotomayor will most likely say she can't comment.
More secrets emerge about the Bush administration. Former Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the concealment of a secret CIA counterterrororism program for eight years, The New York Times reports, though the scope of the program is unknown. CIA Director Leon Panetta told the Senate and House intelligence committees that he ended the program when he first learned about it from subordinates on June 23. Officials say the program did not involve the much-criticized CIA interrogation program or domestic intelligence gathering. "They have said the program was started by the counterterrorism center at the C.I.A. shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but never became fully operational, involving planning and some training that took place off and on from 2001 until this year," The Times reports. Congressional officials differ on the program's significance. The news comes on the heels of an inspectors general report that said only three lawyers in the Department of Justice knew of President Bush's secret domestic wiretapping program.
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