Michael Morales, who was convicted for murder in 1983 for raping and killing a teenage girl, has had his execution delayed because California officials were unable to comply with "a federal judge's conditions for carrying out the sentence" (New York Times).

Earlier on Tuesday, the Morales execution was first delayed after two anesthesiologists that were brought in to make sure that lethal drugs were administered properly for Morales’ execution refused to do so, saying this would violate "medical strictures against harming patients" (New York Times).

"While we contemplated a positive role that might enable us to verify a humane execution protocol for Mr. Morales, what is being asked of us now is ethically unacceptable," the doctors said in a statement regarding the Morales execution. "As a result, we have withdrawn from participation in this current process." (qtd. in International Herald Tribune).

Normally medical doctors administer drugs from another room, via an IV. When Morales's "defense attorneys claimed last week lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment, barred by the Constitution," U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel ordered prison officials to "make medical experts available to ensure unnecessary pain was not inflicted" during Morales’
execution (Reuters).

The story of the Morales execution delay has become national news because it questions the Constitution's bar against "cruel and unusual punishment" and medical doctors' involvement in executions.

According to MSNBC's poll about the moral implications of Morales execution, 58% of 12,447 voters think, "No: The anesthesia isn't the execution. Advising on an inmate's vital signs shouldn't cause an ethical quandary." What do you think? Were the anesthesiologists facing a moral dilemma with the Morales execution, or not? Should Morales’s execution be delayed?

There's been a media frenzy over Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident - last Saturday the Vice President accidentally shot fellow hunter Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, Texas.

"The vice president didn't see him," says Cheney's spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride. "The covey flushed and the vice president picked out a bird and was following it and shot. And by God, Harry was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty good." (qtd. in CNN.com)

Whittington is currently in stable condition at a Corpus Christi hospital, and it's been said that hunting accidents such as these are typical (see Cincinnati Post). Still, the media has been satirizing the accident (click for Washington Post's run down of jokes) and attacking the White House's public relations.

According to Yahoo! News, "in a testy exchange with reporters on Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan faced dozens of questions about the propriety of a private citizen making public a shooting incident involving the vice president and whether Cheney had followed White House protocol... McClellan declined to say if he was satisfied with the way it was handled. 'You can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job,' he said."

What do you think? Is this media frenzy a blowup of a hunting accident, or is the press right to criticize the Bush Administration's handling of the situation?

As Wikipedia.org notes, "what started with the problem of a Danish author trying to find an illustrator for his forthcoming book about Islam has become an international crisis. It has led to violence, arrests, international tensions, and a renewed debate about the scope of free speech and the place of Muslims in the West, and the West in Muslim countries."

Among the 12 Mohammed cartoons, the most controversial is Mohammed wearing a bomb as his turban.

Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen has refused to apologize for the publication of the cartoons as Muslim leaders have asked him to, and now two armed Muslim groups -- the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committee -- have threatened to "harm Danes, French and Norwegians in the Palestinian territories after newspapers in France and Norway opted to reprint the Danish cartoons" (DW World).

Besides spawning violent debate and bloody riots, the Mohammed cartoons have also inspired a controversial Holocaust cartoon competition, with aims to challenge how free the Western world really is about speech and expression.

Is the Mohammed cartoon conflict centered around legitimate debate about freedom of speech and respecting other cultures?

The strike, repeatedly called "selfish" by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is illegal due to state law barring public workers from striking. Transit Workers Union leaders have been threatened with jail, the union is being fined $1 million each day of the strike, and striking workers "will also lose two days’ pay for every day they are on strike, and they could also be jailed" (MSNBC.com).

Still, according to a WNBC/Marist poll, 38% of New Yorkers support the strike. According to CNN.com, Local 100 of the TWU president Roger Toussaint justifies the strike as "transit workers are tired of being underappreciated and disrespected." Even some commuters with schedules disrupted by the strike sympathize with transit workers. According to The Associated Press, Matthew Higgs said, ""I try to put myself in their shoes. The only way you can get what you want is to take a stand. These guys work every day. ... Why shouldn't their kids have good health care? Why shouldn't their kids be able to go to college?"

Either way, some have speculated that the fines TWU and individual transit workers are facing will quickly eat up whatever raise in pay transit workers may receive after negotiations are settled.

Did NYC's transit workers take a brave stand for their rights, or are they acting selfishly and stupidly?

Last week The New York Times leaked that President Bush authorized domestic eavesdropping after the September 11th attacks.

Some critics find this surveillance disturbing, likening a spying National Security Agency to a "Big Brother." BBC News reports that "The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said eavesdropping in the US without a court order and without complying with the procedures of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was 'both illegal and unconstitutional.'"

