As they say in the comic book thrillers, meanwhile back on the farm, the Iraq Survey Group has released its final report, and it reconfirms that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction.The report also debunks the last hope for those convinced that WMDs would be found: There is no evidence that nuclear, […]

Desperate for soldiers to perform crucial missions in Iraq, the U.S. military has deployed men and women who lack the training they need to stay alive in a complex and ever-shifting battle with insurgents.According to a report in the Boston Globe on Tuesday, at least 3,000 Navy and Air Force personnel, trained in noncombat specialties, […]

Victims of asbestos poisoning need help. So do companies with little, or even no, role in asbestos contamination that are being bankrupted by litigation.Legislation in the U.S. Senate would provide relief by creating a federally run trust fund that would compensate victims for their exposure, protect businesses from uncertainty and make sure that only responsible […]

Disputes between families and the Department of Health and Human Services are almost always ugly. When the state intervenes – with the intention of protecting children – lives and families can be shattered. Most of the time, the department does the right thing. Sometimes, mistakes are made.What’s striking is how difficult it is to fix […]

The high cost of prescription drugs are a serious matter, especially to cash-strapped seniors.Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe has introduced legislation in Congress that would allow the importation of drugs from Canada and Europe, where the government negotiates for lower prices.New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg has introduced a competing bill, which should be called importation-lite and […]

The State Department is taking a new approach to terrorism – at least to reporting on it.If the numbers don’t look good, stop releasing them.Due out this week is the State Department’s annual report on international terrorism. Since 1985, the report has tracked the number of terrorist attacks and the patterns of global terrorism. Last […]

What the country needs is a comprehensive strategy that reduces reliance on oil, promotes alternative sources of energy and mitigates damage done to the environment.What the country is getting from the U.S. House of Representatives is something else altogether.Last week, the House passed its latest version of the energy bill. Stripped out of the latest […]

The nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations ran into unexpected trouble last week when Republican Sen. George Voinovich called for more time for consideration, postponing a vote in the Foreign Relations Committee until next month.While Republicans sing in near-unison that the roadblocks to Bolton’s confirmation are the result of partisan attacks […]

Maine is leading the nation in protecting the public’s right to information.On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee will hold public hearings on three pieces of legislation that would further cement the state’s place as a leader in holding government accountable to the people it serves. All three deserve the support of lawmakers.L.D. 466 would give courts […]

It’s fitting that, on the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to consider a bill requiring higher emission standards on some new cars for sale in Maine.The committee should give the regulations a clean bill of health and pass them on to the full Legislature for approval.L.D. 1465 would […]