Foes of Evolution Set Sights on New Target: Gravity

If a group of concerned parents gets its way, high school physics students may soon be required to learn about alternative explanations of gravity. The parents say that a one-sided focus on Newton's so-called universal law of gravitation is unfair to students who don't believe in gravity. If they prevail, physics teachers may be forced to read a statement acknowledging that our understanding of gravity is just a theory.

Is Einstein's 'theory of relativism' next?

By Cole Walters, education correspondent

DOVER, PA—It is a staple of high-school physics classes: the story of Isaac Newton's encounter with a certain apple. As scientific wisdom would have it, Sir Isaac was sitting beneath a tree one afternoon when the offending apple dropped down upon his head, leading him to coin an explanation of one of the universe's greatest mysteries: why do things fall out of the sky? Read on...

Called the universal theory of gravity, Newton's so-called law is taught to physics students everyday. But a growing movement of parents wants to change that. They say that Isaac Newton's theory of acceleration and velocity is just that—a theory—and that forcing students to accept a Newtonian view of the natural world is unfair to those who don't believe in gravity. 

Is Einstein's 'theory of relativism' next?

By Cole Walters, education correspondent

DOVER, PA—It is a staple of high-school physics classes: the story of Isaac Newton's encounter with a certain apple. As scientific wisdom would have it, Sir Isaac was sitting beneath a tree one afternoon when the offending apple dropped down upon his head, leading him to coin an explanation of one of the universe's greatest mysteries: why do things fall out of the sky? Read on...

Called the universal theory of gravity, Newton's so-called law is taught to physics students everyday. But a growing movement of parents wants to change that. They say that Isaac Newton's theory of acceleration and velocity is just that—a theory—and that forcing students to accept a Newtonian view of the natural world is unfair to those who don't believe in gravity.

via Media Bistro : Early this afternoon, Fox News prematurely pronounced the Pope dead. "At 1:23 p.m., Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith reported that the pope had died. At least initially, he did not cite sources," the AP reports.

Download | play -WMP only

FNC viewers could hear a producer yelling "the Pope is dead." (Side note: Who was the producer?? Shep then tossed to a correspondent in Rome, who said the reports were not confirmed )

An Fox News insider has outed the "Pope Dead" producer as Rachel McEntee. Her voice was heard on the translator's open mic in the audio booth this afternoon. McAntee is an "amateur who doesn't belong anywhere near this big of a story," the insider told TVNewser. The FNCer added that no one is holding Shep accountable for the mistake, because he handles breaking news constantly, and was put in an "extremely awkward position" after McEntee's frantic voice was heard on the air...

(Update)-James Walcott saw it too: The Lord Is My Shepard Smith

Fox News didn't even wait for the Pope to die to start politicizing his death. Based on an erroneous report from Fox's sister network Sky Italia, Shepard Smith announced that the Pope had died and began eulogizing him, the eulogy ending with a tribute to the Pope as a symbol of "moderation and conservatism." ...read on

Republican Alabama lawmaker Gerald Allen says homosexuality is an unacceptable lifestyle. As CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann reports, under his bill, public school libraries could no longer buy new copies of plays or books by gay authors, or about gay characters.

"I don't look at it as censorship," says State Representative Gerald Allen. "I look at it as protecting the hearts and souls and minds of our children." ...read on

The sickness is spreading at a rapid pace. Next will be gay screen writers, gay actors, gay chefs, gay starbucks workers, gay Wal-mart employees...oh wait a second..they don't make enough money to count. The next question is where will Ken Mehlman go?

by DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Republicans attacked the AARP as well as congressional Democrats on Wednesday as they struggled to build momentum behind President Bush 's call for personal investment accounts under Social Security. The AARP, which claims 35 million members age 50 and over, is "against a solution that hasn't been written yet," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay after a closed-door meeting with the GOP rank and file. read on

If Tom Delay is so mad at AARP, then why doesn't he have a solution yet? You don't make a proposal without a proposal. Why does the G.O.P. think they can run around the country selling an "idea" using false rhetoric and not offer a concrete plan? Because it was a poorly thought out choice for President Bush and his ideologues that think the time is now to dismantle Social Security. They think they have the "political capital" "to say anything to the country, and the country will buy into it.

LAT Political Writer Dick Bergholz, One Of A Kind

via NewsDay(hat tip Ryan)

The reporter was fake, using a fake name, spoofing alleged fake White House reporter "Jeff Gannon." But the news conference was real serious.

"Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker," he shouted, as if in a White House news conference, identifying himself as "Dino Ironbody"

His question: "How do you feel about the president's awesome plan to privatize Social Security?"

Miller, who realized what was going on, played along.

A spokesman for Comedy Central, where the show is aired, said the pretend reporter was spoofing the former White House correspondent known as Jeff Gannon -- who is really James D. Guckert -- who worked for a conservative Web site and was accused of asking pro-Bush questions. The access Guckert enjoyed to White House news conferences has been a source of controversy.

David Shuster, NBC News correspondent was on Hardball yesterday. He is reporting the latest from Baghdad.

Iraqi forces are wearing black ski masks to hide their faces from the insurgents. Even the Iraqi's that work for NBC won't tell their families who they work for. Also the troops are getting no help from the Iraqi citizens, as insurgents seem to blend in with the population after attacks.

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It's a frightening situation for our troops and the Iraq forces as more violence spreads before the election. Remember, those four provinces hold almost 40% of the population that are deemed unsafe to the voters. We can only hope that our troops remain steadfast and safe during this first election cycle.

How to Talk to a Fool (If You Really Must)

Last night, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's excellent investigative news program, "the Fifth Estate," broadcast a one-hour special on the hijacking of the American media by conservative bullies -- whose knowledge of foreign policy seems to run the gamut from A to B and tends toward scream-o-ramas in which dissenters are accused of being unpatriotic. Of course, it included Coulter who gloated to correspondent Bob McKeown about how her side is "winning and they're loosing." But in the next segment during a rant about how Canada is disloyal for not sending troops to Iraq -- Coulter was finally exposed -- it just isn't clear from the exchange if she is genuinely confused or purposefully misrepresenting the truth. We'll report so you can decide.

Coulter: "Canada used to be one of our most loyal friends and vice-versa. I mean Canada sent troops to Vietnam - was Vietnam less containable and more of a threat than Saddam Hussein?"

McKeown interrupts: "Canada didn't send troops to Vietnam."

Coulter: "I don't think that's right."

McKeown: "Canada did not send troops to Vietnam."

Coulter (looking desperate): "Indochina?"

McKeown: "Uh no. Canada ...second World War of course. Korea. Yes. Vietnam No."

Coulter: "I think you're wrong."

McKeown: "No, took a pass on Vietnam."

Coulter: "I think you're wrong."

McKeown: "No, Australia was there, not Canada."

Coulter: "I think Canada sent troops."

McKeown: "No."

Coulter: "Well. I'll get back to you on that."

McKeown tags out in script:

"Coulter never got back to us -- but for the record, like Iraq, Canada sent no troops to Vietnam."

(hat tip Calvin via email via DU)

Rumsfeld doubts Saddam link.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has cast doubt on whether there was ever a relationship between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda.

The alleged link was one of the justifications used by President Bush for the invasion of Iraq.

In front of an audience in New York, Mr Rumsfeld was asked about connections between Saddam and Osama Bin Laden. "To my knowledge, I have not seen any strong, hard evidence that links the two," he said.