Bush, according to ScienceDaily.com, "defended the program as important in being able to stop future attacks and suggested it was harmed by being publicly known." Bush also said he would continue the program "for so long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill American citizens," and added the program "included safeguards to protect civil liberties," reported Chron.com.

Is government surveillance of possible terrorists necessary in this time of war, or is it disturbing to your sense of civil liberties? Is America turning from land of the free to a government of Big Brother?

Cheney reportedly appeared to show support for the US's decision to occupy Iraq, "transmitting the [Bush's] administration's confidence that it is beginning to get Iraq under control" (SFGate.com).

Depending on your view of the US's stay in Iraq, that Iraq's prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari told Cheney he was "very happy for [him] to see the fruits of [his] labor" (qtd. in SF Chronicle) may sound sincere or rather ironic.

What do you think? With several attacks during the Iraqi election, and the continuing violence as the US pushes Western democracy onto the country, do you think al-Jaafari's comment proves the Right is right, or do you snicker because the only fruits of labor you see in Iraq is continuing violence?

Debate continues as to whether or not the Bush Administration is to blame for what has been called a slow evacuation and restoration of order to New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

According to the Associated Press, "more than half of respondents in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll last week said [Bush] is at fault for the slow response" to Katrina's aftermath.

Critics blame Bush for leaving valuable resources - money and manpower - in Iraq, instead of moving them to New Orleans and other areas hit by Katrina. Some critics also argue race may have played a part in the slow evacuation of New Orleans after Katrina devastated the city.

Defenders of Bush say that there are more than enough troops for both Iraq and Katrina's aftermath. And according to an AP article, Bush "said Congress should consider whether the federal government should have more authority to step into disaster areas [of Katrina] without a request from the states."

What do you think? Is Bush to blame for Katrina's poor evacuation and slow recovery, or are state and local governments at fault for Katrina's sloppy evacuation and the past anarchy of New Orleans? Do you think race played an issue in the initial and later evacuations due to Katrina?

Tony Blair spoke on the terrorist attacks from the G8 Summit which opened today in Scotland. Tony Blair mentioned how it is so unfortunate that the attacks occurred on a day when so many people of different countries were meeting together at the G8 Summit to try and better the conditions of certain parts of the world.

Blair also announced that he would be returning to London because of the attack to get a full report from the emergency services team, and that he would be back in Scotland for the rest of the summit later tonight. Tony Blair stated that the terrorists who executed the bombing "have no respect for human life".

Tony Blair stated that would not let any type of violence change the values of their society. Blair explained that the desire to defend his values and way of life is far greater than the desire of the terrorists to cause death and destruction.

This morning 4 bombs went off throughout London's transportation system in a coordinated terrorist attack. Three of the four bombs were located in London subways, the other was on a double decker bus. Unfortunately, there was deaths confirmed in each bombing.

The total number of deaths in the London bombing is not certain at this moment, but it is estimated to be around 40. Hopsitals in London have reported about 700 people have been wounded or injured. All transportation services in the London underground have been supsended until at least Friday due to the damages that the bombing has caused.

The "Group of al Qaeda Organization in Europe" has claimed they are the terrorists who executed the bombing through a posting on a web site. The claim can not be verified at the moment. They did not give any type of warning to the police before the bombings occurred either. The national threat level for passenger rail, subway and bus systems in the United States has also been raised to orange because of the bombing. Can we expect more terrorists attack to surface throughout the nations? And if the Group of al Qaeda Organization in Europe claims that they are responsible for the attacks what is preventing them from striking again?

President Bush has made it clear that he will be taking a trip to Vietnam in 2006. The current Prime Minister of Vietnam's trip to the United States is the first to be taken by from a leader of Vietnam since the Vietnam War ended almost 30 years ago. The trip was taken by the Vietnam Prime Minister because of the 10th year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Bush mentioned the different issues and topic him and Vietnam's Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai discussed. Bush said they had discussed the problem of HIV and AIDS throughout the country of Vietnam. Along with the topics of security issues, and the desire for both countries to coordinate the war on terror.

Bush also stated that the two had signed a bill to give Vietnam's citizen more freedom of worship. Vietnam's Prime Minister seemed very pleased that they are moving the relations with the United States forward. He also explained that he was very happy with Bush supporting Vietnam to enter the World Trade Organization.

When Bush travels to Vietnam, it will only be the second visit to the country from a president, since the war ended. The first president to visit Vietnam was Bill Clinton in the year 2000.

According to Bush, people who are already getting checks from the Social Security system do not have to worry about eventually not recieving checks. He made it clear that the major Social Security problem will be for the youth of today when they are retiring.

