News The Morning News
52 %: Percentage of Americans who now want the US out of Iraq, according to a new Gallup poll.
47 %: Percentage of South Dakotans who want to overturn the state’s abortion ban, compared to 39% who support the ban.
$2: Minimum-wage hike passed by House but tied to the poison-pill estate tax repeal and facing dim prospects in the Senate.
57: Minimum number of civilians killed by Israeli strikes during Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s aborted diplomatic visit.
48 hours: Length of time Israel agreed to suspend bombing over southern Lebanon (an agreement it rescinded shortly thereafter.)
$250,000: Amount Fox News agreed to pay four women to settle a sex discrimination suit by four female employees.
18: Age at which FDA will consider allowing women to buy the morning-after pill over the counter.
200: Number of additional prisoners to be housed at new $30 million federal facility at Guantanamo.
$50 million: Bail for Naveed Haq, suspect in six shootings at the Seattle Jewish Federation.
It's worth noting that the House minimum wage increase is a total scam. The House Republicans tied it to reductions in the estate tax and a bunch of other tax breaks, knowing full well that Senate Democrats would block any bill containing those provisions.
So they (House Repubs) get to go home and crow about how they tried to raise the minimum wage, but the Democrats blocked it, even though they never had any intention of raising it a cent.
Assholes.