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The Daily Muck
A Wayne County circuit judge in Michigan ruled that embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick cannot be removed from office by the city council. Rather, Kilpatrick can only be removed from office by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D). A removal hearing has been scheduled by Granholm for September 3. (Detroit Free Press)
The FBI laid out more scientific evidence to members of the press yesterday linking scientist Bruce Ivins to the 2001 anthrax attacks. The briefing, which focused on microbial forensics, was in part a response to widespread skepticism over the largely circumstantial evidence of the case. (New York Times)
The ranking senators of the Senate Judiciary Committee urged Attorney General Michael Mukasey yesterday to delay the expansion of FBI investigative powers. Both Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) said the move would "employ more expansive investigative practices with limited oversight." (Senate Judiciary Committee)
Jack Abramoff associate and former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed did not show up to John McCain's fundraiser in Georgia yesterday. The McCain campaign has distanced itself from Reed after the former lobbyist sent out a letter in support of the campaign. (Think Progress)
Iraq has quickly become one of the largest markets for U.S. military sales, spending over $3 billion on U.S. weapons since 2007. That number is expected to grow up to an additional $8.7 billion in sales to Iraq. (USA TODAY)
Even though former VECO CEO Bill Allen has been making great use of his new Hawker jet, he has not been frequenting his home in Anchorage, Alaska. Despite having flown to Roswell 35 times and Grand Junction 22 times, the eight-month old Hawker is yet to stop in Anchorage where Allen could soon face sentencing related to the ongoing indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK).
Not "The FBI layed out more scientific evidence. . .," but The FBI laid out more scientific evidence.
August 19, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
From a Science Times article:
"But at Monday’s briefings officials conceded that about 100 people had access to the same anthrax batch, called RMR-1029. One other institution, which the FBI would not name, also had anthrax with the same genetic signature, investigators said."
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35503/title/FBI_reveals_more_details_of_anthrax_investigation
Less than dazzling...
August 19, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The FBI narrowed their search to a select community of scientists who could have had access to the supplies and equipment to make this stuff back in 2001, then developed a method to backtrack it to an individual within that community, then had members of that community "oversee" their use of the new method, then asked members of that community to verify that the culprit must have been a deceased member of that community and couldn't have been one of the other (living) members of that community, who BTW had witnessed how harshly the FBI had treated their colleagues who, as it turned out, were innocent.
Well, now, isn't that Special? Two good-o-boy clubs working hand in hand to prove that neither one had done anything wrong!
August 19, 2008 7:36 PM | Reply | Permalink