When all of the baby boomers retire, that will be about 73 million retired Americans that today's younger people will have to pay for so that Social Security can support them. Currently, there are only about 40 million retired citizens in America, which means the amount of people Social Security will have to cover will almost double.

Another problem is the amount of workers paying for every retired person on the Social Security system. Around 1950, there had been about 16 employed people able to divide the cost to pay for every retired person on Social Security. Now there is only about 3 employed people for every retiree currently relying upon Social Security. And it is estimated that soon there will only be 2 employed workers paying for every retired person depending on Social Security.

The Securities and Exhchange Commission's primary job is to make sure that American businesses are working honestly. The SEC investigates fraudulent activities committed by corporations and make sure that they are held responsible for their actions if they decieve clientele or employees.

The current chairman of the SEC, Bill Donaldson started his position with the SEC in February of 2003. As the chairman of the SEC, Donaldson attempted to crack down on unlawful practices through corporations. The number of actions filed by the SEC against corporations practicing unlawful business increased under Donaldson's leadership. But Donaldson was also criticized for trying to regulate the one trillion dollar hedge fund industry, which had never even been tried before by any SEC chairman. He has decided to resign on June 30th.

George Bush believes that Chris Cox is the next man to take over the responsiblities of being the chairman of the SEC. Chris Cox is a 52 year old Californian Republican. President Bush believes he is qualified for this position because Chris Cox is a graduate of Harvard Business and Law School with honors and has experience being a security lawyer. He also was an advisor to President Reagan before being elected to Congress.

The nomination for the SEC chairman has already been heavily criticized by many. A former Republican congressman named Vin Weber gave his own opinion on the SEC nomination, "I've known Chris Cox since he was elected to Congress in 1988 and I will be shocked if he's anything other than a very strong deregulator".

And the Associate General Counsel, Damon Silvers of the AFL-CIO, the nation's biggest labor federation spoke out against the nomination, "If Cox had written our securities laws, the executives at WorldCom and Enron wouldn't have any legal troubles."

Bill Clinton mentioned that in most situations, law enforcement agents should not leak information to the press but that in an event like this, Felt did the right thing. Clinton stated he has no problem at all with Felt coming out now.

On another note, Bill Clinton also spoke on the effect of religious groups on politics. Former President Clinton made it clear that President Bush should be concerned about the fact that the Christian conservative movement makes up a large amount of his voters. Clinton stated "Whenever religous people try to excercise political power in God's name ... that's always hazardous."

Clinton discussed his humanitarian project on the show. He directs a project which analyzes the needs of tsunami victims in Southern Asia, which is a project that is also associated with the United Nations. Clinton explained that he had just came back to the United States and that he had been to Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka.

Allies of President Bush have launched television advertisements in support of the revised Social Security plan brought forth by George Bush. Also, Bush has been traveling the country in an attempt to gain support for his new Social Security plan.

According to the Social Security Administration and the Congressional Budget Office, Social Security will start taking in less funds than it gives out in the next 12 to 15 years. Social Security's trust fund will be totally depleted in the next 40 to 50 years.

President Bush admits that private accounts are not the only thing that needs to be done to solve the problem of a depleted Social Security fund. But he has stated that it is a step towards fixing Social Security's financial problem that our nation faces.

Many believe that Bush's plan would force the nation to borrow trillions of dollars to pay off currently retired citizens on the Social Security program, and it is also speculated that guaranteed benefits might have to be cut as much as 40% under this plan.

Memorial Day is a day of rememberance for those who have passed while serving our nation. During 2005's Memorial Day, President Bush visited the Arlington Cemetery. Bush had previously made a trip to Arlington in 2003. The Arlington Cemetery is designated officially as a military cemetery, veterans from all of our nation's wars are buried at Arlington.

During his recent visit to Arlington on Memorial Day, George Bush read off letters of soldiers who had been killed in combat.

Bush was quoted as saying, "We must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives", also in attendance along with Bush at the Arlington Cemetery were the families of soldiers who died in combat and also many soldiers who had been wounded fighting in Iraq.

Many of the letters that President Bush read throughout the Memorial Day address at the Arlington Cemetery were letters that were written by soldiers to only be opened if their lives were lost in combat.

The letters read by Bush during his Memorial Day deliverance drew large applauses and were the cause of tears from the audience in Arlington as they told tales of self sacrafice for a greater cause, such as the letter written by Michael Evans, "My death will mean nothing if you stop now. I know it'll be hard, but I gave my life so you could live, not just live, but live free."

The last time President Bush visited the Arligton National Cemetery in 2003 there had been 160 American soldiers killed in Iraq, by Memorial Day 2005 there are over 1,650 casualties. There are over 260,000 people buried at Arlington National Cemetery.