An environmental disaster of epic proportions just happened in Tennessee. Monday night 2.6 million cubic yards (the equivalent of 525.2 million gallons, 48 times more than the Exxon Valdez spill by volume) of coal ash sludge broke through a dike of a 40-acre holding pond at TVA’s Kingston coal-fired power plant covering 400 acres up to six feet deep, damaging 12 homes and wrecking a train.  

The United States, like many countries, has a bad habit of committing wartime excesses and an even worse record of accounting for them afterward. But a remarkable string of recent events suggests that may finally be changing - and that top Bush administration officials could soon face legal jeopardy for prisoner abuse committed under their watch in the war on terror.                               

Through the marvel of television - and the remote button - a debate of sorts was available on last Sunday morning's interview shows between the departing vice president and the man soon to succeed him. 

On the Fox News show, Dick Cheney spent most of an hour defending his eight-year tenure, in which he has been seen as such an influential incumbent that he has often been cast as the real power behind President Bush. 

I am sure you all read the latest news featuring the killing of approximately 200 innocent Palestinians at the hand of the Jewish terrorists.  

Attorney-General Robert McClelland agreed the case had been riddled with mistakes from the top down, he said the Government had no plans to apologise - and admitted not a single head would role over the affair.

Releasing the report today, Mr McClelland said mistakes had been made from the highest level down to the investigating officers but the Government would not go "on a witchhunt".

NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said if Tasers were accessible to all frontline police, similar shootings could potentially be avoided.

"If frontline police had access to Tasers there would be another non-lethal choice that police officers could make when facing a split second decision about what to do," Mr O'Farrell told reporters.

 

With bad news pouring in from retailers and exporters, American economists are scrambling to lower their forecasts for growth in the world's largest economy. 

Winter storms across the country appear to have dealt a final blow to retail sales as cash-strapped consumers stay home, and the US economy is now expected to post its worst performance in at least 27 years – and possibly since the Fifties. 

from Crikey …..

CEOs: the poor little rich guys

Adam Schwab writes: